Unto Him We Live

Leading the Home: Quotes from Doug Wilson at Desiring God Conference

2012-01-31T11:32:00.000-06:00

Mr. Beaver - Just a quick post to encourage and point my brothers in Christ to some vital truths being shared at the Desiring God conference. I'm not there, but am benefiting from a report by Jonathan Parnell dated January 30, 2012.

I'd encourage everyone to go to the website to see the live streamed presentations or to look at more detailed reports, but I just had to share these few quotes that hit home and my brief thoughts regarding fathers leading in the home:

"Begin with gospel, walk in the gospel, end with the gospel." This is what our parenting should be all about. It's not about shaping our kids to fit our ways... it's about asking God to use us to reach them for Christ and His glory! Our goal in shaping them should be to do whatever we can to help shape them into the image of Christ!

"In the gospel, the fatherless no longer are." God, our Father, is the perfect Father. With respect to our own children, our goal should be to point our children past our own flawed image to the image of our perfect Father in heaven. With respect to the fatherless in this world, our responsibility is to step into their lives and do the same. We don't have to be perfect to point them to the perfect Father, but we do have to make a choice to do so. He is the perfect Father of all His children.

"Masculinity is the glad assumption of sacrificial responsibility...If you want to preach the gospel to your wife and to your children, then die." It all begins with denying self, taking up our cross daily and following Him. Real men don't lead by lording their authority over their families... they lead in sacrificial love... in dying to self.

"When men take up their responsibilities to provide and protect it resonates with their being. When men walk away from their responsibilities, they walk away from their assigned masculine identity...Men don't carry things because they have broad shoulders; they have broad shoulders because they are meant to carry things." God's design for the family is perfect. What a tragic mess we make of it when we look to selfish desires or any other excuse to step aside from our God-given responsibilities as men. The mess we find ourselves in, both in society and sadly in the Church as well, all starts in the home.

Men, let's "man-up", take responsibility and enjoy the blessings of living according to God's plans.

433 Moms

2012-01-27T22:27:00.003-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

When Mr. Beaver and I launched into adopting our first older Russian child 11 years ago (yes, at first we set our sights on one older child--but the Lord had vastly other--and more wonderful--plans), we knew of NO ONE who was considering adopting for the sake of Christ's name. We were ALONE. We were utterly alone. And we often felt LONELY and MISUNDERSTOOD, even by Christians...even by friends.

How things have changed! This weekend my friend, Heather Nordstrom, and I are surrounded by more than 400 adoptive moms and women waiting-to-adopt at a conference in northern Georgia. These women (and the husbands they represent) share a heart for seeing that the least-of-these are cared for, just as Jesus commanded.

I wish I had some pictures to share of the long registration lines. I could have easily taken photos filled with the bright colors of the t-shirts and jewelry and other items that vendors are selling to raise money for orphan care. I had hours wandering the conference center hallways with this opportunity. However, I didn't take a single picture of those sights.

Instead, I walked around in a awe-filled stupor. I was overwhelmed by the change in the adoption landscape since we began our first Russian adoption just a little more than 11 years ago. I stood amongst the crowds of women and quietly wept over God's goodness in answering our family's many prayers that He would raise up His church to provide homes for at least some small portions of the staggering 147 million orphans globally. He has done just that. Mr. Beaver and I are no longer ALONE.

Interestingly, it hasn't been our peers who have answered God's call. Many, if not most, of the women at this conference were in their twenties or early thirties. I'm old enough to be the mother of many of them! These couples, who've had their hearts moved by God and have said, "Yes!" to His call to "deny self and take up their cross daily and follow him" Luke (9:23), aren't the same generation as Mr. Beaver and me. They're the next generation. Often they already have three or four very young children in tow. Despite the heavy demands on their lives, they are ready to make a difference for orphaned children, to make a difference for Christ. Our prayers of 11 years have been answered; the Father of the Fatherless is on the move!

Since I don't have photos of first-day conference sights, I'll post pictures from a walk Heather and I took this morning on the beautiful lodge grounds. Georgians probably wouldn't have considered the weather balmy, but it sure felt good to two women from the upper mid west.

My friend and fellow-adoptive-mom, Heather

Why Adopt a TEEN?

2012-01-24T21:52:00.002-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Mark, Samuel, Alexander, Tatiana (hidden) and Daria (left to right)

My title is too big for what I can accomplish tonight. In fact, this title is too big for a post of any length. After 14 months of parenting a teen who most Americans--most Christians--would write off as too damaged, I could write a passionate book on "Why Adopt a Teen?" In my few words here I can only say that our God IS big enough! Our God provides grace freely but only once we trust Him and thrust ourselves into a vulnerability that demands we depend fully on Him. The Lord has amazed Mr. Beaver and I at every turn as we've been blessed beyond measure to parent Daria.

Some day I'll try to tackle "Why Adopt a Teen?" in a more concrete manner, although the subject is so beautiful, so well--magical--so "of God" than I'm not certain there are words equal to the wonder experienced.

For now please read the post of my dear friend and co-adopter, Jamie. Her insight about teens who are seemingly unadoptable carries an profound insight about OUR adoptability by God.

We spent Thanksgiving with Jamie and Marcos and their son of four months, Samuel. Mr. Beaver and I first met Samuel in Moscow two years ago on the trip which allowed us the chance to meet our children-to-be Daria, Alexander and Oksana. All four kids were in the same orphanage in rural Russia.

Above, I've included three favorite pictures from our Thanksgiving vacation in Minnesota. Please follow their sequence carefully to get the full impact of Samuel's act of kindness. To me, the pictures seem prophetic of the role God will grow Samuel into--reaching out and helping others in need.

Our couragous, faith-filled friends on their family's first Thanksgiving together -- Praise God!

And just to think, Samuel could have easily aged out of the system, lost to crime, desperation and possibly even suicide.

Knit, Pray, Love

2012-01-19T19:48:00.000-06:00

I was sitting in the car this afternoon, waiting as Alexander and Mark finished up their guitar lessons inside their teacher's little blue house. Since I was working on some school, I paid little attention to the murmur of the radio...until the male DJ started talking about his new hobby: knitting. I had to smile at the thought of Scott of KLOVE taking up the rather delicate craft generally reserved for women.

However, when he went on to explain why he had, I was all ears. He spoke of the partnership Klove and CURE International had formed, allowing Klove's listeners to knit baby hats and send them to newborns in Afghanistan. As I heard Scott describing the plight of the many needy and oppressed women and children, it rang true with the stories Jaynie had shared with me of her time in Central Asia. I felt a wave of sadness, not just at the many physical trials of the Afghani moms and babies, but also at the fact that they know fear and turmoil, instead of peace and joy. They are imprisoned by the rites and rituals of their culture and religion, instead of being freed and empowered by eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Nevertheless, I couldn't help getting excited as well, because I knew "I can do that too!" So tomorrow I will begin my first baby hat. And as I work my way through stitch after stitch and row after row, I can pray for the little head that will make use of it. I can pray for the worn and weary mother who will receive the hat for her child. I can pray that they too can come to know the peace and love that can only be found in Jesus.

Anybody want to join me?

~Lissie

CURE Knit Pray Love from CURE Video on Vimeo.

The Perfect Birthday Gift

2012-01-16T21:55:00.000-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Tomorrow I turn fifty. That's right...the big FIVE-O. My gift from Mr. Beaver? Togetherness. Now that one of our children is married and another is living on the other side of the planet, together is the perfect birthday gift.

Jaynie is home for a few weeks. To complete our family unit, my wonderful husband flew in Anna and Aaron from Ohio:

Oksana attentively watched for her oldest sister's arrival. We adopted Oksana just four months before Anna was married last March. Even in that short time a strong bond grew between the two girls.

This was Anna and Jaynie's first time to see each other since Jaynie returned from Central Asia in late December.

Anna and Aaron good-naturedly let me decorate my perfect birthday gift.

Unusual Football Commercial

2012-01-14T20:45:00.001-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Just saw this commercial on the playoff game between the Denver Broncos and the NewEndgland Patriots. I didn't just "like it", I LOVED it.

Two Become One: The Ceremony

2012-01-11T21:19:00.011-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Not long after Anna and Aaron's wedding we shared a number of photos from big day. One post I never got to, however, was the actual ceremony. With Anna and Aaron visiting this weekend, I've been thinking about the two of them a great deal. Thus with a hint of a smile on my face as I relived the joy of their wedding day, this afternoon I gathered these photographs from mulitple files.

Aaron and Anna chose to keep the decorations in the sanctuary simple. White bows decked the pews,

While two bouquets of white roses adorned the alter. The bulletin said this about the roses, "The flowers on the alter are in gratitude to Anna's birthparents for giving her life." Both Anna's birthmother and birthfather were part of the day's festivities, making the day extra special for her.

After hours of preperation all was ready. The flower girls, bridesmaids and the bride were lined up just outside the sanctuary.

Inside the sanctuary, Anna's 17-year-old sister, Jaynie, played one of Anna's favorite classical pieces, "Carnival of the Animals: The Swan."

The mothers lit the Unity Candle.

Pastor Dave Sowers, the groom and his groomsmen marched to their places to await the arrival of the bridesmaids and bride.

Lissie, the maid-of-honor, was the last in the bridesmaids' processional.

I swung around eager to catch a glimpse Anna.

Sheepishly I realized I'd forgotten about the flower girls--my own daughters! Anna's youngest three sisters delightedly filled the role.

Oksana (left, age 6) and Cassandra (age 10) came down the aisle used by the bridal party to enter, while Amy (age 8) decorated the aisle which the newly married couple would use to exit the sanctuary.

Once the petals were strewn, the bride stepped into the sanctuary on her daddy's arm.

(You can just make them out in the background of this beautiful photo.)

As I peeked around friends and family from my front row seat, I saw:

The impatient groom waited patiently as Anna and I embraced one final time.

Then the bride's father presented Anna Mackenzie to her groom...

...as Arianna, Elizabeth, Emily and Lissie (l-r) watched .

As Aaron and Anna met, Pastor Dave Sowers waited in the background. He has been our family's pastor for nine years and is a dear family friend. His daughter, Emily (also newly married), was one of Anna's bridesmaids.

Aaron and Anna met at the alter before God and those in attendance who would witness as they...

...vowed before the Lord to put the needs of the other first. To fight selfishness....To lay down their own agenda...To live to serve the other...To learn to love out-serving the other.

They would vow to cling to the Lord--together...To seek the Lord--together...To abide in the Lord--together.

They would acknowledge before God and man their inability to live up to these vows without the Lord's help--minute-by-minute, each day for the rest of their lives.

Anna's brother, John, and her sister, Daria, read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. John read each verse in English. Then Daria, adopted from Russia just four months earlier, read the same verse in Russian.

John returned to his place as best man. (Daria is in the background on the right.)

We sang, "There is a Fountain" and "And Can It Be" as Aaron's sister, Amber, played the piano.

At one point I let my thoughts wander as we sang. I was wondering how often a bride and groom are flanked by twins serving as their maid-of-honor and best man.

