"Anticipation, or being enthusiastic, is an emotion involving pleasure, excitement, and sometimes anxiety in considering some expected or longed-for good event."
That pretty much sums it up. We are waiting (and waiting!) for our travel date, and we just can't believe it is so close!!! It seems like minutes are hours, and hours are days. We are checking e-mail...looking for missed calls, and waiting on the edge of our seat to hear what our travel date is. Latest updates say we should hear about a date by May 15th or so, and likely travel in late May/early June.
We have $10,646 left to raise, and we are beyond grateful and so humbled by the community that has rallied to support us, and bring Ruslan home. In this final stretch, it would be great if you could share our blog with friends and family and help us close the gap.
Ruslan's bedroom furniture was gifted to us yesterday, so that is one more thing off our to do list. We'll be painting his room on Friday night, and then putting away the books, stuffed animals, toys, clothes, pajamas, school supplies, bedding, and more that people have been so generous to provide. It is so exciting to see it all come together. I walk in that room, his room, and I can just imagine his joy when he comes home to a room all his own. When he finally has belongings he can call his own, and a place to keep them. When he can sleep in a bedroom by himself, and have his own space to read, study, listen to music, daydream, play, think and just be.
There are just no words. We are truly in awe. Our faith has been grown and stretched beyond measure, and we are so excited to share this story of God's love, His faithfulness and His provision. What an affirmation for Ruslan...that God cared about him, and loved him, and protected him....that God chose him....chose us...that none of this was an accident.
Tonight, I am thankful to Amanda Shumaker of Redline United....for believing in this little boy....for following the stirring in her heart to include him in the hosting program even when it would have been easier, more prudent, more accepted, more popular to pass him up in favor of a child deemed more "marketable" or more likely to be adopted. I am thankful that she stood her ground, pushed for him to be included, and saw something in him worth fighting for. I am thankful that through many twists and turns, he was the little boy that ended up in our car on the way home from RDU just 9 months ago.
I am thankful to Laura Johnson, who encouraged us to listen to the stirring the Holy Spirit placed in our hearts for this boy....to be bold for the Lord, even in the face of adversity, doubt, and seemingly hopeless financial obstacles. Who listened patiently through the tears, laughter, triumphs and trials. Who remained calm, focused and steadfast even as we faltered and questioned and let our emotions get in the way. Who pointed us back to God (Bog, in Russian!) when we needed that grounding, and who was never afraid to speak truth in love.
I am thankful to my husband, my best friend, who has been my biggest ally in this crazy, awesome, emotional journey. I am thankful for how hard you work, how well you love your family, how you are a loving and involved father to Mason already and how that will just spread to include Ruslan, and I am so glad they both have an amazing Godly man to look up to. It is no exaggeration to say that God truly blessed the broken road that led me straight to you...and I feel like the luckiest woman in the world!
I am thankful beyond measure to the so, so many of you (too many to name individually!) who have poured out your hearts, time, money, resources, wisdom and more. I wouldn't have believed community like this possible if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. And I don't quite know how to say thank you adequately for the gift of a child. Each of you will forever be a huge part of our family, and a huge part of Ruslan's history. There are simply no words or gestures to adequately express the heartfelt gratitude, the joy, and the awe that we feel. We'll start by saying it as simply as we can...thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
And more than anything, I am thankful to a God who knows better than I know, sees more than I see, and was loving this little boy long before I ever even knew he existed. I am thankful for His perfect plan, and humbled that I get to be a part of it.
I have seen God move in some amazing and unexpected ways through this ministry. If you'd like to learn more, volunteer, get involved, host or adopt (or know someone who wants to) or are just curious to learn more, I encourage you to check out http://www.redlineunited.org/. It just might change your life, and/or the life of an orphan forever.
As for me, I'll be (not so) patiently waiting for that travel date, and I'll be sure to update once we have it!
