In the headlines...

A couple of weeks ago, as I was reading the news, I came across an article about a new ban that was going to be placed on American families adopting children from Russia. My heart skipped a beat, but I really didn't think much of it.

During our first adoption, news came out that adoptions were being threatened. My heart was filled with fear. I checked the news every 5 minutes and I was grieved over the thought that our adoption may fall through. A few weeks went by and we got through Christmas and January and nothing really changed with adoptions. I learned that the Russia/US relationship is pretty shaky, and adoptions are oftentimes threatened with this kind of news, but rarely does anything come of it.

So, fast forward three Christmases. We sit here in the same season we were in three years ago...adoptions to Russia are being threatened again. Over the last 2 weeks, a bill has been written up by the Russian lawmakers to ban adoptions from U.S. families. It passed through the lower level of government with a huge majority. A few days later, it passed through the next level. And just today, it passed through the upper level of the Russian parliament with a unanimous vote. The only thing that is left before it comes into a reality is a signature from President Putin.

I am, by no means a politician. I did not do well in social studies when I was in school and I have never really had strong interest in government and politics. I do not want to oversimplify the complicated facets of international relations with regard to politics. But this much I know:

• The U.S. passed a bill that calls for sanctions against Russians who are deemed to be violating human rights
• In response, the Russian government wrote up a bill that includes the ban of U.S. families adopting from Russia
• This bill has overwhelmingly passed through all of the levels of the Russian parliament (think senate)

I honestly don't think there is anyone to blame through all of this and truly, I don't even know what the right or wrong response should be. If this bill does pass, maybe it will be a chance for Russia to assess their child welfare system and make improvements. Maybe it will allow non-American families to adopt more children since the U.S. is not the only country that adopts from Russia. Maybe this bill will be the catalyst for America and Russia to take steps towards peace and reconciliation. It may have to get messy before it gets better.

But in all of this, my heart is sad for us. We have prayed hard, worked hard, and believed that our daughter is in Russia. If this bill passes, we will have to look at our financial losses and pray for a new path that leads to our daughter. We are not giving up. We believe that God does have a daughter for us somewhere in this world...and we believe it will be a little girl who will come from a situation that seems hopeless without the intervention of a loving family..and this may be the sharp, painful turn that leads us to her. In many ways, it feels like another negative pregnancy test, or a miscarriage. We have come so far in our journey to our little girl. We have prayed for her, thought about her, planned for her, talked about her with Dima...and now, we may have to go back to square one.

There are an estimated 80,000 children in Russian orphanages. And though there are many wonderful Russian families and families from other countries who adopt these children, the U.S. does account for a large chunk of giving these children homes and families. My heart is sad for these children who are going about their lives like they always do, having no idea that a "could be family" will not be because of two governments that can not get along.

"Children get frozen in the cold war", is a sign that one brave Russian held outside the parliament building yesterday. She was detained, along with others who joined in the protest. I received an email from a Russian friend who apologized on behalf of his country. I stay in touch with the kind and wonderful director from Dima's orphanage. And my heart will always be connected with the dear woman who housed us, fed us, translated for us, and loved us while we were in Russia. There are many, many Russians who care for children and know that international adoptions are one of the ways that the orphans in Russia can be cared for.

So we are left with all that there is to do: we pray. We pray for clarity and understanding among law makers and government officials - both here in the U.S. as well as in Russia. We pray for peace. But mostly, we pray for the children, that even through this chaos, they will somehow find a family that will love and care for them.

My dear friend, Jenna, has set up an event on Facebook to pray for this situation. Her hope is to have prayer happening around the clock until there is some type of resolution. If you would like to sign up for a time slot to pray or just join this group to share your encouragement, click HERE.

This is the roller coaster journey we have signed up for. We knew it would not be easy. We knew there would be bumps along the way. We knew that we would get to places along the path where we would feel completely stripped of all control or understanding.

We are in one of those places right now.

We want to walk through this with boldness and confidence that God has the whole world in his hands, that His heart deeply cares for orphans and those who have no one to advocate on their behalf. He is their advocate. We believe He can change hearts and minds. This is our prayer.

Thank you for praying and walking this road with us. There is no promise it will be easy. There is no promise it will turn out in the way we want. But there is absolute promise that God goes before us, that He comes behind us and that He hems us in. There is absolute promise that He is close to the broken hearted. There is absolute promise that He gives peace that passes all understanding.

We rest in those promises while the chaos of this broken world shatters around us.

Until next Monday,
love, Kate, Steve & Dima

Sit Back and Enjoy the Flight

I am not a fan of flying.

There are many reasons, most of all of them completely irrational, but they exist and it is a matter of discipline for me to step on to an airplane, buckle myself in, and "sit back and enjoy the flight." This is the part where I chuckle to myself and think how I neither sit back nor enjoy any part of any flight.

If you've ever flown internationally or a long domestic flight, you know there is a certain schedule to it all. There's the take off: a rush of excitement followed by a "ding" letting the flight attendants everything is going according to plan.

Minutes later there is another ding where the pilot comes on the speakers telling us all it is now ok to turn on electronic devices. If he's a friendly pilot, he'll tell us about the weather at the destination and if he's really good, he'll tell us the route and what we will be passing over. (thank you, friendly pilots!)

A few minutes after that, the fasten seatbelt light turns off, we are told it is "safe to move about the cabin", and we're reminded to keep our seat belts fastened in case of unexpected turbulence.

Then the flight attendants emerge with drink and food carts. I watch them approach each row, handing out diet cokes and cranberry juices. We eat, throw our trash away and then about 2 hours into the flight...all activity ceases. Food service is over, people begin to settle in with a book or an inflight movie or a 6 hour game of bejeweled. They may pop a nyquil and snuggle up to the shoulder of the stranger next to them or begin to blow air into their handy dandy neck pillow. And this, for me, is where the most tortuous part of the plan ride begins. In the nothingness. In the silence.

I have loved the entertainment of the last 2 hours - I can see the action and the flight attendants working hard to meet all of our needs. Their visible work somehow represents to me that the pilots are working hard too. But, when they disappear into their little curtained off area and I see no movement about the cabin, I start to fear. (Irrational, yes...I know...trust me, I know).

When I DON'T see action, I question if anything is happening. I feel a bump along the way and I try to peek ahead through the dark aisles but all I see if a big, securely locked metal door. What is happening behind that door? What are the pilots doing? Are they asleep? Did they feel that bump? If I could just see behind that door...

And that is where we are in the adoption process right now. The "action" has subsided. Our paperwork is all in. Now we wait. In silence. There is nothing more to do. And this is when it is easy for the fear to kick in. This is when my mind starts to wander into the "what if's". What if our paperwork somehow got lost along the away, or accidentally buried underneath a pile of more important paperwork?

When I don't feel the action of the process, I often question if things are still moving.

Ultimately, this whole issue I have about airplanes and paperwork roots back to a fundamental belief about God. Do I trust Him? Do I trust that even when I don't see or if I am not a part of the pieces and parts moving, that pieces and parts are still moving? And not just moving at random, but in His goodness and Divine story for our lives, and for the life of our little girl. Sometimes silence and waiting are a part of the purpose.

I like things that are seen. Tangible things I can hold in my hands. But, God brings me back to this beautiful and mind-bending truth: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

It goes against my nature to sit in row 38F, close my eyes, and rest in the silence of an airplane, trusting that the pilot is working hard on our behalf, even though I may never see him.

And it goes against my nature to sit in my home and find joy with our family of 3, without constantly worrying and wondering if "they" are doing their part to bring our little girl home.

And it goes against my nature to sit in God's presence and rest...and to fix my eyes on the unseen. To trust in His goodness and story He is writing in and through our family's life.

But, it is what He asks of us..and it is for our good. Thank you for sitting in this row with us. For waiting in the silence and holding our hands along the journey. It's a lonely one at times, filled with many more questions than answers. But we are grateful God has given us so many people who encourage us with their words, their prayers, and their financial support. We truly could not do this without you!

So I'm going to try my hardest to sit back and enjoy the ride.

UPDATES:

• Waiting. We are coming upon Russia's big holiday month in January. 
• Therefore, referrals really slow down at this time due to holiday schedules. Thankfully, we know that and don't expect to hear much these next couple of months.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• For our little girl. That she would be loved, cared for, treated uniquely.
• That her orphanage would do something special this month for Christmas and the New Year
• For our hearts as we wait and go through this holiday season with her in our hearts, but not in our home

Until next Monday...love, Kate, Steve & Dima.

Abundant Life

In the history of blog writing, I have never skipped a week of writing a blog, let alone 2 weeks. As I wrote in my last entry, my mom has been diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma cancer. It has been a whirlwind! What appeared as an enlarged lymph node from an infection that needed to be removed quickly turned into a phone call reporting the findings of metastatic melanoma in her lymph node. My heart and mind just sort of stood still. 

As I thought about writing a blog, nothing in the adoption process would come to me that seemed significant compared to what was going on in my heart as I was processing what it means that my mom has cancer. We took a spur of the moment trip to visit her and help (as best we could) as she recovered from surgery.  We were able to have “in person” talks about the future. From North Carolina, Steve and 2 others from The Chapel, left for 2 weeks to teach at a Pastor’s Conference in India. It's amazing what can happen in just a couple of weeks!

Part of the follow up with my mom's cancer is making decisions regarding further treatment. She sat in the doctors’ office with my dad and brother (while my brother texted me every detail along the way)...and the options were laid before her.  I won't go in to all of the details of the options, side effects, percentages, etc. but in the end, she has chosen the option to do no further treatment and to continue on with a healthy lifestyle. As she and I talked it through on the phone and she explained to me her heart, the words that kept coming back to me were "abundant life". Now, I know that every cancer is different, every story is different, and every drug affects people differently.  In no way do I feel that the choice she has made is right for everyone, but for my mom and her story, she is choosing to live the rest of her life in abundance… to the full...for however long that may be. We all have such a peace in the decision.

And as the words "abundant life" came to me in reference to my mom, it reminded me that those were the same words God placed on my heart about 7 years ago. Steve and I decided to part ways with the medical route towards becoming parents. Prior to that, in our effort to have a child, biologically, we had journeyed a rough couple of years filled with lots of medication and doctor’s appointments.  My moods were completely unpredictable. My thoughts were consumed with getting pregnant. My calendar revolved around ovulation. My feelings were like shifting shadows - happy and hope filled at a doctor's promise of "getting us pregnant" and deeply saddened and frustrated when that same doctor told me I was pregnant, only to find out hours later that he was mistaken. Even though I didn't want "pregnancy" to become my everything, the medical path we were choosing forced us to. Doctors appointments multiple times a week and medications to be administered at specific times of certain days made us have to think about it at all times.

I remember a day when I was just crying out to God. I was so frustrated about who I was becoming. When was the last time I had laughed? Or experienced true joy? When was the last month I had just enjoyed?  As I was praying, this verse came to my mind...

"The thief (the enemy) has come to steal and kill and destroy, but I (Jesus) have come so that you can have abundant life - life to the full." (John 10:10)

It was as if God was gently and graciously asking me, "How would you define your life right now? Are you experiencing this 'life to the full' I have for you?" And in that moment I had to say “no”. I was living a life robbed of joy, a life that was on a course to destruction. At that point, Steve and I made the decision to no longer take the medical path towards parenthood. It made no sense to our doctor; he was frustrated because he felt like there was "more he could do". Even friends didn't quite understand. But there was a peace deep in my heart as we made that decision. I was getting my life back...abundant life. It was no longer about getting pregnant, it was about becoming the woman God wanted me to be. And as we sacrificed the dream of bringing life into this world in a biological way, God, the Ultimate Story Teller, was preparing us for our little boy. A little boy who had physical life, but needed to be able to experience life to the full. God is so creative...my surrender to barrenness actually led us down a path of life. 

And so, here we are, in the process of bringing home our daughter. This time around, my heart is filled with joy and anticipation, knowing what it is like to bring a child into our family. I can't wait to tell her about the story God has written to form our family. I can't wait for her to see the beauty of our God that turns loss into gain…pain into joy…fear into rest…death into life...Abundant Life.

UPDATES:
-We just received a document in the mail that officially states we have been approved by the US government to adopt. That was the final piece of paperwork we were waiting on for this phase of the journey.
-We continue to receive kind and generous gifts - even amidst the busy-ness of the Christmas season. We are so thankful!

PRAYER REQUESTS:
-Please pray for wisdom for those who are making decision concerning our referral - that we would be matched with the perfect child for our family.
-Pray for our little girl as it gets colder...that she would be in an orphanage with working heat, that she would be bundled up and warm and hugged extra.

Until next Monday, love, Steve, Kate and Dima

Snapshots of Passport to Always

A few months ago, my dear friend Rachel came up with the idea of putting together a big fundraiser to raise money for our adoption. She and her husband are youth leaders at our church. Her dream for this event was for it to be big and for it to provide an opportunity for high schoolers to be involved.

