I'm counting down the days until we see Danil (Paul Daniel) again. We have no idea exactly when we'll be going back...but by all accounts, we should be headed back over there in two months.
Twice this week I caught myself just standing and staring in our house - trying to imagine Danil in this room or that. Carl and I have been coming up with a list of simple things we can do with Danil that are a part of everyday life, but that would help Danil catch up in his development. I understand that one of the best things I can do for Danil is talk to him - constantly! I can do that!
Carl and I rested from our trip on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. On Sunday night we discovered we had a water leak under our house. The plumbers arrived on Monday and confirmed there was a leak under the floor in our bedroom. On Tuesday they were back with a jackhammer - they had to pull up the carpet and pound a hole in the foundation. It made a mess of our bedroom, of course, but thankfully I'm good at cleaning and there was no damage to our walls and carpet. They were able to find the pipe with the hole in it and repair it.
Carl worked from home Monday and Tuesday to oversee the water leak repair. On Wednesday he worked in the morning. In the afternoon we went to Waxahatchie to a doctor recommended to us. She did our medical exam and blood tests for our adoption paperwork. On Monday we do the chest x-rays at a chiropractor's office in Grand Prairie. We had to search far and wide for an office that had not converted their x-rays to digital because we have to send the actual FILM to Russia - not digital images. Thankfully our friends Lisa and Greg (who are now on their way to Russia to get their little boy!) told us about this chiropractor who still had the old machine!
This is a short post because I'm short on time this morning. The boys from my Sunday School class will be here at 9:30 for breakfast. This is their treat for applying themselves in Bible class, always doing their homework, really working hard to memorize the category of books in the Old and New Testaments and memorizing the prophets. I also have for each of them a Russian candy bar...and unfortunately one of them will have to take the bar that got a little squished on one end in the suitcase. :)
I wish I had something interesting to tell you. Sorry about that! I'm enjoying showing Danil's photo to everyone. If I haven't emailed you with his photo, just tell me. I'll send it!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Carl is still sleeping! :)
We arrived in Dallas last night at about 9:30. We had a good visit with Callan, Paola and Ragen on the way to our house. Carl and I were both pretty hungry when we got home so we did something I haven't done since my college days - went out for supper at 10:30 pm.
It is now almost 2pm here on Saturday. Carl has been asleep going on 14 hours. I don't foresee him waking up anytime soon, so I thought I would wrap up the week with one more post followed by another article from Gary Henry.
I just finished looking at emails in my inbox and it turns out several people had a hard time leaving comments on our blog. Sorry about that! I think the key to leaving a comment is that you have to become a "follower" first. And then when you want to leave a comment, you have to sign in with the username and password you were given when you became a follower. I'm really sorry about the trouble you all had...it's all new to me too!
From now until our final trip to Siberia, I'll leave one post a week (every Friday morning) just to give an update on how our paperwork is progressing and what we are doing to get ready for our son's arrival. When we are back in Siberia, I'll start up the daily posts again. Oh I can't wait!!!
Misty Cawthon (our good friend here in Dallas) said this whole experience (watching us adopt) made her think of Eph. 3:20 & 21. I can think of no better verse..."Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly that all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." God had blessed us with more than we could have ever imagined and infinitely more than we deserve. We give Him ALL the praise.
This last article from Gary Henry was the second of two articles of his that I packed with me to take on our trip. I pulled them out and read them on the plane more than once. I read them in the hotel. There's no doubt Carl and I drew strength from reading these articles and thinking about Abraham. We thought about how many stories in the Old Testament demonstrate what God can and WILL do if we will put our trust in Him. And we thought about how the lack of faith causes us to miss what God has in store. There is still a lot of work ahead of us and we will continue to lean on God and you for encouragment. Please pray that God will keep Danil well until we are able to get him. Pray that the caregivers will be diligent in giving Danil the vitamin formula we bought for him and that it will be enough to keep him as strong and healthy as possible.
