Zambia Bound!

Mrs. R:

Since she was adopted from Russia at age seven, our daughter Sarah has dreamed of working in an orphanage. Even before Sarah was fully fluent in English, she began to articulate that she wanted to return the love and care she'd received. She has also dreamed of telling children without hope about the eternal hope she has as a child of Jesus. Sarah longs to share the good news that her Savior loves little children and even has a special place in his heart for fatherless children (James 1:27, Isaiah 1:17,18).

Although a desire to work with orphans has been in Sarah's heart for years, for a long time she didn't have a sense of where the Lord might be calling her to serve. All that changed last year. Sarah and I attended the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) Summit in the spring of 2013. At this international gathering of those involved in all types of orphan care, Sarah had a rare opportunity. She was able to meet and talk with both Zambians and Americans involved in caring for the fatherless in the AIDS-ravaged Zambia. Sarah's heart was won! She left that encounter crying tears of joy. The puzzle was solved. She knew the Lord was calling her to serve in the African nation of Zambia.

And today, after months of preparation, the day to begin chasing her dream arrived. Sarah left our home packed for a four-month stint. The three of us were in agreement that working there for four months will give her enough of a taste to see if she wants to return for a longer stay.

Here is a link to the the orphanage where she will be working: Kazembe Orphanage. If you click on the "Our Children" tab, you'll see some of the children with whom Sarah will be working. Apparently four-year-old Peter, pictured on that page, has been inquisitive about the new teacher. Sarah was told that he asked, "Is she a kind Sarah?" Our daughter is very tickled that she will be working with the toddlers and preschoolers.

We'll miss the sunshine Sarah brings to our home. She is a walking smile that brightens each room she enters. Sarah laughs often and readily welcomes others into her sphere of happiness. She looks for the bright side when problems occur and is eager to serve when opportunities present themselves. 

Sarah's love of Jesus has given her a tender heart for anyone whom she senses is suffering. She cries especially easily over the plight of orphans.

Knowing how the Lord has knit our Sarah together, we share her excitement over the opportunity that lies before her. Sarah's dad has worked with her during the past year or so to help find just the right place for her to care for fatherless children in Zambia. Today all of us made our way to the Omaha airport to see her off. Her daddy will see her all the way to Zambia.

Since the two of them were traveling internationally they had to arrive at the ticket counter three hours before flight time. An upside of this requirement is that there was no line in which to wait.

Once Sarah and Mr. R were checked in, Sarah focused her attention on making sure her electronics were ready. The two have a long trip ahead of them. They flew from Omaha to Chicago. as I write this they are on a 14-hour flight from Chicago to Dubai. That flight alone is 7,521 miles! They'll have a 12-hour lay-over in Dubai and then fly to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Whew!

After topping off her phone, Sarah called her oldest sister Anna to say good-bye.

Soon Sarah had switched from traditional phone service to Face Time so that she could watch the antics of her nieces. 

Finally, though, the long wait following check in was over, and it was time for Mr. R and Sarah to make their way through security in order to board their flight. We each had the difficult task of saying good-bye to Sarah.

As happy as she is to finally be following her dream, the goodbyes were heart wrenching for Sarah as well. Tears fell on both sides.

As those of us who are staying home walked through the parking garage, we had this view of the plane our loved ones were on. It felt surreal to know what an incredible adventure lies ahead for this much-loved father and daughter team! I'll update our readers as I get news from the other side of the world. Your prayers would be much appreciated.

Mother's Day Reflection: A Better Plan

Mrs. Beaver:

We were never able to have children like most people do, and yet I'm the mother of twelve. God's plan was better than ours!

Twelve years ago this month, I was wrestling with whether we should double the number of our children. Mr. Beaver had already come to peace with the idea, but I was scared stiff at the thought. We'd felt led by the Lord to adopt one older Russian orphan. Then the Lord led us to the idea of adopting siblings. When we received our referral, we were shocked that our agency wanted us to adopt a trio of siblings. Like Jacob in the Old Testament God won the wrestling match--I ended up with a hip out of joint--so to speak--and we went from three children to six as the result of one court hearing in Russia in September 2001. A dozen years later, I can smile this Mother's Day and say God's plan was better.