A small group of us met every couple of weeks in her home to dream, plan, and pray for what this day would look like. We spent hours of time and energy asking for donations, coordinating details, and enlisting the help of student and adult volunteers. It was a massive undertaking. We decided to set the date for November 10th and called it "Passport to Always." We wanted the name to be a beautiful picture of the journey our little girl will go on to join our family, along with the journey we'll go on to bring her home...for always.

The week finally came.

Every day I would hear of new donations that were being given for the silent auction: everything from spa packages to date nights to free car washes for a year to beautiful, imported Russian toys. Every day I would hear of new baked items that were being made for the bake sale: Cake pops and pumpkin rolls, biscotti and all kinds of cookies...lovingly baked by friends and people I have never met! Hours and days had been spent on beautiful handmade items like wreaths, coffee mugs, baby blankets and lamps.

My parents were able to come up from North Carolina for the week leading up to the fundraiser. My mom and I spent the days shopping for the event and working on last minute details.

The night before the event, we went to the church to load up all of the donations that were being stored there. Upon arrival we saw our good friends, Eric, Adrianne and Ashley working hard late into the night to make this big event special.

We arrived very early at the venue on Saturday morning and there were already people there setting up, sweeping, mopping, moving tables, and decorating the room. To look around and see my mom behind the concession counter, my dad unloading people's cars and my closest friends carefully placing each donation item on the tables was overwhelmingly beautiful.

As the start time inched closer, last minute donations found their way into the room. A parent of one of our high school student dropped off 15 beautifully decorated cakes from a local bakery. And high school students started spilling in to give of their time as child care workers, parking attendants, grillers, and concession workers.

Finally the doors opened, the event began and people started to come.

The silent auction table surrounded by vendors

Team Garcia shirt designed by a high school student

As I looked around the room, I took mental snapshots of moments that I will store in my heart forever. I saw two middle school girls, joyfully handing out hotdogs and nachos...both girls were adopted from Russia years ago. As I saw their hard work and their joy as they served, I was inspired and so proud of who these beautiful young women have become...and I wonder, will my daughter look like one of those girls (I sure hope so :)). Their faces brought a beautiful reality to the day for me.

Another snapshot was looking at my dear friend, Rachel who planned and dreamed up this event months ago, waddling (and I say that with as much love as possible) around, 9 1/2 months pregnant. We wondered if she would actually have her baby AT the fundraiser. What love and sacrifice! I can only imagine how exhausted she was, but she served all the way until the end with joy and love.

One of the vendors who was selling homemade baby items, handed me a rolled up stack of money at the end of the day with tears in her eyes. She spent a majority of her day, serving us and helping us bring our daughter home. We hugged and I thanked her with tears in my eyes as I thought of the many sacrifices of the countless people who came together for this day. For this cause.

I came home to a message she had written me,

"it was such a privilege to help in your fundraiser this afternoon. it brings tears to my eyes to think of a sweet little girl who will soon be so lucky to have you and Steve as parents. It makes me even more emotional watching you, as a mother fight so hard for your daughter and knowing you cannot wait for the day when you hold her safe in your arms." 

But the reality is, anyone would fight for their own child. What is most amazing to me, was to see the hundreds of people who came together to work so hard for someone ELSE'S child. That is something I will hold in my heart.

Finally, a precious snapshot I have was seeing my mom. Just a couple of weeks ago, after this fundraiser was already planned, she was diagnosed with cancer. And though it would have been totally understandable for her to not even make the trip up to North Carolina this week, she came anyway. And she worked so hard and gave so much. She was being her normal self - laughing and talking and making people feel good - all the while, knowing that she was going to come back to her home just days later to face a tough surgery and an unknown future.  

And to see my dad, following Dima around all day, buying him an endless amount of cake pops and working hard moving tables and cleaning up - being his normal self - all the while, knowing he was feeling the uncertainty and stress of what was to come for his wife. Grandparents, hard at work, giving of themselves to bring their grandchild home, even in the midst of their own pain. That memory will be forever melded into my heart.

My mom working the concession stand

My dad sharing a hot dog with Dima

It was a day I will never forget..for many reasons. 

I can't put into words my gratitude and as I'm writing even now, I'm realizing I haven't even mentioned how much money was raised. Because for me, the blessing of this day was about watching and being a part of a beautiful community coming together for a bigger cause. The beauty of family and close friends loving us and sacrificing for us and working so hard to help bring our little girl home. That is what stands out in my mind...but if you're wondering...we are $5000 closer to bringing our little girl home. Wow. Is God amazing or what?

UPDATES:

• I am hoping to go up to Cleveland this week to redo my fingerprints. Steve will practice pushing my thumb down on a table Tuesday night and if it doesn't break open, I will head to Homeland Security Wednesday morning.
• We found out this week that there are some issues with our home study that need to be resolved before we can move forward. This is not an issue with Russia, but the U.S. government who is approving our home study. We hope to resolve this tomorrow.
• I was hoping that one of our high school students, Sydney, would have been able to help at the fundraiser...but she was busy doing something else. On the same day, her public high school was having a craft fair of their own and she and a group from her school's Key Club were selling homemade jewelry to give the proceeds to..our adoption. Wow, I'm just so overwhelmed to see people of all ages using the gifts and talents God has given them to help bring our daughter home. Thank you Sydney and Ellet High School Key Club!

PRAYER:

• Please continue to pray for the details of paperwork and fingerprints. They are a tedious part of this process and so much of it is out of our control. Please pray we would find favor with the officer who is in charge of approving our home study.
• Please pray for our little girl who we believe is in fact born already. Pray she is getting special, one on one attention from whoever she is with right now.
• Pray for us as we wait and trust in God's timing through this process.

Until next Monday - love, Kate, Steve & Dima.

Our Birth Story

As I was scrolling through my facebook newsfeed this past week, checking out halloween pictures and political rants, I came across a question that stopped me in my tracks.
  

"Is adoption the answer for infertility, or is infertility the answer for orphans?"

I read this question over and over again. It struck me and convicted me and inspired me. I've had similar thoughts over the past few years as my passion for orphan care has grown. I've often wondered, would I care this much about orphans if infertility was NOT a part of my story?

About eight years ago, I was sitting around a living room playing a board game with friends. It was one of those games where a hypothetical question was asked and you had to guess who answered the question in what way. One question posed was, "what is the worst thing you could ever tell your husband?" One of the girls answered, "That I can't have children". 

