What faith can do...

I had the opportunity to go camping with several families from our church this weekend -- and it was SO much fun (I mean HOTTTT lol)... and it actually turned out that 6 of the kids that were with us had been adopted from Russia... and our friend Viktor who is 22 and grew up in our orphanage is here to visit to so he was with us as well... that made 7 out of 17 people on the trip Russian! And the family who planned the trip actually got their call for their court date about a week before the camping trip, so they were actually in Russia in court during the trip! [side note: the Judge said YES! So sweet Vanya will be home in August!!!!] It was amazing to look around and see these sweet kids. We were all roasting marshmallows and watching the kids run around like crazy -- and someone made the comment.... "Sometimes I just think about what they would be doing right now... what they would be thinking, how their life would be if they were still in Russia." The fact is that they would probably never have had the opportunity to experience a lot of the things they are experiencing if they were still in Russia growing up in an orphanage. It is just amazing to think how much God has rescued them from... things we don't even know.

                    

That being said, I want to share this video with you. God has really been moving through families in our church for the orphan. These families are either done with their adoption process, or are right in the middle. I love watching this video and seeing all of the sweet faces that God has rescued out of orphanages or from hard situations and placed in families!

That being said, I want to encourage you to pray. There are still tons of kids around the world that are without families tonight... and as they their head down, they wonder why... pray that God would wrap his Daddy arms around them and comfort them... and pray that God would continue to break families heart's for these children, and that He would place them with a forever family. 

We know what awaits these kids if they are not adopted.... we have seen it first hand... even just recently with Nastya's apartment. BUT - they CAN come to know Jesus and make a difference... that is why we go to Russia... to share with the children that they are important to our Father whether they are ever adopted or not... they can have a forever family in Christ.

Nastya's apartment

I want to share some images with you... and I would love for you to pray for this sweet girl, Nastya... I shared a little bit of her story earlier this month, and we were able to get some pictures of the apartment that was left for her from when her parents passed away. Right now the conditions are [to say the least] unlivable -- so we are praying about what our next step can be in helping the sweet young girl get on her feet... please pray with us...

We have been able to form a relationship with a local pastor in Russia, and he picked up one of the care givers from the orphanage and then went out to the camp where Nastya is and picked her up to take them to see Nastya's place... it has had boards over the windows/doors so they haven't been able to see it... but we wanted to know what condition it was in so we would know how to help her... and these are the photos they sent us...

This is just one story, but sadly this is a reality that some of these orphans face when they leave the orphanage... 

Please pray for resources, and for some people that can be Christ to Nastya and help her get this place in order to be a home... she has to leave the orphanage by the end of August...