COMPLETE

After 2 years, hundreds of documents, thousands of tears, and millions of prayers, I can finally say...OUR ADOPTION OF KIRILL IS COMPLETE!

We feel incredibly blessed by God's addition of Kirill to our family. 

We understand God's love for us more fully because of this difficult road we travelled to bring Kirill home. 

We realize we could not have done it alone.

We are SO THANKFUL for the outpouring of support through words, thoughts, acts of kindness, and most importantly, PRAYER.

If you've followed our journey from the beginning, you know that we have grown increasingly passionate about orphan care during our adoption process.

I can think of no better way to end this blog than to put out a plea for the millions of other children just like Kirill that do not have most basic human right...the love of a family.

As we were saying good-bye to our wonderful Russian staff on Kirill's gotcha day, I will never forget our facilitator's parting words to us. With tears in her eyes she said, "You have a blog. Please put on your blog that there are other children here who need families."

This request was humbling and amazing to us. Our Russian staff had been working so hard on our behalf. They lost sleep and put in long hours to help us fight for our precious son. I know their jobs were so very difficult. Yet they want to keep fighting for these children who are not valued by their society to have famlies. I cannot tell you how much these people mean to us. They are truly the Rosa Parks of their society, fighting for the rights of those that cannot fight for themselves.

And they are winning.

NO, GOD IS WINNING.

I am fully convinced that Satan tries to keep people from adopting orphans because he KNOWS that through adoption, you will come to know God's love for you more fully than you have ever known his love before. I can also tell you that when you choose to adopt, God will teach you things that he cannot teach you any other way than through the adoption process.

So don't miss out.

Adopt.

There are 147 million chances waiting to show you the love that God has for you.

And if you are afraid or if you have excuses, tell them to God and then listen for his reply. Search scripture. Ask him to help you understand his heart. Then remember his promises...

Joshua 1:9

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Phil 1:6

"For I am certain of this very thing, that he by whom the good work was started in you will make it COMPLETE until the day Christ returns."

GOTCHA DAY!

Just arrived in Moscow on the overnight train and have a very short time to blog. Gotcha Day was crazy! I will tell the story later...we had some hiccups in our plans after we got Kirill. Nothing major, but had to chase papers in Pskov and do a lot of running around!

We are getting ready to go to the U.S. Embassy for Kirill's visa. The doctor just came to examine him in our hotel. He is extremely malnourished. The doctor was very concerned about how thin he is, but said otherwise he looks ok. He could not hear any issues with his heart by listening, but said we needed to get him to a cardiologist as soon as possible to make sure that the hole in his heart has closed on its own.

After bath in the hotel room

Gotcha!

So you're my daddy?

Enough with the camera already! I'm trying to eat!!!

He is eating very well though. He LOVES bananas and pretty much any food! He doesn't like to drink much. We have tried every kind of cup and liquid we can think of. This is worrying me a little. I know he is dehydrated because he doesn't pee very often. He only had one wet diaper all day yesterday.

Ok, I've got to run. Please pray for our precious Kirill. He is going to need so much. We are so thankful we got him out of the orphanage when we did. We cannot wait to get him home and fatten him up.

Kirill's Miracle Story

Last night, I was sitting up thinking about how I wanted to tell the story of Kirill becoming our son. I just have so many things to tell you guys about the MIRACLE that has taken place over the last week. It's hard to believe that just one week ago, we were on a plane, heading to Moscow, with NO IDEA that we would be bringing Kirill home. I didn't post this on the blog, but the best hope we were given was that the Supreme Court would cancel the judge's original ruling and grant us another hearing in our region. This was our understanding of the court system here in Russia, as well as our agency's understanding after talking with our lawyer in Moscow. We were told that this trip was strictly for the supreme court hearing, that we would come back to the U.S. as soon as it was over and IF we were granted a new hearing in K's region by the supreme court, we would have to wait for anywhere from 1-3 months OR MORE for a new hearing in the region. But there wasn't an official timeline so even that time estimate was uncertain; we were told it could be longer or it could be shorter.


BUT GOD HAD A DIFFERENT PLAN.


I WANT TO SHARE THE STORY OF HOW KIRILL'S MIRACLE HAPPENED.