That pretty much sums it up. We are waiting (and waiting!) for our travel date, and we just can't believe it is so close!!! It seems like minutes are hours, and hours are days. We are checking e-mail...looking for missed calls, and waiting on the edge of our seat to hear what our travel date is. Latest updates say we should hear about a date by May 15th or so, and likely travel in late May/early June.
We have $10,646 left to raise, and we are beyond grateful and so humbled by the community that has rallied to support us, and bring Ruslan home. In this final stretch, it would be great if you could share our blog with friends and family and help us close the gap.
Ruslan's bedroom furniture was gifted to us yesterday, so that is one more thing off our to do list. We'll be painting his room on Friday night, and then putting away the books, stuffed animals, toys, clothes, pajamas, school supplies, bedding, and more that people have been so generous to provide. It is so exciting to see it all come together. I walk in that room, his room, and I can just imagine his joy when he comes home to a room all his own. When he finally has belongings he can call his own, and a place to keep them. When he can sleep in a bedroom by himself, and have his own space to read, study, listen to music, daydream, play, think and just be.
There are just no words. We are truly in awe. Our faith has been grown and stretched beyond measure, and we are so excited to share this story of God's love, His faithfulness and His provision. What an affirmation for Ruslan...that God cared about him, and loved him, and protected him....that God chose him....chose us...that none of this was an accident.
Tonight, I am thankful to Amanda Shumaker of Redline United....for believing in this little boy....for following the stirring in her heart to include him in the hosting program even when it would have been easier, more prudent, more accepted, more popular to pass him up in favor of a child deemed more "marketable" or more likely to be adopted. I am thankful that she stood her ground, pushed for him to be included, and saw something in him worth fighting for. I am thankful that through many twists and turns, he was the little boy that ended up in our car on the way home from RDU just 9 months ago.
I am thankful to Laura Johnson, who encouraged us to listen to the stirring the Holy Spirit placed in our hearts for this boy....to be bold for the Lord, even in the face of adversity, doubt, and seemingly hopeless financial obstacles. Who listened patiently through the tears, laughter, triumphs and trials. Who remained calm, focused and steadfast even as we faltered and questioned and let our emotions get in the way. Who pointed us back to God (Bog, in Russian!) when we needed that grounding, and who was never afraid to speak truth in love.
I am thankful to my husband, my best friend, who has been my biggest ally in this crazy, awesome, emotional journey. I am thankful for how hard you work, how well you love your family, how you are a loving and involved father to Mason already and how that will just spread to include Ruslan, and I am so glad they both have an amazing Godly man to look up to. It is no exaggeration to say that God truly blessed the broken road that led me straight to you...and I feel like the luckiest woman in the world!
I am thankful beyond measure to the so, so many of you (too many to name individually!) who have poured out your hearts, time, money, resources, wisdom and more. I wouldn't have believed community like this possible if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. And I don't quite know how to say thank you adequately for the gift of a child. Each of you will forever be a huge part of our family, and a huge part of Ruslan's history. There are simply no words or gestures to adequately express the heartfelt gratitude, the joy, and the awe that we feel. We'll start by saying it as simply as we can...thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
And more than anything, I am thankful to a God who knows better than I know, sees more than I see, and was loving this little boy long before I ever even knew he existed. I am thankful for His perfect plan, and humbled that I get to be a part of it.
I have seen God move in some amazing and unexpected ways through this ministry. If you'd like to learn more, volunteer, get involved, host or adopt (or know someone who wants to) or are just curious to learn more, I encourage you to check out http://www.redlineunited.org/. It just might change your life, and/or the life of an orphan forever.
As for me, I'll be (not so) patiently waiting for that travel date, and I'll be sure to update once we have it!
Karen, we are growing more and more excited with you and Bill (and Mason!) to see the number of days tick down and the number of support dollars go up! This is thrilling for Jason and I in ways you do not know and we are grateful to be a part of this phase with you.
ReplyDelete~Nannette