Fight Oppression with Scripture!

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It was the strangest thing...

One moment I was waking up, rubbing my eyes and taking in the day.

Quickly realizing i had a KILLER headache.

Things went downhill from there.

Fast.

A distressing text from a precious friend.

A step on the scale.

A realization that my birthday is days away.

All of a sudden a great HEAVY oppression hit me between the eyes.

All I could see were the messes around the house and every sound was magnified 10,000x and echoing in my hollow, tired head.

Kids were hollering at each other.

Toby was crying.

(did i mention I only slept 5 hours?!)

I was suddenly in tears feeling like the entire world was smothering me.

How did I get here!??!

Wasn't I just a few moments ago sleeping peacefully, just right there??

Graciously, my older girls took the reigns and cared for the others downstairs.

I reheated a day old cup of coffee. (I really cannot believe I forgot to drink my coffee yesterday!)

I opened my Bible to where I had left off yesterday...Isaiah 50.

Verse 4 jumped out like a cat on a hot tin roof:

"Morning by morning He wakens me
and opens my understanding to His will."

And lo and behold, my journal had the verses from I Thessalonians 5:16-18 printed on the bottom page:

"Always be joyful.  Pray continually. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."

Wow.

That's pretty stinkin' clear.

So I started by thanking God for what good was surrounding me. (You don't have to be told to be thankful when times are good, so that verse is WRITTEN for challenging moments!)

I spoke aloud all I was thankful for...

...and literally in a matter of moments, all that feeling of dark oppression had left.

In a matter of minutes my head cleared, I saw through the darkness and realized it was sunshining outside. "Hey, I have a life to go live!"

Peace had returned downstairs too.

I sit here now typing on the keypad realizing even my headache is gone.

What was that, anyway???

Spiritual attack.

I truly believe our whole family/house got smothered with it this morning. There was a moment when all my kids were screaming and one came up throwing my bedroom door open wide, "Mom! You've GOT to DO SOMETHING! Things are NOT GOING WELL!!!" I was currently in tears from my own attack.

Thing is, when you are under attack, you rarely recognize it. It's not like Satan comes to you and says, "prepare to be ATTACKED!"

(but gosh wouldn't that be nice?!)

Habits of being in the Word are good for so many, many reasons. I hope that today if you find yourself grumpy, overwhelmed, exhausted, hurting that you too will do a little I Thessalonians 5:16-18!

A Fresh Look!

So excited to share with you what my fav designer, Jenn, has been working on for us! :)

Do you like it?

I sure do!

Sweet Esty's Update!!!

Nothing brings more joy to a waiting adoptive Momma like pictures and video of her sweet baby girl who's waiting in an orphanage. Oh to scoop her up and draw into our family with loving arms!

We received an answer to 10 of our questions that we asked about her back in May, right after China gave us pre-approval to adopt her.

In those questions, we learned she:

 loves bunny rabbits,

can crawl around using the strength in her arms,

likes to:

paint

sing

handcraft (we have a precious video of her creating an intricate origami boat--all from memory!)

cook

and serve tea!!

She :

is very active and outgoing

loves to play with other children

and is really excited to have so many brothers and sisters!!!

And does anyone remember that I sent her a very special necklace while we were in China adopting Toby? (If not, you can read about it here.) Well, here's what was said about it:

"She keeps that necklace for herself all the time. She doesn't wear it during the daytime though as she doesn't want to break it. She cherishes it very much."

"She cherishes it very much..."

These words stick in my heart...and catch in my throat. Just like the words from her original update I read when we fell in love with her. The question was asked, "Does she want a large family or a small family?"

The answer from Esty, "I just want a family."

Those words pounded through my heart for days.

A sweet, most precious little girl, just longing for ANY FAMILY.

Oh. It makes me teary even still.

And then, to be in China and be able to send her the necklace...for it said on the back "Jeremiah 29:11"
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

God Almighty has an incredible plan for our Esty. I believe this because for the first time EVER in my life, God told me something directly in a dream. 

Our first night in Hong Kong, on the way to adopt Toby (this is even BEFORE Brian was on board to adopt her!!) I dreamt that God came to me and told me to name HanHan (her current Chinese name) Esther because He wanted her in place for the special job He has for her. I knew in the dream that that placement was in our family, in America. Not in an orphanage.

