Hats knit with love

Recently we received two large boxes from a knitting club in Colorado. Our grandparents are friends with some of the knitters and had mentioned our newest adoption to them. Their response was one of eager, self-sacrificing love. The group asked if they could knit hats for us to take as a donation to our new siblings' orphanage. The combination of their skill, love, and generosity resulted in over 150 beautiful handmade hats.


Cassandra, ready to open the boxes.

Tatiana watching the unveiling process.

Behold, the hats!

It must be admitted, we had some fun looking through the boxes.

The hats came in so many colors--bright and happy colors that will warm and cheer many little ones through the long bleak days of winter.

Tatiana, the actress of the family, paraded around the room announcing to all (in her best French accent) that she was a candelabra.

Poochita wanted to join in the fun....

We thought she looked rather like a Dr. Suess character in the adorable blue and purple stocking cap, but Poochita was not amused.

Even Princess Bink's beloved stuffed pig modeled for the camera. The variety in the hats was amazing! There were striped hats, solid hats and speckled hats. Some had ear flaps; others, a pom-pom at the top or a tiny flower at the base. Rib stitch, seed stitch, and stockinette stitch added individuality to the caps. The thought and love that went into each hat was unmistakeable.

We are grateful for friends like these knitters, who not only support us in our journey of adoption , but join us in our mission to care for the needy. Thank you, knitters!

~Lissie

A Day at the Zoo

While traveling this week, we visited the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens and had a magical--albeit hot--day amid the menagerie of wild beasts.

The zoo trip renewed our awe for God’s creativity in both flora and fauna. We not only enjoyed seeing the animals but also the variety of beautiful flowers that is the setting for the zoo’s exhibits.

For our family, travel is far more than a break from routine.

We have found family trips to be one of God’s tools for healing developmental delays in our former orphans.


As we have purposed to see new sights and explore new environments, we have watched a delight in learning blossom. Their curiosity has been kindled. Their intellects have been stimulated.

And what a grateful heart our six Russian adoptees have for the opportunity to travel! Despite the years that have passed since they were adopted, the six of them have retained their wonder at being able to do that which orphanage life would never have allowed. They express their gratitude over and over.

Almost nothing is sweeter to us as adoptive parents than the privilege of seeing the world through the eyes of children who had so few opportunities in their early lives. Their wonder makes our world new. Their joy is such an effective defense against growing jaded as we age that it’s one of our motivations for adopting yet again.

We thank God for the gift of travel.

~Mrs. Beaver

The Day We Long For....

Our dear friends the Nordstroms, who are also adopting, posted a video on their blog about a family from the same adoption agency that they are adopting through. They are waiting for a little girl from Ethiopia and they are hoping every day to hear they can go to meet her. You can visit their blog here: http://nordstromsadopt.blogspot.com/

Mom and I watched this video and cried through it, thinking first of all about the day we long for, when we can bring our three precious orphans home. We also thought of the Nordstroms and the day when they will be able to go to their orphanage to meet their precious little girl and then finally bring her home. The verse that kept coming to my mind while I watched the faces of the happy parents and the beautiful baby girl was John 14:18: "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." Oh, I just want our precious Russians to know that, in their orphanages, waiting, always waiting. I pray that they will cling to the hope that we will come for them, that they are loved and a place is being prepared for them.

Here is the video. Consider yourself forewarned: grab the tissue box.



~Tessa

More Than Just "Relative"-ly Important

(All of the following photographs are from the celebration of Joe and Lissie's high school graduation... more about that in a post to come...)

God "places the lonely in families." (Ps. 68:9)

For orphaned children who are adopted this means you not only get the dream-come-true of immediate family, but you also get God's gift of extended family.

You get...

...aunts, uncles and cousins and...

...more cousins.

You get...

...aunts from Kansas and aunts from Texas...

...aunts willing to carve out time for you.

You get...

...a grandpa who teaches you important things--

like how to tie a tie
and how to oil squeaky doors,

who notices how much taller you are

and how much deeper your voice is

since you were last together.

You get...



...a nana who models what it looks like to love others by serving them (and we love that she always brings pumpkin bread when she visits).

You get...

...a grandma whose marriage to Grandpa Charley set the tone for what it means to be family.

You get...



...Aunt Jean, who is always FOR you.

You get...



...Uncle John, who brags about you to his friends.

You get...

...a place to belong and people to belong to.

Extended family:

Never underestimate what a blessing you are to our former orphans.

Never underestimate your role in the healing taking place in their lives following the neglect and abandonment they've experienced. Your love is powerful! Thank you for so readily opening your hearts to our adoptees.