Here's Gary's article:
"Now the Lord had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you'" (Gen. 12:1)
GOD'S COMMAND FOR ABRAM TO LEAVE THE FAMILIARITY OF HIS HOMELAND WAS "DISTURBING" IN THE VERY BEST SENSE OF THAT WORD. It is not a term that has very positive connotations, perhaps, but in regard to the more important side of life, events that are "disturbing" are often those that work to our greatest advantage.
DIFFICULTY. No doubt it would have been easier for Abram to stay where he was than to make the long, dangerous trek to a strange country. From nearly any angle you look at it, it was a HARD thing that God asked Abram to do. But Abram was not primarily concerned about ease, and years later, he was a better man for having endured the hardships that God brought into his life.
DISRUPTION. We don't know what plans Abram may have had for his life, but if he had any, the Lord's call to leave home surely disrupted them. To disrupt is to "throw into confusion or disorder," and it's an unwelcome concept for those of us who thrive on order and predictability. But the Lord knows we need many other things more than we need to know what's going to happen next.
DISTURBANCE. In my dictionary, "disturb" is only two pages over from "disrupt." It means to "break up or destroy the tranquility or settled state of." God's plans for Abram would have done that for him, to say the very least. Yet in the long run, Abram's great disturbance helped bring about his salvation - and ours. When God disturbed Abram's life, it was an act of sheer GRACE.
With too much tranquility in our own lives, we tend to forget God. Yes, we may continue to study our Bibles and attend worship services, but as long as our lives are pleasantly predictable, our need for God becomes a nice religious theory rather than a desperately felt desire. With no real GRIEF or FEAR to keep us awake, we "doze off," spiritually speaking. For our own good, then, we need to get out of our ruts and go on some fearful adventures, the kind that require real FAITH. If we don't, God may have to disturb our comfort. He may have to say, "Get out of your country..."
"You know no disturbing voice? God never points out for you a pathway altogether different from the one you had planned? Then, my brother, you are living still in the land of slavery, in the land of darkness." (G. Campbell Morgan)
We owe a debt of gratitude to Gary Henry.
It is now almost 2pm here on Saturday. Carl has been asleep going on 14 hours. I don't foresee him waking up anytime soon, so I thought I would wrap up the week with one more post followed by another article from Gary Henry.
I just finished looking at emails in my inbox and it turns out several people had a hard time leaving comments on our blog. Sorry about that! I think the key to leaving a comment is that you have to become a "follower" first. And then when you want to leave a comment, you have to sign in with the username and password you were given when you became a follower. I'm really sorry about the trouble you all had...it's all new to me too!
From now until our final trip to Siberia, I'll leave one post a week (every Friday morning) just to give an update on how our paperwork is progressing and what we are doing to get ready for our son's arrival. When we are back in Siberia, I'll start up the daily posts again. Oh I can't wait!!!
Misty Cawthon (our good friend here in Dallas) said this whole experience (watching us adopt) made her think of Eph. 3:20 & 21. I can think of no better verse..."Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly that all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." God had blessed us with more than we could have ever imagined and infinitely more than we deserve. We give Him ALL the praise.
This last article from Gary Henry was the second of two articles of his that I packed with me to take on our trip. I pulled them out and read them on the plane more than once. I read them in the hotel. There's no doubt Carl and I drew strength from reading these articles and thinking about Abraham. We thought about how many stories in the Old Testament demonstrate what God can and WILL do if we will put our trust in Him. And we thought about how the lack of faith causes us to miss what God has in store. There is still a lot of work ahead of us and we will continue to lean on God and you for encouragment. Please pray that God will keep Danil well until we are able to get him. Pray that the caregivers will be diligent in giving Danil the vitamin formula we bought for him and that it will be enough to keep him as strong and healthy as possible.
