Bring Nina and Katya Home

 How can a journey be both glorious and challenging in only three-and-a-half weeks? My heart has been overwhelmed, my brain has been blown away, and at times I have been a basket case of nerves. All of it from the peaks and valleys of this incredible journey to bring our girls home!   The valleys:  the home study fee would be larger, the sheer amount of money that we are trying to raise, and realizing that Nina is unhappy being away from her sister at "college."  Questions flood me daily:  can I sponsor for Christmas?  How will we make it through a seven hour home study? Do people judge me?     These valley times have a golden thread though!  Sometimes, I find myself on my knees - a good place and position to be in. "God, I got nothing more to say than what I have already said so I will just keep repeating myself."  He hears. He loves. He comforts. I rest.   The peaks: here is where I feel that I coast downhill, li...

I'm not even sure where to begin. Nina and Katya came into our lives in June of 2017. My daughter Erynne met the girls at our church's youth group on a Sunday evening, and hit it off right away. I knew the needs of the girls for basic clothes, shoes and other things from Michele Reynolds a friend from church. So Erynne and I went out and bought a few things the girls needed. It was when I delivered the clothes to the girls and they thanked me that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God wanted our family to adopt these girls.  Erynne had already mentioned it to me but I wasn't really sure that we could help. So I started praying for God to make it clear to me if adopting them could be an option. Nina and Katya quickly won my heart and I had to talk to Richard about what God revealed to me. Richard was skeptical at first. Not sure how Nina and Katya would fit into our home. There were also money concerns, upfront costs and long term cost. We were both praying earnest...