After we sang, Anna's friend and mentor, Tanya, read Shakespeare's Sonnet 116.

Aaron's friend, Pete, then shared Colossians 3:12-16.

This was followed by Pastor Dave's message on Joshua's famous words to the Israelites, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord," (Joshua 24:15), a passage Aaron and Anna had picked during premarital counseling.

When he finished, the two exchanged vows.

Followed by the exchange of the rings.

After vowing fidelity to one another until death parts them, Aaron prayed over their union for the first time in his role as husband and spiriutal leader. We all watched on as the rest of the world faded away for the two of them...

After Aaron's prayer, the parents surrounded the couple while both dads prayed for their marriage.

All that was left was the kiss...

which went on...

...and on...

Until, finally, Pastor Dave good naturedly urged Aaron and Anna from his position behind them to remember those in attendance and finish the ceremony.

Really, though, who could blame the two of them for lingering?

They had waited. They had waited through the months in which they were getting to know one another. They had waited through their courtship. They had waited through their engagement. They had waited to share that first kiss until they were husband and wife. And the reward was sweet!

As a mom, I cheered the two of them on. All four parents had urged Aaron and Anna to wait for a physical relationship until their wedding day. How sweet it was to be able to celebrate that with God's enabling power, they had stood firm against the wiles of our culture and saved the best for once they were "one flesh." (Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:31)!

Once they'd finished the kiss, Pastor Dave introduced Mr. & Mrs. Aaron Nix.

Anna retrieved her bouquet from Lissie and...

...the newly married couple departed. Well, temporarily.

They returned to hug friends and family, starting with us.

We then made our departure, filled to the brim with joy. Our first child had just left the nest. While knew we'd miss her terribly, we also knew she was just where God wanted her.

Fearing the Unknown?

2012-01-07T20:49:00.004-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Today I stumbled across a quote that made my soul cry, "Yes!" In a blog called Passionate Homemaking, author Lindsay reflects on her husband's recent move from employee to self-employment. One of her concluding thoughts is this:

"It is in the unknown that fellowship with my Lord is sweetest. It is in the unknown that God's mercy is most beautifully manifested. It is in the unknown that our faith is refined and comes forth shining more brightly."

Amen. AMEN! And a resounding A.M.E.N!!! (I've been cautioning my young writers as I teach them not to rely on exclamation points for emphasis, but Lindsay's insight is worthy of some rule-breaking in my mind.)

Are you facing a health problem? Broken relationship? Uncertain career path? Unsure of your next address? Wondering how you'll meet your spouse? Called by the Lord into service that is way outside your comfort zone? Nudged to adopt?

We don't have to be afraid of a nebulous future. We don't have to be overwhelmed by trepidation when facing the unknown. God is there.

Uncertainty is not our enemy, despite what our feelings may tell us. When what we know is stripped away, God is there. He will be with you. He is a promise-keeping God, and He has declared He will never leave you. God will guide you. God will give you wisdom. God will strengthen you.

When the rug has been pulled out from under you and the last thing you ever expected has happened, God gives...Himself. Isn't this the good news of great joy which the babe in a manger heralds? Jesus' very name, Emmanuel, means God with us! (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23)

Mr. Beaver and I have experienced living in the unknown. One of the givens of adopting is that the process takes you chin-deep into the murky waters of ambiguity. You don't know what will happen when. You can't control the outcome. In fact, you can't control...anything.

And yet, through four adoptions and the addition of ten children to our family, God has been with us. Despite periods of white-knuckled fear, God has given us...Himself. We have tasted His goodness (Psalm 34:8). We have been cocooned in His peace. Seemingly inexplicable joy has welled up in the darkness and lighted our way. When we've sensed danger, we've felt Him. Near. God has been with us.

The fellowship with the Lord that we've experienced when our lives have been at their most extreme has been so sweet, so palpable that we hunger for more. We're...well...addicted. Would we be willing to step out into the unkown just to get intimacy with God? In a word, YES! Maybe service in a Muslim country instead of retirement... Maybe another adoption before we even reach retirement... We just don't know yet. But we do know He'll lead, and we'll follow. You see, now we know. We don't have to fear the unknown. God is there.

A Moving Story in 2-1/2 Minutes

2012-01-04T22:15:00.006-06:00

Our oldest daughter, Anna, (featured in the wedding pictures above) became ours as a newborn through an independent adoption. We were privileged to develop a precious relationship with Anna's birthmother, "H," during her pregnancy, and our friendship continues two decades later. The wonder of "H" placing Anna in our arms and allowing us to parent her has never faded.

The story below struck many cords in my heart as I watched and yet again reveled in God's goodness to the two of us, an extraordinarily barren couple. Anna's birthmother truly sacrificed her own interests and put her life on hold. But her sacrifical love for the baby she would not parent meant a little girl we named Anna might have life. Over the course of her 21 years, Anna's kind-hearted exuberance has blessed many. Anna pours out affection on all she meets. She loves...and she loves...and she loves. So many lives would have been sadly different if Anna had been aborted.

(If you watch, don't forget to mute our music first.)

an adoption story // kelly, kelly, candace + chapel from stillmotion on Vimeo.

New Blog: Christian Optimistism Bolstered

2011-12-31T22:04:00.005-06:00

Mr. and Mrs. Beaver:

Photo credit -- Cassandra

Our oldest son, John (known until now by the blog name "Joe"), has observed a cultural trend. In fact, he hasn't just noticed it. John would tell you that for the past couple of years he's been a participant in this trend. Skepticism has wound its tentacles around the hearts of many, and John knows the monster well. He has shared with us that the temptation to bend toward worldly thinking has held his hope hostage, leaving him frequently joyless and all-too-often vulnerable to irritation and exasperation.

John wants to be more consistently buoyed by belief. He's ready to fight skepticism's sinister power. On the eve of turning twenty, he's determined to stand on the life-producing belief found only in Christ, even as his generation is at risk of being crippled by cynicism. He's going to share his thoughts in a new blog called Surprised by Optimism. We invite you to read his first post. Then follow as he wars against culturally-correct doubt and disbelief. He'll share his struggles, while not losing sight of opportunities for humor. We hope you'll read, then engage in the fight to ward off the quiet creep of cynicism in your own life.

Five Things I've Learned from My Husband

2011-12-29T18:42:00.002-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Tomorrow is our 28th wedding anniversary. I can't think of a better way to celebrate God's incredible goodness to me than by sharing some of the ways He hs used Mr. Beaver to impact my life:

1. Never go to bed angry. This idea didn't originate with Mr. Beaver, of course. God records this relationship-saving wisdom in the Bible, "...do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity" (Ephesians 4:26,27). When we began marriage nearly three decades ago, Jim insisted we live according to this principle. This has made for some late, late nights, getting very few zzzzs. However, the effort has been worth every nearly-sleepless night as it has kept our union free from the growth of bitterness.

2. Never go to bed without relationship reconciliation. This may sound redundant, but it goes a step beyond Point 1. We can tell ourselves we're free of anger and still not be free of our agenda. No matter the depth of disagreement, my husband insists we stay awake until sweetness returns. He requires us to live, "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ Jesus has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32). Jim's leadership on this point has kept our relationship with each other amiable and gracious. He demands the same standard in our relationships with all 13 children (10 by adoption, two by birth, one by marriage).

3. Never part from a loved one without relationship reconciliation. Again, this may sound redundant. The focus of this Point 3, however, is not saying good-night but saying good-bye. Jim's father died in a plane crash when he was just seven. His mom has spent decades grateful to the Lord that the two of them had this "rule." When my mother-in-law became a widow, she had no regrets. Their relationship was free of fresh bruises and free of unhealed harm from old battles. Jim has insisted that everyone in our family love each other in this same way. Even if we're running out the door late, we must stop and set any damaged relationship right. (See Matthew 5:23,24)

4. The way to a person's heart is through service. I've learned the value of meeting the needs of others by being the object of Mr. Beaver's ongoing selflessness. For as long as I can remember, my husband has walked in from work uttering the same four words to me, "How can I help?" His willingness to put my needs and those of his children before his own desires, even when he's exhausted, has refreshed me nightly and left our kids in awe of their daddy. They "get" what a sacrifice their father's offer is, and they're able to recognize Christ at work in him. The influence his service has had on their hearts has made me to want work harder at honoring Jesus' words: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve..." (Mark 10:45) Mr. Beaver imitates His Saviour beautifully, day in and day out.

5. God's word is worth knowing. On my first birthday after we married, Mr. Beaver gave me a study Bible. My thought was a disgruntled, "Great...what kind of gift is this?" Obviously I didn't understand the value of God's word. However, I've had 28 years to watch as my man has read the Book, studied the Book, memorized the Book, shared the Book with our children in the evenings, and taught the Book at church. I've watched the Book change him. He's grown more tender, humble, gentle, patient, thankful, and compassionate. The more time Mr. Beaver spends in the Bible, the more he prizes God and becomes like God's Son. The Bible says, "...like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word". With the many other ways Mr. Beaver could spend his time (he loves to golf and has his private pilot's license), he invests it in knowing God through His word and it shows! Unlike 28 years ago, I now understand the value of knowing God's word and try to follow Mr. Beaver's example in impressing it on my heart (Deuteronomy 11:18)!

I love my husband deeply. I thank God for Mr. Beaver, and for all Mr. Beaver has taught me since we stood at the alter. This list barely scratches the surface. Daily, I watch him. I learn from him. I glean more and more wisdom from him. I hope and pray the Lord will allow me many more years to follow him as he follows God.

Jaynie's Home!

2011-12-23T20:34:00.000-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

We're thankful to God--our precious Jaynie is home! She's been the homeschool helper for a couple of American families in a central Asian country since August.

Many of our friends joined us at the airport to celebrate Jaynie's return.

The plane had landed and passengers were disembarking. We were watching for the ONE special face!

Our first glimpse of Jaynie!

A very relieved, happy dad--deeply grateful to God for keeping his girlie safe

Jaynie's first sibling hug came from Cassandra

Jaynie's other siblings quickly took their turns.

Next, Jaynie greeted friends who'd come to welcome her back

In the midst of happy celebration, Jaynie never strayed far from her daddy

Before long we headed around the corner in our small airport to gather Jaynie's luggage. She was still greeting friends...

(A special thanks to our dear friends the Nisius family for coming all the way from Minneapolis just to share this special day with our family. Here Jaynie is embracing Amanda, whose been like an aunt to Jaynie and her biological siblings since we adopted the three of them in 2001.)

Cassandra stayed close by as Jaynie made her way through the crowds.

I got the very first hug as Jaynie emerged from security, although our reunion wasn't caught on camera. By the time we entered the baggage area, I was eager for another long embrace. I've already received the very best Christmas gift--having my daughter home.

Our family has so much catching up to do. Jaynie's been able to call nearly every day since she left, but the phone calls are usually only a few minutes long. Skype and email have been tremendous blessings, but now we get to hear the details of her amazing adventure.

What a joy to be TOGETHER! And what a great way to start the weekend in which we'll celebrate the birth of Jesus. God become man. King become servant. Baby become suffering Savior.

