Where do I begin??

Wow - what a first 14 hours!  I've got a lot of thoughts going on, so hopefully they don't get too jumbled!  Yesterday, Coby was working on her poster (yes, we are procrastinators...that's how we work best - under pressure!) and it was so cute just watching him decorate it for her.

So, then we left at 2:15pm and arrived in Charlotte by about 5:00.  The drive seemed to fly by.  We ate at Sonny's BBQ - my first time there!  It was YUMMY!  If you've never been, I say you need to go!  We finally got to the airport by about 6:30.  We figured we were about 2 hours early but that proved to be otherwise!

Lidiya's flight landed at 8:56 (32 minutes late) but then they sat on the tarmac for about an hour and a half!  It stormed earlier in the night and the flights were grounded due to lightning.  Therefore, Lidiya's flight didn't have a gate to pull up to.  Before we had a chance to gather our stuff, the kids were downstairs already!  We didn't even realize it at first.  So, we first got to see her at almost 11:00...thus, our two hour early arrival turned out to be about 4 1/2 hours early!  The Lord had blessed us with the opportunity for patience last night!

When we first saw her, she was just standing there all by herself.  She looks much different than the picture we had of us, so I didn't even recognize her.  Danny walked up to her and said, "Lidiya?"  She said, "Yes".  So, then I gave her a big hug!  You could tell the poor girl was soooo tired!  She said all she wanted to do was sleep.  She didn't seem too nervous or scared, just really shy!  She welcomed hugs and when I reached out to hold her hand, she responded well.  Google Translate has been our best friend!  She does know some words in English but not many. Some of the words she knows in English are:  yes, no, wow, flag, toilet, sleep.  An interesting combination of words that she happens to know, if you ask me!  I mean, what do they teach them in Ukraine?  "Yes, go sleep on the toilet with your flag!"?  

I asked her a few questions, with the help of my electronic device of course!  Do you like dogs?  She did the "so-so" sign with her hand.  Are you happy to be in America?  "Yes! (with excitement)"  Are you tired?  "Yes...very much...just sleep!"

On our way out to the car, Coby grabbed her hand....soooo sweet!

She slept the entire ride home but you could tell she was trying to fight it at first, as she kept her head up.  However, slowly but surely her head started to lean on the window and within about 20 minutes she was out.  She woke up when we got to the house and much to my delight, she loved Ozzie!  I was a little nervous about it since she didn't seem too thrilled about dogs but she did pet him and just adore him.  Of course, he's just a little ball of fur...what's not to love?

She finally got back to sleep in her bed around 2:30 and the girl slept.  And slept.  And slept!  I finally woke her up around 9:30.  I would have let her sleep more but I didn't want to take a chance that she would sleep too much and then not sleep tonight.  After she woke up, she picked out an outfit to wear and I showed her how to take a shower.  She wanted to know if she should wash her clothes, too.  Of course, I told her no...I would do that for her.  I guess in the orphanages, they wear the same clothes every day.  They just wash them in the shower by hand and put them back on.

After breakfast, her and Coby jumped on the batut (trampoline).  Coby would jump, then sit, then jump again.  Then, I would say, "Lidiya - you do it" and she would just laugh and say, "Noooo".  LOL  She is not a daredevil by any means! 

Some of the the things I learned about her:

• Her favorite show is One Tree Hill
• Her favorite movie is Blade
• She really likes her boarding school
• She has 2 brothers and a sister
• She likes hot tea
• She likes fruit but does not like onions
• She likes Tom and Jerry (her and Coby are watching it right now)
• She likes to read

Here is a picture of her this morning giving Ozzie some lovin!

Here is a picture of her with Coby this morning after taking a shower and letting me do her hair.

She has a hard time smiling but I'm willing to bet it won't be long before she does.  She is very sweet, just really shy.

Nerves and Excitement - Giving God All The Glory

Lidiya...Lidiya...wow...Just saying her name freaks me out right now.  Why?  I have no idea!  Maybe because behind the name - I know lies a 13 year old teenage girl who doesn't speak English!  Maybe because she is a girl and I have a boy. Maybe because our home is filled with Legos, Army men and boy stuff!!  Maybe because I feel inadequate.  Maybe fear of the unknown.  When we pick her up at the airport Tuesday night (Yes...Tuesday Night!!  This Tuesday Night!!!) I have no idea if she will be afraid of us.  I have no idea what to say to her.  I have no idea if her head will be shaved.  I have no idea about anything.  I hate not knowing.  God knows I hate not knowing.  That's probably why He has me in this situation!  Of course He does!  Isn't that one way that we grow in our faith?  Also...the feelings of inadequacy...well, He loves that! Why?  Because then it won't ever be about me!  He will get all of the glory!  So, while I freak out about the unknown, I know that in the end, ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).  So, I may be inadequate but He isn't.  He will give me everything I need to minister to this girl.  And something someone said to me the other day will ring in my head over the next five weeks, "Love knows no language". 

So, please pray for us, that we will not seek anything for ourselves over these next 5 weeks.  That Coby will learn to be a little less selfish (and all of us for that matter), that we will all be humbled and that Lidiya will allow us to love her.  But most of all, please pray that she comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ while she is here!

Oh and I guess I should mention the shaved head comment, huh?  We were advised that if a lice breakout has occurred recently in the orphanages, that the orphanages tend to cut the children's hair VERY short or just shave it off...even the girls!  So, we will potentially have to deal with that and help her to not feel insecure about her hair, if that is the case.

I will try and keep the blog updated over the next five weeks and I will also keep it updated while in Eastern Europe on my mission trip in August.  I would be honored if you would follow me on this journey!  

Blessings to you all!

April's Mission Trip for the Orphans - Part 2

I am so excited to embark on an adventure that the Lord has been placing on my heart but holy crap, I am scared, too! I've been in another country before but with the protection of the US Army behind me. I wasn't in war (Thank the Lord) and I felt "safe" within the confines of our compound. And besides, S. Korea is a pretty safe country. At least it was 17 years ago when I was there.  I would have felt safe walking the streets by myself at 2am. 

I will be going to Eastern Europe with New Horizon's for Children to interview Orphans for the Winter 2011 Hosting. 

I don't know a whole lot about Eastern Europe but little do they know, I am really relying heavily on some friends right now! I guess they know now (if they are reading this)! :) I have a friend there right now adopting her son and she is truly there by herself!! Her husband left there last Saturday to come home! Yikes! Then, I have another friend leaving in a week and a half to go with her hubby and newborn baby to adopt twin girls. So, I am hoping that they can give me insight into what to expect...I don't like the "unknown".   If someone were to ask me what I am most afraid of....that's what I would respond with...the unknown.

But God isn't looking for me to be comfortable, I know that. Lord knows, these Orphans surely aren't "comfortable". The least I can do is come out of my comfort zone, fly across the world, eat who knows what, stay who knows where, see people taking their cows for a walk on a leash, possibly have the water to our apartment turned off at night, to go into a public restroom to find there is no toilet paper and that there wasn't meant to be any and whatever interesting and crazy things I might encounter while there! I am going to do this for the Glory of God and I pray that the Lord will bless these children. I pray that I might be the Jesus they meet! But I just know that I am probably going to be more blessed than they ever could be!

Please consider contributing because without your help, I may not have a chance to go. I am in need of $800 to fund my portion of this trip. I know the Lord will provide if this truly is indeed his will for me. I can't help but think it is though, according to James 1:27. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Oh and Lydia will be here at the end of June for 5 weeks!  Please continue to pray for her...we are excited to finally meet her and love on her!

April's Mission Trip for the Orphans