One Year Home

Praise Jesus.

Today, tonight is the night. Last year about this time we landed in Columbia and were welcomed home by family and friends. We've made it through our first year and have so many stories to tell.

Today we were thinking about how different all our lives are now. Usually we are up early an busy with school or co-op classes by 9am, but today was different. We were all pretty exhausted last night so the kids slept in for a bit.

Lyonya was up early though and racing thru his school work. He was motivated. He managed to finish his Algebra, Physical Science and English by 10am. Highly motivated. He had the opportunity today to help a friend with a house painting job....and that meant there was money to be made, so he was all over that. By 10:30 he was out the door for a full days work. Pasha also had the chance to work today but he wanted to make sure he was ready for marching band this afternoon so he opted to stay home today. So we (Pasha, Galya, Andrew and I) enjoyed a leisurely morning of current events, the reading of the historical account of John Wycliff's bones being dug up and burned at the stake, math and grammar. A quick lunch of meatloaf sandwiches (which the kids actually like now) was enjoyed while we visited with Jenn (our extra daughter/border right now) and our next door daughter, Sarah. Sarah had to come visit due to plumbing problems at home.

Pasha reminded me that we needed to go to Steve's office to hit his co-workers up for a fund raiser from band. He is trying to raise funds for a band trip to Chicago in January. So we raced to ECS (which gave him a number of sales) and returned home just in time for band. Pasha headed to band and Galya, Andrew and I headed to the CPA's office to pick up our taxes. Gotta file those before Friday. A fast stop there and we race home to take Jenn to work. Her car fell apart over the weekend and she needs a ride.

Probably way too many details for most of you...but all this to say...Thank you Lord for turning this crazy mix into a family. We love You so much.

All my devotion

It is absolutely amazing how much can happen in one year! September 8, 2010...one year since the adoption was final. September 21, 2010....one year since we picked up 4 children from the orphanages they called home... and brought them to live in a strange country, with a new language and a new family. Many others have done the same, but it has been a miracle none the less. A miracle of God's goodness, His grace and His love. We serve such an wonderful Father God.

We've struggled with molding everyone into a family at times, but we truly are family, Our most difficult days however were saying goodbye to Grandma Polly on April 13th. After a short illness with colon cancer she quietly and peacefully slipped into heaven with her King. She promised she would say hello to my Daddy for me and that she would dance with Jesus. We miss her very much.



Homeschooling is going well this year. We have many neighbors that also homeschool so we trade off some classes and have a never ending list of friends in and out.

Open Arms Adoption Ministry is growing. In addition to monthly support group meetings for adoptive families and supporters, we have been able to facilitate distribution of funds from supporters to adoptive families. God has an amazing way of connecting all the right people to make things come together.

We owe it all to Him....all we have and all we are. Our family enjous listening to the Newsboys sing, All My Devotion. His desire is to rescue us all.

Devotion Lyrics
Newsboys

All my world
All I've lost
The wrecks I've made here
The lives it cost
Your hand restores
Your works make whole
With all my soul
I thank You
I owe You
All my...Devotion
All that I have to give
Here's my devotion
You're all that it means to live

All my past My tainted main
You stole its legacy Of pride and shame
You're all I love, You're all I fear
I'm drawing near To face You
To know You, To show You...

Devotion, All that I have to give
Here's my devotion
You're all that it means to live

You found me, In a shallow grave
You tracked me out from beneath it all
You healed me, Saved me
In the nick of time
Your perfect time
You found me (found me)
In a shallow grave (in a shallow grave)
You called me out from beneath it all
You touched me (touched me)
Saved me (saved me)
In the nick of time
In Your perfect time

I devote all I have to You
I devote all that You've made new
All You restored that day You bled
All that You brought back from the dead
All...

Happy Birthday USA!

The Family plus a few...but they are family too!


We go to court on July 16th here in SC to obtain US birth certificates for the kids and have the paperwork we need to obtain their citizenship. It should all be formality, but we take nothing for granted and request your prayers as we offer up ours.

The Father has continued to provide for us abundantly above all we could think or ask. Thank you so much for continuing to walk thru this journey with us.

Steve and Carol

Fun on a slip and slide
Andrew
Galya, Pasha and Lyonya



Sharing our story at Bethel Methodist Church in Winnsboro, SC

Open Arm Adoption

We had our first adoption support group meeting May 24th. We had 5 families in our group. We have lots of plans already in the works. Detail will follow. Our next meeting will be Monday July 5th at 7 p.m.

They Teach Us Every Day

We were working on a project for Andrew's room and it had been a long frustrating day. With sweat on his brow, Steve said, "One day I would just like to hear one of them say thank you for this!" He spoke this in jest....but I heard the Lord say so clearly, "Me too. One day, I would like to hear you say thank you for this!" Wow, it still is so amazing to me how much we have to learn, how simple it usually is, and how often He uses the kids to drive these points home to us. Recently it seems we hear these points almost daily.
Oh yeah, later that evening as we tucked them into bed, Andrew told Steve "Thank you for bringing us home with you."

Before adding these last arrows to our quiver we would often jump in the car or more often on the motorcycle and ride around town for an hour or two. Just wandering.

Well the kids do not like to wander! Actually that is an understatement. Their first question is either, "What we do now?" or "Where we go now?"

The other day we just needed out of the house for a little while. We were driving around town...not going anywhere in particular.... We stopped and bought the kids an order of fries and set out for a little scenic route tour. Immediately the questions began. Where are we going? How long will we be gone? What are we doing? Why are we going? When will we get home? I finally asked them...Do you have somewhere you need to be today? Does it matter when we go home? Can you just enjoy the ride?....and I heard His familiar voice ask, "What about you, can you just enjoy the ride? Do you have to know where I'm taking you?"

We are learning from our arrows each day. Learning to trust like a child, to believe He is who He says He is, and that He is always in control. We may not know where He is taking us, but that's okay, He is well able to get us there and give us some fries along the way.

Believing God

Well we've been home for a while now and have finished with a few major family events, so it appears the time has come to get back in the saddle and step out again. Beginning in March we will be facilitating an adoption support group at our church. Our hope for this group is really multifaceted. We would like to be a place for people interested in adoption to come and seek out information, a place for those adopting to pick the brains of those who have already adopted, and a place for those who have a adopted to receive ongoing prayer and support as they grow into the new family they so quickly have become. It is our hope to be a clearing house of adoption information for anyone interested and a place where those that do not feel led to adopt can assist families that are led to adopt with finances, or activities for the children.

There are still so many children waiting for families. Please pray that the Lord would raise up families for all those little ones. No child should have to grow up without a family.

Please pray for us as we proceed with the readoption process here in South Carolina. It is not necessarily a hard process but all things like this take time, energy and money, all of which are at a premium now. We also added to our schedule taking Grandma for her radiation treatments 5 days a week for the next 6 weeks, so please pray for her health and everyone's stamina.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Blessings!