Friends Reunited and New Friendships Made...Week 5

After being in the states 4.5 weeks, Vika and I drove to OKC to be reunited with another precious child, from the Baby House in St. Pete.  He came home six weeks before I came home with Vika, but they still remembered each other and were full of smiles.

Well, after I cleared up a HUGE misunderstanding, due to the language barrier with Vika.  This was the first real "ahhhhhh, I wish I could communicate better with her", moment!!  We woke up early Wednesday so we could get on the road and have time with my cousin and their kiddos.  I was getting Vika her breakfast and was trying to lay out the "game plan" for the day.  I wanted her to know who was going to get to play with...o wait, what was his name in Russia?  I couldn't remember, as all I have ever known him as was Alex.  Of course Vika had no idea who Alex was.  So, I pulled up some pics of the children in the orphanage and I showed her one where she was playing with "Alex".  Excitedly she said, "play".  I responded, "yes play!!"  Thinking all was good, I left her to eat breakfast and I went to shower.  My mistake??  On the way up the stairs, I tell Vika that she gets to GO and PLAY with "Alex".  Returning back from taking my shower, I find my baby sitting in her chair crying.  After many questions and no real answers, I begin listening, between the tears, to Vika's words, "No play, mama.  No play.  Vika home. Ya tebya lyublyu Mama.  Potselui.  No play.  Home Mama.  No go."  I finally figure out what the problem is...I showed her a picture of her playing with him at the ORPHANAGE!!  Ahhhhh, my poor lil' girl thought I was taking her back to Russia!  O NO!!!  Never!!!  After calming her down, and showing her pictures of Alex with his family, she was ready to go play.  Ahhhhh, so much for getting "Mother of the Year"...

However, once we all piled outta the car and Alex and Vika saw each other it was nothing but smiles and laughter.  It was so great to finally meet Alex and his precious mama.  A day of rejoicing it was!!  All the kiddos got along great and had loads of fun.  Another "play date" is sure to come in the near future!

with her cousin, driving to meet the other three kiddos

The entire crew:  Tatiana, Raichelle, Alex
(also from St. Pete), Vika and Caden

Old friends playing together in the USA!!

Prayer Request:

I return to work tomorrow, after taking six weeks off.  I am dreading, dropping Vika off at daycare at 7:15 and not seeing her until nearly 5:00 pm.  I know she'll be well-cared for and enjoy playing with the other three kiddos...however, I will miss her!  I pray she remembers what Sasha told her last weekend...Mama will be coming back!!!

Heavy Heart

God’s heart for the poor:  Isaiah 56-58, Proverbs 14:31, 21:13, 28:27, Matthew 19:16- 30, Luke 6:20-25, 18:18, James 5:1…

In my spirit, I feel the thunderstorm brewing, and at any moment a shower of tears may erupt.  Many may say I’m angry and maybe I am…however, I’d rather think I’m passionate and truly struggling to look at the world around me and find myself in the minority although the “world” around me would “claim” they “feel bad” and would “like to do something about the problem”.   Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s past the time of waiting and pondering and a time to be a doer.  And I’m here, to hopefully be used by God to SHAKE something in your heart that causes you to DO something.

Here’s how I see it, and mind you, I’m sick of seeing it this way!  We sit in church and TALK about compassion, unimaginable, all surpassing love. And then an hour later, we are still sitting there talking about it.  Compassion is working; unimaginable, selfless love is real. It is right here, among a few…by the minority.

I claimed the unwanted and unloved (and I thank God I did) for He who loves all.  So, yes, I find myself among the minority, and yes I feel like I’m truly among the minority with this huge burden placed on my heart.  So, here I go…this is the way I see it…

Each person who calls themselves a follower of Christ takes up the responsibility to love and care for the fatherless. It is not some special, specific calling. It is the DUTY of ALL who call themselves Christians. There are ONE HUNDRED FOURTY SEVEN MILLION fatherless, motherless, parentless children who are not shown unconditional love by another human being on a daily basis. How will we then tell them that Jesus loves them? I am certain that God did not mess up and create too many children and not enough people to love them. The body of Christ is responsible for sharing His love with the people that we are also responsible for making destitute.