If you are not familiar with the amazing biblical story of Esther, you should really go read it.

The clincher line that has always stayed with me is when Mordecai says to Esther, "who knows if perhaps you were made queen for a time such as this?" when he bolsters her with courage to do a very important job to save her people.

Similarly, our daughter must no longer be an orphan in order to do the job she must do.

Hence, the name "Esty." (Yes, we know it's like Etsy...and even though we adore art and all things crafty, we are not naming her after that website!) hee hee

As I watched the 3 minute and 44 second video of her silently, carefully folding the paper into a paper boat I realized many things:

she is patient,

she is intelligent,

she sees things through to the end,

she is good with her hands,

she loves to create,

she takes pride in a job well done.

You might note that those are all things really necessary for a doctor. 

In her original video, shot two years ago now, she said that when she grows up she wants to become a doctor!

I don't know if that is the job the Lord has for her or not, but one thing is for sure: she won't get there sitting in an orphanage in China!

OH! We are sooooo thrilled to become her family!

I couldn't help creating this photo montage when I realized I had an image of her pointing to something else she had made:

Will you join us in praying Esty HOME???

Why I Advocate

Toby's story was written up by my sweet friend in Philadelphia on the No Hands But Ours blog!!

We found Toby on my friend's blog who was advocating for a family for him. Because we have been SO BLESSED BY TOBY I give my time to finding families for children. (And now I've discovered that I was looking for Esty's family...and it was US!!)

Please go delight in the tale...(click here!)

A tale of obedience...of risk...of stepping out in faith...of adoption...a tale of complete and utter joy!

A tale of TRUE LOVE!!!!

What to Pray...When You Say You'll Pray

So lately, our church body is going through a lot.

A LOT.

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There is nothing that we need to do MORE than to pray. These situations are overwhelming, unfathomable and downright choking. But do you wonder WHAT to pray, in such times?

By no accident I am sure, one of our fabulous pastors recently preached about some ways we can WRESTLE in prayer for one another, like our great example Epaphras in Colossians.

He had cool video of big ugly wrestlers lifting heavy rocks up onto ledges. This would be the part of the sermon my 7 year old proudly reported that he remembered from the sermon.

(giggle.)

So, the people of Colosse were going through a lot too back then.

And fascinatingly, Epaphras did NOT pray for their trouble to be removed.

WHAT?

That's right.

There will always be situations that will come along and slide into the place of those that we pray for release from.

We live in a fallen world.

But you knew that.

So what did Epaphras pray for those whom he wrestled in prayer? Glad you asked!

He prayed some things that are NOT dependent upon good or bad circumstances...but rather that they would grow in many ways, no doubt as a result of the trials they were facing.

My point in this blog post is not to reiterate what wonderful Nate already preached, so please if you have time go hear the full sermon here.

If you need some quick bullet points (as we often need to cut to the chase!) here's what Nate gleaned from Colossians 1: 9-12 and I've been using as a prayer guide for others:

1) That they would be filled with God's wisdom.

2) That they would be compelled to please Christ in every way. That they would be aware of His presence with them.

3) That their faith would deepen and that they would bear fruit for Christ. Nate suggested we pray for specific fruit in their lives. But please, don't everyone pray patience for me!! (LOL)

4) That God would strengthen them with: ENDURANCE, PATIENCE, JOY and GRATITUDE, and GOD'S GRACE which is more than sufficient in spite of all our circumstances.

This is a wonderful list of ways we can pray into the character of our friends and loved ones who need us to go to God on their behalf. I love this list because it takes me out of the habit of "please bless them, Lord" to asking for specific godly qualities to be forged in their hearts and lives.

As I often tell my children, your CHARACTER is the only thing you get to take with you to heaven. By praying into our friends' and families' characters, we're investing in them for the long haul.

A New Challenge--TF and LMP Hybrid!

Home from Philadelphia...first morning back I'm looking to start a new program!

(People often tell me that I'm must be so busy for having six kids...but here's my secret: daily exercise and clean eating!! If you want energy, you have to fuel right and burn off stress with exercise! Did you know that the brain benefits the MOST from exercise? All the body changes are just SIDE EFFECTS!! :) And yes, SHAKEOLOGY is a daily component of "clean eating" for us over here!!)

Here's what I'm going to get after...a hybrid of two of my all time favorite Beachbody programs!!!

