Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day!

My oldest son, Isaac, asked what we were celebrating yesterday.  I reminded him of the history lessons we've studied, about how America became a country.  So then he asked me if Gideon is celebrating Fourth of July, too.  "No, he doesn't live in America yet, honey."  "Well, don't they have an Independence Day in his country?" 

So this conversation brought up two important points.  One:  Isaac really wants to learn about the history, culture, and customs of his brother's country.  We are adding that to our homeschool curriculum, because he asks me questions every day, and I am forever running to the internet to look up the answer to his latest query, so we might as well be official about it and call it Social Studies! 

Two:  Gideon does not have all that much freedom to celebrate quite yet, does he?  He has waited in a crib for five years now.  He has waited to be free to figure out who he is and why God created him and what his little body is really capable of.  His day of freedom is coming, though!  We are going to celebrate his very own Independence Day as soon as we can get there and walk away from his crib forever.  Freedom from the crib.  Freedom from being unwanted.  Freedom from fear and loneliness and despair.  We are coming, Gideon!  Your Independence Day is coming!  Hang in there, my sweet love!

God sets the lonely in families . . .

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. 

God sets the lonely in families, He leads forth the prisoners with singing ~Psalm 68:5-6

There are so many children waiting for mommies and daddies to find them.  Waiting for the Lord to place them in families.  I wish I could just charter an airplane and bring about thirty of them home with me!  Can’t you just picture it? 

But I want to share with you today one sweet little one who has been found.  This is Pauline. 

She is four and a half years old.  I have looked at her photo many times, and prayed over this beauty. 

And honestly, when I first read her Reece’s Rainbow listing, I wondered if she would ever be able to be adopted.  Why?  Because of this:

This is Pauline W.
Date of Birth: September 2006
Gender: Female
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Character: Beautiful, kind, affectionate.

  UPDATE!   Pauline's region is FINALLY ready to accept a commitment for her adoption.   Please read the following new requirements for interested families:

1.  Must reside in the state of MARYLAND ONLY
2.  Must have a healthy income
3.  Must have no more than 4 children already at home
4.  Must already have a child with Down syndrome

Oh, I am SO happy to finally have new photos and info about this beautiful princess!!!!   I believe she may have Mosaic Down Syndrome, we are trying to confirm that.  She is very high functioning, healthy, active, and social.   She will do so well in a family environment.   More photos available, outstanding agency partner in this region!   MARRIED COUPLES ONLY, PLEASE

I mean, that’s pretty specific, right?  How many families are there in Maryland who meet those criteria?  And who are seeking to adopt?  But the Lord.  Oh, our beautiful Lord!  He had just the right family in mind for Pauline.  Because she has been chosen!  That list of restrictions was not even a speed bump to our Lord. 

Isn’t Pauline just gorgeous?  She doesn’t know it yet, but her life is about to change.  I am looking forward to seeing pictures of this little one home in her mommy’s arms!

And I know that there is hope for the others that wait.  I pray for them, and I ache for them.  I don’t pretend to understand God’s ways, but I trust Him.  I trust Him to be a Father to these little ones while they wait. 

Like Oleg.  Oh, Oleg.  What a grin!  What personality! 

This little guy will turn six next month, and still he waits for a family.  He is in Orphanage 18 on the Reece’s Rainbow website.  He is facing transfer to an institution very soon (or he may already have been moved.  That isn’t known at this point.) 



Oleg - April 2010



Here’s his Reece’s Rainbow description:

Boy, Born August 2, 2005

Look at my little Oleg!  So happy to have a new photo of him, with hair and his big brown eyes!  Oleg is healthy, with no heart complications.  He is very active and an orphanage favorite.   He is already 5 and blessed to still be at the baby house. 

He is facing the institution soon.

$5203.00 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

Oleg is still waiting to be found.  He has a large grant! 

But unfortunately, he is about to lose that grant.  When children turn six years old, they are moved to the “Down Syndrome 6+” page.  They no longer are able to have individual grants.  (He will still be eligible for the “Older Child” grant, however.)  But I am praying that his family might find him this month, before his birthday, and that his grant will be a blessing to the family who chooses to give this sweet boy what every child deserves:  a family. 

