Still Just Waiting

First of all we would like to thank everyone who made our Chick-fil-A Night such a great success. A lady at Chick-fil-A said that we had one of the bigger turnouts. We don't know how much we made yet but we really appreciate everyone taking the time to help. Thanks so much!

Right now we are still just waiting. We hope to here our travel dates next week. The problem is that the kids are leaving for the whole summer to go to different camps and the orphanage director is coming to America. He says that we have to wait till he gets back if we don't make it before he leaves which is the 28th of June. We just have to wait till we get the dates till we can figure anything out. Who knows? Only God! We just have to be patient and wait on God's perfect timing. It is a very hard to listen to Natasha with the only sentences she has ever said is ,when are you coming to get us and why are you not hosting us for the summer. Elena, our translator says she is very sad. Her friend Vika is now here in Canton with her new family and she got to experience how adoption was all really real. Maxim seems to be doing fine. He is outside playing with friends most of the time when we call. We will not get to talk to them anymore after the 25th. They will be leaving to go off to camp. Please pray for Natasha's heart. She is probably one of the oldest children there and really would rather be doing something different. I know she would love to be around children her own age. She has always been mom, being one of the oldest, and I know she would like to experience someone taking care of her instead of always taking care of everyone else. She still needs to be a child herself. Please pray for God's perfect work in all of us as He continues to change their lives as well as ours.

I found a wonderful scripture this morning. Psalm 68:5 says, "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in His holy habitation". When God wants us to grow to be just like Him, this is part of it. It is so easy to go through our days praying, (yes and even) reading your Bible, going to church and doing all the churchy things and forget to be where God would be, in His holy habitation, taking care of those who can't take care of themselves. This is what I have always done. I have actually felt like I didn't even know how. Sometimes we just need to jump out of the boat and let God do it for us. Just obey. Get out of your comfort zone and let God do amazing things in your life. I believe He is waiting on us to do that. That is where we can experience Him more than we could ever imagine. When you realize that you can't do it, but He can. Let me tell you, it is not an easy road, but you can never imagine the blessings that come with obedience. It is so so hard, but so so rewarding. It is life changing!

 I have no words that could thank you all enough for all you prayers and support. Please continue to pray. None of this can happen without Him. It could be 2 weeks, a month in a half, or 5 months. Whatever it is, it is God's perfect plan, and that is all we want. For Him to be honored and glorified through all that happens! We have realized, it don't matter what you have as long as you have Him! He is all that matters!

Lifesong for Orphans- Chick-fil-A Night- Video- God's Heart: Adoption

Please view this great video and see God's Heart for Adoption.

I have great news to share about Lifesong for Orphans. This is an awesome organization that seeks to help bring joy and purpose to orphans. They are partnering with us and assisting us in bringing Maxim and Natasha home. Funds donated to Lifesong for Orphans from now through July 19, 2011 will be given to us as an Adoption Grant to help cover adoption expenses for Natasha and Maxim. As a 501(c)3 organization, your gift is tax deductible.We are also waiting to here if this will turn into a matching grant. This could help us receive another $5,000 when we raise $5,000 of our own.You can send a check to Lifesong or you can go to the link on the side of this page and donate on Lifesongs website. Please write “preference Spruell #2101 Adoption” in the memo section of your check or when donating on-line.
1. Please make checks payable to: Lifesong. You may preference how the donation may
2. Mail checks to:
Lifesong for Orphans
Att: Spruell #2101 Adoption
PO Box 40
Gridley, IL 61744

Please come and join us for Chick-fil-A Night to raise money to help bring Natasha and Maxim home. It will be Thursday, June 9th , 5:00-8:00, at Chick-fil-A in Carrollton. We will receive 15% of all food sold if you give them our ticket at the register. Everybody loves Chick-fil-A. It is an easy way to help, just come and have supper!

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Prayers, Prayers, We Need Prayers!

