That We May Live and Multiply

UPDATE ON SURGERY!!!!!!

2011-11-02T16:31:00.001-07:00

( Before you read this read previous post.. :)

Anastasia just got done with her surgery and is in the recovery room. Unlike planned, they were able to do a 2-surgery job, which would have to be 6 months apart, in 1 day!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!! Keep us in your prayers for a good recovery and that she wouldn't rip the stitches out!!!....:0 hahaha

Annie's Surgery!!!

2011-11-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!!! I have Big news.......Anastasia just went in for surgery!!!!! She was so excited to know that her mouth was getting fixed. Sorry its been such a long time since the last post...alot has been going on. My mom...( this is Amy posting:) has had a lot going on and asked me to update!! To catch up...... Annie is doing great! It feels like shes been here forever! She is absolutely amazing at communicating! Her hand movements and gestures and babbling is so funny....to tell you the truth I'm going to miss it when she is able to talk:( And Irina has been here for a yr and 2 months now...... I still can't believe it! She has changed so much. :D Her b-day... was September 1st and is now 10!!!!WOHOOO<3

Before........After....:D

....Look at that face....its all worth it...

Home at Last

2011-07-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a our happy camper @ 2:30am leaving our apt. and heading to the airport. She is ready to go to America,but the smiles turned to tears when we got into the elevator to go downstairs and the elevator stopped in between floors trapping us inside!!! After 30minutes, we were freed and on our way!Thank you Jesus for answering prayer and getting us out of there unharmed! Praise the Lord!!

No more smiles again when she saw the airplane we were getting on. She pointed to the plane, pointed to herself and shock her head NO. She was excited until she saw the plane and then she changed her mind. LOL

After the 9 hr. flight, the smiles returned knowing we had just landed in America and that her sisters were waiting for her! She did amazing on the flight. I couldn't believe what a gift God had given me. She didn't cry,she didn't try to get out of the seat belt, and she slept for 3hrs of the flight! She was a little scared when we ascended and descended, but that was it! I kept thanking Him and thanking Him for this answer to prayer.

Oh, how we missed these girls and how happy they were to see their new baby sister.

Welcome Home Anastasia Belle! You made it to America!!

Swinging with Sissy!

When we pulled into the driveway,we were welcomed with our precious friends to greet us. There was food in our refrigerator, food in the crock pot, and the house was clean!! We are so blessed!! We would have never meet these beautiful people, the Tweitmeyers and the Heims, had we not stepped out in faith to adopt our beautiful girls. We are so grateful to our friends for such a warm welcome and for all they did for us while we were gone. Thank you guys for taking care of our girls and our house. It means so much. I thank my children for enduring 5 weeks of missing mom and dad and being away from their home. I pray the Lord will bless them for their own sacrifices that each of them made as we obeyed God's Word as a family, and for doing their part to care for Anastasia,an orphan no longer!!!!!Thank you to our Pastor and his family for all they did to clean our basement when it flooded. Thank you to all those that prayed for us, and donated money so we could do the Lord's will. Thank you Dylan for taking care of our lawn, and the chickens. I thank my family and friends in Alabama who took such great care of our boys. The day we came home with Annie they were still in AL. It was so sad not having them here,but they are on their way to IL for us to pick up soon!
I haven't seen a smile like this on her face until now. She's happy to be home!! She got out that van and walked in this house like she had lived here her whole life. She explored every inch of it and enjoyed every minute of her new found freedom.. FREEDOM! FREEDOM! What a beautiful sight. Thank you Jesus for such a precious gift to our family and for rescuing her!

Checking out Samuel's pedal car with Sveta in her Ukrainian shirt.

I love this picture! She is telling me in her own little cleft palate language that everything is OK. I think she is saying I like it here.

More smiles and she's in a car seat strapped down! I can't believe how well this little one goes with the flow. She has never been in a car seat before,and she's not fighting it! We are off to pick up the boys in Springfield IL. She's headed to see her brothers for the 1st time with McDonald's fries to go! LOL

Finally, all my babies together in one place!!

Mama's happy baby girl!

All the Allen's together at last and one more joins the clan.

I am so excited to get home and get settled in as one big happy family. Thank you Jesus for my family that you have so graciously given~!~

Almost Home

2011-07-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

The day we have been waiting for finally came! We put on her new clothes, she said good-bye to those who have cared for her, and she walked thru those gates no longer fatherless.

She is on her way HOME!

She didn't like the train at all. The first 3 hrs. were hard on her. She didn't get her nap because this was her big day no time for naps.LOL But no nap made the train harder. She cried and wouldn't let me comfort her. She was very scared and kept packing everything up waving and blowing kisses saying good-bye to the train. Every time the train made a stop she thought we could get off. It was really sad to watch. Finally she sat next to me amd let me lean my head against hers. She was soon fast asleep, and the little nap helped. She was good the rest of the night as long as she could look out that window. At bedtime we said Good night tucked her in and without a fight she went right to sleep and sleep so good all night!! So we made it thru the 18hr train ride! Praise you JESUS!

We got settled in our apt after getting Annie all cleaned up and in Sissy's dress she sent for her.

She wanted to wear Papa's shirt instead of hers. What a cutie!! We have had a busy few days with medical exam,Embassy appt.,and today VISA! The Lord has brought us so far! We made it to this point! I am so thankful for all He has done!

We are on our way now. In just a few hours, we will be picked up and taken to the airport.

We are almost there baby girl. Home Sweet Home!!!!!!!!!!

All For One

2011-07-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

Friday was a successful day! An answer to prayer! We went very early to get Annie's new birth certificate,but there was no power at the buiding. If no birth certificate, then no passport,so we prayed. We called our new friends and they prayed. Within 1 hr, the power was back on and we returned to sign the papers and pick up Anastasia Belle Allen's birth certificate ! Praise Jesus! Our times are in Your hands!

This is the building where the day started and we obtained the official document that Anastasia has new parents, a new middle and last name, and a new life!

Mama signing the document that we are officially picking her up from the orphanage. Tears filled my eyes, as we both thanked the director for all she had done to help Anastasia not lose her chance of being adopted and to keep her there until we could come. She wished us health,happiness, and the blessing of grandchildren with our Anastasia. We answered, That is why were are here, so she can have a Hope and Future! Jer 29:11

Dad signing document to legally pick her up. Then we were off to get the passport. We walked in the room and signed more papers and with big smiles we were handed Anastasia's passport! This is all very amazing! This can sometime take days. Thank you Jesus for a passport in one day!!!

With everything done here in Annie's region, we can now return to the captial city for her visa. Our train leaves Sunday@ 3pm and we arrive the next morning at 9am. Yikes! Pray for her to handle this trip.
She knows we are coming to pick her up on Sunday. Evidently she got tired of waiting for us to come, so yesterday she left her group,walked over to the director,took her by the hand,and said, to Mama! She was so brave to do that because I guess that is not allowed. I don't blame you baby girl, you know what you want and you're tired of waiting. Don't worry. We are on our way! Tomorrow you will be set free! You can begin your new life as our cherished daughter all because Jesus loves you and gave His life for you. All for You!!

I love this picture because it's the first time Annie said Papa and the first time she asked him to swing her. Until then,only Mama could touch the swing. She realized Papa's swinging was higher and more fun than moms. LOL

Oh,Guess what today is? Irina's Gottcha Day! 1 year ago today Irina Elizabeth officially became an Allen too!!

Another Daughter To Love

2011-06-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

We had court on Monday when Anastasia officially became an Allen!! We were so blessed by the Judge who granted our adoption petition! She asked us many questions individually. We were asked questions like" Why do you want to adopt this child when you already have 4 children? and What made you cross the ocean to adopt this particular child?" We answered that we believe every life is created by God, so she is valued and the thought of her living without the love and concern of parents was so unbearable we had to cross that ocean. Each time we answered, the judge would smile and gesture in amazement. One juror had tears flowing down her face. Then the moment came when she stated it was her pleasure to allow us to adopt Anastasia and give her a new middle and last name. After many thanks to the Judge and jurors. We were the proud parents of another daughter Anastasia Belle Allen. She weighs 35lbs and is 39in tall. She has brown hair and blue eyes and she was born on Jan. 4th 2007. Anastasia was the name given to her at birth, which means Resurrection. It is very fitting since she was born 5 weeks early and was very ill. Healthcare professionals diligently provided her the medical attention she needed and spared her life. We gave her the middle name Belle after her great grandmother Lula Belle Allen.Now, 4yrs. later after the Lord saved her life, He is saving her again and giving her a Hope and a Future Jer. 29:11. The Lord gets all the Glory!! We would not be here at this time in history without His help, and the help of those He used as tools of blessing to support us on this journey. My heart has been so full and overwhelmed of all that has taken place on behalf of one little girl I haven't been able to even write about it. What I found out today was even more confirmation that it was God's plan all along to bring Anastasia into our family. I learned of all the people esp. the director of the orphanage and my facilitator who worked hard on her behalf to keep her at the orphanage able to be adopted. In Feb., the decision was made to give us only 6 months to get here. If we weren't here by July, Anastasia would have been moved into foster care unable to be adopted or sent to the internat and traumatized. Do you see how Faithful God is? He made it possible for us to get here when we did because He knew what we did not. We were never given details,but we knew her situation was urgent,so we prayed. I can still hear my little 4yr old son praying and asking the Lord to hide Anastasia, so she would still be there when we arrived. WOW! God heard our prayers, and the prayers of those who have prayed for and helped an orphan in distress James 1:27.

May the Lord be Glorified for His marvelous works Psalm 139:14.

We Have A Court Date!

2011-06-18T03:36:00.000-07:00

Our Annie and Papa exploring the snails she found.

We got the news that we will have court on Monday!! We are so thankful to finally know what to expect. We believe this date is an answer to prayer! We were told we could be here 3 weeks before court. Our court date is 2 weeks exactly from our SDA appt.!! Thank you Jesus and thank you to all those who have been praying for us. It means so much! We have also been praying and seeking the Lord on whether to stay here during the 10 day waiting period or to return home. We are so thankful as we are understanding that the Lord is there waiting to hear from us and guide our every decision. He is in the details of our lives.Psalm 37:23 I am realizing how many times we have missed Him by making decisions without even thinking of asking Him first, and operating out of our emotions or human reasoning. How insulting must that be to our Heavenly Father who is All-Knowing,and how ridiculous to think we know better than He. Lord,help us walk according the Spirit and not of the flesh.Rom 8:3-8

Anastasia is opening up to us more every day. She is beginning to smile and allow us to pick her up for hugs!!! I have started singing to her the same song I've sung to all my children during each visit. As I sing you can visibly see her being comforted and at peace. Then as we go back to playing or watching her explore every pocket of our backpack, you can hear her humming mama's song!!! It's music to our ears and joy in our hearts. You can see light beginning to shine in those big blue eyes. Adoption is such a miracle! We are allowed the privilege of watching a little person created by God flourish as it is watered with the love of Christ.