Please consider sharing Oleg on Facebook, Twitter, your own blog, or wherever else you can think of. 

And then there is Shane.  He is in the same orphanage as Oleg.  Last month he turned six years old.  Is this not the cutest little face? 

And look at those sweet hands.  Don’t you just want to hold his little hand and cuddle with him? 

Scoop him up and hug him? 

Shane is just so sweet. 

Boy, Born June 20, 2005

"What you talkin' about, Willis"?   Shane is too cute, and we are so glad to have new pics of him.   He is almost 6 and facing the institution soon.

Waiting on medical info, but he can be adopted with Oleg or Michael (also from orphanage 18) as well! Consider all three!

I AM ELIGIBLE FOR AN OLDER CHILD GRANT

He also may have already been transferred, like Oleg.  This just is not known yet.  What is known is that Shane and Oleg are two sweet boys who are waiting to be chosen.  Michael, who is mentioned above, was just moved to the “My Family Found Me” page.  That means that he has a family committed to adopting him!  Praise the Lord!  And now what about Shane and Oleg?  I ask the Lord, and I pray.  I ask that you pray, too. 

Not very many families feel equipped to adopt “older” boys.  The older these boys get, the more likely it is that they will be passed over.  That they will spend the rest of their lives locked away in an institution.  But think of Pauline.   A long list of restrictions and unusual requirements, and yet SHE WAS FOUND!  Sure, not every family is able to adopt one, or two, six year old boys with Down Syndrome.  But it doesn’t take lots of families.  It just takes one.  The one that the Lord calls.  “God sets the lonely in families.”  I cling to that promise.  He will lead these children forth out of their prisons with singing!  He has a good plan for them! 

Somebody's Missing

Going to the park.   Watering the garden.  Grocery shopping.  Tucking kiddos into bed.  Everywhere I am, everything I do lately, I feel like somebody is missing.  

This little boy that I have only met in pictures and dreams . . .  it seems like he ought to already be here.  He is so much a part of my heart.  I can imagine Gideon here with us, a part of our family.  I wonder . . . will he like to help feed the goats and ducks?  Or will he be afraid of them?  Will he want to help me make cookies?  Will he be a cuddle-bug?  Will he like for me to sing to him, like my dear Gracie, or will he be like my boys and say “Stop singing, please, Mom!”  J  (I don’t blame them.)  Will he like helping Daddy in his woodshop?  Everything we do, I feel like he should be here too.  I am missing him today.    

We spent the afternoon playing in the river



the water was cold!



so Josiah decided to play in the sand instead



Derek caught a crawdad, but Gracie didn't want to touch it



Derek taught the boys how to skip rocks, too



Gracie wanted to cuddle with Mommy while the boys splashed



and we tried to keep Molly from splashing us as she shook herself dry,
but what dog can resist a good shake right next to her people?

 

Isaac made a bow and some arrows (hey, maybe that's worth a Cub Scout patch?)

and the kids made a really fun boat out of an old log!

So all in all, a picture perfect day, wouldn't you agree?  Next summer we'll have to go back and take Gideon to the river.  I wonder if he will touch a crawdad?  Or dip his toes in the river?

Enter a Give-Away for Carlene!

Hi again!  I also want to share with all you Carlene fans out there a great way to help build up her grant.  And you might win a free Kindle in the process!   There is currently a giveaway for a brand new Kindle 3G in either graphite or white to one lucky winner!

For just one $10 donation to Carlene's adoption fund, you can be entered to win this cute little Kindle!

And all donations go directly to Carlene's Reece's Rainbow account and are tax deductible!!! The Kindle will be shipped to you directly from Amazon.com.  But hurry, because

the winner will be chosen in just three days, on July 3rd!

Please spread the word about this give-away on Facebook, Twitter, your own blog, email, friends, family, etc. and help Carlene's fund GROW!!

