Lighting My Candle

A week or so ago, we found out that sweet "Hanson" has passed away. He was waiting in mental institution, and never had a family who loved him and was working to bring him home.

He passed away all alone. Never to know the love of a family.

Now he knows the infianate love of his Abba Daddy in heaven.

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But, the thing is. This shouldn't be happening. Innocent children passing away because adults [who should be the ones to care for them, love them, and nurture them] aren't caring, they are abusing.

I'm not just talking about the nannies and those involved in direct care. What about those about those indirectly involved in caring for these children.

The directors making poor financial decisions.

The leaders who decide that thousands of children with SN should rot and die in institutions because he doesn't like some legislation another country passed.

I'm going to take it another step further, and say this, though it may offend some. I'm talking about the families who are able to care for a child, have the room and resources, feel God telling them too, and stomp their foot and say "NO!", because it's not conveinient for them and takes them out of their comfort zone.

Don't you see what's going on here??

There are millions of orphans around the world. They need homes. They need love. And a lot of them will not be adopted in their own country because they have special needs, or for some other reason.

They are helpless, and have no voice.

And we aren't doing anything to help! We are just sitting in our comfy homes, going on with life, while they are fighting for their very lives.

WE are the solution. If we don't act, there may not be anyone else.

And IT IS OUR PROBLEM! It's absolutely our problem. It's OUR JOB to make a difference. Even if just in the life of ONE. It's still worth it.
The lives of the children are on our shoulders, why aren't we doing anything??

Hanson and others DIED. This should be our WAKE UP call.

RISE UP CHURCH, MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Once our eyes are opened, we can not pretend we don't know what to do.

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Hanson passed away because no one stepped up in time, no one decided in time to go get him.

Tonight, I'm lighting a white candle on this blog in honor of Hanson.

In honor of Sergey. [Read his story here]

In honor of Dayna.

In honor of all the others we didn't get to in time.

And with the lighting of this candle, I make a commitment to work harder than ever to get these precious children home before it's too late. To raise awareness, raise money, and above all, to pray.

Because they don't deserve to be dying. It's not right. And it shouldn't be happening when it's in our power to stop it.

Rest in peace, precious ones. You are always loved, and never forgotten. ♥



Visit Julia's blog HERE to find out more about Hanson and the candles for him. It's a post you don't want to skip.

Someone...

I may or may not have squealed today and started crying when I saw something on Facebook.......


Someone has a family....


Someone who I've loved for a long long time....


Someone who has waiting for a family for a long long time....


Someone who hasn't had an update in a long time....


Someone who has bad pictures....


Someone who had a lot of medical needs....


Someone who was very unlikely to be chosen....


Someone who I was I was afraid might never have a family because of all the facts above....


That someone, now HAS A FAMILY!!!

THANK YOU JESUS FOR SENDING SERGEY A FAMILY!!!

a lost little boy

He hasn't had an update for years.

Not a new picture for years.

He became unavailable for a time, with law in his country of children under 5 not being adoptable unless they had a special need that was on the "list". His wasn't. But last fall he became available again, 5 days after my Logan would have been available.

His grant hasn't grown in a very long time.

Nothing to "renew" or "gather" interest in him.

I haven't seen anyone share about him or advocate him.

You would think he mysteriously disappeared, but he hasn't.

He's still there.

But it's like he is lost. People scroll past him. No one notices him.

He doesn't have a voice. He is silent.

And I have fallen in love with him. I will be his voice, and I will speak for him.

Why? Because he doesn't deserve to live his life in an institution, forgotten about by everybody, being a lost little boy because he can't speak up for himself and ask for a family.

His name is Sergey.

He is 5 years old.

He has hydrocephalus.

And he needs a family.

He's lost. Let's help him become found. By a family.

Broken Records (Waiting Wednesday: Sally)

It's been awhile since I introduced you to a sweet child in need of a family... so today I want to introduce you to Miss Sally!

Sally is a sweet little princess who is living in a mental institution in Eastern Europe. She has lived her whole life without a mommy or daddy. Can you even imagine not even knowing what a mommy and a daddy are??? I sure can't.

Will you please be her mama or papa?? Please don't say no and just walk away on those pleading eyes that want a mama and a papa of her own. Please don't say no. She needs out, or she will spend the rest of her life there!

....