Les Mills Pump for weight training married with Turbo Fire for kickin' cardio! Both have AWESOME music that's OFF DA CHAIN!!!!!!!

If you have these two awesome programs you may be searching for a plan to hybrid them together. There are many ways already written out...and I have chosen this one!

PHASE 1: THE CHALLENGE

WEEK 1

1. Pump Challenge and Fire 30
2. Fire 55EZ+Stretch 10
3. Pump Challenge and HIIT 20
4. Flow and Fire 30
5. Pump Challenge and Fire 30
6. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
7. REST

WEEK 2

1. Pump & Burn and HIIT 20
2. Fire 60 + Stretch 10
3. Pump Challenge and Hard Core Abs
4. Flow and Fire 30
5. Pump & Burn and HIIT 25
6. REST
7. Hard Core Abs and Fire 30 + Stretch 10

WEEK 3

1. Pump & Burn and HIIT 20
2. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
3. Pump & Burn and Fire 30
4. Flow and Hard Core Abs
5. REST
6. Pump & Burn and Fire 45EZ
7. Hard Core Abs and Fire 60 + Stretch 10

WEEK 4

1. Pump & Burn and HIIT 25
2. REST
3. Pump & Burn and Fire 45 + Stretch 10
4. Hard Core Abs and Fire 30
5. Pump & Burn
6. Pump & Burn and HIIT 20
7. Flow and Core 20

WEEK 5

1. Pump & Shred and HIIT 15
2. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
3. Pump & Burn and Fire 30
4. Flow and Hard Core Abs
5. REST
6. Pump & Shred and HIIT 20
7. Hard Core Abs and Fire 55EZ + Stretch 10

PHASE 2: THE CHANGE

WEEK 6

1. Pump & Shred and Fire 30
2. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
3. Pump & Shred and HIIT 20
4. Flow and Hard Core Abs
5. Fire 60 + Stretch 10
6. Pump & Shred and HIIT 15
7. REST

WEEK 7

1. Pump & Burn and Hard Core Abs
2. REST
3. Pump Revolution
4. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
5. Pump & Shred and HIIT 20
6. Flow and Hard Core Abs
7. Fire 60 + Stretch 10

WEEK 8

1. Pump Extreme
2. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
3. Pump & Shred and HIIT 15
4. REST
5. Flow and Hard Core Abs
6. Pump Extreme and HIIT 20
7. Fire 60 + Stretch 10

WEEK 9

1. Pump Revolution
2. REST
3. Pump Extreme and HIIT 20
4. Flow and Hard Core Abs
5. Fire 45EZ
6. Pump Revolution and HIIT 15 + Stretch 10
7. Fire 60 + Stretch 10

PHASE 3: BE STRONG

WEEK 10

1. Pump Extreme and HIIT 20
2. Flow and Core 20
3. REST
4. Pump Revolution and HIIT 15 + Stretch 10
5. Flow and Hard Core Abs
6. Pump Extreme and HIIT 20
7. Fire 60 + Stretch 10

WEEK 11

1. Pump Revolution and HIIT 20
2. Fire 60 + Stretch 10
3. REST
4. Pump Extreme and HIIT 30
5. Flow and Core 20
6. Fire 55EZ + Stretch 10
7. Pump Revolution and HIIT 15

WEEK 12

1. Fire 60 + Stretch 10
2. Pump Extreme and HIIT 20
3. Flow and Hard Core Abs
4. REST
5. Pump Revolution and HIIT 25 + Stretch 10
6. Fire 55EZ + Stretch 10
7. Pump Extreme and HIIT 15

WEEK 13

1. Flow and Hard Core Abs
2. Pump Revolution and HIIT 30 + Stretch 10
3. REST
4. Fire 60 + Stretch 10
5. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
6. Pump Extreme and HIIT 30
7. DONE!!!

Starting today will take me deep into October...perfectly in time to change things up and do something new for fighting the holiday weight gain season! (If you are going to live fit, you always keep a plan in place!!)

Anybody want to join me? I'm hopping into this TODAY!!!  Jump in with both feet and let's go!!! :)

Toby's Surgical Outcome

Wow! Thank you for the outpouring of love and prayers on behalf of Toby as he had surgery!

HE IS DOING AMAZING!!!

I just took this, 2 days post op, for this post. Can you believe him?!?!?!

