A TIME FOR EVERYTHING...

A time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to dance...a time to begin blogging in...Yes!  That is the time...a time to blog again!  Oh, how I have missed it!  Different seasons require more or less time, but this season certainly requires sharing what the Lord is doing!

We have recently begun a new adventure in our family!  After struggling through last year, which included many deaths in the family, and fighting a cancer battle with my Mom (AKA: Nana)...which was victorious, we are celebrating big this year by hosting an orphan from the Ukraine!  What better way to celebrate God's goodness to us than sharing our home and His love with another.

The new adventure began only 6 days ago (July 12th), but it seems she has been part of our lives and hearts much longer.  We began praying about this journey and for this sweet young lady (we'll call her "L") several months ago, when the opportunity was presented to us.  We knew that if this was God's plan for our lives, He would provide in an abundant way!  Well, of course he did. The first steps were raising funds to get her here and filling out a good bit of paperwork, then came the welcome letter we had to send her, and preparing our home...the exciting part!  The girls decided she had to bunk with them, so they could stay up late being silly!  So after several months of praying, paperwork, and planning, we finally got to go get our girl!

We waited and waited at the airport...not quite sure how long it would take them to get through customs.  Finally the moment came, when all the kids walked through that entrance, and all of us waiting (several families) rejoiced with exceeding great joy!  We just knew we were going to wrap this young girl in a huge bear hug and she wouldn't know us from Adam.  Yep! That's pretty much how it happened, although she was quite sweet about it.  After greetings and photos, we were ready to get her home.  A big awkward, as none of us are proficient in Ukranian or Russian, and she speaks no English.  Um, how do you say "Do you have to go to the bathroom? Are you hungry?" Oh my! We sure had a lot to learn.

Fortunately, someone wisely told us to download a translator app on our phones. What a lifesaver that has been!  We put it to good use right away, asking her questions and making sure she was comfortable.  My sweet girls wanting to be sure she had what she needed, translated to her "We brought  a pillow and blanket for when you get sick tired." Oops.  Okay, so some things get lost in translation. We are learning slowly. We were immediately in awe of this young girls talent!  She caught on quickly to maneuvering the iphone to watch cartoons, and then the girls taught her how to crochet, which she did with ease! Absolutely incredible.  I thought to myself, 'Oh, she is going to fit in perfectly!'...and she has! What a wonderful blessing it is to be on this journey!

Stay tuned for more...

Pictured L-R: "M" (who is L's sister and staying with another family), L, Hope, Me, TJ, Beka