Cheboksary, Here We Come!

"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land."
Proverbs 25:25


We just received word about 5 p.m. last evening that we have a court date!!
Yea!! We're going!! It's really happening!
We will arrive in Moscow Feb. 19th, travel to the Chuvashia Region to the capital city, Cheboksary,
arriving the 20th, and have a court date Feb. 22nd!! Yippee!!

Today I will be getting some last minute paperwork apostilled, and applying for our Visas. We also need to get our plane tickets. We are thankful we have more we have a bit more lead time than some to do all of these things!

To find about about the region of Russia we are going to, go here:
http://www.answers.com/topic/chuvashia

Matthew presently lives in the Children's home in the city of Kanash:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanash

Isaac is from the capital city of Cheboksary:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheboksary. If you scroll down, these include maps.

As an aside, how sweet that all of our boys will have a "delivery date" of Feb. 22nd-- Taylor's 13th birthday is Feb. 22, 2007. We felt like this was a little 'smile' from God!


Love
Nancy


"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord; plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future. " Jeremiah 29:11

Priceless...

Isaiah 43:5-7 (New International Version)
" Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
I will say to the north, 'Give them up!', and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.'
Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth-
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made."

At our church we are fond of a praise chorus called "Shout to the North" by Martin Smith, which is based on several scriptures, including this one in Isaiah.

The song calls for the church to boldly proclaim the message of Christ to the ends of the earth. It calls to those who have been redeemed from the bondage of sin to "shout out" the message of Hope to a lost and dying world. The fact that verse one says: "Men of faith, rise up and sing- of you Great and Glorious King; you are strong when you feel weak, in your brokenness complete.", is especially meaningful to me this week.

It is no coincidence the Lord brought me to this Scripture, so important in the beginning of our faith journey, today and had me read it and re-read it, and then reminded me of this very song. Because today I was feeling very weak.

Within the last week we were informed of some new regulations in Russian adoption, involving new medical physicals for both parents and adopted children prior to being released from the country. They come with a "new and improved" price tag, too. Then a message about other "suggested donations" (not really a suggestion), that we were unaware of. All in all, it's roughly $7000-8000 more than we were originally quoted. And there is no room in Russian culture, especially in adoptions, for a "truth in contract" argument. If we don't like it, we can be done, right now. End of story.

Now I know, that God already knew this before time began; I know He is in control; I know the money is really all His, anyway. I know all these things, but for a little while today, I was Peter, looking around at all the water/ the waves/ and how far I am from the boat..........instead of at Jesus.

But, God, in His marvelous way, helped me really read that Scripture.

"Do not be afraid, for I AM with you..."

The Great 'I AM' -- not limited by time, governmental rules or money, is with us! The language of the next part of the verse is imperative- "I will.."- it will happen, because I say so. Whatever God has in mind for our two sons, nothing will stand in the way!

And it is when I realize and embrace my weakness, that God can work best. (2 Cor. 12:9-11)

After all, it's like that Mastercard commercial:

Home study: $1500, Mental Health exam:$600, plane ticket to Russia: $750, opportunity to bring the Hope of the Gospel: priceless!

"For every animal of the forest is mine, says the Lord, and the cattle on a thousand hills" Psalm 50:10

Hemoglobin- it does a body Good!

Prior to my surgery right before Thanksgiving, my hemoglobin was 9. Not good.
And I just didn't realize how low-energy I really was! But, now.......I'm BAAACCK!! And I feel great!
Thank you, Lord!

Good timing, too, as we have been running here and there getting the things for our packing list--
assembling clothes for ourselves and the kids (they will only come in the clothes on their back, maybe not even a coat),dressy clothes we will only wear in court (and we're talking suit/tie-ish, even for the boys),
medical papers updated and apostilled, assembling a mini-pharmacy for ourselves (don't want to go to a hospital overseas), travel necessities for international travel (one would not want me to be without my blow dryer/curling iron adaptor), a suitcase of humanitarian aid,(Thank you to all who have donated)

If you want a list of what we still need for humanitarian aid to be given to the orphanages , email me at lthouse@dtnspeed.net , OK? God bless you!!



And of course, the gifts........

Gifts, gifts and more gifts.


In Russian culture, giving gifts is Big. It's the polite and "must-do" thing if you stay with someone, are visiting someone, or if that someone helped you out in any way.
It is, as Martha Stewart would say, "a good thing".

But there are many, many people with whom we will be interacting. The Facilitators, the translator(s), driver(s), orphanage workers, orphanage director(s) (the boys are form 2 different orphanages), home-stay family(s), etc.

You get the picture.

Fortunately, the gifts do not have to be expensive or big, and our agency has given us a list of ideas .
Good job, since it's kinda difficult to know what might be dearly loved item or a "no-no" in Russian culture.
We wouldn't want to offend!

