She's Bounced Back to Her Baking

Sarah has been home from Zambia for about six weeks now. Much of that time has been spent traveling in order to reconnect with her sisters in Ohio and Massachusetts. However, when Sarah hasn't been on the road, she has been baking. She's in high gear during high school graduation season. She's made eight giant sheet cakes already and has orders for more. I'm repeatedly thanking God for the special skill he has pouring into this former orphan.

Sarah truly is fearfully and wonderfully made! She was fashioned out of love to spread love, and she does just that through lovingly serving others. Sarah was already seven when she was adopted. Some who have seen her life as a lost cause by that age, but nothing could have been further from the truth. Our God redeems and rescues! He abounds in lovingkindness!

Sarah's Already Back in the Kitchen!

Yesterday, flour was flying in our kitchen. Despite jet lag and malaria following her five months in Zambia, Sarah has returned to one of her favorite pastimes: baking. In fact, I'd go so far as to say the project which Sarah undertook energized our tired international traveler.

Within the walls of the Kazembe Orphanage, the director, Amy, tutored Sarah in the art of crafting doughnuts.

Although we don't normally deep fat fry around here, the oil was at a rapid boil on our stove yesterday as Sarah dropped in one after another of the round treats.

She had been taught just when to turn the doughnuts...

...and just when to remove them from the pan.

As Sarah busied herself, our two dogs, Sunshine (front) and Bella, kept a hopeful watch from the edge of the kitchen. I'm not sure, but perhaps they hoped that since the doughnuts were so light and fluffy, one or ~ even better two ~ would come floating toward them.

Once Sarah had finished the doughnuts, twists and doughnut holes...

...she prepared to glaze her creations.

I watched amazed that my beloved daughter had learned this intricate baking process in the African bush. Who would have guessed the blessings the Lord had in store for Sarah as she departed America for Zambia?

Sarah has loved to bake since she was about 13. 

Her love of baking and decorating cakes led to her making the wedding cake for Anna, her oldest sister. (If you take a look at the link, we used to identify Sarah as Cassandra on this blog.)

She then repeated the feat for the wedding of her second oldest sister, Alison.

Before leaving for Africa, Sarah had begun building a baking business.

Even while she in Zambia, Sarah received an email asking her to make cupcakes for the wedding of a dear friend who is getting married late this summer. 

When Sarah's work was finished late yesterday, dozens and dozens of doughnuts stood ready for our church's Easter brunch this morning.

In all honesty, I think I'm glad the delicious doughnuts had a designated destination. Otherwise, I might have been tempted to stuff the circular delicacies in my mouth one after another. What a multi-faceted joy it is that Sarah's home! God abounds in lovingkindness!

A 14-Year Journey: From Russia to Zambia

Denise Reynolds:

My silly man photo bombing my efforts to capture
Sarah departing home to work in an orphanage in Africa 

Tomorrow my beloved husband's reason for being in Africa will come to an end. Mr. R's mission in Zambia will be complete. He'll watch and wave as a bus carrying Sarah departs the capital of Zambia, for an rural region 17 hours north. He told me today when we talked via Face Time that he knows he will weep as he watches that bus pull away.

Those words are hard for a wife to hear from her big, strong man. And yet, I'm full of peace knowing that his tears will be a salty mixture of grief and joy. Both of us are shedding tears of sorrow this week borne of our deep feelings for Sarah. Of, course we love her...we're her parents and that's what parents do. However, we also really like Sarah. She is a wonderfully giving young woman whose love of Jesus shines from her face day in and day out. We will miss this special light in our home. We're grieving the mere thought of her being nearly 8,000 miles away. We will miss her.

At the same time, we're also weeping tears of joy as we say our good-byes. You see, we've been on a 14-year journey with this precious girl. It was in late 2000 that the Lord began to nudge each of our hearts independently. His prod? Older children in Russian orphanages needed homes.

That nudge took us into an arena we'd never planned to enter ~ the heart-rending theater of the world's neediest. Honestly, we entered the arena of orphan care dragging our feet. We were SCARED. We didn't know anyone who had done something this...radical. We wondered, "Are we crazy? We already have the perfect family." However, we couldn't deny the need. World-wide 143,000,000 children were fatherless.

In the end, we decided to adopt one Russian child between the ages of five and eight. Then we read, "Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if one of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-11) We knew the Lord was leading us to add a brother and sister. But as it turned out, that wasn't His plan either. When we finished the required home study, our adoption agency told us they had the perfect children for us. There was just one catch. There were three of them.

Double our children from three to six? Surely this was just to much for God to ask. We wrestled and prayed and wrestled some more until we turned to looked at the cross. Jesus died for our sins. He gave up His life that we might have eternal life. Could we do less than our Saviour had done? It was time to surrender our plans. It was time to deny self and take up our cross. We told our agency yes, we'd adopt the two sisters and their little brother.

On the first day that international flights returned to service following 9/11, we were in the air. We were about to become parents to three kiddos who didn't speak a word of our language, three children who'd only known abuse and neglect. But God had said feed my lambs. So we went, whispering, "We love you, King Jesus. We'd do anything for You. Even this. Oh, help us pleeeease, God!"