We wish you the merriest of Christmases!

Photos courtesy of Amanda N. and Kaylee H.

North Shore Afternoon: Mark

2011-12-19T01:52:00.113-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

As I've mentioned before, our family was able to spend Thanksgiving week in Minnesota. The weather was blessedly warm for that time of the year along the shore of Lake Superior. On one of the afternoons most of the kids wandered out to explore the shoreline.

With our camera, I tried to catch a bit of personality. Last time I shared a glimpse of Lissie's thoughtful spirit. Here I'd like to share Mark's adventurous personality. He's a curious soul who enjoys investigating his surroundings. I think that's all I need to say; these photos speak for themselves. As the saying goes, our second son is all boy.

When we first met five-year-old Mark at his orphange in Russia, his risk taking scared us. He was unusually small for his age but would climb to the the height of the rusted frames that served as the children's playground equipment. He would then catch our eye, grin and dismount by doing some daring feat like a front flip. These nervous prospective parents were just certain he would break a bone before we could get him home!

Mark and Cassandra on their orphanage grounds, September 2001

As a naturally timid person, I've come to appreciate Mark's willingness to learn by trying. He has matured in his risk taking; now I rarely worry that he's putting himself in danger. I suspect that as Mark grows into manhood we'll get to watch the Lord make use of the trait He Himself built into this former orphan. He has a plan for our son -- Mark is a marvel, fearfully and wonderfully made by our great God (Psalm 139)!

Visit the Zoo with Us!

2011-12-18T01:48:00.003-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

This week Joe and Lissie finished their second-to-last college semesters. To celebrate that accomplishment and take advantage of their two weeks of unencumbered freedom, we traveled to Omaha to visit the Henry Doorly Zoo.

Our first stop was the "Lied Jungle."

There we saw everything from water fowl to...

...several species of monkeys. I thought this pair bore a resemblance to Joe and Lissie...

...but our twins just couldn't see the resemblance!

Alexander's favorite animal in this exhibit was the colorful parrot. He clearly remembers the bird's Russian name, so I suspect our 12-year-old's interest in the colorful winged-creature began before he came to America.

I have to admit, I love the photo below. The second bird peaking out from behind the tree just begs for a caption. When Joe has recovered more fully from the drain of the last college semester, I may have to see if he can come up with something clever. Joe tends to think in "captions"!

By the time we left the jungle, we'd made all kinds of discoveries...

...this upside down character had to be the least expected and funniest! He was dangling from a light fixture we crossed under as we exited the building. Again, I think this photo just begs for a caption. It's looking like I can keep Joe intellectually stimulated during his two-week break!

Our next stop was the large cat house. There we were surprised to see a tiger stand up to it's full height on it's hind legs and stride back and forth in front of a set of windows. We soon realized that the tiger was intent on, and perhaps even coveting, a large ball being toyed with by another tiger in an enclosure across the exhibit hall.

We learned from a volunteer docent standing nearby that the "dancing" tiger was just one and a half years old.

She eventually gave up on her lust for the ball...

and settled into a contented cuddle with her mama (right).

Tigers weren't the only cats we were able to see today.

What fascinated us the most was a mammoth male lion.

His roar rattled the building, and it's rumble reached far outside his compound.

His enormous paws left no doubt as to his strength!

Getting this close up view of a lion just before Christmas, left us contemplating the stunning miracle of the babe in the manger. That frail infant was fully human and yet fully God. That babe, born in a manger smelling as badly as some of the exhibits we visited today, would transform the world!

The Bible calls Him the Lion of Judah. While a real lion's strength is awe-inspiring, it is also limited. There is no limit to the strength of the great Lion of Judah. He was strong enough to endure our sin on the cross. He is strong enough to rescue and save all who call upon Him

After we left the large cats exhibits, I caught Lissie enjoying the warm sunshine while she texted photos to Anna.

We moved from the cats to the bears.

We then entered a building dedicated to the animals of the island of Madagascar, off the southern tip of Africa.

A large enclosure featured Ring-Tailed Lemurs.

Within their habitat were two or three tubes with bright light pouring out their ends. Each of these "lamps" had a possessive lemur stationed in front of it, basking in the light or the warmth or perhaps both.

Whatever the reason for the lemur's attraction to the tubes, the combination of animal and strong light made for a good "photo op"!

Another of the Madagascar exhibits housed an animal that wasn't...well...quite so cute!

As we excited the building, Lissie and I both found ourselves attracted to this zoo train. She just finished a photography class, and I had the opportunity to learn some of the material alongside her. This train provided a great example of repeated shapes and bright colors that are often sought out by photographers.

As we made our way along the back side of the zoo on our way to the giraffe habitat, we stumbled upon a sculpture garden we'd never seen before in our many visits to this zoo.

The garden's sculptures and ponds provided both beauty...

...and fun!

We left Tatiana's sculptured giraffe for the real thing, housed indoors:

While I was trying to get the perfect photo of one of my favorite animals...

The kids all collapsed. They were zooed (just invented that word!) out. The one exception was Amy, who continued to be full of energy--hence her blurriness.

As we trudged up the steep hill to the zoo's exit, we caught sight of one last unusual bit of wildlife--a black squirrel.

See the squirrel's open mouth in this second photograph below? What is this squirrel trying to communicate???

Again, I think the picture just begs for one of Joe's captions! Hopefully, he will have soon caught up on his sleep and be ready to think in "captions"!

We were so blessed today. The weather was unseasonable warm. The zoo animals were active.

Most importantly, we were reminded how incredibly blessed we are to have been glued together as a family by the Lord. He is so very good, and we relished His abundant lovingkindness today!

Video: Out of Control

2011-12-10T20:59:00.000-06:00

Daria stumbled upon this video this week. We just watched it as a family after reading the Bible together. We found it to be a convicting reminder.

(You'll want to mute our music before you watch.)

Delicious Math

2011-12-08T18:53:00.001-06:00

Cassandra:

Today Alexander, Amy and Oksana enjoyed a day of sugar-cookie baking math. Kristen, mom's home school assistant, taught them the basics of baking.

Sometimes I wish I was still younger!

A Look at Lissie

2011-12-06T17:15:00.000-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

When we spent Thanksgiving week at the North Shore of Lake Superior, the weather grew warmer and warmer as the week progressed. One afternoon we were able to be out on the lake's shore in light jackets and shirt sleeves. This is utterly unheard of in northern Minnesota in late November!

As the sun was sinking toward the horizon, some of our children went out to enjoy the warmth and beauty. As I saw them drifting outdoors, I grab our camera and ran. I always try to remember to pray for the Lord's guidance and blessing before I begin taking pictures. This time I prayed that God would help me to capture each of their vastly different personalities. As always, He was faithful.

Here's a look at our precious 19-year-old Lissie.

First Snow: Beauty and the Beast

2011-12-03T23:18:00.112-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

It's been an unusual fall here in northwest Iowa. We made it through the entire autumn with out seeing a single snow flake. Until today.

When forecasters began predicting snow for Saturday, our whole clan was excited. We love snow's ability to transform everything it blankets.

After we traveled to a funeral in rural southwest South Dakota today, returning home at dusk. I immediately ran outside with our camera.

I didn't manage to get the dried geranium blossom in focus, but I like the stair rail in the back ground.

If you look closely, you can see individual snow flakes. And every snow flake is different! Isn't God amazing?

Family Fun with a Purpose

2011-12-03T00:03:00.003-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Years ago I had the opportunity to hear a widow named Marina speak to a large audience of young mothers. She opened her heart about a struggle she'd gone through with one of her four children. To her horror, she realized that after she'd lost her husband, she'd also lost the heart of one of her sons. He was pulling away from what was left of their family, as well as rejecting the values she and her husband had tried to instill in their children. If her son continued on the path he was following, he'd be lost.

This brave single mom fell to her knees and cried out to the Lord for wisdom. At first mystified as to how this could have happened in what she thought was a close-knit family, she was led to the insight that her son viewed "the world" as more attractive than the family. The world was exciting. The word was ever-new. The world was full of social opportunities. The world was anything but mundane.

Having her eyes opened to the attractions available outside their home, Marina battled to make the family home a place her son would wanted to be. She prayed their family members would become the people with whom he would most want to spend time. From that point on, she purposed to plan events that would draw the five of them together. She invested herself in bringing her teens' friends and their families into their home. Fun wasn't the goal in and of itself, but she saw it as a crucial vehicle to her children being receptive to the Saviour for whom she and her husband had shared a deep love.

When Marina spoke to the women in Texas at the homeschooling conference I was attending, several years had passed since the heart-rending time when she saw her beloved teenager slipping away. She had a happy ending to share with those who were listening. As she followed the Lord's leading to make life in their family more attractive than the world, she won her son's heart back again. By the time she spoke to us, all four of her children were followers of Christ who had rejected the charms of the world.

When I returned home and shared Marina's story with Mr. Beaver, we agreed that we too would purpose to make life in our family delightful for our children. At that time we had only three kids. Anna, Lissie and Joe weren't even nine years old yet, but we knew it could never be too soon to make family time a priority. Our quest to become a unit they loved being assoicated with began immediately. Their salvation would be dependent on God's grace. We knew we couldn't cause our beloved children to be saved, but we have purposed for more than a decade to make Christ attractive by making our family a place of faith-encouraging fun.

For us this has meant doing nearly everything together as a family, and we've all come to cherish that togetherness. It's meant setting aside the daily-ness of life to spend time having fun. It's meant setting aside personal agendas to focus on having fun together. Interestingly, Paul's encouragement to set aside selfishness and focus on others (Philipians 2:3.4) actually tends to yield greater personal joy than pursuing our own personal agendas.

Just one example of this committment to faith-ecouraging family fun occurred on our second hike at the North Shore. On this jouney, there would be something for everyone. The wet snow that day was a guy's dream come true. A warm front had passed through the area over night making it perfect to form SNOW BALLS! We'd barely started walking when Aaron formed SNOW BALLS and demonstrated his juggling ability.

While Aaron was basking in the applause of his wife and new in-laws, Alexander took three slightly bigger SNOW BALLS and made a tiny snowman along the path, using part of his lunch for his creation's nose.

While the guys were enjoying the SNOW BALLS, the gals were engaged in one of their favorite pastimes -- chatting.

Anna (l) and Tatiana

While Anna was catching up on her sister's life, her husband had left the path for a short cut... straight up!

Soon Joe followed his brother-in-law, and then ...

...a crowd joined the climb.

When some of Oksana's siblings went one direction while her parents and other siblings went another, she was left confused about what to do. We've noticed that when our little one feels insecure, we still get glimpses in her face of what we call her "orphan spirit". It's easy to understand how the severe neglect she endured as a baby followed by years in an orphanage have left her fearful of uncertainty.

Thankfully, as soon as we called this recently adopted child to our side as we ascended the steep hill, her confidence, poise and happy grin returned.

Lissie's enjoyment of the scenery was heightened by seeing the beauty through a camera lens.

I, too, enjoyed seeing the canvas of our Creator through a camera lens.

