Birthdays, Rain and Promises

Tomorrow is Karina's 14th birthday.

Her first birthday with her new family and her first birthday in the United States.

A couple of days ago we asked her what she would like to do for her birthday and she looked at us with a puzzled look on her face...

"I do not know."

I asked her what she had done on past birthdays....

"I remember one time... about a month before my birthday M had a party for some of the kids that were having a birthday during the summer and that was fun...

I remember when I was eleven and my biological dad found me at camp and told me he did not want to be my father...

I remember when I was five...

I ran away...

I ran away from...

I have never had a birthday party on my birthday and I have never done anything on my birthday because it was my birthday. It always rains on my birthday. Every single birthday I have had I remember rain. I would like to call someone in Ukraine on my birthday and ask if it is raining."

We have a big day planned for Karina... even if it rains we will have a big birthday for her.

She is excited about her first birthday with us.

We recently saw a rainbow and had a conversation about promises.

She has mostly known broken promises... learning to trust is something very new... some of her earliest birthday memories are of broken promises...

We have made her promises since meeting her and bringing her into our family and she is thankful for the fulfilled promises she has seen.

We looked at the rainbow and talked about our God who always fulfills his promises.

We talked about how much God has blessed her even through tough times... and we looked closer and saw two rainbows.

God keeps his promises...

even when it rains on our birthday.

Four Months

Yesterday marked four months that Karina has lived with her family in the United States.

We continue to see God's hand and thank him for the incredible blessing of Karina.

She is enjoying camp and is a great help around Twin Lakes.

These four months have flown by.

Please Pray

Tonight while we sleep in the United States, the government in Ukraine may be voting on a bill that could end international adoption.  If this bill passes, thousands upon thousands of children may never have a family.  Please pray that this bill will not pass and that international adoptions will continue in Ukraine.  There are families in Ukraine right now and families soon on the way that could be turned away without children if this bill passes.

These children... these orphans desperately want families.  Every day throughout the weeks we spent with the orphans they asked us the same thing...

"Will you find a family for me?"

"Will you tell someone about me?"

"Does anyone know I am here?"

"Does anyone care about me?"

"Will you forget me?"

"Will you remember me?"

"Will I ever have a mommy and a daddy?"

Everyday they asked these questions.

Every single day.

It is the main thing on their mind... it is what they desire... it is what they ask God for... it is what they ask visitors to the orphanage for... these children want a family.

Please pray.