EE Mission Day 22 - Eyes On The Prize

A dear friend of mine introduced me to a singer/songwriter a while back named Sara Groves. I enjoy listening to many of her songs, and one I've recently been listening to is, "Eyes on the Prize". 

Many of you have been on an adoption journey and know the range of emotions you can encounter on a daily basis. Some days are hard, and it becomes easy for your thoughts to drift to a place of discontentment and self pity.  I've been battling these thoughts the past couple of days. We've been away from home a little more than three weeks, and I am so homesick.  I've let these feelings take my eyes off of the prize of this journey, and it's a place that brings no glory to our Father in Heaven.  He is the reason we are here.  We desire nothing more than to glorify Him in our thoughts and actions while we're here, and I'm thankful for His forgiveness and grace. 

Here are some of the lyrics from "Eyes on the Prize":

I got my hand on the gospel plow
Won't take nothing for my journey now
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

The wait is slow, and we've so far to go
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

The wait is slow, and we've so far to go
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Only chain a man can stand
Is that chain of hand on hand
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Ain't no man on earth control
The weight of glory on a human soul.
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on.

The wait is slow, and we've so far to go
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

When you see a man walk free,
It makes you dream of jubilee.

When you see a child walk free,
It makes you dream of jubilee.

Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on.

We're coming for you soon sweet girl!

Can't resist these beautiful eyes!

Update on where we're at in our journey:

As many of you know we had court 12/28 for Gayle's adoption.  Court was nothing like I had pictured in my mind.  Even though we couldn't communicate directly with the judge, due to the language barrier, she was very kind.  Once court was over, she gave her ruling without a delay.  We are now the proud parents of sweet Mila Gayle Kimble.  We are thankful to our Father in Heaven for this amazing gift.  We pray that we will serve Him well in our parenting of her.  The official court decree will be available 1/11/2012.

La La La!

Mila's different looks are priceless!

What a prize!

First time taking Mila outside for some fresh air.

We've also been made aware of our court hearing for Kathleen.  We had hoped for it to be before the holiday break in this country, but instead it will be after.  We know this timing is according to God's will for this journey, and the hearing is set for 1/10/2012.  We will leave Gayle's region sometime next week by train, and visit with Kathleen several days before the hearing.  She is on my mind constantly, and I'm praying for God's protection of her mind and spirit.  We are praying that the judge in her region will waive the ten day waiting period after the ruling.  If not, we will probably travel back to Mila's region on the 11th to begin the process for "gotcha day".  What a glorious day it will be to see her go free.

We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I read an anonymous quote today that stated, "If you don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, turn it on".  That light switch is now on.  Happy New Year to all of you!

Having fun with our friends, The Eubanks, at a local holiday festival.

Nothing like a fair in the middle of winter while snowing.  Wish all of our kiddos were here to enjoy it with us.

This picture is dedicated to our boys.

We continue to praise God for our parents who are managing things on the homefront.  We are also thankful for the generous donors who continue to donate to our adoption fund.  Thank you!

EE Mission Day 21 - Stephanie After 3 Weeks Away From Home

Tough as nails and ready for court next week!  I love my wife!

Blog Silence Explained

Greetings everyone...

Sorry for the blog silence; we have been without Internet access since Dec 25th.

We are finally back in an apartment that has WiFi; so, we hope to get caught up on the action over the next couple of days...

EE Mission Day 15 - Christmas Eve in "U"

I have about five different blog posts swirling in my mind. My head is swimming with what we have seen the past few days. Most won't be shared until the mission here is complete. When we found out that Kathleen was transferred to an institution and different city, I began thinking of many "What" questions.

• What will God allow us to see here?
• What is God's will for this unplanned journey to an institution?
• What children are there?
• What is the purpose of this because they new we were coming for her?

Some of those answers are becoming evident.  We now have a much deeper appreciation for what our friends at the Bible Orphan Ministry do to minister to orphans.  What a blessing to have these brothers and sisters share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the least of these.

You can read stories about orphans living in institutions, but when you experience these things with your own eyes it changes you on many levels. You'll never be the same again.  It's heart wrenching and you want to cry out to every brother and sister you know to take a leap of faith and do something for these precious children.

