And This One Matters......: 11 Days & Counting For Take Off!

Monday, March 11, 2013

11 Days & Counting For Take Off!

11 days exactly to blast off to Ukraine. Hard to believe how fast it has approached. Our table is forming with the items to bring and still accumulating.

I am a very blessed to have three Ukrainian children that call me "Mama". I am even more blessed to have all three of my children have the hearts desire to serve their Lord and Savior and be willing to step foot back into the country they once called home and most would never look back or have the desire to return when there was so much pain and hurt associated with it. This is now Kolyas 3rd trip back to Ukraine to serve with me.

On this trip the team will be giving cardboard testimonies...

This was who Kolya was........

This is who Kolya is now.......

       Although I was saved this was the life I had.........


                      This is who I am now.............

God has wonderfully orchestrated an amazing team for this trip which we are so excited to serve with to reach out and teach these orphans about Christ and to love on them. Being in the service of orphans and others is the closest I feel to God and it is truly amazing.

Why Ukraine when there are so many other places to serve like right here in our country, USA. I have been asked time and time again by people who are my family, friends or I do not have a relationship with. Many have not been supportive of our journey over the years. Funny enough now those many of folks that have met our children their hearts have changed toward the journey we were called to. My answer still remains the same to folks that do not agree...we go where God leads us. We are not put here to serve what others want us to do or think we should do or what is best for us although there intentions may be concern for us but what we specifically are called to do by Christ. Joe and I have served in youth ministry with at risk you for over 20 years here in the US and have been foster parents and in 2010 God said I have something different for you. He lead us to New Horizons For Children where we found Kolya and that is a huge story in itself totally orchestrated by God. In our years of service and foster care God has exposed us to so many things from joy, sadness, loss, restoration, molding, shaping, equipping, training and the list goes on and on. In the middle of all of this for the last 20 years never in a million years did I ever see where we are at now and man is it GOOD! And I sit here and give all the complete glory to God. There was one point in ministry where that glory started to shift in my heart to pride when we were getting noticed for the service and work we were doing with youth and God quickly stopped that 12 years ago when he took my one fear from me, my health. I was ill and even near death twice which brought me to my knees countless times to where I was ready to give up the fight. Then I surrendered all and hit the floor after years of complete stubbornness and selfishness and just thinking and praying Lord please make me better verse trying to see what he wanted to teach me. A little over 2 years ago when I could barely breath and doctors did not know what to do with me because I was getting worse I surrendered all and told God my wish to serve him and glorify him and if he would restore me and give me strength to fight I would be His foot solider. With every step with my black Labrador, Beau by my side to help support me as I started walking the stairs to gain strength and air God began to heal me one step at a time. Not even a year later Kolya came into our life. I am saying all this because again in the middle of it all I never new the great plans God had or was making for our family and future. And now I sit here with two little incredible kids diagnosed with HIV and it is just a diagnosis but their symptoms were all too familiar to me, had I not been sick for all those years I would have no clue how to help them with their health and seek God to restore their health. We are watching our two children heal from leaps and bounds mentally and physically and it is incredible and again all the glory be to God. Now I see how he took something so bad which was me starting to rob His glory years ago and turned it into a beautiful things of restoration not only for me but unfolding before my eyes for my kids. Why am I saying all this....there are so many people called to adopt here in the US and abroad with very little support and even financially. They are so discouraged for one reason or another. I want you to be encouraged if God calls you to jump that no matter all to come ahead if you listen to His call you will be rewarded for that and it may not be the way you expected or planned. So many folks I have seen and work with go to adopt a specific child and it disrupts whether it be that child gets adopted by another family in country, the child is not legally free, the adoption gets delayed the child passes away the list goes on and on.....it does not mean necessarily he is slamming the door but seeing if you are willing to answer His call and then move you forward in His timing to the place and child he has set aside for you. It also could be like myself my heart was aimed at myself when I was ill and not seeing what God wanted me to see. God may be wanting to change you or your heart in one or more areas and he needs to see and needs you to be willing to be molded before he will put that specific child(ren) before you. Then again once you are willing and change he can and will use it for His glory and you could be used specifically to help your child overcome a battle you once had. Transformation is a beautiful thing when it is for His glory!!

I am not sure why I added this all in when I am writing our mission trip stuff but I felt I was suppose to so I rolled with what God put on my heart.

Again take off to Ukraine in 11 days. I ask for your prayers for these kiddos we will be ministering to that their hearts are open and willing to hear His call. That God uses us as His foot soldiers and put us where he needs us at the specific times. That He rocks our world for His glory in this ministry time there and we come home changed and on fire for Him and this service. I pray children's lives are saved and changed for His glory. I pray for safety in all our travels. For the protection of the team as we know Satan is on the move to seek and destroy and that our camp is protected and safe by Christ. I am sick as a dog right now and asking for prayer for a strong and speedy recovery of this snotty mess I am right now. That God gives us the ability and words in our lessons to reach these kiddos and they will allow to be free and show us who they really are. I will be interviewing children and I truly pray this so I can see if they can function in a family environment and do my best to advocate for them for their forever family that best meets their needs and who they are. 11 days folks whew wee!!!! We are pumped and ready to go except I do not want to go with a load of kleenex and boogies!

What are our needs at this point. We are packing up and almost ready to roll. We are funded for this mission trip, we are just asking for prayer listed above and needing a little more funding to get this last extra bag on the plane with us. We are taking back a box of socks donated and a skateboard Alex and Kolya made for the kids and anything else we can fit in that bag to max it to 50lbs. We have had a donation of $50.00 come in so we are just short $105.00. If you would like to send a contribution to help us get this extra bad there to the kids please send me a line or you can email a donation via paypal to diveshark@yahoo.com and select "Gift" to avoid paypal fees.

We so appreciate all your prayers and support on this journey ahead.

Please follow us on it following this blog and our FB page at:

https://www.facebook.com/OrphanMissionToUkraine

God bless!!

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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.

Monday, March 11, 2013

11 Days & Counting For Take Off!

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