We are the body of Christ. But do we know what that means? Really understand?  Do we long for our brothers and sisters to be comfortable, fed and well? Do we long for it enough that we are uncomfortable under our blankets at night or eating our pancakes in the morning? Do we feel the hurt that God feels as He watches the body of Christ sit back and allow these precious children of His to perish? Maybe sometimes. But sometimes, we are too busy, or we forget, or are hurting for our own children and feel this is enough. We are the body of Christ. We need to hurt. We need to REACT. And I’m talking more than praying for someone ELSE to DO SOMETHING.  Take your eyes off of others, and ponder something different…what is God calling YOU to DO??   There needs to be the same urgency, panic, frustration and desperation as if these were your own children. They are God's children.  God’s children!  That makes them important and worthy of your EFFORTS!

When He said, "the poor will always be among us" I don't think he meant that as an excuse to not worry about it but as a reminder that there is ALWAYS a neighbor, no matter where we are, in a worse condition than we are. I can only believe that God created us to make this world a little better. That he designed us in love to show that love to others. I just don't know what everyone is waiting for.  Quit thinking and pondering and ACT!!  Can I say it again…DO SOMETHING!!  Get off your knees and MOVE!  There I finally said it! 

You see, "...once my eyes were opened, I couldn’t pretend I didn’t know what to do. God, who weighs on my hearts and keeps my soul, knows that I know, and holds me responsible to act."  Proverbs 24:12 (personalized).

ADOPTION IS GOD’S HEART. He sets the lonely in families. Adoption is the reason that I can come before God’s throne and beg Him for mercy, because He predestined me to be adopted as His child through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Adopting my sweet daughter was not optional. It was not my good deed for the year, and it was not what I did to “help the poor kid out.”  I adopt because God commands me to care for the orphans and the widows in their distress. I adopted because to whom much has been given, much will be demanded. I adopted because whoever finds his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for His sake will find it.

As God provides this abundance, I am blessed to be able to provide a lil' for one of the least of these.  I just pray I would be a “perfect” steward of His gifts so that they are used in the way that is most pleasing to Him!  And I have no fear that God will be pleased with the way I spent His money!

Proverbs 24 says ,"once our eyes have been opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know and hold us responsible to act." While it is a great hurt and great responsibility to know that there are 150 million orphans in the world, at this moment, as I sit in the comfort of my own home, I am so thankful to be a part of the responsibility. I am thankful that my eyes have been opened.  I am thankful I am not numb to the thing that I believe is so near and dear to His heart.

Just in case you were getting too comfortable...

Poverty and squalor and disease and desolation are REAL.

They have names. And faces that stare back and hands that have squeezed mine tight.

They are beautiful people in need of REAL love.

Need a picture?  I have thousands and that doesn’t even begin to tap into the vast need.  The need is just so vast.

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18 

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him. Philippians 1:29

It is that love that keeps me focused on the difference I can make in the life of one child at a time.  It is a single drop in the ocean full of needs, but thankfully God didn’t call me to eliminate poverty, to eradicate disease, or to put a stop to people abandoning babies.  I am here to love.  I am here to educate.  I am here to rally God’s children to ACT like His children!

My candle has been lit, by Christ.  I am on fire for God, for His children, for orphans. My purpose here is to spread His light…one candle at a time.  A single candle can light up my entire home.  Jesus can light up this entire nation if those who claimed His name would act.

My prayer each day is this (just as Pastor Blake said from the pulpit a few weeks ago):

shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father's glory

bless, Spirit, bless, set our hearts on fire

flow, river, flow, flood this nation with grace and mercy

send forth Your word, and let there be Light.

Love is blind.  Love sees no boundaries. Love is wonderful. Love will always find a way.  The greatest gift our Maker gave us and the greatest gift we can give one another is LOVE.  Love is something I want my life to never lack.

Today God reminded me that I have ONE purpose in life, and that is to LOVE. I could ask for no greater assignment to teach Vika, for without love, we really don’t have anything to offer God or others.  What a thought!  I could teach her every verse in the Bible but without love she’d be unusable by God! WOW!!

I am grateful that the God who knows my heart allowed for my heart’s desire to be fulfilled – that He has allowed me to do and be what He designed me to do and be.  I can no longer sit down without having my lap instantly filled.  And for me, that is a simple taste of Heaven.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

because the LORD has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to comfort all who mourn

and provide for those who grieve

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

For as the soil makes the sprout come up

and a garden causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise

spring up before all nations.

Isaiah 61

I realize, that once again God brought me to this helpless place. He brought me to my knees. He brought me to a place where I knew I could not and would not do it on my own.  A place where He would reveal that I would have to relinquish all control to Him, because I CANT do it. But He CAN. So, I am letting God work on your heart. His timing is perfect. His will is perfect. His plan is perfect.

