Home...and Loved!

Mrs. Beaver:

If there's one thing our family loves, it's going to the airport to watch a family grow through adoption. Today we got that blessing as some dear friends returned from Ethiopia with former orphans, Kindi and Joshua. The sister and brother are 11 and 9. 

Here, the family's two oldest, Jack and Katie, await the big homecoming. Their brother, Tommy--who is several years younger--was too busy racing from window to window watching for the plane to pose for a photo.

When the crowd who'd gathered sensed that it couldn't be long until the plane landed, Jack made sure the poster holders were ready.

As passengers began to exit the boarding area, the family's attention was riveted on one spot.

And then...the wait was over. Kindi and her daddy were within sight. Joshua and his mama would follow a few minutes later. He required a wheelchair to de-plane after breaking his leg a few weeks ago while still in his orphanage.

As soon as Kindi reached the crowd, her new Grandma began introducing Kindi to her siblings. 

Jack and his little sister were quick to hug.

...while a proud, happy and very tired dad watched.

Next Joshua appeared to the clapping and loud cheers of the crowd.

Kindi watched her brother's entrance...

...wrapped in her new aunt's arms...

...already happy to receive the affection.

(Adoptive parents travel with photo albums to familiarize the

kids with things like family members and their new home.)

Meanwhile, Grandpa beamed as he gained two grandchildren.

This was one of my favorite moments--look at the glance exchanged by these new brothers!

Joshua then looked straight at me.

However, he immediately returned his eyes to his big brother again.

Isn't adoption amazing? Isn't our God amazing?

Despite being surrounded by strangers in a new country, he never lost his grin.

Grandma was radiant as she introduced Joshua to extended family. Isn't adoption amazing?

Meanwhile, Kindi was surrounded by children eager to become her friends.

Jaynie, who was adopted from Russia 11 years ago, remembers well what it's like to be overwhelmed at the airport as you join your forever family. She made the effort to help Kindi feel comfortable.

Kindi's mom was also aware of her daughter's need for security in this radically new situation.

After both kids enjoyed countless greetings...

...Joshua climbed back into his wheel chair.

Jack pushed Joshua to a spot where the family could pose for their first photo together.

The last step before the seven of them headed home? 

A group picture of the crowd who'd gathered to celebrate God's goodness.

PLEASE Watch and Be Blessed!

Mr. & Mrs. Beaver:

If you've followed our blog for any length of time, you've read how God has created a family from two continents, bringing together under one roof two nations which were bitter enemies during the Cold War. Our family represents so many birthparents we've lost track of the count. Even our nine (soon-to-be thirteen) children from Russia represent a diversity of regions and ethnicities. And yet, in Him, we ARE a family.

When we launched into orphan care in 2001, we felt so alone. Little did we suspect that God was at work all over the globe. He was stirring hearts in amazing ways. He is so great. He is so mighty. He is so good! Please spend 33 minutes watching the film below at some point this weekend. Please watch and be blessed! We promise you will be encouraged. Consider this 33 minutes an early Christmas gift from our family to yours!

This Sunday, November 4th, is Orphan Sunday in America. May our understanding of God's majesty and our love of the least of these grow this weekend.

Jim and Denise

"Zambia's Gift to the World" by the Christian Alliance for Orphans


To God be the glory!

A Whole Year! Praise the Father of the Fatherless

Mrs. Beaver & Lissie:

Yesterday we celebrated the one year anniversary of "Peaches" becoming part of the Nordstrom family. It's amazing how far God has brought that little girl in one year!

When we arrived at their house, Peaches was navigating the driveway and yard on a bike.

Her proud parents told us that just this week she taught herself how to ride a bike without training wheels.

She also lost her first two teeth within the past week; a fact she was quick to point out when she greeted us.

Peaches was a little confused by the balloons, cake, and present; she kept telling us, "Is this for me? Is this for me? It's not my birthday. I'm still five." She was a little worried about us!

It's been precious to see Peaches' and Oksana's growing friendship. Both have come from radically different cultures and have dealt with learning a new language along with adjusting to living with their forever families. Nevertheless, their friendship has blossomed, and now their eyes light up when they talk about each other.

