We're OFF to Neverland!
God has opened the windows and we've flown right through!
Well the time has come and we have our tickets!
All four of us are scheduled to fly out of the U.S. on
Sunday the 18th and take a 23-hour trip to Kiev, Ukraine. God is good, he has provided all along the way and we have faith we will be back with our boys as
our own. We are quickly preparing for our trip and taking care of last minute things
that can't be left undone before we leave. Vadym and Valera are counting down
the days and have told me over and over again, “I SMILE, BIG SMILE”.
We are
excited and can't wait for the moment when we can see our boys again.
So our plan is that Chris, I and both Bryce and Dawson will be
in Ukraine for roughly three
weeks. At that time Chris and Bryce will return to
the U.S. and Dawson and I will remain in Ukraine for most likely another three
weeks. This places us at returning just around the end of the year.
While we are there we have
hopes to visit with the children that we have heard over the phone and
that we've met on previous hosting trips as well as advocated for a year now. I honestly CAN'T wait to hug each of
them! We're really hoping that we can take each sibling group on an outing
and possibly even to church, if we can work out the details. We are praying
that the Lord opens the door. Just in the last week I've met several people
from Ukraine and it's been a huge encouragement to me knowing that God is in
control and is bringing key people into our lives. We also have many friends
whom we've already met from Ukraine and they have impacted our lives greatly
throughout this journey. The Ukrainian population here in the greater Seattle
area is very large and we feel so blessed that God has us here during this
time. Not only does loving people from Ukraine surround us but because of
hosting, we have met two families who live only 30-40 minutes from us who are
adopting from the SAME orphanage!!!! This just makes my heart beat fast and my arm
hairs stand up straight! What on earth are the odds of that? The total number
of children is 8, eight children from the same orphanage adopted by families
who love the Lord and live just miles from one another!!! God is SO good to
us!! He loves these little ones SO much! I feel honored to be apart of this
divine plan and I cannot even tell you how special I feel to be the mommy to
Bryce, Dawson, Vadym and Valera! It's a surreal feeling to know that God has
entrusted them to me and also that he has blessed me beyond words and literally
to tears! What an awesome and wonderful life it is to live by faith! I can only
ask that the few of you reading this post take a moment and ask yourself if you
are trusting in the Lord to live your life. The moment I said, “YES! God I want
you to guide me, to lead me and to take hold of my life”, it's been the most
incredible feeling, an exhilarating ride! Scary many times and the need and
desire to take control are strong but when the Lord God is in control he
blesses, and the blessings are beyond this world!
1 comment:
Nicole and Chris,
This is Caleb Lancaster, Chris's cousin. I found about your blog from the letter that you sent us. Let me just say that I am so proud to have cousins who are actually adopting kids from different countries and giving them a good home. I hope to do that one day, and hope that God will provide for that. You guys have blazed a trail for me, and I hope to follwe in your footsteps. You are definitely doing the will of God.
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