My memory isn't very good, but I pray God allows what I'm seeing to be at the forefront of my mind as long as I live. I am so thankful He sent us here for these two precious girls. I wish we could bring back more.  I pray we can advocate for the ones that will be left behind.  They are precious and sweet and the desperation in their eyes for love and affection is overwhelming.

Today, I've also been thinking of Christmas, and being so far away from home. Each year I struggle during this holiday season. I battle getting "caught up" in the worldly celebration of what Christmas is all about. Each year I say, "It will be different this year", and instead I end up putting God in a shaker and sprinkling Him here and there on our celebration. Finding the balance is challenging sometimes, as I'm sure many can relate to.

Corey and I are staying in a city that I can't even pronounce. We can't have a conversation with anyone, or go out to eat at a restaurant. We don't have a Christmas tree, wrapped presents, or a meal to fuss over tomorrow, but we do have each other.  Also, most importantly, we have time to truly reflect on why we even celebrate Christmas. Time to reflect on Jesus Christ coming into this world to die on a cross for our sins.  Time to reflect on how He has adopted us into His Kingdom. How overwhelming of a thought this is to me.

We will be on a train for 11 hours tomorrow, with these thoughts to ponder. I miss our children deeply, but we may never have this chance to have this type of Christmas celebration again. Simple, meaningful, focused and wonderful.

Our Father in Heaven has blessed this incredible journey we are on in so many glorious ways. He is the reason we are here, and HE definitely is the reason for this holiday season.

We have court for Gayle on Tuesday; Praise God!  We are continuing to pray for doors to open for a court date next week in Kathleen's region.  We need to get her out as soon as possible!

EE Mission Day 14 - Do We Cry "Abba Father"?

Well, we had our second joyous visit with precious Kathleen today (Stephanie should be putting a post together later today).  Now I am at the computer getting caught up on some work and reviewing some news feeds from back home.  I felt the need to share one story I came across; as it deals with adoption. 

As I watched the reaction of this young woman when she found out she was to be adopted, it made me think about how we should react each and every day knowing that we have, as Believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, been adopted into God's family.  This is why we can call Him Father!  Do we really, truly understand this?  Oh, Lord, help my unbelief!!

Although we will not be able to communicate it the way this young couple did, I cannot wait for the moment when we can communicate, every day the Lord allows me to have in this world, to Gayle and Kathleen that they are now part of a covenant family, and will never be orphaned again!

Confession:  I also need to remind my four other children that they too are loved and will never have to face what their soon to be sisters faced in their young lives...

Romans 8:12-17 

Heirs with Christ

¹² So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

EE Mission Day 13 - Meeting Kathleen

Before writing about our meeting with Kathleen, I need to back track a few days to update you on some news we received Monday. Many months ago I wrote a blog post about the fate of children with Down Syndrome and other special needs when they turn four years old in this country. Sometimes I got the impression that people didn't really believe what I wrote.

When these children turn four, or five in some regions, they are taken from their baby house orphanage and placed into an institution. Once this happens, their chances of being adopted decreases even more.  Plus, depending on the institution, they may not even survive. For two days, I've pondered whether or not I would share this news, but today I think it is important to know that we are witnessing this type of fate first hand.

Kathleen turned four back in July. Since that time we've been praying that she wouldn't be transferred to an institution before we could get to her. We were informed on Monday that precious little Kathleen was now in an institution. She's been there since October. My heart became heavy with fear, and I know I was doubting God's plan. In my mind, I've played out the scenario of what happens when this type of transfer takes place, based mainly on information I've read.

She was abandoned at birth, and at four years of age had to leave the only people and home she's ever known. She was taken by people she probably didn't know, and driven about two hours away to be admitted to an institution. I could have burst into tears when I first looked at her and noticed that her long beautiful blond hair had been shaved off. If you have a child this age, imagine them in this scenario. We are thankful that God is using us to directly intervene in her life, and change it forever. She is made in His image; the same image as you and I were made.

We are boldly praying that it's God's will that we have court next week. In the meantime, we are thankful that she seems to have attentive caregivers. We plan to visit her each day until we travel back to Gayle's region for court, hopefully the 28th or 29th of December.

You can cut off my hair, but you can't take away my beautiful blue eyes!

