Sunday, July 22, 2012

this life matters

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Lisette

Yesterday I found out that “my” Steven had found his forever family. I was and am still so overwhelmed with emotion over hearing about this.

When I first found out about Reece’s Rainbow, I would browse through the listed children, reading each bio, crying over them, praying for them….I would just sit there heartbroken, through blurry eyes, looking at these sweet faces.

One in particular that caught my eye was Steven…..

Just look at that face.

I would look at his bio daily, there was just something about him that tugged at my heart in an awful, crazy kind of way. I told myself if Todd ever said yes to adoption, this was the little boy I was going to bring home. Pretty soon I wouldn’t even read his bio anymore because I had it memorized. Words like HIV positive and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome took on less and less meaning to me. However, his sweet little face became more meaningful to me, and it’s now forever ingrained into my memory. This little boy changed something in me I couldn’t even begin to understand, let alone explain.

I don’t know why God gave me these feelings for this little boy whom I’ve never met? Of the hundreds of kids on this site, why this one? What was it about it him? I have to be honest here and say that at times I don’t understand how I could feel this way when I couldn’t be the one to bring him home. However, deep down I know God’s plan for Steven’s life was perfectly thought out, before He had even so beautifully created him.

As I think of God’s plan for Steven’s life, I realize he has already begun to use this little boy for His glory.

In my own life, He has used Steven and his unfolding story to show me what it means to love. To serve. To trust. To give. To be humble. To be selfless. To live and give sacrificially. Here I was asking God, “How can I be the hands and feet for you, for these orphans?” “What can I do for Steven if I’m not meant to adopt him?”

Meanwhile, He was using Steven all along to change my heart on so many levels and to prepare me for what’s to come…..

I can only begin to imagine how God is going to use him to touch the hearts and lives of other people.

I am so grateful he has a family! And although I’ve never met his family outside of the Internet, I LOVE them! They are going to give him a beautiful, loving home, centered on Christ.

What could be more beautiful and perfect than that?!

Just to give you an idea of what Steven is like, as well as his mommy, I’ve included a portion of Nicole and Steven’s story, just little tidbits about what’s happened, but there is so much more, which I hope to hear all about one day!

—- “None of us could hide that that kiddo (Steven) and us love each other. He was tied at the hip all the time. Each night he would tell the nannies, “This is my mama.” when I would visit in the morning and at night. We told him and he came running to me and hugged me and said “You are my mama”. He blows kisses to me every night. Tania (The little girl the Dewberry’s are currently adopting from the same orphanage as Steven) and Steven and Kolya and I spent the last couple hours all together. The nannies and I took all his measurement to get everything ready for him. My heart has been stolen by a 5 year old! (:” —

— ”On Tania’s gotcha day we told the nannies who we adore and have been hinting how I am mama to him so they told him. He was holding my hand when they told him right after he said “This is my mama” they said, “She sure is and she is coming to adopt you.” His smile was so huge he hugged my legs and said “Mama I love You”. Director and home lawyer know. The whole ball of wax. So we got to leave with my boy knowing we are coming for him. He blows great kisses too! Got his measurements so we are good to go to get stuff ready for him and my return trip! (:” —

I don’t know about you, but hearing little pieces of this little boy getting a mommy just melt my heart like you wouldn’t believe!

I’ve been talking with his mom and there are a couple things I want to share. First is that someone has offered a $2,000 matching grant!!! That means if we can get people to donate to this little boy, we can turn that $2,000 into $4,000 in no time! That will bring the Dewberry’s that much closer to bringing Steven home! On the right side of my blog there is a chip-in for Steven. Let’s see if we can’t get his chip-in to 2K to get the matching grant put in!!!

Keep in mind the Dewberry’s are currently in country bringing Tania home. Because they met/decided to adopt Steven once at the orphanage, Nicole will have to travel back. So between all the adoption fees/travel, there is most definitely going to be a need for funds!

Also, I am going to start my own little fundraising for him. Keep your eye out for an upcoming post with that information. I also want to share sweet, little Lance with you guys next time too!

