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AdvocatingOrphan CareThis Ukrainian Life

A Week and a 1/2 in Photos- January 29th

It’s Thursday! Can you even believe it? So, yeah, I missed my phone-pic-emptying-post on Sunday. Oops! But it’s because I felt so strongly that I just had to tell you about one of our sweet boys who desperately needs a family.
*check out the end of the post for an update.

So here’s some pics to catch you up on the everyday shenanigans around these here parts!

My kitchen reality.

A few of our loves. Seriozha loved that little baby doll. Hava wanted to give it to one of “her Romaniv Boys”.

This is what happens when the road is blocked on the way to Romaniv. Snowball fight! Nice shot Roma 😉

Arrrrrrrr! (Not sure why the eye-poking one, but he insisted on it)

Just another night of Just Dance on the Wii. 🙂

I am the CHAMPION!!! No one can ever beat me, except that one time that shall not be mentioned when I’m pretty sure I had a malfunctioning remote…

After FIFTEEN MONTHS of emptiness, the tooth is finally emerging! We thought this day would never come!

In the meantime, Hava is losing hers. 🙂

Addy and her friend Nastya at a benefit concert for MTU! Addy loves Nastya. I really need to work harder on getting them together.

Valerchik!

A little Boris lovin’

Seriozha loves Masha. We do too.

Play is the work of children. 🙂

Speaking of sweet babies needing families, who will step up for this one? Contact me for more details. 🙂

Stop the cuteness!

Our bus stop. Perty eh? Haha

On the bus. I think Addy took this one…

Off to the market to do some flower girl shopping! We have a wedding this weekend!

More dancing…did I mention I’m the champion???

Loveliness

For all who are wondering about our sweet boy who is failing, please continue to share him and his story. We have had a couple serious inquiries, so that is encouraging. Thousands of people now know of him and hundreds, maybe thousands are praying. Maybe his family is in those thousands? I pray it is so. We saw him on Tuesday and he looked worse. I got to just sit and hold him for a couple hours and he was at peace during that time. Some donations have come in (THANK YOU!) to provide him with extra care, so after we meet with the staff and make a plan we will implement it as quickly as possible. Nothing happens quickly here, and as much as we want to snap my fingers and get a quick fix, it just doesn’t work like that. But please know that we are doing all we can to help him as quickly as possible.

kimnjed January 29, 2015 1

AdoptionAdvocatingOrphan CareRomaniv

About a Boy

One year ago, at seven years old, he was transferred to our institution. We were shocked when we saw him. He was so beautiful. His skin was soft and unblemished, his eyes were bright, his smile mischievous. We said he didn’t belong in that place of suffering, but honestly, no one does.

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The nannies doted on him, laughing when he only wanted to eat milk and cookies instead of borscht. They would sneak him candy and rub his soft cheeks.

Then time moved on, and the darkness weighed down on him. Those bright eyes and that beautiful smile began to fade. Children are not made for institutions. Children are made for families- and he had none.

By spring he was less social. He allowed us to hold him, but didn’t seek out the physical affection like he had before. Soon he began to self-harm- just a bit- and not always, mostly just when he was stressed.

Summer came and he was regularly self-harming. We tried to take him to the Sensory Room but he would cry and try to escape. There are so many of them and so few of us, we had to focus our precious Sensory Room time on boys who would tolerate the therapy. And in the background he was fading away.

Fall brought brisk wind and the time had come for us to stay inside. When we would arrive for our visits we rarely saw him up walking in the hall. He was more and more often found in bed, arms restrained in an effort to keep him from harming himself. He would smile when we entered his room. We would stand over his crib talking softly to him and he would laugh. Then we would take the restraints off, hoping to give him some moments of love and he would cry, reaching for the restraints and the comfort they had come to provide. It was almost as if he knew he needed them- he knew he couldn’t help but self-harm- and he had no Mommy or Daddy to protect him from himself. I remember never wanting to leave him on those fall days, but having no choice.

December came along and he was almost always in bed. I do remember one day, December 12th, when he was up and had a light in his eyes- almost like before! We all praised him and cuddled him and hope filled our hearts. He and I played in the hall for quite a long time and I was reminded of how far he had come from the boy he used to be. But I hoped he was coming around.

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Then came January and our hopes were dashed. He stays in bed all the time now. He doesn’t smile when people enter his room now to fetch him from bed, in fact he doesn’t smile at all. He is like a ghost boy. He is a shadow of his former self and we are lost on how to help him. The nurses and doctors try music and massage and attention, but he only declines. It seems that he has given up.