EE Mission Day 12 - Leaving for second region

Yesterday we had our Department of Adoption appointment to receive permission to go to Kathleen's region. The appointment was very easy. No questions asked, just more of a formality. We had a delicious dinner at Celanto's, met Eugene to give money for our train tickets, and went for notary work. Phew!

Today between 4 and 5 o'clock we'll pick up our referral at the Department of Adoption. Next, we'll wait for our train which we were told would leave around 9 o'clock pm. In the morning, we hope to arrive in Kathleen's region, and hope to meet her as well. We will give an update as soon as we can which always depends on availability of Internet service.

Much love to all of you! We feel covered in prayer.

EE Mission Day 10 - Back to Capital City

We got up bright and early this morning to board a 7am train from Gayle's region back to the capital city. We took the day express train which took 6 hours (much better than the night train). Our driver was waiting when we arrived at the train station, and we left for our new apartment. This time our apartment is very close to the President's office. As we got closer to the area, traffic was very heavy, and some of the roads were blocked off. We soon realized the cause, protestors. They were all around the President's office, and cops were everywhere. Our driver just casually mentioned that this is politics for this area in action. We were thankful to finally arrive at our apartment.

Next, we immediately left and went with our driver to a pizza place located near the Deapartment of Adoptions. Serge, head of the facilitation team, was waiting for us. He informed us that most likely our appointment (to obtain referral to visit Kathleen) wouldn't be until tomorrow. Then, he drove us back to our apartment. Disappointed, but we'll just pray for patience as we wait. At that point, we hadn't eaten all day so we ventured out to a traditional Ukranian restraunt. It was absolutely delicious.

So far, we've been blessed with a safe and wonderful trip. However, I must say that today has been a hard day for me. I'm terribly homesick, and miss our kids more than I can express in words. We know they are being well cared for, but it's still hard. We are very greatful to Corey's parents, and my dad for caring for them. Short term loss for long term gain!

EE Mission Day 9 - Fellowship with new friends

Back at the end of the summer, two families were here for adoption in the current region we are staying. During that time, I made contact with one of the families, and they were adopting from the same orphanage Gayle is located. These families were here several weeks and met some amazing people. This information was passed along to us, and we were blessed to meet and worship with these same brothers and sisters in Christ. In addition, we are also in the same region as the Eubanks (another Recee's Rainbow family). They joined us as well.

We attended worship at Calvary Chapel.  The pastor preached the sermon in Russian, and his wife translated it to English. It was refreshing and convicting.  One nice part of this chruch is that they preach from the Bible expositionally; book by book, verse by verse.

Also, a gentleman got up and talked about his recent experience of attending a new bible school. He talked about certain events and decisions that led him to the school, and also talked about some of the sacrifices/hardships. Much of what he was saying could be applied to any situation God calls us to. He mentioned that when God puts something on our heart we must respond by taking the next step. You can't just simply ignore it. God put adoption on our hearts, and gave us the courage to take that next step. We are now living that next step, Praise God!

After the service and time of fellowship, we decided to go out for a late lunch with one of the couples and a sweet young man that was in their care. Three of us walked and took the metro, and the remaining four went by car. I was excited to ride the metro, because this will save us a lot of money with our visits to the orphanage ($40 per day for driver vs. $1 per day for metro). We were so thankful for their time, and we enjoyed a meal at a local Mexican restaurant.

Pastor and other church leaders praying before the service

EE Mission Day 8 - Another Amazing Visit

Today we visited with Gayle in a big recreation type room. She is so interesting, and I can't wait to learn more about her sweet personality. She makes all kinds of noises, and her sounds are like sweet music to my ears. She reaches for us, and loves to be held and cuddled. This, of course, is another answer to our prayers. Yesterday, Corey whispered to her that we love her, but most importantly Jesus loves her. Today, we sang "Jesus loves me" to her. We've dreamed of saying these words for several months, and now these dreams are coming true. Praise be to God!

This may be our last visit with her for several days.  We are leaving Monday morning to go back to the capital city for our second appointment.  We were hoping for no more than a week overlap in meeting the girls and having paperwork submitted to the courts, and again our prayers have been answered.  Once again, we'll take an overnight train into the the region Kathleen is located.  We should meet her Wednesday.  Please continue to pray for safe travels, good health, and plenty of energy.