These itsy-bitsy pine cones, about 1/2 inch long, were my favorite discovery. As we strolled, Mr. Beaver pointed out to me that this branch had all three stages of their growth--tiny buds, tight wrapped cones and the fully opened version.

Before long we came to a bridge stretched over one of the two waterfalls we saw that day. (See photo below.)

I love nine-year-old Amy's approach to making sure she was part of the picture. See her peering through the horizontal bars in the center of the bridge? Oh, the challenges of being the 11th out of 12 children! (Mr. Beaver was lifting up Oksana--12th out of 12)

The falls

For a while Alexander was content to merely carry his "baby." Then his testosterone kicked in!

It dawned on him that he could dash his SNOW BALL to dust by hurling it into the ravine through which the Temperance River flows. After this discovery, he rolled large SNOW BALLS with gusto, each time searching for the perfect spot for its destruction. He was one very happy 12-year-old boy!

Meanwhile, the girls carried on with their chatting.

Aaron jumped from rock to rock near the ravine's edge. He, too, was "all boy", taking logs and delightedly tossing them into the ravine, listening then for the big boom they made when they landed.

Unlike Alexander, however, every once in a while he'd take his focus off the available adventure. He'd swoop into the midst of the hikers to snuggle with his bride.

Joe slipped off every once in awhile to take in the beauty of the surroundings. I love my oldest son's meditative look caught in this photo as he peers through the brush, staring at the river where it widens and emerges from its ravine.

Joe's contemplative mood didn't last long as Alexander's excitement over throwing the SNOW BALL bombs into the ravine grew. Soon Joe was running along the trail helping his younger brother to find the perfect spot to launch each new SNOW BALL.

When we reached the bridge on the return trip, the whole group got involved in Alexander's quest to toss a SNOW BALL over its top railing.

Finally, Joe stepped in to give the "umph" that Nathaniel's shorter arms couldn't quite pull off. See the big SNOW BALL being hurled by Joe in the left hand corner -- much to the delight of his brother!

Alexander was quite pleased with the results.

As more SNOW BALLS were thrown to their destruction, the tribe got sillier and sillier, as evidenced by Joe and Aaron's response to my request for a photo of the two friends. Before I could click the shutter a second time, the jokesters had gone from this...

...to this!

The hike finished with all involved laughing, happy and eagerly looking forward to more family time.

When we finish an event like this hike, there's no way to test whether we've made Christ more attractive to our children. We won't know for years what God's plan is for their lives. However, when we've had a sweet time like this as a family filled with silly antics and plenty of laughter, our hope is that winsomeness might help keep their hearts and their ears open when we tell them about Jesus and His saving work on the cross. Concurrent to family fun, Mr. Beaver and I just keep praying fervently for the Lord's saving grace to be showered on all 12 of our kiddos and all twelve of our future in-laws that they might love God with all their heart and soul and strength. We long for our ever-growing tribe to be an army prepared to glorify God.

How about you, are you carving out time for special family moments? Do you surprise your kids with unexpected adventures. Do you ever cast off what's necessary and, by nature, mundane in maintaining a home to do something you know your children will remember for a long, long time? Do you ever push back the dishes on a warm fall evening to dash to a park to swing and climb just as the last rays of sun drop below the horizon? Family fun with a faith-building purpose is worth the sacrifice and investment!

A Happy Dad

2011-12-01T15:11:00.001-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Few things can compare to becoming a parent after nearly seven years of utterly hopeless infertility.

For Mr. Beaver and me, it was Anna's birthmother who made our impossible dream come true. An ear-to-ear grin stretched across Mr. Beaver's face the night a beautiful newborn girl was placed in our arms by a very brave 20-year-old. That soul-deep smile of my dear husband is etched forever on my heart.

Mr. Beaver's gratitude to the Lord for his oldest child began that night he became her daddy. Last week I got to watch as Mr. Beaver exuded joy all over again. His eyes twinkled. He cranked his fatherly teasing up a notch. The reason? He was able to spend a week with his now married and pregnant Cinderella, while Anna and her new husband, Aaron, vacationed with us.

Here's the pair as our large family hiked in Temperance River State Park:

Mark's Birthday

2011-11-28T22:01:00.000-06:00

After we adopted Jaynie, Cassandra and Mark in September 2001, Mark was the first in the trio to celebrate a birthday. On November 28, he turned six... an amazingly cute six! He had never had a birthday celebration before. Nor had anyone showered him with gifts before. So when we brought him birthday gifts he tore into them with a gusto that made us both joyful and sad. Joyful because we had been able to give him a special celebration... sad because no one had ever done so before!

Orphans are often neglected in horrific ways. But even the mundane neglect they face is tragic. Simple things we take for granted with our biological children are often completely missed in the life of orphans. Besides missing birthday and Christmas celebrations, they often have no knowledge of the family history, medical conditions, traditions etc. And one of the saddest things we've noticed is their lack of baby pictures. We've had more than one tearful encounter with a former orphan who said, "I wish I knew what I looked like as a baby."

Mark's sixth birthday celebration was an occasion full of "photo ops"...his beautiful blue eyes shone as his new family introduced him to the birthday traditions of gift giving and birthday cake.

Mark, newly adopted, turns six

Today, ten years later, we celebrated his 16th birthday. Now Mark is growing into a fine young man, growing like a weed, and growing out of 'little boy' things.

Mark at 16

Mark,

We love you. We pray for you multiple times each day. We're so glad that God has let us be your parents. We look forward to watching you grow into the young man the Lord has made you to be.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Chilly North Shore Hike

2011-11-27T21:40:00.003-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

We just returned from a few days in Minnesota on the North Shore of Lake Superior. While there, we were refreshed by the opportunity to hike several times.

Sisters Natasha (11), Amy (9) and Oksana (7)

On the first day we were greeted by typically cold late November temperatures in the northern part of this northern state.

The frigid weather didn't phase Oksana. Mr. Beaver and I marvel at what a happy, trusting child she has grown into during this first year since her adoption from Russia. We've been privileged to watch as the Lord has done much healing in her shriveled soul since she joined our family. On this outing, Oksana skipped from rock to rock, her smile continuous.

Our oldest daughter, Anna, and her husband, Aaron, traveled about 16 hours to spend the week with us. We reveled in every moment we were able to be together!

We had heard from her that Aaron enjoys hiking, but this was our first chance to enjoy the great outdoors with our new son-by-marriage. His smile was as broad as Oksana's, but I suspect the reason was pleasure at having his first break in his position as a computer programmer since their honeymoon in March.

Just before we traveled, we shopped for warm clothing. Our silly Daria fell in love with a polar bear hat that extended all the way in to "mittens" with their own bear pattern. Natasha's choice in head ware was a lime-green-and-turquoise-striped polar bear.

On the day following this hike we celebrated the first anniversary of the adoption of Daria, Alexander and Oksana. All week Mr. Beaver and I experienced a heightened sense of how incredibly God has blessed us in allowing us to parent these three remarkable children, in addition to our other nine blessings.

As the hike neared its end, I caught Daria and her Dad as they paused during a deep conversation.

The end point of our hike was the town of Two Harbor's light house. We finished cold, but oh-so happy to have had fun and fellowship time with our favorite people--family!

The Impossible Anniversary

2011-11-25T22:46:00.000-06:00

Mr. Beaver:

This week we celebrated the one year anniversary of our adoption of Daria, Alexander and Oksana. For our family, we celebrate adoption anniversaries based on the day we land in America with our kids. As we celebrate this one year anniversary during Thanksgiving week, we recognize how much we have for which we need to be grateful to God. We can't imagine life without Daria, Alexander and Oksana. And we give thanks to God for the many miracles He performed to make this 'impossible' adoption (by human reckoning) happen. Praise Him from whom all blessings flow!

Note: In the photo, Alexander is carrying "his baby"--a giant snow ball he built on a hike the entire family took together.

Our Adoption: Dad--On His Own

2011-11-18T08:48:00.002-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

A year ago I had the easy job. I was in Chicago with Lissie, Natasha and Joe who had each qualified locally to compete in the National Bible Bee Finals.

Opening ceremony -- Lissie receiving her medal for qualifying

Banquet on final evening -- Meggie, Bonnie Leigh, Natasha and Lissie (l-r)

Because of the need for me to be at the Bible Bee, Mr. Beaver was a world away, alone in Moscow, Russia. He was single-handily beginning to parent the three children who were finally ours at the end of a court-mandated 10-day wait, following the judge's "Yes," to our petition in late October to adopt Daria (15), Alexander (11) and Oksana (5).

Here's the link to Mr. Beaver's story of God's overwhelming goodness during the adventure of a lifetime: First Day with the Kids

Dinner for Three

2011-11-13T21:40:00.000-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Last night Mr. Beaver and I took 16-year-old Daria to the nicest restaurant in town. It was just the three of us. Doing anything in a group that small is unusual in a family our size! Daria even got to shop for and don a brand new dress for the special occasion.

Why all the fuss?

Daria is the sixth of our teens to go through an important rite of passage in our family. We call it the Purity Promise Dinner. Our goal last night was to encourage Daria to commit to physical, emotional and spiritual purity in pursuit of Christ-like holiness while she waits to marry the right man at the right time according to God's plan for her life. We asked her to commit to sexual abstinence until marriage because we want God's very best for her and for her husband-to-be.

Mr. Beaver and I draw these convictions from the Bible. So after ordering our food last night, Mr. Beaver went over a number of scriptures with Daria showing her God's good plan for her life. He took her to Bible verses where the Lord articulates His insistence that His people save physical intimacy for the marriage bed. Daria's dad showed her that God wants more than mere physical purity. He wants purity of the mind and heart as well. The Lord wants young people to save all of themselves for their marriage partners.

Once Daria's dad had explained our plea for her to pursue purity, he asked her if she was willing to wait. Her response was an enthusiastic, "Yes!" She went on to tell us that while living in the orphanage in Russia and attending a community school, she'd had the opportunity to witness the devastation that not waiting can cause. She'd seen the brokenness that giving your heart and your body too soon can produce. She told us she wants something more like the love-filled magic she's seen between her sister, Anna, and her brother-in-law, Aaron.

We warned Daria that the promise she was making would be hard to keep. She'd be battling the world's ways and her own hormones. Daria's not naive, however. Living in an orphanage until she was nearly 16 opened her eyes to the very realities from which we've tried to shelter our other children. She knows life's hard edge, but now she also knows Christ. She wants to fight the good fight with His help. We promised we'd stand shoulder to shoulder with her, always ready to listen to her struggles. We promised we'd always be willing to pray with her. We promised we'd be available to counsel her and guide her. We promised her never-ending support and love.

Once Daria made her pledge to wait for the right man at the right time, as her dad likes to put it, he pulled out the visible reminder of her promise to walk the path of purity. He placed a ring on her left hand which will remain there until a man who has Mr. Beaver's approval replaces the band with an engagement ring.

Daria's hand and that of her daddy

Until Daria's forever man comes along, her dad will protect her and provide for her. He'll train her in the ways of God, and he'll intercede on her behalf in prayer before the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Then someday he'll stand at a wedding alter and pass those responsiblities to a young man who is prepared to be responsible for Daria for life.