The thing is, I don’t blame him. He is only a boy- yet he is without a childhood. He suffers day after day and he has no one to comfort him. Overworked nannies simply can not give him what he needs. The nurses are stumped and worry night and day about him. I dream about him at night. His eyes have no light. He is a shell.

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But it doesn’t have to be this way. You see, out of 80 boys at our institution only 12 are available for adoption, and he is one of them. He is legally free to have a family, and now we need to find them.

Do you have room at your table for one more precious child? Do you have room in your heart for one more invaluable soul? No, I cannot tell you how he will develop or if he will ever speak or if he will ever live on his own. I cannot tell you how he will respond to a Mommy and Daddy or how long it will take him to trust or how long before he will accept your love. But I can tell you that he is valuable and he was created with purpose and he is worth any inconvenience adoptive parents could encounter on his behalf.

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Please stop and pray. Please ask God how you should respond. We are watching our boy waste away before our very eyes and I almost want to beg for someone to come take him away. But all I can ask of you is to be open to saying yes.

Open your heart and trust that if God is asking you to respond He will give you everything you need to do what He is asking you to do.

Time is of the essence.

*Any serious inquiries can be sent by email or left in a comment. I approve the comments before they are published, so if you want your comment to be private it will stay that way.

kimnjed January 25, 2015 21

AdvocatingBorisOrphan CareRomanivVladWide Awake International

A Christmas Wish: Meet Boris and Vladik

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

We are having a cozy day at home, just the six of us. We’re cuddling in, eating yummy food, playing with toys,sipping coffee. It’s perfect.

Today, on this glorious day, I have just one Christmas wish. Today I have a wish that all of our Boys at Romaniv would be truly seen. I have a wish that they would be seen by many as the beautiful souls that they are.

When I first met our Boys all I could see was their outward appearance. I saw the filth, the snot, the vomit, the disabilities, the deformities. I smelled the stench. My ears were full of the awkward noises. I knew God had called us to give our lives to these Boys, so I prayed that He would help me to see/smell/hear past all that.

And He did!

That was then. Now, when I see our Boys I see Boris, Slavik, Yaroslav, Misha, Valera, Orhan, Irakli, Ivan, Dima, Andrei, Seriozha, Vova, Zhenya, Vitya, Vladik, Ilya, and Danya. I see friends. I see my babies. I see my treasures. When I hear the awkward noises they mean something to me. They are cries of joy or yells of anger or first babbles or moments of sadness and pain. They are not inappropriate noises now. They are communication. They are voices I love. I’m not gonna lie, I still smell the stench 🙂 Hehe…I’m only human…that’s for stinkin’ sure. (pun intended)

My Christmas wish is that today you, and many many more will see our Boys as individuals worthy of dignity and love. I know that if people will really look- past the differences and into the eyes, they will see. They will see our Boys as they were meant to be seen; as children of God.

And if you really see, then you will never be the same. I’m changed forever for having known them.

So, will you take a Christmas moment and meet my friends? You won’t be sorry. 🙂

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTj4vDOEbEE]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzJGaFq6SKI&w=560&h=315]

kimnjed December 25, 2014 0

AdvocatingEncouragementLoss

Be Still My Soul

“Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side.

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.”

Be still, my soul.

My soul is restless. My soul is fighting. My heart is grieving for our Boys more than ever these days and my mother’s heart for them is growing more than ever these days.

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on their side.

Do we trust that our God is good?

Do I trust that God is good, even to our Boys, even now- at this very minute as they rock back and forth in their beds?

Do you trust that your Heavenly Father is working on your behalf?

Do I really and truly trust that God is working on behalf of our Boys and He is keeping His promise to be their Father?

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on their side.

The Tuesday before I left for Switzerland we had just finished up our morning at Romaniv and the time had come for us to hop in the taxi and head home.

Sweet Dima, one of our highest functioning boys in the Isolation Hall began to ask his usual questions.

“When are you coming back?”

“Are you coming on Friday?”

“Is Jed coming on Friday?”

“Is Mama Nina coming on Friday?”

“When are you coming back?”

“Will you come tomorrow?”

Dima gets very fixated on when we are coming back and who will be present on the team. He gets super excited when we answer “Yes, Dima, we are coming on Friday. Jed is coming, I am coming, Nina is coming. We can’t come tomorrow, but we will come on Friday.”

He needs to hear those words. He needs to know.

Well, last Tuesday I had to stray from the normal response. I told Dima that I wouldn’t be coming on Friday because I had to go on a trip. There was no use of explaining Switzerland or fundraisers or supporting churches, I knew Dima wouldn’t understand. All he could understand is that I said no, I wouldn’t be able to come on Friday.

