Goodbye 2012!

2012

It has been a good year.  

We are very, very grateful for all of God's blessings to us 

and 

we are grateful for the difficult things 

as they have brought us closer to the Lord.

We look forward to all that 2013 will bring for us.

We know that there will be good 

and 

there will be hard, 

for none of us are promised only to have good 

and not difficult as well...

but God is with us.

 

When we look at the world around us, it can be frightening - 

but we know that God is in control.

Psalm 112:7
He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.

 

Welcome 2013!!

 

We are eager to meet you.

(source unknown)

Best of 2012 - Hope for 2013

Thanking the Lord for the blessing of Julia in 2012...

She became our daughter on February 28, 2012.

She went from...

orphan 

TO 

daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, granddaughter

rejected 

TO 

chosen

one of many 

TO 

beloved one to many

special to no one 

TO 

special to many

lonely and sometimes scared

TO 

secure

2011

 

 

 

2012

 What a difference a family makes in the life of a child...

  

Looking forward to the blessing of Hannes in 2013...

We see so many similarities between the look on Hannes's face and the look on Julia's face in the photo taken before she joined our family.

We can't wait to post photos of him smiling and full of joy

as he discovers the love of a family!!

We are expecting to travel to him in just a few weeks...

If you still need to make a contribution to apply to 2012 taxes, 

you have 2 days left...

we would be most grateful and encouraged by your contribution 

and the part you play in loving this particular orphan.

http://reecesrainbow.org/47351/sponsorvanheerden

 

 

Brotherly love...

Update... there is hope!

Nothing is impossible with God!

Although Putin signed into law the ban against Americans adopting Russian children...

 

State Duma deputy Robert Schlegel contributed to the lower house of parliament an amendment to the "law of Dima Yakovlev" banning adoptions of Russian children by U.S. citizens.

"He has made an amendment to the Duma in the" law of Dima Yakovlev ", which takes the children with disabilities from the application of the law," - he wrote in his microblog on Twitter .

If this is true, then families will still be able to adopt special needs kids,

and that is a blessing...

Saddened by potential legislation...

We have been asked by many if the proposed ban on Russian adoptions would affect us...

No, we are not adopting from Russia.

But...

I am saddened about the potential for children

now in institutions across Russia

not having the opportunity to be

adopted into a home or family.

Many have said that Russia should adopt their own children.

And yes, that would be best.  

But as reported in the news media recently

over 400,000 Russian children are 

currently not in the care of their own parents.

Russian children are only available for 

international adoption if

no available Russian home exists for them.

The waiting children have already been

abandoned by their birth families,

not adopted by any Russian families,

and now exist in an orphanage until they are 4 or 5,

after which they are transferred into adult mental institutions.

They don't do well there.

They need to be in families.

The country that adopts the most Russian children each year is America.

If that is not an option,

then many of those beautiful, innocent children

will remain in institutions for the rest of their lives.

It isn't right.

We need to pray.

 

Christmas Truth for the day after Christmas...

“Mama?” Shalom walks beside me, holding my hand. 

“Will tomorrow be Christmas too?”

I know that feeling. 

Not wanting any of this wonder to wander away — or me from it.

“Well, I’m thinking… ” 

I stop, look out across the fields and the white and the stars.

 “I’m thinking that it’s Christmas now forever.”

Her laughter rings all around us.

“Yes, Mama, yes!” 

She spins around in snow, 

in the halo of the barn light, 

us all under stars.

“It is Christmas forever now — because Christ is always with us.”

Ann Voskamp 

Christmas Wish

There is a little boy

 in an orphanage in Eastern Europe

 who,

 like all orphans,

 has a Christmas wish...

that he, and they, 

could have a family...

There are those kids who have been orphans,

 and now,

 this Christmas,

 are home with their new families...

loved,

cuddled,

kissed,

hugged,

tickled,

encouraged,

lovingly held,

cherished,

for who they are,

for who God has created them to be.

God sets the lonely in families...

Psalm 68:6

 

Won't you help us bring Hannes to a home of his own?

We are so grateful for those who have given 

to redeem one little boy

to give him what he has never had

his very own family...

We will travel to get him in just a few short weeks!  

Consider giving whatever God 

has laid on your heart

to redeem one of His children, 

from a life of never belonging to anyone

to 

a life of belonging to a family

mom

dad

brothers

sisters

aunts

uncles

grandmothers

grandfathers

cousins

and a multitude of the family of God

just waiting for Hannes to be redeemed,

just like Jesus was,

His life ransomed,

at great cost,

for great glory!

Help us demonstrate the Love of God

to this little one...

and a witness to those who are watching.