So after great anticipation, we got our 171H approval letter ! We headed to Harrisburg this past Wednesday to get the document apistilled and we then fed exed it to Ukraine. They should receive it by this Tuesday. We are hoping that our complete dossier will be submitted to the SDA soon after it arrives. We will then just wait to hear from them for the invite to travel over. It seems almost surreal entering into this phase of the process. There were so many documents and much paperwork to lead to this point and the invite to travel seems so far away, but it is now getting closer and closer each day. On our end we have had much to keep us busy. The busyness that the hunting season brings, remodeling our home and trying to figure out how to make our house the most useful and efficient it can be, as mentioned the loads of paperwork and running here and there, the routine of getting four kids ready for school, I could go on and on of all the things that have kept us so busy. This busyness has also made the days fly by and go so fast. I often find myself wondering how long the days must seem at the orphanage. What seems like a blink of the last few months to us, must seems like so much more. They don't have a "normal" loving home, filled with people to share it with, they don't have all the opportunities and entertainment that we do, and more sadly, they have little hope of a future. Maybe it is the upcoming holiday season that makes me more sensitive to how these kids are probably feeling. I always get the awareness each holiday season of the people around us with less. God has reassured us time and time again that this is the path he has for us right now and that we are doing what he wants us to do, so I find peace and contentment in that, but somedays I wish they didn't have to live one more day without someone tucking them in bed, someone caring for them, some one loving them. Since we have not had contact with the girls, these questions in my mind remain unanswered. I don't know if their days are filled with the hope that we are coming for them, I don't know what they are doing and feeling. When they were here with us, Russie and I both said several times, that we had never had so many hugs in our life. I feel bad that we are not there to hug them, to tell them we are excited to have them in our home. So now that I had to go grab my box of tissues after reliving these thoughts that I often have, here is the HOPE...God has protected my girls their whole life until now, he has taken them and given them qualities that I only hope my children grow up to have, he has taken their life of heartbreak, confusion, loneliness and abandonment and provided them with hope. He has not forsaken or left them, and they know that, and cling on to that everyday they are there. I do trust that he is holding them when we cant, encouraging them when we cant speak to them, loving them in a way only he can, I find so much strength in that. I am so excited to hear about how God has been working in their lives until we come for them. I know this is the hardest few weeks for them these next few weeks. It is been long enough for them to wonder how the process is going and question if we are really coming. My Mom and Eric and Russ and Lori will probably be traveling the end of this month or the beginning of December, so that comforts me to know that they will be able to hug them, reassure them and give them hope when they travel there. Greater things are yet to come !!! God has taken our family who seemed very ordinary and is preforming extraordinary things ! I am excited to see what else he has in store for us !
Keep Praying, have no doubts that God is not here and alive and is preforming great miracles and moving unmovable mountains, just like he always has !
Hebrews 13:8 " He is the same yesterday, today and forever !!!"
Here is a great song that I have been singing today...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0hJ4JfPeKs
**ALSO...forgot to mention. The Orphanage director, has asked Lori to help with an immediate need they have right now. I had mentioned before about the kids not having warm winter coats. We are trying to raise money to get each of the kids a new winter coat. Lori will be taking the money over with her when she travels, so we have just a few short weeks to help with this. The coats are very expensive over there and we are trying to raise $50/coat. There are 100 kids, so we need your help !!! If your family, or your church would be willing to help us with this, please email me or Lori.**
No comments:
Post a Comment