Today is the first day we have gotten through to Natasha and Maxim in about 2 weeks. I don't know what it is, but the phones have been busy alot and there has also been a bad connection. Maxim didn't come to the phone for some reason but we got to talk to Natasha. She broke my heart today. I know I have mentioned that she usually doesn't talk much, just answer our questions with yes or no. Well today she kept on asking when were we coming to get them. We just really don't have a good answer for that. We know that we are striving to get there by mid June and we told her that. But Elena told her that if we couldn't get there in June that it would be August because the orphanage director is coming to America during July to be a chaperon with New Horizons. I think since she has seen the process of her friend Vika's adoption it is making her realize that this is really going to happen. The thing is that it could very well not happen in Aug. either because the SDA has pushed there closing forward until maybe Aug. If that happens it could be even Nov. before we could get them. Natasha then asked if we could not get there before August could we host them for the summer. We had to make the decision not to host because there was the chance of bringing them home in July. It was very hard to not be able to say we will be right there. She has never really indicated that she really wanted to come other than saying yes, so when she said this I wanted to be right there. We then said our good by, we loved her and we would get there as soon as we could. It did make me really excited that she opened up so much and was so ready to come, but also sad because she wanted to come and I couldn't do anything about it. The tears wanted to really flow but I held them in. Then after that I called the adoption agency to see if our dossier was getting turned in on schedule, which was going to hopefully be today or tomorrow. Well, I found out there was some delay and it would probably be next Monday or Tuesday. This was hard to here after  I had just been listening to Natasha want to come so bad. It was just about already to the impossible point but now even worse than that. Now as soon as the dossier is given to the right hands they will have to choose to give us a date to travel immediately. This will be a miracle. This does not usually happen but the Lord has done some pretty amazing things so far and I know that if He wants them home now they will come home now. Please pray for God's miracles. We know that Maxim and Natasha  are not in any danger besides that of a broken heart. We can't wait to see God work in their lives to repair that. It is so hard for me to see how they could have to wait even longer to be united with their forever family but we do trust whatever God's perfect will is. Please also pray how you can be a part of changing these children's lives. The Lord works in lives in different ways. He blesses some people by giving them a heart to open up their homes to orphans and He blesses some people with the finances to help these children find a home. We can't always do it all but we can work together to give them everything they need. We still need $20,000. Are you the one who can help financially and give Maxim and Natasha a chance at life. We know that God wants to change more than our lives with this. If you let your heart see what God wants you to see , you will never be the same. I praise and thank God for what He is doing in my life! I will never be the same. Please pray that God's miracle will happen and the dossier will be turned in quickly and we will get a travel date before the 3rd week of June. Please pray that Maxim and Natasha would not have to wait any longer to be united with their forever family. They have been without a family long enough. We all know God's heart for orphans. We are His hands and feet here on earth. Help us show these children Him. May God be glorified through all that will happen. To God be the glory!

True Faith



Here is the newest picture of our puzzle of Maxim and Natasha. We have now had 170 pieces. Please help give them life by donating $5 and have your name on the back of the puzzle to show them you care. You can click the donate button at the bottom of the page.

 

We had an awesome weekend at Roopville Road Baptist Church. We had our Global Missions Conference. We had many missionaries from this area and from all around the world telling about the mission that God has led them on. It was great to see all the Lord is doing in every part of the world. Through our adoption process the Lord has pierced our heart for orphans in a great way. We know the Lord is calling us to help these children in some way. Please help us pray as we seek God's will for this. 