Here's Gary's article:
"Now the Lord had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you'" (Gen. 12:1)
GOD'S COMMAND FOR ABRAM TO LEAVE THE FAMILIARITY OF HIS HOMELAND WAS "DISTURBING" IN THE VERY BEST SENSE OF THAT WORD. It is not a term that has very positive connotations, perhaps, but in regard to the more important side of life, events that are "disturbing" are often those that work to our greatest advantage.
DIFFICULTY. No doubt it would have been easier for Abram to stay where he was than to make the long, dangerous trek to a strange country. From nearly any angle you look at it, it was a HARD thing that God asked Abram to do. But Abram was not primarily concerned about ease, and years later, he was a better man for having endured the hardships that God brought into his life.
DISRUPTION. We don't know what plans Abram may have had for his life, but if he had any, the Lord's call to leave home surely disrupted them. To disrupt is to "throw into confusion or disorder," and it's an unwelcome concept for those of us who thrive on order and predictability. But the Lord knows we need many other things more than we need to know what's going to happen next.
DISTURBANCE. In my dictionary, "disturb" is only two pages over from "disrupt." It means to "break up or destroy the tranquility or settled state of." God's plans for Abram would have done that for him, to say the very least. Yet in the long run, Abram's great disturbance helped bring about his salvation - and ours. When God disturbed Abram's life, it was an act of sheer GRACE.
With too much tranquility in our own lives, we tend to forget God. Yes, we may continue to study our Bibles and attend worship services, but as long as our lives are pleasantly predictable, our need for God becomes a nice religious theory rather than a desperately felt desire. With no real GRIEF or FEAR to keep us awake, we "doze off," spiritually speaking. For our own good, then, we need to get out of our ruts and go on some fearful adventures, the kind that require real FAITH. If we don't, God may have to disturb our comfort. He may have to say, "Get out of your country..."
"You know no disturbing voice? God never points out for you a pathway altogether different from the one you had planned? Then, my brother, you are living still in the land of slavery, in the land of darkness." (G. Campbell Morgan)
We owe a debt of gratitude to Gary Henry.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sorry for the delay...the need for sleep is just somehow getting in the way of all we are trying to accomplish in Siberia!
Carl and I want you to know the news, yesterday we signed the paperwork stating our intent to adopt Danil! There is still a ways to go: we have more paperwork, more phone calls, more travel, a court date. Our hope is to be back in Siberia in two months. PLEASE pray that both the US and Russia will expedite our process since Danil has some serious needs to be addressed.
Dad, please go over to Grandmother's and let her know the news as soon as possible. And tell her I will call just as soon as I get back with all the details of her new great grandson. :)
In case you are wondering, yes, we are scared to death. But we know we have a Heavenly Father who will help us care for this precious soul and will guide us as we work to give him both physical and spiritual bread. Danil is a wee little man and we've got to work on that. We've also got to get the work on his mouth done as soon as possible. And we've got to give him lots of love. Once we get these things going, we feel certain Danil will thrive and will overcome the obstacles that his first year and a half in the world have raised for him. He's a precious soul and we thank God for him. Please continue to pray for us as we now transition into parents and don't be afraid to give us words of wisdom along the way.
We can't tell you enough how much we appreciate each and every person who left comments on our blog while we have been on this trip - and those who became followers of our blog. There is nothing like being in a foreign land and knowing we have been in your thoughts and prayers. It does feel strange to make this announcement on our blog, but the point is for you to know whether we will be arriving home ready to celebrate. And we are. :)
It is 4am here. We are being picked up for the airport in an hour. We will be on a plane for 18 hours (Siberia to Moscow, Moscow to Atlanta, Atlanta to Dallas)...our total travel time back to the US is 28 hours. Thanks to Callan and Paola for picking us up from the airport this evening. We so look forward to seeing you all when we get back!
(If you are wondering why we removed our previous blogs about Danil, there is a reason and I'll just have to explain when we get home...)
See you shortly!