Bath and Body had little purse-size lotions and body wash at 75% off, and I bought a ton! Macy's had decorative scarves (they pack nice and flat),and "they would like anything specifically from you region'---I'm thinking CAT hat or t-shirts for the drivers, and simpler yet, Hershey's chocolate bars. Chocolate speaks an international love language.

And then of course, the liquor.

Yep, if you see Joe or I coming out of a liquor store this week, just know we are purchasing for our list:
i.e." Two large bottles of alcohol, preferably Scotch whiskey, as it is a premium item in Russia".

Apparently, it's for 2 regional officials.

Whom I'm hoping won't be driving us around.




It is totally going in Joe's suitcase.

Ode to Al

We've been packing for a Russian winter, known at times in Moscow, to reach -20 F. Brr!! Boots, down coats, Cuddle Duds, wool sweaters, hand/foot warmers, all trying to not exceed the bag weight limit.
I hate to be cold!! I much prefer the hot, even humid summers in the Midwest to freezing my toes/fingers.
I've been praying (yes, I know its selfish) that God would allow a mild winter, and gracious travel conditions, knowing He is in control. Today I found this:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16752891
All I have to say is-- Hallelujah!
:)

Let God Dream for You!!

Many have asked things like - "Why adopt two older kids?"; "Are you sure about the risks??" ; "Wow, .....boys?!",
when we tell them the ages of our new sons, Matthew (12), and Isaac (11).

And then their eyes sort of glaze over.

These are indeed the questions Joe and I would have asked of anyone else 12 years ago when the Lord first laid adoption on our heart. You see, at that time, we were convinced it would be a baby, or at least a toddler, perfect and squeezable and smelling of Baby Magic lotion......not 2 rowdy and uniquely fragrant prepubescent boys.
But God, in His wisdom, sovereign power and dominion over time, chose to stretch us, and to grow us up, preparing us for His dream, 12 years later.

This not to say that couples who adopt infants or younger children are any less spiritually mature; or that adopting itself makes one "spiritual" or "godly".
Oh, no-- not at all.

It's just that when God gives a burden; a passion .... a dream...it often ends up looking a whole lot different than you originally thought. But it will be beyond what you ever imagined!!

Take our dear friends the Gregory's, now missionaries in Brazil. They were mid- twenties, newly married with a heart for reaching the lost in the Amazon basin. They had applied and were making plans to be interviewed by the Missions Board, when Connie got sick.
And not just with the flu.
Long story shorter, she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), and it was progressing rapidly. They were told that in 10 years, she would be in a wheelchair, and in 20, unable to care for herself. Needless to say, they were devastated.

They struggled with this situation, knowing how the enemy would try to thwart any advance of God's kingdom. They struggled with the loss of their dream, one they believed had been given by God. And they struggled with their faith, knowing God could- even instantly---heal her, and resurrect the dream--His dream.
After all, He was God- all powerful, all knowing, all sovereign. So why didn't He?

Fast forward 20 years, through seasons of loss, infertility, international adoption, financial hardship, and faith-testing of varied sorts. God had moved them out of their comfort zone, both physically and spiritually. He had brought them to a new city, new ministry and new job. While they clung to Him, He had drawn them into new seasons of faith, showing Himself ever-faithful. And one day at a yearly check up with her Rheumatoid specialist, her Rheumatoid factor came back negative.

Three. sequential. times.

According to the doctor,who is not a believer, there "is no cure for RA; it just doesn't happen." But God had healed her, in His timing.

And the God- dream was still alive within them. Except now, they weren't 20 something, they were mid-late forties.
Go to a third world country, new language, no retirement or insurance securities.... it was a no- brainer for most. Yet, in all the things God had taught them over the last 20 years, they knew that God's dreams are bigger than we can imagine.

To be walking under His will and in His power is a place beyond imagination.

"Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him." Isaiah 64:4

So they went.

And may I say, God Is doing what He does best.
Using broken people who hang on to Him to accomplish His very big dreams.
Not without struggle, opposition or effort, but BIG.

Brent giving out the Word, friendship ministry, mentoring, souls delivered and saved, cell groups mutiplying, their sons active in ministry..... I could go on and on.

As Brent and Connie have shared with us many times, God had used the 20 years of waiting
and what happened in them to shape them to fit into God's dream, quite different from the one originally pictured.

"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. Isaiah 45:3

The treasures of darkness .......
the times of waiting, where we can only hold onto God and let Him shape and lead us.
Today, as we look back on how God has unfolded our story(to be shared in the next several days), and see His dreams for us and for our boys' lives; we stand in AWE .


Now, God has not called all of us to be foreign missionaries or into the ministry of adoption.
But God is calling you, nonetheless. Specifically. Creatively. Lovingly.
He is dreaming for you.


