Blessings

In the time that has passed since our last post we have been blessed beyond measure!!!  We would like to share our story of God's provision.  We have reached our financial fundraising goal through the generosity of friends and family, and in some cases their friends and family!  It has been amazing to see how God is using our journey as an opportunity to share Him with others.  Each time we tell the story of what we're doing and why we're doing it is an chance to share Christ.  In addition, the testament we have for the way God has provided for us throughout this process has taught us to trust in Him and reminded us that we are not in control of this--or anything else in our lives!  Sharing this story with others is also a way of telling others about the nature of God.  Beyond financial giving for hosting expenses, we have been surprised by friends who threw a party and requested that attendees bring items to assist us with hosting this summer.  We ended up with toys, gift cards, and home supplies that will definitely be used and needed when Dimitry visits this summer!  Through demonstrations of this sort of giving we have been humbled and reminded that we are not on this mission alone!  Many people are invested in bringing Dimitry to America and pouring God's love into him!  It is also incredibly encouraging to us, as we are sometimes overwhelmed by the commitment we've made for the summer.  Beyond financial contributions and gifts, we have received emails, cards, and in-person messages of love and support.  We are SO blessed that God has put each of you in our lives for a distinct purpose at this time to support us in a unique way.  THANK YOU!

On a different note, we attended our "orphan hosting training" yesterday.  While the training reviewed some things that we already know (either from our social work background or from friends that have hosted before), we learned many new things about how orphans in each of these countries lives, what they typically eat and do, what hosting looks like for them, what to expect when they're here, and so many other background details that help to give us perspective.  We plan to update the blog more frequently in the coming weeks to share this information with you in snippets...it can be kind of overwhelming all at one time!

So, for today we would like to share what we know about Dimitry's visit to the states.  He will be arriving on June 30th and departing on August 4th.  We are almost 100% positive that he will be flying in and out of Charlotte (which is also a major blessing!  We were initially told he may be flying into Atlanta or D.C.).  As part of our preparation for hosting, we had to write a letter to Dimitry that included pictures and information about us.  We were under the impression that he would receive that as soon as his hosting was official, but we learned yesterday that he will likely never know anything about us until he is on the plane!!  He will also likely not even know that he is coming to America until the day before he begins his travels!!  This blows our minds--Casey would never be able to handle this!  Again, knowing this gives us some perspective and allows us to adjust our expectations for his arrival in America...it also challenges us to live in a way that puts more trust in God and His plans and to, once again, relinquish some control!  His journey from Latvia to America will last between 20-35 hours.  He will almost definitely have to take a bus to a train to a plane, and then take at least two planes (likely three) before he arrives at the airport where we will receive him.  What a journey for this little one!  We have been warned that he may have a breakdown in the airport (who wouldn't!).  This may be the result of exhaustion, fear, anxiety, or just a mix of emotions as the reality of the unknown sets in.

Once here we were told to prepare for a five week cycle that looks like this:

Week 1:  We should expect him to be introverted and shy.  He will likely be in culture and language shock.  Additionally, he has lived with many other children in a highly structured environment where routine is the rule.  In our home, with no other children and a pretty free flowing structure, he may feel panicked.  During this week we need to work to establish routines.  This will probably be difficult for us, as this week will be very different based on our schedules...this should be a prayer request!

Week 2:  Testing week!  We were told that as he gets more adjusted we can expect him to challenge our authority and test boundaries.  During this time we were told it is incredibly important to "be a parent" and set firm boundaries and both positive and negative consequences.  While we understand and thoroughly believe this-we've never had to do it in a home setting...again, this is a prayer request!

Weeks 3 & 4: This is when we should really see a glimpse of his true personality.  He should be relaxed and more open during this time.  We are looking forward to these weeks!

Week 5:  As we have learned from our schooling, kids withdrawal to protect themselves and put up walls for self-preservation.  We were told to expect Dimitry to to this during his last week with us as he begins to realize that he is heading back to Latvia.

So, what happens after week 5?  Well, we learned that it is not possible for us to adopt Dimitry, even if we feel strongly that we want to.  While we didn't pursue this hosting to adopt him, it was in the back of our minds that if we felt like we were supposed to that we would.  However, God has already answered that for us.  In Latvia, you have to be 18 years older than the child you are adopting.  Casey is only 27 years old and he is 11 (he had a birthday since out last post!); King is also not quite 18 years older.  Therefore, we legally are unable to adopt Dimitry.  However, while he is here it is our goal to teach him about a loving God and a Christian family.  We hope to bless him in this way.  After he returns we hope to maintain a relationship with him through the internet and good ol' snail mail.

As the date quickly approaches we continue to have many prayer requests and needs.  Thank you for continuing to intercede on our behalf and for blessing us with your prayers, encouragement, and other means of support.

Prayer Request:

• That Dimitry's VISA will be approved for him to travel to the states
• That his journey will be safe and as quick as possible
• That we will be good "parents" for him while he is here
• That we will be strong representatives for Christ and share God's love with Dimitry; that our example will be Godly
• For Dimitry's physical, psychological, and emotional safety as he will likely be faced with many challenges while visiting us
• The yard sale Casey's parents are hosting will be successful and will be an opportunity to share this story and the story of Christ with even more people
• That other needs (listed below) will continue to be provided for as we prepare for Dimitry's arrival

Needs:

• A dentist willing to donate any and all needed services (this will likely include dental exam, x-rays, and fillings); we have a lead on a dentist who may be able to help, but we need to follow up and in the meantime are willing to take suggestions from anyone who may know of a dentist who can help
• An optometrist willing to donate any and all needed services; again we have a lead on someone, but nothing solid and are taking suggestions

The following needs are requirements that we MUST send home with the child.  They can be second-hand, but must be in good condition.  They must not be brand-name as this could cause bullies to harass him when he returns home.  We learned that most items he returns with will become community property.  If you are able to donate any of these items we would GREATLY appreciate it; or if you would like to give gift cards to stores like Target or Wal-mart that would be excellent as well!

• One 26-28 inch rolling suitcase (we would like this to be new)
• One large backpack (we would also like this to be new)
• Tennis shoes/sneakers (we plan to purchase these for him after we measure his feet and would like for these to be new as well)
• 4 pairs of dark colored athletic socks (boys prefer the dark colors in Latvia)
• 4 pairs boxer underwear
• Hygiene products
• One hand towel and wash cloth set-NO large towels do to lack of dryer space
• One dressy outfit
• 2-3 winter outfits and 2-3 summer outfits (we don't know his size, so if you have second hand clothes for boys ages 8-12 we would gladly take it off your hands to have him try on and then either return remaining items or donate them to someone else on your behalf)
• One bathing suit
• One winter coat
• One scarf
• One set of gloves
• One winter hat
• A small photo album
• A journal
• Board games that he can take back home; this actually may be better if it is the travel sized games and we were told repeatedly that the children in the orphanages love UNO and other card games
• Other toys that don't require batteries (such as sports equipment); we were already given a frisbee and a football. He LOVES soccer so any soccer equipment, especially shin guards, are recommended and appreciated
• Small items for children who didn't get to attend the trip; items such as silly bands, beaded jewelry, or small items that can be found as Christian bookstores, like bookmarks and beads are recommended

O.K.  So, we hope we didn't overwhelm you!  The funny this is that we still have SO much to share.  In the meantime we hope that this gives you enough information to pray and consider until our next update!

Thank you for reading this blog and for loving us.  Your support, is the greatest blessing and source of encouragement.  And, since we believe it is God who prompts you to support us, we ultimately praise Him for giving us all we need to do His work.

Thank you!  We pray you will also be blessed this week!