“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Phillipians 4:13

This scripture verse was what we clung to this past summer when all we could do was experience each day knowing that God was our source of strength. We do not even know where to begin to share about our summer with our host daughter. In our last update we shared about God providing for her to have 5 decaying teeth extracted. God also provided an excellent mechanic to replace our alternator in our van since that went out on our way back to the lake in MN after the extractions.

Our prayer was that our host daughter would be in less pain once her mouth healed from surgery and that since she would be in less pain, she would be less angry. God answered the first part and we still remember one night at dinner when she looked at us with a big smile and pointed to her teeth. She could finally eat without excruciating pain and she was thrilled! Her infection and tooth pain was gone, however the anger deep inside from a tragic childhood was not. We were told more about her past toward the end of the hosting and it explained a lot about why she had several daily tantrums and why they were violent.

Our children showed so much love to our host daughter that it still brings tears to our eyes. They continually embraced her with open arms even when she pushed them away.

By the time we discovered that our host daughter had head lice, she had given it to all of us. We dealt with treatment, bagging stuffed animals, trips to the laundromat to clean bedding, clothes, etc and a lot of vacuuming for the rest of the time with our host daughter. (The lice discovery occurred very soon after the oral surgery.) We also discovered that her ears were so badly clogged with ear wax that we could not even see in. She was so happy when we got most of it out with drops and irrigation over the last 2 weeks she was with us.

Watching our host daughter and our children interact and realizing that we could not give her the individualized attention she needed, we knew God was closing the door to adopting this girl. This was a terribly difficult time of feeling like we failed and questioning why God brought her to us. We believe that God may have used us to save her life because had she not received proper care for her teeth (and we know she would not have), the infection would have spread. She experienced true love from our family and we pray that love she experienced will hopefully someday point her to God’s love. She enjoyed praying at each meal and before bed and she went to bed every night without being hungry. It has taken us awhile to see why God used us only for a month of her life. We continue to pray for her everyday and our main prayer is that she will choose salvation that is found in Jesus Christ. God can heal her from the inside out and He can provide a forever family for her, one where she is an only child or the youngest child with much older siblings.

The words of Jesus in John 16:33 were an answer to my prayer for peace after our host daughter went back to orphanage life in Ukraine “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!”

Now you must be wondering what next. That has been our question to God ever since the end of July. Jason and I flew our host daughter and the other 3 children who were hosted in CO back to CA to meet the rest of the group to fly back to Ukraine. While at the airport waiting for luggage to be checked in, we had the privilege to meet a family who hosted the 12 year old girl who our adoption agency first asked us back in January to host for the summer. In January we said no to hosting her because we were still grieving over the loss of our first host daughter. Now we met this sweet girl face to face and talked with her host family. They had all wonderful things to say about her and they were wanting to adopt her. In August we found out that the host family decided not to adopt the girl because they could not afford international adoption and they could not take 5-6 weeks off from work to be in Ukraine. This news gave us lots to think about and pray about. Our adoption agency told us that Ukraine told them we should expect to travel to Ukraine around September 15. That date has come and gone. Just Sunday night we heard from our adoption agency that our meeting with the Ministry of Ukraine is scheduled for September 27, which gave us less than 2 days to get there because of the time difference. We quickly completed our postponement letters and brought them to our adoption agency on Monday. Please pray that when Ukraine receives the letters they will not be upset that we missed our appointment (which as I type has already passed) and that they will grant us a second appointment in November.

We ask for your continued prayers for God’s timing, God’s provision, God’s protection, and God’s will to be done. May we give Him all the glory through this whole process!

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8