My Joy Tank Is Full

Popenki Tuesday
Today was our first visit to Popenki. It was about a 2-hour drive from where we are staying in Tiraspol. On our way, Anna spoke with the director confirming that we would be meeting Nastya’s aunt and uncle today, which we had been told, would be a possibility. Once we pulled through the infamous Popenki gates, emotions started to set in. It’s still hard for me to believe I’m here again and so close to Nastya especially after everything that’s happened this past year.
We piled into the director's office thinking we were going to discuss the plans for the week as far as construction projects and crafts for the children. We wanted the director to approve everything we had planned for the kids. The director then tells Anna that Nastya and her aunt and uncle are on their way to meet us. Thinking she meant later that day, I sat down and as I looked up Nastya was coming through the door with her aunt, uncle and 16-year-old cousin. When she walked into the office and sat down in her aunt’s lap all we could do was look at her. It all happened so fast but I will never forget her walking into that room.



At first things were a little awkward with so many people in the room listening and watching with intent (they all know the story). I had wanted to ask so many questions about her but all of a sudden I just wanted to look at her. I wanted to see that smile and hear those giggles. After a few minutes I was able to regain myself and we introduced ourselves. We showed Nastya photos of our boys, asked her about school and her friends and about the things she likes to do. Anna told the aunt and uncle a little about our story and how we came to know Nastya. Once that was done we fumbled a little with where to begin – not knowing what was appropriate. We didn’t know these people and they didn’t know us. We just know there’s this little girl we love so much and perhaps they do too. At that time the 4 other members of our team (Betty, Anna, Kim and Mike), and 3 others from Help the Children (Mark, Sergei, and Natalia) decided to leave the room so that we could get to know each other alone. We talked a while longer about why Nastya is in an orphanage, learned a little about her family, and flipped through photos of our family. Nastya held on to the photo book we made her and flipped through it several times. One of the photos was of the boys holding a framed picture of her. We wanted to help her see that they know who she is. She seemed to really like that one picture.



She also seemed to like another picture we took of a letter Mason wrote when we first decided to adopt. It is a letter to his sister saying how excited he is to meet her and that she (whoever she may be) is going to be the best sister.



Anna read the letter in Russian to Nastya. After reading the letter the aunt asked Nastya if she would like to have 2 brothers (okay obviously she’s getting the point of why we are meeting) and Nastya responds with a smile -"yes". The translator communicated that she wants to be a BIG sister (well, in this case she would be). Once on the subject about things she likes to do I found myself on the floor getting my hair braided by Nastya, herself (the girl can braid, my friend).



Her family also showed us videos of her dancing (and she can dance too).



After we had taken 1200 pictures of her, learned her REAL birthday again for the 3rd time (we’ve celebrated it twice this year 2 different months), learned she likes the color red, pasta, potato salad, crab salad, not a lot of sweets, school, computers, dolls, dance, and wants to be a hairstylist we exchanged emails with her relatives and decided to go outside. The uncle suggested we have a picnic on Wednesday to get to know each other more. Never would we have guessed this entire day.



While we talked a little more with the director, Nastya spent time with her relatives before they left. Once we were packed and ready to leave for the day Chris, Mike and I got into the car with Mark while the others loaded into the van. As we drove off I looked to my right and saw Nastya, her aunt, uncle, and cousin waving us to stop. Mark backed the car back down the drive and I opened the door to Nastya handing me a crown she had made from dandelions (and she can make a crown out of flowers too!). She smiled and giggled (because that’s what she does) and I squeezed her as the tears poured from my face so happy we didn’t leave a second sooner.





God told me on the plane here “He is with us”. He told me this morning to “climb the mountain”. That’s what we are doing and no matter the outcome, NOTHING can steal the JOY of this day.

Tonight we received a nice email from Nastya’s aunt and uncle and attached was a picture of Nastya. A sweet ending to the day.

Items Needed for Popenki Orphanage

30 Electrical Outlets - $3-4 each
120 Light Switches
Plastic Windows - 4 windows (6 square meters each) $130 each
- 5 windows (13 square meters each) $150 each
10 Interior Doors $100 each
Gypsum board for corridor ceiling - 120 square meters
Wood board for floor - 5 cubic meters

We are hoping to be able to repair the first floor bedrooms of the orphanage. In order to complete this project we will need:
-6 doors
20 square meters of Gypsum board
300 kilograms of plaster
500 kilograms cement
5 sacks glue (for tiles)

Please email me at addingtonk@bellsouth.net if you are interested in helping fund these projects.