This is how she fixed our hair with Papa's help after she found her new headbands we brought for her.

Our 4th Day with Anastasia

2011-06-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

Anastasia loves to see us coming. She gets very excited and comes running. She loves mama best right now. They said it's because there are no men around. She will let papa show her something,but then she wants mama to do it not papa.She loves stickers!She will sit with me along time putting stickers on the coloring book. She only wants mama to push her on the swing while saying 123! in Russian. She either wants to wear only this green dress or that's all they have because she has worn it every day we have been there except the 1st day.

She plays very intently with the things we brought her. She esp. loves the baby doll and mama's sunglasses!LOL

The ATV Giveaway

2011-06-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

An update on the ATV giveaway fundraiser.

The drawing took place on Tuesday and a WINNER was drawn!!!The person has been notified and they were very excited to hear the news. Sorry for the delay in posting this information. I had not been involved in the postings of this giveaway, however, Shane asked me to let everyone know that there is a WINNER!!!!He has been unable to keep everyone updated due to an extended family crisis. Please be in prayer for this family!!

Thank you so much to everyone who gave toward the ATV giveaway, and those who donated to the "Addison is coming home" fund. Thank you Shane, Carolyn and Traci for making this all possible. We would not be here able to rescue our little girl from a life with no parents, no one to stand up for her, no one to protect her, no one to love her unconditionally,and no one to tell her how much Jesus loves her without your help.

We truly got here in the nick of time. Her name was on a list to be moved to a different orphanage called the internat. There she would be with kids up to the age of 16yrs. old. There are very little caregivers for over 200 children. They can't possibly keep up with what is going on. It's a place a 4yr. old baby girl should not be allowed to go, but with no one here to stand up and scream NOOOO you can't let this happen that was her fate. However, the Lord knew and He spoke to our hearts. He made a way for us to get here. He is so GOOD and so BIG. I pray more people will hear the Lord speak to their heart and say Yes, Lord send me for the other children in need of being rescued!

To learn more about the urgent needs of many children, please visit http://www.letitbetome.blogspot.com/ and read about what Traci from Project Hopeful is doing on her mission trip here.

Thank you so much and May the Lord Bless you all for caring for an orphan in distress. James 1:27

Anastasia!!

2011-06-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

We met our girl!! See for yourself what a little doll she is!!

She loves her mama! She ran to me saying "Mama Mama". It is a beautiful sound because it is the only word she can speak due to her cleft palate. We did not hear her say any other words. What an extra kiss from the Lord!

After measuring Annie's height,head and foot size, she decided to take over measuring.

We Have Arrived!!

2011-06-06T02:43:00.000-07:00

What we have been praying and believing God for has happened!! We arrived in Addison's(Anastasia is her real name) country on Saturday, Sunday we rested, and this morning while everyone back home was sleeping we went for our SDA appt.! Our appt. was very smooth. We got to see 2 pictures of her as a baby and toddler. Oh my, was she ever cute with her big blue eyes, long lashes and button nose!!
None of this would have been possible without the Lord working through those, who generously donated and helped us raise EXACTLY what we needed to arrive for our appt.!!! THANK YOU FOR THE SACRIFICES EVERYONE MADE AND THE PART EACH PERSON PLAYED" to defend the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of earth, may terrify no more." Psalm 10:18
MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU ALL FOR BEING USED AS TOOLS TO HELP CHANGE THE COURSE OF ANASTASIA'S LIFE!
In the past few months,we have watched the Lord provide everything we have needed. We could have missed this if we had said NO, Lord we have NO money. Because we have nothing to offer but filthy rags( Isaiah 64:6), GOD GETS THE GLORY FOR ALL OF THIS!! HE TOOK OUR" YES " AND HE HAS DONE THE REST!!! PRAISE THE LORD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW(James 1:17)!!!
We will have the referral tomorrow and then we will travel to her region. Hopefully, we will see that sweet little face on Wed!!.(depends on when we can get train tickets).

For those who participated in the ATV giveaway, the winner will be announced SOON. They are diligently working on it back home. Thank you for your patience.

What do you say when Jesus asks of you?

2011-05-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

Had an amazing day of Generosity! New total needed is $16,229.22

The push is now on! The Allen's have their appointment for June 6th. They can't do it without our help. Please consider helping them bring this precious little girl home.

Do you ever admire the faith of others? We do! That is why we (Carolyn Twietmeyer, Traci Heim and Shane Lewis) Hi-Jacked this blog. In the unlikeliest of times, Jesus spoke to this family, told them they have another Daughter in Eastern Europe and they should immediately prepare to go get her. Without hesitation...They said YES!

The Allen's are a family to be admired. They are God loving and an inspiration! Cindy put a career in the Medical field on hold to be a Mama and Tim works hard as a Dairy Delivery driver. They make it on a tight budget and faith in God!

Last year, the Allen's said yes to Jesus when He told them to go get their daughter Irina Elizabeth. They sold everything thing they didn't need, took out loans and held fundraisers. By the miracle and God's glorious promise they made it home in August 2010 with Irina.

The adoption of Addison is God's timing as you can read about in other posts that Cindy made in this Blog. Nearly transfered and then the threat of the SDA shutting down for severals months the Dossier got there just in time. The Allens travel in the next 3 to 5 weeks and still need to raise $20,000.

As the title of this post asks, "What do you say when Jesus ask of you?"! The question was not for the Allen's, they didn't hesitate! The question is for us! You were lead to this post. The Allen's need money to complete the rescue of one of Jesus' precious children. Jesus is asking us to be His hands and feet and plan "A"! What is your answer? All Glory be to GOD!

We know that it is out of the love in your hearts that you will financially support this families mission. But our kind friends at DRR Inc wanted to help as well. They have made available a brand new DRR 300 ATV with a retail value of $5000 as a give away prize....UNBELIEVABLE!

The actual ATV is white. I (shane) have dealt with this company for years. They build the finest childrens ATV in the Industry. The DRR 300 is a fully automatic, Liquid cooled, very safe and of excellant quality. See this ATV in action HERE. (Now the fine print: The ATV will be shipped directly from DRR to a shipping dock nearest to the winners home. The winner will be responsible for shipping charges usually around $200-$300. The winner will be given the MCO (Manufacterers Certificate of Origin). The winner will deal with and be responsible for tax, title and license in their home state. Now back to the fun!

How it works: Repost on your Facebook or Blog you get a draw. Just leave a message that starts with REPOSTED! along with a word of encouragement for the Allen's and we'll get you in the drawing. Give $10 = 1 Draw, Give $50 = 6 Draws, Give $100 = 15 Draws and give $200 = 40 draws.All donations are tax deductible through Project HOPEFUL. To give, just click the DONATE button on the top right. We will keep updating onb the amount still needed at as we go. Give away will end June 5th, 2011 and winner will be anounced shortly after.

AND....PRAY..PRAY..PRAY!

Thank you dear friends for your hearts for the things that matter to Jesus!

God Has Moved Mountains!!!

2011-05-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

Amazing things have been happening that I haven't had a chance to tell yet because of the ridiculous TAX AUDIT we've been in the middle of. 95% of adoptive families are being audited after we were all promised this tax credit!! It is keeping families from paying off debt incurred from last year's adoptions that many of us took on because we knew it was being reimbursed to us. This is an outrage and many people are calling their congressman to speak up on behalf of adoptive families.
OK for the good stuff.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Ps 34:8. I have seen and I am taking it all in!!!!!
If you look back on previous posts you see our Mickey Mouse raffle that helped us raise the $890 to file our I600A for Addison's visa. All the money was raised in just 2 days and it was received by USCIS March 3rd. We needed to move forward to rescue Addison before she was transferred out of the orphanage, but we didn't have the money to do so. My agency has worried that we wouldn't receive USCIS approval in time for us to get to Addison. However,God said yes you can move forward and He provided,so we could send the I600A!!
We were fingerprinted at USCIS on Friday April 8th, and on Wednesday April 13th my agency called with another cry for URGENCY that our dossier needed to be in Ukraine by April 21st! What!, I responded. We were just fingerprinted on Friday how can we do that? Well, after much prayer and a few phone calls. WE HAD OUR I71H Friday April 15th one week from when were fingerprinted!!!!!!!!! We serve a LIVING and MIGHTY GOD! I never believed it could be done. I have doubted from day one if Addison was ours because I couldn't understand in my FEEBLE mind how we could ever get to her as quickly as the agency was asking. I have doubted my Heavenly Father's Grace, Mercy and Love for me and Addison. I am so ashamed of how I have put God in a box!
He did, however, know I needed confirmation that He was saying YES, go NOW!!!
On Monday April 18th our dossier was mailed overseas after many trips to notaries and to Chicago for Apostille's. It arrived in Addison's country Wednesday April 20th!!!!!!!!!! One day earlier than asked for. Another miracle!!! God is not asleep! He is working and He is relentlessly in pursuit of the fatherless,which includes US. We were all fatherless until the day we understand we were a sinner and asked Jesus to forgive us and cleanse of our sin. We became an adopted Son or daughter because without the pure sacrifice of God's own Son to pay our debt of sin we would lost,hopeless and FATHERLESS. Ephesians 1:5 Orphans no matter what country they reside in are fatherless, and they are lost and hopeless without the hands and feet of Jesus(those who have been rescued from HELL by the Grace of God). Who will bring them hope if Christians don't.
I am learning first hand that God will take our, YES, Lord break my heart for what breaks Yours and He will do the rest!! Paperwork, money, your fears,your doubts, it is nothing to God. He already did the work on Calvary.
IT IS FINISHED!!!!!
Our dossier was submitted on April 28th and we should travel to Eastern Europe in 4-5 WEEKS!!
Does God care about Addison born January 4,2007 and does He know her by name? YES, HE MOST CERTAINLY DOES. Does He want us to reach out to those who have NO HOPE? YES, HE MOST CERTAINLY

Are You Bringing Hope to the Hopeless

2011-04-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

Overcoming Obstacles

2011-04-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since the last post because we've had a few hurdles to jump. Our computer died around March 10th, so we were completely out of touch. We just got up and running again last week. At the same time the computer went out, so did our well. We were without water for days. Then this past Friday no water AGAIN! This time there was leak in one of the well pipes. They just finished repairing it today!! I've heard lots of stories similar to this of other families who are trying to adopt children and give them a Hope and a Future. Jer 29:11 Seems like everything comes at us trying to discourage us. The world would say, you can't possibly add another child when you keep having all these problems. But Jesus said,".. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33 We do need to support each other when hard times come because we need to help one another identify who is sending the trouble. It's definitely NOT our Tender Heavenly Father who says, "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him." Ps 127:3 We continue to move forward to rescue Addison mowing down the obstacles with thehelp of the Lord. We are being fingerprinted this Friday for our I600A. We know He will provide even when we can't see how. We stand on His Word in Heb 11:1. Read it. It's a great reminder of what Faith really is.

THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

2011-03-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

We have a winner!! C. Johnson won the Mickey Mouse 2000 figurine!! Mickey was put in the mail and is on his way to the winner. Thank you to all that felt lead to donate. We do not take it lightly! We are so thankful!!!

All the money we needed to send our I600A was raised in just 2 days!! I was able to send everything off this evening,and it should be received by USCIS Thursday! WOW! Thank you to everyone who was used by the Lord as a tool of blessing!!

All praise and Glory to my Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is the All Sufficient One!!!!
We asked and the Lord answered in HIS way.

We are continuing to lay Addison's needs before Him knowing that He has a plan for her life. It's a good plan with a hope and a future! Jer 29:11. He knows her current situation more than those who are keeping us informed. So, we are placing this journey in His hands, and when I try to do things in my own strength, I pray He will gently remind me to Trust Him.

We ask for continued prayer for Addison and our family. Our desire is for her to have a family where she is loved,comforted and cherished. The reality of that happening in her country is slim to none. She's already been abandoned because she's HIV+, and a foster family over there could return her in a month's time like an unwanted puppy. We love her and want what God wants for her, so if there's a family with all their documents ready that could get to her faster and spare her, we would step aside. However, if she is to be our daughter, we pray nothing would hinder us from getting to her before she is moved i.e money and time spent waiting for needed documents. We move forward as God provides in awe that we get to be a part of this. We have been blessed by the miracle of adoption and we have seen on a daily basis what Irina has lost without the love, comfort, security and guidance of parents. Everyday she asks the same question, "mom why do you love me so much"? I guess she struggles to understand a mother's love she's not yet had. Everyday she asks her dad the same question," dad how long you work"? She has to know how many more hours until he comes home. I guess it is because she finds security in the dad she never had and doesn't want to be away from him. Everyday she rocks herself to sleep and sucks her fingers at 9yrs. old. This is hard for me to even talk about because it breaks my heart so. The thought of her never being held as an infant or comforted by a mother's touch when she was scared, kills me. That is why I stand in awe that I am the one God has allowed to love this precious child, and that is why we are running as fast as we can to get Addison, so she doesn't have to endure anymore time without parental love and care.

We Need A Miracle!!!!

2011-02-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

Please pray for our precious Addison and for God to move to a mountain!!!
We were notified last night that her orphanage is under orders to move 2 children a month into foster care. Once moved a child would not be available for adoption anymore. Last month it was her that was to be moved,but having sent 1 document saying we desire to adopt her they were able to keep her at the orphanage. The bad news is they can't keep her much longer. We need a miracle! We need an I71H ASAP so our dossier can be in their hands ASAP. We haven't sent the I600A yet because we are waiting for the funds to do so. We are trying to sell furniture on Craig's list to raise some funds because we have nothing to pull from after our last adoption. We don't know what else to do. But God does. He owns the cattle on thousand hills. He knows everything and He is in control. Even though I feel out of control. We are asking for prayer. Please pray for God's will in our lives and Addison's. Where do we fit into her future? Are we her parents? If so Lord, remove every obstacle and make our path straight!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

2011-02-20T16:54:00.000-08:00

The Allens are adopting again. Our precious baby,Addison, is waiting in Eastern Europe. We need to get there fast. Addison turned 4 in January. At that point she should have been moved to internat, but since we filed paperwork for her prior to her birthday, she remains in the baby house. But not for long. We need to move rapidly to bring her home. If you wish to be a part of this blessed miracle, please participate in the following giveaway.

For every $5 donation using the button at the top of this blog, your name will be entered into a giveaway for the 'Millennium Mickey On Top of the World Mickey Mouse 2000' figurine. This is an exclusive membership item. While this give away has an expiration date of midnight 2/28/2011, donations can be made anytime and are appreciated.

Everybody's doing great!

2011-01-26T21:13:00.000-08:00

We are all getting cabin fever! Ready for all the snow to melt and the temperature to rise above 30 degrees. Everybody seems extra energetic since we can't go outside and get their wiggles out. So, we got the sing, dance and shape up kids video out the other day. That seemed to help some. We are ready for Spring!

Seth turned the corner and is completely potty trained at 2 1/2! He just did it all on his own! Now, that's a gift from the Lord esp. being a boy! Amy was 2 also and pretty easy, but not even this easy. No more messes everywhere from accidents. He just runs to the potty now without even being asked if he has to go! I'm thankful for this.! If you are a mom with little ones, I know you'll understand my excitement.

Irina and Amy started Russian school a few weeks ago. We didn't want Irina to lose her Russian esp. since she is speaking so much English now. She hardly ever says anything in Russian these days. Even when I try to say something she'll say, "Mom, speak English". She's funny. I tell her I want to be like her and I want to try. So, Friday nights we drive to Naperville and we get to speak Russian together. I love it because she can't tell me to stop, while at Russian school. Amy is learning so much too. I can't believe all she has learned from being around Ira these past 5 almost 6 months.

I can't believe Ira has been home almost 6months. It seems like longer because it's like she's always been here. It is amazing to see how much she has changed. Sometimes I am stopped in my tracks at the miraculous work of God in her. I ask myself. How can a child willingly get on a plane with someone they've only seen a few hours a day for a few weeks that doesn't speak the same language and go home with them? Who do I know that could endure such uncertainty?Who would have that much courage? The answer is Irina Elizabeth Allen! I am so proud that she came in spite of her fears. Because believe me she was scared. She cried to the orphanage workers that she didn't want siblings(now she loves her siblings ,but she would still like us all to herself). She cried to her friends that she was afraid to learn English(now she speaks and understands English). She cried because she couldn't comprehend how I could be her mother when we didn't understand each other. She cried because she didn't like me(now she whispers in my ear"I love you mom"). She has struggled with a lot of fears since being home. Everyday is a better day. Each day is a progression from the day before. Someday I will open my heart and share what I've been privileged to watch unfold. Right now my heart is so enlarged. I stand in awe and there are no words.

I am so proud of Ira and all the children for their open loving hearts . Children really are resilient! These kids are amazing!

This is a picture I should have posted sooner. This is the day Irina was reunited with her 4 friends in America. They all lived together in the same orphanage. Now they are together again, adopted in America, and live only 1 hour away from each other! The look on their faces when they saw each other was priceless!! When they all said good-bye to each other in August they didn't know if they'd ever see each other again. Look how GOOD GOD IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pics of the Holidays

2010-12-27T20:24:00.000-08:00

All stacked up.....

...And they all come tumbling down!!

Here are some really good ones from Thanksgiving

Have a confession

2010-12-22T21:56:00.000-08:00

I'm no good at blogging!!! I love reading blogs, but I just can't get to writing on mine. So, I think I figured out why. I make it harder than it is. I stress over what I write going over it and over it. Then I think every post must have pictures. I build it up thinking it takes up so much time I dread it instead of looking forward to it.
This is all really silly, so I decided to stop being a perfectionist and just enjoy keeping record of the joys of motherhood. Irina and Seth especially say and do the cutest things lately. I need to be writing it all down because I am going to forget it the way my brain works lately. LOL
So here's something funny Irina said a few days ago. Amy was in the kitchen and said,"Mom, I'm so hungry I'm going to die!" Very quickly in response, Irina said" No you can't die! then me will have to sleep all by yourself." LOL She was trying to say myself but she is still figuring out English. That was so funny to us because we understood the seriousness in her voice knowing she is scared to sleep without her sister in the room.
Everyone is very excited about Christmas. Since Sunday, we have been talking about the birth of Jesus using an interactive nativity scene we got at the Christian Bookstore. It is great! Everyday there is a gift to open with a nativity character inside and a message to read with Scripture.The kids are captivated esp. Irina. It is so amazing to share the Good News of Jesus birth to a little one so hungry to learn. We are humbled to be the ones to tell her about her Savior!!!!!!!!

Blogging for 1 Year

2010-10-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

I can't believe an entire year has passed since I first started this blog! It all began because of Irina. WOW! Time does fly by when you are having fun!

Irina is changing so much. She is at Peace, which is the meaning of her name! We are slowly seeing her true personality, and she's a cutie. She loves to laugh and be a goof. She totally fits in around here because the Allen's love to laugh and be silly. One night at the dinner table,which can be a three ring LOUD circus, I asked Ira if it was too loud for her. She quickly answered "NO, I love it! At orphanage only SHHH!" I was so happy! I had worried and worried that the noise factor here would scare her, but instead she loves the freedom and fun of our family. She was never free to be herself. Now she can relax and be the real Irina. It's awesome to watch miracles unfold.

She is speaking and understanding so much more English lately. She can read it too! I had no idea. We were working on Phonics and reading the other day during school when all the sudden she began sounding out the words and reading! Amy and I were amazed. We learn something new about her almost everyday! Tonight she said the days of the week on her own! I was jumping up and down because we sing the Days of the Week song as we begin our school day and she caught on! WOW! The joys of homeschooling ! I get to see the fruit of our labor.

We've nicknamed her "Princessa", our Ukrainian Princess because she either can't ,or doesn't want to do anything for herself. We haven't figured out if they did so much for her at the orphanage she never learned how to do things, or she does know but she's enjoying being dotted over! So today, when I was dressing her( yes, dressing her just like I dress my 2yr. old Seth), she whispered in my ear " Ira Princessa" and giggled. I said, "Yes you are my Ukrainian Princess". Then she whispered in my ear "I love you, mom".(in English)What a gift! What priceless words!

