Why Ukriane????

Good evening friends!! I just got the kids to bed and figured I would sit down for a bit and blog! I don't think I've had anyone directly come out and ask me this question, but I've heard others ask....why Ukraine?

Here's our adoption story and how God has put all the pieces together:

A few months ago God spoke to me in an awesome way! Our family was getting ready for church, I was drying my hair and Jarrod was in the shower! As I was drying my hair, God told me that we are going to adopt. We had said it before in passing, but never seriously! My heart starting racing and jumping for joy, but I also realized that I can't be the one to tell Jarrod....it had to be God! When Jarrod got out of the shower, he realized I was all giddy! I told him that God had shared something with me, but I knew that God would have to tell him. He wanted to know, so I told him to which his reply was "Ha, yeah He'll have to tell me!"About 3 weeks later, Jarrod came to me and said, "ok, we are suppossed to adopt."

We started talking about how we want to go about it, and decided that we should adopt here locally because there are so many children here in the United States that need homes. We also wanted to adopt younger children. We wanted Noah to be the oldest, and didn't want to interrupt our birth order. But we also realized it wasn't right now that we are to adopt, so that would give us time to find that child in our age range! I'll be honest and say, I was upset when Jarrod told me now wasn't the time.....I told him if we were pregnant, we'd have a baby.....but He reassured me that God had said it wasn't time.

So we talked with Noah, Hannah and Jonah about adopting these children that don't have families, or a mom and dad. Their hearts became burdened for these forgotten by the world, so we daily began praying for the children that we will adopt! They prayed for them, we prayed for them that God would prepare our hearts as well as the children that we will adopt! This was awesome because the childlike faith is amazing!

In my connections from the past on facebook, I realized that a friend and his family were in the process of adopting some handsome boys from the Ukraine. I messaged him and told him how excited I was and that we would be praying for them, and shared our desire to one day adopt! A few weeks later my friend contacted me to let me know that a ministry that they were involved was bringing a group of orphans from the Ukraine. (This is how they found their boys!) He said he thought Jarrod and I would love being houseparents! All you do is go in and love on them and be parents to them for a few days! We were a little concerned b/c of the language barrier, the children speak Russian. But we prayed and felt like we should move forward!

It turned out that Christmas weekend was the only weekend opened, so we took it! We really didn't know what we were getting in to! We came in completely intimidated, but within a few minutes, we loved all the children! I won't give all the WONDERFUL stories that we have to go along with our time with them, but those may come later! ;) But I will say, our world got turned upside down. We fell in love with a beautiful girl, who God gave us a love for.

We didn't go looking to adopt, in fact, we were completely against adopting older, so we knew we would be "safe" b/c the youngest child in this group was 8. We went just to love on some children and we ourselves learned what love truly is! I'm so excited and honored that God has called us to this. My heart breaks at the thought of ANY child being without a family.....both locally and in other countries. We are all called to different things and the most important is to follow the will of the Father. His will for our family is to adopt this beautiful 13 year old girl, and it has been confirmed in MANY ways! I sometimes find myself questioning whether this is to be (of course quickly realizing it's crazy to question), only to get another confirmation!

Not everyone understands, not everyone agrees, many don't want to talk about it, and if I start on it, I get so excited that it's all I want to talk about! We aren't doing this to please anyone, to get applaud, or for selfish reasons, we are doing this because the Father has turned our hearts to the ones the world has forgotten! My prayer is that we will keep adopting, keep being able to love on these children that need loving. It's not cheap, it's not easy, it's hard, you learn patience.......but it's so worth it! We are only beginning, but God has already been there with us every step of the way, and I know that He will continue to be!

Most that know us, know that we aren't "rich" with worldly things. However, we feel very "rich" with the things of the Lord! We don't have the money to do this, but God does! This has been a very humbling thing. I've always been so independent, and do not like asking for help. But I have to ask for help. But God showed me something really awesome yesterday. We aren't asking for help for us. We are asking others to join in to what the Lord is doing! You are doing the Lord's work when you bring her home, not Jarrod and Amy's! How awesome to be a part of God's work! I'm really overwhelmed at the love that friends and family have poured out on us! The support has been overwhelming, the donations bringing me to tears, and the encouragement wonderful!

See, I seriously could go on and on!! Through all this, God is showing me quite a few things in my life! I'm learning to love my own birth children in a new way, learning who really believes in me and supports me, and unconditional love.....among other things! I'm learning not to defend myself, for there is nothing to defend.....we are following God's plan for us! We can't get ahead of Him, and we can't make things happen!! All of this is out of our hands.....we are COMPLETELY WALKING IN FAITH! A wonderful spiritual growing experience this has become!!

Thanks for listening to our story. We hope that through this we will be able to minister to others, and help others realize the need for what God has called us to "to care for the widows and orphans" James 1:27. We are to be His hands and feet, and He is the Father to the fatherless, so what are we waiting for?? Be blessed my friends!!