Fundraising for Popenki Orphanage

During our trip to Transnistria we will spend a week at the Popenki Orphanage.
Below are the items the orphanage currently needs. I will be getting an updated list shortly. For now, this is what we know is needed...
-Hot water boiler and installation (the building does not have hot water)
-Light fixtures
-Curtains in bedrooms
-Specific personal items needed for the children. There are 300 children at this orphanage.

If you would like to help with funding the construction aspects of this trip please prayerfully consider a monetary donation.
Anyone interested can email me at addingtonk@bellsouth.net until I can get something set up through PayPal and we will coordinate from there.

Donations are tax deductible.
Make checks payable to "U Matter" and I will then be able to send you a receipt.
Be sure to designate to "Popenki Orphanage, Transnistria"

Here is a breakdown of our $2500 goal:

$550 water boiler
$250 hire someone to install the boiler (if team is unable to accomplish)
$450 curtains for girls bedroom...funds have already been raised for this category
$250 replace light fixtures to code
$1000 Misc projects (details coming) and items for children

All donations will go straight to purchasing the items needed to complete the above projects. Since we leave in just a few weeks, we will need to receive all donations by Monday April 25th.

Its been one year...

Today marks one year since my return from Moldova.
I cant believe its been a year!
I also can't believe "we" are about to be going back. This time straight into Transnistria!

There are about 10 orphanages throughout Transnistria. The Lord has given us the opportunity to do some work with a local organization called Help the Children Moldova/Transnistria.

More on our trip and exactly what we'll be doing later...

Hope

Many of you have been following our adoption for the past year and know the whole story of how it began. A few days ago I figured out that there is a way to see how many people view your blog. I was AMAZED to see the number of views from people all over the world - Netherlands, Taiwan, Canada, UK, Croatia, Slovenia, Spain, France, Sweden, Germany, Indonesia, Russia, Moldova...

Several of you who know our story have suggested that we put it ALL in writing for others to hear. And I guess if you are interested, they will be too, especially those who are going through this, who have adopted or plan to.

I find myself reading adoption story after adoption story and they always touch my soul. Hopefully this will touch yours. I pray that as I type, nothing is less or more than it is.

We talk a lot about Moldova and Transnistria. If you don't already know, Transnistria is a breakaway territory in Eastern Moldova and is not recognized by anyone in the world. They have their own currency, stamps, documentation, etc. One of the orphanages we visited was the Popenki Children's Settlement. Since this region is unrecognized, the orphans have little chance of being adopted. It is next to impossible.

While at the orphanage I met a 7 year old little girl (her picture is to the left). I'll refer to her as "Hope" on this blog. At the time I was told her name was Nadia. Later we were informed that her name was not "Nadia" but a name very similar. The director also mentioned that Hope had an aunt who held rights to her -she was one of the many social orphans. 80% of orphans in Moldova/Transnistria are considered "social orphans" because they still have relatives (if not biological parents) who have not relinquished their rights to the child. Most of these children are in the orphanage because their relatives are either incarcerated, abusive, or financially unable to care for them.

Hope had been on my heart (cry-like-a-baby on my heart) from the time I left the orphanage. On the plane home I was reading a Sky Miles magazine and came across an article about a charitable Christmas event held by a European company for the orphans of Transnistria. The article was not only about the orphans of Transnistria but the orphans of the exact orphanage we had just visited. On the page was a photo of the little girl whose face I could see every time I closed my eyes.





Oddly enough, the first thing I told Chris about the whole trip to Moldova was what had happened on the plane home in which he responded, "We have to try and get her". His heart was immediately prepared to start what we had always wanted to do but just didn't feel ready.

So, now you know how this all started.

We started out doing everything we could to adopt Hope. After being told by several lawyers and agencies that it is impossible to adopt from this region of Moldova much less an identified child from this region -we've found ourselves in the Moldovan adoption program.

Hope - One night I woke from a deep sleep, sat straight up and said, "We are going to give her the name Hope". The next morning I remembered saying this and felt a little silly but decided to see what the name Nadia meant... It means Hope.