In that moment, it felt as if my heart stopped. The past few weeks prior to this game had been spent in fertility clinics and the reality of my infertility was slowly beginning to set in. The girl who made this statement had no idea what was going on in my life and the truth was, her answer was also my answer...except for the fact that in my life this wasn't a game.

Up until now, I have never experienced more pain than going through the grief process of infertility. It shook me to my core. It has forced me to question true womanhood, God's goodness, obedience, blessing, and why God doesn't always answer prayers the way we want Him to. The loss of my dream of what I imagined life would be was a long and painful death.  

I really don't like the phrase, "everything happens for a reason." It slaps a quick fix, cop-out answer to the hard things of life. Instead, what I have come to believe about the way God works is that He takes ashes and turns them into beauty...if we let Him. So, please don't hear me wrongly. I absolutely do not believe that God GAVE me infertility. He is the giver of life, He is the giver of good things. Every good and perfect gift comes from his hand. Infertility does not fit in that category. 

But, I do absolutely believe that God takes the pain, brokenness, and barenness of this world and brings healing, restoration, and life. Had it not been for infertility, I can honestly (and shamefully) say, I don't know if I would care for orphans like I do today. 

I would read verses like James 1:27, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God means caring for orphans and widows in their distress..." and say, "wow, that seems hard. If I knew an orphan, I would surely help them." But to seek out orphans to bring into my home, I just don't think I would. I wish that sentence were different. 

But as God tended to my heart during those excrutiating months and years of fertility treatments and the heart wrenching pain of seeing multiple negative pregnancy tests, He began to birth in my heart a passion. A passion for the fatherless, a heart for children who, without adoption, would grow up living in cold institutions void of the security, love and strength of a family.

God has transformed my pain into a passion. He did not heal me of infertility or take away any of the pain. Instead, He gave me something fruitful to do with it. The birth of a CHILD was replaced with the birth of a CALLING.

Parenthood became no longer about me "getting to be a mom", but about a passion God had firmly rooted in my heart to give a name, a future, and a hope to an orphan. In my life, infertility was the answer for orphans. 

And these "orphans" are now my children. They bring me life. They give me hope and inspire me in their strength of heart. Something I thought I was doing for someone, in turn, has given me more joy than I could have ever have imagined. Isn't that how God works? He always out-gives. When we think we are doing something for Him, He always gives us back more than we could imagine. 

UPDATES:

• Unfortunately, our fingerprinting appointment had to get postponed (after traveling to Cleveland), when my injured thumb did not cooperate. We have to return when it is fully healed. Though I know it is just a minor set back, it is still frustrating!
• our HUGE FUNDRAISER is happening THIS SATURDAY from 12pm-3pm at First Glance in Akron. Please tell your friends and PLEASE RSVP on the facebook event page. It will really help as we plan for food! Click HERE to RSVP.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Please pray for our fundraiser on Saturday - that God would blow us away with His provision and that it would be fun and a great time to raise awareness for adoption.
• Please pray for our little girl. That she would be love and cared for, held during these cold months and treated uniquely.

Until next Monday, love Kate, Steve, & Dima.

2 1/2 years plus 1 day

October 24th, 2012 was a very special day for us. It marked the day where Dima has officially been in our home and family longer than he has not been. When Dima joined our family he was 2 1/2 years old. For 2 1/2 years he spent life apart from us. October 24th was the official marker of 2 1/2 years plus one day. So the majority of Dima's young, little life has been spent with us!

He's 5 years old now and we can say that he has known us the longest. He has fallen asleep in his bed more times in our home than not in our home. He has used the words "mommy and daddy" referring to us more times than he hasn't. He has been cuddled and kissed and has been called "our son" longer than he hasn't. This was a big day for us.

For the last 2 1/2 years, since he has been home, much of our time and efforts have been on ensuring his security in our family and in our love.

The first 6 months home, we were the only ones in his life to help him fall asleep, feed him, kiss his booboos, change his diapers, bathe him. The adoption world calls this "cocooning". To the outside world, it may seem silly or strange to watch a 3 year old be fed by his mom with a spoon, or silly to UN-potty train just to RE-potty train.

There were many times in his first year home where I held Dima in my arms, for hours at a time, while he screamed and thrashed and struggled to understand what comfort from a mother's hold looks and feels like. He would have much rather have been left to the corner he chose where he could deal with his frustration on his own.

The voice in my head would tell me "just put him down if it makes him stop crying. It would be much easier that way and he would be happier...and so would I." I hated watching him cry, but I hated even more the thought that he didn't find comfort in my arms. So I would hold him, and often let both of our tears intersect on his cheek. I would sway back and forth, not allowing for his physical outcries to affect me.

I would whisper softly into his ear..."mama's here. Mama will help you calm down." And finally, his whole body would retreat, he would melt into my arms and stop crying. We would breath together, his breath matching mine, and then I would hug him and let him down.

Those days were brutal, but they were tremendously vital for building trust, love and attachment with our son. For children who are born into loving families, these lessons are learned from the moment their head touches their mother's chest after their first breath. These children learn that their diaper will be changed when it is dirty, they will be fed when they are hungry, and they will be comforted when they are sad.

They learn that their mother's arms are a place of comfort, nourishment and rest. They learn that their father's arms are a place of security and provision. These are deep truths that children learn that many parents don't even realize they are teaching.

But, for children who experience neglect in the early months and years of their lives, those lessons are not learned. In fact, in many cases, a different lesson is learned: that there is no one to trust. They learn if they want something, they have to fight for it. They learn that in order to survive, they have only themselves to rely on.

So, Wednesday October 24th was a very special day. It marked the trust built, the love received and the hope restored in a life, in a family. We wanted to celebrate. Many families choose to do a dedication of their child when they are a baby. Sometimes this includes a baptism or a ceremony. We simply didn't have the opportunity to do a baby dedication with Dima.

So, on Friday evening, to celebrate this day in our family's life, we decided to have a dedication service for Dima. We wanted it to be a spiritual marker of committing our son into the hands of God - for His work and His plans for Dima's life.

We gathered in a little chapel inside our church with a few close friends. We asked each person to write a word that they would commit to praying over Dima for the remainder of his life and then to draw a picture of what that word represented. After this, each family presented their word to Dima and gave him the picture. Here were the words:

Assurance 

Potential

Strength

Story

Kingdom-Builder

Purity

Joy

Brave

Then Dima sat on a little chair and we all gathered around him and prayed these words over him. It was a beautiful marking of this special day as we celebrated his present, his past, and his future.

