This is the story of how our lives were changed by our first step outside the United States.
Adoption
In December 1998, a baby girl named Yelizaveta ("Liza") was born half way around the world... Our lives were soon to change...
|
|
Throughout that year God was working on this side of the ocean to lay adoption on all of
our hearts as a way to complete our family. For several years we had been aware of the many needs in Russia and had developed a special love for that part of the world, so this country was a natural choice for us. Our parents began the paperwork process in January 1999
and on August 28, 1999, the much anticipated trip was finally underway. Dad
talked Mom into agreeing to let Heather (then 14) and me (17) come along. Our
sister Sarah (11) would stay back with Grandma. This was the first international trip for any of us, and we had no idea what to expect. |
Even though everything proceeded smoothly and without problem, it all felt like a grand adventure to us as we had the best time of our lives exploring Russia and going
through the very emotional, exciting process of getting to know our new 8 1/2 month old daughter/sister. We can all say without a doubt that adopting "Emma-Liza"
was the best thing that had ever happened to our family. That is not
to say there were not stressful points during the whole process full
of unknowns...the tension when Emma would cry and we did not know
what she wanted...tears shed over what we saw in a former communist
country. But we were deeply impacted and knew that we would never be
the same. And we all knew we would return!
Travels
| Thanks to the goodness
of many friends who quickly supported me, two months later I was again on a plane to Russia. This time I was with a whole team of excited Americans
and with us we carried suitcases full of aid supplies, toys, Bibles and tracts. We spent a very full nine days in Russia visiting ten orphanages in the Kostroma region. My eyes were again opened to the plight of
family-less children in Russia. After much too short a trip (I said I was
only going home because of Emma!), I again came back TOTALLY smitten with Russia and her people and determined to learn their beautiful language. God provided a wonderful Russian tutor for Heather and me and by the next trip we were able to communicate with the kids on
at least a basic level. |
|
|
|
|
We (usually Heather and I) managed to get back to Kostroma one way or another with a team for the next several years, always to work with the kids somehow. Now we have so many friends there that we can go and stay with someone almost anytime. We often go with Children's HopeChest and our church now sponsors many of the kids at Volzhskiy Orphanage in Kostroma. Our monthly support provides extra food for growing kids, health care, school supplies, and weekly visits by a Christian discipler. Dema plays with the kids, teaches them Bible and character lessons, and encourages them to write their sponsors. He also translates all of our correspondence. | |
New Territory
The last few trips to Russia had left me longing to visit another part of the world, "just for something to compare it to." My parents were very supportive of the desire and thought I might find another place in the world to call "home." Short trips to Mexico, China, and Mongolia followed--all to work with kids, usually those in orphanages. Then Bolivia
to volunteer with Hospitals of Hope, a new organization I found out
about from reading the wonderful book "His Chosen Bride, Applying Proverbs 31 as a Single Young Woman"
by Jennifer Lamp. Their work interested me since I knew very little about Bolivia, or even the continent of South America, and because I had enjoyed my volunteer work at a local hospital for over five years.
| The
clincher came when I discovered that I could not only see a medical ministry up close as a non-medical volunteer, but visit orphanages they had developed relationships with. After sharing my findings with my family, they encouraged me to find time to go on one of their short term mission teams. It took over a year, but I eventually did even though a medical student friend who was planning to come could not go at the last minute. My Dad came along for the first few days, and we both eased right into the relaxed culture, perfect weather and made
friends quickly among the gracious Bolivians. The conditions we witnessed in Cochabamba's one baby home were enough to tie our hearts into helping these children, too. And their relaxed attitude concerning foreigners and how much we were "let into" their lives and able to even help around the orphanage was refreshing after the mistrust
so prevalent in Russia. |
|
|
|
After a sad parting, I returned home--but to study Spanish and share
news of this place with friends! Since we were planning to spend
time in Russia as a family over the winter, the soonest I could
return was March 2003.
God continued to put all the pieces into place and through an incredible series of events and more ups and downs
than we could ever have imagined when we started out, my family and
I founded
and now operate Casa de Amor Children's Homes. I relocated to Cochabamba
in July 2004 and my family (parents and three sisters) followed me
here in May 2007. For more background, visit Casa's Vision.
Emma at 7 1/2 years old
with girls from Casa de Amor II
Jennifer with a
new arrival at Casa de Amor I
"Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers:
in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12"
|