So for now, I'm doing all the things I didn't get a chance to do for Irina and holding tighter to the ones I've been blessed with since birth.

New life for Irina

2010-10-18T21:32:00.001-07:00

Sept. 1, 2010 was Irina's 9th Birthday celebration. She was so excited the cake was "only Ira's". It was her first time to have her own cake and blow out her candles all by herself. It was her first time to share her birthday with her family! We are so blessed she's here. Can't imagine life without her.

Her first bicycle! She went from riding with training wheels to NO training wheels in record time. She just never had the chance to learn. Now look at her go!!

She lost a tooth for the first time. It didn't get thrown away and the Tooth Fairy came! Before, her teeth were just thrown away. Not anymore! Mama saved it! She was so proud she pulled it out herself. She wouldn't let any us touch it. She worked and wiggled on it all morning until she got it.

Her first time to a Pumpkin Patch with her brothers, sister, and Grandmommy.

Her first motorcycle ride with Uncle Dave.

These are just a few of the many "Firsts" we have been honored to watch Irina experience. So blessed to be her Mom!!

Hello Again!!

2010-10-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

We are here and doing fine! Our computer was down due to a virus, and I'm still trying to figure out how to get everything done and blog ,too. We now have a family chore chart, so hopefully I can do better at keeping everyone updated on how Irina is doing in her new family.The blog has a new look to celebrate our family's growth.

I wanted to give updates, but Ira is sick tonight. In short, she is doing fantastic! Everyday gets better and better especially her English. I am amazed at all the new words she is incorporating into her speech. She is learning a lot from listening to children's songs. Her favorite was Jesus Loves Me now it is God Made Me. I love hearing her sing it in her own way as she's trying to pronounce English. It's just too cute. It's like listening to your 1year old say their first words. It's priceless!

This is the first time she has been sick since she came home. She has vomited twice and is saying her stomach "Ouch". I'm wondering what happened when she was sick in the orphanage. As I cleaned her up, told her I was sorry, and prayed for her, I was thinking I'm so glad she's here and no there. It's times like these that stop me in my tracks, and I stand in awe that God chose Irina to be our daughter. I get to take care of her, especially when she's sick.

Gotta go,and tend to my precious girl.

Since I promised homecoming pics. Here's a couple!!

I Get To Do This

2010-08-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

Well, Praise the Lord the light bulb went off and the Lord gave me a new perspective about adopting Irina. In the beginning, times were really hard. I was slept deprived, jet lag hung on for awhile, and everyone wanted mom. I had nothing to give anyone and there were so many needs facing me. It was overwhelming, but God in His mercy and grace helped me see things in greater light. He showed me what an honor and a privilege it is to be my children's mom. That I get to do this!!He gave them all to me, even Irina who has missed out on a mother's love for the first 8 yrs. of her life and I get to be her mom! I get to hold her, rock her, play "this little piggy went to market",sing to her and tell her about Jesus. It hit me like a ton of bricks. WOW! God allowed me to be Ira's mother, and not her birth mom. I feel sorry for her mom that she has missed this. She lost a blessing. I found myself praying for her the other day and asking God to heal her and make her whole and drag her to the cross. Send someone Lord to tell her about you. She needs you. Please give her hope and may she know how much you love her and Irina.

Homecoming Pics to come!

Well.. at least we know she's learning!! :]

2010-08-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

Today has been a very good day with Ira!!! She is listening sooo much better. Lately, Ira has been learning that if she does not listen she will miss out on something she likes i.e.watching a movie, riding her bike, or drinking coca-cola(she loves coca-cola)! Today long story short Samuel ended up in the girls bed room and wouldn't sleep! Ira got so upset she started yelling,"ne spot ne coca-cola ne bicycle, ne kolad, ne movie!!( If you don't go to sleep you get no coke, no bike, no outside,and no movie!) Samuel was shocked but didn't take it seriously, until she started yelling look in my eyes this is not funny!! What a little Mommy. We were laughing our heads off!! She did this about 5 times ! HeHe!! I love her so much!
Posted by Amy

Having Fun!!!!!

2010-08-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

It has been very hectic this week with a child adjusting, a boy with a cold
(a.k.a a very crabby kid), and another boy that well just doesn't understand whats going on!!! But we still have enough time to have a little fun!

Giddy up daddy!!!!

On the way to the beach!!
What a princess!!!(Daddy bought those glasses ;)

"Papa"teaching Era how to swim!!

I was just thinking the other day I don't think mom ever put pics of all of us on the blog because she was talking so much about the adoption!! Well here are her babies!!

Amy - 11yrs Irina - 8yr Samuel - 3 1/2 yrs

Seth-2yrs

( Sorry Its blurry, he doesn't like his picture taken, especially while watching Scooby-Doo!!!)

Posted by Amy

Home For A Week

2010-08-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well we've been home 1 week today! It's taken this long for me to finally feel normal from jet lag and all the adjustments. Considering how hard this must be for Ira, she's doing really well. Her episodes are fewer and less intense,but she is still definitely grieving everything and everyone from Ukraine. It is so hard to see such pain in her eyes. However, it is in those moments when she allows me to comfort her that we bond the most. She is a fighter, so I assume her will to keep going is how she survived in the orphanage. Even though she fights against our parental love, I think its that character trait that helped her as she lived void of parents. She is still trying to figure out what her role is and what our roles are, but everyday is better. She is a precious child,who really doesn't even know herself because she's never been able to relax and just trust. She's had to be self-reliant to survive.
All the kids love her and she loves them. She is very motherly with Samuel and Seth. It's sweet to watch how she interacts with them. She wants Amy all the time and if she's not around she'll be looking for her. God has been so good and has provided all we have needed. I'm so amazed by His care for us. Just yesterday our friends who are adopting from the same orphanage came to our house with groceries and stocked our fridge!! When we can't get it done God can! Love you Jesus! Thank you Lewis family!!

EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!!!

2010-08-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

A new Hollywood star is born!!!!!!

But amazingly she still has enough time to be silly!!!
HEHE

Last dinner/night in Ukraine!

2010-08-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

Its soooo nice to know that we are finally leaving within 8 hrs and exciting that we will be in america in 24 hrs!! But also in some ways I am going to miss this place!! Here are some pics of us eating our last meal in Ukraine!!

BYE BYE UKRAINE!!!!!!

Read the post below!!

Finally Pictures

2010-07-31T00:16:00.000-07:00

What you've been waiting for! Pictures of the two sisters!

Video of Irina and Amy playing in a jump

Post Error

2010-07-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the confusion on the last post about Going home. Amy and I posted an old uncompleted draft the other day trying to post pictures. Haven't had a chance to fix it yet. We've been busy visiting with friends that are also adopting. We have spent the last two days playing at the park, taking pony rides, bouncing in a jump, playing on the fountain steps, and eating ice cream. Irina and Amy have had a ball. Ira was so tired tonight she fell asleep without a fight.
She is doing so good. Everyday she seems more at ease with her new mama and sister. I now believe the delay in going home was for her to get better adjusted to us before the long flight home, and for God to purge me of self-reliance and teach me dependence on Him. When things are going smooth my first reaction is to not rely on Jesus in the day to day tasks. I now realize that's what I was doing. I operate on my own strength until times get tough. During this first week with Irina, I saw my need to rely on Jesus every second and I've asked Him to reveal to me when I start operating in self-reliance again. I want to learn the first time. As my friend says"You know better, so you do better".
Well, we are headed home Tuesday morning @5:30am. The driver will pick us up @ 2:45am! Yikes! Please pray for strength for us to make it on little sleep and that Irina's ears don't bother her. She's worried about that my translator told me. Will post again when we are finally back on American soil. Can't wait! I do grieve for Irina as she leaves her native country, but Amercia is her future. A future she would not have if she stayed here. In a year's time she would have been transfered to an internat. A place where there are only teachers not caregivers and one doctor for over 200 older children. The supervision is minimal not like the care she has received up to this point. I praise God He placed the burden in our hearts for her when He did. Our times have truly been in His Hands

My Anchor, Jesus

2010-07-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

To God be the Glory! Prayers are being answered! If you have been praying for me, Irina, and Amy, I could never say thank you enough. Knowing that people are taking time to pray for us is very humbling and encouraging. God has heard our cries and continues to hold us up.

She is getting better. Everyday I have seen changes and everyday she shows signs of attaching to me more. It is slow, but very postive.The other night she got very mad because she couldn't understand me even though I'm trying to learn words and communicate with her, when she's upset it makes it worse. After many tears from me and her, she came over to me and gave me a hug. WOW! She was saying she was sorry. At bedtime, she wants me to put my arm around her and she wants me or Amy to sing. I just look up and smile and thank the Lord that she asks me to sing ,Jesus Jesus Jesus, there's just something about that Name. It's one of our family's favorite songs written by Gloria Gaither. We sing it everynight while puttin the kids to bed,and I started singing it to Irina at night. Now,she is requesting it by singing the word Jesus to the tune! It's so Cool! She and Amy are bonding. She only wants her sistra to fix her hair(voh-luh-see). Sometimes, she even shortens the word ses-trah to just "sest". It's so cute. I love to watch them play together, running, and racing each other. Amy has been a true gift from God on this trip. She has been such a big helper and prayer warrior. I know God sent her because He knew what I needed before I did.

I have had to anchor my faith in the promises of God or I would not be surviving this trip. I realized yesterday that before I left to come God kept bringing the word anchor to me through sermons and devotions. When my devotion yesterday spoke about how trusting in the Lord is possible as we anchor our confidence in the promises of God, the light bulb went off. This is what He's been saying all along! So after learning that we were not getting a flight home yetserday and all my hopes of coming home were dashed, I placed myself in God's hand and surrendered what I wanted to His plan. We drove to the airline office to see if they could help but still there were no flights home any sooner than my scheduled flight on Aug 3rd. Even though, the adoption was complete Tuesday afternoon, I can't come home until next Tues because all flights into the States are booked solid. For whatever reason, the Lord has me here for now. I don't like it, but He sees the big picture I don't. I'm here learning to know Him better,the more I trust Him.

