Oh What a May!

We have been so busy this month and last! Long time no blogging, too. We had great success at the yard sale fundraiser and we are so thankful for all who supported us! Over half of the stuff went to new homes and we raised over half of what we need to bring Olga home for the summer! God is so good and provides our needs in ways far beyond what we can ask or even think! Our pastor joked that he was praying for us to raise a certain amount & when the amount we got hit almost exactly what he had prayed for he chastised himself for not praying for more! So he encouraged us to have another yard sale:)

We are so happy that Olga will be home soon for a visit, and our prayer is for her to be home *forever* very soon! Thankfully God knows the perfect time and has His perfect plan. We continue to rest in Him, appreciating your prayers for us.

Adoption Fundraiser

We have been working sorting, picking-up donations, sorting some more, pricing, hanging...
I am tired, but so excited to see how God will use this fundraiser! Thank you all for your donations! Please come shopping April 10th at Christ Community Church parking lot! There will be food, crafts, and loads of books in addition to great yard sale finds!

Tamara got to talk with Olga today for 30 minutes and said she was in good spirits.  But she obviously needed to be assured as she asked again if she was coming home for the summer and next fall for good.  Tamara said yes and "yea!" and then Olga giggled.  We got her a bike so she can learn to ride this summer.  Tamara told her about the bike and she said, "Take a picture so I can see."  :-)

There are several couples over in Ukraine now adopting their children.  I am sure we would have been with them if Olga had been registered.  But alas, we wait and wait until the 12 months is up...hopefully November!

The Higgins' blog (higginsadoptions.com) has been a wonderful blessing to read and experience over these last days!  They are such a thoughtful couple to post for all of us back home to be able to follow them through the process of adoption.  It has been all good news for them so far and we continue to pray that all goes well for all the couples adopting now!  In God's loving Hands!

What a whirlwind

We are so thankful for everyone who contributed to our visit with Olga! We had a wonderful time together and God knit our hearts together even more. We were so excited to tell Olga our plans for bringing her home and she was so happy to hear the news! I think she relaxed & truly felt part of our family. We learned so much together. Olga is an amazing young lady. Our children love her and vie for her attention. Olga has been gone from us for 45 days now and it seems like forever! We all miss her terribly, but skype is great! We are able to see her:> and talking is easier because we can mime what we don't understand. I can't believe we have so long to wait for another visit, but I am thankful we have that opportunity!

We will be having a community yard sale, craft fair & book sale in April to raise funds for bringing Olga home. Please email if you can participate (set up a booth) or donate stuff!

Thanks so much for your prayers & support!

Olga is coming for Christmas!

Olga will be here in 5 days! Thank you so much to all who have donated to getting her here! I cannot wait to see how God will work in her life while she is here and work in the lives of those who will meet her.
Please be praying for her - as I calculated it, she will be traveling at least 27 hours counting the time change. I spoke with her today and she seemed so excited! I am sure all the children who are able to come are just on pins and needles waiting. These children are so brave to leave their orphanages, travel for a full day & arrive to meet new 'parents' who will not be able to communicate with them. WOW! Then they spend time here and cannot wait to come back! We are so blessed to have Olga with us this Christmas. We are so thankful to be on this journey. Though we've hit turbulence, I am confident the Lord will see us through.

James 1:2-4 says this:

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

I didn't quite understand this "count it all joy" business until I truly submitted my will to my Father in Heaven's will. Though we want Olga here permanently now, we must be patient..until everything is perfect. We know God's will is perfect - He is perfect! So I have learned that if things don't go my way, then my way must not be God's way and I need to change my course. God is perfecting each of us so that we may be approved and receive the crown of life described in James 1:12. As we celebrate Christ's birth, we should be most thankful that God shows us his Mercy and Grace by having sent His son to die in our place.