And our thoughts, of course, shifted to our little girl. We yearn for the day when we will celebrate her being a part of our family longer than she hasn't, when trust will be established, and the words "mommy, daddy, and brother" roll off her tongue without a second thought.

UPDATES:

• We will be fingerprinted on Thursday afternoon as a part of being "accepted" by the US government to adopt an orphan
• We were just informed by our agency that 3 weeks ago, our paperwork was sent to Russia and translated, officially registering us as adoptive parents. 
• Our case manager said the wait could be anywhere from 8-18 months. Our hearts sunk. This was much longer than we were expecting...but trusting that God has our daughter perfectly picked out for our family.

FINANCIAL UPDATE:

On NOVEMBER 10th. 12pm-3pm there is a HUGE FUNDRAISER in the Akron, OH. area...

• I am blown away by the amount of items donated for a silent auction: Vacations, sports packages, spa packages, kids books toy baskets, imported Russian collectibles, Chik-fila meals, and so much more. We have around 40 items donated. 
• There will be concessions - hotdogs, nachos, popcorn, drinks -so come hungry!
• There is going to be a fun corn hole tournament that anyone can join, with multiple ways to win prizes!
• There will be a bake sale with tons of homemade yummy treats to bring home or snack on while you are there
• There will be activities for the children: crafts, games, story telling, and a balloon making clown!
• There will be vendors who will be giving a portion of their proceeds toward our adoption: Usborne books, 31 bags, sterling silver jewelry, homemade craft items, homemade bread and bread making classes, homemade purses...truly something for everyone!!

PLEASE RSVP on the Facebook page by clicking HERE. It will be really helpful to know how many to expect for concession purposes.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Please pray that our referral would come much sooner than expected. Though I love the idea of not traveling to Russia in the winter, I hate the thought of waiting 8-18 more months!!
• Pray that God would continue to stir in the hearts of people to give
• Pray for our little girl - that she would be held and treated specially.

Until next Monday, love Kate, Steve & Dima.

3 Octobers Ago

It was 3 years ago this week that Steve and I flew in an airplane to Russia to meet our son face to face for the first time. The day is forever seared into my mind and I will never forget that moment of sitting in the orphanage doctor's office and her door opening. In walked this sweet, quiet, timid, beautiful little boy.

For years he had been just a dream, a prayer. I would close my eyes and try to picture what he might look like. In my mind was a little body with his face blurred out. That was the image of my child for  the 2 years leading up to this day. Then finally, in early October, we received this picture...

My eyes' gaze would look beyond the scratches and bruises on his sweet, little face and I would be drawn into his deep, brown eyes. There was a story in those eyes. There was life in those eyes. This was my son and I knew it immediately.

I carried that picture around everywhere I went. I showed it to anyone who would give me the chance. The paper this picture was printed on became soft and wrinkled from the exchanging of hands and the shedding of tears. Dima's picture went everywhere I did. Then just a few weeks later, we were face to face. The life that started as a dream, then a prayer, then a picture was now standing before us.

October 19-24, 2009 is a week that brings back some great memories. We had such a wonderful time with our son. We connected right away, spending those four days playing and laughing. Then came the goodbye.

For him, he just took the hand of his caregiver and walked out the door, not once looking back. We were left in a quiet orphanage room, taking in the reality of having to say goodbye. We had to have faith that he would be taken care of and fed and kept warm through the winter. We had to have faith that the logistics would continue to work out. We had to have faith that God would make it possible for us to come back for him. That was one of the most difficult days of my life.

And so here we are, three Octobers later. Our home is filled with the beauty and craziness of our son. There are fingerprints on the window as I write, there are Legos strewn about the floor and his book bag hangs on the door knob. Dima's marks are all over this house.

What is missing is any trace of a daughter.

Right now there are only prayers and dreams. What will she will look like? How will she will fit into our family? How will she will get along with her big brother?

Just like the first time around, I close my eyes and try to picture her and I only see a blurred out face. I believe God gives me this picture to protect any sort of expectation. Even when I try hard to imagine what she might look like or be like, I come up with nothing.

And so I pray. I pray that she is safe. I pray that if she is already in the orphanage, that she would be getting special attention and protected from any sort of evil. And I pray that God would be preparing her heart for us.

People often talk about how much Dima looks like us, especially Steve. Sometimes when people say this they follow it up with a statement along the lines of, "doesn't that show you that he was meant to be your child?"

I do think it is crazy how much Dima looks like us. That was never something we requested or even expected. But I don't believe...I can't believe...that this is a sign that he was meant to be our son. What if our daughter doesn't look like us? What if she has red hair? What if she is has dark skin? What does that say about her? Are we left to conclude she is any less meant for our family?

When we first saw Dima's picture three years ago, we knew he was our son... not because of his looks, but because of our peace. God put an indescribable peace and joy in our hearts when we laid eyes on him. It was as if the Spirit within us leapt at the sight of his face. That is how we knew he was meant to be ours. And that is how we believe we are going to know when we see our daughter for the first time. Lord, let our hearts leap!

Happy three year "Meet-ya" day, our sweet little Dima! You were our little boy long before we ever met. Now we wait and pray and wonder what God has in store for our little girl.

UPDATES:

• We have a HUGE fundraiser coming up on November 10th from 12pm-3pm. There will truly be something for everyone. 
• We have secured multiple vendors who will be selling great, unique products. We are still collecting awesome donations for baskets that will be auctioned off. As of right now, we even have a week long vacation at a Lakeside lakehouse that will be up for auction! 
• There will be a fun, fast paced corn hole tournament and the winner will win a custom made corn hole set.
• For the kids, there will be children's activities going on for the whole time with responsible students and adults hanging out with them so you can shop or play! 
• Come for lunch and grab a bake sale item on your way out. 
• Here is a flyer - feel free to pass it along to everyone you know or print it out and hand them out to your friends, coworkers,  or neighbors. It's going to be a great time!! Please RSVP on the FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE as we start planning for food. 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• We have our appointment scheduled with the Homeland Security Office in Cleveland for November 1st. I injured by thumb and had to get multiple stitches last week. Please pray my thumb would heal and it would not interfere with the fingerprinting!
• Pray for our little girl - that God would protect her with His loving arms.
• Pray for us as we wait and prepare for our daughter.

Until next Monday, love, Steve, Kate & Dima.