While working on documents for our Moldovan adoption we decided that we would not give up on Hope until the door completely shut. We needed something other than "impossible". For months we tried to figure out a way to adopt from Transnistria. There was no information to be found. "Its near impossible to bring a child out of a country that doesn't exist" is all we heard. We eventually took it into our own hands and emailed Moldovan govt officials who responded saying "adopting from Transnistria could be done but it has never been done." They gave us a "scheme" of how it could be done if it could be done...you get my point.

Our friends in Moldova who visit the Popenki regularly tried to help us. They told the director about our family and our desire to adopt Hope. They were able to send us new photos of her as well as a video. We were able to get her full name, her birth date, and information about her biological parents. We are grateful to know so much about this one child.

Here's some pictures we've received along the way -





Habakkuk- In a recent dream I had there was a little boy that came to me. He told me his name was Habakkuk and he was from Transnistria. In the dream there was also a hammer (which I did not understand at all). Knowing Habakkuk was a book of the Bible I decided to read it. This should explain my post on Habakkuk...read it. A couple months later a friend sent us an article about Transnistria knowing we'd be interested in which we learned that the national emblem for Transnistria is a "hammer" and a sickle.

In December after months (9 months to be exact) of online researching we came across a non-profit faith based organization called Help the Children located in Transnistria. The organization partners with local churches and aims to motivate local Christian couples to foster orphans. After stumbling across their website we saw that they work closely with Popenki. We contacted the founder of the organization who put us in contact with Anna (sponsorship coordinator PR and fundraising). Anna was interested in helping us with our situation. If she found that nothing could be done she was willing to get Hope into a local Christian foster family.

A few weeks ago Anna contacted me saying she would be in the States for 2 months to raise money for Help the Children. She knew we lived in Georgia and happened to have a few free days betweem her trip from Texas to North Carolina and wanted to meet. Everything worked out and she was able to fly into Atlanta from Texas to stay with us a few days. While she was here she shared her photos with us. There are about 10 orphanages throughout Transnistria. While looking through her photos and videos we found a few of Hope. Here's one...



Her time here was way too short and oh so special! Anna, your passion for the orphans brings tears to my eyes. You touched the hearts of so many people while you were here. Continue making disciples of the world!

For reasons we cannot yet explain, Hope has become a part of our lives and is the face of our adoption. She has appeared in our lives throughout the year in ways only God himself could orchestrate. We believe this with our whole hearts. There is a reason Hope has come into our lives and one day we'll have our answer. We will continue to pray for God's direction and for Hope. His plan is perfect.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5

Update...

Today we received a copy of a letter from the Ministry of Social Protection authorizing our facilitators to look for a child for our family. Lately, everything has been a little slow because of elections and impending changes with some of the ministers. It seems that action was taken on our case as soon as it was known that the same person would continue as the Head of Ministry. We have also been reassured that our case will be processed under the old laws. Our facilitator has been granted permission to visit orphanages, meet with directors and inquire about a girl up to the age of 5 who is legally eligible for adoption and a match for our family. This is great news~!

Habakkuk

“Look among the nations and watch— Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you."


Like a small child, I often find myself asking "why?" "Why did this happen?" "Why, are you doing this?" "WHY?" So many times I find myself on the floor of my dark closet in fetal position begging God to move, to shine light on my path, to speak. Begging for answers...

How long must I pray
Must I pray to You
How long must I wait
Must I wait for You
How long 'till I see Your face
See You shining through

(yes, this is a song)

He does not always answer immediately but he does, however, bring hope. He renews my faith and gives me the strength I need to keep going.

And in that still small voice he speaks the words I've heard so many times... wait patiently, my daughter.

It's in this waiting and being still before God and pouring out my heart that he shows me a whole new understanding of the way he works. Its in this waiting that I get to know God's heart more intimately and see that he has not abandoned me and he is in complete control.

One day this week I woke up with Habakkuk on my heart. Having never read Habakkuk (all 3 chapters at once), I opened my Bible and began to read about a prophet who saw a dying world that broke his heart. Why is there evil in the world? Habakkuk boldy takes his questions to God. He cries out, "How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! Violence is everywhere! I cry, but you do not come to save". In chapter 2 Habakkuk declares that he will wait to hear God's answers. God explains that it may seem as though the wicked triumph, but eventually they will be judged, and righteousness will prevail. It may not come quickly, but judgement will come. The book ends with a prayer of triumph. His questions have been answered and he has a whole new understanding of God's power and love. He rejoices in who God is and in what he will do.

