URGENT PRAYER for Russian Orphan Vitaliy!

The time is NOW to rally the troops. NOW!!!

Vladim*r Putin put a ban on Russian adoptions to American families.

I'm sure you heard about this. But...what does it look like for a family and a little boy waiting in Russia who were mid-process?

I'd like you to meet Vitaliy. (pronounced Vi tall ey)

He is 4 years old.

He has Down Syndrome.

And his want-to-be parents say this about him:

"Vitaliy is the happiest, kindest person Aaron and I have met. He is beautiful, bright and precious! He is brilliant, loves to dance and comforts his friends when they are sad. He calls us Mama and Papa. He knows we are his parents and he is waiting for us."

Friends, we need to be in prayer. Like right NOW!

My friend Jenny and her husband Aaron get on a plane TODAY bound for Russia. (They've already flown across America and are waiting in an airport at this moment!)

They have a court date to complete his adoption, but a Russian judge will not be able to go against the new law.

Yet they still go.

In her words she said,

"Right now there is not much hope. We have been told to expect an unfavorable ruling in court if the judge agrees to see us. The judge simply cannot go against the law. So we are going to pour as much love into Vitaliy and spend as much time with him as we can."

Please, please pray for a miracle!!!!

Just LOOK at how Vitaliy looks at Aaron! It brings me to tears!!!

As Vitaliy has Down Syndrome, he will soon be transferred to a mental institution where he will be hidden away from society. There are some horrific tales of what happens to people in those institutions and there is no way to say which one he will end up in.

If he goes.

Normally they are transferred over at age 4 or 5. He has been kept at the "baby home" longer because of the Jenny and Aaron's signatures on his referral papers.

But now?

No one knows.

My friends have been battling the FLU on top of all of this! Please pray for their health to be restored!

They know fully well that they are walking into a spiritual battle for the life and soul of dear sweet Vitaliy. They need to KNOW that the body of Christ stands behind them and supports them!

Please pray for their hearts. That they might be filled with an overflowing peace that only our God gives.

Pray for their stay. That all logistics will go smoothly. They long to just hold and love on their boy as much as possible.

Pray for miracles in the court system and in the hearts of the Russian leadership.

Pray for dear Vitaliy. Pray that he will delight and enjoy in this emotion-laden visit that he will have with his parents. He knows nothing about all the politics...all he knows is the love of these dear people.

Pray for others to SEE and rally behind the Moyers. Pray that their story will change the heart of Vladim*r Putin.

Pray that this leader will CHANGE HIS MIND and release the precious orphans of Russia into loving homes!!!!

Here is a video that CNN did about their family's situation about a few weeks back:

Get prayin' Church!!!!

Heartbroken...and on my knees

Like you, I am reeling in shock.

Those parents who gave a swift kiss on their little one's cheek as they ran out the door for the bus...now reeling from the horrible phone call.

Their sweet one...

                          ...now dead.

And guess what? They probably have presents wrapped in their closets for those kids.

Christmastime and death and children should NEVER be in the same sentence.

Yet that's what our headlines read.

CNN.com photo of Chinese stabbing victim

Connecticut and China both.

That's right. Friday December 14, 2012 will be remembered as a day of massacre on children in their schools. Gun or knife...did it matter??

CNN.com photo taken outside Sandy Hook Elementary

I have nothing great to say other than I too have buried a child around Christmas.

It sucks.

Forever.

Everytime those ornaments go up on the tree. Everytime I sing "Sleep in heavenly peace..." Everytime the dates of December 28, 29 and 30 come...I am smothered by my grief over my son.

These families will now be smothered in grief as well.

Some will say, "How can God exist if such things happen?" But the answer or the blame does not go to the loving Creator of it all but rather His sworn enemy.

Satan is out to "steal, kill and destroy." (John 10:10) And when a person's down, he doesn't give them a break, he kicks them in the teeth. I know. I'm currently "toothless."

We live in a broken world. We are a broken people. We are in such DESPERATE need for saving. We cannot do the saving. We need someone BIGGER. Someone not broken. Someone who can reach in and solve this mess.

And. He. Did.

And we celebrate it when?

Christmas.

Suddenly things come a full circle. It sure doesn't stop the pain, heartache, shock or anger. But it IS full of hope.

We have HOPE that we are not left to ourselves.

We have HOPE that One bigger and perfect can rescue us.

We have HOPE that one day Jesus will return for us.

We have HOPE that we will see restoration.

In the meantime, we battle the evil in this world, protect those we love, and fall to our knees in prayer.


Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

oh.my.heart.

There's an ache in my heart that won't go away.

I don't know what to do about it, and I feel a bit like a shotgun all spread out looking for ways to ease the ache. I'm literally all over the place.

I ache for something.

But I can't quite figure it out yet.

I look at causes to jump into.

I look at getting more involved with our church.

I dream of mission trips with my older daughters.

I hear of different organizations I can partner with to advocate for the orphan.

And I stay up late looking through pages and pages of waiting children to adopt.

Source

oh.my.heart.

The need is HUGE.

There are literally thousands of children here in AMERICA who need a family.

There are kabillions of children with special needs waiting for a family to say YES to them all over the world. Meanwhile, they wait.

I've looked. 


I've cried.


I've asked.

For now, it's just an ache.

Hopefully soon, I'll know what to do about it.

Until then, I keep turning it back over to my Lord who holds the hands of each lonely child in our world and He knows the plans He has for them.

And for me.

Raw moment

Yesterday while we were outside playing, I commented to a fellow adoptive father, "I think they're all probably a bit older than we were told..." To which he replied "No, we have his actual birthdate."

Why did I ask??

But I did.

"When is his birthday?"

"December 29th."

I sucked in my breath. That was Oskar's birthday--well, it was the day I discovered he was no longer moving anymore. The day the nightmare began. A day that will forever be frozen in my memory.

And then I realized that his soon-to-be son was actually born on the same day, the very same year.

It was too much. I felt my legs go weak. My heart raced. Tears flooded and I got up to run off...but remembered the trauma of Zareb when I took a phone call away from the crowd so I could hear. (He flipped out thinking I'd abandoned him--his deep seated fear.) So I quickly bundled him up in my arms and ran off to find a quiet place.

I found some stairs that overlooked Lake Victoria. Gorgeous colorful flowers dotted my view. I sobbed. Zareb looked quite alarmed. I snuggled into him. And then I realized it.

We have BOTH had deep pain in our lives to bring us to this point.

Tears are not unfamiliar to my Ugandan son. It's not a happy childhood that avails a child to adoption.

"Please don't cry Mommy," he said lovingly later when we got back to the room. His tender heart had remembered me, so broken, on the stairs and he sought to bring me comfort. I thought it was interesting...one of the books that brought me great comfort during my grief after Oskar died was titled that same thing, Please don't cry, Mommy.

It may seem like adoption is merely paperwork and rejoicing, but there's a layer of pain and harsh reality that underlies it all. I am grateful to God for the pain (and great healing!) He has permitted in my life.

Perhaps I am better able to help my son with his past as well.