Maybe today, God is calling you to simply forgive,
or trust Him to provide for your finances,
or in your health, or with your marriage.
Maybe today He is calling you to not just know about Him, but to really know Him, in faith...
or more intimately in his Word.
Perhaps today, God is asking you to hold His hand and venture out from the safe shore, where His dreams for your life will totally amaze you!

It was as if Sir Francis Drake in the mid 1500's had been watching and praying for us 12 years ago when he wrote the following:


Morning Prayer

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life!


Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity;
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.


Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storm will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.


We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
and to push us in the future,
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our
Captain, who is Jesus Christ
Amen.~

~Sir Francis Drake




Gratefully,
Nancy

The Waiting Game

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
......and in His Word I put my hope."
Psalm130:5

Yes, we are still waiting for a phone call to hear when our court date will be.
As difficult as it is for us, multiply the feeling times 1000; that's how our boys might feel. We did hear yesterday from Larisa, a translator for the Lighthouse Project www.lhproject.com , (the ministry we are partnering with) that she did speak to the boys and translate our Christmas letter to them. However, her e-mail was ultra-brief, and only said that they are"fine", and they "are waiting for us." Sigh.... No kidding....

One reason we are waiting is that Russians have 2+ weeks of holidays starting on New Year's Eve until the 15th of January. Literally, the whole country takes the entire two weeks off. There is a lot of revelry, and therefore, a bit more crime. All governmental offices are closed, and when the courts reopen, they have 2 weeks of backlog to contend with. All of our documents are with the Ministry of Education, and are translated. We are waiting for 1 paper from the International Database- the "zupros" -to arrive. Then we will be invited with a court date, and then we can apply for our visas.(also, the method of obtaining visas for adoptive couples for Russia has recently changed) We are receiving an education in international policies as well as patience.
"....for the testing of your faith develops perseverance, and perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." Hebrews1:4

Please pray for God's perfect will and timing to prevail; and that we could come under that authority, once again. Thank you all so much;our prayer warriors- the Body of Christ- what would we do without you!!

Here is some interesting info about what the holidays are like in Russia:

Thirteen days after Western Christmas, on January 7th, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates its Christmas, in accordance with the old Julian calendar. It's a day of both solemn ritual and joyous celebrationAfter the 1917 Revolution, Christmas was banned throughout Russia, along with other religious celebrations. It wasn't until 75 years later, in 1992, that the holiday was openly observed. Today, it's once again celebrated in grand fashion, with the faithful participating in an all-night Mass in incense-filled Cathedrals amidst the company of the painted icons of Saints.

Christmas is one of the most joyous traditions for the celebration of Eve comes from the Russian tradition. On the Eve of Christmas, it is traditional for all family members to gather to share a special meal. The various foods and customs surrounding this meal differed in Holy Russia from village to village and from family to family, but certain aspects remained the same.

An old Russian tradition, whose roots are in the Orthodox faith, is the Christmas Eve fast and meal. The fast, typically, lasts until after the evening worship service or until the first star appears. The dinner that follows is very much a celebration, although, meat is not permitted. Kutya (kutia), a type of porridge, is the primary dish. It is very symbolic with its ingredients being various grains for hope and honey and poppy seed for happiness and peace.Once the first star has appeared in the sky, the festivities begin.

Although all of the food served is strictly Lenten, it is served in an unusually festive and anticipatory manner and style. The Russians call this meal: "The Holy Supper." The family gathers around the table to honor the coming Christ Child. A white table-cloth, symbolic of Christ's swaddling clothes, covers the Table. Hay is brought forth as a reminder of the poverty of the Cave where Jesus was born. A tall white candle is place in the center of the Table, symbolic of Christ "the Light of the World."

A large round loaf of Lenten bread, "pagach," symbolic of Christ the Bread of Life, is placed next to the Candle. The bread is most often stuffed with potato, cheese, cabbage, or vegetables. The meal begins with the Lord's Prayer, led by the father of the family. A prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings of the past year is said and then prayers for the good things in the coming year are offered. The head of the family greets those present with the traditional Christmas greeting: "Christ is Born!" The family members respond: "Glorify Him!"

The Mother of the family blesses each person present with honey in the form of a cross on each forehead, saying: "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, may you have sweetness and many good things in life and in the new year." Following this, everyone partakes of the bread, dipping it first in honey and then in chopped garlic. Honey is symbolic of the sweetness of life, and garlic of the bitterness.

The "Holy Supper" is then eaten (see below for details). After dinner, no dishes are washed and the Christmas presents are opened. Then the family goes to Church, coming home between 2 and 3 am. On the Feast of the Nativity, neighbors and family members visit each other, going from house to house , eating, drinking and singing Christmas Carols all the day long.