You are more than just 'relative'-ly important! You are a gift from God!

We love you!

~Mr. and Mrs. Beaver

God's Heart for Orphans (part 2)

This continues a series of posts highlighting what God’s word has to say about caring for orphans (see part 1 - May 28, 2010).

In part 1, we saw that we must look to the truth of God’s word and not to the world’s “wisdom” if we are to understand and obey His will regarding orphans. If we are to appear as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, we must hold fast the word of life. And frequently this word of life points us in the opposite direction versus the “wisdom” of the world. Such is definitely the case when it comes to orphans.

So far, we have seen that God views orphans as very important. He has deep feelings of compassion and concern for them, and He promises to be their father, care taker and protector. (Ps 68:5-6a, Ps 146:9)

As we continue seeking God’s heart about orphans we find that God knows these precious orphans are vulnerable, and He commands us not to oppress them or take advantage of them.

"Our" vulnerable ones (Cassandra-7, Speedy-5, and Jaynie-8) on the day we first met them at their orphanage (July 2001). Tessa, Joe and Lissie had carefully shopped for the stuffed animals and asked us to present them to their new siblings when we traveled to meet them. By the time we returned 2 months later to bring them home, bullies had already stolen their precious gifts.

• “You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.” (Ex 22:22-24)
  
  Is there any doubt here about the seriousness with which God regards the plight of the vulnerable?
  
  
• “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.” (Deut 10:17-18)
  
  If even the God of gods and the Lord of lords makes a point of caring for these most vulnerable people, what excuse do we have for ignoring, or worse, oppressing them?
  
  
• “Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow…” (Deut 27:19)
  
  It’s interesting to note here the context of this verse. Take a look in your Bible at verses 15-26. What you’ll find is that God puts this oppression of the alien, orphan and widow in amongst sins like: idol worship, dishonoring fathers and mothers, stealing from neighbors, misleading the blind for sport or injury, committing incest, striking a neighbor in secret and taking bribes.
  
  Notice that most of these things are considered serious enough that even wicked men would call them crimes! And this isn’t an isolated list – we see the oppression of widows and orphans show up in many other lists of abominations elsewhere in Scripture (e.g. Ezek 22, Mal 3:5-6, etc.).
  
  
• “… and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor…” Zech 7:10a.
  
  If you read beyond this in your Bible you’ll see what happens when HIs people harden their hearts against this and other warnings in the passage:
  o God sends His wrath against them
  o He refuses to listen to them when they pray, and
  o He desolates their land and their material blessings and scatters them to the wind.
  

God’s heart for the orphan seems unmistakable. He sees them as very important, and worthy of His special care and attention. He sees them as naturally vulnerable, and warns us not to take advantage of them or oppress them. And He warns us that He will be their care taker and father, defending them against us if we fail to heed His warnings.

In part 3, we’ll turn from looking at God's warnings about the vulnerable to His instructions about how we are to care for them.

~ Mr. Beaver

God's Heart for Orphans (part 1)

Paul tells us we live in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom we are to appear as lights, holding fast the word of life.

We see Paul's view of the world manifest in many ways. We see it in a world that cares more for baby seals than it does for babies. We see it in a world that discards and dismisses the elderly when it ought to reverence them. And, we see it in a world where 147 million orphans grow up without a loving and secure family.

Biological siblings Cassandra (7), Speedy (5-1/2), and Jaynie (8) at their orphanage in Russia in September 2001 just before we brought them home to America

It seems these things ought not to be. But at the heart of all these issues lies the truth that our ways don’t match God’s ways. Our thoughts don’t follow God’s thoughts. Our hearts don’t reflect God’s heart.

So, as we try to make sense of the tragic events that culminated in a woman placing her adopted son all alone on an airplane to send him back to Russia… as we consider recent statements by Christian leaders that seemed to discourage adoption… as we read or hear secular humanist answers to the tough challenges faced by adoptive families… as even Bible-believing Christians give in to fear and doubt about whether or not to take on the challenge of adoption… we must look to His word and His ways for direction, courage and the grace to obey.

If we are to appear as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, we must hold fast the word of life. We must understand God’s heart and seek by grace to follow His ways.

Adoption is hard. But that shouldn't surprise us. After all, just take a moment to reflect on what you know of God's word. Does God call His people to do easy things? No! He calls them to do kingdom work... and that is not for the faint of heart.

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing what I have seen in God's word about His heart for orphans. My hope is that these brief glimpses of His word will encourage those who need encouragement, convict those who need conviction, and point everyone back to the only source of truth about adoption – God’s Word.

