"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:19
That was on the envelope of a very generous check that came today...from a family in Utah. That scripture is so poignant...so meaningful...and so well timed! We got that just minutes after we received word from a local newspaper that they are willing to help us tell Ruslan's story.....just moments after we finished compiling a grant application to go out tomorrow.
All this comes just days after we made the bold decision to move forward with submitting our dossier. We missed our first submission date on February 22nd because we decided to hold off. I wish I could say it was because we felt the Lord telling us to wait, or we were standing for something big, or anything other than what it was. Fear. Plain and simple. We were holding back because we were afraid. Because we didn't have every last dollar in our hands. Because we couldn't control the situation. So we held on, and we held out. And we thought, and we prayed, and we realized we were really just holding out on what the Lord might have for us, and for Ruslan. That if we didn't fully trust him, he wouldn't continue to bless this journey as he has so far. So we decided, as we did 7 months ago, to relinquish that control. To trust in Him. To step out, again, in faith. We were in prayer that the Lord would honor our decision to press forward...to trust Him. It seems tonight that he has done exactly that. We are so thankful for these "winks" from God that keep us pressing on, that tell us we are on the right path, that help us listen even closer for what He would have next for us. The Lord honors obedience, and we are thankful for those that continually challenge us to be bold for Him...to trust in Him....to walk by faith and not by sight....
Turns out, the family that sent the check from Utah is friends with a local family that has also been helping us fundraise by hosting an online Thirty-One party. Also, they are a family that used to attend our church, and their two children used to be in the class that I coached. So neat to be reconnected with them. And the connections just keep coming! What is it they say? Six degrees of separation? We keep coming across these amazing connections, stories, relationships, etc. along the way. I just sit at the feet of the Lord, humbled by His greatness and provision, and so thankful to be a part of His plan for Ruslan.
Thank you to those who have boldly shared our story with others. Without you, we wouldn't be able to reach out and have the ripple effect we need to make major waves in our final efforts to bring Ruslan home. I think sometimes people hear "fundraiser" and they think of massive events, with hours of planning, and huge budgets. But, a young girl and her beads...a group of siblings and their piggy banks....some sweet children at a yard sale....our own son with his lemonade stand...have all made significant contributions to our efforts. It doesn't take much! All those small efforts add up in a huge way, and we are so thankful to those of you who are thinking outside the box to partner with us to bring Ruslan home!
We pray that when we meet with the newspaper on Thursday, we are able to be bold as we tell Ruslan's story. That they decide to run the story, and it reaches people and touches hearts. We are so thankful for the opportunity to get the word out. And we are so tremendously humbled by the continued support. What an AMAZING story we will have to tell this little boy, and what a tremendous affirmation that will be to his wounded, wilted soul. Praise be to God!
That was on the envelope of a very generous check that came today...from a family in Utah. That scripture is so poignant...so meaningful...and so well timed! We got that just minutes after we received word from a local newspaper that they are willing to help us tell Ruslan's story.....just moments after we finished compiling a grant application to go out tomorrow.
All this comes just days after we made the bold decision to move forward with submitting our dossier. We missed our first submission date on February 22nd because we decided to hold off. I wish I could say it was because we felt the Lord telling us to wait, or we were standing for something big, or anything other than what it was. Fear. Plain and simple. We were holding back because we were afraid. Because we didn't have every last dollar in our hands. Because we couldn't control the situation. So we held on, and we held out. And we thought, and we prayed, and we realized we were really just holding out on what the Lord might have for us, and for Ruslan. That if we didn't fully trust him, he wouldn't continue to bless this journey as he has so far. So we decided, as we did 7 months ago, to relinquish that control. To trust in Him. To step out, again, in faith. We were in prayer that the Lord would honor our decision to press forward...to trust Him. It seems tonight that he has done exactly that. We are so thankful for these "winks" from God that keep us pressing on, that tell us we are on the right path, that help us listen even closer for what He would have next for us. The Lord honors obedience, and we are thankful for those that continually challenge us to be bold for Him...to trust in Him....to walk by faith and not by sight....
Turns out, the family that sent the check from Utah is friends with a local family that has also been helping us fundraise by hosting an online Thirty-One party. Also, they are a family that used to attend our church, and their two children used to be in the class that I coached. So neat to be reconnected with them. And the connections just keep coming! What is it they say? Six degrees of separation? We keep coming across these amazing connections, stories, relationships, etc. along the way. I just sit at the feet of the Lord, humbled by His greatness and provision, and so thankful to be a part of His plan for Ruslan.
Thank you to those who have boldly shared our story with others. Without you, we wouldn't be able to reach out and have the ripple effect we need to make major waves in our final efforts to bring Ruslan home. I think sometimes people hear "fundraiser" and they think of massive events, with hours of planning, and huge budgets. But, a young girl and her beads...a group of siblings and their piggy banks....some sweet children at a yard sale....our own son with his lemonade stand...have all made significant contributions to our efforts. It doesn't take much! All those small efforts add up in a huge way, and we are so thankful to those of you who are thinking outside the box to partner with us to bring Ruslan home!
We pray that when we meet with the newspaper on Thursday, we are able to be bold as we tell Ruslan's story. That they decide to run the story, and it reaches people and touches hearts. We are so thankful for the opportunity to get the word out. And we are so tremendously humbled by the continued support. What an AMAZING story we will have to tell this little boy, and what a tremendous affirmation that will be to his wounded, wilted soul. Praise be to God!