Follow this link to enter:

http://www.myspecialks.com/2011/06/blogging-for-carlene.html

Welcoming the Little Children

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  He called a little child and had him stand among them.  And He said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me."  ~Matthew 18:1-5

All the worries and what-ifs in the world can be laid to rest with just a few minutes in the Father's presence.  He is in control.  And He has called us to do this.  He will provide all that we need. 

If God is for us, who can be against us?  ~Romans 8:31b

God is GOOD!

And now I would like to introduce you to a darling little girl who is still waiting for her forever family to find her.  This is Carlene. 

gypf -2H

Date of Birth: December 2005
Character: Positive Emotions , happy, social, content

 Carlene is just a little ray of sunshine.  Her present diagnosis is:  Down Syndrome, moderate mental deficiency, valvular disease of the heart, strephexopodia, squint, farsightedness of light degree, allergic dermatitis, systemic underdevelopment of speech.

Carlene has already been transfered to an institution!!!

$9580.00 is available towards the cost of my adoption!
Help me reach my 5/5/5 goal:

$796 / $5000.00 raised

This sweet darling girl is living in Russia, and did you see her huge grant?  She has $9580 and also another $796 in her 5/5/5 fund.  Over $10,000 is available toward the cost of her adoption! I am praying that her mommy and daddy are out there, looking for a little girl to love.  She has so much love to give.

Can't you just imagine this little girl playing in the sprinker in her backyard, her laughter echoing off the hills? 

Can you picture her doing kindergarten work every day, learning to write her name and then looking up at you, her face shining, beaming with pleasure when you praise the way she formed her letters?

This is one smart little cookie.  She should be in kindergarten.  She should have bedtime stories read to her every night before bedtime.

She should be able to wake up every morning to a hug from her mommy. 

She needs a daddy to adore her.  Don't you think she would make a perfectly sweet princess for a daddy to love?  (Or a grandpa or uncle to wrap around her finger?  Carlene is available to single moms, as well.)

This little love should be cherished and treasured for the lovely child of God that she is. 

But right now, she is waiting.  And she is waiting in an institution.  Yes, she has already been transferred.  After these lovely photos were taken of her, word was received that she has been moved from her baby house to an institution.  Over six months ago. 

Carlene is the size of a two-year-old.  A tiny, bright, shining little treasure just waiting to be discovered. 

Here is the information about adopting from her region:

Russia Region 2 — General Information

• 2 trips
• Both parents for first trip, about one week
• Both parents travel for 2nd trip, approximately 14 days (One parent may leave after the court proceedings are finalized, after about 5 days.)
• Applicants should be no more than 45 years older than the child
• Single women may adopt; approvals on a case by case basis
• This region prefers families with no more than 4 at home.
• Total program and travel fees approx $33k
• Fee includes a $1000 orphanage donation
• Only one child can be adopted at a time
• Judges pay close attention to a family's income level
• No criminal background
• No history of mental health concerns (depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar, or other mental health issues)

We have an AMAZING agency partner serving the children in this region.  They are a US licensed and Hague and Russia-accredited agency  with a strong track record of outstanding customer service and attention to detail.   This is a great program with easy travel and very accommodating, especially for single mothers! These children are located in a major city, with no cross-country travel to remote regions required.
Please read carefully through http://reecesrainbow.org/new-family/newfamily to determine your eligibility and financial preparedness to adopt internationally.   You can also inquire about adopting or donating for these children from that page.

Please pray that Carlene's family will find her SOON! 

And yes, Carlene has a very large grant, but her region is one of the most expensive to adopt from.  $33,000 is just so much money.  Let's not let money stand between Carlene and her family.  Please consider donating to her fund.  Every little bit helps.  Go to http://reecesrainbow.org/?s=carlene to donate!

Please pass along her story to others.  Talk about this little ray of sunshine.  Consider blogging about her or sharing her on Facebook or Twitter.  The more people who see her, the greater the chances that one of those who sees her may just be her mommy or daddy. 
 

Our Boy from Baby House 9

Hello, dear readers!  I apologize for the hiatus.  I was blessed with three young visitors for most of the last week, and in order to keep up with five little boys and Gracie, I found myself putting certain luxuries on the back burner.  You know, luxuries like blogging and reading the newspaper and showering and eating.

