7/5/09 LESLIE’S THOUGHTS ABOUT ADOPTING:
After having a hysterectomy in Jan I thought I would not have any more children. It was funny that even though we really were not planning for any more children, I was very sad that that part of my life was over. God must have really been smiling then as he touched Dan’s heart when Dan went to Ukraine in May. I have always been open to adopt but Dan, while not negative, did not express any desire to adopt...UNTIL he saw the kids in the orphanage. He knew that we could make a difference in 2 kids’ lives. We chose Kolya and Christina mainly because we knew that we could handle the health issues part and many people would not even consider them because of it. Jake and I had been to the same orphanage a year ago and met Kolya but Christina had been in the hospital at the time. We discussed it and have prayed and have stepped out in faith that this is what God wants us to do. He has given us the desire to adopt, the desire to adopt Christina and Kolya, and he will provide the way to work out the expenses.
Reservations – Boy, this will rock my world but in a good way. We plan to home school, which I have done with my other children, so the responsibility will be upon my shoulders more than if they went to school. Life will change but we have gone through a similar change when after having 3 children and 10years went by along came Jake. He rocked our world also. The 3 older children were becoming more independent and giving us more time outside of parenting and along comes a great blessing in our life, Jake. I do realize that having 2 instant children will be difficult: health issues, language issues, communication, getting to know who they are, their individual styles of learning and thinking, what they like to do, what their dreams are and most all teaching them about the one true God. Getting to know our other kids as they grew is one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done. Hard, frustrating, stretching, wonderful!

Please continue to pray for God to supply our needs:

1. Paper work completed in a timely manner
2. Complete the reading required
3. Health and safety for Kolya and Christina
4. $40,000 – finances needed to adopt both kids from Ukraine.
   

PRAISE: As of 6/28/090 we have received 25% of the needed funds to adopt Kolya and Christina!!!!!!! We are very thankful!!!