"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon heights" Habakkuk 3:18,19

Father God, THANK YOU for your word. Thank you for wanting to hear from me, all my struggles and doubts even though You already know. Thank you for revealing yourself and sustaining me. Thank you God for hope which comes from you alone. Thank you for reminding me that you are in control of this world in spite of the apparent triumph of evil and one day you will rule with perfect justice. Father, continue to guide this process. Humble us Father so that we can accept your answers and we will patiently await your perfect timing. We will wait with expectation because you will do great things. And may this be all for your Glory. Amen

"I have heard all about you, Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy" Habakkuk 3:2

Where in the world is Moldova? That's what I asked a year ago today.

Christmas-
When I think of Christmas I first think of God's LOVE for us. Yes, the Creator of Heaven and Earth and of all the stars in the sky (which if I may add are more in number than all the grains of sand on the earth) loves us. In fact, He loves us so much that He sent His only Son, a perfect human being, to save us. When I think of Christmas I think of the cross and am reminded of the blood shed on that cross for us. I think of the final and ultimate sacrifice, Jesus.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15


This Christmas we're also reminded of our new found love, Moldova. We are so grateful for and cant help but think of this small country we've come to know and feel a part of this past year...

The Republic of Moldova is a small and lovely landlocked nation in Eastern Europe favorably situated between Romania to the west and the Ukraine to the east. Moldova has been part of Romania as well as the Soviet Union since 1940 and then gained its independence on August 27, 1991. The people of Moldova speak Moldovan (Romanian) and are intensely proud of their country. Moldova enjoys a favorable climate, good farmland, and is famous for its wines; however, it remains the poorest country in Europe, accounting for the placement of many children in orphanages.

The capital city of Moldova is Chisinau, and it is also the largest city in the country. The other major cities in the country include Tighina, Balpi and Tiraspol. The total population in the country, according to the latest estimates is in excess of 4.3 million.

The main ethnic groups living in this country include the Moldovan who account for more than 75% of the total population. The other major ethnic groups living in the country include the Ukranians, the Russians, the Bulgarians and the Gagauz.

More than two-thirds of the people in the country are Orthodox Christians. The rest of the population include Independent Christians, Muslims, Aethists, Protestants and non-religious people.

in a nutshell...

March 21 Started researching Moldovan adoptions. Just trying to figure out where to even start. Moldova is not a popular country to adopt from.

April 11 Started home study process with Adoption Advocates.

May 4 Called Spence-Chapin Adoptions (New York). They are one of the only two agencies with a Moldovan adoption program. The other is North Carolina Adoptions. Supposed to meet with Adoption Advocates for our 2ND home study meeting tonight. After speaking with SC doesn't look like they want us to proceed with this home study. They will not accept a home study completed by and exempt provider. Must use a Hague Accredited agency. Switching gears. Frustrating but hopefully for the best.

May 11 On our behalf, SC contacted a local agency here in GA, "One World Adoptions", to see if they would work with us to complete a home study. Home studies must be completed by someone in the state that you reside and in our case as well as a Hague Accredited provider. Since we are one of SC's networking families they wanted to find a local agency that would work closely together with them.

May 19 Received registration packet from SC - 1st official step in our adoption process!!

May 21 Submitted application to SC

June 4 Partnership with One World and Spence Chapin is officially established. This means we have someone in Georgia that can assist us with a home study. U.S. law requires your home study to be completed by an agency located in the state you reside. Since SC is located in New York they were able to locate and connect with One World here in Georgia. Turns out the director of One World has adopted from Moldova twice. This is pretty much unheard of. Oh, and we're officially accepted into Spence-Chapin's Moldova program!

June 17 Registration phase is complete. Now we begin our next set of paperwork.

June 17 Social worker (Donna) from One World called to let us know she received our application and will be our home study caseworker.

June 22 First meeting with Donna. We love her!

July 7 Received dossier paperwork from SC

August 6 Received draft of home study from caseworker for our review. Yes, we're approved!

August 7 Caseworker sent draft to SC for their review.

August 11 Sent completed Dossier docs back to SC

September 8 Drove into Atlanta to have docs authenticated at State office. Got the runaround. One of the documents was not notarized correctly. Another was not done to "Peter's" liking and needed to be completely redone. I cried in his office and I guess he felt sorry for me because he "let this one slide". Jumped in car and drove 45 min to One World to redo doc. Made it back to Atlanta. All docs are authenticated and ready to be mailed to SC.

September 8 Mailed authenticated dossier docs to SC. From here they will be sent to Moldova to be translated.