Four Weeks at HOME

FOUR WEEKS...she continues to make huge gains and leaves a permanent smile on her mama's face.  I was just talking to a good friend last night, about how it seems like yesterday I was telling her "I'm no good at waiting...how long must I wait...I want her here now!!"  And here she is, HOME for four weeks already, and it seems like only yesterday.

Finally, a wonderful Russian experience!  The O'Shields' arrived Thursday afternoon to finally meet Vika.  Their son, Nathan (Sasha) was adopted from St. Pete, at the age of ten.  He is the first Russian here in the US that has really been able to get Vika to communicate in her native language.  It appears as though the adults speaking Russian intimidate her, and thus our Russian tutoring wasn't going quite as planned.  I'm hoping that having it explained to her, that she is mine...all mine...and that she will NEVER have to go back to Russia, will calm her nerves. I know their presence brought a smile to her much joy (as it did me)!!

Sasha explaining to Vika that NO ONE will take her back to
Russia so she doesn't need to fear the Russian speaking adults

First time chewing gums

 First Experience Bowling

Lookin good Vika

STRIKE!!!

waiting with papa for her turn

giving papa some sugar

and loving on manna :)

 Freddies Ice Cream...a new FaVoRiTe

after eating mama's...it's time to share with Papa

And make sure we get every last drop... :)

 More Fun with Sasha 

Justin, you aren't the only one to receive the "special" treatment anymore! ;-)

"Mama, Sasha a princes,s too, see?!?!?"

 Trip to the Farm

Trip to the Stubbs farm

Yes the horse is kissing Kevin

I am still amazed at how the Lord crossed our paths, and built this lasting friendship.  Thank you so much for all your love and support Kevin and Ang!  You guys inspire me in so many ways.  I pray that the Lord will shorten the distance (milage) that separates our families, in the near future.  I am continuing to pray for your ministry in Stone Mountain...may God continue to move mountains and stir the hearts of those around you.

I will leave you with some videos...

These videos aren't fun to watch but they're priceless to listen to.  Every night, when I put Vika to bed, I read her a story and then sing to her.  This week, I caught her singing my song, to herself in bed (hence why the screen is black).  This lil' girl KNOWS who LOVES her!!  It is simply priceless...so thank you to each of you, who have made your love known to Vika!  She recognizes and is singing about you!!

This lil' girl is the biggest blessing the Lord has given to me, thus far, in my life second to my salvation.  I continue to be humbled that He would choose to bless me with His precious daughter. 

Some More Sweet Videos

This is for you Babushka and Dedushka with love from Vika Grace...

and here's what she's watching...

 

and another Russian song, by Vika...

and here's what she's watching...

and here's the English version for those of you who are interested (Bubushka :) )

and here's her FIRST English song she's learned to sing ALL BY HERSELF...(this one's for you, Reagan)

 

Mama is so proud of Vika's progress with the English language and is so happy to see her still using her Russian!  This will be a continuous goal of mine...and since she doesn't like speaking Russian to other Russian's right now, we'll be using Russian videos and music daily. :) 

Three Weeks at HOME

I still cannot believe we have been home for three weeks TODAY.  It just doesn’t seem possible!

Vika is nearly completely potty trained now.  She is rarely having any accidents, and when she does it’s when our environment has changed…or in the case of one of the two incidents this week, mama continues to drive seven more miles after two warnings of “mama, pee pee”.  So, I count that one as my opps and not Vika’s.  She continues to wear a pull-up at night.  However, I’m going to start waking her up before I go to bed and see if that helps keep her dry through the night. as I don’t want to restrict her fluid intake.  So, we shall see how this next week goes, with me waking her up.

She continues to be a very picky eater.  I am trying to introduce nutritional foods into her diet but that is difficult as I’m having little success in adding variety into her diet.  I “fear” I have a vegetarian on my hands…not that a vegetarian is bad but this mama enjoys her beef with her potatoes!

Last Friday, I had a staff meeting up at the school that I needed to attend.  So I had to leave Vika for an hour…it was so difficult for me.  Luckily, Myndee was able to keep her up, at the office, for me.  What a “relief” as Vika loves her Nana very much!!  Anyhow, she did great!  They watched Russian cartoons, drew pictures, and practiced “writing” her name and the names of other people.  I don’t know how I’m ever going to go back to work…but in two weeks, that’s where I’ll be going.

Here is a video of Vika singing in Russian…precious…