EE Mission Day 5 - First Visit With Gayle

Many of you are probably wondering where we are.  We have been without internet service the past several days, but finally tonight we are once again connected.  I can't believe we've been in this country for almost a week.  We praise God for our safe journey so far, and for keeping us healthy.

Wednesday morning we arrived in the region Gayle's orphanage is located.  We were driven to our apartment to freshen up, and then picked up for our journey to the orphanage.  Our facilitator accompanied us inside and took us to a room where we met the head doctor.  Within a few minutes, we went to another room where we were introduced to the doctor that oversees the care of Gayle.  She went over her medical history, and she is very healthy.  This initial meeting was very informal, and we weren't asked any questions.  After a few minutes, we were lead directly into Gayle's groupa, and oh my she was sitting on the floor right where we walked in.  My heart felt like it would leap right out my chest.  We praise God for leading us to her.  She is such a blessing.  We were blessed with about 40 minutes of visiting time with her, and it was pure joy.  Please enjoy these beautiful pictures. 

We are now waiting to receive our second appointment date for Kathleen.  We are hoping and praying that phase of our journey will be early next week.

EE Mission Day 3 - A Very Special Visit

If you have been to this blog before, you may have noticed this button along the side:



Grab This!

I strongly encourage you to click on this to go to their blog.  Make time to read about their Kingdom work with orphans.  They bring the greatest gift to these children; the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  Pray for them.  Consider donating to their work.  Send them a message of encouragement.

This past Monday, along with another adoptive family we had met up with, Stephanie and I met up with 4 members of the Bible Orphan Ministry team - Pastor Misha, Alla, Oksana, and Nadya.  What a Joy to meet fellow brothers and sisters from another country, and for it to seem as if we had known them for a long time.  What a testimony to God's gift of fellowship!  You can read their perspective of the day by going HERE

I hope we see them again; maybe with a team from our church going on a mission to help them with orphan care...

I had, and still have, alot to learn about true Christian fellowship.  The Lord provided this visit on Monday as a gift that I hope will leave an eternal impression.

Breaking Bread at a cafeteria serving authentic Ukrainian home cooking!

Brothers united in Christ!

Sisters united in Christ!

Soli Deo Gloria!

EE Mission Day 3 - Appointment!

Today we had our appointment with the Department of Adoptions.  In and out in about 15 minutes.  The social worker that attended asked for us to describe what we did (for a living), why we wanted to adopt 2 children with Down syndrome, and would we know how to take care of them.

We found out that we will be going to see Gayle first.  We leave tomorrow night by train for the city her orphanage is located.

EE Mission Day 2 - Fellowship

Day 2 here in country.  We were able to "sleep in" until about 113am local time.  The highlight of this day was in meeting up with 2 other families that are in country right now.  We were able to share a meal together, and share with each other about how the Lord led each of us to adopt.  Ah, how the gift of Christian fellowship can take away the feeling of being so far from our (temporal) home.

Speaking of home, what a joy it is to have Skype!  The ability to do video calls home is yet another gracious gift from the Lord that helps shrink the distance from here to home.

Tomorrow....appointment day for child 1...

EE Mission Day 1 - We arrived safely!

We thank God for our safe travels during the past 24 hours. When we descended through the thick layer of clouds into the Kiev airport, my heart could have burst with joy. We are in our girl's birth country, and are thankful to our Father in Heaven for this opportunity. We have quite the journey ahead of us, and we're ready. I love when our boys sing, "My God is so BIG, so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God cannot do.....We hope and pray that we can honor Him as we continue with this mission. We hope to meet precious #1 on Wednesday.

O.R.P.H.A.N. Ministry - Praying

Back on October 19th, I posted an introducing a vision for coordinating a ministry related to Orphan and Adoptive/Foster Family Care; using the acrostic O.R.P.H.A.N. With this post, we'll take a look at:


Praying for the orphan/fatherless and adoptive/foster care families

Ephesians 6:10-20 - ¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹²For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

 

Ø  Do we really realize the spiritual warfare that rages; involving the children of this world?

       From Pharaoh to Molech to Herod, and in our time, Satan has waged a war on children.  There is a spiritual battle that believers must fight on behalf of the children in our world

Ø  Do we really believe Jesus’ Word, when He says (as recorded in Matthew 7:7-8):

⁷ "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

PLEASE consider clicking on our PRAYER JOURNAL tab to see what items you could make supplication for on our behalf?