Now for my story about true faith. As we have been going through the adoption process I have claimed many times that we are moving forward by faith and trusting God to meet each need (and He so graciously has). We have never been in the financial situation to do what we are doing. This whole adventure has been God's from the very beginning. We knew God placed Maxim and Natasha into our home because by the time we realized this was what God wanted us to do they were about the only sibling group left. Brady and Sarah Grace wanted a boy and a girl and we thought that would be great. We watched as the Lord provided every dime we needed to bring them here and not only that but provided for them while they were here. As the Lord confirmed in our hearts to adopt them we knew that this whole journey would have to be a matter of faith. We knew that we not only didn't have the money to adopt them but we would living on faith each day after all this is over also. As time is drawing near to go to Ukraine the Lord has shown me that the faith I had has really not been faith at all. I realized this as my family was having our prayer time the other night. I shared with them since our time was running out that I knew that if all else failed we could get an adoption loan that was interest free and payment free until we received our adoption tax credit check next year ( which sounded so great and perfect). We have known this of course but hadn't ever talked about doing it until then. Thinking the whole time that I had been living solely on faith, in the back of my mind that we could always do this if the rest didn't work out. Then it was like I had been shot in the heart. Brad proceded to remind me that we had decided long ago when we got out of debt that we knew that it was not God's will for us to ever be in that situation again. I guess that all this time I had blocked this out of my mind because I had to have a backup plan in case God didn't come through for me. You can't imagine how that hit me when I realized all along that I didn't really trust God if I had a backup plan of my own.That just truly tore me up. The next day it was all I could think about. How I claimed to truly trust God and even made myself believe it. But I know that this is not true faith and trust. It is our humanness to always have a backup plan in case God doesn't come through for us but it is not how God has called us to trust Him. He has called us to trust Him in everything. We don't need a backup plan when we truly trust Him. I realized then that God is calling me to a faith I've never had or experienced. So now if I truly trust him I have to move forward in real faith. God has shown me what real faith is. We have no other option now but to really put our faith to work. We have come so far already having $9,000. But it is so hard to look at $21,000 more and think it is even possible. We have to have a HUGE faith for this. As I have said before, we have a HUGE God, but all this takes on a whole new meaning of huge.I know that many people in this world don't understand this and even many Christain people don't understand. We all have it in our nature to think we have to fix it all. Sometimes we just can't and thats when you are pointed to the One who can, Jesus Christ.

Please join us in faith as we believe for the HUGE. He would not have brought us this far for nothing. Next week our dossier will be turned in and we will be awaiting our travel dates. When we get this date we have to be there or it is all over. You can't just reschedule till you get the money. This is it. This is where we trust God for the HUGE. We know the Lord has called us here. We can't even imagine how He will pull this off, but I can't wait to see just what He is going to do. I pray that the world would see Him. I pray that the world would see how awesome it is to truly give your whole life to Him. I can't wait to see what He is going to do in your life too!

Waiting on God's Timing

Please pray for God's perfect will to unfold. We really can't believe how things are coming along so quickly. Just a few weeks ago we were told it would be a miracle if we got to Ukraine before the SDA closed down. Today we can say that each step is working out amazingly. We were first waiting on our marriage licence to get here from Jamaica. We thought they would never get here. They got here about 2 weeks ago and they were sent directly to Washington. They had to be apostilled by the Jamaican Embassy. They have now been sent back to us, thanks to the wonderful man in Washington that helped us. Back here we have had a very nice man at Johnny Isakson's office helping us to get our adoption approved. We had waited a week because he needed proof that Maxim and Natasha are brother and sister and that Natasha is about to be 17. This came Tuesday and we just found out today that they are now considering expediting. I really don't understand all of this but all I know is that this could be happening very soon. Our dossier is being sent today to Joe and Nicole ( the family adopting Kolya) and they will take it with them to Ukraine on May 9th when they go for their first trip to adopt Kolya. It will then be up to them to give us a court date. This normally takes awhile but we have reason to believe that we could know soon after that. Please pray for God's perfect plan. We know that whatever is His plan is best. We have many, many details that will have to be worked out but our God has told us that HE will work out each one. We know that Maxim and Natasha are supposed to be here with us. God has called us to take care of them and love them and said He would take care of the rest. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!

