Crazy Days of Summer

Well, the days have been hazy and crazy but they are no where near lazy around here. It has been a while since my last post only because things have been so busy that I don't get anywhere near my computer these days. There are only 6 weeks left to summer vacation and I've barely accomplished anything on my summer goal list. So what have we been up too?

Wayne decided that it was time to put Andrii on a bigger dirt bike (husbands are just big kids on the inside). On their first ride to the shale-pit he slid and cut his arm open. I nominated Wayne to make the trip to Emurgent-care since I'd already spent 3 days in the hospital with Jordan. He willingly complied and 3 hours later they returned with 12 stitches in Andrii's arm....just in time for his week of paintball camp at Camp Pinnacle!

Andrii & his new dirt bike.

(No, that is not Skeletor in the background, it's Slava!)

HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY, MISSY!!!

Missy turned 21 on the 15th, so we had a family party for her. She has enrolled at the Orlo School of Hair Design and begins classes August 1st.

Jordan & Slava

The kids all pitched in and gave me a gift card to Picture People for my birthday. We had family portraits taken last week. I think they came out great. Slava did really well. He's actually a little ham!
Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows in a warrior's hands. How happy is the man whose quiver is full of them! Psalm 127:3-5 NLT

We've also been doing the Matthew Project again this summer. Our kids love volunteering weekly at Grace Covenant Church making sandwiches, packing lunches, and delivering them to kids in our community. I was very blessed to go to hear Joyce Meyer in Albany on Thursday night with my daughter-in-law, her mom, and my pastor's wife, Mary. We had a wonderful evening out and the message was excellent.

Jordan is healing up nicely from surgery, but we did have a bit of a scare Friday night. Upon changing the bandages we noticed a lump to the right of his incision. We hadn't noticed it before, and although it didn't hurt him we were concerned. I took his temperature and it was 100.2 so off to the ER we went (praying all the way). Infection is a serious concern since he's had so many surgeries in the same spot and so many more ahead of him. Scar tissue is more susceptible to infection. I have Shanti's cell phone # (Dr. Carl's assistant) she called Dr. Carl immediately and one of his residents found us in the ER. The lump turned out to be "hardware" basically the bottom of the new, longer rod. The low-grade fever was most likely due to a slight sunburn. They sent us home with antibiotics "just in case" and we'll be seeing Dr. Carl this week to follow up. Phew! Thank you, LORD!

This week Anna is enjoying Horse Camp at a local horse farm where she takes bi-weekly lessons. She goes each day from 9am to 2pm and she's loving it. It's also a big prep week for Sierra since she leaves for Cambodia in 1 week! There has been so much going on and I'm sure I've missed a few things, but that's all I can think of for now. I will update again soon. For now, here's another Psalm. I've been reading through them this summer and loving it...again!

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4

Jordan's Surgery

On Monday Jordan had another surgery. This time he had one rod extended and one rod replaced. His surgeon, Dr. Carl, was pleased with how well it all went. While in surgery, though, there was a discussion about Jordan's small size. Dr. Carl decided to take an x-ray of Jordan's hand so his bones could be measured. As it turns out, Jordan's bones measure that of a 4 or 5 year old.....next month he turns 8! We now have to make an appointment with a pediatric endocrinologist.

Jordan - PostOp

We spent 2 nights in the hospital because his doctor wanted to make sure that all the fluid drained out of the surgical site. Tuesday morning he was ready and raring to go, but since we had to stay he made use of his time entertaining the hospital staff on D7n.
In the above pic Jordan is riding ON his IV cart (he was hooked up to it) and the PCA Zach was pulling him around so Jordy could "assist" him at work. Jordan's nurse, Eldrid, had a great time with him too. He's the one sitting down. Today Jordan even accompanied Eldrid down to the 1st floor pharmacy for a little field trip. The staff at the desk were even making ID bracelets with whatever Jordan suggested written on them. Eldrid's bracelet said "Smelly Eldrid" and he wore it too!

Roman & Jordan

Tuesday evening Jordan started playing with a boy who was also in the same unit. He and Roman enjoyed visiting each others "room" and going to the play room. They kept Eldrid busy too since he was the nurse for both boys. It turns out that Roman who is 11 years old was also adopted from Ukraine! I met his mom and it turns out that she's friends with my niece Jessica and her mom. Roman's parents were told, when they adopted him at the age of 2, that he was healthy. But they soon realized that it was not the case. Roman can speak and walk, but he has brain damage to a region of his brain (from fetal alcohol), he has autism, and leukemia! He also sees an Endocrinologist for growth problems. We were very blessed to meet this family and share our Ukrainian adoption stories.

Dr. Carl, Jordan, & Shanti

Jordan had to be fitted for a new brace and before we left the hospital today we had to stop by Dr. Carl's office so he could check the fit. Dr. Carl and his assistant, Shanti, were thrilled to have their picture taken with Jordan. We will return in 3 weeks for a checkup and a new cast.