Dima was so unhappy. He didn’t understand. He kept asking why, and I tried to explain.

If only Dima had known. If only Dima could have understood WHY I wasn’t coming on Friday. I was traveling far away on his behalf. I was going to share with people who love him from afar. I was going to share about him and to be his voice. I was going there for his good. But all he knew was that I wasn’t going to show up on Friday.

I’m not saying that Jed or I or our team are God or something. Not even remotely. 🙂 But I use this as an example to look at myself as Dima. How often am I Dima, upset because God doesn’t show up when I want Him to and how I want Him to, when He is really working on my behalf and I just can’t see it?

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on my side.

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side.

Do you trust that He is good?

Do you trust that your Father is working on your behalf?

Do you trust that He is working for your good?

Be still. Trust. I know how much I love Dima and want only good for him. How much more does your Heavenly Father want only good for you? Vastly, infinitely more.

God is working on our Boys’ behalf in ways I can’t even see. His love for them is endless and perfect.

Be still, soul. God’s got this.

“Be still, my soul: the hour is hast’ning on

When we shall be forever with the Lord.

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.”

kimnjed December 5, 2014 5

AdoptionAdvocatingOrphan CareRomanivWide Awake InternationalYes

The Most Important Post

November is a good month. We have two family birthdays, it’s Thanksgiving, the holiday season begins, the weather is cozy, and it’s National Adoption Month! Did you know? Have you heard? There is a whole month designated for sharing about the plight of orphans and the blessing of adoption. Yep, that sounds just about perfect to me.

We’ve been sitting on some important information for a few months now, considering how, when, and where we would share our hearts. Well, now is the time, and here is the place. After all, it is National Adoption Month!

With a bit of fear and trembling I’m going to share, and then I’m going to ask you to prayerfully respond. There are many different great responses, and your response will likely be different than mine. For the sake of our Boys, every response is important.

The work we do, and Mission to Ukraine has done for many years at Romaniv is important and necessary. It is life-altering for our Boys. Boys who were once strangers who flinched at touch and cowered from any human interaction are now dear loved ones who come scooting and crawling and hobbling as soon as they hear our voices. One boy who used to avoid eye contact at all costs now seeks out our gaze and will sit forehead to forehead with Jed as the guitar is played- just looking into Jed’s eyes. No words, just a look. It is enough for us to see that God is doing miracles.

And yet.

No work we do could ever be more beneficial than a family.

No treatment could ever be as effective as the love of a family.

No weighted vest could be more comforting than a mother’s arms.

No helmet could offer better protection than a father’s embrace.

This work we do is a stopgap. It is the next best thing possible in this situation. But it is not a family, and it is not nearly enough. There is no future for our Boys here. Even if our dreams come true and we build group homes where they can be loved and cared for, it still won’t hold a candle to a life spent as part of a loving family. There are nannies at Romaniv that do care for the Boys deeply, but they face an impossible task. How can 2 nannies care for more than 20 boys with severe disabilities and do an even satisfactory job?

Most of the boys and men at Romaniv are not legally free to be adopted. Either their parents still maintain their parental rights, or the boys are over the age of 18 which prevents them from being adopted. To those boys and men, we commit to doing whatever we possibly can to love them, care for them, and give them a future worth living until the day they are made whole in heaven.

Some of our Boys, though, ARE available for international adoption. We haven’t shared this with you before for several reasons that might be hard to understand. There are many layers to this. We feel protective of our Boys and the work that is being done; we want to avoid any exploitation; we have a relationship to maintain with the orphanage directors that requires vigilant care. Nothing about this is simple, so we tread lightly with steps full of prayer. And yet, one of our Boys is not thriving. He is wasting away before our eyes and we can’t stand by and watch without acting. He is ill and will never thrive in an institutional setting. He needs the best medical care. He needs a nutrition plan. He needs therapy of all kinds. Most of all he needs a mommy and daddy to love him as their son- to believe in him, to fight for him, and shower him with affection. We are compelled to act and we can’t hold off any longer. Time is of the essence.

So I’m asking that you see our Boys. I’m asking that you stop and see them for the treasures they are. See their immense value. See their precious beauty. Consider their lives as weighty as your own and ask the Lord how you should respond to this knowledge that some of them are waiting for families. If you follow Jesus you are called to care for the orphan in some way. Even if you don’t believe in Jesus I bet you can agree that this is a justice issue that can not be ignored.

“Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17

Maybe you are supposed to pray. A million times thank you! Prayer is important and essential. Any of the progress that’s been made has only come through the power of the Holy Spirit. Our Boys need prayer!

Maybe you are supposed to give financially to help improve the quality of life for our Boys. Yes! Thank you so very much! None of this would even be happening if we didn’t have faithful financial supporters on the team.

Maybe you are supposed to adopt. Please don’t dismiss this response. I am confident that some of you who read this are called to respond through adoption. Children were made for families! Children were not made for institutions. One hour spent at Romaniv will prove that point. I must warn you though that any romanticism concerning the adoption of one of our Boys ends with the fuzzy feelings you may be feeling as you read this post. It will not be romantic. It will be a hard road and much faith will be required. But- it will be a road worth walking. I am confident of that. Orphans are very important to our God and He has gone to great lengths to prove His love for these particular Boys. He will not allow the world to forget them now, and He’s not about to forget them when they step out of Romaniv’s gates.

I was with these Boys yesterday. I held them in my arms. I kissed their cheeks. I held their hands so they wouldn’t harm themselves. They are real people. They were created with purpose and God has good plans for them. I can’t even imagine one of my four children living like our Boys. I can’t imagine my Ezra, nearly 9 years old but the size of a toddler, sitting day after day rocking back and forth in his bed. I can’t imagine him sitting and sitting and waiting and waiting for his life to begin. I can’t imagine not going to him and taking him out of that place. Our Boys are as real as Ezra and they are as deserving of love as he. They were created with just as much purpose and intentionality. They were created in the image of God and God does not make mistakes.

There you have it. Now you know, and I now humbly ask you to respond. I ask you to stop and pray and ask the Lord what He would have you to do. Please pray that adoptive families would step out with boldness and faith. Any serious inquiries can be emailed to kjohnson@wideawakeinternational.org and I would be happy to talk with you more. If you have questions about what adopting an institutionalized child looks like in real life I can connect you with adoptive parents who have walked that path.

Please share this post and give our Boys a voice this month. Thank you!

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Proverbs 31:8

kimnjed November 19, 2014 4

AdvocatingOrphan CareRomanivWide Awake International

An Update on the Littles!

You’ve been asking and wondering, so I won’t leave you in anticipation any longer.

Everyone’s been asking, “How are the Littles???”

(You can also read about them here: http://wideawakefamily.com/2014/07/04/it-just-keeps-getting-better/)

Okay, you’ve twisted my arm. I guess I can spare a few to chat about the sweetest little boys you ever did see. 😉

The Littles are doing really well. I’ll tell you that it was obvious to us right away that they looked physically healthier. A small church here in Zhytomyr that does great orphan care here in our region went to Romaniv while we were in Lviv. They also saw the need for more nannies and donated money to hire another nanny for the Littles! With our forces combined, we now have a nanny with the Littles 7 days a week from 7am-7pm. This is HUGE. How can they not improve?? Impossible.

Jed and I go to Romaniv twice a week now. We go on Friday with the team, like usual, but we also go on Tuesdays. Our dream is to form another Isolation Hall team for Tuesdays, but we just don’t have the manpower for it right now. There is a church from another city that has joined MTU at Romaniv on Fridays for years. They bring a group to Romaniv on Tuesdays as well, and they mostly work with the older boys. We are so thankful for them! They are absolutely fabulous people. So, for the last two weeks, while they work with the older boys, Jed and I have taken aside a couple of our Isolation Boys to work with them more individually. In the group setting on Fridays, it’s really difficult to connect well with each individual boy. We are really excited about this time on Tuesdays to observe and connect with boys more strategically.

Yesterday I got to spend some very quality time with “Little #1” (the bigger of the two) and one of our nannies. The other Little was with the orphanage nurses, so I didn’t get to interact with him. The time was awesome! Our friend Alosha came along to translate and I got to talk with the nanny very freely about the boys and their care. We discussed feeding progress and difficulties and I learned that it takes her over an hour to feed the boys at each meal. Little #1 eats well and is improving his feeding skills with the spoon (yay!), but #2’s reflux is still a big problem. Thank The Lord we have those nannies! The other nannies do not have nearly that amount of time to spend feeding just two boys. Our nannies are able to feed them slowly enough that they finally hold down 100% of every meal. WOOHOO! They are not losing more weight, but are now maintaining. The next step will be working toward weight gain.

I got to work with Little #1 on the floor, showing the nanny how to do some stretches and exercises with him. I was amazed to see that he is now able to briefly lift his head while lying on his tummy! This is huge. I can tell that our nannies really work with the boys and want them to grow and improve.