To God be the glory!

Russia's Equivalent

2011-11-12T14:10:00.001-06:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Yesterday, on Veteran's Day, an annual tradition took place here in America; the President laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, outside Washington, D.C.

Russia has a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as well, pictured here:

Our family had the opportunity to see this Russian monument this time last year when we spent several days in Moscow finalizing, Daria, Alexander and Oksana's adoptions. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is just outside Red Square and sits in the protecting shadow of the Kremlin wall.

Here's a bit more context for the Tomb:

While we stood and watched on the cold, cloudy November day, we were privileged to see the stately changing of the guard:

The solemn ceremony looked and sounded like this:

In the area near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a large fountain topped by four massive steeds.

That time of year the fountain was empty so our newest Russian horse lover, Daria, climbed on for a photo.

Next all twelve of our children, three of them brand-new to the mix, posed in front of the beautiful sculpture. If you've been a long-term reader, this picture may look familiar. We used it as the introduction to our blog for quite a while after we returned from Moscow.

The picture now qualifies as a favorite family photo because it brings back such sweet memories of our precious opportunity to explore Moscow together--as a FAMILY! What a generous gift the trip was from a glorious, loving God!

Gratitude for Service

2011-11-11T16:51:00.000-06:00

On this Veterans' Day, our family sends the country's veterans, and those who are currently serving, our deep thanks for preserving our freedom. Your sacrifice, and that of your wives and children, is deeply appreciated!

The Very Least of These

2011-11-03T20:51:00.003-05:00

"Faith apart from works is dead."

(James 2:17 ESV)

Please take a look at the post titled Called to the Orphan . College student Natalie articulately urges us to look again at what we can do, for the sake of the Name, on behalf of the fatherless.

O, may the church of Christ die to self and live like Him, giving, serving, rendering assistance! He calls us to turn our backs on what is comfortable, convenient and predictable. He moved INTO people's pain, and we must also, if we're to imitate Him.

Would you please spend the month of November praying about whether God would have you adopt?

Jesus died for you. Are you willing to die to your fears and careful reasonings that keep you from caring for the least of these by adding them to your family? Our God is bigger than any roadblock you could come against.

Having adopted nine older children we can tell you you will be blessed a hundred fold, far beyond anything you'll sacrifice.

Jaynie on Her Way...

2011-11-01T21:50:00.001-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Soon I hope we can carve out the time to fill in some details on how Jaynie is doing in her new home in Central Asia. For now, I'll just past on word that she absolutely loves the experience. Here are some photos from her trip there with her dad, brother (and dear friend), Joe.

Joe and Jaynie in their hotel in the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emerits

Outside the same hotel

Later in the day as dad, daughter and her brother traveled closer to her final destination, Jaynie would be required to wrap her head in the scarf, but Dubai is such a mix of cultures that she could leave the scarf down.

The Arabian cultures value horses deeply. This is one of the many beautiful statues on the hotel grounds.

As we get ready to commemerate National Orphan Sunday at church on this weedend, I can't help but be overwhelmed by the change to Jaynie's life. She was once confined to an orphanage with almost no opportunity for adventure and even less hope for a safe, thriving future as an adult. Now just look at this former orphan! Her life is full of purpose and the opportunity to make a difference for her King. Praise be to God!

More to come...

One Year After the Judgment... We Celebrate!!

2011-10-27T20:01:00.001-05:00

In the court room in Russia, immediately after the judge granted us our request to adopt.
Left to right: Our court translator, the orphanage director, Daria, our case social worker, Mrs. Beaver and me.

Mr. Beaver:

Today we're celebrating that 1 year ago a judge in Russia granted us the right to adopt Daria, Alexander and Oksana. We are so grateful to God!

As part of our celebration, Daria led our dinner prayer. What she said was so moving that I wanted to share it with you. As best I can remember, this is what she prayed:

"Dear God,

Thank You for my family. Thank You for giving me each one of my siblings. Thank You for allowing me to be adopted. Thank You from bringing me out from a very dark place.

Thank You for my teachers in the orphanage who took care of us and tried to help us as much as they could. Thank You for my orphanage director who did her very best to help me grow up when I did not have a mom.

I'm asking You to help other teenage orphans who are living in Russia, Ukraine and all over the world. Please help them to know that You love them and please help them to be open to being adopted.

I'm asking You to help them to be adopted by a Christian family so they can be adopted twice, once by the people and again by You through Jesus.

Please help people not to be afraid to adopt teenagers. Maybe this is sometimes hard, because it can be hard to earn the trust of a teenager who has been living in the street or the orphanage. It can be hard for them to trust people because of their hard life. But I want them to know that You love them and once you open the heart of a teenager it's really not a lot different than having a biological teenager. And these teenagers need love and will give love too, once you break through to them.

Please help Angel (one of the girls who was with Daria in the orphanage) who needs parents.

In Jesus' Name, Amen!"

Creating a Photographic Record

2011-10-26T08:50:00.002-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

On of the aspects of adopting older children that causes me real pain as a mom is that, bless their hearts, the photographic record of their lives doesn't begin until they join our family. No newborn photos. No baby pictures. No photographs that record their antics in early childhood. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

This black hole in our adoptees' lives has been one of my motivations for taking so many pictures of our children. I can't make up for the loss before they joined our family, but I can make sure their lives are recorded on film (so to speak in this digital age) from the moment a judge delcares them to be ours.

Here is Tatiana on her 14th birthday:

We're Gonna Be Grandparents!

2011-10-24T18:05:00.001-05:00

Many of you know this already, but our oldest daughter, Anna, and her husband, Aaron, are expecting their first baby. Their little one is due in June and the parents-to-be are ecstatic. This has been their dream since the day they married.

These first-time grandparents are also filled with joy! Well...to tell the truth, we vacillate between joy and jaw-dropping disbelief that such a wonderful blessing could be taking place in our lives. Wow! God is so good!

We would, of course, be grateful for your prayers for the safety of the baby. We would also love if you would join us in praying that he or she would become an ardant, passionate follower of Christ.

(The beautiful baby in the photo is the first child of friends from church. On Saturday, Lissie and I were privileged to take pictures of three-week-old Caleb. He is certainly fearfully and wonderfully made!)

Happy Birthday, Tatiana!

2011-10-21T18:46:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Today is Tatiana's 14th birthday. Her parents' present was a gift card to Maurice's (and guarunteed time alone with mom). The two of us made our outing this afternoon.

Okay...maybe those earrings are a bit ostentatious for a petite 14-year-old!

Either the boots were a bit too small or the socks were a bit too bright

After all her deliberation, the end the birthday girl settled for just a couple of pairs of earrings and a necklace. She'll be able to return to use the rest of her gift card. Tatiana and I had a spendid time being just the two of us!

Can't Believe It!

2011-10-20T22:44:00.000-05:00

Mr. and Mrs. Beaver:

Visiting a "rare breeds" farm in England in 2008

Hard to believe but tomorrow Tatiana turns 14! Our little girl is no more. She's now fully teen. What hasn't changed about the only blond in the family is her happy outlook on life and her willingness to be down-right silly. She keeps us all laughing, and we love her for her sense of humor.

Happy birthday, Tatiana! Mom and Dad love you dearly, goldi-locks!

Wow...

2011-10-13T21:48:00.003-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Tonight as I sat at the computer working on the documentation for the one-year report on our most recent adoption, Daria came in to the office. She wanted to talk about wrestling she has been doing with some choices she made while living in an orphanage that she wouldn't make now. I was able to reassure her that our God forgives. I reminded her that Christ, in His goodness, willingly bore the ugliness of our sins on the cross. This makes it possible for the Lord to give fresh starts, clean slates when we confess and turn from sin.

She smiled at me, hugged me, thanked me, told me she loved me, sighed contentedly and then said in her broken English, "Is good to have a mom."

That spontanious affirmation of my role in the life of this precious former orphan is worth any and all of the strain and drain it takes to be the adoptive mother of a teenage girl. Our God is very, very good.

Sisters...and Friends

2011-10-13T20:20:00.002-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

On our vacation in Minnesota, I spied Tatiana (13) and Daria (16) plopped on the ground chatting as teenage friends do. When they spotted me with the camera, they paused in their conversation to give me their best smiles.

This photo one of my all-time favorites from our family's first year together (our anniversary will be in late November). This photograph helps me to take stock of just how far the Lord has taken us in such a short time. A year ago, these girls hadn't even met one another. Now their bond is sweet and tight. While they have moments of annoyance, the overall tenor of their relationship is supportive. The natural barrier teenagers tend to have when introduced to a stranger has been torn down and replaced by trust and love. Our God is very, very big.

PS. I was an English major in college so I find myself amused at the connection in this photo between the "hardware" in my teens' mouths with all the "hardware" behind them. English majors are easily amused.

Twelve and Under, Part One

2011-10-11T16:58:00.001-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

While we were on vacation on Lake Superior's shore, I took advantage of the beautiful scenery and the amazing early autumn weather to take a bunch of pictures of our children whom we currently label our "12-and-under" crowd (taking the term from restaurant menus).

Mr. Beaver and I can't believe we have only four kiddos left who aren't yet teens. We're saddened a bit because we love parenting little ones. While a young child will most likely be the first to cause a major spill, he'll also be the one to say something so cute that the whole family gets a rejuvenating laugh. While a young child is the one who has to be retrained for the 1,000th time how to neatly make a bed, she's also the first to do something so silly that your day is graced with mirth. Young children are such a gift from God! They still see the world with awe and their wonder is contagious.

Mr. Beaver and I have heard people say they're relieved to be empty nesters. Although the two of us are the right age to have an empty nest, we feel just the opposite. We're happy to still have our home filled with the lively energy and laughter of little ones.

Some of the shoots here were very purposeful, like the one directly below, and a few are just snapshots of the fun we had during our North Shore "photo shoot."

Although 7-year-old Oksana (right) never uttered a word of complaint as I took hundreds of pictures (one of the secrets of getting a few good shots), this photo speaks volumes! Bless her heart, she stayed good-natured through the whole session (as did the other three kiddos).

After we'd already taken plenty of pictures we came upon a lawn game, set up near the hotel's lobby. Getting to play this was a fun reward for these patient kiddos.

A benefit I enjoy when I photograph our kids is being reminded in a tangible way just how blessed I am as a mother. It is a very good, generous Father who has given me the privilege of parenting these four former orphans who make up our precious "12-and-under" crowd. I am forever grateful to my God.

Birthday Blast!

2011-10-06T22:30:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

The Nordstroms' children stayed with us again last night (see most recent post). This meant that this morning the large group had the blessing of wishing FIVE year-old Peaches, "Happy birthday!" over and over. Each time any of us did so, she'd get a shy smile, look down and quietly say, "Thank You."

We took Peaches to the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor in Le Mars for lunch. The former orphan glowed with happiness as she was bathed in attention. A year ago she was living in an orphanage in eastern Ethiopia, near the Sudanese border. Today was probably the first time anyone has ever celebrated the birthday of this precious child who was created in God's image.