Pray for Irina

2010-07-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

We are now in Kiev where I have internet and can use my own computer instead of my facilitator's. Well, to tell the truth the last few days have been very difficult. While every adopitve parent is told everything that can possibly happen, there is no way to know what issue you and your family will face. So, some words of wisdom to parents, who are wondering and waiting for their travel date, it would be better to expend your energy memorizing God's Word and spending quiet time with Him. I wish I had prepared myself in that way more than running around busy busy busy. I understand wanting to get here so bad to finally get your arms around the child(ren) you've waited so long for, but we forget that children are not adults. Even the family they have wanted for so long can be scary and stressful to them. Pray for your child(ren) to be prepared for this change and that God would comfort their tiny little hearts and minds. This will be time better spent than doing anything else.
Although a family has been Irina's dream, it is a huge change in her life. We've figured out through translation that she didn't realize how hard it was going to be for her. She wants to understand me and she wants me to understand her. She is afraid to come to America alone with no one to speak Russian with. She honestly thought that our translator was coming to America with her. As a mother, it has been horrible to watch her grieve especailly because she will not let me comfort her. All I can do is cry out to the Lord on her behalf since He says:"As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you. "Is 66:13 When I have not allowed the Lord to work through me, self reliance crept in but my strength failed. My pastor has said "Self-reliance is God-defiance." That has helped me so much. God doesn't need our help. He is God! He created the Heavens and the earth and all that is in it. We would not have breath in our lungs without Him,yet we try to handle everyday life apart from the peace that God is God and we are not.
Please pray for my baby girl. In so many ways, she is a baby inside. She is almost 9yrs. old, but inside she has not truly developed. She has been deprived of the loving arms of a mother and the leaderhsip of a father. Pray she will allow me to comfort and love her through her distress. Pray she will not refuse the love that stands before her. As I am writing this, it reminds me of us as God's children. He stands ready to receive us,help us, comfort us, and waits for us to come to Him with our needs, but we don't. We run around like chickens with our heads cut off wondering why everything in our lives is so crazy looking everywhere but UP to our Heavenly Father. If you are in the midst of trouble today, don't try to skip A & B and jump to C. Turn to Jesus and surrender your life to Him(A). Go to Him, cry out in prayer and obtain wisdom from His Words that He left us, the Bible(B). Then living out your life(C) will be for His Glory because YOU AREN'T DOING IT! HE IS! Saying this helps me remember to do this myself. Thank you for your prayers. God is Faithful!Prayers are already being answered. Our pastor helped us find a Russian group at Harvest Bible Chapel Naperville that meets every Fri. It is a group of families that have adopted Russian speaking children,who meet for support. The children can continue their language,while learning English! This is a great gift from God.
Will post pics of the sisters together later. Headed to Embassy appt.

No Longer An Orphan

2010-07-23T02:23:00.000-07:00

The passport is ready to be picked up!! That means we are leaving the apt. in 40 min to pick up Irina!! She will leave everything behind including the clothes on her back, so she leaves the orphanage just like she would leave the hospital after birth. I will put on her going home outfit and her new gold (OBOOF) shoes. When we come to Jesus, and repent of our sins, He cleanses us, and we put off the old sinful man, and become a new creation in Jesus because of what He did on the cross. Today, Irina will put off her orphan status and leave that orphanage as our daughter. Yippe! Thank you Jesus for sending us such a precious and priceless gift!!
On Wed. when we took her to get her passport/visa pictures taken, her caregiver told me she missed me so much while I was gone and that she loves me so much. I was so excited that I could make out what she was saying by the few words I have learned. I was also in awe to be loved and missed by Ira such a gift from the Lord. Everyone thinks we are blessing to her and what a wonderful thing we are doing to adopt. Yes, she has longed for parents so long she has asked 2 of her female doctors to please adopt her. Yes, she now has a family to love and care for her. However, being doers of the Word and not just hearers is not some great thing. It is what those who follow Jesus are to do. He said to care for widows and orphans in their distress not just those who feel called. Caring for them is what He said, and that could be done differently by each person. Someone commented on my blog that they would have to be content right now to just pray for orphans and families who are trying to adopt. He is doing his part, and it is very humbling to know that perfect strangers are covering this trip and my family in prayer. There are people back home taking care of my other children while my husband works. They are doing their part in caring for orphans because without the help of all my family and friends who have lovingly cared for my babies in my absence, I would not be able to be here focused on Ira. There have been people who have given money to help fund the expenses of this adoption, and those who gave of their time to help us put together a rummage sale. They did their part in caring for orphans, otherwise I could not pay for the apt. where I am staying or pay the driver who takes us safely through an unknown country. Every person that has done their part for an orphan named Irina Nikulina has obeyed God's Word and thus changed the course of her life. Now, she is no longer an orphan,but our beautiful daughter Irina Elizabeth Allen!!!!

Everything is Moving Fast

2010-07-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

I never expected to be done with everything so quickly. The time is quickly approaching for me to go to the orphanage and pick up Irina for GOOD! I've no time to give details because I'm borrowing my facilitator's computer. If we receive her passport tomorrow, we are going to get her and she will be leaving the orphanage. The moment I have been waiting for is finally here. It has been a very emotional day and tomorrow will be very emotional as well. All I can say is, I am the most tremendously blessed mother to have been chosen to receive such a gift as Irina. Why God decided to bless our family with this precious gift from heaven I do not know, but I am so thankful and so extremely humbled.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles!

2010-07-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

We are here!!! After flying on 2 airplanes,layovers,and riding on a bouncy train for 6 more hrs.,we made it to Kharkov at midnight Sunday. Amy and I were up 32 hrs. with a few naps here and there. We crashed until 7am Mon. morning when we hit the ground running again. We were in the car 9hrs. taking care of the birth cert.,social security name change,and many other stops,but the best part of the day was finally seeing My sweet Ira!
She came running to me and held me tight. It was wonderful to see her. They said she has been waititng for us to come back, and that she has been the star of the orphanage because she has Parents! They said she was like a Hollywood Star-famous and proud of it! She loved Amy right away and hugged her 3-4 times during our visit. She would just hold onto her and not let go! They look just alike. It is truly amzaing. Will post pitures later as we don't have internet yet. I am borrowing my facilitators computer for now. Hang in there pics coming soon!!!

Going to Get My Girl!

2010-07-17T06:35:00.000-07:00

Getting back on a plane today for Ukraine! This is so exciting! The first trip was nerve racking since I didn't know what to expect, but knowing I'm going to pick my baby girl up makes all the difference. This is exciting! Also, my oldest daughter is coming with me. We are very excited about this last minute change. I will have the best travel companion and she will have time to bond with her sister before coming home. God has connected us with more amazing families since we've been home. Twice when I was talking in a group about my upcoming trip to complete our adoption, people stopped in their tracks to pray for me. I am so humbled! Thank you to everyone who has been following and for all your comments and support. I have never witnessed God in such a way as I have since we obeyed the call to ADOPT!
Good-bye. Will post when I arrive!

We're Home

2010-07-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

There's no place like home! The flights back were smooth until we got to Chicago. From there we were flying to Nashville in order to go pick up the kids from Grandmommy's house. Our flight was delayed 2hrs. because of rain and lightening. It was weird being stuck in the airport so close to home. It would have been nice to just go home,but we had to go get our babies and the waiting was killing us. We finally got to mom's at 11:58pm the 6th after we had been awake(minus a few naps on the plane)30hrs. Yikes! We were exhausted.The kids were a beautiful sight. They had all grown and changed in just 3 weeks. We finally rolled in after driving 11hrs at1am on the 8th. Home was a wonderful place to be. My bed felt as soft as a cloud in the sky, and I didn't want to get out of it. HOME!
Today, I'm corresponding with the travel agent about booking my return flights. 1 week from today I'm going back! Can't wait to see my baby girl again! I pray God is sustaining her until I get there. I pray she is not doubting my return. Hang in there Irina, Mama will be there soon!!

Going Home

2010-07-05T12:55:00.001-07:00

Because our 10 day waiting period was not waived, we are going home. We will be picked up in 4 hrs. to begin the long journey back. It is very hard to leave Irina behind. Just like it felt the day I waved good-bye to Amy, Samuel,and Seth, as the car drove away 21 days ago. My heart was being torn. I've never left my children longer than an overnight away. I can't wait to hold them in my arms very soon,and to go to that orphanage in a few weeks and bring my baby girl home for GOOD. The day we said good-bye to Irina went really well. She is such a trooper! I worried that she would not understand and be upset, but she was O.K. Bless her heart, she has had to grow up too fast in so many areas. The translator told me she understands that the law will not allow us to take her home yet,and that she has seen other children be adopted,so she is familiar with it all. We told her when she missed us to hold her Mishka(teddy bear) and look at her photobook.When I get my flight intinerary, I will email it to my facilitator and she will let Irina know when mommy is coming back!

Seeing so many children without the love and nurturing that only parents can give, opened our eyes to the needs of orphans. Hearing their cries, watching them fall with no one to pick them up,and seeing the longing in their eyes, was unbearable at times. It is hard to endure these long weeks away from your family, not be able to communicate with people around you, wait, be at the mercy of other people, wait, miss your kids, wait, and wait some more, but the Lord said".. in this world we will have tribulation, but BE OF GOOD CHEER for I have overcome the world".John 16:33 It hasn't been easy, but it has been worth it! Please pray justice will be given to the weak and the fatherless and pray more families will come to rescue the weak and the needy.Psalm 82:3-4

It's A Girl!!!

2010-07-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

Let us introduce you to the newest member of our family!

Irina Elizabeth Allen.

She officially became an Allen July 2, 2010 @11:48am. She weighs about 65lbs and stands about 51 in. tall. Court was just as exciting and nerve racking as going to the hospital for a scheduled C-section(the norm for me). I think all 3 us were nervous. Tim and I didn't know what to expect, and we couldn't understand anyone, so we were quite uncomfortable. We could tell Irina was a little nervous too. All 3 of us were being asked questions,so they were coaching us on how to respond to the judge's questions. It all ended up being just fine. When Irina was asked if she wanted to be adopted, her sweet Russian words brought a juror to tears. She told the judge that she has dreamed of having a family for so long that she would love to be adopted by these very parents,and that she wants to be happy with us if only the judge would allow it. After a brief deliberation and more formalities the judge declared us Irina's parents!!!!!!The judge and the jurors came over to us and shook our hands. Irina came running to us and hugged us both. I have no words to describe the feelings I have. It's as if, a part of Tim and I has been living on the other side of the world and we just found her !! We Praise God for her life that He created, and He that He has chosen to give her to us. What a gift she is!