September 8 Mailed I800a application to USCIS. 6-8 week wait

September 15 SC mailed Dossier to Moldova for translating (even though we do not have our USCIS approval yet)

September 29 Dossier is in Moldova! Minus the USCIS approval letter which I hope they approve us!

October 2-17 Our agent, Milena Kazakov, will be traveling to Moldova for a conference.

October 18 Milena is back in the office. Can't wait to hear her updates.

October 20 Dossier is translated and ready to be registered with the Ministry of Social Protection. Still waiting on USCIS Approval but Moldova will accept our dossier without this form for now.

October 20 Spoke with our assigned officer with Homeland Security. Our biometrics have been completed and we should have our approval in the mail within the next week.

October 25 Completed POAs for Moldova

October 29 Received our CIS approval from U.S. Immigration! We're approved! Congratulations us! Now back to State office for authentication of this form.

November 2 Back to Atlanta to have CIS approval authenticated. Last document Moldova needs to complete our dossier (for now anyway).

November 2 Emailed copy of approval to Milena. Facilitators in Moldova called this morning wanting us to go ahead and email copy of USCIS form since it will take a few days to get to Moldova. They want to get our dossier through before the Moldovan Parliamentary elections are held (Nov 28). Apparently adoption laws are changing the first of the year "if" a president is elected. New laws are going to be a little more cumbersome but we are hoping to be grandfathered in to the old laws. At this point we are pretty much done with paperwork.

November 12 Dossier has been registered with the Ministry of Social Protection for Families - who oversee international adoptions. This means we can finally say "we are waiting for a referral". We've asked for a little girl age 0-5 years.

November 15 Dossier has been registered with Child Protection Services in Chisinau

November 28 The general elections in Moldova held with no outcome.

December 15 The recount of the votes did not change the parliamentary deadlock. A bloc of pro-European liberals continues to hold 59 seats, and the Communists remain with 42. No group commands a majority of at least 61, required to elect a new President. We have yet to see how this situation will be resolved.

January 18 Social Services granted the Facilitator in Moldova permission to visit orphanages in Chisinau (the capital of Moldova) to try and find a child for our family!

March 23 Informed that the Ministry of Social Protection is now going to be in charge of matching children with families. Our dossier is in their hands. With the new laws that were put in place as of January 31, 2010 there are a few new documents required. Waiting for new documents.

April 5 Completed new docs and mailed to SC. Ministry may or may not accept these documents at this time. We may have to wait until agency has been re-accredited. Due to the new laws, Moldova is requiring agencies in the U.S. to go through this re-accreditation which should be sometime in May.

May 23 Spoke with the man we met on the plane coming home from Moldova. He is from North Carolina and has a business in Moldova. He helps Moldovan students get work visas. He works closely with the US Embassy in Chisinau with immigration and visa processing. He has contacted some people to see if there is anything they can do to help with our situation. We hope this is our answer to finding someone in Moldova to work with our contacts in Transnistria.

May 31 Spoke with agency. Ministry will not accept our new documents until our agency has been re-accredited. Also, re-accreditation will not happen until later this summer - looks like it will be August. In addition, by August most of our documents would be expired (at least 1 year old).

May 31 Chris and I have decided to end our adoption process with Moldova. It was a hard decision but something we've been praying about for the past few months. Not only is the program going through a lot of changes, but after our trip to Transnistria we know that this is where our hearts are. After the conversation with our agency we really feel this path to our child has ended and the door has closed. We will continue to pray for guidance in adopting from Transnistria.

June 1 Sent letter to US Embassy in Chisinau -asking them to put us in contact with someone in Moldova that could tell us what the process would be to adopt a specific child from Transnistria

June 7 Sent a letter to Social Protection in Moldova asking for their assistance with adopting a specific child in Transnistria. While in Transnistria we spoke with several legal experts who are willing to assist us, however, since nothing they do is recognized (except in Transnistria) everything must be redone in Moldova (since Moldova still considers Transnistria part of Moldova). We cannot proceed with anything in Transnistria until we are able to find assistance in Moldova - this process needs to be completed parallel - otherwise we would adopt in Transnistria and be legal there but not legal anywhere else. She would be our child but only in Transnistria.

Transnistria - Europe's Black Hole - 31 min documentary

Some of our favorite verses

Our adoption process has been full of hope and definitely at times been a real test of faith. I wanted to share a few verses I've often found myself resiting.

"Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea, 'and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins too. Mark 11:22-25

I find this to be one of the most powerful verses in the Bible. I have has this verse on my heart lately and it has brought me back to the beginning of our adoption process when someone from an agency we first connected with shared a little encouragement after a long conversation about the frustration and confusion we were encountering.

Here is what she had to say...
Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Great Faith leads to:
-Great undertakings (determined to do whatever is necessary)
-Great expectations (believing for big things done by God)
-Awakens great earnestness (prays with persistence until God moves)
-Conquers great difficulties
-Achieves great victories!!!

We just needed a little reminder that what the LORD purposes in His heart will come to pass. Maybe not in our timing, but it will happen. His delays are not His denials! And He is never late. Thank you Ashley for your encouragement!

Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Proverbs 30:5

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:6

No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:5

We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27

Oh, Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, you who serve at night in the house of the Lord. Lift up holy hands in prayer and praise the Lord. May the Lord, who made heaven and earth, bless you from Zion. Psalm 134:1-3

All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. 2 Corinthians 1:3

O' Lord, you do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them. Isaiah 25:1

Read Psalm 108 (Here, David prays for victory found in God's strength. With God's help, we can claim more than mere survival, we can claim victory! God uses our distress as an opportunity to show his mighty power!!!

The Art of Adoption

Our next fundraiser is quickly approaching and we are so excited about this one!

Fundraisers

Fundraiser #1 U MATTER Sponsored Event: Save The Children Moldova and Fusion Dance

On June 26th we had our first fundraising event along with another family also adopting from Moldova. The event was held at Fusion Dance and Fitness Studio in Woodstock to help raise money to bring our little girl home. Dance classes (Zumba, Pole, and a Latin Couples) were offered for a minimum donation. We also raffled items that were donated by serveral local businesses...

Honeybutter Boutique - a womens dress
Punctuation Boutique - jewelry
Town Lake Cinemas - movie passes
Pure Taquaria - gift card
La Parilla - gift card
Canyons Burgers - gift card
Paris Mullins (my stepdad who is an Optomitrist) - pair of Costa sunglasses
Aveda Salon - gift card
Christian Brothers Automotive - free oil change coupons
BJs - gift card
Town Lake Choi Kwang Do - free training passes
Roly Poly - Sandwich trays

All in all, it was a fun fun night! I learned that I am pretty good on the pole (when it comes to climbing it) and even learned a few tricks (yep, those kind). For those of you seeking upper body strength this is the way to go! That body will burrrn the next day.

Thank you so much Heather for arranging this event for us. You and your instructors were wonderful! Here are a few pictures.

Fusion Dance - flash slideshow maker

Fundraiser #2 Another Man's Junk Is Another Man's Treasure...
and this proved to be true.

A couple we go to church with adopted from Latvia and understand very well the costs that go along with international adoption. They suggested to us that we have a community yard sale to help raise the much needed funds and we sure liked the idea! Thank you Scott and Darice Jamison. First, we sent an email to everyone we knew asking for donations. Sure enough, family, friends, and friends of friends were all calling and more than happy to donate. Some even took it as a time to "clean house". We were extremly grateful! In the end we had a 3 car garage filled with...you name it, we had it!
If you know me, you know I LOVE organization and do not function properly if I am not organized (some of you have even asked me to be your personal organizer). After a couple weeks of "organizing" 3 garages of "stuff" I no longer cared about the contents of our pantry lined accordingly and with all labels facing out, the toilet paper torn precisly from the roll, rabbit ears on the sofa pillows, the spacing of the hangers in my closet, toys in their corresponding bins, towels all folded the same way, etc... Actually, I've started to care again but I do not care to have another yard sale for a very long time! Thank you Betty and Kristen for all the time spent organizing and pricing those items! We burned a lot of calories slapping those price tags on!

For those of you that didn't have the luxury of pricing things, this is pretty much how it went...
Kristen: "How much do you want on this one?"
Kari: " how much do you think on this?"
Betty: "Sistaaaa, how much on this?"
Kristen: "Oh we've got ANOTHER of these, how much?"
Kari: freebie pile, fifty cent pile, dollar pile.
Betty: "Oh, all out of $5 tags, I'll just put a 50 cent'er on it."

