Home

Home...that word encompasses so many wonderful things!  Dorothy was right when she said, "There is no place like home."  I almost wish we had her ruby red slippers, so we could just click our heels and be home.  :)  Our flights, back to the States, seemed to go better...I am sure the excitement of coming home, had nothing to do with it!  We left KRAS at 6:00am, Friday morning (KRAS time), and arrived in Charlotte at 8:27pm, Friday night...with the time change, our trip from KRAS to home was about thirty hours (layovers, car-time, etc.).  It was strange, because there was never a "night," on our way back...there was a thirteen hour time difference, hence it was always daylight.  I couldn't help but just smile when we landed in New York...we were home, nation-wise!  When we got to Charlotte, the airport never seemed so inviting...we were home, state-wise!  Then, the joy of driving up the driveway...HOME, HOME, HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was a hard trip...it is impossible to explain or to understand...you just had to have been there.  But, our God is greater!  We have two more trips...that is an overwhelming thought, right now.  We will just take it one day at a time and trust the Lord.  He will give us what we need.  

There is no possible way we can thank you...for your prayers, your sweet encouragement, and your support.  Your prayers and the grace of our Lord sustained us.  We could not have done it without them.  "Thank you," does not seem adequate, but it must do.  So, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!  We are so grateful!

Much love,

Taylor and Family (Craig, Kim, Leah, Thad, and Luke)

Wednesday

We are almost to the end of our stay.  Tomorrow will be our last visit with the boys.  I wish we could bring them home, with us, but the sooner we go, the quicker we can bring them home, for good.  It is amazing how you could love someone, so much...we have only known them for a few days.  Now, when we think of our boys, we can see their sweet faces and know who/where they are.  

Tomorrow will be busy...we are headed to the notary to sign some papers and then we are off to the orphanage.  We will, then, come back to the apartment and pack.  Friday morning, we will get up early and start our journey home.  It hasn't been an easy trip, but the Lord has been faithful.

This will probably be our last blog, for this trip...so, farewell and a blessed Thanksgiving, in the States!  We miss you, all, but look forward to being in good ol' North Carolina, soon!!!  :)  I can't wait until we can show Thad and Luke, "There is no place like home..."  

Taylor and Family

Tuesday

It's Tuesday!  

Yesterday, we left the apartment at 1:15pm and drove to the Orphanage Council's office.  Our meeting went very well!  The Lord gave us favor and we got permission to visit the orphanage.  We traveled one hour, outside the city, to a small town, which is where the orphanage is located.  Momma and Daddy met with the head director/doctor.  Afterwards, we went to a room where there were many toys (the children do not get to play with these, on a regular basis) and then, several people came in with our boys!  It is impossible to explain that moment.  After waiting so long, you finally see the ones you have been waiting, praying, and hoping for!  To say it is surreal and overwhelming, is an understatement.  :) Thad walked over to us and said, in Russian,  "Hi, my name is _____ (His Russian name...)."  

Thad:  He is so sweet.  He has such a good personality and is very calm.  He is fine just sitting in the floor, playing with his toys.  He talks, some, to us in Russian and corrects us if we do not pronounce a word correctly.  :)  He loves to see pictures of himself and smiles, a lot.  He will let you hold him and doesn't mind to give hugs.  His hair is very blond and he is so cute.

Luke:  He is precious.  He was afraid of us and cried, most of the time.  We were prepared for this, though.  He is so young...he doesn't understand who we are or why we are here.  The children are not used to seeing men or new people, so, understandably, it is hard for the younger ones.  He has darker hair (blondish-brown).  He is very attached to his nanny and will stop crying when he sees her.  Please pray that he will not be afraid and the Lord will give his little heart peace.

After our two hour visit, the director asked what we thought...we answered that we just love them!!!  We are so happy with the boys the Lord has chosen for us!  They are so adorable and we can't wait to bring them home!  It is going to be a very long journey...but every day is one step closer.  

We are so thankful for you!  It is not easy, but we can feel your prayers and that helps us get through, each day.

We are planning to see the boys, again, today.

Until next time...love from Russia!

Taylor and Family

KRAS

Well...we made it!  After a long trip, we arrived in a snowy, icy KRAS (Krasnoyarsk).  It was so dark when we landed, this morning...the sun doesn't come up until 9:00 or so (their time) and sets early evening.  (But, it was so nice to have some light, this morning-afternoon).  After we arrived, we went to our apartment (approx. one hour away).  It was Sunday morning, when we got here, so there wasn't anyone in the streets.  Once the sun came up, everyone started stirring.  Our apartment is very nice...a pleasant surprise!  It is safe (have to go through three keyed doors to get in).  There are a few restaurants, nearby, that our facilitator said we could eat.  We had a nice slice of pizza at California pizza for lunch (two blocks away).  Boy is the culture different!  :)  Russians are...well...Russian.  We will have lots of stories, by the time we get home!!!!  :)  We just got up from resting.  Momma and Daddy have an important meeting, tomorrow (at 1:15, their time).  They will go before the orphanage Council and be questioned.  (I.e. why adopting, why Russia....)  Afterwards, the plan is to go to...see the boys!!!  As of now, our facilitator said we could go, too.  (It was our understanding that Leah and I couldn't see them, until Tuesday.)  Things are subject to change.  The orphanage is one hour away.

