The boys on my mind...

When it comes to adoptions in Ukraine, girls always tend to be more 'desirable.'

I think there must seem to be something cuter, or sweeter or more 'manageable' about girls that draws adoptive families to statistically prefer girls over boys in adoption.  Although I get this concept in 'theory', I have to add my 2 cents and say that after years of working with teenage girls, and after being one myself I think the assumption is not very accurate :).  Girls are complicated and emotional...and well...you know....let's just say a lot of drama comes with the territory!

Now boys on the other hand....

The statistics point to there being more boys living in Ukrainian orphanages than girls--and from personal experience I would say I've observed this to be true in all locations we have worked.  There isn't really a good explanation for this statistic other then what was stated above-- more families (local and foreign) want to adopt girls than boys.

So the boys remain waiting.
Fatherless.
Without positive male influences in their lives to teach them.
And with 1/2 a dozen 'mamas' in the orphanage, none of which fill the void of a real mother.

So I want to use this post to advocate for the boys of Ukraine.
3 of them specifically.

There is one sweet boy I just can't get off of my mind no matter how hard I try. I don't know why it has taken me this long to post his picture and share his story.  Maybe it is because he is 12 going on 13 and I know that 12 year-old boys can be some of the hardest to place.  (he is blonde smiling face pictured on the left here)

 I met him in December in southern Ukraine and was so moved by his kind heart and his sweet smile.  He has a slight limp to his stride due to a bad leg.  He has faced a life of rejection and teasing because of his disability, and yet he was one of the most helpful children I met in the orphanage that day.  He was quiet and yet kind and won my heart in the short amount of time spent with him.   He is a smart kid, but because of his leg issue he is in an orphanage for kids with learning issues and as a result is not getting a good eduction.  He could thrive given the opportunity.

4 months later after meeting him I still can't stop thinking about him.  So I'm sharing his story here, in hopes it will resonate, in hopes that someone will hear.

He's available.  Will you pray for him to find a home?

And then there are these two boys that a good friend of mine is advocating for. Two boys that she knows very well and two boys that need a family.  They aren't brother's but they live in the same orphanage in the south.  Bogdan, on the right is an active 9-year-old little boy who loves to read the Bible and pray and talk with his care-givers for hours on end.  Daniel, on the left is 10-year's old and loves to play soccer and play and help around the house.  Both are sweet boys and both are ready for a family.

Will you share their story? 

 

 

I don't often use this blog to advocate for specific children, as I know it can be complicated.  For some reason, tonight, these three are weighing heavy on my heart-- knowing that their age and their gender are working against them.  

And to think that these are just three little snap shots to represent the thousands of waiting boys in Ukraine.

O Lord Jesus, in your mercy provide families for these boys, your precious sons.  May they be able to know the love of a father and mother and see your hand over each detail of their lives. Help them to know you and walk with you all their days.  Amen.

"But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand.  The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless." Psalm 10:14

**Feel free to send me a personal message if you'd like more information on these boys. My email link is under contact information on the side bar.

English Wedding

I had the joy to fly off for a week to London a couple weeks ago for my friend Jenny's wedding.  I've known Jenny for about 5 years or so, as she has made numerous short term trips to Ukraine working with orphans.  She has become a dear friend and I was thrilled to celebrate her special day with her. And it was the added bonus to be able to be in one of my favorite cities in the world.....

LONDON.

I love everything about London.  The buildings, the buses, the sights, the tube, the trains, the tea, the people.   Okay, I don't love the prices.  But other then that, I would love to live there.  For now, it will remain my favorite place to visit.

 The wedding was simply beautiful! Jenny is English and her now husband Rudi, is South African, so it was wonderful to be able to attend such an international wedding!  I arrived a few days early so I was able to help with some of the decorations and such. I love weddings-- and this one was lovely. So much honor and glory given to the Lord and so much LOVE just radiating between these two amazing individuals.

The bride and her mother with all the 'foreign' guests (I love her hat!!) 

I managed to see a little bit of the city while I was there....before I had to run back to Kiev! :)

Spirit of Adoption Sweeps across Ukraine

Here is a link to the story the CBN world news aired on our Orphan Summit.
It is a wonderful piece, so I'd encourage you take a few minutes to watch! :)



Spirit of Adoption Sweeps across Ukraine - World - CBN News - Christian News 24-7 - CBN.com

Rallying the Troops in Kiev

The Eastern European Summit on Defending the Orphan that took place last week was a huge success!  I would have written more about it last week, but between playing hostess to our wonderful foreign guests and catching an awful cold I was exhausted!  I'm just now stopping to reflect on what an amazing week it really was.