Carl and I want you to know the news, yesterday we signed the paperwork stating our intent to adopt Danil! There is still a ways to go: we have more paperwork, more phone calls, more travel, a court date. Our hope is to be back in Siberia in two months. PLEASE pray that both the US and Russia will expedite our process since Danil has some serious needs to be addressed.
Dad, please go over to Grandmother's and let her know the news as soon as possible. And tell her I will call just as soon as I get back with all the details of her new great grandson. :)
In case you are wondering, yes, we are scared to death. But we know we have a Heavenly Father who will help us care for this precious soul and will guide us as we work to give him both physical and spiritual bread. Danil is a wee little man and we've got to work on that. We've also got to get the work on his mouth done as soon as possible. And we've got to give him lots of love. Once we get these things going, we feel certain Danil will thrive and will overcome the obstacles that his first year and a half in the world have raised for him. He's a precious soul and we thank God for him. Please continue to pray for us as we now transition into parents and don't be afraid to give us words of wisdom along the way.
We can't tell you enough how much we appreciate each and every person who left comments on our blog while we have been on this trip - and those who became followers of our blog. There is nothing like being in a foreign land and knowing we have been in your thoughts and prayers. It does feel strange to make this announcement on our blog, but the point is for you to know whether we will be arriving home ready to celebrate. And we are. :)
It is 4am here. We are being picked up for the airport in an hour. We will be on a plane for 18 hours (Siberia to Moscow, Moscow to Atlanta, Atlanta to Dallas)...our total travel time back to the US is 28 hours. Thanks to Callan and Paola for picking us up from the airport this evening. We so look forward to seeing you all when we get back!
(If you are wondering why we removed our previous blogs about Danil, there is a reason and I'll just have to explain when we get home...)
See you shortly!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
We love technology!
As slow as Carl and I have been to embrace new technology over the last decade (despite that Carl's job involves building technology, which is odd, I know) - we now praise and thank God for it. My dad worked hard today to get his Skype up and running and we were able to see and communicate with him and mom in Moulton, AL. We were able to call Carl's mom in Gallatin, TN. We were able to join in worship with our congregation in Plano, TX thanks to the website that allows us to watch and listen to worship services. And we are able to post info to a blog that allows us to talk to our friends all over. Wow.
We did end up taking that 3 hour walking tour - and let me emphasize WALKING tour. I think we took a 10-minute breather on the metro - but other than that it was 90 degree weather, 99% humidity, zero shade, constant movement and concrete. Thankfully there was a breeze every so often and some great scenery to take my mind off the pain. :) Now about those trees - I found out they are poplar trees. Now don't quote me on this - I'm just telling you what our tour guide said. According to Lilia, these trees were planted all over Moscow during the years of Stalin to beautify the city. But an unintended consequence of the Poplar tree is the massive amount of pollin they produce - i.e., the floating cotton balls-and they cause allergies for lots of people. A few years ago a tornado came through the city and took down 50,000 trees - but the problem of the poplar pollin still exists. And now there is an order that no more poplar trees can be planted in the city. Just thought you might want to know the rest of the story...