I think the biggest and best thing that I noticed during my time with him was the change in his socialization. These boys get 2 to 1 attention all day long and IT SHOWS. He would turn to look for his nanny when she spoke. She reported that the boys each cry when she is giving attention to the other one. THIS IS GREAT! These are Littles who were silent when they arrived at Romaniv. They weren’t silent because they had no needs. They were silent because they had learned that crying got them nowhere. There would not be a response, so why cry out? A silent orphanage is not a good sign. It is healthy and right that children should cry out or call out when they have a need. I was ecstatic to hear that the boys cry for their nanny. Woot! My heart was full to hear her talk about their likes and dislikes. She described how Little #1 reaches for his mobile that we brought him before we left in August. She reported that he loves it, but his greatest love is going for walks outside. Every day the boys get to go out for a walk. Every day!!!! She laughed as she described how all the orphanage staff from maintenance men to cooks have to stop and ooh and aaah over the Littles when they see them outside. Of course, a family is their very best option, but if that can not be at this time, then we will work with what is possible. I’m so thankful this is possible.

Praise God. Praise God that He made a way for these two lives to be saved. Praise God that he put a dream to help our Boys in the heart of a 13-year-old boy all the way back in Oregon. Praise God for the church here in Zhytomyr that also saw the need and joined in to help. Praise God for nannies who truly love our Boys. Praise God that we have the funds to continue this care for 4 more months.

There is so much need at Romaniv. There is so much injustice and sadness. The need can be overwhelming and suffocating, but yesterday I got to see a glimmer of things to come. There is one room in that building where joy abounds. May it continue and spread and grow like wildfire. May God grant us abundant wisdom beyond ourselves to know what steps come next. Seventy-eight other boys sit and wait day after day for their turn. The same God who saw the Littles and made a way for them will make a way for the rest. We are confident of that!

P.S. We will share more about our work at Romaniv in our September newsletter. If you would like to receive our newsletters in your inbox you can subscribe here!

P.P.S. Sorry about the lack of pictures. We’re finishing up some discussions about posting pics of the Boys. I’ll post more as soon as I can!

kimnjed September 17, 2014 4

AdvocatingRomanivWide Awake International

Fun in the Sun…THANK YOU!

Oh Romaniv…oh sweet boys. I wish so much that each of you could visit Our Boys and spend even just a few minutes with them. I wish I could accurately and fully express just how we feel about them. They are beyond precious to us. I remember the very first time Jed and I ever visited there…nervous, excited…never the same. Never would I have dreamed at that time that we would now be so invested in to these boys. We are learning about their little quirks, their likes and dislikes, who can eat a banana on his own and who needs help; who will try to eat rocks and grass outside and who will try to escape; who will throw their shoes on the roof of the building and who’s feet are too twisted and misshapen for shoes at all; who needs to be held tightly when overstimulated and who likes to sway…the list goes on and on. There is so much to learn and we have the time to learn it. These are the things that matter. To know and to be known, I’ve never understood the importance of that until this move.

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Our Isolation boys stay inside all day every day. There are simply not enough caregivers to take them all outside. All day every day in the same small building with the same hall and same rooms. No wind in their face, no sun on their skin, no grass between their toes. They eat in their building and sleep in their building. It is their whole world.

A few weeks ago we decided to ask the caregivers if we could take the boys outside during our Friday visits. We weren’t sure if they would allow it, but it never hurts to ask! Surprisingly they said yes without hesitation. The only problem was digging up enough shoes and coats for all the boys. Oy. Yeah, they were only able to find enough shoes and jackets for 8 of the 21 boys. We were disappointed that some boys would be excluded, but we still took several of them outside.

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Later that day I posted about the visit on the Wide Awake Facebook page. I mentioned that there weren’t enough coats and shoes to go around and that people could let us know if they wanted to help with that. Oh.My.Word. You guys!!!! Your generosity blew us away. Within the next couple of days, $725 was donated to buy shoes and coats for the Boys.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!

We went to Mission to Ukraine (MTU) to discuss how and where to purchase the needed items for the Boys. They, in turn, contacted the Director at Romaniv and he indicated that they should have enough coats and shoes for all the boys…they just needed to be taken from storage. So, we are a bit halted right now on buying the items as we try to verify if there are truly enough clothes for everyone and if not, what sizes are needed. We already know the shoe supply is not adequate. We’ve got some foot measuring to do.

(Hint: nothing happens quickly in these here parts. No biggie, we’ve got time.)

