A Step Back and Three Steps Forward

Quite a bit has happened since our last update!  As we mentioned, we had a child "on hold" and were waiting for our application to process.  We also noted that we had little control over the general situation, which proved to be so true in the waiting process.  Sadly, the boy that we told you about was moved to the "unhostable" category and will not be staying with us over the summer.  He was moved the same foster home as his younger sister (which we believe is a good thing) and did not handle the transition very well (read: lots of outbursts).  While we were disappointed with this news, we both understood that his reaction was pretty normal for someone in his circumstances.  Now we pray that he begins to transition well and can solidify a relationship with his sister.

Despite this setback, we actually can update this post joyfully!  We are now officially hosting a child this summer!  Once we were informed of the situation, we went back to the listing of available children and selected another child to host.  Since our application, paperwork, and background check were already cleared for the previous child, moving from "on hold" to "hosted" moved much faster!  Now, on to the details!  Dimitry is a 10 year-old boy from Latvia.  He loves cats and likes dogs too, which is great for us since we have two cats at our house and we'll be around dogs and cats when we visit King's parents.  He likes to play and enjoys sports, especially hockey (anyone know if the Carolina Hurricanes or Charlotte Checkers do any scrimmages or practices over the summer?).  We will still have a bit of a language barrier, since he primarily speaks Latvian, but between translators from New Horizons and friends in town who have adopted Latvian children, we think we'll be okay (though prayers in this area are encouraged!)  We're very, very excited about this next step and continue to pray that we'll continue to prepare for his arrival this summer.

We also want to let everyone know about an opportunity to help us raise funds for this summer.  Casey's parents have been gracious enough to host a yard sale at their home outside of Richmond, VA on June 4.  If you or anyone you know is interested in stopping by or helping out, please let us know and we'll get you the details!  We'll add more info as the date gets closer!

Also, we're still fundraising and looking for doctors, dentists, and optometrists in our area who may be willing to donate their services.  If you would like to donate, please use the link on the right hand side of the blog page.  If you know of any health providers who may be willing to help us out, please send us their information.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support.  =)

On Hold

We did it!  We (finally) completed the extended application for the hosting program.  Finding the time to pull it together in just a weeks time was challenging, but we decided to spend Friday night relaxing at home and knocked out the rest of the application.  We sent it off on Saturday morning and it should arrive in GA today or tomorrow.  Thank you to those of you who agreed to be references, fill out recommendations, or join our team of prayer partners.  We are appreciative-and VERY excited!

So, what was with the rush to get this application done in a week?  Well, we decided to make a move and put a child on hold!  We aren't revealing too many of the details at this time because it is still unofficial.  However, we feel comfortable in telling you that he is a young man of nine years old and he is in an orphanage in Latvia.  He has a sister who is two years old who will not be coming to America, as she is too young for the hosting program.  Please pray for this boy and his little sister.  We aren't certain that he will be placed with us, but we are certain that he has been brought to our attention for a reason. 

Along with this excitement we are starting to get anxious (Casey more than King...is anyone surprised by this?!).  As the reality of what we're committing to do sets in, we feel overwhelmed by the potential barriers and the lack of control we have over the situation.  We feel limited in our abilities in so many ways.  For instance, this child speaks Latvian and Russian, but no English.  The challenge of communication is something that we will have to work to overcome.  The issue of discipline is another; while Casey has plenty of teaching experience and King works with at-risk youth on a daily basis, we've never raised our own child.  We don't have established boundaries and expectations around what is acceptable for children in our home.  Then there is the issue of attachment; this child and his sister are cleared for adoption in Latvia.  While we did not decide to host this summer with the intentional end of adoption, neither of us can deny that this thought is looming in the back of our minds.  Once we start down this path, many other feelings and thoughts take over (and then Casey really starts to panic!). 

Thankfully, over the past week as we have shared our thoughts and feelings with friends and accountability partners, we have been reminded to STOP!, take a deep breath, and get through one challenge at a time.  This has been the best reminder over the past week!  Realizing that even if we think we can control elements of the situation, we ultimately have no control over the outcome of this experience.  We are doing this for God, because He calls us to care for the children in this world without parents to guide them and teach them about His nature. 

Luckily, we also have friends in the area who have adopted children from other countries, and several that have hosted and/or adopted through the New Horizons program that can help us along the way.  One way that we plan to prepare for this opportunity is to meet with families in our area who have hosted and gain their expertise.  We hope that gaining their perspective will ease some of our anxieties and give us ideas for systems we can put in place to make the visit more enjoyable for everyone involved!

If you're keeping us in your prayers, please consider the following requests:

• That our application will be received, reviewed, and accepted.
• That this boy and his sister will learn of Christ's love and one day become Christians.
• That the child we are supposed to host will come prepared to our home, ready and willing to hear about and receive Christ.
• That we will cast our anxiety on Him; that we will not be concerned for the future or what challenges may be ahead, but that we will depend on God to bring us through this journey one step at a time.
• Casey's parents are planning to host a yard sale to raise funds for hosting; pray that we can solidify a date and that the event goes smoothly.  Along with raising funds we plan to use this time to share about the hosting program and it's Christian focus at the sale.
• Continued support: financially, emotionally, and spiritually. 

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers and for continuing to follow our updates.  We hope to have some good news to share with you regarding the child we will be hosting this summer soon.