This first of the three trios we've adopted from Russia has reached adulthood. Jaynie turned twenty this month. Cassandra will be 19 in July and Mark's 18th birthday will fall near the close of 2013. We've come to the end of parenting them as children. There's been "hard", as the expression goes, to get to this point. But Mr. Beaver and I would tell you that most of that hard has been the result of sinfulness in the two of us. God has refined us through the parenting of Jaynie, Cassandra and Mark in ways that would have never have proven necessary if we hadn't adopted older children. Through the process, He has made us a bit more like Christ. God's plan was better.

Our role now will be to shepherd them as they make their mark on the world as adults. Watching God open doors for them is soul satisfying to Mr. Beaver and me. After all, these were cast-away kids. Living in an orphanage doesn't allow you much opportunity to develop the gifts God has placed in you. But when you're in a family your special talents stand a better chance of being recognized and utilized. God's plan is better.

While Mark is still a bit too young to have his direction settled, Jaynie and Cassandra's dreams are opening up to them. Jaynie learned this week that she has been accepted for a graphic design internship at Wells Enterprises, makers of Blue Bunny Ice Cream. For years Jaynie, who loves to draw, has had a desire to illustrate children's books, and we believe this is the first of a number of steps in that direction. God's plan is best.

Cassandra's world is also opening up before her. Months ago she pulled the two of us aside and told us she had a dream of serving orphans in Africa ~ and perhaps widows at the same time. This past week Cassandra and I attended #Summit9 hosted by the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) in Nashville. There, a "God story" began to unfold as Cassandra found a ministry that works in Zambia with orphans and widows. She was told they have just the place for the talents, skills and giftings the Lord has placed in her. We still have many details to work through before she goes, but Cassandra is so excited that she cries tears of joy when she tells the story of the Lord matching her with this ministry. God's plan is best.

If I'd had my way with motherhood, I would have given birth to four children. God has only allowed me one pregnancy, but that resulted in our beautiful twins, John and Lissie. To our great surprise, He's also given us ten other treasures through adoption. His plan has been so very different than mine. His plan has been far better than mine. His plan ~ as always ~ is best.

Adoption Update: The Ban's Impact on Our Hope

Mrs. Beaver:

Our youngest daughter in her
orphanage--September 2012

I last posted about the adoption by dear friends of a pair of older Ethiopian siblings.While we were at the airport celebrating this amazing event, a number of our friends asked for an update on our adoption's status.

Let me start by saying that a part of us that is still in shock. We were so very, very close when the news came. Our paperwork had reached the judge, and he'd made three or four requests for additional documentation based on our case. We'd fulfilled each of these except the last, which was in progress. We thought we might get THE call that a court date had been set literally any day, pending the completion of the last documents. This is what happened in our last adoption a little over two years ago.

Our initial reaction as we heard about one of the houses in the Russian legislature, the Duma, taking action that would keep us from making the Fab Four part of our family was simply numb disbelief, coupled with frantic, fervent prayer. When the second house followed almost immediately, our prayers increased. We thought, "This just can't be happening!" And then Russian President Putin signed the bill into law. The door to the three brothers and little sister we already loved very much slammed shut in a matter of days...

Perhaps the hardest emotion we've faced during the past few weeks has been in thinking about the Fab Four's pain. We visited them in September. We played with them, colored with them, laughed with them, praised them and hugged them. We showed them photos of the family we thought would soon be theirs. They had to leave our two days together with the unmistakable sense that finally someone wanted them--all four of them. The hours we spent together had to have left them with heart-deep hope. After three years in an orphanage they were going to join a family. We have no idea what the four children have heard or been told, but the Russian government's ban has been much talked about in that country. Our kiddos attend a public school; we feel certain that some schoolmate must have passed on that which was plastered in the news. We have to wonder if they've even been taunted by children who have families...

Many encouraging leads have been touted by the media. However, there hasn't been any real change. We know because our agency has been so faithful to keep their families updated; the dear women would contact us immediately if there were a breakthrough. Despite the seeming hopelessness, we haven't given up. We continue to "hope against hope" (Romans 4:18 NASB). We continue storming the gates of heaven. Our God is almighty. Our God has a special heart for orphans. So, we walk by faith, not by sight. We've since finished every bit of the judge's requested paperwork so that we're ready if the door reopens, even briefly.

