Things have taken an interesting twist in bringing our two Russian kids for the holiday season.  We learned that the govt. there decided that our hosting organization was trying to make big $$$ by using these children, and offering them for adoption to American families.  A complete fabrication.  But just another way that governments can oppress the already beaten down children who live in sparse orphanage conditions.  So the children from our kids' orphanage were denied their passports after having their photos done, and after being told that they were 'chosen' by a US family to come to America for 5 weeks.  Shock and disappointment, big time, for the kids there and for us and our kids here, who had really taken on this 'cause' and had been praying for these kids.  They'd been praying that more families would step up and see this need and want to host some kids from somewhere in the world where they would not otherwise get to experience the love of a family this Christmas.

We then got a call asking if we might like to host two Ukrainian girls whose family had to step away from hosting with this program because of medical reasons.  We prayed a lot about it, and felt that maybe God had said 'no' to the Russian kids because we were not supposed to be hosting this year.  Then we wondered if He had said 'no' because these teenaged sisters were the children that God had planned for us all along. 

A day later we learned that the woman in Russia who had worked so hard to secure this trip for the kids there was going to take this to a higher level.  She wanted letters from the host families asking for a second chance for the kids.  We were delighted to take part in this.  She is praying that we will see a miracle here and that the kids will just come a bit later than we had anticipated.  We are praying too. 

Got an email from the same organization yesterday.  The woman who started this hosting program is an adoptive mom to 3 kids who were adopted from Russia as teens.  She wanted to share a testimony of how she had been showering and went to her knees in prayer and God had spoken to her in an audible voice.  This was a first time event in her life.  She was so overwhelmed that she didn't even dry off, just put on the first thing she could find to wear, and drove to the office to be with the other women in her organization and tell them what had happened.  She was so filled with emotion, she could hardly get the words out of her mouth in the conference call we all took part in.  At the end of this call, we all prayed.   Some in turn, some at the same time, in whatever language we felt prompted to pray.  It was the most powerful time of prayer I have experienced in quite some time.  I felt such a heaviness for the burden of ALL orphans.  I have been a bit narrow minded in my focus on Africa and the orphans there.  God clearly wanted to show me that there are orphans all over the world that I need to pay closer attention to.  They are all children in need of a Savior.  They are all desperately in need of the things that we take for granted here every day.  They are all beautiful, and it is a privilege and an honor that we might get to host at least one of these precious ones this year.  I have a whole new perspective.  If we had not heard of this organization's push at the end of the search for families, with only five hours left to find homes, I would never have been able to get on my knees with these women.  God's ways are truly higher, wider, greater than man's.  I am a thankful, humbled, and I pray a better woman because of it.  Thank you Jesus.  May YOUR NAME be glorified in all of this.
With love, from me, a daughter of the King of Kings!!

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  Our two 'possible' house guests, Lesya and Lilia, 15 and 13.  Praying for you girls!!