"Children are a gift from the Lord" Psalms 127:3 NASB

Court Date Delayed

2010-06-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

We got to the courthouse today and within minutes of arriving we were told our courtdate would be POSTPONED. It is now set for July 2nd. At first, we were shocked because we are scheduled to fly out of Kiev on Fri. morning. We were told this happens a lot here. It is no surprise. We prayed for God's timing in our adoption journey, so we must trust our prayers have been answered. It may not be what we had planned, but God knows what's best. Whatever the reason, I know it is a gift from the Lord. The Lord has been very tender towards my heart as a mother. He has known exactly what I have needed even when I did not. Irina was beautiful today, and full of smiles. Her hair was beautifully braided with big pink bows to match her pink outfit. We prayed with her before we entering the courthouse building. Irina looked confused at what Papa was doing, but she didn't seem to mind. She then reached out for my hand, and we skipped off together toward the building. She kept smiling and laughing. We were concerned about Irina's reaction to the court delay, but we were told she is O.K. She understands that the delay has nothing to do with us. She seems to understand everything so well. I wish she didn't have to be so grown up at such a young age. I pray the Lord "will restore to her what the locust have eaten."Joel 2:25
Please pray for us to get home soon as Tim needs to return to work next week. Thank you for all the prayers and support everyone has given us.

Written Consent

2010-06-28T03:30:00.000-07:00

June 18th cont'd.

After Irina showed us off to all the caregivers and the children, our facilitator said we had to go to do more paperwork. We didn't want to leave, but she told Irina we would be back in a little bit. At about 2:15pm we arrived back at the orphanage. Irina was sleeping because the children take naps b/t 1-3pm. That's also naptime at home! They had to wake her up, so she could give them her written consent to be adopted by us. She came out looking so tired and disoriented. I felt bad for her that she got woke up. She saw our facilitator up near the main building,so she wanted to go where she was. I followed behind her as she said "Pahs-lee, Mama", which I learned means "Let's go". She then yelled "Pahs-Lee" to Papa, but he wasn't coming fast enough for her, nor did he grab the backpack. So she ran over to him ,quickly zipped up the bag, and put in on her back all the while saying, "Pahs-Lee". I must mention she loved the backpack and everything in it. She is so curious! She took everything out exploring every inch of it. She found my water bottle in there and chugged it. She was so thirsty! She also took my sunglasses off my head and put them on. She fits right in with her siblings who do the same thing. Everybody wants to wear my sunglasses and drink my water!

Once the Social Worker was ready, we headed back to the cottage and sat down at the little table we sat at this morning. They gave her a piece of paper and pen, and began telling her what to write. She had beautiful cursive handwriting!. As she wrote out our names Timoti and Cyntia in Russian, I was amazed at how brave she was. What a smart, assertive & observant little girl! She is just like her sister!! Again, we had to quickly leave in order to get all our paperwork to the Judge's secretary before the weekend. They told Irina we had to go, but that we would be back tomorrow. She ran over to me and gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek!! Then she ran over and gave Tim a hug too. He picked her up and gave her a big squeeze! Oh, Lord you are so GOOD!!!! What a joyous day! What an amazing gift God has given us- another child to LOVE. I never expected hugs or kisses, and she so freely gave them. WOW!! I stand in awe at the work of HIS hands!!

Today we bonded with Irina even more during our visit. She has a boo-boo on her finger that she showed me on Sat. So, today I brought some band-aids and anti-bacterial ointment. I looked at her finger, and could see a little piece of a splinter still in her finger. I tried to pull it out, but she kept jerking her hand away. I got out the band-aid and the ointment, dressed her wound ,and gave it a kiss, she was thrilled! She loved being taken care of. She quickly took of her sock to show me another boo-boo on her foot. Thank goodness I brought more than 1 band-aid. It was the first time I got to see her feet because she is always wearing socks. She has the cutest little feet and toes! They were so soft like babies feet. I can't wait to get her home,clean her up, put lotion on her and just baby her.

Prayers Answered

2010-06-26T06:29:00.000-07:00

From the time we saw Irina's picture on http://www.reecesrainbow.org/ until now, we have asked the Lord to guide our steps. We asked the Lord to help Irina decide if she wanted to be our daughter or not. All those prayers were answered June 18th 2010! On our way to the orphanage that day, both of us were nervous. When we arrived we spoke with the lady Pediatrician that cares for Irina. She told us after we left yesterday, Irina was asking about us and wondering if we were coming back today. We all cried again knowing how long she has waited for a family. We went to her cottage and waited for them to bring her out. She was happy to see us again, but unsure of what was going on. While we waited for the Social Worker, we pulled out the photobook we made for Irina with pictures of our family and home. Amy even wrote Russian words in the photobook so she could understand. As she flipped through the pages, she still wasn't sure why she was looking at these pictures.When the Social Worker came into the room, I said "Irina after meeting you yesterday we want to know if you would like to be our daughter?"I said "We want you and would love to have you as our daughter." She smiled and said"Dah" (yes) "Hoh- chesh"(I want to). She said YES! God had it all covered! Our facilitator spoke with her at length explaining to Irina that she would not live in Ukraine anymore, but America. Irina continued to say "Yes " she wanted to be our daughter! She got up and gave me hug! It was a blessing I was not expecting. Then our facilitator asked Irina about her name, if she wanted a new name. We told her we love her name and didn't want to change it unless she did. She said she liked her name Irina(Ira for short "Ear-raa"),but she was ready for a new last name. We told her we wanted to give her the middle name "Elizabeth" after her Grandmother, and said her new last name was Allen. She repeated it back to us with a big smile and her cute accent ,"Irina Elizabeth Allen". She handled everything like a champ! I worried for no reason. God prepared her just like we asked!

When everyone stood up to leave the cottage she grabbed my hand and ran outside with her photobook yelling to everyone "Mama"& "Papa" God answered our prayers above and beyond. He gave MORE than we could have asked for!

Finally We Have Internet!

2010-06-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

YEAH! We have internet in our apt.! I think I said" Spa-see-ba" Thank You in Russian a hundred times to the installers and our landlord. We were all excited ready to call home,but after hours of trying we are unable to buy Skype credit from Ukraine. I want to call my children at my moms and can't. I am so sad I could cry. I miss my children!I can't wait for the day we are all together at home. This is so hard. For all those who have done this before,please tell me how you made it through this. You can't be with any of your kids during this long process. You leave children behind with family and each day you have so say good-bye to your new child who doesn't understand why you keep leaving without her everyday. Lord,please help me. No one could have prepared me for how heart wrenching this is.

Now, for details. The first day we met Irina was June17th. Irina has dreamed of having a family for so long, in order to protect her she was told guests were coming. After getting information about her history and her medcial condition,we were taken to her cottage to meet her. When they opened the door and she walked out, she was more beautiful than we could have ever imagined. She smiled and said Hello with her cute accent. I had tried to learn some Russian phrases beforehand,so I asked her in Russian what her name was,she said Irina Nikulina and then she asked me my name. We had brought a teddy bear to give her,so our facilitator said don't you have a gift for her? We pulled out "Mishka"from our bag and handed it to her. She smiled,but you could see the wondering in her eyes. The facilitator asked her what she dreams of having and she answered a "Mama and Papa" The ladys in the room had to turn their heads ,so Irina would not see them crying. It was very moving. They quickly took her back into the cottage. They took us outside and asked us if we were sure we still wanted to adopt Irina. With tears flowing, we said YES! The facilitator said "Are you sure"? Tim said, "Nothing could stop me." After much excitement and tears, we were off to take care of the paperwork to offically accept the referral to adopt Irina. We didn't see her again til the next day.

Still No Internet

2010-06-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

We are still waiting for internet to be installed in our apt. here in Kharkov. Our facilitator is so upset because she wants us safe in our apt. not out at McDonald's WiFi. I so desparately want to give details, but again it is getting dark and we took all our time checking emails and trying to Skype my dad. We visit Irina everday around 10am until 12pm. A driver picks us up to take us to her orphanage. It is out of the city, so it takes 30 min to get there. She has taken to us very quickly. She wants to come with us everyday,and is tired of waiting. It is very hard to keep telling her we can't take her with us yet. She tries very hard to learn English words. She can count to ten and say the alphabet. She is very smart and very active just like all Allen children.

Here are a few more pictures of our Miss Personality.

Waiting for Internet

2010-06-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

Hello, from Kharkov Ukraine!

Yes, Tim tried a turn at blogging and got interrupted before he could write anything LOL!

We have been promised internet in our apt. since we arrived on Thurs. We are still waiting, so we took a risk and walked down to McD's WiFi. It is getting dark and we must go soon, so this will be quick.

Irina is BEAUTIFUL and more than we could have ever imagined! All our prayers have been answered. She had no problem understanding adoption and consented to coming to America as our daughter without reservation. She has personality plus taking us all around the orphanage showing us off and saying Mama Papa.

Will give more details later. God is So GOOD! The process has moved very quickly for us.

Tim' s try at blogging

2010-06-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

We Made It!!

2010-06-16T01:59:00.000-07:00

We are finally here in Kiev Ukraine after a long trip!! The flight from Chicago to Germany was 8hrs long and tiring. It was weird leaving at 2:30pm our time and landing somewhere else at 5:45am. In Germany, our lay over was extended, but it wasn't bad. It gave us a chance to freshen up, eat breakfast together at McD's and relax while we waited for our flight. We left Germany at about 11am their time. This plane was smaller than the one before and was very bumpy. Tim and I didn't get to sit together either, so that made it harder. I've only flown Southwest planes for 1hr 15min from Chicago to Alabama- easy flights. After hrs. of sitting in the same spot and lots of turbulance, Tim and I offically DO NOT like to fly! However, the Lord is our example, "who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross." Hebrews 12:2
It was such a blessing to have the Heims with us the whole time. They will never know what a comfort they have been to us. It was hard to say good-bye to them at the Kiev airport when our driver and facilitator picked us up. I cried at the thought of not having Traci with me anymore. Her help and guidance have been a gift from God.
Our SDA appt. went perfectly!! They asked us a couple of questions, but I think our actions spoke louder than words. When they showed us Irina's picture at 12-18months old we both gasped and my tears flowed. The lady kept starring at my tears of joy.
Our facilitator showed us how to get around, get groceries and took us to a restaurant for dinner. During dinner, she told us that Irina was recently asked if she would ever want to be adopted and she responded, Yes, if they love me and I love them!! God answered all our prayers that He would prepare her for our coming. I think her answer confirms God is at work in her heart. We already love her, and we pray she already loves us. We then got settled into our appt. to get some much needed SLEEP!
We leave Kiev today @3:30pm for Kharkov where Irina is. We will travel by train at night in order to sleep on the way and arrive in the am ready to got to the orphanage. I absolutely can not wait to see her!!! Please keep praying! God is answering! I'm in awe at the work of His hands!
We miss home and we miss our kids something awful. It's quiet here. We don't really know how to act!
Will post once we are settled in Kharkov.