But as I was thinking about where to begin, I kept thinking about my friend Karrie Cannell, who is in the process of adopting two brothers from Eastern Europe. Their story kept interrupting my thoughts and made me pray hard for them. Karrie and her husband Donnie originally committed to one of the boys, Carson, and started the process to adopt him. Well, as the process moved forward, they found out Carson had a biological brother in another orphanage! So what did they do? They committed to adopt BOTH BOYS. 

Carson and John have EB, or Epidermolysis Bullosa. EB is a genetic skin condition that causes painful blisters to form anywhere the skin is exposed to friction. The skin is so fragile that even the slightest touch can cause painful blisters that are prone to infection. Many children do not live for very long with this condition because of the high risk of infection. There are many precautions that have to be taken to care for the sores and prevent new blisters from forming. It is painful to see the photos of these boys because I know what orphanage conditions are like and I know that these boys do not get good care for such a fragile condition. Honestly, I'm surprised they are still alive because orphanages are not the cleanest places and they certainly aren't the most medically attentive places. THEY NEED TO COME HOME SOON.


These boys are in different orphanages in different regions because John is older and had already been transferred to an older children's orphanage. This means Donnie and Karrie have to come up with about twice as much money to adopt the two boys because they have to do it separately, and they have to have the money before they can travel to pick up their sons. They are submitted and just waiting on "the call" to go get their sons. How much do they need? Right now, about $20,000...which may sound like a lot, but really it's NOT. God can do that in no time at all!


Remember the 7-Day Blitz for Kirill?


So here's a breakdown of what the Cannells still need, taken from Karrie's blog:


$13,415 is what we have on Reeces Rainbow.
$1,000 deposit,~ if you will~ that we get back from RR.
$1,052 is what we have in Paypal.
$645 money on hand.
Total: $16,113 We still need: $21,155 to fully fund the adoption,
However~
Donnie is going to be gone from his job for 8 weeks, and he doesn't get vacation pay for his time away. The reality of it is, we have to cover his time away. That is another $10K ....that one is hard to swallow....we are going to cut things down and out of our monthly expenses while we are gone. So that will help. Praying the funds will go over and beyond to cover Donnies time away from his job. Thanking God for giving him such a great job that he will still have a job when we gets back. Some that go over to get there kiddos, have job issues when they return. We will keep them all in our prayers. It is hard to ask for money, it is almost embarrassing, but there is no way that we could fulfill God's calling without help. We make plenty of money to take care of our kids, and our two new sons. It's getting them here that puts us in a pickle ;) So please help us...Donate~Pray~ and share our story......thank you from the bottom of our hearts ♥


And here's where you come in...


I'm going to tell Kirill's miracle story, but not until the Cannell's are fully funded. As I was trying to type up K's miracle story last night, I just couldn't get Carson and John off my mind. I cannot imagine how this family must feel facing such expenses, BUT MONEY AIN'T NO THANG TO GOD! I have received almost 5,000 hits daily on this blog for a while. If each one of those people who visit donates $4, we could raise this amount in NO TIME AT ALL. If you think it's not your responsibility to help, then stop reading this blog. Because God COMMANDS us to care for orphans. That's not a "calling" that's a command...there's a BIG, HUGE DIFFERENCE. So, I'm asking all of Kirill's army to please give a little or a lot, however God leads you to give. Pray first, then ask God to tell you what he wants you to give. Don't dismiss this post and say, "I'll do it later." Go to the chip-in NOW and donate. 


As soon as they're fully funded, I'm going to share the miracle of Kirill's story. But until then, I just can't do it because I keep trying and I can't get the Cannell boys out of my mind when I try to write. I know it's God telling me to advocate for them. So what are you waiting for??? Click on the Chip In below and DONATE. Let's get these boys HOME!

GOD OF MIRACLES

WE ARE NOW THE PROUD PARENTS OF GREGORY KIRILL DAVIS. HE IS OURS. THE SUPREME COURT OVERTURNED THE JUDGE'S RULING. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, HIS NAME IS GREGORY KIRILL DAVIS AND WE WILL GO PICK HIM UP IN JUST A FEW SHORT DAYS AS SOON AS WE HAVE THE OFFICIAL COURT DECREE IN HAND. I WILL POST THE DETAILS WHEN I KNOW THEM. RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN A FLURRY OF TEARS AND EXCITEMENT AND WE WON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW OUR NEXT FEW DAYS WILL GO UNTIL TOMORROW WHEN WE MEET AGAIN WITH OUR FACILITATOR.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT. MAY YOU SEE THAT GOD IS THE GOD OF MIRACLES AND THAT HE IS FAITHFUL TO COMPLETE THE WORK HE HAS STARTED IN YOU.

