A double blessing

This picture was given to us from Ava's file. Here she is when she was first brought to the orphanage

Is she in the same outfit four years later? I thought it was, but now that I've posted the pictures, I can see that they're different. So much for the point I was trying to prove! Well her toes were curled up in there anyway, and she couldn't stretch her legs out, so I'd say the orphanage needs some new clothes!

On the long, long train ride to Artemovsk a week ago, the night that we didn't sleep, I had a conversation with God. Things were moving so quickly and smoothly, and I was feeling so blessed, thanking Him for His provision along the way. We felt really special when, out of the 200+ people waiting in Chicago for the Munich flight, the ticket agent approached US and offered $1,800 cash to take the next flight....almost the cost of our tickets!

As I thanked the Lord that night for His provision, it dawned on me. The refund was not meant for us. We had wanted all along to purchase some things for the orphanage while we were in Ukraine, and all along we said to ourselves, "I wish we could do more". But adoption is so expensive as it is, there's not much left over in the end to give away.

On the train ride, it hit me. The money was not meant for us, it was meant for THEM, the orphans. And John agreed. We knew the Lord would provide the last of our adoption expenses in another way.

So we went to work today shopping at the outdoor market (cold!). It was the first time I have ever seen John excited about shopping! We bought clothes, diapers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, tights, baby soap, and shampoo. We are going to leave some money with the orphanage to replace some old windows (the orphanage must be over 100 years old), and we talked to the director (through Viktor of course) about sending some equipment for the handicapped children who are confined to their cribs, some walkers, or wheelchairs. She seemed thrilled. We showed her pictures from the Little Lighthouse, and although we don't know where to purchase them now, we plan to "shop" with our airfare refund when we get back home and ship them back here.

It is certainly fun to lay up treasures in heaven (Mt. 6:19-21).

Today I got an email that we were approved for a low-interest adoption loan that we applied for a few weeks ago. It will cover the last of our expenses and can be paid back slowly, and even not until our tax credit next year. So once again, God provides and He is faithful. And we are glad to be his servants.