On Our Way!!!!!!!!!

2010-06-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

We are having a sleepover at the Heims before our trip begins tomorrow. The car picks us up in the morning @ 11am to take us to O'Hare airport. We leave Chicago @ 2:33pm and get to Frankfort Germany @5:45am. WOW, that will be a long flight!! We will arrive in Kiev Ukraine @ 1:30 pm on the 15th. We will meet Irina soon after. Please pray for God to prepare her and us for that first encounter. Can't believe it's finally here!
Its amazing how God has orchestrated this whole thing. The fact that we are flying with the Heims is just so cool! We had hoped all along we would be able to travel together, and God gave us the desires of our heart. One year ago,God placed them in our path at just the right time to speak God's truth into our lives. We are so thankful for them and everyone God has brought our way to help us on this journey. Thank you Jesus and all who have been a part of this adoption!!!!
We will post info as soon as we are able. Good-Bye!

We are going to Ukraine!!!!!

2010-05-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

The moment we have been waiting for finally came. We got the call from our Social Worker on Tuesday May 25th telling us we have a travel date!!! Our SDA appointment is June 16th!! The unknown is finally known!! Yesterday was a blur as a talked back and forth with the travel agent trying to figure out flights. It took til 8pm last night to finally settle on a booking. It's official, WE ARE GOING TO UKRAINE!!

We have been so blessed with finances. It has been amazing to watch! I'm glad I'm not missing out on one blessing after another as God works miracles to make this adoption happen."O we of little faith!" I'm speaking to myself especially. I have had such little faith during this process, and so much fear that I've been at the Lord's feet continuously repenting. However, by His Grace, He has brought so much PEACE and greater understanding of the whole process. Just like marriage, adoption is forever according to God's Word. We will be married 14yrs this July, and at times it was so hard I wondered if we would make it. Because we have looked to God as ""our help in times if trouble", we are here today. I wouldn't change anything. He is worth any amount of struggle in the end. So with adoption, I can rest on God's promises knowing He will be there when times get tough. Obeying God's Word is my part. The outcome is in Gods' hands. Good or bad He will carry us through until the end.
God truly does know what we need before we ask or think. I thank the Lord for is His faithfulness to us.

Here We Come Baby Girl!!

2010-05-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

Today our dossier was submitted!!! What an accomplishment! It might be around the 2nd week in July and she will be on the plane coming home to spend the rest of her life with the family she always dreamed of! But for right now, she is sitting there in Ukraine believing that she will never have a home and telling herself that she is NOT loved. But honey If you only knew that there is a family in the US that loves you dearly and wants you to be their daughter!!! It is not about us, its about HER!! Some people say, "Well you dont have the means/ money to adopt" Well Isn't a family and learning about Jesus better than a cold, dark orphanage in Ukraine! Isn't Three hot meals a day better than 1 small meal a day, Isn't a chance in life better than living on the streets!! A orphan is an..

Open-hearted
Rejected in society
Precious
Hopeless
Abandoned
Needy ... Child

All together there are 147 million orphans in the world! If you feel that God is leading you to adopt or donate. You can Visit http://www.reecesrainbow.com/. There and tons of little faces needing hope. If they have Downs Syndrome they will be sent to the institution at the age of 5!!!! Here is a boy named Marat on the web site who has HIV. He is 11. He needs someone to adopt him or he will be sent the institution!! Please consider! Here is a picture. What a cutie!!

Posted By Amy

Please help this family bring their children home!!!!

2010-04-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

The Twietmeyer's have been a HUGE BLESSING to our family and sooo many others who have and are adopting. Even though she has needed to raise funds for her adoption, on Facebook she asked people to give to our adoption for her birthday!!! I still can't get over this unselfish act by someone who is about to travel to adopt for the 3rd time. PLEASE read the following post from www.twietconfetti.blogspot.com ,and PLEASE visit their blog to learn how you can help them bring their children home!!!!
I have hijacked Carolyn's blog to post this message. This is her friend Melinda. I currently help out with Project Hopeful in the fundraising department and updating the website. In case you missed it the Twietmeyer's have grown there family again. They are getting ready to bring home Selah's biological sister and brother from Ethiopia. They have had many, many struggles during this entire adoption process, but thankfully God is faithful! They will be leaving May 6th to go and pick up their new kids Andarge and Eyerusalem. This trip happened sooner than they thought and they are short on the cash to travel. I would love to see all of us rally around this family that has helped so many other famlies bring home their children and help them raise the funds needed to travel. I think they need around $4000 to make this happen. Would you be a part in making this trip happen for this awesome family? If so you can click on the donate button under the selah's little red house campaign to donate now. I would love to see this need get met by this weekend, so that would be one less thing that Carolyn has to worry about. Thanks for reading and please spread the word!

AWWWWwwww!

2010-04-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

Today we found two little baby bunnys in our window well. Poor things! One of them is so weak he can hardly move. They are so tiny. Hope they don't die. I am an animal lover so I maybe over reacting. We would take them in but you have to have a license !Crazy Huh. Aside from this our dossier is probably in California being looked over by our agency owner. She hasn't responded to mom's email. We think mom and dad will be leaving in about 6-8 weeks.Cool huh? I am so happy!! My sister is coming home!!!!!

This was posted by Amy

The BIG Day!!

2010-04-16T19:12:00.000-07:00

Today was the moment we have been waiting for!!!! Our dossier(Ukraine adoption paperwork) was FedExed overnight to our adoption agency! WOW, what an amazing day!!!!. I had trouble speaking to the lady at FedEx, because the tears were f lowing uncontrollably. It was hard to hand over the stack of papers that our lives have revoled around for 7 months. Scary!! But at the same time it's exciting knowing we are one step closer to Irina. My agency owner should receive our paperwork tomorrow around 10am. She plans to look everything over to make sure it all looks good. Keep in mind it has all been faxed to my social worker 3-4 times who has examined everything several times. Then she plans to send it to Olga our Ukraine facilitator on Mon. We have to wire $600 to Olga so she can get it all translated. Once translated Olga will submit the Allen dossier, and then we wait for the call informing us when to come and meet Irina!!!

Girls Night Out

2010-04-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I'd blog since I'm at my friends who has WiFi. Man, this is great!!! This goes so fast.

Amy and I are hanging out having sweet girl time. Soon it will be Me , Amy and Irina!! We got to the bank today just in time to get the last 2 documents notarized. We are waiting for our social worker to give us the O.K. to have our dossier apostilled. That is some kind of stamp above a notary. I don't understand it, nor do I know how to pronounce it. I just do what I'm told. Hopefully, it will get done by Thursday. My wonderful friend Traci says she will go for me or we can take the train together to Chicago and have all our documents apostilled. Without her wisdom, encouragement, help,and inspiration, I wouldn't have made it this far. Thank you, Traci for all you do to help orphans get home at last.

Now, hello this is Amy. I have a feeling this summer is gonna be great. IRINA IS COMING!! 2 oh yeahs!

Bad at Blogging

2010-04-10T21:23:00.002-07:00

I knew when my friend told me to start a blog back in Oct, I would be bad at it. I didn't think it would be this bad. No post since Feb,and so much has happened since then. One reason I find updating my blog difficult, is because our internet service is dial up and its soooo slow. Is has taken 45 min for the new post page to pull up, so I can write this!
Everything was very busy getting ready for our rummage sale held March 26th and 27th. The rummage sale was a huge blessing!! God brought people to help us every step of the way. It was amazing to watch Him work through His people. The final deposit including donations given the day of the sale was $4,180!!!! I'm still in awe. I got more good news while I was in AL that we were approved for a matching grant through Lifesong for Orphans up to 2,5oo!!! That means 4,180 will actually be 6,680!!!!! None of this would have been possible without all those who gave of their time and resources. I had never seen anything like it before. People just showed up to donate items, fold clothes, price items, offer to watch my little ones, bring lunch, you name it, and they didn't even have to be asked!!! God provided what we needed right when we needed it!! When we got hungry someone would show up with food. When I was exhausted and couldn't hink about what to do next someone would show up and do what needed to be done. When I needed someone to watch my little guys someone would offer or show up at my house. When we needed help making signs there was help right there!!! What I saw God do before, during and after our sale has been amazing. I wouldn't have wanted to miss it for the world. Thank you to all who helped!! May God bless you for caring for orphans in their distress, James 1:27
We received our I71H during the rummage sale busyness and then I left for AL, so last night we faxed our dossier to our social worker for review. She says we need an extra document we didn't have. We'll get that done Mon. Meanwhile over the weekend she will send everything to the Ukraine facilitator to look over our dossier. If she gives a thumbs up, we can get everything apostilled and off to Ukraine this week!! Then we wait for a date to go and meet Irina. WOW!! I can't imagine what that meeting will be like. She doesn't even know we are coming for her!!

Working and Waiting

2010-02-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

The last month and a half has been full of more paperwork. We have been applying for grants and focusing on fundraising ideas. We are planning on having a rummage sale in March to raise money. Details TBA! Keep this in mind if you have stuff around the house you are cleaning out. We are waiting for our approval letter from USCIS. We hope to see it in the mail within the next 2-4 weeks. Once that comes in we can submit our paperwork to Ukraine,and then we wait for a travel date. We are praying for God's timing in all this. He knows the right time for us to travel considering Tim's work schedule. Waiting and wondering is hard, but we trust God is in control. Lately, for me it has been a moment by moment process of learning to depend on God every second by giving Him my fears, questions, and asking for his help. He has been so faithful!

Making Progress!