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW. PRAISE HIM ALL CREATURES HERE BELOW. PRAISE HIM ABOVE YE HEAVENLY HOSTS. PRAISE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST!

Going with God

We leave in less than 24 hours. God is with us. We are going with him. We are taking peace, hope, and the understanding that HE is writing this story. We covet your prayers. We humbly ask for you to especially pray on May 24th beginning at 6:10 a.m. CST. This is the exact time we will be standing before the supreme court judge. Pray for him. Pray for our lawyer. Pray for Kirill. But above all else, pray that Christ is seen by everyone who hears Kirill's story. THANK YOU ALL! I will update here as soon as we know the supreme court ruling.

Easter, Kirill's Birthday, & Mother's Day...(and throw in a tornado)

The last three weeks have probably been some of the hardest to endure since we returned from Russia. I thought it couldn't get any harder, but with important dates come tidal waves of emotion for which I cannot prepare my heart.

I'm a therapist.

I know about dates and the significance they play in the grieving process.

Only we cannot grieve.

We are stuck.

We're in this weird suspension between the best and worst case scenarios. It's such a difficult place to be. If I knew that Kirill was never coming home, I could fully grieve the loss and move forward through the pain. Or, if I knew for sure he was coming home, I could wait in joyful expectation. However, I know nothing of what the future holds. Only God knows. And while that thought comforts, it doesn't take away the pain of the here and now. And while we are suspended, life moves forward...

Easter...it came...and it was harder than I thought. I had decorated for Easter right around Valentine's Day. You know how when you decorate for a holiday and before you know it, the holiday is over and it seems like no time as passed until you're taking down the decorations? Well, I wanted to get my Easter decorations up as early as possible for that reason...because by the time it was time to take them down, I thought Kirill would be home! I love Easter for so many reasons. Of course I love it because of Christ's resurrection. I also love it because of the symbolism of new life and new creation. I love the spring. I love renewal. All of these things were going to be even more meaningful because of Kirill.

Then court happened.

I thought I could handle Easter. I thought I was ready for the tidal wave. I bought Easter treats for Clayton. I made plans for Easter lunch and an egg hunt. I was going to celebrate Jesus' resurrection despite our sadness. But I couldn't. And I didn't. Instead, we sent Clayton to church with friends and I spent the day in my closet floor, clinging to Greg, crying out to God and letting all of the pent up emotion out. It wasn't pretty. But it was necessary.

But the dates kept coming. The very next Sunday would be Kirill's 5th birthday. Greg and I prayed in preparation for the date. We knew it would be HARD. Harder than Easter. We prayed for strength. We prayed for distraction. We prayed for it to be a better day than Easter Sunday.

Clayton's birthday is also in May, just 11 days after Kirill's. He had asked to have his party on Kirill's birthday. In his 5-year-old mind, he and Kirill are "twins". He keeps saying that they are twins because they are both born in May and they are "just my same age" as he says. It's so cute how he says it..."We are adopting a brother and he's going to be just my same age!" So I couldn't say no to him when he asked to have his party on May 1st! We decided we would turn a day of sadness into a day of celebration.

Then the tornadoes hit. April 27th. I was in my office, which was approximately 200 yards from some of the worst devastation. I saw things I cannot unsee and heard things I cannot unhear. Physically and materially, we lost nothing...except cable and Internet for a few days...but our city was forever changed. Many people were without the most basic of needs. We busied ourselves with caring for others. May 1st was the Sunday after the tornado, so we called off the birthday party. We spent the day with a family who lost everything. Literally. They couldn't even find a piece of paper with an address to prove their residence in the debris that was their home. It put everything into perspective for us.

Life is unpredictable.

It can be gone in a second.

We will trust God. We will live for him alone. We will trust not in our own understanding.