In the meantime, we’ve been able to take the boys out every Friday since! The caregivers have found enough slippers for those who are willing to go outside. Most of them are broken slippers and don’t stay on worth beans, but at least it’s enough to get them out the door 😉 It’s been warm enough that we haven’t needed jackets, so we have time to work on that issue.

One need that did arise is the need for hats. Our Boys never see the sun, so you can bet they are as pale as can be, We realized right away that they needed hats to provide some sun protection while we’re outside. So, we were able to use a portion of the donated funds to buy hats for the boys!

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A few of our more interactive boys were SO EXCITED!!! It made us feel so much better to know their little white faces were protected. The last thing we need is a sunburn to rain on our parade. 🙂

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Thank you to each and every person who donated so graciously. Each step forward greatly improves their quality of life and we just can’t thank you enough for making it possible.

We’ll keep you posted on the shoe and jacket purchases. We really need to get some shoes that fasten well so “you know who” can’t chuck them up on the roof of the building quite so easily….ahem….not to name any names… 🙂

…ahem…

What? You want me to actually keep this on my head???

Wishful thinking!

Maxim stole my camera and took this one 🙂

Annnnd here’s me begging Maxim to return the camera…haha

If you are interested in donating specifically for the boys at Romaniv, here is a link to their fund.

kimnjed May 12, 2014 4

AdvocatingThe War

So We Stand

Our new home is in crisis.

I hope very much that you’ve been following the news concerning the revolution in Ukraine. If you haven’t seen anything, Google it now and learn. The situation here is extremely serious. We haven’t been talking much about it on social media simply because we are trying to use wisdom and just ask the Lord how He would have us respond online. Our hearts are with our Ukrainian brothers and sisters and they know that. We stand with them and we tell them that daily. It’s just so difficult to know what to say “online”. How can we share what is happening with wisdom, while upholding the dignity of the people? We’ve never been in a situation remotely like this and are just trying to navigate it properly, and with grace.

Tonight we could be silent no more. You simply must know the beauty of the people of Ukraine. You simply must know that they stand now for their children and their children’s children. They stand for a future. They stand for freedom. Men and woman stand right now, in Kiev, in the snow, in 3 degree (F) weather because they love their country and they see that there is no future for them and their children if they do not stand until the end. For centuries they have been beaten down- over and over- and now they have had enough. Change must come. We Americans have NO IDEA what it means to live in a country where laws can mean nothing. We have no idea what it means to live in a country where your rights can easily be stripped from you, without warning, and even if you want to flee, you have no option but to stay. We have no idea what it means to live under generations of oppression. We have no idea.

I am in awe. I am in love. I have never loved the Ukrainian people more than I do today. (And that’s saying a lot!) 🙂 They are so courageous. If I were in the same situation in the US would I stand as they do? I hope I would.

So now we pray. We love the people around us and we pray; all the while knowing that God has placed us here at this moment for a reason. When we boarded the plane in Portland, Oregon on November 12th He knew that this day would come. He was not unaware then, and He is not unaware now. God said to come serve the Ukrainian people, and here we stand until we hear otherwise.

Tonight we worshiped and prayed as a family before bed. We have explained to our kids some of what is happening here and five-year old Havalah explained it best:

“I’m two kinds of sad. I’m joy sad because this is a peaceful moment, but I’m cry sad because I don’t want anymore Ukrainians to die.”

The Ukrainians who stand in Kiev tonight, and in squares all over the country, stand for justice and hope for a better future. Tomorrow I’ll go to Romaniv to love on our boys- boys who have only known a life of injustice. I pray that justice will prevail in Ukraine in hopes that ALL people in Ukraine may have the hope of a better future. Whether they know it or not, the protestors on Maidan are standing for our boys. They stand for all the forgotten ones who can not stand for themselves. And so, in the small ways we are able we will stand for them too.

Will you join us? Stand up in prayer for those who are risking their lives for their country. Stand up in prayer for those who can not stand for themselves. Lift your voice and break the silence. Tell whoever will listen about our beloved Ukraine and her beautiful people. These are our people, the people of our hearts. May their sacrifice never be in vain.

“But if I were you, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before Him.

He performs miracles that cannot be counted…

The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety…

He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.

So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.”

Job 5:8-9,11,15-16

kimnjed January 23, 2014 20

AdvocatingOrphan CareRomanivWide Awake InternationalYes

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving (a day late)!