530 Christian pastors and ministry leaders from Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Belarus, Romania and other nations were all in one room for 2 days hearing from a cross section of Baptist, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Catholic and Orthodox leaders.  If you know this country-- you know that this fact alone is no small feat!


A region that can often be so divided by denominational differences was instead united under one cause-- to see Eastern European Christians rise up and care for the fatherless in their land.

To see this cross section of leaders, all sharing the stage together on the opening day, sharing their heart for their nations and then together praying the Lord's prayer was a beautiful site to see.

We had the privilege of having some great leaders from the US share their hearts and experience as well, and from the response we received, we know that those who were listening were both challenged and encouraged.  Sometimes it is hard to evaluate a big event like a summit or a conference-- I think it takes time to see what God will do and how these leaders will go back to their churches and regions and influence the climate.  But I have no doubt that God is doing something.

And what would a big event like this be without a little bit of controversy??   Some fringe Catholic group (that the Catholic church doesn't recognize) from Russia decided they would come out to protest the event. Holding signs and passing out literature opposing the summit, a group of about 20 or so gathered outside the conference hall the first day-- saying our group was propagating child selling and worse. Another reminder about the war against children and the spiritual battle we are facing.

protestors being filmed by our CBN news team

sad that they didn't come and listen to the heart of our messages!

Wess Stafford giving a powerful message on the importance of one minute in the life of a child.

I left my camera at home the 2 days of the Summit- so these photos are all thanks to our awesome CBN News correspondent, George Thomas. George came to film a story surrounding the events of the summit and the movement taking place among Christian leaders in the realm of adoption and orphan care.  I'll look forward to sharing that piece with you once it is produced!

Now I'm off for a few days to take a break...and it involves tea, scones, the Queen and a wedding!  More on that later...

Defending the Orphan- Changing the Future: Summit in Ukraine

This week kicks off an amazing event in Ukraine-- the Eastern European Summit for Pastor's: Defending the Orphan- Changing the Future.  My team with Orphan's Promise has been privledged to be part of the organizational team for this great event that is being put on by the Alliance for Ukraine without Orphans and is being sponsored in part by Compassion International and Christian Vision.

The Summit is a 2 day event in Kiev where we are gathering pastors and major Christian leaders from Ukraine and neighboring countries to talk about the role of the local church in caring for the fatherless.

It is an exciting time for this event to be taking place in light of the recent ban on adoptions in Russia. All the more reason for nationals to be motivated to adopt!

There are many grass roots movements happening here in Ukraine and more and more national families are stepping out in faith to engage this topic through orphan care and adoption and I believe this summit will bring more encouragement to these efforts.

Tonight we had a gathering of about 45 special guests that are here for the event as speakers, workshop leaders and support staff.  We are honored to be hosting Wess Stafford from Compassion International who will be a keynote speaker and a team from FamilyLife's Hope for Orphans.  Looking around the room tonight you could clearly see the synergy (plus a little jet lag!) of those who are passionate about bringing change to this nation.  To see that Ukraine will become a nation without orphans.

We have 530 people registered to attend this amazing event and are excited for what God will do through this time as Pastor's are challenged and encouraged to become involved in caring for orphans.

To learn more about the summit and see who are the speakers and workshop leaders you can visit our website: http://www.summit2013.kiev.ua/en

I'll report back with more later in the week...

Beautiful Reunion

20 different faces.  All Ukrainian.  All with their own unique story about how God brought them into a family across an ocean from where they'd been born.  Together in one room. And I knew each one of them.

This was a reunion I'd been dreaming about for quite some time. So many children that I've known in Ukraine have been adopted to the state of Colorado due to ministry partnerships and hosting programs that have happened over the last 6 years. Well I decided it was about time I see these sweet faces again before they all grow up. My dear friends Kris and Clarke from Ukraine Orphan Outreach hosted a beautiful reunion to make this possible--inviting all the families that have crossed my path in some way shape or form these several years.

I wish I had the words to describe what it was like to see all these faces again.  Together in one room.  People I'd come to know as individuals, people I'd laughed with, cried with and prayed with.....all together in one room.   I don't think a smile ever left my face.  I kinda thought this is what a wedding day must feel like-- minus all the stress!

God's grace seemed so tangible. So real in that hour.  His hand print visible on each and every one of those stories represented before me.