The Time Has Arrived!

As our Reece's Rainbow FSP states:
11/30/11—APPT IS DECEMBER 12

Almost There

We hope our Reece's Rainbow status will soon change from "Almost There" to "Traveling Now".  We should find out tomorrow when we'll be traveling out of country for our girls.  My heart is bursting with excitement to meet them, hug them, hold them, and tell them how much they are loved.

O.R.P.H.A.N. Ministry - Raising Awareness

Back on October 19th, I posted an introducing a vision for coordinating a ministry related to Orphan and Adoptive/Foster Family Care; using the acrostic O.R.P.H.A.N. With this post, we'll take a look at:


Raising Awareness about the “plentiful harvest” and need for “workers”

Matthew 9:35-38 - ³⁵ And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

• Do we realize how many orphans exist:
• in the world? 
• in the U.S.?
• in the state we live in?  
• in our local community?

• Do we realize the conditions many of these orphans live in and the type of care they receive?

• Why do you think the “laborers are few”?

Angel Tree Project 2011

 To all of my Facebook friends - Please read this!

Reece's Rainbow (RR) is a ministry that advocates for children with down syndrome and other special needs (the ministry we're going through).  Each year they promote the Christmas Angel Tree Project.  Who are the angels?  All orphans with down syndrome from ages 0-5 are posted on one page for people to sponsor and donate towards their adoption grants.  The goal of this project is to raise $1000 for each orphan between November 1 and December 31.  We are prayer warriors for Katelyn, and you can read about her here.  Sixty dollars have been raised for her so far.  If you donate $35, RR will send you a Christmas ornament with her picture.

Have you ever seen/read this quote:

"We learned that orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, EVERYTHING changes."

David Platt in his book Radical

I want to make a challenge to all of my Westminster Presbyterian brothers and sisters.  I plan to donate $35 dollars to Katelyn's adoption fund TODAY!  Will you join me?  Will you consider $35 from your budget this month?  Will you place an ornament with her picture on your tree and commit to pray for her?  She was in the same orphanage as Gayle, but has been transferred out of the baby house orphanage due to her age.  She needs a family quickly.  Share this with as many people as you know.  The power of prayer is amazing, and increasing her adoption fund might encourage a family to bring her home.

Please go here and scroll to the bottom to find Katelyn.  While you are scrolling through the page, make time to look over the faces of these precious gifts of God...

THANK YOU!

Orphan "Everyday"

Hebrews 13:8-16

⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ⁹Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. ¹⁰We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. ¹¹For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. ¹²So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. ¹³Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. ¹⁴For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. ¹⁵ Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. ¹⁶Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.


Posing a reflective question to the "man in the mirror" (i.e., me)...

Yesterday was "Orphan Sunday"; a day where the visible church turns its "spotlight" on the mission that is caring for the orphan/fatherless.

So, how does the 1-day "event" that is Orphan Sunday become part of our daily lifestyle?

Maybe I should go back and really, really ponder what Jesus means when He says "Follow Me"...

O.R.P.H.A.N. Ministry - Observing God's Word

Back on October 19th, I posted an introducing a vision for coordinating a ministry related to Orphan and Adoptive/Foster Family Care; using the acrostic O.R.P.H.A.N.  With this post, we'll take a look at:



Observing God's Truth regarding Adoption, the orphan, and His commands to the Church


WHY?  Let's see what the One, True, Living God reveals through His Word   

• God is the Author of Adoption

Romans 8:15 - ¹⁵For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"

Romans 8:23 - ²³And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Romans 9:4 - ⁴They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.

Galatians 4:4-5 - ⁴But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Ephesians 1:3-6 - ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

• God Loves and Defends the Orphan

Deut 10:18 - ¹⁸ He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.

Psalm 10:14 - ¹⁴But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,
   that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless commits himself;
   you have been the helper of the fatherless.

Psalm 68:5-6 - ⁵ Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
   is God in his holy habitation.
⁶God settles the solitary in a home;
   he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
   but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

Jeremiah 49:11 - ¹¹ Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive;
   and let your widows trust in me."