I had a witty post simmering in my brain all about the antics of yesterday. I have a photo diary of potatoes soaking in the bathtub, turkey in its brine on the covered balcony, cornbread for stuffing, and out-of-thisuniverse pumpkin pie vareniki that we created. But I just can’t go there today. It’ll have to wait.

I spent this morning at Romaniv Orphanage for boys and men, and I have so much more to share than turkey wit. I wish so badly that you could have come along with me. I know if you did you would never be the same. No one can be the same after spending time at Romaniv.

We first visited Romaniv in April of 2012. Jed and I, our eyes met as we looked over the room of boys, “Yes, this is what we were created for.”

In May we visited again, looking with different eyes, ones that were wise to the fact that soon these boys would become a part of normal life for us.

Today I returned for the first time since our move and I am wrecked.

These are not just boys in pictures. These are not just sad stories to gain your sympathy. These are Zhenya, Vitalik, Misha, Valera, and Sergei. These are little hands that hold mine and walk the halls and throw balls and build legos. These are little hands and big hands that hit themselves and each other for stimulation. These are faces that smile, and frown, and grimace, and bite; faces that are smooth like a baby and faces that are covered with the scars of self-abuse. These are eyes that light up, eyes that are clever and knowing- even when the mouth can’t speak, eyes that are blind, and eyes that are distant, almost unaware of the other humans around. These are not just another need that is unmet. These are not just another story to make you feel guilty for your wealth.

These are real boys. They are now a very real part of our life. These are “our” boys. And they are beautiful.

One boy, who is now a man is unable to walk, but there is no wheelchair for him. Day after day he lays in a small room in his bed while life passes him by. The caregivers want so much for that to NOT be his life, but what can they do?

As I sat at his bedside and rubbed his back, unable to speak to him in his language my heart broke and melted at the same time. My heart broke for him, that this is his reality, that when I return home to my Jed and my babies he will still be lying there alone. But my heart melted at the same time with the love of the Father. God sees and He knows. God has brought people to Romaniv for such a time as this. This boy, this man, he is not forgotten. God brought Nina, a volunteer for Mission to Ukraine, to his bedside to hold him like a Mommy and feed him a banana. God is on the move in Romaniv, and God is on the move on behalf of the orphans of Ukraine.

So, today I am thankful for the beautiful boys of Romaniv. I’m thankful for the opportunity to love them, hold them, play with them, and look them in the eye. I’m thankful for Nina, who has her own son with special needs at home, and faithfully visits Romaniv each week and is called “Mama” by many. I’m thankful that although the need looks outrageous, and the situations seems impossible, God has made promises and they WILL be fulfilled. These boys are not beyond His grasp, not too far from His reach. The one with the most scars from continually banging his head on the wall is not beyond hope. Each of these boys is known by the Father and He will have His way.

For these boys, and other boys and girls just like them, God asked us to move across the world and be His hands and feet. I’m so, very, very thankful for that. May God have His way in Romaniv and in the lives of the fatherless all across Ukraine. So be it!

Posted with Blogsy

kimnjed November 29, 2013 5

AdvocatingOrphan CareYes

The Day We’ve Been Waiting For

Today was huge. Today will stand out as one of the most memorable days of my life. That may sound dramatic, but it’s so true! Today was a day when God brought us full circle- from beginnings, ideas, and hopes, to reality. Today I made a friend for life. Today God showed that He is the biggest and the strongest.

We met Alyona at her house at 8:00, drank some coffee, and hit the road. Slavik’s brother drove Alyona, Jed, Mark (Alyona’s almost 3-year-old), and me to the town. Yesterday Slavik used money we had brought, given by all of you, to buy a trunk full of diapers and some soda. I am sooooooo sorry to say we forgot to take pictures of the gifts!!! 🙁 We were so excited and emotional that it didn’t occur to us till we had already left to go home that we hadn’t taken pictures. Sorry! Slavik called the Director about 30 minutes before we arrived to say we were coming. Ha! While she said that was fine, we weren’t sure if we would be allowed to see any boys. We hoped and prayed we would see them.

We had a great time in the car on the way. I love Alyona. I really love her so much. We connect. We “get” each other. I know if we lived near each other we would be good friends. It’s not every day you meet a couple with the same heartbeat, dreaming the dreams we dream, doing the things we long to do. Alyona is my kind of gal and she and Slavik are quite the team. They are dreamers who get it done. I love that. Anyway, we laughed and chatted all the way there. It was fun.