Surgery lasted 4 hours. First Dr. R began with the circumcision. This went smoothly. Then Dr. Z came in and started with the toe removal. Then he began on his arm.

This was a big deal.

First order of business was to rotate his arm. You see, his shoulders are internally rotated making his hand in a backward position (on top of his wrists being severely bent). Surgeries to alter the shoulder have been highly unsuccessful, but they have discovered that it is working to cut the humorous in half, rotate the lower part of the arm into the correct position and then put pins or plates in to hold it. (Toby has permanent plates.) They did this just above his elbow.

Then, they did an elbow release. This involved cutting tendons, moving nerves and then making slices in his tricep muscles to lengthen them. The way it was, the arm still would be unable to move due to the tight muscle that has never been used.

Are you grossed out yet? Yeah. I know.

Then they cast that arm in a 90 degree position.

He got his fingers in his mouth for the FIRST TIME EVER!!!

He can actually reach his left ear with his right arm!! (not without help)

This is in the recovery room. His face was very swollen and he didn't look like himself.













As is common with AMC kids, they were unable to get a good vein for an IV in either his hand or foot. (his poor foot is all bruised and I can see they tried 5x to get one in!) So it was in his neck. :(

While in the hospital...we did very little.

Lots of sitting and holding. And trying not to cry.

But Toby is a fighter. And although he wasn't happy, he didn't cry that first night.

He had me sleep in his bed to comfort him and he worked on a new position about every ten minutes, but the boy did not cry all night.

We were incredibly blessed to share a room with our good friends Gideon and his dear mommy! They made the entire experience amazing with their company and all their helpful AMC wisdom! We even got to meet up with  3rd Chinese AMC adoptive mommy however they were on their way out and it was much too short a visit! Next time!

Toby borrowed Gideon's iPad while Mommy grabbed a shower. With his dominant hand occupied, he resorted to his good foot for iPad playing:

This is how he looked by yesterday afternoon when it was time to go to the airport:

A study in pitiful.

But he immediately perked up when we saw our friends who graciously picked us up and drove us to the New Jersey airport.

And he so mercifully slept on the flight home to Ohio.

And then we were back at Grandpa and Grandma's house for the night. He started to smile once again. What a joy!!

The only snag was that his high powered pain killer exploded in our suitcase and he never got a drop. He's been only on regular children's Tylenol.

And now you say: WOW!!!!!!!!

He traveled home to our house well (a 3 hour trip) and began to eat once he was back safe at home. (I thought that was so interesting!)

This boy is SUCH an amazing child. I cannot fathom doing all he is just 2 days out of surgery. Isn't he AMAZING!??!?!

Now the outcome of his arm surgery is not yet determined. The GOAL is that his arm will return to a straight position and then be able to press against something to bend.

Reality could be different. He could become locked up in the new 90 degree position. He could get a small range of motion.

There is a very teeny, tiny chance that he could get an active bend in his arm. (Meaning he could draw his arm up on his own.) But the report from the doctor is that his muscles are not healthy and deep red but rather a salmon color, indicating that he will most likely not.

We return to Shriner's in Philadelphia in just two weeks for post op and therapy. This will be several days of twice daily work to use the arm in it's new way.

In the middle of our experience, another Chinese adoptive family...just a few miles away from us in Philadelphia...lost their precious daughter when she did not make it through her final heart surgery. We (Gideon's mommy and I) had knelt and prayed for them before we learned the outcome. This was a last ditch effort to keep her alive until another donor heart became available. It was so sad to learn that they handed her to her parents to hold her while she left this earth. There is no way to sum up the blessing these Chinese children are to our families.

There was someone who told us while we were fundraising to bring Toby home that he was better off in his orphanage and that we should leave him there. I cannot fathom where this person was coming from to say such a thing, but all I know is he was DEAD WRONG. There is no honor on this planet like being Toby's family and this AMC journey is such a blessing. The joy his smiles and laughter bring are worth every ounce of effort we pour into him. We are counted blessed by the Lord to be chosen to be his family.

Thank you for your prayers for our sweet boy as he went through this! I ask that you continue to pray for him as he adjusts and learns to use his arm, especially as we begin therapy in the next few weeks!

Next Stop...Philly for Surgery!

Heading out today to Philadelphia Shriner's for Toby's BIG SURGERY!