With the thud of a gavel in a Russian court room, Zhenya, Sarah and Matthew, ages eight, seven, and five, became our forever children. And thus began our day in and day out care for Sarah that will culminate tomorrow in her launching out on her own in Africa.

When we came to the conclusion 14 years ago that it was up to us to care for the orphans the Lord would put in front of us, Mr. R and I didn't enter the orphan care arena to simply provide food, clothing and shelter. We chose to adopt because we had a story to tell. We wanted to share the best news in human history ~ Jesus' life and death and resurrection ~ with kids whose life in an orphanage was likely to keep them from ever hearing the great good news of God's gift of redemption and salvation.

We also had a dream. Our hearts' cry was that some day these former orphans would want to tell others about Jesus' love, about His free gift of saving grace. So Sarah's trip to work in an orphanage in Africa didn't really begin last week. It is a journey that began nearly 14 years ago. And we send her off into rural Zambia with tears of joy. Because this former orphan wants to tell orphaned children about Jesus.

Sarah's Russian name (now her middle name) is Svetlana, which means light.

God is so good.

Zoo Trip on Sarah's 20th Birthday

Today we had a great reason to celebrate coupled with the most unbelievably beautifully weather. Sarah turned 20 today, and we had the opportunity to visit the renowned Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha on one of the coolest days in July in years.

We allowed the birthday girl to pick the first exhibit we'd see and she choose the cat house. The first tiger we saw wanted to play peek-a-boo.

The second tiger was quite photogenic, lying regally upon the straw. The sign said she has given birth to two litters of cubs, a remarkable feat considering her left front leg is missing at the shoulder.

Next we moved on to the lion's home.

What majesty!

Zhenya's all-time favorite animal is the snow leopard.

I don't know whether these two are twins, but I couldn't help but think of our twins, Alison and John.

After we left the Cat House, we went to a nearby statuary area that's perfect for a photo opp. Our group seemed so small today since only eight of our children made the trip to the zoo. John is currently in Boston on business. Kirsten is in northwest Nebraska doing an internship on a ranch. Anna and Alison are both living with their husbands in faraway cities.

On our next stop, our attention was then arrested by some playful orangutans. The monkey had a burlap bag clinched in one foot. We watched as she shimmied up a tree just outside the window where we stood watching, swung upside down from one drain pipe to another at the roof line and slid down another tree. All the while she was switching his grasp on the burlap bag from foot to hand and back again.

As we stood watching, she found a wide spot in the sun where some massive tree branches came together, plopped herself down, and pulled the burlap bag over her head. She was ready for a warm and "private" morning nap!

We rested for a bit on our climb up to the desert habitat. One of the things that makes the Henry Doorley Zoo so beautiful also makes it a tiring experience ~ the many steep hills in the zoo's layout.

After seeing "Kingdoms of the Night", an exhibit of nocturnal animals and the desert habitat, we had lunch and then went on to visit the zoo's wonderful tropical jungle exhibit.

We were fascinated to watch a variety of monkeys, as well as otters, tapirs, hippos, macaws, snakes, bats and numerous species of birds.

We also realized as we made our way through the crowded exhibit that we were tired and ready to make the two-hour journey back home.

Before leaving I took one more photo of our beloved daughter who entered her twenties today. 

Throughout our wanderings in the zoo today, we paid special attention to the sign near each animal to learn about its native habitat. The reason we were so interested is that many of the animals we saw today make their homes in Africa. In less that four months, Sarah will be moving to Zambia to teach preschool and kindergarten at an orphanage for a few months. (I'll share more about Sarah's plans in a post within the next week.)

After seeing so many exotic animals today whose natural habitats include Zambia, we all wonder what amazing tales Sarah will have to share with us regarding her African adventure! We're so delighted and thankful to see the little orphan girl we added to our family just after she turned seven grow up with such a big heart for serving the least of these! God abounds in lovingkindness!

Yet Another Courtship

(Until this post, we've called our fourth daughter "Cassandra" on this blog for safety reasons. Now that she is an adult, we're making the switch to her real name, Sarah.)

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Mr. Beaver and I continue to marvel at God's goodness to us as our children are reaching adulthood. He is providing advanced education, internships, great jobs, promising careers and...

...godly young people interested in entering into courtships with our children. God is faithful!

Not long before Lissie and Eric's courtship culminated in marriage, another young man contacted Mr. Beaver to asked if he might court one of our seven unmarried daughters, 19-year-old Sarah. After a series of phone calls and emails between Samuel and Sarah's dad, Mr. Beaver and I sat met with Sarah to ascertain Sarah's interest in the young man who was so interested in her. Unbeknownst to us, God had gone ahead of us! Sarah had been praying and praying, asking the Lord to help her sort through feelings for Samuel. When we broke the news to her that Samuel had been in contact with her dad, she burst into tears of joy! Since mid August, the two have been seeking God's will for their future through prayer and Bible study, while getting to know one another well enough to discern whether they should pursue marriage.

