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!
Showing posts with label Fab Four. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fab Four. Show all posts
Friday, November 2, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
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:
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!
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Two Days of Joy and Heart-Break
Mr. Beaver:
What crazy-hard, fantastically-good, heart-warming and heart-rending days God has just provided to us. He never does anything part way and these last two days were no exception. Friday and Saturday were testimony to His ways being far above and beyond anything we could ever hope or imagine.
Friday, we got re-acquainted (briefly) with our 4 new kids (we call them the 'Fab 4'). Our time together that day was brief because there were a number of administrative steps to complete before we could be allowed to see them. But even in those delays, God granted us the opportunity to shine for Him with numerous bureaucrats and local citizens. We had great help from our translator and our facilitator. In the end, He provided us the grace to be patient and content, even though we were so anxious to see our kids.
We got to go back for a bit longer time on Saturday. When we arrived at the orphanage on Saturday, the kids were at school. September 1 is always the first day of school in Russia and is celebrated in a big way, no matter what day of the week. It's a day when parents often walk their kids to school and/or greet them upon their return. But, of course, that makes it another hard day for orphans who have no parents to care about their big day. It was very moving to see all the parent-child groups walking by the roads as we drove to the orphanage... knowing that our kids had no such escort.
While we waited to greet our children when they returned from that shortened school day, we were briefed on their background by the orphanage director, a truly amazing woman with a big heart for 'her' kids. Even though she runs one of the very best orphanages in the country, she is a strong advocate for finding forever homes for her children. She understands that even though she provides a safe, warm, nurturing place, these kids need forever families, with permanent dads and moms. She had many words of wisdom for us as we move to parent older orphans once again.
Eventually, the kids arrived in their very best dress clothes - suits for the boys, Peter, Dima and Maxim, and a cute little jumper for Katya (not their real names). It was a treat to be there to help them celebrate the first day of school. It was particularly touching to be able to share some time with Katya on her very first school day ever!
After warm embraces with the kids, we were treated to quite a show by the boys in their group's community room. They showed us dance steps they'd learned at camp, gymnastics tricks and general silliness. Katya watched from a sofa while the boys did these things, commenting once that she could do them, too, although she never rose from her seat to prove she could make good on her good-natured boast.
We got out coloring books we'd brought to break the ice with these art-loving kids. It's amazing how coloring together can help start the bonding process as you work in tandem to complete a task. From there we proceeded to play with clay, take pictures, and just hang out with these affable children and the other kids in the 'family' group's room (the quarters where sibling groups live with any brother or sister also living in the children's home).
As our time together started coming to a close, we told the kids that we wanted to be their forever mom and dad, to which they all readily agreed. It was touching to see the oldest's response as he was on the verge of tears while wearing a great big smile on his face. We think he may have been told that he had little hope of adoption at his age.
Finally, Maxim and Katya were whisked away to participate in a show celebrating the first day of school that the younger kids put on in the orphanage music room. This was reminiscent of our time here two years ago when we were treated to a musical marking the coming of winter. Even then little Katya had been the 'star' of the show, singing and dancing like a little princess. Now on this Saturday, she was once again the little star, singing a solo and dancing while her new parents beamed while thanking God for allowing us to share this moment with her.
All in all, our time with the kids was as magical as we could have imagined.
But it was also filled with heart-rending moments. You see, our time at the orphanage included all the kids there, not just the ones who were meeting their mom and dad for the first time. We shared as much of ourselves and our care as we could. Their adult care-takers also obviously showed that they care deeply for them. But these kids all long for and need forever moms and dads.
Just to name a few specifics of the many that we found really heart-rending:
Please pray for the orphans!
 |
| Our daughter (left) and friend at their orphanage |
Friday, we got re-acquainted (briefly) with our 4 new kids (we call them the 'Fab 4'). Our time together that day was brief because there were a number of administrative steps to complete before we could be allowed to see them. But even in those delays, God granted us the opportunity to shine for Him with numerous bureaucrats and local citizens. We had great help from our translator and our facilitator. In the end, He provided us the grace to be patient and content, even though we were so anxious to see our kids.
We got to go back for a bit longer time on Saturday. When we arrived at the orphanage on Saturday, the kids were at school. September 1 is always the first day of school in Russia and is celebrated in a big way, no matter what day of the week. It's a day when parents often walk their kids to school and/or greet them upon their return. But, of course, that makes it another hard day for orphans who have no parents to care about their big day. It was very moving to see all the parent-child groups walking by the roads as we drove to the orphanage... knowing that our kids had no such escort.
While we waited to greet our children when they returned from that shortened school day, we were briefed on their background by the orphanage director, a truly amazing woman with a big heart for 'her' kids. Even though she runs one of the very best orphanages in the country, she is a strong advocate for finding forever homes for her children. She understands that even though she provides a safe, warm, nurturing place, these kids need forever families, with permanent dads and moms. She had many words of wisdom for us as we move to parent older orphans once again.
Eventually, the kids arrived in their very best dress clothes - suits for the boys, Peter, Dima and Maxim, and a cute little jumper for Katya (not their real names). It was a treat to be there to help them celebrate the first day of school. It was particularly touching to be able to share some time with Katya on her very first school day ever!
After warm embraces with the kids, we were treated to quite a show by the boys in their group's community room. They showed us dance steps they'd learned at camp, gymnastics tricks and general silliness. Katya watched from a sofa while the boys did these things, commenting once that she could do them, too, although she never rose from her seat to prove she could make good on her good-natured boast.
We got out coloring books we'd brought to break the ice with these art-loving kids. It's amazing how coloring together can help start the bonding process as you work in tandem to complete a task. From there we proceeded to play with clay, take pictures, and just hang out with these affable children and the other kids in the 'family' group's room (the quarters where sibling groups live with any brother or sister also living in the children's home).
As our time together started coming to a close, we told the kids that we wanted to be their forever mom and dad, to which they all readily agreed. It was touching to see the oldest's response as he was on the verge of tears while wearing a great big smile on his face. We think he may have been told that he had little hope of adoption at his age.
Finally, Maxim and Katya were whisked away to participate in a show celebrating the first day of school that the younger kids put on in the orphanage music room. This was reminiscent of our time here two years ago when we were treated to a musical marking the coming of winter. Even then little Katya had been the 'star' of the show, singing and dancing like a little princess. Now on this Saturday, she was once again the little star, singing a solo and dancing while her new parents beamed while thanking God for allowing us to share this moment with her.
All in all, our time with the kids was as magical as we could have imagined.
But it was also filled with heart-rending moments. You see, our time at the orphanage included all the kids there, not just the ones who were meeting their mom and dad for the first time. We shared as much of ourselves and our care as we could. Their adult care-takers also obviously showed that they care deeply for them. But these kids all long for and need forever moms and dads.
Just to name a few specifics of the many that we found really heart-rending:
- We spent hours with four siblings who live in the same family room in the orphanage as our kids. They also have a baby brother in a separate orphanage (due to age) - these close-knit children, who range in age from eleven to two, are winsome and well-behaved. But they need a family who has enough faith to do something really big - adopt 5 children!
- We met an teenage girl who was friendly and helpful. But after some time with us she turned to the translator and asked, "Can't you bring me a family too?" Oh, how I wish we could...
- Finally, we met a beautiful girl who will turn 17 this fall. Apart from a family stepping in quickly to be part of a miracle, she will age out of the system with no future hope for adoption. Statistics about such cases are horrifying. To think of this precious child who could be living under the loving care of a family being cast into the streets instead is hard to take.
Please pray for the orphans!
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