Please be praying for our boy as he has so much done tomorrow--July 1st! Surgery is first thing in the morning...and we will be flying home the very next day.

Please pray for him to travel well. He hasn't done very well in the past, and I can only imagine when he is in such pain.

I expect him to be quite frustrated as the arm he favors will be the one now cast and rendered useless for the next weeks.

Thankful for your intercession!!!

Three Months Since Gotcha!

I just had to celebrate this 3 month mark with a few pictures...

Three months ago today, we met our little man...

Immediately after being given Toby. March 18, 2013.

Back at the hotel, March 18, 2013.

Day 2. Still scared.

Compare that with these fun pictures from yesterday...

Toby, family looks GOOD on you!!!

One more time! Let's see him side to side:

If you ever had a doubt about adoption, whether or not children belong in families...I hope this makes it clear for you!

Toby's Diagnosis of Arthryogryposis Multiplex Congenita

We knew when first fell in love with Toby that he had AMC or Arthrogyposis Multiplex Congenita.

We did the research and decided that YES we would take this on.

What is AMC?

I'm glad you asked. Especially because this month (June) is AMC awareness month!

From the May 2013 AMC Picnic in Ohio. Pictured are all the individuals affected with AMC. (plus me b/c Toby wouldn't stand with strangers!)

Arthro means "joint"

Gryposis means "crooked"

Multiplex means it occurs in different joints anywhere in the body and is unique to each individual

Congenita means present at birth.

Whew! What does that look like in real life?

Well, it looks VERY different for different people.

Sometimes all joints are affected. This means that the child/adult is completely wheelchair bound and must control it by their chin.

Sometimes it only affects their lower extremities. Club feet are common and scoliosis can occur. If the lowers are affected, it usually means years of therapies, casting, and surgeries to get to a level of mobility.

This mobility is different for each person. Some are able to walk with a limp, an irregular gait or even a hunch. Some use walkers. Some are able to walk smoothly.

Some people are affected only in the uppers. This is how our Toby is affected. It was such a shock to us when we learned last summer from his orphanage that he could walk! (We actually didn't believe it at first!)

We had an amazing time meeting other families affected by AMC at the big "meet up" held in our very own beloved hometown of Westerville, Ohio.

A sweet friend, Jenny, adopted from South Korea as a child because of her AMC. She now can walk but also uses a wheelchair. She is SUCH a sweetheart! Working on her PhD!!

My dear friend Jackie with adopted son, Gideon. Jackie shared with me all about AMC and what it would mean for me as a parent if we said YES to Toby's adoption. Gideon is affected in both the uppers and lowers.

I snagged this photo op with the well known Tracey Schalk--a key spokeswoman for AMC. She is uber sweet!!!
Tracey lives alone and drives a car.  She is affected in nearly every joint. She can do ANYTHING!

Having this incredible network of AMC'ers has been awesome. I learned early on that we need to be going out to the Shriner's Hospital for Children to see Dr.s van Bosse and Zlotolow who are the nation's best in AMC treatment.

Toby and I did that just last week.

My traveling companion. He's pretty cute, huh?

 We traveled on two planes to reach Philadelphia. We used Miracle Flights for Kids that helps children with medical needs get to their necessary hospitals. They were great!!!

Once we reached Philly, we had an amazing picnic with fellow adoptive families in the Philly area. It was SUCH a blessing! I learned a lot about Russian adoption and met some fabulous new friends!

One incredible meeting was face to face with Kelly who advocated for Toby on her blog. It was a really emotionally beautiful thing to introduce this precious orphan to her...we both got teary!

You are right, we aren't looking very teary here. We had moved on to laughing! :)

The next day, it was time to go to Shriner's.

AMAZING place.

Those men with their caps...I never paid much attention to them all my life.

Now, I am SO THANKFUL for what they have been doing.

Did you know that after your insurance, Shriner's pays EVERYTHING?  They work hard so that there is no extra financial hardship on the families.

INCREDIBLE.

Waiting in our room to have different doctors come and visit Toby.  p.s. He does ALOT with his feet that he cannot do with his hands! ;)

 We were treated so lovingly and saw doctor after doctor and went for some pretty crazy and creatively shot X-rays! They sure know how to work with children!

Amazingly, we were done by noon!!

They sent in the clowns! Shriner's are known for their great clowns!