Also, please pray for us as we seek God's will about what He wants us to do with what He has shown us. He has touched our heart for orphans in such a mighty way. There are so many out there and we could bring hope to their lives in many different ways. It is hard to comprehend not having a family or ANYONE. We don't know how blessed we are just to have someone who cares about us. They have no one to tuck them in bed each night, no one teach them the most simple things we take for granted. Just try to imagine what it would be like. It is hard. I think it is almost impossible unless you have had it right in front of you. And then even then it is. My children had them in their home for 4 1/2 weeks and still have no clue, but they will, and I know God is going to change our lives forever. I am so excited about what He is doing. I pray that each one of you will be touched as we have been but you do have to choose to see it. We can keep blinders on our eyes if we want to or we can choose to jump in to what God wants to do in our lives and follow Him no matter how hard it is. I challenge you to do that. I have found that missing the awesome things God has for us is like missing out on life. You can't imagine what He can do in your life till you make the choice to follow. Then you will see just how amazing He is and how He can run or lives perfectly if we let Him. I promise you don't want to miss it. It is more awesome than you can ever imagine. God loves you more than you can ever imagine!!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You !!!

We would like to thank everyone who helped us to make our Fundraising Festival a great day. So far we have raised over $3,000. just from this past weekend. The BBQ was great! Everything turned out great! It truly was such a show of God's love to us and we can't wait to show Maxim and Natasha the outpouring of love to them. I can't imagine how it must feel to think no one loves you and then to get to see that not just one person loves you but many, many people love you. I pray that they will see God's love abundantly as we have through everything you all have done. I have so many people to thank. I do not want to forget anyone who helped so I just want to say thank you to everyone. Thank you to everyone who helped in the kitchen. That was a huge job! Thank you to each person who helped at each table, ticket table, shirt table, Maxim and Natasha's table, cake walk, silent auction, inflatables and to our great face painters. Also to everyone who donated a cake, something for the silent auction, and the inflatables. If you did anything, thank you! If you prayed, thank you! We could never thank you enough.

Even though we did great on Sat. we still have along way to go. We are now up to $8,000. That means $22,ooo. left. Seems impossible in our human minds but we know that we have an amazing God who says He will finish what He has started. We hang on to this everyday. We now have very cute shirts for sale that say "My Favorite Book Says We're All Adopted" Ephesians 1: 4-6 with a picture of the Bible on it. We have hot pink and light blue. They are $15.  We also still have many prayer bracelets. These are the colors of the Ukrainian flag, blue and yellow. They are $3. You can always be reminded to keep Maxim and Natasha in your prayers. Also remember that we still have a puzzle to put together. When you donate $5 they will see your name on the back and know that you care about them. The quilt works the same way. With a donation of $25 your name will be put on a square on their quilt so that they will be wrapped with lots of love. In James 1:27 it says," Religion that God accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Lets help these children find life!

Here is a picture of the shirts and bracelets!!

God's Words to Me Through Our Journey and Puzzle Update

We are so excited to announce 104 puzzle pieces donated! The Lord has been so good to us. So far every dime has been provided for, just like He said it would be. It has been truly been a blessing to see the outpouring of love for Natasha and Maxim as we get ready for our fundraiser. Please pray as we see what the Lord does through this event. Thanks to everyone for your love and support.

Since we have begun this journey the Lord has showered me with His words each day. He has shown me so many different things through these scriptures. I thought that they may could be the encouragement to you that they have been to me, no matter what you are facing. As I read them every day He gives me the strength I need to get me to the next place He has for me to go. Read the amazing words God has for you also.

Matt. 6:33- But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Joshua 1:9- Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Exodus 4:15- And though shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: And I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth and I will teach you what ye shall do.
Psalm 25:4-5- Show me your ways O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth, and teach me, for you are God my Savior and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalm 32:7- You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
1 Thess. 5:24- The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
Gal. 6:9- Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Jer. 32:11-Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is to hard for you.
Isaiah 26:3- I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trust in Thee.
Gal. 5:16- The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Eph. 5:1-2- Be imitators of God, therefore as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Jer. 17:5-7- Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.
Phil. 4:6- Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with
thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God.
Eph. 1:19- And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.
Luke 9:23-24- If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it , but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Matt. 11: 28-30- Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Psalm 147:11- The Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.