Please pray for physical and spiritual protection...we could really feel the warfare, when we got here.  Too, please pray for favor, tomorrow, with the Council and orphanage workers.

We are almost a day ahead.  (Example: if it is 8:00am, North Carolina time...it is 9:00pm, here.)  The Wi-Fi is great!!!  We have had trouble connecting, in the airports, so this is a blessing.  We are thankful to be, here!!!

Thank you for your continued prayers...

Much love,
Taylor and Family

It's here!

It's here...a day we have been waiting two years for!  Tomorrow, we will fly to Russia to meet our boys.  It is hard for me to believe.  We will really need your prayers...there is lots to do, while we are there!

Yesterday, the Lord, again, showed His faithfulness.  We received the documents we were needing to take with us.  These documents were not mandatory, but they will speed the process of bringing our boys (my brothers) home!  We were so thankful.  For those who helped lift this need in prayer, THANK YOU!  

We are packed and ready to go...I look forward to seeing how the Lord will work!  We will try to blog, while we are in Russia, depending on Internet connection.

Thank you, so very much, for your prayers!

Much love,

Taylor and Family

We have our referral!!!

 

Our Referral

 

 

God is always on time!  On November 9th, 2010, we made the decision to begin the adoption process, from Russia.  On the 10th, we applied for two brothers, under the age of five.  This past week, we were notified that these two little guys have been identified and presented to us as a referral.  After almost two years, we have actually seen our sons and know who they are! 

 

Because of Russia's restrictions on social media, we are unable to share much information, on the boys.  However, they are brothers who are 3 1/2 and 1 1/2 years old.  And yes, they are precious! 

 

Hopefully, we will be traveling, in the next couple of weeks, to see them, for the first time.  Russia requires three trips, so it will be several months before they can be brought home. 

 

The Lord has known these little boys, from the beginning of time.  He has also known that we would be their parents and Taylor and Leah would be their big sisters.  We are thankful that God's heart is for children and for adoption...may we always have a heart like His!   ^"A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.  God setteth the solitary in families..."  (Psalm 68:5-6a)

 

We will try to keep everyone updated, as we are allowed to share, more information, in the days, ahead.  Meanwhile, please pray for our family and all that is involved in bringing our sons to North Carolina.

 

Love and blessings,

Kim, Craig, Taylor, and Leah

 





Documents for Russia

What a stack of papers!  This week, we were able to send our apostilled documents (with a special "stamp" from Raleigh) and copies to our adoption agency's family coordinator.  She will, in turn, send them on to Russia where they will be translated in the Russian language.  The documents are re-do's on papers that have expired (this occurs around a year from the date on the documents) and also papers for our adoption court hearing, in Russia.  I will say, acquiring all of these documents has been a daunting task!  However, the Lord, indeed, equips us to do what our mind simply tells us we cannot.  What would we do without a loving heavenly Father who cares about us and has the power to make things happen?  We know how dependent we are on Him.  The Bible tells us that without Him, we can do nothing...adoption will prove that over and over, again...not that everyday circumstances are not, already, constant reminders!

We learned at the first of the year, that Russia will now be requiring three trips before we can bring the children home.  Previously, we would only have traveled twice.  Over the past year, Russia has implemented many more requirements and restrictions.

We will continue to wait for a referral.  Now that Russia will have all of the updated documents, everything should be in place and ready.  Patience would be the word of the day!  Thanks so much for the continued prayers.

Blessings!

Kim and Family

Apostilling...This Week

We have almost completed our part of the pile of updates and re-dos!  Praise the Lord!!!  We are waiting for some official documents to be filled out and mailed to us.  Once we get these papers, we will send them, with the rest of our updates, to Raleigh to be apostilled.  Please pray that these documents will go through the apostilling process without any delays or mistakes that need to be corrected.  The quicker we get all of these documents to our family coordinator, the quicker they will go to Russia!  We are hoping to get everything sent off to Raleigh by the end of this week or the first of next week...depending on when we receive the other documents.  Each completed phase is one step closer to getting our referral.  We are trusting His timing!  

Thanks for your prayers!!!  They are appreciated!

Much love,

Taylor and the Church Family

Full-Swing!

It has been awhile since we have blogged.  As usual, we haven't had much to tell...we are in the "waiting" period (which requires much patience).  After an uneventful Christmas break and New Year, we have gone back into the paperwork full-swing!!!  So many official papers are expiring and are having to be updated or redone, in addition to the new forms/etc. that need to be completed.  Momma has diligently (and patiently) been completing these documents.  (She says it is like reading a foreign language...everything has to be "just so.")  It can be overwhelming at times...but God is so faithful and works in ways that He gets all the glory.  I say all this to ask for your prayers during this time...for wisdom and understanding as Momma does the paperwork, patience as we wait on the referral, and that God will provide for all these adoption needs.  

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

Matthew 7:7-8 KJV

Thanks so much!!!

Love,

Taylor