I know this sounds the same as every other post... they need out, they need your help, will you be their mama and papa? It all sounds the same and I sound like a broken record, I know.

....

But here's the thing. There might be someone who happens to read my blog. They don't think they are called to adopt, or ready to go back and adopt again, but one day I post a picture of a child who needs a family. That person sees that picture and knows deep down inside that that child is their child. So they talk to their spouse and/or family members, pray about it, and then they take the plunge, and go get that child. After they saw that child here on this blog.

Or I ask my readers to share a post of mine or share a picture of a child. They do, and then the same thing might happen as above.

You just never know who might be reading or looking at anything you post, and it just might be that God stirs someone's heart while they are looking at a picture or reading something. And then there will soon be one less orphan in the world. God works in the coolest ways, and you might the one He uses to find a child a family.

That is why I keep yelling over and over for these children. For Lilly...

For Owen...

For Sergey...

For Tommy...

For Jared, Trina, and Stefan...

For Mark...

For Ekaterina...

(Thank you for voting for her!!! She is still in first at the moment, but not by much! Voting is open a few more hours, please vote for her if you haven't yet!

And for Sally.

Because it just might be that one of the future parents might see them here, or see them when someone else saw them here and shared their picture of their story.

And on top of that... each and every one of these children is special and unique, and no one child is more deserving of a family than another. They all have been waiting too long, and they all need to know what a family is. Because they have never known.

So yes, I still sound like a broken record, but why should I stop trying to find them a family if they don't have one? I will be a broken record until they have families and they are home, because apparently, their parents haven't heard the record yet!

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To close, I want to share with you a post my friend Yvonne wrote about Sally -  

This little face caught my heart from the moment I met her at the girls' institution. Immediately I asked if she was available for international adoption but there were some questions about her status. Evidently, we found she was available. We thought about adding her but were a bit overwhelmed with the girls plus we'd have to gone back to the capital city and started all over and we weren't sure if we had the money to do it. It just seemed too much...

We think about going back and getting her and two boys that we also felt drawn to but we have some great big mountains in the way. For us to even adopt one more child we'd have to get a bigger van, our's is filled, we'd have to have another bedroom, our small house is filled and we'd need the adoption expenses.... Plus we do realize we are only two older (late 40's) people! We have three handicapped kids now who are all about on a 1-2 year old level which means we do everything for them. And we do it GLADLY! We adore our sweet children but we are only two people....and these three will need life long care... So will the three we are drawn to...But then my heart says what will I do when I stand before God KNOWING there was at least one more I could have rescued....I take that seriously!

What am I asking of you? Get her picture out, she is not listed with any organization at this time, pray about including her in your family... Pray that if God wants us to adopt her and the boys that He'll make the path straight for us. And relatively easy. I don't think that is too much to ask this time around... We shown God we would be faithful in our adoptions. Adoptions are not easy, it's emotionally taxing, lots of paperwork. the trip is hard...there are so many aspects where you just have to surrender to God...I know from experience. I do NOT look forward in any way to the process...I know it all too well!

She is on my mind constantly...her face comes before me and my eyes are flooded with tears for her...she needs a family NOW! Please pray that God will provide one!!!! Whether it is us or another family.....

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So I will ask again - Will you be Sally's family so I don't have to play another broken record? (No, that is NOT why I want her to have a family - so I don't have to advocate for her... really, it's not. Just roll with me here, mk?)

Because honestly... records are obsolete these days anyways. And not to many people are willing to keep their record players that only play broken records. I would love to get rid of mine, but I will not until they all have families.

I'm going to need a lot of help before the dump gets to claim another record player. Will you help? One child at a time?

If you are interested in being Sally's family please email me at forhisgloryhandiwork (at) gmail (dot) com, and I will put you in touch with Yvonne and the others you need to contact. :)

**Yes, I know that I'm turning 14, and record players were WAY before my time... to be honest, I've never actually even seen one. I have seen one or two records though. Ahem. I will stop now, so you don't unnecessarily feel really, really old. That's not the intention of this post. Honest. Though, on this note, Sally's country has changed their laws, and now has no upper age limit. Just a thought.... hehe

Looking Back Part 9: Goodbyes

This is Part 9 of the Looking Back series, previous parts are Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8.

Two years ago yesterday was and a Wednesday, and it was our last day at the institution. It was hard to say goodbye to the people we had grown to love over the past few weeks. Very hard. It would have been easier if I knew they were in better conditions.