It was back to the hotel restaurant tonight for supper, this time splitting a plate and bringing our own drink. We had a magnificent breakfast buffet this morning - which was a bargain for all the food we got. We tried to eat as much as we could to get us through lunch...and it held us. I did laundry in the sink, Carl hung the clothes to dry. We are enjoying the quiet time in the room. We've been reading more from The Russian Adoption handbook loaned to us by the Culver family. And we are praying. Only 2 more days until we hold our potential son.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
We made it to Moscow at Noon (Russia-time), 4am in Dallas. We had a slight delay in Atlanta...but other than that, everything has been just perfect. God has already blessed us so much on this trip. In Dallas, as we were boarding the plane we were told there was no more room for luggage and that we would have to check our bags. (Carl and I had packed everything to carry on so we wouldn't risk lost luggage) So, I said, "Please, is there any way you can squeeze ours on? We just can't risk being in Moscow without our luggage." "Sorry, maam. There's nothing we can do. Go talk to the attendant on the plane maybe she can work something out." So I did, and they managed to find room. Plenty of room! In Atlanta, when we checked in at the gate, we asked if we could possibly change seats so that Carl and I could sit together going to Moscow. The attendant said the only two seats available were at the very back of the plane - so we (I mean, I) declined. About 30 minutes later, Carl went to the restroom and I saw a new attendant at the desk, so I went to the desk again and asked her the same question. And as a matter of fact, she had two bulkhead seats together! Carl was so proud of me! :) On the plane a man decided to take the vacant seat beside me after we took off. His name is Michael Brohm, a photographer from Louisville, KY. This is his fourth trip to Russia - he is working on a book about life in the city of Perm, Russia following the Cold War. We had such a great conversation (another blessing from God, I managed to find my voice on this flight. If you've flown with me, you know I have a hard time talking when I'm in the air.) Anyway, he told us all about his trips and his work and it was FASCINATING. You can find his photographs by going to Blurb.com and searching on "Perm, Russia" or "Michael Brohm." You may also find his photos at michaelbrohm.com. He does beautiful work! Anyway, I felt like I was sitting by a celebrity. He shared a lot with me about his trips but was so humble about it all. Carl and I both learned a lot from him. Our driver was waiting for us at the airport when we arrived - drove us right to our hotel. The hotel had no rooms available in the size we booked, so we got a free upgrade to a suite! We just couldn't have asked for a better trip. Our plan was to stay awake all day so we could sleep tonight, but Carl nor I could do it. We were just exhausted. We both slept HARD for about 3 hours. Then went looking for a place to eat. Sbarro Pizza (the place a friend back in Dallas told us to look for near our hotel) has gone out of business. Everything else around our hotel looked very expensive. So we went back and ate in the hotel bar. Also very expensive. Our meal of beef strogonoff and a club sandwich was $70. Not complaining. Just giving you an idea how expensive it is. We will definitely be sharing any meal we eat out going forward and Carl is ready to jumpstart his weightloss plan by seeing how little he can get by with here. Another observation - something is blooming here that I've never seen before. There are cotton balls blowing around in the air so thick it looks like snow. It even piles up in drifts along the street curbs and on the sidewalks. I don't know what it is but I have discovered a new allergy! Again, not complaining! Tomorrow we have a 3-hour tour planned with a tour-guide.
If you are not tired of reading yet, here's an article from Gary Henry. Gary doesn't know how much he is helping us grow our faith on this trip, but when we get back, I plan to tell him.
"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8)
UNFORTUNATELY, OUR DESIRE TO KNOW THE FUTURE OFTEN TURNS INTO A DEMANDING ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD. We demand to know what is going to happen. We insist on seeing what's ahead. We put the Lord on notice that if we're going to follow Him, He had better tell us the territory the road is going to take us through.
Yet when God told Abraham to leave his home in Ur, Abraham had enough faith to obey God without being told where the journey would take him. "He went out, NOT KNOWING WHERE HE WAS GOING." We need to work on having that same kind of trust in God.
More than most of us realize, we are HINDERED by our attitude toward the future. For one thing, worry about what's going to happen tends to paralyze us; it keeps us from taking steps in any useful direction. But also, trying to see ahead frustrates our faith and keeps us from growing. It's in the actual EXERCISE of faith that faith grows, and the only way faith can be exercised is to take steps that are based on trust in God rather than our own wisdom and foreknowledge. If we insist on walking by sight rather than by faith, we ought not to be surprised that our faith remains small.
One thing is certain: God knows what He is doing and He can be counted on to take care of us no matter where He asks us to go. In Abraham's case, Canaan was no doubt very different than anything he could have enjoyed elsewhere. Abraham "waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10). As long as he was going toward God, it didn't matter what happened to him in the meantime. It ought not to matter much to us either.