Money and His Goodness

The thought of adding a new child into our family is overwhelming, as I'm sure it is for any family deciding to expand. How can I love a child as much as I love the one we have now? How will I handle a change in our routine? How will our family dynamics change? How will our sleeping (or lack thereof) change? How will we overcome the huge financial hurdle?

It's overwhelming. I think what it all boils down to is this question: "how much do I trust God to work through people?" 

It's crazy to think that right now, our paperwork is sitting on someone's desk in Russia, who is looking over our information and deciding which child will be ours. That is scary. So I pray, "Lord, work through people. Give them Your wisdom." As I pray, I picture God lifting the hands of a Russian official and perfectly joining a child's face with our family's paperwork. How much do I trust God to work through people?

As for the financial component of this adoption, I have to believe that the same God who can perfectly pair us with our daughter can perfectly provide for our monetary needs. And as I think about story after story of people who have given money towards our adoption, I am truly blown away by how many have done so as a response to a direct prompting  from God.

A few days ago I received a facebook message from a friend who shared with me that she and her husband are thinking about adoption for themselves. She hosted a small yard sale, thinking it would be a good idea to start a new savings account for this idea of adoption. 

She went on a run and said it was as if God was speaking to her saying, "give the money to the Garcia's adoption." She said there had been very few times in her life where she felt such a clear, direct and specific request from God. She spoke back to him, "But God, it's not as if I'm using this money for shoes or starbucks or new clothes!! I'm using it for saving an orphan! Isn't that what you want?" Again, it was as if God said to her, "give it to the Garcia's. I have other plans for you." She and her husband prayed over it and decided to give us the money. And with the money, they gave us their story of obedience, a story that reminds us that He is working specifically and uniquely in people to help bring our daughter home.

This past weekend, Steve was at a conference hosted by our church. As he was walking through the hallways, a girl approached him. She was one of our former high school students who is now in college. We don't see her often, but when we do, she is always a joy to be around. 

She ran up to Steve and with a huge smile of disbelief she said, "I can't believe I ran into you!! I have money for you!" She went on to say that she had been feeling like God wanted her to give towards our adoption but she didn't know how or when. She kind of just brushed it off, but before she came to the conference, she felt a strong stirring in her heart to stop by the bank and take out some cash. She prayed that God would lead her to see Steve in person that night as a confirmation. Sure enough, he was walking out just as she was walking in. With tears in her eyes, she graciously handed Steve a wad of cash. And once again, we got to step into someone else's story of obedience.

These are just 2 recent stories, but there are many more. Although this process can be overwhelming, God continues to show me that He is faithful and that He will use people to meet our needs. 

Though it is never easy to ask for or accept money, God is doing more than just giving us money for our adoption. He is giving us stories. Not only are we blessed and deeply encouraged, but I believe those who are responding to the stirrings of God in their hearts are also getting a glimpse into the intense blessing of obedience. 

I love that my friend got to experience such a close movement of God. I love that this college student got to watch God answer a specific prayer right  before her eyes. I am so grateful for all of those who have joined with us in this journey. I am grateful for the money, but I am just as grateful that God is up to something bigger and He is using others to tell stories of His goodness. 

UPDATES:

• still waiting :)
• We are excited about a HUGE fundraiser coming up on November 10th called "Passport to Always." Click HERE for details and make sure you RSVP on the facebook event page.
• If you have any desire to donate ANYTHING for this fundraiser, please email Rachel Fairfax: rachel.fairfax@the-chapel.org
• They are wanting to collect baskets to raffle, gift cards, any type of home made goods or services to purchase. Anything you can think of! 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• for our little girl, that she would be uniquely loved and cared for, and that she would be in a warm place as we approach the cold season.
• for wisdom for the Russian officials and our agency as they place our daughter with us.
• for our continued fundraising - that God would continue to stir in the hearts of people to give

Until next Monday, love, Kate, Steve & Dima.

Our Own

About a year ago, Steve and I began to feel a stirring to increase our family. Before deciding to begin another adoption process, we made a visit to the reproductive endocrinologist. Though adoption was heavy on our hearts, I wanted to assess where my body was before we made the final decision. I have never been given a diagnosis of "there is a 100% chance you will never get pregnant", so there was always a lingering possibility of "maybe this month".

When I entered the office I was reminded that my last time here was the catalyst for Dima's adoption. That was the day I was told that I was pregnant, only to find out a few hours later that the pregnancy was not in fact a pregnancy.

My heart beat quickly as I walked up the stairs and into the familiar waiting room of the doctors office. Many a tear had been shed in that room; many hopeful moments of wondering if this will work; many bonding moments of seeing the same women in the office morning after morning for blood tests; many times of sharing in the joy with other "success stories". And so there I sat, 3 years later in that same waiting room. Though the wallpaper was the same, the receptionist was the same, the books laid out to read were the same, much had changed in my heart and life.

Finally I was called back into the doctors office. The doctor remembered me and we small talked a little about how life has been the past three years. I shared with him about our amazing son. I always have to smile when I talk about Dima. He has brought more joy into my life than I ever could have imagined.

But my smile was met with a curious look of frustration on the doctor's face. In an arrogant tone, he said to me, "so you gave up trying to have a child of your own?"

I sat in silence. I'm sure my face went white with trying to hold back either tears or a very angered response. I quietly said, "He is my own. Dima is my own." In that moment I could think of nothing else to say other than repeating the truth that was so real in my heart.

Thankfully our time was coming to a close anyway. I paid at the front desk and the receptionist asked if I wanted to schedule my follow up appointment. "No thank you. I am finished here."

As I drove home, tears streamed down my face. I furiously prayed for our son that he would never, never feel like he is in our family because we "gave up". And in that moment, it was confirmed in my heart that adoption is absolutely the next step for our family. I fully believe God has a daughter for us and though she may not come into our home in a biological way, she will be no less our own.

Over the past few months, I have continued to think about this comment from the doctor and my heart was led to verse after verse in the Bible about how God has called us "His own", how we are adopted in His family.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are".  ~1 John 3:1

To be called the "Children of God" is more than just having a title, it is an identity. Our son is not just CALLED our son...He IS our son. He is our own.

May he always believe that in his core. And as we wait for our daughter, my prayer is that even now at this very young age, God would be supernaturally placing this truth into her heart. May neither of our children ever feel that they were second best, but that before they even came into this world, God had a plan for their lives...a plan that may not be traditional, but a plan that is very close to the heart of God.