Samuel and Sarah first met three years ago when Samuel stayed in our home when our family hosted a gathering of CollegePlus! students from across the nation. This was the same event at which Eric and Lissie met. About a month after that gathering, our family was traveling south to Texas. We were able to make a quick stop at Samuel's home in central Kansas, about six hours from our home. Last summer that group of peers gathered again--this time in Minnesota--for another CollegePlus! gathering. Since that first meeting in 2010, Samuel has been a good friend of all of Sarah's older siblings. As a result, Samuel and Sarah have had the chance to watch each other mature. They've also had the chance to observe each other's growth in the Lord. They're friendship has blossomed in the protective hot house of a shared group of friends.

While Samuel and Sarah's courtship began in August, her sister's wedding created the perfect first opportunity to see one another once their courtship had begun. Samuel spent an entire week with us. And the entire family loved every minute of it.

As with the suitors of Anna and Lissie, there was no "guest room" for Samuel. The young three suitors have immediately gotten folded into the routine of the family; this includes bunking with the "boys," John, Mark and Alexander.

The lead up to the big day was consumed with wedding preparations. In our family weddings are truly a milestone made personal by the touch of each and every family member. This meant Sarah was B.U.S.Y! After all, she made the wedding cake the week of the ceremony. Sarah also played a key role in helping Anna, the matron of honor, care for her two little ones.

In addition to setting up the cake at the site of the reception on the morning of  the wedding, Sarah, and Jaynie, took on a task that seemed to be...well...a bit beyond the matron of honor...

...the lacing of the bride's gown!

It wasn't until the wedding was over that we were able to turn attention to Sarah and Samuel. Thankfully both were patient and understanding, and thankfully Samuel was able to stay until Wednesday. Mr. Beaver took off the Monday following the Saturday wedding and the two of us took Samuel and Sarah out for a double date at lunch time. The plan was for me to take the first pictures of the duo following the meal.

However not long after the food had arrived, we got an urgent call from Anna. She'd learned that a young adoptive family from our church was due to go to court in just 45 minutes to finalize their two-year-old son's. Anna had called knowing this family's commitment to orphan care was dear to our hearts. She knew we'd want to attend the hearing, if at all possible. 

We immediately jumped up from the table telling Samuel he was about to get a picture of what it meant to be part of our family. Mr. Beaver declared he'd drop Samuel, Sarah and me at the courthouse. He would dash home to get the rest of the children, but at least we'd be there to sit in on the hearing if he couldn't get back in with the rest of the tribe in time.

First we had to figure out which particular building we were looking for amongst those on the downtown block. I caught my very first picture of our newest courting pair as Sarah hurriedly texted her dad to tell him where to come when he returned while Samuel looked on.

Once Sarah finished, we got our first "official" photo with the courthouse as a backdrop.

We then went inside to find the courtroom. As we climbed the stairs in the beautiful atrium of this classic example of art-deco architecture built in the 1920s, I saw another great setting for pictures. The couple posed willingly...

...but got to laughing at the awkwardness of being the subjects of a photo shoot in a public building.

We continued on up the stairs and found the family waiting for their turn in court to come.

Jenny and Matt's kids flew into Sarah's arms.

This serendipitous change in the day's plans provided an unexpected opportunity to observe the other interact with children.

 As the family waited for their adoption attorney to meet them and provide instructions before the hearing, I was able to snap a few more photos of Samuel and Sarah.

As we were entering the courtroom to mark the huge milestone of finalization, I asked the attorney if our family could come in when they arrived. She looked about, trying to figure out a solution to my dilemma since the courtroom door was supposed to be locked during the hearing. As she stood there debating with herself, Mr. Beaver and the eight of our children who'd been at home appeared and were ushered in.

We then all sat hushed, waiting for the judge to make his appearance. He entered shortly and all of us had the remarkable privilege of watching a "birthing" of sorts. When an adoption takes place a family is changed forever by the addition of a new family member. The day is a sacred one for those who walk the long and emotionally-trying path to growing their family by adopting. For this family the journey was one taken out of love for their Savior after having been adopted themselves by God through Jesus redemption of them. We were all swept up in the shear joy of watching Matt and Jenny's efforts to provide a home and a family and parents to a little boy from Korea who had none of these come to such a happy conclusion!

Our family has often found that the best way to serve others is to "stop, drop what we're doing and GO!" to where we offer support. Even on this first visit to Sarah, Samuel had been swept up into the fun of one of these unexpected opportunities. He did an admirable job of flexing with the unknown and jumping in to help!

Mr. Beaver and I thanked all the our willing helpers with a trip to a neighbor's cookie store just a few blocks away.

Anticipating his departure the following day, by Tuesday night, Samuel had approached Mr. Beaver for permission to hold Sarah's hand. The next morning, Mr. Beaver said, "Yes!" Samuel and Sarah's first grasp, while standing in our bedroom, was electric. They both just quivered with impact of touching one another for the first time in this way. Samuel was so excited he snapped a picture of their locked hands with his phone and immediately texted the photo to his family.

Yet another of our daughter's has entered into a courtship in which both she and the young man are committed to physical, emotional and spiritual purity all the way to the end of the courtship whether in marriage or a mutual parting of their ways. We can do nothing but sing the praises of our faithful God!