Thursday, March 19, 2009

One of Life's Greatest Journeys


What if the only family you knew… abused you?

What if the only time an adult talked to you was to discipline you?

What if no one had ever told you that you were important?

What if no one ever said, “I love you”?

What if the only interaction you had was with peers?

What if there was no one to teach you how to live… how to love… how to talk… how to handle life?

What if you were never taught how to handle your emotions and feelings?

What if you had nightmares every night?

What if you were afraid every time you lay down to sleep?

What if every gift you were given was stolen?

What if there was nothing that was yours?

What if you had to fight every day to defend the weak?

What if you were hated by those you lived with because you would not go along with their plans?

What if one day you were taken from everything you knew and understood?

What if one day you were taken to a different country to live?

What if everyone around you spoke another language?

What if you now had to live completely different than you have ever lived?

How would you respond?

How would you do it?

How would you handle it?


“It is hard.”  Karina has told us this several times.


 “I love you.  I love my brothers and sister.  I love living in America.  I am thankful for all that God has done for me.  I am thankful for all that you are doing for me.  But it is hard.  Be patient with me, I am learning how to be a daughter.  I would not change anything… I just need your prayers… and love.”


We know many orphans. 

What do they need?  They need Jesus.  They need people to minister to them in the orphanages.  They need parents.


We have many friends that are adopting or have adopted.

What do they need?  They need prayers as they adjust… as the children adjust to everything new and the parents need prayer as they learn to love a child that has been neglected their entire life.


It is a great journey… I imagine it is one of the greatest journeys life on this earth can hold for us… because it is exactly what God has done for us… adopted us.

5 comments:

  1. She is so sweet. You are so lucky to have her, and I'm so happy for all of you.
    Say hi to her from me. God bless you my dear friends!

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  2. This is a wonderful post and so very true. It has to be hard. We know how hard it is to be in Ukraine as Americans and can't imagine what it must be like to be an orphan. More Americans should travel outside our borders to see how good we really have it. I read an article yesterday about a women who is getting divorced from the former CEO of UTC. She said that $53,000 a week is not enough for her. Can you even imagine? How much good could she do if she used some of that obscene wealth to help others?

    Anyway, we continue to pray for the children and the families who are travelling this journey, for those that will be coming after us and for those that have already been. The images will not so easily be forgotten.

    Please give our love to Karina and tell her that we love her, just as we have been loving on her friends back at #4. Soon Dasha will have the same struggles.

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  3. What an insightful girl! Feel free to have her email our O and they can compare their new lives together! God Bless!

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  4. Glad to hear things are going well with Dasha. On the SS#, we filed Jan 22 for numbers for our three and still do not have them. After 8 hours of follow-up, I was informed the adoption decree and birth certificates had to be translated. I explained there was an English translation attached to each document. the answer, "We can not accept that translation". Ahhhhhhh!!!

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  5. Sweet, sweet Karina. Yes, it's hard. She is so wise beyond her years. Even though it is hard, she sees the beauty in it all.

    Praise God HE has has adopted us!

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