2010-01-04T18:27:00.000-08:00

We got great news today! Our home study was approved by DCFS! So, our agency sent off our I600A with the approved home study to Homeland Security via FedEx overnight. They should get it tomorrow. This is what we've been working so hard to accomplish and it's done! Now, we wait for a date and place to be fingerprinted. Then we wait some more for her Visa approval. We can send in our paperwork to Ukraine when we receive that approval. We hope to do that sometime in Feb.

Now,we can focus on fundraising. We need to raise around $20,000. You can make a tax-deductible donation to help us bring Irina home @ http://www.reecesrainbow.org/ We appreciate your prayers as we prepare our family to bring Irina home. Amy and I are learning to speak Russian with a tutor. It is really neat. One thing I learned that will help me,is how to ask her, "How she is doing"? Good or Bad. I can't handle the thought of her being afraid,and me not able to tell her, "It's all right". That's what drives me to learn.

We are nesting just like with pregnancy. We are getting more organized. We are washing and putting away the clothes for Irina we have been given(without asking). As I write this ,I realize that's risky. I remember not doing this because of fear until the baby was born and home. All I can say is, I am walking by faith. Is it hard? You bet it is! But, we are doing what our FATHER has told us to do. We are being obedient. "Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we MUST care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us." James 1:27 NLT. Are we leaving the widow out? NO. We seek to find ways to care for widows as well. We are simply clinging to the Words of the Lord as our continual guide. We aren't able to do any of this without HIS help. That is our comfort!

In God's Time

2009-12-26T21:51:00.000-08:00

Are you wondering why there haven't been any posts? Honestly, I've been a bit distracted. I guess God is showing me that everything is in His timing. We haven't had a chance to work on the international paperwork lately. I had the flu, our computer was down,and Seth was sick with a fever,rash and irritability. As all this was going on, I struggled with discouragement. However, I am realizing I need to remind myself,"My times are in Your hand".Psalm 31:15

God has blessed me with 3 amazing children. They need me, and I need God to equip me to parent them. Being there for them and spending QUANTITY time with them is what's most important. As I glean from God's Word, and faithfully be the mom He has allowed me to be, everything else will fall into place. He knows there is a little girl in the Ukraine waiting for a mom and a dad, so He will be our help in the busy times. For example, an important letter needed to be sent to the Ukraine requesting Irina's adoption status. I forgot about it, but my Helper didn't. A family, who is adopting from the same orphanage, called us asking if we wanted to send the letter together and split the shipping cost! Then, we were helped again when our friend drove to down town Chicago to get our letter properly stamped with an Apostille. Let me tell you, if I had to drive to Chicago to get an Apostille, the letter would still be undone!!!! Oh, Lord help me learn to rest in YOU!! Thank You, for Your encouragement, and for working through willing vessels. Thank you, Jesus, Lewis family and Mrs. Traci!

So Busy

2009-12-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

WOW! It has been really busy around here. We finally finished everything we needed for our home study!! Yeah!! We are just waiting for approval from the state. We will hopefully be sending out our I600A form tomorrow, if my printer will cooperate. Now, we begin tackling the international paperwork. It's overwhelming at times, but my husband put it all in perspective tonight when he said,"It's all for her freedom." That blessed me so much. I've never thought about it like that!
We now have an online coffee store set up to help us raise money at www.justlovecoffee.com/Allens. Our store is called Heart's Desire Coffee Shop. Check it out to see what God is doing through Rob Webb. He is helping families with the cost of adoption, while helping to support the coffee farmers. I have heard it is really great coffee!!!

No More Doubts

2009-11-16T10:28:00.000-08:00

Well, this past week was full of God's confirmation that we must be on the right track. Tuesday morning, I went to Psalms 10 because it was the 10th of Nov, and I quickly needed direction before starting the day. I was so amazed by God's faithfulness to speak to me even in a hurry. We have never stopped asking the Lord if adopting now is what He wants us to do. Everytime I ask He answers from His Word so clearly!! Ps 10:14,17-18 says ,"But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief;to repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of earth may oppress no more." The children in the Ukraine have no future due to their orphan and HIV status. They are not considered important and placed in orphanages where many have never seen the light of day. Yes, they have never been outside to play, see the sunlight or the trees!! However, God knows them each by name and He hears their cries. Friday, we sent off our service agreement which means we are committed to bringing our daughter home!! God has heard her cries and He is sending help!! She has only lived in the orphanage since she was 4yrs. old when her mother was deprived rights. She knows she lost her family, and they say she longs to have a family again. I wish she knew we were coming for her. I can't stand thinking about her losing hope. They won't tell her until we meet her in person on our 1st visit to the Ukraine. The only problem with this type of referral, is there are no guarantees. She might not be available when we get there, but they say it's unlikely. Still, it's hard to wait and wonder.
If I doubted before, I can doubt no more!!!! Thank You, Jesus!!

Orphan Sunday

2009-11-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

Today is Orphan Sunday!! I had no idea until my friend ,Traci, and her family went before the church today. They gave the staggering numbers of children in the U.S and abroad waiting for families. They shared lots of scripture about what the Lord says about caring for widows and orphans. We were so encouraged by this since we are beginning the adoption journey. It's taken a while for us to better understand what God is speaking to us, but He keeps bringing His Word as confirmation. Sadly, not everyone is supportive of our decision, but we know God is. We continue to move forward asking for His wisdom and direction. This is what He says" Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this:to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world"-James 1:27 and "A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families..." Psalm 68:5-6. After experiencing the death of my children, my faith was shaken to the core, and the foundation I thought I had in God was not solid. It was during that pain that I turned to the Lord and found Him to be so TENDER and ultimately TRUSTWORTHY. I realized Jesus had been my Savior, but He wasn't my Lord. I lived my life independently as I saw fit, and then asked God to bless it. As I have been made alive through God's healing Words, I now want to live fully dependent on Him. My life is not my own. (Gal 2:20) I was bought at a price. (1 Cor 6:20) Therefore, now that our eyes have been opened and we know there is a beautiful 8yr old girl in the Ukraine waiting for a family, we want to be obedient to God's Words from Prov 24:12 , If you say, "But we knew nothing about this,"does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will He not repay each person according to what he has done?NIV

So Much To Tell

2009-11-04T21:06:00.000-08:00

There is so much to say and not enough time to get it all in. We've been very busy the past few days getting ready for our home study visit today. Tim stayed up last night until 2am, and I got up @ 5:45am this morning to get everything done. Our visit with our Social Worker went well. We still have a few more loose ends to tie up, 4hrs of on-line courses to take, and we need to make our final decision on which girls to choose. Since we learned about the children on the Reece's Rainbow website we have been drawn to 3 girls. However, we did not meet the requirements to adopt 3 non-siblings from the Ukraine. We decided against 1 of the girls when we were informed she would be difficult to place due to her older siblings, and we moved forward intending to adopt the other 2 girls. We have been praying and asking the Lord to confirm what girl or girls we are to commit to. We needed to know by today, and we needed a certain amt of money to make the commitment as well. We've been waiting, and God ANSWERED right on TIME. God is never late!! Yesterday, we got word that there is a family nearby interested in adopting from the same orphanage that our girls are in,and they want to commit to 3!! We were not able to do that, but God is providing someone else for these precious children! All we have wanted is for them to get out of that orphanage and have a family to love them. Where God wants them is where we want them. After learning more from our Social Worker today, we feel are prayers are being answered concerning" who" and "how many". We are going to move forward with adopting only one of the 3 girls from http://www.reecesrainbow.org/ . God also brought the funds we need last night! We've been waiting for our car to sell, and the night before our home study visit, a guy calls interested, made a cash offer over the phone without driving it 1st, and within 45min the car was sold!!!!! WOW
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is GOOD; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8

Hey everybody!!

2009-10-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

This was posted by Amy !!!! (Cindy's daughter)

Here is a little about me. I'm 11 yrs old ,I like skateboarding and dancing.

WOW! I just can't believe were adopting! I'm shocked because 3yrs ago I was an only child; now I have 2 bros and we're adopting two more.I didn't know that 2 huge blessings could come so close together. I'm so excited, that I'll finally have someone to dress in girly clothes. :)

Why Adopt?

2009-10-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

The thought of adoption came during my grieving process. Although God had answered my question with Deut 30, I was afraid of having more children after the loss of 2 newborn baby boys. At that point adoption seemed a better alternative. We started the process to adopt a little girl from Mexico, but another family was chosen instead. It took a few years for God to bring the healing I needed in order to obey His Word. Yet, in His Mercy, He tenderly brought me to the place I could be at peace with trusting Him no matter what happened. "Through the tender mercy of our God,with which the Dayspirng from on high has visited us;to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace". Luke 1:78-79. I can honestly say there is more rest in full surrender to Jesus than trying to control my circumstances. Even though it was hard to trust God with getting pregnant again, I did not want to miss out on any Blessings God had for us. Since our beautiful Amy Grace (aka Amazing Grace)was born, God has given us Samuel Lee and Seth Levi. They are here today because I chose Life and Blessing instead of Death and Cursing( from Deut 30:19). It continues to be a choice, and I want to choose the glorious life God has for me. Why adopt now? Because we want all the Blessings God has for us. We believe God has burdened our hearts for orphans, and we want to bring them home. We understand loss and all orphans have experienced loss in some way. Also God loved us so much He chose to place the sins of the world on His Only Son to pay the penalty for our sins. Because of Jesus death on the Cross, we can be adopted into God's family when we realize we are sinners in need of a Savior(Eph 6:1-12). "I will not leave you as orphans-I will come to you" John 14:18

I have a BLOG!

2009-10-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it myself! When will I have time to blog? I'm not sure, but I am really excited about what God is doing and I want to share it with everybody!!
My new friend,Traci, God sent into our lives just helped us get started. The name of our blog is from Deut 30:11-20. This verse is a gift from the Lord that He gave me in Oct 2002 after our son Jeremiah was stillborn. I asked God at a Women's Retreat, "What do I do from here?", and He answered me from His Word. Deut 30:15 says, "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the Lord your God,to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statues and His judgments that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it." His answer jumped off the page! That you may live and multiply! Since then God blessed us with 2 healthy baby boys. Now, God is blessing us through adoption!! We are in midst of lots of paperwork to finish our home study, and wanting to commit to 2 girls from the Ukraine as the Lord brings the funds.
Starting our new blog today is special because it is our 1st son, Russell's B'day. He would have been 12 yrs. old today.