No to sound like I've won a Grammy of anything BUT...
MUCH thanks to everyone who helped out. Thank you Tom Fant for allowing us to use your business parking lot. It worked out perfect. Thank you Lane for making extra signs last minute. Thank you Haley for working as though it was you needing the money. Thank you Tom and Jason for running the hot dog stand in the heat. Thank you Mom and Sherrie for keeping up with the money. Thanks Tom and Sherrie for donating all the food. Thank you Jessica and Drew for driving all the way to help and shop. Thank you family and friends for all your support. And THANK YOU shoppers! We never imagined it to turn out the way it did... more confirmation!

Adoption Yard Sale - slide show

...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances Philippians 4:11

Over the past few months it seems I've become so focused on this adoption that I go to sleep thinking about it and I wake up thinking about it. I even plan everything out in my mind how its going to happen. I constantly wonder if its going to happen and when and then eventually become frustrated. It’s easy in life to get so focused on our dreams, goals, and what WE want that it consumes us, even to the point where we’re not going to be satisfied until it happens. Thankfully and once again, my patient Heavenly Father has reminded me that I don't need anything but HIM in order to be happy. When our goals and dreams start to frustrate us, when we lose our peace, and life's no fun, we're probably a little off balance. When we "learn to be content whatever the circumstances", it takes away the power of the enemy and his ability to frustrate us. When you choose to trust in His timing, you can live in peace and you can rest in Him knowing that He has good things in store for your future.

Thank you Father for the freedom to cast my burdens to you. Father God, during this season of waiting I’m choosing to trust You and Your timing because You are faithful. You know my desires and You know what’s best for me, so God I turn all fear and frustration over the dreams of my heart over to You, the Giver of all our desires. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Orphans of Moldova and the Popenki Orphanage in Transnistria

The Orphans of Moldova - flash slideshow maker

The beginning...

This past March I traveled to the country of Moldova with a group from my church. We were the first group to go and it is my prayer that the Lord continues to bless our church with the opportunity to do work in this amazing country. Moldova is a small country landlocked between Ukraine to the east and Romania to it's west and is the poorest country in Europe. It has also been noted as being "the engine" of Human Trafficking.

We spent a lot of time in orphanages throughout Moldova, teaching older children (those about to age out of the system) the dangers of Human Trafficking while also spreading the love of Christ. One of the orphanages we visited was located in the separtist part of Moldova called Transnistria. Transnistria is a breakaway territory located on the eastern border of Moldova. Their sovereignty is not recognized by any other member of the United Nations and the country has no official diplomatic relations. They are referred to as Europe's "Black Hole" country. Basically, no one recognizes them. They do not exist. Oleg (founder of New Hope Moldova) and his wife, Marina (both Moldovan citizens) have established a relationship with the director of this particular orphanage (Popenki). They were able to arrange for us to go and spend time with some of the younger children.

My heart cried out with compassion as I looked into the faces of these children. I layed my hands on as many children as I could and prayed that they would come to know the Lord and His love for them. I prayed that they would find hope amongst the conditions they lived. I prayed that they would overcome all affliction and find famlies. EACH and EVERY ONE!! We have a BIG God and He can do BIG things!

Little did I know, God was at work in more ways than I would have ever imagined.

I took my camera and captured a picture of a 7 year old little girl who has become the face of our adoption and the face of this blog. Her smile has become a constant reminder of God's love for us. It reminds us that there is hope and to never give up on her or any other child. I found that like many institutionalized children, this little girl had an aunt. She was not (by law) "orphaned" and could not be adopted. Her aunt still held rights to her. Sadly enough, this is the same story for a lot of orphans especially those living in Moldova, the poorest country in Europe.

I left this orphanage like I had left the others except with a child's name and small piece of her story.

Still, completely unaware of the Lord's mighty hand at work.

I was on the plane headed home still unaware of what more was to come of my trip to Moldova. Unaware of the love God would instill in both our hearts for a country we had once never heard of.

But God was still at work...

While reading a Sky Miles magazine there in the center of the page was a picture of a little girl with a very familiar smile. The corresponding article was about a charitable Christmas event held by a company for the children of the Popenki Orphanage. Yes, it was the same little girl!

After my trip we felt strongly about where God was leading us to adopt.

It's simply our desire to give a child in need what every child deserves, a home and family to love them. James 1;27 says to look after orphans and widows in their distress. The Lord actually commands us to care for His orphaned children!

After a few years of talking about adoption and praying that God would lead us, we are happy to announce that we've started the adoption process. To Moldova, of course!