But anyway, I would like to recommend (for all of you who are not yet familiar with it) an amazing book:  The Boy from Baby House 10, by Alan Philps and John Lahutsky. 

From amazon.com is the following description:

In 1990, a young boy afflicted with cerebral palsy was born, prematurely, in Russia. His name was Vanya. His mother abandoned him to the state childcare system and he was sent to a bleak orphanage called Baby House 10. Once there, he entered a nightmare world he was not to leave for more than eight years. Housed in a ward with a group of other children, he was clothed in rags, ignored by most of the staff and given little, if any, medical treatment. He was finally, and cruelly, confined for a time to a mental asylum where he lived, almost caged, lying in a pool of his own waste on a locked ward surrounded by psychotic adults. But, that didn’t stop Vanya.

Even in these harsh conditions, he grew into a smart and persistent young boy who reached out to everyone around him. Two of those he reached out to—Sarah Philps, the wife of a British journalist, and Vika, a young Russian woman—realized that Vanya was no ordinary child and they began a campaign to find him a home. After many twists and turns, Vanya came to the attention of a single woman living in the United States named Paula Lahutsky. After a lot of red tape and more than one miracle, Paula adopted Vanya and brought him to the U.S. where he is now known as John Lahutsky, an honors student at Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and a member of the Boy Scouts of America Order of the Arrow.

In The Boy From Baby House 10, Sarah’s husband, Alan Philps, helps John Lahutsky bring this inspiring true-life story of a small boy with a big heart and an unquenchable will to readers everywhere.

Vanya



Vanya at the institution, on a rare trip outside



I read this book long before I ever saw my sweet Gideon.  My heart broke for little Vanya, and then rejoiced with him as the lost became found.  Reading this book was the first time that God whispered to my heart about international adoption.  Sure, I had always loved the IDEA of adopting internationally, but I really never considered doing it myself.  I was not aware of the need.  Oh, the need.  It is so great.  And then I found Reece’s Rainbow.  And the faces!  The beautiful little faces, all waiting for mommies and daddies to come and find them.  When I saw Gideon, and when I read about his life in Orphanage 9, I realized that he is very much “the least of these.”  He needs a mommy.  And I could be his mommy.  I saw a darling little boy, lost and forgotten, waiting every day in a crib, waiting for somebody to notice him, to love him, to treasure him.  And the Lord spoke to my heart, imprinting Gideon’s sweet face into my mind.  Every time I prayed for guidance, and went back to God with the “What if . . .” and “What about” objections and worries, He gave me peace.  He loves Gideon.  He cherishes this little boy.  And He is going to give Derek and me the tremendous gift of allowing us to become his parents. 

He is our boy now, our Boy from Baby House 9. 

And if you have not yet seen it, Dateline presented a wonderful documentary about Vanya and his journey.  Here is the link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/42535819#42535819

You are going to love little Vanya, and your heart will be touched by his story! 

And by the way, just to keep facts straight, our Gideon’s orphanage is not really called Baby House 9.  The number is truly just a number randomly assigned to it by Reece’s Rainbow, as to every orphanage, in order to provide the children and the orphanages privacy and anonymity.  And Gideon spent his first four years in Orphanage 9, but he has since been transferred to an institution, which is number 54.  But still, I think of Gideon as my Boy from Baby House 9.  He shares the same diagnosis as Vanya, and I think he looks a bit like Vanya, too.  Don't you? 

Gideon does not know that we are coming for him.  He has no idea that he is so loved.  The way his country's adoption system works, it is not possible to send him photos or gifts, or even to let his caregivers know that we are committed to him.  That's just the way it is in his country.  He waits, alone.  Please pray with me that somebody will come into his life and care about him, care for him, as Vika and Sarah Philps did for Vanya.  Pray that the Lord will send somebody to give him the hope and strength to hold on a little longer.  Gideon does not know that we are coming, but the Lord does.  We are trusting Him. 



Vanya, now known as John Lahutsky, with his mom



Now what?

Fingerprints sent to FBI?  Check.

Autobiographies written for homestudy?  Check.

Doctor exams for two parents?  Check.