Hosea 14:3 - ³ Assyria shall not save us;
    we will not ride on horses;
and we will say no more, 'Our God,'
   to the work of our hands.
In you the orphan finds mercy."

Deut 24:17 - ¹⁷ "You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow’s garment in pledge,

Psalm 10:17-18 - ¹⁷O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
   you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
¹⁸to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
   so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Psalm 146:9 - ⁹ The LORD watches over the sojourners;
    he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
   but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

Proverbs 23:10-11 - ¹⁰ Do not move an ancient landmark
   or enter the fields of the fatherless,
¹¹for their Redeemer is strong;
   he will plead their cause against you.

• We are to love Our Neighbor

Matthew 22:36-40 - ³⁶"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" ³⁷And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

Romans 13:8-10 - ⁸ Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁰Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Galatians 5:13-15 -  ¹³For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁵But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

James 2:8-9 - ⁸If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. ⁹But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

•  The Great Commission

Matthew 28:16-20 - ¹⁶Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

•  God Commands His people to care for the orphan

Deut 14:29 - ²⁹And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.

Deut 16:11 - ¹¹And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there.

Deut 16:14 - ¹⁴ You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns.

Deut 24:19-21 - ¹⁹ "When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. ²⁰When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. ²¹When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.

Deut 26:12-13 - ¹²"When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled, ¹³then you shall say before the LORD your God, 'I have removed the sacred portion out of my house, and moreover, I have given it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all your commandment that you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, nor have I forgotten them.

Psalm 82:3 - ³ Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
    maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.

Isaiah 1:17 - ¹⁷learn to do good;
seek justice,
   correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
   plead the widow’s cause.

Jeremiah 7:5-7 - ⁵"For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, ⁶if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, ⁷ then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.

James 1:27 - ²⁷Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

•  God opposes those who would harm the orphan

Exodus 22:22-24 - ²² You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. ²³If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, ²⁴and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

Deut 27:19 - ¹⁹ "'Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

Jeremiah 5:28 - ²⁸ they have grown fat and sleek.
They know no bounds in deeds of evil;
    they judge not with justice
the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper,
   and they do not defend the rights of the needy.

Jeremiah 22:3 - ³Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

Zechariah 7:10 - ¹⁰ do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart."

Malachi 3:5 -  ⁵"Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

HOW can we observe God's Word?

• Reading, studying, and applying Scripture

• By sitting under preaching and teaching that reveals God’s heart for the orphan and fatherless.  

• Forming and/or participating in Bible Study/Small Groups that address the orphan crisis and our command to care for the orphan

• Resources related to the Doctrine of Adoption and application within the context of the Great Commission

Have any other ideas or examples to add?  Please consider leaving a comment.

One verse...

...which sufficiently address all of my "WHY ?!?!" questions regarding the "waiting game" portion of this adoption mission.

One verse...

²¹ Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. (Proverbs 19:21)

One verse...

Scripture is God-Breathed
Scripture is inerrant
Scripture is infallible
Scripture is SUFFICIENT

Amen?

O.R.P.H.A.N. Ministry

As Stephanie and I patiently await the Lord's orchestration of events in Kathleen and Gayle's home country, I wanted to take a moment and share something that the Lord, through His Sanctifying Grace, has also instilled in our hearts.


If you have been to our page on the Reece's Rainbow website, and have read over our profile, you will come across this:
"...Over the last several months, God has placed in their lives several brothers and sisters in Christ who have either adopted orphans and/or are strong advocates for orphans. God used these people to raise Corey and Stephanie’s awareness about the Biblical doctrine of adoption and how it applies to orphan care/adoption.
Back in early April 2011, Stephanie attended a workshop on how to start an orphan care ministry. ..."

The workshop Stephanie attended is the one described HERE.  A few weeks later, we made our commitment towards a petition to adopt Kathleen (and then adding Gayle in July). 

The Lord is not stopping there....