I was fine, and then I saw the sign for the village. My word, my hands were sweating, my heart was beating so fast. It was crazy. We pulled into the gates of the orphanage and it was unreal. I don’t really know how to describe all the feelings. We’ve been praying for this place, reading about this place, loving this place from afar for 18 months or so. Fundraising, dreaming, looking at pictures…now those pictures were reality! I saw the shed where the boys eat, the gazebo where I’ve seen pictures of visits and the tulips. Oh Melanie, I had tears for you when I saw all the beautiful tulips. I told Jed “Look! Melanie’s tulips!!!” They were lovely today my friend. 🙂

We parked the car and unloaded the diapers and the soda….while not taking pictures. Sorry again! We weren’t able to take any pictures inside the orphanage. We didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize our presence there. I pray I never forget the pictures in my mind. Alyona asked, and we were told we could visit with some of the boys!!!!! PRAISE GOD! They set up several benches in the courtyard near the eating sheds and the boys began to come. Oh, the precious, beloved children of the Father. If only they knew how much they are treasured- not just by Him, but by so many of us from near and far away. I recognized many of the faces from photos of previous visits. Some faces I had never seen. They sat on the benches with shining eyes, clapping their hands with excitement. Then a couple other boys in wheelchairs were brought over. Oh, my word, the cuteness was unbelievable!!!!! These boys are hidden jewels. One “boy”, who is really a man, could hardly contain his excitement. He bounced up and down on the bench, laughing, eyes lit up with glee. I will never forget that face.

We greeted the boys and then sang a song with some motions. Most of the boys participated, some watched, and some tried to get their hands to move in the right way but couldn’t quite manage it. Oh, but they tried! One sweet little boy looked to be about 5 or 6 years old and was in a wheelchair. You could see he was paying very close attention. The wheels were definitely turning. He is a beautiful little boy. Alyona told them the story of Easter with some plastic eggs with little symbols inside of them. They ate it up. They couldn’t get enough of the pats, hand-holding, squeezes. They loved Alyona and she was very good with them. I pray that God reaches beyond their natural understanding and draws each of them to Himself. They heard truth today and no one can take that away from them.

We only had about a half hour with the boys and then it was time for them to go to lunch. We were a little disappointed it was such a short time, but then we got a present we weren’t expecting. Since we were outside and the boys were to eat outside in the shed we got to see all the mobile boys walk by. Many, many boys walked by us!!!! That may not seem like a big deal, but you should have seen Alyona’s face light up. “Look at all these capable boys! So many of them I have never seen! This is so great!!!” We greeted them as they walked by. Some looked away, some clapped their hands with excitement of seeing strangers, some yelled “Privyet!!!” (hi) as loud as they could. Ha! It was awesome. It was so precious to see the older boys leading the little ones by the hand down the sidewalk. Men and boys together, all in need of love, all deserving of that and more. Next to the eating shed there is a building with a flight of stairs leading down. One young man with Down syndrome who we had seen walking around doing chores carried a little one down the stairs to a wheelchair. Alyona pointed “Look at how they care for each other…such treasures.”

Our visit was brief but truly amazing. At the beginning of this week, we thought we would not be able to go. Then we found out we would go, but still doubted we would see any boys. Then we not only got to see boys, but we got to spend some great time with some, and see MANY! God did a miracle. I will never discount that time. We truly believe that God is at work behind the scenes. God has put this remote place on so many people’s radars. Why? So many people from so many parts of the world love these boys they have never met. Why? Slavik and Alyona are so persistent and determined to not let these boys be forgotten. Why? There is also much resistance to any help in that place. Why? I don’t know the details, but I firmly and absolutely believe that God has a big plan in place. The enemy would love to keep those boys hidden forever, but God is not in agreement with that. He has brought them to light for a purpose. Again, why? Because they are His children. The gleam in their eyes makes His heart swell. He sees in each of them the man that He has created them to be. They are His precious creations and we believe He has a very big plan for them.

Outside the gates…

As we sat in the car outside the gates and Alyona prayed my heart swelled with faith in God. HE is doing it folks! He is bringing light into dark places. He set Slavik and Alyona loose on this place and they are not going to back down! They are fighters. I am so proud of them and so humbled by them. They are giving their lives for children all over this region. They have a map of their region in the entry hall of their house. The map is covered with little flags- one color for orphanages that have people ministering there, and one color for orphanages that are yet to be reached. Slavik and Alyona are the real deal.

I wish so much I could sit down with each of you and share face-to-face what we have experienced here. There is so much in our hearts, so much God is speaking, so much He is working in this place. I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep on saying it: He WILL win the day.

Praise God for His victory today!!!

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death

a light has dawned.

Isaiah 9:2

kimnjed April 27, 2012 9