Peaches with her friend and fellow former orphan, Daria. The two were adopted about six months apart from two different continents into the families of close friends.

Amy and Peaches heading up the grand staircase in the parlor to find the older girls.

When we located them, the girls insisted Peaches take center stage on a sofa on that second level. She seemed to like her lap-top throne.

Soon the boys, who'd been in a second car and run an errand, joined us. Then party began in earnest!

When we sat down at the booths, Peaches was eager to learn Wells' Dairy history.

Soon though, it was time to order ~~lunch~~ ice cream. Understandably, the menu mystified Peaches...

...but Lissie helped her. Peaches choice on her fifth birthday??? "Dirt and Worms!"

The wait for the ice cream wasn't long considering there were 20 of us. (The two families were joined by visiting CollegePlus! friends Robbie and Megan, as well as my niece Amanda.)

When the server brought Peaches' candle-topped dish...

...the surprised little girl...

...blew out the flame before the rest of us could jump up to sing her happy birthday.

When we began that tune, the face of this child, whose short life has already been marked by such hardship and pain, took on a far-away wistfulness that was inexplicable to those watching.

The look deepened as the song continued.

However, when the singing finished, Peaches was ready to grab the candle...

...thrust it to the table...

...and get on with eating her "Dirt and Worms," while sitting in her sister's lap.

Whatever the reason for the cloud that crossed the birthday girl's face, her fun was dampened for just minutes, and then she was beaming again.

I'm so happy to report than Peaches' mom was released from the hospital late this afternoon. The family was then reunited for the rest of Peaches' first birthday as part of a family. Our God is so good!

Five!

2011-10-05T22:36:00.004-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

For the past couple of days we've been caring for the children of our dear friends, the Nordstroms. Their mom, Heather, had to have emergency surgery on Tuesday afternoon. (We thank God that we can pass along the news that, although she'll have a multi-week recovery, the danger has passed and she's doing well.)

Today I took both our families to a nearby park to relish what will probably be the last of the 80 degree weather this year in our northern plains location. At one point, I saw 14-year-old "T-Bird" scoop up his little sister "Peaches." Our long-time readers will remember that Peaches is a precious former orphan who was adopted from Ethiopia by the Nordstroms about six months ago.

As I saw brother and sister looking so photogenic, I raced over to take pictures. I began asking Peaches about her birthday tomorrow. Her response was precious:

In no uncertain terms, she told me...

...with much exuberance...

...that in one day...

...she would no longer be four...

...she would be FIVE!!!

Not only did I get to enjoy the antics of a precious little girl, I got to watch a big brother caring for his little sister in a way that would make any parent proud. T-Bird was protective and aware of Peaches' needs. He was gentle and kind. He was interested in what interested her. As I stood watching the two of them interact, I felt as though I was being allowed the privilege of getting a peek at T-Bird maturing into a man. At the rate he's going, he will do so bringing glory to God as he is being changed into the image of Christ.

Happy Birthday, Peaches! We love you!

North Shore Travel: Split Rock Lighthouse

2011-10-03T17:28:00.003-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

During the second week in September our family vacationed in one of our favorite places in the world--the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. The trip was too significant to our still-adjusting adoptive family to let the photos lie dormant in our computer. The week was like family glue and being able to look back at posts here on our blog will keep us thanking God for His goodness to us. So, even though I'm a bit late, here's the first in a series:

One of our favorite pastimes in this favorite place is hiking. On our first full day there we drove to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. Before embarking on our hike, we hopped from rock to rock across a low spot at the edge of the bay to get to the small island below. This island, which is about the size of a football field, is only open to human visitors about four months a year, while it is preserved as an animal sanctuary (primarily birds) the other eight months.

When we got to the rocky shore on the other side, Amy found a divot just her size.

From the far end of the island we had a beautiful view of the century-old lighthouse, just across the small bay. Split Rock Lighthouse is no longer in use but remains a popular tourist attraction.

After circle the island on a trail that was only one person wide and sometimes precariously close to the edge of the cliff (okay, okay...the worried mother in me is showing), we headed off on a steep climb up Day Hill.

We went through a lovely birch stand.

Tatiana found a favorite trunk amidst the many options.

I huffed and puffed up the steep grade and struggled to keep up with my children and husband. When I came around one of the curves, I found two of the girls resting on a log.

At the apex of Day Hill is a large stab of rock that has only a slight downward tilt. Mr. Beaver found this a great place to get horizontal and enjoy the warm sunshine.

Daria (16) and Oksana (7) spent a bit of sister time in the same reclined position. They still communicate with each other primarily in Russian.

Daria didn't rest for long before she began exploring the strange landmark that tops Day Hill. A sign nearby says that the history of the fireplace is unknown. It's thought that about 100 years ago a young man built the large structure before proposing to a woman, who then reportedly jilted him. Her rejection kept him from building the rest of the house.

No matter what the story of the fireplace, Daria was intrigued and investigated it from all angles.

We'd been to the North Shore one other time since adopting our newest threesome. However, that was in January--not the best time for relaxed exploration of the great outdoors. This September trip was pure joy to Daria.

From the top of Day Hill, we had yet another fine view of the lighthouse. This time the building was much farther away, but my telephoto lens brought it close. At this point in our outing, we were above the landmark in elevation.

After the kind of rest only a vacation can allow, we began the hike back to the van.

Fall colors are everywhere now, but at the time these leaves were the first to hint of the coming season change.

At the end of the hike, Daria asked for the family camera and insisted on a group picture of the hike's straggelers.

Ten Years Ago Today...

2011-09-27T21:33:00.001-05:00

Mr. and Mrs. Beaver:

For days we've struggled with writing a post that could capture the essence of adding Jaynie, Cassandra and Mark to our family a decade ago today. After all, as we've mentioned on this blog before, anniversary's are a really BIG deal to adoptive families.

But, try as we might, we can't begin to capture how important this event was (and is) in our lives. No words seem equal to the task of capturing the highs and the lows, the laughter and the tears, and the stretching and the growth that have all been a part of our experience together.

Upon reflection, we are most struck by God's never-failing faithfulness. The last ten years have been both the hardest and the best since our family's beginning, and God in all His loving power and wisdom has seen us through every moment. He has never left us. He has never failed to sustain us.

We are also amazed how God has used the least of these to change us. He's opened our eyes to our own desperate need for Him. And He has opened our hearts to the suffering experienced by children all over the world. We must confess (to our shame) that we had been oblivious to their need. He's opened our eyes to His heart for these silent sufferers. And He's given us a deep wonder for His adoption of us through the sacrifice of his beloved Son, Jesus.

Here are some photos from their last few days at their orphanage:

In the apartment in which we stayed on the orphanage when we went to court

Cassandra and her new daddy as he fills out the last of the adoption paperwork

Cassandra was so naughty this day.
The orphanage workers wanted her to wear a sweater,
but she refused, giggling all the time.

Headed to Moscow, set to start our life as a family

Leaving orphanage life ten years ago

2011-09-23T20:48:00.003-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

A beautiful autumn day called for a dinner picnic for the kids and I (while Mr. Beaver is flying home from San Francisco).

The little girls brought their strollers and dolls...

...and the boys brought the football.

We had to take the two dogs, of course. In fact, we could have called the event a birthday party for Poochita who will be twelve tomorrow. I'm not sure she was feeling the party spirt at this point though. The pups were tied up several yards from the food as we ate.

A sure sign of fall in the upper midwest--migrating Canadian Geese

Our picnic consisted of $5 pizzas that were being sold at a stand outside the local HyVee grocery story, Honey Crisp apples and store-bought chocolate chip cookies--easy fare for mom when Dad has been away from home for a couple of days.

Alexander is still a bit unsure of himself with an American football, but who can blame the Russian-born 12-year-old? When we adopted him it was already early winter here. Where he comes from balls are round!

Cassandra stepped through the cattails to take a look at the lake.

Lissie is a "dog person" through and through. Here the two of them sat cuddling as they relished the sun's last rays.

Our little Oksana is such a good "mommy" to her baby, even though she never experienced this kind of care when she was an infant.

As the mother of nine daughters, I felt the impulse to stop Mark and Alexander as they wrestled for the football. I spend my days trying to civilize young people. However, the boys' sisters reassured me this is routine behavior for guys.

While the boys played tug-a-war, the girls strolled on, chatting away.

The photo below is NOT a posed picture. The girls got way ahead of me on a walk after dinner. When I caught up, I found them perched atop the hill taking in the beauty of the lake at sunset. they told me the only thing that kept the moment from being perfect was the absence of Anna and Jaynie.

Before long, Oksana and Amy were rolling down the steep slope giggling all the way. Natasha is in the background pushing one of her younger sisters' "babies."

We're so thankful to the Lord to be a family! A night like tonight reminds us how blessed we are!

Sometimes "At the Last Minute" is Best

2011-09-22T22:45:00.003-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

As an extra-large family, sometimes spontenaity works better than investing all the normal energy that planning a "troop movement" takes. Last weekend, we surprised ourselves and made a day trip to Minneapolis, five hours away.

As crazy as it sounds, our reason for traveling 10 hours in one day was...well...a new dog. No, that's not quite it. Our reason for making the last-minute journey was a very special friendship. The Nisius family have loved us through three international adoptions during the past decade. They've supported us in every way imaginable through many ups and downs. They've been loyal and wise and generous. And, most recently, they met our many needs during Anna's wedding week with such grace and selflessness that our family could simply enjoy the special time. We are deeply grateful to the Lord for the Nisius' love.

Therefore, when we learned on Saturday evening that earlier in the day they'd become the owners of a bitsy German Shepherd puppy, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to rejoice with them and meet their new "family member on her second day in their home. This was especially important to us because only a few months ago they'd had to say they're last good-bye to a German Shepherd named, Kendra, who'd truly been part of the family. We woke our kids on Sunday to the surprise we were traveling in an hour.

Katherine was the first to introduce us to seven-week-old Sasha.

I love Sasha's deep concentration on the leaf as she prepared for a pounce.

What did the puppy do after 15 minutes of play in the grass? Sleep, of course!

Sasha's nap freed us to fellowship.

Our very short visit was soon over and good-byes were said.

However, before we left town we stopped at the Russian grocery store we'd found in January. Daria happily collected foods for her cooking from her home land that are unavailable in our town. Meanwhile, the rest of us sought out Russian treats we've come to relish.

Here I'm wearing one of my Russian favorites, Syooshkee (completely unsure of the spelling of this transliteration). They're a bit like bread sticks, although more flavorful and a tad bit sweet. Yum! When I opened the plastic bag when we returned to the car, we were surprised to find them strung together. Mr. Beaver shook lose the celephane and adorned me with my first Syooshkee necklace.

We finished the day grateful to God for a few hours with our dear friends. Not only had we fellowshipped with the Nisius, we'd also strengthened the friendships within our family--lots of laughing and singing together. The goodness of our God is endless. He is a Father who gives good gifts!