Getting ready to go out and minister - in "our room":

King Sasha - Sasha was one of the Ukrainians who worked with us
The crowns were a craft for that day to symbolize that they are Princes and Princesses, because they are sons and daughters of the King

....and Max, his loyal servant :)

Praying over Victor

Makeshift puppet theater

I had to say good bye to....

...them

...and them (Sergey is in the center here)

...and them

...and them

...and them

...and them

...and these two - Zhenya (Ukrainian working with us) was comforting this man because he was afraid of the dogs at the institution... poor guy!

...and Pasha

Oh sweet Pasha! We had the opportunity to baptize him when we were are the beach. He had NEVER been in the water.

...and him

...and him. A man in the cage watching longingly as we leave.

Goodbyes are hard. They stink. But I am reassured knowing that if I never see them when/if I go back to Ukraine, that I will see them in our heavenly home.

Looking Back Part 7: The Beach

This is Part 7 of the Looking Back series, previous parts are Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.

As I mentioned in the post about Sergey, we took some residents from the institution to the beach (err... a slimy, muddy river) on several different days. Two years ago yesterday, was a Monday and our last day going to the beach. I've combined pictures from several days, to do this post, so these pictures are not just from two years ago yesterday (hence why there are soo many). There is another post about the beach still coming.

We got to drive by these gorgeous sunflower fields everyday

See the Ukainian flag is blue at the top and yellow at the bottom? Ok, I've been corrected, the yellow is for the wheat, not the sunflowers. :P

Being "sick" definitely had its benefits some days... it's such a smoother ride in the front seat!

We had to walk over this long rickety bridge to get from the bus to the beach and back. Once you have 20 people on it, it was swaying pretty good!!

Why yes, this would be the river we they swam in.

It looks much prettier here, but trust me, it wasn't!

Ducks (or whatever they are) were EVERYWHERE! They are all the little fuzz balls you see in the grass. :)

Natasha - she wasn't so sure about going in the watter.

But we talked her into at least getting a suit on. :)
(Speaking of which, PLEASE keep an eye out at your local thift stores for CHEAP swimsuits! Max is always in need of more for these types of outings to the beach.)

Playing in the water - Sergey is the one a couple inches into the water bending over.

Sasha :)

Olivia

Many, many of the residents had NEVER been in the water. EVER. Esp the bedridden ones, but we were able to take quite a few in. :)

Vala

Some fishermen or someone caught this HUGE ugly fish! It was easily 4 or 5 feet long, and it was the most ugliest fish I had ever seen. It was almost like an eel with hardly any fins, but it was still fish. And yes, they were swimming in the same water this came from. Yuck!

Turkish Toilet! One of the Yulias (who is Ukrainian) told me I was a true Ukrainian girl for using it instead of going behind the bushes like she did! LOL

Volleyball

Crafts

Ice cream! A special treat for everyone!

Showing their muscles! They loved it when we showed them the pictures of themselves!

Ok, so maybe I missed one of the guys with Down syndrome in this post. That is Sergey on the left though behind them in the yellow hat.

Vala - I loved this sweet babushka! :) I was talking to her one day through one of the translators, and it just happened to be me she told that she needed a new pair of slippers for winter. Ok, then, I'll make you one tonight and bring you them tomorrow! :) So that's what I did having brought yarn along to crochet slippers.
My dream is to someday teach a couple of the residents (maybe in the cage) to crochet since they have nothing to do all day long, and then with supplies they'll be able to make slippers for everyone at the institution for winter.

Me and Sasha ♥

J Brian and a resident

Olivia, Renae, and Sasha, with Victor standing in front of them

And of course, everyone's favorite person is Max! :)

Before we left, Dad had asked our dentist if he would be willing to donate some toothbrushes for us to bring.  He went above and beyond what ask

Group pictures!

This day we had residents from a different institution and a Dutch team there with us. I purposely left out alot of pictures from this day as there were a lot more women at the the other institution (in swimsuits that didn't fit well), and the Dutchies swimwear wasn't exactly modest. ;)

My favorite picture of Olivia

Sorry it's sideways, but this was the door to our apartment. We were on the 7th story.

Like I said, there will probably be one more post with beach pictures, but that's the end of of this very picture heavy post. :) Thanks for reading!!