Derek passing out at the sight of a needle?  Check.  (Well, actually, he felt himself losing consciousness, and was able to lay down on the floor of the lab before he collapsed.  Awww, what a good daddy!  He'll do anything to rescue his son . . . even face a needle!)

Guardians appointed for our most priceless treasures?  Check.  (You know, in case we are not around to finish the job of raising them . . .)

Prayer letters sent out to all of our nearest and dearest?  Check.

Copies of birth certificates, marriage certificate, insurance, etc?  Check.

Documents detailing all of our assets and (gulp) liabilities?  Check. 

All this stuff notarized?  Check.

Stuffed in an envelope and sent off to our homestudy social worker?  Check.


Hmmm.  Now what? 

Well, we will be praying.

And learning Russian.

And waiting.

And reading and researching and talking to people who've actually accomplished what we are setting out to do, trying to prepare as much as possible for life with Gideon.

And waiting some more.  Sigh.


Also, we are getting ready to start our first fundraiser!  (Yes, Gideon does have a lovely large grant, and we are SOOOOOO grateful for that!  However, we are still going to need to do some fundraising to get him home.)  So stay tuned for fundraising news, coming soon! 

Hope all my dear readers are having a fabulous first day of summer!  It was all sunshine and brightness here in western Washington and the kids played in the water and on the swings, laying in the grass eating Craisins and Cheerios and singing praise and worship songs together . . . Nice change after the last two weeks of gray gloominess!  I love summer!

Meant to Be

Meant to Be, by Steven Curtis Chapman.  This is one of my favorite adoption songs!

My Most Precious Treasures

One of the hardest things about signing on the line and committing to this adoption was the thought that I would have to leave my other kids at home while we travel to meet Gideon and bring him home.  This thought held me back longer than any other objection in my mind.  Money?  God can provide that.  Money is no big deal to our God.  Paperwork?  We can write till our hands cramp (and we have!)  The challenges of parenting an older, post-institutionalized child with disabilities?  Well, yeah, that could be a biggie, too, but we already love him so much, and we are going to take that day by day, and we trust God.  That fact was not enough to deter me from signing up to be Gideon's mom.  No, the one thing that I kept getting stuck on was the travel.

Now, I have always dreamed of traveling.  I have even specifically longed to travel to Eastern Europe.  It is one of my life-long goals to see the world, or at least finally get out of the good old USA for at least a peek at the rest of the world.  But I was thinking of after my kids are grown and gone, or maybe taking them with me.  But now I have fallen in love with a child in a country that requires both parents to be in their country for at least two weeks, and then to return home or stay in country while we wait at least two more weeks, and then for at least one parent to return to that country again for probably another two weeks, before they will finally let me take the new love of my life home with me.  And that means leaving the other three loves of my life behind.  For weeks.

Oh, how I wrestled with this situation!  I spend basically every moment of every day with my children.  I left them overnight, once or twice.  That's it.  We are a very close family.  Two weeks?  Maybe three?  Perhaps six?  Oh, no no no no.  You've got to be kidding me!  How can I do this to them? 

So I prayed and prayed about this one issue, at least as much as any other, before we finally decided to commit to this adoption.  And the Lord gave me enough peace that we have decided to go ahead with it.  After all, my three kids have had me for years.  Every moment of every day for years.  And Gideon?  He's had nobody.  Day after day, for years. 

So when I think of my boy, waiting, alone, I know what I must do.  I will go.  I will leave three of my most precious treasures at home so that I can go all the way to the other end of the world to claim my other most precious treasure. 

And I have been praying about where, exactly, my darlings will be, who will take care of them, while we are away.  And then I got a phone call.  Before I even had to ask anybody, my darling, lovely mom called me up and offered to come and stay with my kids for as long as we need them to!  Praise the Lord!  My parents are willing to drop everything, whenever our travel date arrives, drive eight hours from their home to ours, take on our three lively little dumplings, homeschool them, and keep up with the farm chores, and they are happy to do it!  They are looking forward to the chance to bond with the kids, and they are going to do a great job with it all!  They may want to sleep for a week when it is over, but I have complete faith in them! 