UPDATES:

• waiting :) 
• A few friends are planning a big fundraiser that we are calling "Passport to Always" on November 10th from noon-3. There will be something for everyone - a huge cornhole tournament,  many unique vendors selling a huge variety of gifts, services and items, fun for the kids and food. Put it on your calendar and more information will be available soon!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for our little girl: that she would be held and loved and treated uniquely
• Pray for continued finances as we prepare for travel costs and a large international fee that will be due on our first trip
• Pray for wisdom as our family's documents move across the desks of Russian officials. Pray that they will find favor in us and place us with the daughter God has for us. 

Until next Monday, love Kate, Steve & Dima.

Into the Waiting

This past week, we accomplished a pretty big milestone. We completed our dossier, which is the initial file of documents sent to Russia requesting the adoption of our little girl. Along with this, we also completed 100 documents that have been sent to 4 specific regions in Russia, to request a child. All that to say, we are "officially" on the waiting list.

So, what does this mean? It means that all of the running around and making appointments grinds to a halt. Now we settle in for one of the toughest parts of the journey...the waiting. This is the day after day, week after week, month after month nothingness.

Even though the paperwork phase of this adoption is tedious, it does help us feel like we are doing something to speed the process along. For the next few months, there will be no paperwork to keep us busy and our answer to "how is the adoption going" is going to be the same..."good, just waiting."
We have no idea when we will get a referral, or from what region, or how old she will be. Now we just sit and wait and trust, and wait and trust, and wait and trust.

In many ways, this is a very lonely and helpless leg of the journey. We are in the waiting room. We dream and wonder and think about what this little girl may look like or what her personality is going to be, but we don't know. And no amount of dreaming or wondering or worrying will bring a referral any faster. Which is difficult for a "do-er" like me.

Life goes on as normal for all of us. It is in these months where we desperately need community and encouragement. God has already given us so much of this already and it has been such an incredible blessing to our hearts as we are reminded of those who are walking this road with us.

Every night we pray and thank God for all He has given us and how He has continued to provide for this adoption. We are continually blown away by His provision. Almost daily we receive a check in the mailbox. We go to our paypal account and find that money has been placed there by strangers.

God shows Himself through people who offer financial provision. He also shows Himself through people who offer encouragement. This past Sunday, I was walking through our church when a sweet friend handed me a wrapped gift. In it was this beautiful print...a reminder of Dima and a hope for our daughter...

My eyes welled up with tears as we hugged. I was once again reminded of how important it is to walk this journey with community. Not just for finances, though we are so grateful for that. But, just as important - the emotional encouragement that comes with a gift like this - that reminds us that there are people praying for us and walking with us, encouraging us all along the way. 

And above all, God shows Himself in the ways that He is affecting people's hearts and lives through this story. Just this morning, I received a message from a friend who is a mom of one of our students who helps out in Dima's 5 year old class at church. She said that her daughter was so encouraged on Sunday because Dima prayed in class thanking God "for giving mommy and daddy money to go get my little sister." (this was just before he got in trouble for giving a boy a bear hug that turned into a wrestle take-down :)).

What a beautiful reminder that this time around, God is using our  son to encourage the hearts of his teachers and stir curiosity in the hearts of his classmates.

We believe God has much to teach us through this next season of waiting. We don't want it to just be a time we get through, but our prayer is that our eyes will be open to lessons God is teaching us even in what seems like silence.

God, the Great Orchestrator, is working behind the scenes. He is connecting the story of a little girl in Russia with our story. He is working in our lives by using many people to remind us that He knows what we need. He is working in our hearts by using others to encourage and bless our lives. Thank you for being a part of this story with us. Thank you for responding to the promptings to pray and encourage and suppport us along the way. As you do this, please know you are a tangible fingerprint of God's work in our lives!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• For God to continue to meet our financial needs. (And just an FYI - we are furiously trying to stay up to date on thank you cards. So please be patient with us. It is definitely an awesome problem to have, but just know we ARE working on them!)
• For our hearts during the waiting. 
• That our little girl's caretakers making her feel loved - treating her EXTRA special. I even pray that somehow someone is sneaking her EXTRA food and EXTRA hugs

Until next Monday, love Kate, Steve, & Dima.

How do they know?

"Mommy, Johnny* told me in the bathroom today that he knew where I was born. He said I was born in Russia. He said I needed a new mommy. How did he know where I was born?"

These were the questions Dima asked me as he looked intently into my eyes through our rear view mirror on the way home from kindergarten. He wanted answers from his mom.

I took a deep breath. This was not the conversation I was planning on having that day. Instead of talking about playground games and music class, we were talking about the roots of his life, a life with many unanswered questions. These questions needed delicate answers for the ever developing mind of a five year old.

"Well, buddy. You were born in Russia. Johnny was right. You know that. We love Russia because it is the place where you were born."

"But how did he know?"

"Well, his mommy probably told him."

"How did his mommy know?"

"Well, you know how we love to tell people about how we are adopting a sister from Russia? We also tell a lot of people about how you were born in Russia. We are so proud of you and we think God has written an awesome story in our life. This is OUR family's story. It's special. We want to tell people, do you?"

"Yeah. Maybe he was born in Russia, too".

"Maybe, you should ask him. There are other kids in your class born in other countries too. Maybe you could ask your teacher to find a map and you can all point to where you were born."

"So, did I need a new mommy?"

"Well, I don't know if that's how I would say it. God always knew that I was going to be your mommy. Even though you weren't born in my tummy, God was preparing you in Ana's* tummy to be my son. And you will always be my son. Always."

"You wanna hear a joke...."

And then we went on to laugh about jokes and playground games and music time.

This story of ours is a public one. Sometimes I wonder if it's too public. Sometimes I wonder if the public nature of our story will one day be tough on our children.

But, I am a proud mama. I am proud of my son. I am proud of our story. I am proud of our daughter's life and how God has created her to be our daughter, even in her birth mother's womb.

My prayer is that God would give us the words to instill confidence in our children's lives. I pray that they would be proud of their story. I pray that they would not become bitter with the fact that people ask them questions, much more than any one else. My prayer is that they would see their story as exciting, adventurous, set apart, and special, not different, not isolating.

I often wonder if it is wrong of us to be so public in the sharing of our family story. But then my heart is always drawn back those precious moments when we arrived home with Dima for the first time.

After a LONG flight overseas, weary and worn from the travel, we stepped on to the escalator in the Cleveland airport. All of the sudden we heard cheers of "Dima! Dima! Dima!" Then we were met with lines and lines of people holding signs and gifts, offering hugs and smiles. It brings tears to my eyes (even as I write this) to go back to those moments of love and support from our community.