Playing at the train table with friends.

Look who showed up in Philly too! Our buddy Gideon from Kentucky! AWESOME!!

The diagnosis Toby received from Dr. van Bosse was that his type of AMC is Amyoplasia. This type is fairly common among AMCers and is non genetic. It is thought that it is due to a lack of oxygen in the spine during the first 11 weeks of pregnancy.

Shockingly, 90-95% of the amyoplasia type of AMCers are affected in the lowers. 

Toby is in the 5-10% who only are affected in the uppers.

Another moment where I was just amazed.

When Dr. Zlotolow (upper specialist) came in and saw Toby, he remarked in awe, "This is the 3rd patient I've seen now only affected in the uppers but missing toes on a foot. I HAVE to think there is a connection."

Wow. There is still much the medical community does not know about AMC.

We learned that Toby is missing some muscles and other muscles are very atrophied. Due to lack of fetal movement in the womb, these joints "freeze" or contract. He has internally rotated shoulders, locked elbows with about a 30 degree range in one arm and both wrists contracted and adducted thumbs and the tendons in 6 of his fingers are so tight that they cannot be straightened.

Dr. Z determined that to begin help Toby become independent, he needs to have surgery to enhance his favored arm. He will have what is called a rotational osteotomy on his upper arm as well as an elbow release. He wants to have it done before he turns 3.

That means now.

The goal will be to get his hand to his mouth so he will be able to feed himself.

We are scheduled for July 1st.

I ask that you be in prayer for Toby as he faces a multi-faceted surgery on that date. Pray for me to as he was not the easiest little guy with whom to travel!

Finding a Home for Yuri and Zhenya

I'd like to introduce you to these two special kids: Zhenya and Yuri. They are orphans who live in Ukraine. I am trying to help find them a forever family.

"They are truly amazing kids with really tender hearts! We've been to Ukraine, we've been to the orphanages, and these kids are really amazing!" ~Sheryl, host mom summer 2012.

Because they are biological siblings, the Ukraine requires that they be adopted together.

That's a VERY good thing for Zhenya who is already too old to be adopted--she is 16 going on 17. (trying not to break into song here...)

In the Ukraine, children are no longer eligible for adoption after they turn 16.

However, the loophole is that her brother, Yuri, is only 15. Because HE is eligible still...so is she!

Ukraine places a high value on keeping siblings together. Thank you, Ukraine.

So here's the scoop on this MOST precious orphan sibs:

They have only been at their orphanage 3 years. Before that, they were at home with their single mom...where they knew love...and extreme poverty. Tragically, she passed away. Before she did, she made sure these two were carefully placed in a Christian orphanage.

Why do I know so much about these two? My friend, Sheryl, had the blessing of being their host family last summer for 4 weeks. She is deeply desiring to find them a permanent family. In her words, "She has cried buckets over these two, but for some reason God has said no to us...so we are hoping desperately for another family will come for them."


Yuri is 15 years old but in early December he turns 16. He is described as being quiet, extremely polite and kind, embarrasses easily, socially shy, laid back, non-aggressive. He does well with with other teen boys, and does not take advances from girls. If a girl even spoke to him he would blush! He is not into sports, but rather is interested in working with his hands. Yuri would thrive in a family where the dad farms, is in construction, or electrical, etc. He is very handy. He has a goal of owning his own electrical business. He is a dreamer and very goal oriented! He wants to work for a living, as opposed to going to school. Would not do as well in suburban life...prefers the country.  After he went home Sheryl said he has really become focused on his academics. (I think she was an awesome host mom!!)






Zhenya, pronounced"Jania,"
is described as loving to bake, be in the kitchen, and do crafts. She is very good with little children. She loves anything artsy. She is more obstinate than her brother, but zero trouble at all. She has more of a controlling personality than her brother. She is desperate for a family! She wants to come to America permanently so badly! She could really use prayer for a very big life altering decision she must make on August 31st  regarding her future.

They come from a pentecostal orphanage, required to dress in a certain way--no jeans at all, only skirts. When they were here they showed great respect for this and continued to be modest, even when it was not required.

Both loved Christian music and only wanted that downloaded to their devices.

The family who comes for them must have paperwork done by first week of December due to Yuri's birthday. They would be perfect for family with home study already done.

Sheryl believes they would fit in well in a family with other teens so they can bond.