It just gives me so much peace to have that piece of the puzzle fall into place.  I will miss my kids, for sure, but at least I know we have a plan.  A good plan!  Our kids will be able to stay in our home, and stay in their routine, and stay with grandparents who adore them.  Do I want to leave them?  Of course not.  But at least now I feel that it is possible!  Thanks to two sweet, loving grandparents who are willing to make it possible! 

Paperwork and Dreams

There is a lot of paperwork involved in international adoption! 

We have each written autobiographies, filled out at least a couple of dozen forms detailing all sorts of personal information, obtained copies of ALL SORTS of documents, and otherwise jumped through whatever hoops our homestudy social worker tells us we need to jump through, and all the time I am spending on all this paperwork I am thinking that I would fill out a THOUSAND forms and jump through TEN THOUSAND hoops to get you home to me, sweet Gideon!

We are finally almost ready to send all this paperwork to our social worker, and then we just wait some more.  Wait and pray.  Our boy needs our prayers.  Please remember Gideon in your prayers, dear reader!  I am a mommy who cannot hug my baby boy, and I am heartbroken whenever I think of all the hugs he has missed out on. 

I had a dream last night.  In the dream I was laying down, half-asleep, cuddling Gideon and running my fingers through his hair, feeling him breathing against my cheek, and he was SO REAL, and then I fell asleep (yes, still in my dream!) and while I was sleeping somebody snuck into my home and plucked Gideon out of my arms, and I woke up grasping for him, reaching out for him, trying to catch him, but the one pulling him away from me whisked him away into another room, put him in a crib alone, and shut the door.  I cried and cried. 

I woke up for real and cried some more. 

I miss him.  I have never met him, but in my dreams I have.  And I wish I could just go storming across the ocean today and take him home with me right now.  I cannot.  So I am storming heaven with my prayers.

Meet My New Brother

Hi!  My name is Isaac, and I am eight years old. 

 I am Josiah and Gracie's big brother, and soon I will be Gideon's big brother, too.  I am looking forward to having him be my brother, and figuring out Russian, and also teaching him English.  I will also teach him how to play games.  I will also help him with his physical therapy.  I will also teach him about my favorite TV shows:  The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Andy Griffith Show and Leave It To Beaver and Lassie.  I will teach him about computer animation, which is what I love, and see if he wants to be a movie maker with me when we grow up.  I am so excited to meet my brother and I just want to hug him right now! 

Meet Our Son!

And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 

~Matt, 18:5

MEET GIDEON!

We are adopting this sweet little boy! (You may recognize him as "Eddie" on the Reece's Rainbow website.)  He will turn five years old on August 23rd.  He was born with CEREBRAL PALSY. He was placed in an Eastern European orphanage shortly after birth due to his disability, as is very common in his country.

 He was recently transferred from the orphanage to a mental institution, which is where nearly all abandoned children with any sort of disability are placed when they become “too old” for the orphanage.  Unless he is rescued, he would spend the rest of his life locked away in an institution.  

When we first became aware of the desperate need of children with disabilities in Eastern Europe, we were moved to tears.  We had no idea that children were locked away and treated as “defective” simply because they were born different from other children.  Once we knew, we could not pretend to NOT know.  These are God’s cherished children.  These are “the least of these.” 

Gideon’s sweet, hopeful smile drew us to his profile again and again, and this little boy soon filled our dreams and discussions.  We are very eager to kiss his little head and wrap him in our longing arms and to shower him with love and to never let him go.  He has been waiting too long, and we are working as quickly as possible to get him home.  He has two brothers and a sister who are so excited to welcome their new “forever brother” home. 

He is already so very loved. 

Our God is a God of adoption.  He is a God of redemption.  He is a God of love and mercy.  After all, He adopted me.  He chose me.  I was a foreigner.  I was a mess.  I brought my problems into His house.  I was going to be a lot of work.  But He did not leave me there.  No.  He rescued me.  He took on my mess and my past.  He gave me His name and a place in His family, FOREVER.  And since God has chosen ME, chosen to adopt even me, then I choose Gideon. 

~Rachelle