I am very thankful for the grace our Lord gives as we walk through these things. Sierra, Andrii, and Anna held down the fort (aka Slava) during the day. Wayne would arrive at the hospital around 5pm to relieve me so I could go home to be with the kids, put Slava to bed, shower, and return to the hospital again at 10pm. Wayne would go home to sleep and go to work in the morning and I'd spend the night in the hospital with Jordan. It is a system that seems to work for us. I also want to send out a BIG "THANK YOU" to my sister-in-law Bree for delivering dinner to the house on Monday night, my mom for keeping Anna one night and making dinner on Tuesday night, and my mother-in-law, Rita, for delivering a ham dinner tonight, and my good friend, Lauri and her family for helping with Slava today and delivering a meal for Thursday! We are very blessed to have your support. And of course we thank everyone for their prayers. As usual we can literally feel them being answered each day. And we're so thankful to the Lord for He is so good to us.

Investing In The Kingdom

Well goodbye June and hello July! I can't say that I'm looking forward to July since our calendar is so jam-packed already that there's no room to breath. July 4th we have a wedding to attend, a graduation party, the 11th is Jordan's surgery, Missy turns 21, there's a fund-raiser/garage sale for Sierra's Cambodia trip, Andrii goes to Camp Pinnacle for a week, and there's a baby shower to attend. This only accounts for the weekends. The weekdays are still busy with piano, the Matthew Project, Karate, dentists, doctors, hair appointments, and Cambodia preparations. I've been standing on my head looking at my calendar trying to figure out how we can squeeze a trip to our camp in too. Well at least there are 10 weeks left to summer vacation!

There's been another shocking sighting of Wayne's bizarre behavior. Yes, that's him on the trampoline with Slava and Jordan. Even Andrii and Kashi look a bit perplexed.

This pic is of Sierra at the Hudson River. It was taken by Andrii who I believe has a photography talent he's been hiding.

Of course Sierra likes to take pics of herself and affect them on the computer.

Yes, life is crazy busy, but what else would I be doing? The other day I was observing Sierra, Anna, Jordan, and Slava jumping on the trampoline together. Then I realized that if we hadn't adopted, Sierra would be like an only child at this point. Wayne Jr.'s married and out, Missy is living on her own, Curtis is home but never home with work and college. I suppose we could be living the easy life, but then again this life isn't mine. I surrendered it to Jesus.

The Lord has been speaking to my heart a lot lately regarding orphans. About 7 years ago God used Matthew 25 to really get to me. Matthew 25:14-20 specifically spoke to me about how God gives us talents, gifts, and even finances to invest in His Kingdom...not in the world. Matthew 25:31-46: For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me. And verse 40: And the King will tell them, "I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me."

James 1:27 - Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their trouble, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.

The Word of God is full of Scriptures revealing God's heart for the orphan, the fatherless, the oppressed. I will be sharing more of them in future posts. I've also been doing some research (I'm not even sure why, but the Lord will bring it all together in His perfect time). Here is some of what I've found:

STATISTICS

There are 143-210 million orphans in the world.

In the U.S. there are more than half a million children in foster care (many waiting to be adopted)

Approximately 250,000 children get adopted annually, but...

Each year 14,505,000 children grow up as orphans and age of the system by age 16 (who is willing to adopt teenagers?)

38,493 orphans age out each day

In Russia & Ukraine 10%-15% of these children commit suicide before age 18

60% of the girls become prostitutes

70% of the boys become hardened criminals

Most are unemployed, homeless, and in prison within 3 years

117,000 Ukrainians each year become victims of human trafficking...

Most of the victims are women and children (the greatest at risk are poor, uneducated, & unskilled).

Trafficking groups have liasons in small towns and villages who lure their victims with the idea of a "promising job proposition". I've always suspected that teenage girls who age out of orphanages are prime targets for trafficking.

I haven't even begun to look into Asia, Africa, or Latin America. But I have learned that Ukraine leads in number of human trafficking victims in Eastern Europe.

I've also learned that there are at least 220,000 Christian churches in the United States. So, if one family from each church adopted one orphan (from at home or abroad) that would make a small difference in the statistics, but a huge difference in the life of one of the least of these. But, if one family adopted a sibling group (like we did) that would have a huge impact on the numbers. And if more than one family from each church adopted....well you get the point. How can we as Christians allow the innocent to live under oppression while we live here in the land of the free and the home of the brave?

An estimated 65,500 adopted children in the US are living with a lesbian or gay parent

An estimated 2 million gay/lesbian people are interested in adopting.

Why aren't Christians adopting and raising kids for the Lord???

In the US there are more than 1 million induced abortions performed each year. We as Christians want to see abortion stopped, but what are we prepared to do with the 1 million babies each year who will flow into the foster care system?

I believe that each Christian family must pray and seek God's will for their lives. Ask Him if it is His will that they adopt an orphan (or 4). And if these families walk in obedience to the answer they get...then there would be a whole lot less orphans in the world and a whole lot more kids growing up in Christian homes.

Jesus said, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me." Mark 9:37a.

Thank you for listening, but stay tuned. I'm not finished yet!