These two will be coming back to America through a hosting program June 25-July 29! They will be here in Ohio, so if you wanted to you could meet them and spend time with them!!

Please consider these precious brother/sister pair!

If you are interested, please message me or leave a comment with your contact information. (I will not publish it but get back to you privately.) 

About Our Esty...

So many have asked sweet questions about our newest child, dear

Esty Marilyn HanHan...

so I thought I would share a bit about WHO she is and WHY we are pursuing her.

Esty at age 8...you can see a video of her when this photo was taken. Look below!

As God has grown me in the past year, I have personally witnessed the incredible POWER that advocating for voiceless orphans has on lives.

Afterall, when Kelly advocated for our Toby here, exactly EIGHT lives radically changed...with more lives along the edges being impacted by Toby's story and his life as a Shaw.

My life by someone else advocating for orphans.

And so, it was only natural that I would begin doing the same.

Sharing faces.

Sharing stories.

Passing on links, making connections and praying my heart out for these children who need families.

Esty was one of those children I advocated for.

On November 20, 2012 I advocated for her on my Facebook page.

Here was a little girl who had been waiting in her birth country for someone to love her.

For someone to find value in her life.

I learned that she wanted to become a doctor when she grows up.

I know the reality: she is handicapped. Wheelchair bound.

In China, this means she is locked away from education.

Schools have no wheelchair access.

No special needs accommodations.

She has no hope of ever becoming a doctor if she remains in China.

Yet she has been waiting for a family for over 8 years.

EIGHT YEARS!!!

I cannot begin to comprehend that, honestly.

I think about where we were when she was born. (Incidentally, we were in China, living our lives as a family of 4 then...)

I think about where we were when she was abandoned (again, we were still in China...and I so wish I had been able to scoop up this little broken baby left on a train!!)

We came home then, had Oliver, gave birth to and then buried Oskar, moved and began a life in the NW corner of Ohio...all the while

she

waited.

It was in the quiet of the early morning when God spoke clearly and directly to my heart about this precious girl who was still waiting.

"You can handle her needs." God spoke.

CLEARLY there was no mistaking His words to my heart.

I was a bit dumbfounded. "Me, Lord?"

I immediately told Brian about this...and we began praying.

It was just 2 weeks before we would board a plane to China to bring Toby home.

Yes, the timing of it all was SHOCKING.

One day after that, as I fastened a clay necklace from Toby's fundraiser around my neck I had the distinct feeling, "This necklace is not mine. It is for HER."

When I took it off and looked at the verse on the back, I read the Scripture reference: Jeremiah 29:11.

God was saying this verse about her: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

I was trembling.

This child who I had merely advocated for needed this necklace.

It was hers.

It had a message that SHE needed to hear.

So, I took it with us to China. I printed out the first page of her file that held the information about where she lived.

On our final day in China, I asked our guide to help me mail it to her. She gladly did. She wrote out the verse in characters and added my message, "A friend in America loves you. She wants you to have this necklace and understand the message that it carries. You are treasured."

She asked me if I wanted to sign it. But what could I do? I certainly could not build up her hopes that I was her Momma...but neither could I sign my first name because I LONGED to become her momma!!

So it went to her without a signature.

In the meantime, God spoke to Brian that we are to bring Esty home. The phone call came to me just 4 days after coming home with Toby. "Amy, I'm ready to start the process bring her home."

Oh, sweet man!! I rejoice in my husband who always listens to God's voice!!

By now, sweet Esty has been given the news that she has a family.

I cannot help wonder if she touches that necklace and dreams about us, like we dream about her.

This video was taken a few years back when an agency was desperately trying to find her a family. I have watched this over and over and over again. I cannot wait to wrap my arms around Esty and let her know HOW MUCH I LOVE AND ADORE HER!!!

Note: at the time of this video, she was blessed to be out of the orphanage and living with a foster family; that is the "mom" and "little sister"to whom she is referring. Sadly, she was returned to her orphanage where she still waits today.

It is our joy and great honor that God has chosen US to be that permanent, loving family for Esty. We are over the moon joyful to begin the walk of understanding Spina Bifida and how we can help her gain the most independence possible.

We are so excited to shower her with love and affection and begin training her heart.

Please pray with us that God will bring her home quickly and in a way that ALL WILL SEE that God is mighty!!!