As I glanced through the room I saw the faces of the girls I thought would never be adopted because their parental rights could not seem to be removed. Now 6 years later finally home.

And I heard the laughter of the girl who almost said no to her family, and then changed her mind at the last minute-- saying a beautiful resounding YES.

I received warm hugs from the brother and sister who had been living in separate orphanages in the Ukrainian system, but were united back together through adoption.

I saw the teen girl, who had mountains moved on her behalf when a US law was changed to allow for her adoption.

I watched a boy who would have never been given a chance at a normal education, now thriving in a loving family.
 
I saw God's grace.

"As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day."  (Genesis 5:20 )

As I reminisced and caught up with the various families I was reminded once again that adoption is not easy...and it is not for the faint of heart.  Many of their roads have been far from easy...and many are still in the midst of a difficult season. 

So I am yet again reminded to pray.

To pray for God's grace and wisdom-- to pray the continual fulfillment of Genesis 5:20 over their lives, and to remember that He isn't done writing these stories.
Just like he isn't done writing yours or mine.

Still in awe of all He has done.

Trying to begin....again

So I haven't been blogging much lately...incase you are wondering where I went!

I keep having these great ambitions to start writing again, and have probably thought of 20 different posts to write about-- but then writers block is all that comes and knowing where to start is difficult.  That and the 'to do' list of life is forever growing, and when I think about writing for this blog I just feel overwhelmed.  I seriously don't know how all you mothers of multiple children manage to save the world AND blog.  Seriously...how do you do it??

Like anything in life...you just need to begin somewhere I guess.  So that is what my goal is for this week...to slowly get back to this writing gig...if any of you are still there!

2012 was a hard year...for a lot of different reasons that I won't go into detail about here.  I think I avoided blogging a lot because of that-- as I just never knew what to write about and not writing was the easier option- and what I needed.

But it is a new year and praise God I feel like a new page is turning (I'm a little slow on the up take, as I realize the new year began nearly 4 weeks ago!)  That is one thing I love about walking through life with the Lord.  He continually offers us the chance to start again and he truly does make all things new in HIS time!

Winter seasons come..
Yet He remains faithful.
The spring always manages to come....maybe not when we hoped for-- but it comes.

And I for one am grateful for the season of spring at hand....even if January is still staring me in the face.

Warming Soles for Christmas!

For five years now our volunteers have been providing camps every summer for orphans in one tiny village in a remote part of southern Ukraine. 

This hidden village is made up of about 2,000 people, all hovering along the poverty line. The village is also home to about 150 orphans, spread between two orphanages.  The roads to reach this village are almost non-drivable in winter conditions and the children grow up without exposure to the outside world.  The only new people they ever meet are the ones who visit them!

On a trip to this village last month to visit the children, I learned that one of their most basic needs was not being met—that of winter shoes! With a harsh winter fast approaching and only a small government subsidy to clothe the children each year, the director of the orphanage has been looking to other places to see that the children under her care have the proper things to keep them warm.  So she turned to the people in her office sitting in front of her...and that happened to be us! She was hoping we could offer some assistance.  

And as I sat there listening to her describe the need for shoes, I couldn't help but think that I had tons of friends back in the states who could easily meet this need. 

After-all, she was only looking for a little less than 2,000 dollars to put shoes on all the kids.  Divide that between a few hundred facebook friends, and we've got shoes in no time! 

So before I knew it...I was committing to finding money for shoes.  And not only for one orphanage...but I figured if we were looking for shoes for one orphanage in the village, we'd better raise money for the second one as well.  So here we go....shoe fundraiser has officially begun! 

The cafeteria of one of the two orphanages in about a 15-minute walk from the main building, so 3 times everyday the children have to go out into the cold to walk to the place where they eat their meals.  Proper winter shoes for so much walking in the snow is a must!   

With the Christmas season coming upon us, and with snow to soon be falling in Ukraine, I want to give you my blog friends, a chance to partner with us in getting winter shoes for these orphans!  Ones we have been building relationships with for 5 years.  So it isn't just a one time donation and walking away- it is continual investment.  

A donation of $30 will purchase a pair of brand new boots for a child in one of these village orphanages we are working with.  Our goal is to have 150 pairs of shoes by Christmas!  How many boots can you give?

To give you can donate directly through the OP general giving website: https://www.cbn.com/giving/orphanspromise/option.aspx

** UPDATE:  All the funds have been raised!! Thanks for giving :)

Just shoot me an email that you have donated, and we'll be sure to designate your donation for this project!  Or send me an email if you'd rather mail a check, and I can send you the information.