This same community walked with us through a two year journey of bringing our little boy home. There were tears in every eye when they saw Dima, because they anticipated his arrival as much as we did.

And we have this forever documented as a way to say to our son, "Look at ALL of the people who were so excited to finally have you home. Look at ALL of the people who love you already. Even before they knew you. Look at them all."

This is our prayer for our daughter too. We pray that she will know that there are hundreds and hundreds of people praying, giving, and working towards bringing her home. And one day soon, she will get to experience that same celebration. If I knew her name, I would be cheering it now.

Thank you for being a part of this journey with us. Though there are times that the public nature of our family's journey feels painful and scary, we also know that we could not do this without you. The prayers and encouragement, love and support that we have received as a result of you coming alongside us has been completely overwhelming. And if we kept this journey so private, we would have missed out on the blessings you have been to us!

*names have been changed for privacy

UPDATES:

• The next set of documents we are working through are formal requests to adopt in specific regions in Russia. Once these are completed, the "paper chase" portion of our process is over.
• We are continuing to receive checks in our mailbox on an almost daily basis. Thank you! Thank you!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• We are praying even more intently for our little girl. That she would be loved and cared for. That she would be a "favorite" in the orphanage.
• We are praying for wisdom for our agency as they are placing our referral requests into a few different regions. Pray that God would direct them to the perfect little girl for our family.

Until next Monday, love, Kate, Steve & Dima.

Too Much

"Well, Kate. We were hoping for 50 people, but we have 150 people coming to the fundraiser on Saturday." 

This was the conversation I had last Friday with my precious friend, Romina. As I mentioned in last week's blog, Romina is a woman who began following our story on our blog during our first adoption. She and her family live in the San Diego area. While we were nearing the end of our adoption of Dima, they were beginning theirs. Our hearts are forever tied by our adopted Russian boys.

When she found out we were adopting again, she and her family began dreaming of ways they could help us raise the money we needed. They decided on throwing a big pizza party for friends and family, with the proceeds going toward our adoption. Now, when I think pizza party, I think... "order a few Little Ceasar's pizzas and throw some Cokes out on the table." This is not the pizza party they had in mind.

We skyped on Friday, the night before the event, and "met" face to face for the first time. She and her sweet daughters showed me all around their property. Romina had spent all day making home made pizza dough and pizza sauce that was going to be cooked in their outdoor ovens. They hired 2 chefs from California Pizza Kitchen to toss and bake the pizzas for the evening. On their property, they have a choo choo train and a go kart track. This was no ordinary pizza party...this was a full scale family EVENT - packed with great food and fun activities for all.

On the night of the event, Romina had me skype in, then set her computer (with me on it) on a table filled with pictures of our family. As people came up to the table, I was able to talk and "meet" many of those who were coming to the event. I tried not to scare people because most people didn't know I was actually "live". They would come up and look at the pictures and I would try to wave a little to get their attention to say hi. It was actually quite entertaining. It was so fun to get to see faces of these people who I will never meet, but people who generously supported our adoption through this event. Many encouraged us and sent their blessings to us for our journey.

The next day I got to hear all of the amazing details of the evening. I can't even describe the amount of work that she, her husband, her family and her friends put into making this evening an over the top success. They thought of every little detail. From rewiring the sound system, to having their children be waiters and waitresses, to purchasing portable air conditioning units since the evening was unusually hot. As she shared with me about the event, I just began to weep. "How can we accept this? Why would someone do something like this for us? This is just too much. Too much." She beamed with excitement as she told me all about it and I was just overwhelmed with the graciousness and generosity of this family. 

About 12 of the kids served the tables. They took orders and brought the food out to the attenders. At the end of the night, they each had a collection of tips that had been given to them. They asked, "Romina, what should we do with these." Romina, who said to me that she never wants to force generosity, told them, "You have worked hard for these tips, and you offered your services for free. You can keep these tips for yourself as a thank you." 

One of the kids said, "can we give them to the Garcia's?" 

"Yes, you may.." she said, "but you do not have to. You deserve this money." And one by one, each of these kids placed their hard earned tip money into the donation jar. One boy in particular had received quite a large amount of money in tips. He thought for a while and then placed the money into the donation jar. Wow. Could there be a more beautiful picture of generosity? 

There is story after story of kindness that are too many to even share - and some I probably will never even know. 

By the end of the evening, they counted all of the money and were so blown away to tell me that  they received $7,000!! Unbelievable. God, again in His goodness, went above and beyond all of our hopes, dreams, and expectations. He used a hard working, generous family whom we have never met to bless our lives.

When I wrote Romina and told her how I couldn't believe she would do this for us, she responded in this way,

"Kate, remember....I did not "meet" Michael (my adopted son) before I decided to make a difference on his life. The value of a person does not go up or down depending if we personally met them or not. We are all God's children that need help and redemption!"

What a beautiful reminder of how to live and love others.

And though everything in me wanted to say, "no, Romina! I can't accept this. This is too much money. You guys did too much work...I just can't.." I was reminded of God's love for us. 

What if we responded to His gift of salvation to us in this way, "No Lord...this is too much. I can't accept this. Your death on the cross for our sins is just too much." It would be offensive to God to not accept His gift, though the cost was unimaginable. 

His heart is gladdened by our reception of His gift. This is the tangible picture of grace my dear friend Romina showed me. As we skyped on Sunday afternoon, she was exhausted, but more than that, she was filled with joy and excitement to be able to offer such a gift to us.

So, we accept this amazing gift with humility and we rejoice in God's goodness to us and His generosity through amazing people, like my friend Romina.

P.S. Here are some pictures of the evening. As you look at them, imagine the bustling noises of people, train whistles, go kart engines and party music :)

the night's menu

chef Romina

the waitresses

fun on the go karts



train rides!

UPDATES:

• We are hoping to have all of our documents for our dossier in our hands on Thursday of this week (that's what FedEx says). Then, we will mail it to our agency and hopefully be officially registered. From there we will know what region we are assigned to and then have more region-specific paperwork to complete.

• Including this latest fundraiser, we have received close to $23,000 in donations. We have begun applying for grants now that our home study is complete and look forward to God continuing to meet our needs.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• We pray for our little girl - that God would begin to prepare her heart for us and us for her.

• We pray for wisdom as our agency works with the facilitators in Russia to determine what region we will be assigned.

Thank you for following along with us. We hope you are encouraged to see the amazing things God is doing through people. We are!

Until next Monday, love, Kate, Steve & Dima.