We would appreciate your prayers--but not just for our four trapped kiddos. Please plead with God to raise up Russian Christians who will adopt their country's orphans. The need is so large that even as this happens, additional families will still be needed. For the sake of the 700,000 Russian orphans, please also pray the government will reverse the ban and welcome all fit and healthy American families who are willing to adopt to do just that. That would be the best outcome--that the needs of the children would paramount. And that's our family's God-sized dream--Russians and Americans providing loving homes for Russia's most vulnerable children. We pray that politics will be put on the back burner for the sake of orphans. God is able to do above and beyond even this audacious prayer (Ephesians 3:20). Praise Him!

A Time to Weep and a Time to Laugh

Mrs. Beaver:

We woke to the news that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a much-talked about piece of legislation that prohibits Americans from adopting Russian children. After jumping through countless hoops and visiting our kiddos in September, we were oh-so very close to a court date. Yet our avenue for adding the "Fab Four" to our family is now roadblocked. As the realization sunk in this morning, our hearts hurt.

As we grieved our way through the first half of the day, we kept our eye on the clock. We needed to be at the airport at 2 p.m. As we announced in the post called "A Surprise", our daughter Lissie is being courted by Eric Moores. Eric and his sister, Kali, a dear friend of Lissie's were on their way for a visit.

We arrived at the airport a tad early and their flight was a full hour late.

As I paced the itsy-bitsy airport, a set of Bible verses kept occurring to me. What wound its way through my head and made its way into my heart was the famous passage from Ecclesiastes 3: "There is a time for everything...a time to weep and a time to laugh." (verses 1,4)

Usually when I read that passage I think of the opposites mentioned in the long list as happening at different times, perhaps one following the other. But right now, God has laid on our plate both a reason for sorrow and a reason for joy. Perhaps another metaphor works even better. The grief and the happiness are like two sides of a coin. I choose to see this dichotomy as a great kindness from a good God.

While we pray-pray-pray-pray that God will provide a way around or over or under the roadblock to adopting our kiddos, we can be focusing on life and laughter and love and living in a way that glorifies God despite our circumstances. Grief and gladness can co-exist.

So as God lifted my spirits, I was able to enjoy how beautiful my daughter looked as she waited for her guy. This was to be the first time they'd seen each other since they started courting seven weeks ago. When the courtship began, Lissie was living in Central Asia.

 

The two have been counting the days for this "together time" for weeks, but Lissie told me despite her excitement she was also a bit nervous.

 

 

Finally, the plane landed and the whole family lined up to support Lissie and cheer on the duo. We've all known Eric for nearly three years and he is a favorite with the whole tribe.

 

 

At last, Lissie caught sight of a tall, dark...well, you get the picture.

 

 

Eric was hurrying toward Lissie at a record-setting pace!

 

 

Eric and Lissie's hug took place too fast for me to catch with my camera. That brevity was purposeful on their part and it had been decided upon through ongoing discussions long before they reached each other's arms. Still in the initial stage of their courtship, they've chosen to wait on physical shows of affection until they have a better sense of whether God's will is for them to spend their lives together with nothing parting them but death.

 

So for now, Eric's embrace is for his sister. We're so glad both of them will be spending two weeks with us. They feel just like family and having them around increases the amount of laughter that rings through our home. Right now we could use some extra laughter, while we pray-pray-pray-pray that eventually our sorrow will be turned to joy and our mourning to dancing as we celebrate the addition of four kiddos to our number.

 

 

God is good all the time. All the time God is good.

Lissie's Take on Having Russian Siblings

Mrs. Beaver:

Here's another link. This time written by our daughter, Lissie.

Adoption Update: Please Pray!

Mrs. Beaver:

We took an important step this week in the adoption. We filed the I-600A. That's international adoption speak for the paperwork that must go the Department of Homeland Security to request that our adoptees be allowed to immigrate and become U.S. citizens upon the finalization of their adoption. Now we wait for several weeks for the return form, the I-171H. You'll hear the cheers when that crucial piece of paper arrives!

Important progress is being made nearly daily on bringing our kiddos home. However, we heard this week is that we're very unlikely to get a court date in Russia before the end of the year. This is highly discouraging! If we don't go to court before December 31, numerous documents will have to be done all over simply because the calendar now says 2013. And, if we have to redo paperwork, the process of getting a number of professionals to respond to our requests is time consuming. We'd probably be looking at a February or March court date. that is if something else doesn't arise to slow the process.