------
Good night. Or rather, good morning! :)
If you are not tired of reading yet, here's an article from Gary Henry. Gary doesn't know how much he is helping us grow our faith on this trip, but when we get back, I plan to tell him.
"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8)
UNFORTUNATELY, OUR DESIRE TO KNOW THE FUTURE OFTEN TURNS INTO A DEMANDING ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD. We demand to know what is going to happen. We insist on seeing what's ahead. We put the Lord on notice that if we're going to follow Him, He had better tell us the territory the road is going to take us through.
Yet when God told Abraham to leave his home in Ur, Abraham had enough faith to obey God without being told where the journey would take him. "He went out, NOT KNOWING WHERE HE WAS GOING." We need to work on having that same kind of trust in God.
More than most of us realize, we are HINDERED by our attitude toward the future. For one thing, worry about what's going to happen tends to paralyze us; it keeps us from taking steps in any useful direction. But also, trying to see ahead frustrates our faith and keeps us from growing. It's in the actual EXERCISE of faith that faith grows, and the only way faith can be exercised is to take steps that are based on trust in God rather than our own wisdom and foreknowledge. If we insist on walking by sight rather than by faith, we ought not to be surprised that our faith remains small.
One thing is certain: God knows what He is doing and He can be counted on to take care of us no matter where He asks us to go. In Abraham's case, Canaan was no doubt very different than anything he could have enjoyed elsewhere. Abraham "waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10). As long as he was going toward God, it didn't matter what happened to him in the meantime. It ought not to matter much to us either.
------
Good night. Or rather, good morning! :)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
We are finally packed. Our hope is to be in bed by 11pm - and maybe sleep. We are so thankful to Charles and Shirley for getting us to the airport. Our flight leaves for Atlanta at 10:46am. We should be landing in Russia around 2 or 3am on Saturday (11am on Saturday Russia-time)
Tonight I leave you with a quote we received from one of Gary Henry's articles that really hit home for Carl and me:
"Most of us go through life praying a little, planning a little, jockeying for position, hoping but never being quite certain of anything, and always secretly afraid that we will miss the way. This is a tragic waste of truth and never gives rest to the heart. There is a better way. It is to repudiate our own wisdom and take instead the infinite wisdom of God. Our insistence upon seeing ahead is a real hindrance to our spiritual progress. God has charged himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn to Him." (A.W. Tozier)
Good night.
Tonight I leave you with a quote we received from one of Gary Henry's articles that really hit home for Carl and me:
"Most of us go through life praying a little, planning a little, jockeying for position, hoping but never being quite certain of anything, and always secretly afraid that we will miss the way. This is a tragic waste of truth and never gives rest to the heart. There is a better way. It is to repudiate our own wisdom and take instead the infinite wisdom of God. Our insistence upon seeing ahead is a real hindrance to our spiritual progress. God has charged himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn to Him." (A.W. Tozier)
Good night.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Getting ready for our trip!
Well, this is a first. Carl nor I have ever created a blog - and really never thought we would. But a friend of ours in Georgia (Aimee) said a blog will be our lifeline while we are in Siberia. When Aimee and her husband adopted their son from the Ukraine, she said all the comments she and her husband received on their blog while they were overseas were a major encouragement and she highly recommended we set one up of our own. So here it is. We will do our best to post info at least once a day while we are out of the country. We sincerely ask that you go to God on our behalf while we are traveling - not only for our safety but for guidance in the decision that lies ahead of us.
And thank you SO MUCH for all that you have already done for us - calls, cards, inviting us into your home, offering to help us prepare for the trip, rides to the airport, caring for our house while we are gone - you know who you are. We just can't tell you how much this love has meant to us and we thank God for our Christian family.
And thank you SO MUCH for all that you have already done for us - calls, cards, inviting us into your home, offering to help us prepare for the trip, rides to the airport, caring for our house while we are gone - you know who you are. We just can't tell you how much this love has meant to us and we thank God for our Christian family.
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