Over the last several months, certain brothers and sisters in Christ within the congregation of our home church have come together in fellowship to share their convictions towards the needs of orphans, and adoptive/foster care families.  By God’s Grace, He has led us to become more knowledgeable of His Truth regarding:

• He being the Author of Adoption
• His Love for and Defense of the Orphan
• His Commands to His people regarding Care for the Orphan

We are committed to responding in obedience to what they are convinced is God’s call to establish a coordinated, focused ministry to engage 3 areas:

• Orphan Care
• Adoption (Private Domestic and International)
• Foster Care / Foster-to-Adopt

Our vision includes the prayerful desire to be a church that is obedient to God's commands pertaining to the orphan/fatherless and adoptive/foster families through O.R.P.H.A.N.  :

Observing God's Truth regarding Adoption, the orphan, and His commands to the Church

Raising Awareness about the “plentiful harvest” and need for “workers”

Praying for the orphan/fatherless and adoptive/foster care families

Helping the Orphan/Fatherless

Advocating for the Orphan/Fatherless

Nurturing Adoptive/Foster Care families

With future posts, I hope to expand on the O.R.P.H.A.N. acrostic; including the Biblical foundation that addresses the “why are we doing this?”, and some initial ideas of how we can implement each component of the ministry.

The wait continues

I was hoping the next blog post would reveal the exciting news of a travel date to meet our girls.  However, Last Friday an announcement was made that no more appointment dates would be issued at this time.  The last dates issued were October 17, and now we know why.  For those of you who don't know what I mean by "appointment", it's an invitation from the country our girls live in to travel and meet with the State Department of Adoption.  This is necessary to receive an official referral.

To make a long story short, the adoption authority is changing to a different branch of their government.  This was announced during the summer, and we knew it was scheduled to happen mid October.  We had hoped that our paperwork was submitted in enough time that the change over wouldn't affect us.  The reality is we missed it by 1-2 weeks.  I was sad and disappointed at this news, but have to remember that everything will happen according to God's will, not mine.  It's easy to say these words, but I have to live it as well.  The announcement indicated that new appointments may be issued at the beginning of December.  Maybe it'll be over the Christmas school break, and our whole family will travel.  Just kidding, but that would make for an interesting reality TV show.

Please continue to pray for our precious girls, and for all of the other children who are affected by this news.  Pray that the rules and regulations will be worked out in a timely manner.  Maybe you can take a minute and visit http://reecesrainbow.org/ to put a face with the prayers being lifted up to our heavenly Father.

Waiting

Thursday will be three weeks since our Dossiers were submitted.  What does this mean?  The 60+ documents we collected were translated and accepted by the adoption authority in the country we're adopting from.  The next step is to receive an appointment date to travel to the country and be granted permission to visit the girls.  We will have a separate appointment for each girl.  Here is an example of what we are expecting:

• Travel to the capital of the country we are adopting from for the first SDA appointment.
• Receive an official referral to visit one of the girls, and travel to the region of her orphanage.
• Make it official that we want to adopt precious #1.  :)
• Wait for the second SDA appointment.  Once received, travel back to the capital city.
• Receive an official referral to visit second girl, and travel to the region of her orphanage.
• Make it official that we want to adopt precious #2.  :)
• The next milestone of our trip will be receiving court dates.  It is our understanding that we will have separate court hearings because the girls are unrelated and in different regions.

We are hoping to receive our first SDA appointment information this week.  However, it's probably more realistic to believe it's not likely going to happen.  Why?   There are changes taking place as it pertains to the current adoption authority.  This authority is changing to a different branch of government, and is scheduled to happen very soon.  Decisions/announcements are hopefully going to be made this week.

Thank you to all who are praying for us/our journey, and for all who have donated to our adoption fund.

Am I Truly Thankful?

Admittedly, I would have to answer "NO"; not by my Father's Holy standard.
I can relate to the guy portrayed in this video.  "Our world teaches us that we don't have enough and we're entitled to more. We often look to God with our problems and difficulties and forget to be grateful for all that he has already given us."



Praise the Lord for His Spirit which dwells within me to desire a heart of thankfulness.  May He continue to do His work on my heart as Stephanie and I prepare to travel to EE to, Lord willing, finally meet our daughters and bring them home!  My my thankfulness in how He has orchestrated events in my life to date never cease!

"Scripture is clear that the lives of believers should be characterized by joy, contentment, and gratitude. Though we do encounter difficult trials and situations consistently, we must be disciplined to thank God and know that He will sustain us."

Colossians 3:1-16 - Put On the New Self

¹ If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

⁵ Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ On account of these the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. ¹¹ Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

¹² Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.