And a week later, as Mother's Day approached, I did not dread it. I had a fantastic day. I know that God is sitll God. I know that I am going to be the mother of Kirill one way or another. I will see him in Heaven no matter what happens on this Earth. Whether or not he comes to be a part of our earthly family, he's a part of our family for eternity. I thanked God yesterday for his birth mother, who we learned so much about in our court proceedings. I prayed for her and the hole that she must have in her heart after giving up a child. I prayed for her to have peace and for her to know in her heart that Kirill is loved more than he will ever know. That he is being pursued by a family who wants him so badly and who has the ability to give him a wonderful life. That we will not give up until we have exhausted all of the avenues afforded to us by his country to adopt him.

We have made it through some tough dates lately. We also know that there will be more. Namely, May 24th when we appear before the Supreme Court in Moscow. I humbly ask you to pray for us as we make our final preparations for court.

Isaiah 43:2
  When you go through deep waters,
      I will be with you.
   When you go through rivers of difficulty,
      you will not drown.
   When you walk through the fire of oppression,
      you will not be burned up;
      the flames will not consume you.

Joshua 1:9
 This is my command—be strong and courageous!
     Do not be afraid or discouraged.

     For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Mother's Day 2011

Wishing Kirill was here to complete our family photo; hoping he will be here soon!

Raw

I have hesitated to compose this post. I feel like it could be perceived as attention or sympathy-seeking. I don't want people to feel sorry for us. In fact, if you feel inclined to comment with some form of "I'm so sorry", although I know you really mean it and I appreciate your sharing our sorrow, I want you to instead leave a comment of praise to God for our suffering. Please don't take offense to that request...we are so blessed by your thoughts and prayers. But we KNOW that God is making us perfect in our weakness. So we will continue to endure any pain that comes our way by praising him and allowing him to heal us. We are blessed to be children of God and our suffering is making our faith stronger and our relationship with God more complete. First and foremost, every circumstance of our life should be lived for Christ, be it pleasant or unpleasant in the worldly sense of those words. To live is Christ and to die is gain. Greg and I keep reminding each other of that daily as we walk this difficult path we find ourselves on for this season of our lives. In the midst of our suffering, there is joy, hope and peace. There really is...I'm not just speaking Christianese.

Still, the suffering is raw. It is painful. There are times when I collapse in tears. I miss Kirill so much. I replay our last visit with him and wish I had kissed him one more time, savored his touch and his smell just a little longer, taken more pictures, told him how much we loved him just one more time before we walked out of the orphanage.

And then there are reminders that punch me in the gut with no time to prepare or shield myself from their emotional blows. Like ripping the scab from a wound and exposing the raw tissue once again. They come out of nowhere and they reduce me to a heap on on the floor.

There's the afternoon last week when I picked up a load of clothes from the cleaners. As I unwrapped the plastic covers I found the jacket I wore to court. I sat in my closet and cried as I remembered the last time I wore it and the horrible feelings of loss associated with that day.

There's the afternoon that I picked up Clayton from school and he told me they had talked about birthdays. He realized that Kirill's birthday was coming up, but Kirill wasn't going to be here, and they couldn't have a joint birthday party like we had planned. He cried and asked me over and over, "But WHY mommy? You said Kirill was coming home. You LIED to me." We both sobbed all the way home as I tried to explain to him that mommy didn't lie, it just didn't turn out the way we expected.

There's the alarm I had set on my phone weeks before we left for Russia reminding me to add Kirill to our medical insurance after we got home. When I saw the words on the screen of my phone, I had to brace myself against the wall as I cried out to God for strength to make it through the grief.

There's the text I got from someone who couldn't have know what happened, asking how Kirill was doing now that he was home. It took me a full 24 hours to find the words to respond.

Even as I sit here typing this, tears are streaming. Clayton is watching Saturday morning cartoons on Qubo and "Willa's Wild Life" is all about a bear from Russia. Clayton is repeating Russian phrases to the t.v. He should be saying them to Kirill...he should have a brother here watching cartoons with him. Sigh...

I wallow, I cry, I hide under the covers, I beg God to take the pain away, to work a miracle, to bring Kirill home. And I hear his voice saying, "I love Kirill more than you. I know your pain. I see your suffering. Trust me. Seek me. Listen to me. And know that I AM GOD...and you are not."

Then I get up, thank God, and ask him for what I need to make it through the next day, hour, or minute. And you know what? He always gives me just enough. And really, what else can we ask for?