We need a giant army of pray-ers storming heaven's gates beseeching the Father of the Fatherless to grant us the "impossible." We know who is King of Kings, and we're trusting Him to do that which is not possible by human effort. Please ask the Lord to lay low hurdles that stand in the way of a 2012 court date! We're clinging tightly to Him. We're going to be on our knees repeatedly, pleading with Him just like Jesus instructs in the parable of the widow pestering the judge (Luke 18:1-8). "For nothing will be impossible with God."! (Luke 1:37 NASB) We're eager to loudly praise His greatness for getting us out of yet another tight squeeze as he's done so faithfully during our various adoptions.

This blog has readers around the globe. Will you please join in a world-wide concert of prayer on behalf of these four orphans? They need parents. They need a family. They need a home. They need the opportunity to learn the glorious good news of the gospel.

BTW, I learned this week that we'd misunderstood the rules about posting photos. We just can't identify the kids' or their region in any way. Thus, the picture at the top taken a couple of weeks ago. Mr. Beaver had just given them stuffed animals their future siblings had picked out for them. In fact, here's the littlest one's reaction as the cheap toy was pulled unceremoniously from a Target bag:

 

Oh, I long to hold my babies!

A Sister's Point of View

Mrs. Beaver:

Lissie being mobbed by the fatherless as she gets out PlayDoh we brought as gifts

 

We're back home after an exceedingly blessed trip. I'll try to post more very soon, but for now here is a link to Lissie's take on the experience of meeting future siblings while they're still in an orphanage: Meeting My Siblings.

Starry, Starry Night

Tonight our family spent some time with the group of friends who went with John (20) to Ethiopia earlier this month. It was glorious to see more of their photos and hear many more details of the incredibly blessed time they had traveling to that country of beautiful people.

When we arrived home, we were surprised at the clarity of the stars, as well as the three planets currently visible (Venus, Neptune and Mars). We've lived here for more than nine years, and we came to the conclusion that the night sky was the clearest we've seen in nearly a decade (another phenomenon of the unusual weather?!?).

What came to mind as we stood for several minutes lost in wonder was a favorite verse:

Sweet Reunion

Mrs. Beaver:

Yesterday, we returned to the Omaha Airport to welcome back John and the rest of the team from our church who'd traveled to Ethiopia.
We were so determined to avoid being late that we arrived with enough time to play games in the airport's food court.

Soon the Henns joined us. Layne had been on his own with their five youngest children while Tanya traveled with their oldest daughter, Kaylee. "Mr. Mom" was very ready for the return of his wife!

The Henn kids were sure ready to see their mom, too!

As usual, Lissie scooped up the youngest Henn.

The Nordstroms, including 5-year-old "Peaches" who was added to their family of seven through adoption from Ethiopia just about a year ago, weren't far behind. Peaches' daddy, Russ, spent hundreds of hours coordinating the trip for those who traveled from Sioux City.

We waited as people from the same flight deplaned. We knew our loved ones were at the back of the plane, so we had to wait a bit longer to see them... 

When the concourse seemed to be emptying, the entire group sidled forward several yards closer to where our family members would emerge...

...and then in a blur we were rewarded with the return of our loved ones!

Almost immediately there was an exchange of stories--from those who'd remained at home...

...and those who'd had a profound life experience on the other side of the world.

Meanwhile, the hugging and kissing went on and on...

...and on..

Families were reunited...

...and a little girl, adopted from Ethiopia less than a year ago, had a daddy to cling to.

Before we left the airport, I gathered our tribe for a group shot. Oh, how we love togetherness!

I love the way this silhouette of four of our kiddos captures the joy of being back together. Alexander (on far left) wouldn't leave John's side, while Natasha slid her hand into that of her oldest brother. Lissie's happiness that her twin was back shows even without the benefit of light.

Lissie started counting the HOURS until John's return the morning after he left and gave all of us regular updates.

As we drove the two hours back home, Lissie listened eagerly to the details John had the energy to share. When he drifted off, she was very protective of his need for sleep. Since Lissie had traveled to St. Petersburg just last August for a missions trip, she knew the deep but satisified exhaustion he was experiencing after giving of himself to serve others in the name of Christ for more than a week in a foreign land.

When we reached home, we thanked God for John's safety one more time and poured him into his bed; he'd been traveling for about 40 hours.

The Very Least of These

"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.