The "Holy Supper"Christmas Eve dinner is meatless but festive. The most important ingredient is a special porridge called kutya. It is made of wheatberries or other grains which symbolize hope and immortality, and honey and poppy seeds which ensure happiness, success, and untroubled rest. A ceremony involving the blessing of the home is frequently observed. The kutya is eaten from a common dish to symbolize unity. Some families used to throw a spoonful of kutya up to the ceiling.(hmmm...sounds like our house) According to tradition, if the kutya stuck, there would be a plentiful honey harvest.MMMMMmm.

Traditionally, the "Holy Supper" consists of 12 different foods, symbolic of the 12 Apostles. Although there was also some variation in the foods from place to place and village to village, the following is a good summary of what was typically served. It comes to us from Elizabeth Kontras, who celebrated the Feast of the Nativity in the traditional Russian way with her babushka (Grandmother) and zeddo (Grandfather) in Monessen, Pennsylvania until their passing in the 1970-1980's.
The twelve foods are:1) Mushroom soup with zaprashka (brown sauce used for seasoning vegetables, also used to thicken soups and stews)This is often replaced with Sauerkraut soup.
2) Lenten bread ("pagach")
3) Grated garlic
4) Bowl of honey
5) Baked cod
6) Fresh Apricots, Oranges, Figs and Dates
7) Nuts
8) Kidney beans (slow cooked all day) seasoned with shredded potatoes, lots of garlic, salt and pepper to taste
9) Peas
10) Parsley Potatoes (boiled new potatoes with chopped parsley and margarine)11) Bobal'ki (small biscuits combined with sauerkraut or poppyseed with honey)12) Red Wine

It was once common practice, on Christmas Eve, for groups of people masquerading as manger animals to travel from house to house, having themselves a rousing good time, and singing songs known as kolyadki . (Maybe we could start this in Tremont--watch out!!)
Some kolyadki were pastoral carols to the baby Jesus, while others were homages to the ancient solar goddess Kolyada,(uhhhh.........., or NOT)
who brings the lengthening days of sunlight through the winter. In return for their songs, the singers were offered food and coins, which they gladly accepted, moving on to the next home.

The origin of Santa Claus is in St. Nicholas. He was born in Asia Minor at at the Greco-Roman city of of Myra in the province of Lycia, at a time when the region was entirely Greek in origin. Due to the suppression of religion during the Soviet regime, St. Nicholas was replaced by Ded Moroz or Grandfather Frost, the Russian Spirit of Winter who brought gifts on New Year's. He is even more commonly known as, "Father Freeze." He is accompanied by Snyegurochka, the Snowmaiden, who helps distribute the gifts.The Christmas tree (Yolka) is yet another tradition banned during the Soviet era.To keep the custom alive, people decorated New Year's trees, instead. Since ornaments were either very costly or unavailable, family trees were trimmed with homemade decorations and fruit. Yolka comes from the word which refers to a fir tree. The custom of decorating Christmas trees was introduced to Russia by Peter the Great, after he visited Europe during the 1700's.

Why January 7?In ancient times, many, mostly unreliable methods had been used to calculate the dates according to either the lunar or solar cycles. By Roman times, the calendar had become three months out with the seasons, so in 46 BC, Julius Caesar commissioned the astronomer, Sosigenes to devise a more reliable method. This, we know as the Julian Calendar and was used widely for 1500 years. The month of his birth, Caesar had named Quintilis, but the Roman Senate later re-named it Julius (July) in his honour. In those days, February had 30 days every 4 years.However, this calendar was still 11 minutes and 14 seconds longer than the solar year, so that by the year 1580, the calendar had accumulated 10 days off again.
In 1582, therefore, Pope Gregory XIII corrected the difference between the sun and calendar by ordering 10 days dropped from October, the month with the least Roman Catholic Feast days. His calendar, we know as the Gregorian Calendar, which is used in almost all of the world today. Pope Gregory made further changes to keep the calendar in line, which on average is only 26.3 seconds longer than the solar year. The Gregorian Calendar is so accurate that it will take until the year 4316 to gain a whole day on the sun.That year, 1582, October 5th became October 15th and was immediately adopted in most Roman Catholic nations of Europe.

Various German states kept the Julian Calendar until 1700. Britain and the American Colonies didn't change until 1752, but Russia and Turkey did not adopt the Gregorian Calendar until the early 1900's.So, January 7th by the Georgian Calendar would have been December 25th by the old Julian Calendar and is therefore why it is still Christmas Day for the Russian Orthodox Church. Many Russians will have celebrated along with the rest of us and will then celebrate again on the Orthodox date.

This was also another interesting link explaining the slowdown because of the holiday. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/05/news/russia.php?page=1


Don't you love learning something new everyday? Apparently, I have a little too much time on my hands.

with love,

Nancy