Our hope last night was to honor God and acknowledge all the Nordstroms. We know first hand that a successful adoption takes the love and self-sacrifice of the whole family.

Here's Lissie with the oldest of Peaches' siblings, Katie.

Katie has four brothers, but with this adoption the Lord has given her Peaches to fulfil her longing for a sister.

Peaches is dear to all in our family!

We know that it is God who places children in families through adoption (Ps 68), and we're so grateful to Him that He placed precious Peaches in the family of our dear friends, the Nordstroms.

Off to Ethiopia!

Mr. & Mrs. Beaver:

Just two and a half weeks after Jaynie's departure from the Omaha Airport for her second visit to her Central Asian home, we were back at the same airport early this morning. This time taking John for a 10-day trip to Ethiopia!

John is traveling to that African nation with a group from our church who will visit and serve orphans. We thought John's group of 11 traveling internationally would tax the airline check-in system, but we really had no idea...

Just after the Ethiopia group arrived but before they could get organized enough to get in line, a very well-organized troop of about 25 young men from the University of Denver's hockey team stepped right up to the front of the line. We also thought John's group had a lot of luggage, but we really had no idea... The DU hockey team had enormous bags to carry all their equipment. Clearly, they were in the 'excess baggage' club! We were a bit worried about how long it would take to check them in, and wondered if their arrival on the scene would make our group late for their flight.

In any event, the long line allowed John's group to do some necessary re-packing. Below, John is working with the team leader, Russ, who traveled to Ethiopia just about a year ago when he and his wife adopted a little girl from the country. 

 The group of 11 travelers packed 22 totes full of supplies for the orphans, sacrificing their personal baggage allowance and packing all their own clothing, toiletries, etc. in small carry-ons to maximize the aid they could take for the orphans.

While the John's group waited in line, He showed Lissie his passport with his Ethiopian visa.

While they talked, they also prayed. Twins John and Lissie have spent almost every day of their lives together and are remarkably close friends. They will surely miss each other!

Fortunately, the airline ticket agents recognized the extreme backlog of travelers and invited John's group to move to the premier ticketing line. Some of the DU hockey players were gracious enough to help move our team's heavy totes! Way to go guys!

Ethiopian culture has been important to Tanya and her daughter Kaylee for years, as they also adopted two boys from Ethiopia about 5 years ago.

Unlike Kaylee who was going with her mom, Katie, whose a bit younger and pictured below was staying behind as her mom, Tess, traveled on the team. Tess' husband Jeff and their oldest son, Jack, are also traveling with the team. Katie is staying behind with her younger brother, Tommy, at their grandparents' house. Jeff and Tess are two of the nurses on the team.

Kaylee is shown below with Russ' daughter, Katie, who is also going with the team. These long-term friends planned to sit together on the long flight over!

Finally, after about an hour and a half, the team was all checked in and ready to go. We paused for a team picture, which turned out well for a group that had arisen around 4am and already weathered some of the travails of travel.

After another couple of good-byes it was time for the team to go through security and head toward their destination!

United didn't need both planes but didn't feel like moving one for a better 'photo op' for us. Oh well.

We headed back to our car with one less family member in tow.

As parents, we're in a season of adjusting. We're deeply grateful to God that that our oldest children want to serve others and are willing to live sacrificially to do so. As we've raised them, we've hoped their love of Christ would be strong enough to propel them out of our "quiver" and into a life that acknowledges the worthiness of Jesus by selflessly meeting the needs of the "least of these." Our hearts are full; our countless prayers about our children's futures are being answered in amazing ways by our great God. Our family "army" is on the move! But it's still hard to watch the nest empty out. (Sorry, mixing metaphors here!)

But we can't complain... we're still blessed to have enough children at home to nearly fill a van the size of a small county. And as grandchildren start to come along, we anticipate more than making up the difference!

We have dubbed our second 15-passenger van, the USS Iowa, in honor of the battleship Iowa.

"Haze gray and under way! Go Navy!"