Part 1
Throughout Scripture God reveals that He has a special heart for the alien (or stranger), the widow and the orphan. We should not lose sight of any of these special classes of what He calls the vulnerable - they are all important to Him. However, for the purposes of addressing some of the un-Biblical thinking we read and hear about adoption, these writings will focus on showing God's heart for orphans.

One of the first things we learn from His word is that God views orphans as very important. He has deep feelings of compassion and concern for them, and He promises to be their father, care-taker and protector. A brief sampling of this shows up in the book of Psalms:

• “A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God in His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely;” Ps 68:5-6a
  
• “The Lord protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, but He thwarts the way of the wicked.” Ps 146:9

His depth of passion for protecting orphans and the vulnerable is unmistakable. One of the first specific references to orphans makes this abundantly clear to the nation of Israel:

• “You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.” Ex 22:22-24

Given that God views orphans as very important and worthy of His special care... even to the point of making a dire threat to those who would mistreat them... what else can His children do but conclude the same?

In part 2 we'll explore what this means about God's expectations of His children regarding the orphans and the vulnerable.

~Mr. Beaver

God Provides!

Here's a look at cooking in our family--SUPERSIZED!!!!

First, supersized cooking begins with massive shopping! We shop by separating into four teams, filling four shopping carts to the brim and then simultaneously checking out in 4 parallel checkout lanes. Mrs. Beaver hovers nearby, poised to swipe a credit card in each checkout lane at just the right time.

Next, supersized cooking requires the use of supersized recipes! Our mighty feasts take the work of an entire team.

Cassandra led a team of willing helpers in creating this 17-pound, quadrupled lasagna masterpiece! This family of 11 is learning to cook for 14!

To provide context for the size of this gigantic pan, the smaller pan in the pictures below is a 9 x 13:

All these things considered, I almost can't believe the amount of food God provides for our family daily, but somehow He does!

God has faithfully provided food and other necessaries for us since we first began our adoption journey. From this we should believe that He is willing and able to provide all we need as we continue the journey. It's tempting to worry as new trials confront us, such as waiting to see what changes the Russian and American governments will impose on adoptions. However, God has an abundant track record of caring for our needs, and His past provision will comfort us in the days, months, and years ahead.

"Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you."
- Ps 116:7

- Joe

Happy People

Earlier this month our family had the opportunity to spend two days with a group of people who were among the warmest, friendliest and happiest we've ever encountered. We couldn't stop talking about it as we drove off. Now, we've certainly been with smaller groups of people that deserved a similar description, but this was a group of more than 1,300!

Why did this group radiate joy? I've pondered that question since leaving "Summit VI," a conference hosted by the Christian Alliance for Orphans (http://chrisitianallianceblog.org/?p=668) in Minneapolis. I think I may have found a clue in Isaiah 58. There God lays out for His people what the ESV Study Bible calls the "practical implications of biblical faith" (pg. 1346). He insists that the Israelites' relationship with Him is not to be heralded by empty fasting. Instead, their encounter with Him through fasting is to result in a life of service to those whom Jesus would call "the least of these."

The Lord says,
"Is this not the fast that I choose,
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"

What comes next in this passage is a truly remarkable list of God's promises for those whose relationship with Him is turned outward in service to others, interspersed with some additional calls to forsake sin and meet the needs of the vulnerable:

"Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.'
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail." (8-11)

What a list! Healing, strength, defense against depression, answer to prayer, protection, never-ending guidance, and the list goes on...

I believe the people we interacted with at Summit VI are happy people because they have experienced God's glorious promises as they "pour themselves out" to meet the pressing needs of fatherless children. Their light is "breaking forth like the dawn" because they have experienced the care of the Father of the Fatherless as they care for orphans. These people, who live sacrificially, have discovered a great irony of our God--in giving, we gain.

--Mrs. Beaver

Pray for the Orphans

Dear Readers,

This is a plea for prayer cover for the May 12 meeting of the Russian and American governments regarding the status of American adoption of Russian orphans.

Background
As you may know, a few weeks ago an American adoptive parent placed her adopted Russian son on a plane unattended and sent him back to Russia with a note saying she was returning him. The Russian government was naturally outraged, and has demanded more rights to protect Russian adoptees. They have threatened to completely halt American adoptions if their demands are not met.

On May 1 they submitted a draft agreement to the US State Department in preparation for face-to-face negotiations on May 12. While that meeting is not likely to be the final meeting on the subject, the tenor and outcome of that meeting is very important. If Russian negotiators do not see substantial progress in the discussions, they may recommend suspension of all American adoptions indefinitely.