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Psalms 68:5-6 “Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families.”

God is so good and faithful! I am just overjoyed right now, I feel like one of my own children is coming home!

Steven is not forsaken.

He is fearfully and wonderfully made.

He is loved.

God has been preparing the hearts of his parents all this time.

This life matters! I can’t wait to see what God does with it!

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What Does Nicole Mean By Advocating For Orphans?

So glad you asked! In Ukraine many hosting programs are shutting down. The reason being is boarding schools (orphanages) are being condensed the more the foster care system grows in Ukraine. This leaves the school Directors in fear of losing their jobs if they do not hold a specific number of children in their boarding school. Then the threat of shut down looms over their heads. The second reason is with hosting programs that means many children will find their forever families which means again the number of children falls under what is required for the school to remain open. It is a double edge sword. You have many Directors that want their children adopted but then they know if they loose their job they cannot support their family. It is not easy in Eastern Europe to find a job in a couple days. Especially with the current climate Ukraine is in with war at hand.

5 years ago Nicole started to notice the decline in hosting programs being allowed to continue to bring children over to America. With the adoption of their children, especially their 2 littles ones Nicole & Joe knew they did not have the allotted time needed to dedicate to volunteer with NHFC and not be able to give it their all like they had done in the past. They did not want to fail the NHFC team. So they resigned and Nicole went freelancing in Ukraine. On Gods timing, when she was able, wherever God lead and with the team God put together. On these trips Nicole, her son Kolya and/or the team would teach children English, teach them about Jesus, love on them and then fight for them. Meaning if a child or boarding school staff came to Nicole and said this child wanted a family Nicole would interview them and spend as much time with them as possible to get to know them personally. Nicole would do this in an effort to learn as much as possible to help advocate for the child in hopes their forever family would come forward. Nicole would learn the good and bad in an effort to be upfront and honest with a potential adoptive family.

Nicole is not an adoption agency, a hosting agency, nor a professional and she does not work for anyone accept God. She is a gal after God's heart and children, a stay at home Mama that has worked with teens for 20 years and this is her heart and passion.

Why Ukraine Nicole?

In Eastern Europe it is very different then America. In America if a child is in the foster care system they can remain with their family for care until they are 18 years old. In America there is opportunity for just about everyone even if it is working at McDonalds. You are not labeled as an "Orphan". In Eastern Europe an orphaned children is basically wearing a stamp his/her their forehead that says "Orphan". It is like a permanent tattoo that is with them for life and never washes off not only in their mind but to others. They are not wanted or welcomed in many cases. On a trip to Ukraine a sign was spotted that stated "No orphans allowed" that was posted up on the door of a store. At the age of 16 these children age out of their boarding schools and have a choice of trade school or the streets. Most of them have no family to turn to. So just imagine a 16 year old child left to their own with NO accountability. With the economic crises and war in Eastern Europe the children that have extended family like Grandpa, Grandma, a sister or a brother cannot afford to take in the child so they only visit. If the child should choose to go to trade school it generally consists of coal mining, hair dressing, etc. Even with that in school the kids again are accountable to themselves and if they do not hold up their grades they are on the streets. If they graduate they still are stamped "Orphaned". So should they apply for a job with many other folks they will be the ones tossed because of this label. So their chances of graduating trade school and then getting a job are slim to known unless they are one determined child. The trade school housing for the kids is old hospitals that are now used as dorms. If a child is not back to their dorm by 10PM they are locked out for the night and they will call the streets then bedroom. Many children have been noted to say that they are scared to be in the trade school dorms because of the violence, rap, prostitution, drugs and alcohol. One child was noted to say that he would find kids shooting up drugs in the hallway and passed out. He bought a gun illegally in order to be able to protect himself of the unknown there. Then you have the rebels that take the world on by themselves that either at this point in their life want to live independently and not report to anyone or just cannot handle the trade school life and want nothing to do with it. So they take the streets to make it. They generally fall into becoming thieves, go into prostitution or commit suicide in order to survive. No matter how you flip this coin the statistics are grim from these children. They are all survivors doing just that.......surviving.

