While we wait...

We had the day off work last Friday, June 26th, and try as hard as we might to get out of town it was kinda like walking thru mud. There was a dossier to be mailed, errands to run for our Mama, a house to clean and clothes to pack.

We were going to see "Grandma" Lela Steele in Florida. We couldn't quite explain why we had to go see her. We didn't even know her, but we knew we needed to go. Well, it took a while but by 3:20 pm we were leaving the UPS Store parking lot and praying for our package to travel on the wings of an angel. (the package made it by Tuesday!) We knew when we left that parking lot that things would never be the same. We sent out a text message to our close friends (Yeah! Dossier on its way!) and left town for Florida. It was one of the most peace filled weekends we can remember.


For those of you who don't know Grandma Lela please visit the following site to see her work in Ukraine. (www.harvestinternational.org) Sorry I couldn't get the link to work. She fell a couple months ago and broke her hip. She returned to Florida for medical treatment and is doing much better. She is such an inspiration. Her stories of the orphans in Ukraine and her work there are both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. She has a wealth of wisdom to take in. Please pray for her continued recovery.

On Its Way!

" Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to His power at work in us, to Him be the glory." Eph. 3:20

Just a quick update to let everyone know our dossier is on its way! More details tomorrow!

Step by Step....

Last Thursday we carried our dossier to be apostilled. On the way I called a friend who had adopted from the same orphanage two years ago. She said not to be discouraged if we had to correct anything or make changes, even a few trips. Well, everything was correct with the exception of the notary stamp on our background checks. It was discouraging...but just a normal part of the legal process. So, as we've said many times before, we are waiting on one more paper. This is where we're to say, "Hopefully it will be here by such and such,..."

Instead, we have decided it will be here at the perfect moment that the Father has ordained. He is never late and we will continue to trust in His timing!

Thank You so much to all our friends who have helped with donations. It is so humbling to be a part of this process. We still have a long way to go, but it is so beautiful to watch the Lord do this thing. It is all Him.

Sometimes we wonder who are these dear children that we go to make our sons and daughter? They are already our children in our heart. As much as we have a family and a home to offer them, we know that they have something to offer us; something that, even now, we do not know that we need. Is it a new compassion, a new love, a new culture, a new mindset? Only time will tell. For now, we will trust in Him and we will be obedient.

Слава Богу (slava Bogu): praise God!

We have all our papers! Tomorrow morning we will send them to be reviewed before we have them apostilled. Praying we can mail them overseas next week! Please pray that we will find any mistakes or problems with the documents now, before we mail them. Pray for favor with the officials and that we will travel at the exact time that God has planned. Please also continue to pray for the Lord to provide all the needed funds.

If you read any of the comments on the blog you know that we found out that a group from Texas went to Ukraine on Wednesday to minister to orphans there this month. Can you believe that they are in the camp with our kids this week! How great is that! Please pray for their time there. You can check them out at passionforukraine.blogspot.com

I'm so thankful the children have people there to love on them this week. Gayla had a birthday on the 10th. We sent her a letter weeks ago but do not know if she received it yet. Can't wait until we can throw her a party!

There is no contact with Andrei right now. I've been praying we will come across someone who may see him as they travel there. I just want him to get a hug, to know someone cares and that he is loved!

Believe me, we will let everyone know when we mail our dossier. They Lord has amazingly provided all the funds we've needed so far. It's been incredible to watch.

Our hope is to have a fund raiser at church in a couple weeks. The attorney I work for has offered to spend a day doing simple wills and donating the money to our fund. She will do the wills for half price so it will be great for people needing estate planning and it will be a huge blessing for us. I'll post the details soon so people can spread the word and participate.

Thanks so much for everyone's encouraging notes. We really need the body to walk with us through these days.

Blessings!

Unexpected Blessings!

We've become friends with a couple who are in Ukraine now to adopt their two beautiful daughters. They surprised us last night with this amazing photo of our kids! The children asked them if they could get a letter to us. They pulled out paper and pen for the children and the kids sent us a note. God is so amazing!

Current Status

"Lord, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer" (Psalm 94:19 LB).

We finally have all the documents for our dossier! EXCEPT, we found out yesterday that some of our documents will expire before six months so we need to redo about 11 items before we can send things off. It's so easy to become discouraged, to feel like it's two steps forward and three steps back. So we choose to sit quietly before the Lord and be renewed.

We will be trying to take care of a lot of these items tonight and Friday. Pray we have favor with the different offices we will need to contact. OKAY! Well it's time to press in harder! Let's roll up our sleeves and get busy! We want our children home!

We are tired....but more determined than ever before.

Please continue to pray for the children as their school year is over. Pray that they will have a safe summer.

Last night we met with another woman from our church who is in the process of adopting their 4th child. We are working to start a ministry in our local body to help fellow believers find their role in helping orphans find families. We will let you know more as God reveals the details.

We have a passage of scripture we believe is personally for us. Monday night, I (Steve) had a time of prayer with a close friend. It was great, refreshing and encouraging. He called me early Tuesday morning and told me the Lord directed him to the following passage:

The Lord says: "Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east (Ukraine), and gather you from the west (South Carolina). I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth."
(Isaiah 43: 5 & 6, NASV)

Waiting for them to come,
Steve and Carol