It all started with God calling my husband and I to help children. We had no idea how or what we were suppose to do so we just prayed together about it. One day in late summer 2012 I read about a hosting organization, New Horizons For Children, on a blog and I knew instantly. I called my husband to tell him about it and he said "Let's do it". This was our calling and God had finally given us direction.
New Horizons For Children is a hosting program. They go to Latvia and Ukraine to interview children at orphanages then when they return, photos and some information about each child is posted on an online album. Then you select your child and host them for about a month. Though this isn't an adoption agency, many of these children end up adopted and saved by loving families in the US.
Our story is long, and was completely God's devine planning. We selected a 16 year old boy from Latvia and began preparing our hearts this last summer. Two weeks before he was scheduled to arrive, we were told he could no longer come because he had bad behavior. We were so heartbroken. More for him, because we knew the horrible life he had ahead of him and knew this was his last chance for a family(more on the life of these kids later!). I wanted to give up, I said "enough, I am done!". My husband encouraged me to pray and really thought this was just a road bump and we needed to get back up and move forward. We prayed together for a couple days when I received an email asking If I had heard about this other hosting organization. Project 143. New Horizons was closed to selecting children as the dates were so close to the kids coming so we could no longer host with them. I called Project 143 and while they still had some available kids, getting flights into California was a problem. So she then referred me to Children's Cultural Connections...a hosting organization here in California. She not only had a available kids still, but could get plane tickets and everything done! My husband and I prayed deciding between a couple of kids, but it was pretty obvious to us we were to choose "S"(that's what we will refer to as his name). We made the phone call and anxiously awaited our boy arriving. Ginger at Children's Cultural Connection led us to the most sweet boy I've ever met in my life. I thank her from the bottom of my heart!
December 20th, it is a day I will never forget. That morning, I had went to the drs and got confirmation I was having a miscarriage and that night we met S at the airport. The moment I saw him, I knew he was mine. That was my son. I had missed out on 15 years of his life, he lives countries away, but oh my...I loved him big as the sky. We brought him home, I fed him, then tucked him in bed. Told him I loved him, was so happy he was here and to come to my room when he woke up.
That morning he came to my room as soon as he woke up and I told him to come sit with us(daughter and I) for morning cartoons. He just fit with us, like he had always been there. To keep this shorter, I will fast forward a bit and share more stories later on. By the time our month with him had passed, this boy was very clearly meant to be. God had led us to the most perfect boy for us. The most perfect family for him. God unfolded a plan that included losing one orphan to get to this boy. Let me tell you, there's no words to accurately express how amazing S is. Just after a week into hosting, he was calling us mom and dad, saying I love you, comfortable, wrestling with my daughter, laughing, having fun, being a kid. I dreaded the day he had to go home because I knew this boy was my son and I could not in no way, live my life without him.
Fast forward to yesterday morning, we had to do the unthinkable. Send our son back to Ukraine. We stayed at a hotel by the airport the night before because we had to be up by 4. We had 2 double beds, and pumpkin(our 2 year old daughter) climbed in his bed after we got done swimming. I told S she can sleep with us and he said no, it's ok. So I let her sleep in his bed. He shushed her to sleep, her twiddling his eyelashes(how she falls asleep if she's comfortable with you). I woke up every 15-20 minutes for the 4 hours we had to sleep and would look over at them. S held her the entire time, arms wrapped around her. I kept praying, God give me the strength, let us be able to do this when everything in me just wanted to run away with him. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! At 4 he got up to go pee...he couldn't sleep much either so I got into their bed with my phone. I translated "I can't live without you" to S, then I started balling. He wrapped his arm around me. I got up to blow my nose and he had translated "please don't cry" which made me cry more then I grabbed him and held him in my arms and he cried and cried on my shoulder. He said "it's ok mom, and I said no it isn't." It's not ok he's going back somewhere where he has no mom and dad, where he is freezing every day, not fed enough, and not cared for. It's not. He said he loved me a few times. I told him I would not stop crying until he was in my arms again, that he is my son and I can't live without him. At the airport, when saying bye, he cried a lot, my husband cried a lot(don't think he has cried since our daughter was born). S was the only kid crying and everyone just kept saying how much this boy loves us, couldn't believe how strong our bond was. People looking at us were crying because they could see the heartbreak of us all. I just said yes, I love him...he's my son.
He has made it back to Ukraine safely, thank God. Now here comes what we NEED YOU for. We obviously, want to adopt S. In Ukraine there is an adoption registry where directors of orphanages are suppose to list the children. Once listed, Ukraine gives 15 months for someone in their country to adopt. If after 15 months, they are still available, they then become available for international adoption. Sadly, we learned S has never been registered.
Oh, the devastation. Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. I knew the devil would want us to feel defeated, would want us to give up on this boy, would want us to throw in the towel. We knew God would want us to persevere, to fight for this boy who so desperatly needs and deserves a family. James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. So here we are, fighting.
S turns 16 soon. Once they turn 16, they can no longer be adopted unless you've filed your immigration paperwork prior to their 16th birthday. Very delicate procedure. We have a facilitator in Ukraine trying to do everything possible to get this boy listed on the registry. We were told he had about a 5% chance. And that's only if everyone is in agreement to register him. Our facilitator will be going to his region hopefully next week to meet with his director at orphanage, guardian, and to go to various courts to see what can be done. There is a chance, a small chance. We've filed our immigration to cover our side...now we need God to work miracles in Ukraine.
PLEASE PRAY specifically for us to be the 5%. For God to bring S back permanently. For God to go before our facilitator and soften the hearts of those that all have to say "yes". To prepare them. And lastly, to 6. To let this all happen so fast that it makes no sense to humans. We do not have time, 1 month. God can perform miracle, This CAN happen. Please spread the word for us, this is so urgent. S also has a heart problem that we have no idea of the complexity of it which means he needs us even more. This boy is aging out of the system, this is his very last chance at any kind of life. His life has been horrible, can you pray this ONE thing goes right for him? My son is in Ukraine, in a place he doesn't belong. Pray, please pray.
Here is what an "aging out child" faces: only 10% of orphans in Ukraine will have any kind of normal, meaningful life. Most girls will fall victim into sex slavery, most boys will end up criminals and in prison. Many commit suicide because life is so bad. Between the ages of 16-18, they are put out of the orphanage to figure things out. Many will purposely commit crimes to go to prison to have a warm place to sleep and food to eat. It is a horrible, horrible situation. S is facing this harsh reality very, very soon.
If you've gotten this far, I again just ask for prayer that S is the 5%, that he WILL be added to the registry and can come back, permanently. I love this boy, no different than my daughter. I love him unconditionally, fiercely. I will do ANYTHING to get him back.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope
