Headed Back

Today I will be booking a flight back to Ukraine, this time Rick will play mama, papa and friend to Yana, while I am in the Ukraine. Things will never move along for Marina, unless there are forces helping them to move. God is using this trip for more then one purpose. Nancy Hathaway, president of "Heart for Orphans" will travel with me. The organization wants to open group homes in Ukraine for aging out orphans. Nancy has adopted 3 children from the Berdyansk orphanage. It is amazing what God is doing. More and more players get into this heart that God has for the orphans. God moves the players at just the right time and unfolds His plans right at the time that He gives us eyes to see and ears to hear. Nothing in life is for not...there is purpose for everything. As painful as it is for me to not have Marina in our home, I know that God has a plan and it includes her.

We will leave to the Ukraine on Feb. 26th, arrive in Kyiv on the 27th, before noon. We will take the evening train to Berdyansk. We will be in Berdyansk at 10:00 on Thursday morning. We will get to Berdyansk with our feet running. For me, the first and most important issue of course is Marina. I hope you have never stopped praying for a miracle, I still do every day, and night. I know that the plan did not work out according to my perfect will, but my will has never been too perfect anyway. It is His will that I am seeking. I don't want to misdirect you, I have gone through my anger about all this, but at the end of my anger, I truely want God's perfect will in this adoption of Marina. He sees the whole picture, I see what is in front of my eyes.

Marina writes by e-mail almost everyday. Yesterday she said she really wants us as her mama and papa. I think she actually said papa first. What she can't see is that we are her Mama and Papa, God gave us the heart to be that. We think of Marina as our daughter, we have adopted two, we are just not allowed to bring the other one home yet. It sure has helped me understand the pain that God had when He gave his only Son to die for us, even though He knew that He would bring His son home.

Please pray for this trip, for a miracle for Marina, for the "Heart for Orphans" to see God's perfect will, and that the people behind the organization will have the courage and strength to carry out His will in unity. I can't even begin to imagine the spiritual battle field that is infront of opening up group homes and helping large numbers of children be victorious. I can just hear it now, "This is law, this is not the right form, and you need the blue stamp". When we have the ribbon cutting ceremony and pray a blessing on the first Group Home that Heart for Orphans opens up, I will personally invite you to the celebration. I promise you there will be dancing in the streets, to the joyous song, "Our God Reigns".
Fran