Gifts from God... Again

2011-09-19T22:15:00.001-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Daria and Alexander saw the eye doctor today for the first time since we adopted them last November. Each time we've adopted trios of kids from Russia, this is the last of the health care checkups that we do. It's just so much easier once the kids are conversational in English. Having gained a good handle on their new language prevents fear since the procedures can be explained to them. In addition, they can tell the eye doctor how well they're seeing the letters or pictures he uses.

Even though this is the third time we've adopted children from Russia, the speed with which our adoptees pick up their new language still floors me. Today I was amazed by how readily our 12-year-old and 16-year-old could name letters during the exam in an alphabet they've only known for 10 months. I just can't imagine being able to do the same thing with Cyrillic letters with less than a year's exposure. What a good God we have that He built children to be able to adjust to new environments and new mental challenges with stunning speed!

Daria and Alexander finished the eye doctor visit with seriously dilated pupils, a new understanding of how the eye works, and the great news that neither of them need glasses or contacts. Thank You, Lord!

Thank You from Daria

2011-09-17T18:53:00.000-05:00

Thank you for your comments. They have given me encouragement for taking pictures in the future.

God bless you,
Daria

2011-09-16T13:50:00.000-05:00

Daria:

I took this picture last week when my family visited Minnesota. Seeing the waterfall made me think about all I have learned about God since I came to America.

"Bless the LORD, O my soul!

O LORD my God, You are very great;

You are Clothed with splendor and majesty..."

(Psalm 104:1)

Happiness in a Hosptial Room

2011-09-14T22:33:00.001-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

What joy we experienced tonight. We visited the day-old baby of dear friends who are part of our church family. Baby Will's size when he was born early yesterday morning shocked the doctor and nurses. They thought his mom was carrying a seven-pounder. Instead, she gave birth to a son who weighed 9 pounds, 12 ounces and was 23 inches long!

Will is a beautiful testimony to God's abundant lovingkindness. He is our friends' fourth child, the baby they were certain they would never be able to have. He is a living, breathing reminder that, "Nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).

Renew, Refresh...RETREAT!

2011-09-13T08:22:00.059-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

This weekend our church celebrated our annual all-church, family retreat. I'm deliciously tired following the event, and my writing may be suspect. However, I did purpose to use the verb "celebrate" in that last sentence.

This was the fifth year that our faith family has escaped to an idyllic setting in rural Iowa, Twin Lakes Christian Center.

Over the years, our church body has discovered that on this special weekend we're able to renew our love of Christ through worship and great teaching. We also have the time and opportunity to refresh old friendships. And, we can invest in making new friends.

The fun and the fellowship during the abundant free time fuel our ability to live out God's call to love one another the rest of the year. Each retreat is like glue that holds our body together, enabling us to then hold one another up throughout the year when hard times come. The annual retreats help us function like a first-century church. We're able to function as family.

Again this year, the retreat proved to be all that we would have hoped for and so much more--truly a gift from God.

Our speaker this year was Justin Taylor of Crossway. Here he is with his wife, Lea, and their children:

Many of Justin's relatives are part of our church family, including his mom, Diane Taylor. Here she's enjoying the beach with her three-year-old granddaughter, Justin and Lea's littlest one.

Justin and Lea's oldest daughter spent her free time catching ~~toads~~ frogs

She had the help of some of her cousins and friends (all girls!) Here our Natasha is showing off her prize ~~toad~~ frog:

Our church's newest newlyweds enjoyed moments of solitude amidst the crowd

Tanya Henn (right) singing with her mom (left) and sister, Lea (Justin Taylor's wife). In the background, are Tanya's husband, Layne, and their oldest daughter, Bugg. We enjoyed wonderful music before each teaching session.

All of us left retreat feeling as though we'd had a glimpse of heaven, having learned a lot...and laughed a lot. (If you hear a rumor that the Silly String fight was started by one of the church's elders, believe it! :))

We'd been renewed, refreshed, and revitalized in our desire to become more and more like Christ--the theme of the weekend.

To God be the glory!

A Wish Never to Be Fulfilled

2011-09-12T19:53:00.003-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Daria and I went grocery shopping this afternoon. During a very ordinary outing, she said something that was anything but ordinary for a teenager living in America.

Following a brief pause in the conversation, Daria whispered, "I wish I knew what I looked like as a baby."

Thanks to Those Who Prayed!

2011-09-11T21:35:00.001-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Our little "Sunshine and Roses" returned to her normal happy self yesterday. We're just certain the change is due to God's gracious response to your prays. We didn't do anything differently, and yet she was a whole new girlie--to the praise of our generous and powerful Father. In addition, she was speaking more English at the church retreat than we'd heard before. YaHoo!!!

Not all Sunlight and Roses

2011-09-09T16:50:00.000-05:00

Contrary. That would be the best word to decribe Oksana for the past 27 hours, 33 minutes and 16 seconds (but who's counting! :) ). Every seven-year-old has trying moments. But these experienced parents (read graying rapidly) feel certain that our little adoptee's repeated (read REPEATED) refusal to obey has been aggravated by being out of routine. In addition, her language skills still aren't developed enough to allow her to understand what's going to happen next despite her repeated requests about our plans.

What an important time for us to remember God's patience with us as we disobey him (read REPEATEDLY). One of my all-time favorite verses says,

"You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness." Nehemiah 9:17

Oksana needs us to be, with the impowerment of the Holy Spirit, imitators of the Glorious God of this verse. Pray for us.

The Finishing Touch

2011-09-08T22:30:00.000-05:00

In this photo the men in our family are gathered around a smoldering bonfire at sunset as potatoes cook in the hot ashes.

Cooking potatoes in this way was the idea of our children who spent time in Russian orphanages. They have strong memories of this ritual. In fact, Cassandra revealed to us this week that every time she's smelled a bonfire here in America during the past ten years she's been taken back to those special times and treats in her homeland. Smells can evoke such powerful memories!

We combined the delicious, charred potatoes with grilled steak--a perfect Russian/American finish to our perfect week together at the lake.

Happy 21st Birthday!

2011-09-07T21:00:00.003-05:00

Mr. and Mrs. Beaver:

Twenty-one years ago God answered our prayers with an amazing gift… Anna Mackenzie!!

We had been childless and wanting for more than 6 years. We were hurting deeply and losing hope. Then, from the most unexpected quarter, God blessed us with the one I (Mr. Beaver) called “the little peepster” (in reference to the wonderful little peeps she made in the back seat of our car when we drove home with her for the very first time).

Anna is one of the many proofs in our lives that God hears our cries and answers with mercy beyond anything we could ever deserve.

“Who is like the Lord our God,

Who is enthroned on high…

He raises the poor from the dust

And lifts the needy from the ash heap…

He makes the barren woman abide in the house

As a joyful mother of children.”

Ps 113:5, 7, 9

And this year our blessing was multiplied as our beloved Anna married the husband of her dreams, a godly young man who will lead her, protect her, and shepherd her heart. We give thanks to God for Aaron as well as Anna.

God does indeed make beautiful things from dust!

We love you, Anna Mackenzie! Happy birthday, beloved daughter!

Dad and Mom

Glorious Gooseberry Falls

2011-09-07T13:54:00.000-05:00

Our family had the chance to visit one of Minnesota's beautiful state parks

More when we have a stronger signal...

Middle Kid in the Middle Trio

2011-09-01T23:48:00.001-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

When you're the middle child in the second of three trios of children your parents have adopted from Russia, it can be all-too easy to become nearly invisible. But this past Sunday, by God's grace, I noticed 11-year-old Natasha. I noticed Natasha doing something she loves--crafts. This time she was making and stringing paper beads.

Natasha was concentrating so hard I wasn't sure she was even aware of my presence, until she looked up and gave me the great big grin below. Then I knew that the extra effort I'd gone to in order to give the middle, middle kid some photographic attention was worth every snapshot!

BTW, some of the girls and I had a dance-a-jig kind of celebration as we shopped for new blue jeans today. Teeny, tiny Natasha has been off bottom of the growth charts since we adopted her. Last spring the 11-year-old was wearing 6X blue jeans. When we purchased 3 new pair today, they were all size 10!

Six-years have passed, but God is answering our repeated pleas for healing. We've prayed that Natasha will grow in wisdom and stature as Christ did. We give Him all the praise! He is good and does good. The Father of the Fatherless has been faithful to care for this child who experienced shameful neglect and deprevation as a baby and toddler.

Quick Update on Lissie

2011-08-29T21:58:00.001-05:00

Lissie is pictured here nearly a decade ago at age 10 with her newly adopted Russian sisters, Cassandra (l) and Jaynie. Fast forward to current day and you'll find her on a return flight from St. Petersburg, Russia. As far as we know her first flight is in the air! She's spent the last 10 days in St. Petersburg, Russia, working with orphans and street children with an organization called Orphan Outreach.

Her flight from St. Petersburg to Frankfort left Russia at 6 am Russia time this morning (9 pm central). The driver picked the group up at 3 a.m.!!! From Frankfort she'll fly to Chicago. We hope to get to hear her voice for the first time since she left soon after her arrival in the Windy City (about mid morning).

She then flies from Chicago to Minneapolis and then on to our home town. Lord willing, she'll reach our airport around 4 PM. What a day!

Lissie has dreamed of working in Russian orphanages for about five years and has studied Russian extra hard as part of that dream. She left St. Petersburg so grateful to God for the experience! We're eager to hear her stories when she returns and isn't too tired to tell them!:)

We'd be so grateful for your prayers for her safe arrival, that she would bounce back quickly, that she would avoid illness and that she would get a quick jump on her college work. Thanks, friends!

For Lissie and Jaynie

2011-08-27T20:57:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Dad says this is Sunshine's superhero pose. Heehee! We miss you both very much.

Family Frolic

2011-08-26T20:45:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Last night we visited the city's off-leash dog park at sunset. The fenced area must be about 15 acres--uphill (no, not both ways)--a perfect stroll on a beautiful late August evening. Not only did our two "pups" have a good time, the rest of us did, too.

Video -- Hope is Fading

2011-08-25T16:06:00.001-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

We've posted this video before. However, with Lissie describing her interactions with orphans in St. Petersburg, Russia, this week on her blog , it's time for a re-post.

Her photos have made my heart ache all over again for the children Mr. Beaver and I have had to leave behind each time we've adopted. Their faces continue to haunt us.

Is it your turn? Is it your turn to die to self? Is it your turn to adopt? Is it your turn to give hope to the hopeless? The cost of adding an orphan to the family is enormous in more ways than I can tell you. But, our God's grace exceeds every need an orphan creates. Is it your turn to trust God and provide a home for a homeless child? I ask again, is it your turn to trust God? Would our God, whose heart is so soft toward the young silent sufferers in this world, agree with you that this isn't your calling?

I pray God will give you the blessing of an ache that can't be satisfied in any other way than adding a fatherless child to your family. I pray you will be as blessed as we have been.