There is such a significant need all over the world even in America. Joe and I were foster parents and have served with youth in the US for our entire marriage and Nicole prior to marriage. God steered Joe and Nicole on a different path when they were introduced to NHFC and adopted their first son, Kolya from Ukraine. God has continued to call them to Ukraine in an effort to reach the voiceless and give them a voice, hope and love. God calls each of us to a specific place, time and season to do His work as Christians. God has shifted their call to Ukraine.....for the time being. Again they go where God leads where ever it may be.

Meet The Dewberrys

The Dewberrys came together as a family after hosting their now 18 year old now son, Kolya from Ukraine during Christmas 2010 through an International hosting program called New Horizons For Children, Inc.

In the midst of hosting Kolya, Joe and Nicole felt the Lord was going to lead them through more then just hosting in Ukraine. Nicole and Joe was were blessed to work with NHFC as a volunteer Regional Directors in North Carolina for the orphan hosting program. Nicole realized that in time there seemed to be a decline to host children from Ukraine with all the politics that was abounding in Ukraine. So she felt a lead to break away from hosting and go where God leads to travel to Ukraine and be wide open to God to lead her to orphanages to met children that could no longer be hosted and advocate to find them forever families that were aging out. For the last 6 years Nicole has been traveling to Ukraine several times a year to teach English in orphanages, teach the children about Jesus, show them the love of Christ and advocate for true orphans that want a forever family. Nicole brings aid to the Ukraine military, visiting the military in the hospitals as well as meeting active duty and on the field military and serving with mission teams the local folks that remain in regions that are devastated by war with her oldest son Misha. The Dewberrrys children have returned with Nicole to Ukraine on many occasions to serve the people of their country.

Kids are Joe and Nicole's love and passion. Nicole has worked with teens for 22 years. Joe and Nicole together have done mission work with youth and have specifically worked with at-risk youth and in church youth ministry for 17 years. The Dewberrys arms are wide open to show the love they have for the lost and forgotten youth.

The Lord lead them back to Ukraine in 2012 to adopt Tania, 10 years old & Stopha who is 8 years old and are HIV+. In 2014 the Lord lead the Dewberrys back to Ukraine to adopt Bogdan 12 years old who is HIV+ and Angelica 19 years old and Kristjan 16 years old. Then in 2015 the Dewberry's returned for Vova 16 years old and Viktor 12 years old. None of the Dewberrys children would not be home without the prayers and the hands of feet of Christ of folks coming alongside their family to see their children home and also all the mission trips Nicole has been on.

Nicole and her children continue to return to Ukraine to do mission work advocating for orphans that want forever families, teaching them about Jesus, teaching them English as well as doing doing mission work with the military and regions of devastation by serving those left behind.

With the greater increase in adoptions which is amazing there is also a greater need for support for adopted children and their families. Nicole is now working with Hope Connection International holding classes and support groups to teach pre-adoption classes, connect families that have adopted within the US and abroad and work with families in crises to help prevent disruption.

Our family prayer is to go where God leads.

Religion that God our Father 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. - James 1:27

About This Blog

This blog is dedicated to our heart and soul, the orphans that cannot speak out of Eastern Europe. This blog is about our journey of the adoption of our children, the mission work we do in Eastern Europe, advocating for orphans and wherever God leads our family.

This blog is also about the trials and tribulations we have faced with hosting, adopting, missions work already and yet to come. The grace, mercies and restorations of our hearts and minds. The incredible friendships God has provided along the way. About our missions trips to Ukraine working with orphans. The blessings of when Nicole volunteered with New Horizons For Children as Regional Director. All our crazy stories & adventures we have had along the way here in America and in Ukraine. And oh how we have adventures and stories! This blog is a dedication to our Lord and Savior encompassing the one thing he treasures more then anything, His children.....the orphans.

And This One Matters......

Sunday, July 22, 2012

this life matters

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