Merry Christmas,

A blessing for every year

When God first placed orphans and adoption on my heart in 2004 I remember having a simple prayer-- I prayed that people at home would also catch the same vision. I was so fired up and passionate about adoption that I wanted other people to see what I was seeing- to share in the heart God was giving me.  So my prayer was that I would come to see families I personally knew embrace God's heart for adoption. 

Bringing a group of Ukrainian orphans to WA state in the winter 2007 seemed to be the beginning of that prayer being answered.  Through a performance of a Christmas musical featuring Ukrainian orphans, one family at Northshore (my home church) was stirred to begin the adoption process.  One year later they would bring home one of the girls who had appeared in the musical in 2007, a little girl who had won a soft spot in my heart.

Then in 2011, together with a small group of volunteers we stepped out in faith and began the Window to Hope hosting project and ventured to bring 13 Ukrainian orphans to our community to live in families for 3 weeks. In 2012 we would bring 6 more.

Though adoption was not the goal of the hosting trip, we did know that some of the kids were available for international adoption, and that the trip could expose these kids to families who perhaps earlier would have never considered adopting an older child.

As a result of the two successive hosting trips, 2 families have already adopted 5 of these children  and one more family is brining home 2 more boys in the next couple weeks! I am overwhelmed at seeing how God has been at work through this.

When I prayed that prayer 8 years ago I had no idea what the answer would look like, but I remember hoping that a spirit of adoption would fall on my church and inspire others to consider their role in caring for the orphan.

Now, 8 years later, I stop and can count 8 Ukrainian children among my home congregation. One child for each year that I've been away!   What a very special gift.

When I was home this last summer and saw this small Ukrainian embassy overtaking the lobby of our church I was humbled.  It was a moment to freeze in my mind's eye.

My two worlds had collided and it was simply beautiful. 

Not perfect. 

Not without difficulty, blemish or pain;

Not without cost.

Yet beautiful nonetheless.

A picture similar to my own adoption-

The beautiful redemption that God has poured out on my non-perfect life through Jesus.

It wasn't pain free,

It wasn't without cost,

But beautiful?

Oh yes.

The two newest boys to be added to the clan!

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us."

Ephesians 1:5-8

Bringing change

A couple weeks ago I went with some of our Orphan's Promise staff to several of our project sites we have spread throughout this country.

One of the locations we visited was Mukachevo...a town nestled at the edge of the carpathian mountains and home to a significantly sized Roma (or Gypsie) population.

We have a local staff that has been working among these people for several years now, bringing education to their children on a regular basis and aid as well.

It is difficult to describe what it is like to walk amidst these gypsie communities.  Sometimes only a stone's throw away from their Ukrainian village neighbors, and yet the lives they lead are so different.

poverty...and yet a satellite.  priorities are sometimes interesting

Upon entering one of the gypsy settlements you instantly put aside all of your own problems. They suddenly seem insignificant in comparison to the needs of the people living in these communities. The poverty of the living conditions are even more shocking when winter sets in.  Houses have dirt floors, lack doors, and are not built with heating or a water supply.

So much poverty. So much need. So much corruption and injustice.

One home I walked into was all put 2 rooms with 2 beds...and yet 10 people slept between the two beds.

Many in Ukraine blame the gypsies themselves for the state of their life and the choices they've made. Others blame the State for not trying harder. When I look at the problem it becomes clear that it can't be a blame game.  There is just tremendous need...mainly among the children- and most families have 6-8 of them.

Last winter, our staff from Kiev traveled to several homes in the region and installed several economical heating devices, fixed roofs, installed doors, and distributed blankets and warm clothes.  People were so grateful for the help, and to know that people cared.

The SEED project (something to eat every day) is another project that OP has begun in this region. The project’s goal is to help the poorest of the world’s populations through farming. People in the hardest of conditions are taught to change their lives with their own hands.  

You know the saying...give a man a fish and I he can eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and.....

The results of the project have been wonderful so far. As the gypsy people started to gather the first fruits of their labor nobody could believe the reality--it was working. The success has inspired and encouraged the entire community. 

Another project is the building of a bathhouse.  Since there is no running water in the community this is a chance to use the bath facility for families to bathe in clean water and also learn principles of hygiene.    Its a long road ahead to change a mentality that has existed for generations...but this is the beginning.  

I look forward to sharing more as these projects progress.  But in the mean time, please keep these beautiful people in your prayers...

 "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

 Luke 10:2