Prayer Request
We covet your prayers for the negotiators to have the mind of Christ in their discussions, even if they do not know Him personally. We ask that you would pray for them to place the best interests of the children above their own political interests. We ask that you would pray for them to allow adoptions to continue, acknowledging the far greater good that has resulted from these adoptions than the evil associated with a few cases. Finally, we ask that you would join us in praying specifically for our 3 children, as the oldest could get caught in their system if the issue isn’t resolved before her 16th birthday.

- Mr. Beaver

Transformation

This week we celebrated Jaynie's 17th birthday. Jaynie is the oldest of the six children we've thus far adopted from Russia. She is the oldest of the trio of siblings we adopted nearly nine years ago. She was eight when first met her in her orphanage, and, in all honesty, she kind of scared us. She was a street child through and through. She was tough. She was hard. She was self-assured. She was distant. She was challenging to correct. She was anything but a girly-girl.

As we entered into that first Russian adoption we knew enough to understand why Jaynie had a demeanor worthy of the label "Ice Princess." This little eight year old had already lived through more suffering than most adults ever endure. Jaynie and her siblings had been so neglected by their parents that they'd lived under a bridge for a time with her as their leader. When Jaynie entered our family her torso was ridged with stretch marks that told the story of hunger so profound that her belly had at some point protruded. A grandmother that Jaynie and her siblings loved had been forced to take them to an orphanage because her health was too poor to care for the three young children. However, that same grandmother felt capable of caring for two older siblings so our trio was forever separated from their sister and brother who remain in Russia. Upon entering the orphanage, Jaynie had had to have her head shaved to eliminate the lice that made her scalp their home.

As we entered that first adoption of a trio of Russian siblings, we also knew enough about our God to know that He was capable of tranforming a life. This week with our celebration of Jaynie's 17th, we joyfully acknowledge that He has done just that (despite our weaknesses as her parents!).

Truly, you'd never recognize Jaynie as the same child. She no longer holds people at a distance but instead approaches others with a wide open heart. She has a special gift with young children and collects groups of them like a Pied Piper. She not only enjoys people but she yearns to help others. When someone is new to a group, she rushes to make sure they are included. The little girl who once bristled at the slightest effort to change her behavior now yields to our correction. She is delightfully feminine, but most importantly her beauty is as much inside as it is out as she grows in her desire to spend time in God's word and yield to Him as He molds her into the image of His son.

We're so proud to be her parents!

--Mrs. Beaver

We're at an adoption conference

I'm blogging from the Summit VI conference by the Christian Alliance for Orphans (http://www.christian-alliance-for-orphans.org/)It has been an incredible time! The praise and worship time, the fellowship with other adoptive families, and learning about practical ways any and every person can care for orphans worldwide has refreshed and encouraged us. Yes, all 11 of us went, from Mom and Dad down to Princess Bink, and we feel extremely blessed to have this opportunity.

One great reminder we have had from many speakers is how adoption is a picture of the gospel and how God has adopted believers through Jesus Christ so that we can now call the God of the universe "Father"! Thank you Jesus!
~Lissie

Happy Birthday Princess Bink!

Brimful of life and character, Princess Bink never lets the grass grow under her feet. From the moment she rolls bleary eyed out of bed until her wiggling body is stilled in peaceful snoring at night, she never stops moving. Princess Bink cannot simply walk from point A to point B-she jumps, hops, skips, and dances her way through the day. The soon to be Ex-Baby of the family (the 5-year-old we are in the process of adopting will gain that honorary spot) also keeps us laughing with her quick sense of humor and her acting flair.

The youngest member of our second Russian trio is 8- years- old today. Some of her many hobbies include drawing, reading (congrats Mom on successful reader #9), baking, dress-up, and getting as dirty as possible while starting bug habitats for her new pet worms. And of course dancing. Our Bink-a-lope has a passion for ballet and has choreographed routines to many of her favorite classical pieces.

While we enjoy having our own Bink-sized Sparkler, we don’t take her boundless energy, irresistible giggle, or quick wit for granted. God has done a transforming work in the life of this little girl since she arrived home nearly 5 years ago. Undersized, unsure on her legs (at age 3!), and overwhelmed by the changes in her life, Princess Bink was timid, shaky, and withdrawn for the first few weeks of her new life in America. Since then we have watched her blossom beyond our greatest hopes into the strong, vibrant, joyful, and very talkative 8- year- old we are blessed to call ours.




A tearful Princess Bink with Gigglebox on their last day in the orphanage





Only 18lbs when she arrived home, Princess Bink nevertheless delved into her meals with gusto

Six weeks after arriving home, we were already experiencing her intense personality.

We love you Princess Bink!

~ Lissie