(Please mute our music on the right sidebar before watching)

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

Home Safely

2011-08-23T22:10:00.000-05:00

Thanks to those of you who've prayed for us. Our whole family is grateful to God that Mr. Beaver and Joe are home. Joe is already tucked in bed after they just made it in time to urgent care before it closed. He has a double ear infection so the decision to drive the last leg rather than fly was a wise one.

More to come on the adventures going on in our family...

God is good and does good,
Mrs. Beaver

More Pleas for Prayer

2011-08-23T15:41:00.001-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Joe and Jaynie in Jake and Kristin's home

I got a call from Mr. Beaver about an hour ago telling me that he and Joe were back on American soil after escorting Jaynie to Central Asia.

Mr. Beaver told me that with Joe being ill the past couple of days his ears gave him tremendous trouble as they landed. In fact the pain was so excruciating that instead of flying from the Twin Cities to our home town (about an hour long flight), they've rented a car. The drive is about 4-1/2 hours.

Please pray:

for Mr. Beaver's alertness as the driver. He's missed so much sleep in the past 8 days as he's traveled to the other side of the world.
for God to heal Joe. His throat and intestines are also bothering him.
for the two of them to reach our medical clinic's evening urgent care before the office closes at 8 p.m. It'll be a race for them to get there in time, but if they make it Joe can start an antibiotic tonight. A blessing in all this is that our PA is on duty tonight, and she's like family!:)
last--but really most importantly--for all of us to trust God and BELIEVE that He is good and does good (Psalm 119:68).

Just because I'm posting these prayer requests, don't miss Mr. Beaver's newest post just below.

Thank you, friends,
Mrs. Beaver

A Sad Parting... and a New Beginning

2011-08-23T01:19:00.000-05:00

Continuing to catch up after the fact...
August 22, 2011

Mr. Beaver:

Today is the day... the day when I leave my sweet 18 year old 'baby' behind in a foreign land. The feelings have not changed - I still feel like someone has punched me in the stomach - but God is giving both Jaynie and me the grace to move forward anyway. And Joe is providing strength to us both. I can't imagine how Jaynie feels, but she is being very brave and cheerful... most of the time.

After one last breakfast together, we packed the car and prepared for a trip to the local airport. No overland journey this time. Due to the local holidays, Jake judged a charter flight was the only reliable way for Joe and I to head toward home.

Joe, Jaynie and I just before leaving for the airport

We drove out about 20 minutes beyond the end of town toward the local 'airport'. I put 'airport' in quotes because it's nothing more than a landing field in the middle of the desert. In fact, we missed the turn and had stopped to ask directions at a rare roadside stand when we saw the inbound plane fly over. We scurried back into the car and gave chase, finding the road by watching where the plane landed.

We had to drive about a kilometer off the main road to get to the landing strip, and, ironically it was a guarded landing strip. We were stopped by guards at a gate about 1000m from the plane. I think they stopped us for something to do. They put on a big show of not allowing us in, explaining to Jake (who understands the language) that theirs is a serious business as they guard about $180 million in airplanes. Ironically, the animated guard pointed to an old crashed jet as evidence of the value of the planes he is guarding.

Apart from our charter airplane, this was the highest value plane around

He made Jake get out of the car and take every bag out of the trunk. He searched each bag before finally letting us go. Meanwhile, Joe and I were watching the clock as we had no backup for missing our charter flight.

Eventually, the grumpy guard was satisfied and waved us through. Jake drove at car-destroying speeds over the remaining, rut-filled dirt road to help us catch our flight. The grumpy guard and the bumpy road also left us relatively little time for parting with Jaynie... perhaps a blessing in disguise.

Our charter plane was a real blessing

After a culture-bucking embrace with my dear daughter, Joe and I climbed into the plane and watched with interest as the pilots quickly and professionally prepared for take-off. We waved goodbye to Jaynie and Jake as our plane taxied out to the runway. Then the engines roared to life and we streaked down the runway to a perfect lift-off.

The Swiss pilots were very professional and congenial

The fun, new experience for Joe helped distract him from the moment of 'goodbye'

I will always, always remember the site of Jaynie and Jake standing there waving as we streaked by on take-off. As our plane quickly streaked into the sky, something else streaked down my face.

Joe and I were on our way home... and so was Jaynie... in a different direction. Jaynie will always be our precious daughter, but we have to admit she has begun something new now. This parting is the beginning of a new chapter that God has already written in Jaynie's life... and in our lives. We will take each next step, one-by-one, in simple faith, knowing that God works all things together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose.

We will always love you, Jaynie! We will always be here for you! We are so proud of you!

Love,

Papa

Please Pray for Mr. Beaver and Joe

2011-08-22T11:12:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Mr. Beaver and Joe are now on their way home after escorting Jaynie to the families she will be serving in Central Asia for the next several months (see posts below this one for more info).

I just talked to Mr. Beaver from Dubai (their connecting city in the Middle East). Both he and Joe are ill...fever, aches, chills, etc.

After resting in a hotel for a few hours, they are now on their way back to the airport for the 14-hour flight to the U.S.

Please pray that God will heal my men. Please pray that our Heavenly Father will lift the symptoms that would make such an incredibly long flight MISERABLE.

Thank you, friends near and far. As we have said before, your support means so very much to our family, and that sentiment is that much truer in the extreme circumstances we are currantly experiencing as we seek to serve our beloved Lord.

God is good and does good,
Mrs. Beaver

Blessed Be Your Name

2011-08-22T06:29:00.001-05:00

(Note from Mr. Beaver - The next few posts will be post-dated, as I had limited internet access while in Jaynie's new town. I'll try to space them a bit, but still felt them worth sharing.)

August 18-19, 2011

Mr. Beaver:

Blessed be Your Name in the land that is plentiful

Where Your streams of abundance flow

Blessed be Your Name

And blessed be Your Name when I'm found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness

Blessed be Your Name

This is one of my favorite praise and worship songs... and it took on a whole new meaning to me today. Though the explanation is long, please bear with me while I try to explain why this praise song struck me so deeply today.

Last night (8/18) we ventured onward, adding more air miles to our journey toJaynie's new temporary home. When we landed we were immediately greeted by about a 15 degree hike in the already high temperatures we had faced. And the ground was so dry we kicked up our own dust storm walking from the airplane to the parking lot.

It was not unusual to have to shake the dust off of everything, especially our shoes

From there we went straight to a birthday party that was being hosted by several of Jake and Kristen's friends in the area. I didn't actually count, but I would say there were at least a dozen kids there age 10 and under. They were laughing, singing and having a fabulous time... not because of how elaborate the party was, but because of how good the fellowship was. Likewise, the adults were enjoying each other's company, truly drawing strength and refreshment from each other simply because the fellowship is so precious in this land that is far from home.

At that party we met a woman who had grown up working with her mother who did short-term volunteer work every year for an orphanage in the Bryansk region of Russia. That's the region in which we adopted Jaynie 10 years ago. They were amazed when they found out Jaynie was from Bryansk... and drop-jawed when they found out we had 5 other kids from Bryansk as well. An impossible connection made possible because God had connected us across the miles and the years!

We also connected with a couple who had occupied an apartment which was later occupied by some very dear friends of ours. Not that amazing, right? Wrong! The apartment we're talking about is in a remote part of Central Asia! And we ran into these people here at a children's birthday party! How amazing is our God, and how kind to provide these evidences of His providence in the midst of taking Jaynie to live thousands of miles away for the next several months.

As the party broke up we were taken to the house of a couple who has been here about 10 years. They had previously lived in Colorado Springs, not far from where Mrs. Beaver and I grew up! They graciously housed and fed us along with Jake and Kristen's family... no small task!

We awoke this morning (8/19), showered in cold water (actually a blessing), ate breakfast, fellowshipped and then hit the road to our final destination.

We packed 8 people and all our luggage plus a driver into a non-air-conditioned mini-van and headed out on a 2 hour cross-country trek... across the desert. Before we left town, Jake had to make one final security check to see that the road was safe, and off we went.

We saw many things we have never seen before: herds of camels, ancient mud city-walls, armed police check-points, a variety of hot-weather crops and eventually, dry, hot sandy dessert. Lots of dry, hot sandy dessert.

We started the trip at 8:45am to avoid the worst of the heat, but it was a truly hot, sweaty ride. At times we had to ride with the windows up due to dust, but we couldn't keep them up for long due to the temperature in the car. Jaynie and Kristen also had to endure head covering for the entire trip because we were out in a place where they would be seen by local men. However, it was a safe ride, and for that we give thanks!

As we finally neared our destination, we passed the last armed check-point and quickly arrived at Jake and Kristen's home. We were greeted by their local helpers and quickly set about unpacking and settling in.

Joe and Jaynie in Jake and Kristin's home

After a brief rest, we ventured around the block to the home of the other family (the W family) that Jaynie will be serving while here. Kristin had phoned ahead and asked C (the wife / mom of the W family) to prepare lunch for us. Here you have to plan ahead... you can't just phone for pizza or head out for fast food.

When we arrived at the W's house, we were greeted by Mom (C), daughter (G), Jaynie's new house-mate (H) and other people who work with Jake and Kristen in this area. The meal was a traditional Central Asian lamb with rice dish which was a very welcome and tasty way to facilitate our fellowship.

Joe escorting Jaynie as she navigates fully covered for one of her first times out

Jaynie got a tour of her new living quarters, which are practically luxurious!

After lunch we spent the afternoon mostly resting and talking to avoid the most intense heat of the day. But as the heat waned, Jake took us for a drive to see the town. This is a totally different world! But as you look into the eyes of these people you see the same desires you would see at home: the desire for happiness, for the welfare of their children, for the opportunity to work and have a decent life. Despite our many cultural differences, at the core our wants and needs are really very similar.

The rickshaw-like vehicles with a motorcycle on the front and covered area in back are common way to get around

We ended the day with a relaxed picnic on the porch, as it was still very hot inside. Power comes in very unreliable spurts here, making fans welcome but spotty relief from the heat. Today we had a power outage for most of the afternoon, so the house was very hot. Fortunately, as you might expect in a desert location, the temperature started to fall quickly when the sun set.

After we cleared away the dishes we all went inside where we joined in praise, worship and prayer to end the day. Kristen has collected dozens of great praise songs and plays the guitar beautifully. We ended our day singing Blessed be Your Name, which brings me back to my opening comment.

While the hymn writer probably meant something quite different, I was particularly struck by this song today because of the analogies I had experienced throughout the day.

Today and throughout this trip, I have seen places of amazing abundance... and I have seen (quite literally) the "desert place". And in both places I have had reason to say "Blessed be Your Name!" God is good in ease and comfort, but He is also good in the midst of hardship. He is good in the place of plenty and in places of want. In all places and in all circumstances let us acknowledge His goodness by rising up to Bless His Name!

On Her Way

2011-08-20T14:53:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Beaver:

Lissie is enroute to St. Petersburg, Russia, to work with a team of women who will be ministering to orphans and street children.

Here are some photos from her departure this afternoon:

Our Dear Lissie,

You go with out hearts, our love, our pride, our support, our enthusiasm for your effort in a cause near and dear to God's heart, and our continually prayers.

We love you beyond what words can express,

Mom on behalf of Dad