An Amazing Week and So Proud of ILDC

Time has flown so quickly, and we wanted to get pictures up of David's time in Kyrgyzstan, but that has slipped by us.

This week we had the opportunity to do some training in northern California before heading to the Christian Alliance for Orphans conference in southern California.  During the conference the DVD series entitled Adoptive/Foster RX: Solutions For Wounded Families was released by CBN's Orphan Promise. David and I had the opportunity to share on this teaching series, which will be available to the public in June. During the conference, we both had the privilege of sharing in two workshops - Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child and Four Things Your Church Needs to Know about Being a Safety Net for Foster/Adoptive Families.  Our friend and adoptive/bio mom of four, Heather Bench joined us in this workshop.

Of all the exciting things, a highlight to us was seeing and hearing our friends from Ukraine represent the work there.   Oleg, who is the Director of the International Leadership and Development Center (a branch work of LAMb International) spoke in a workshop talking about ILDC's training work in that country.  I was so proud of him as he spoke with such authority and clarity.  Ruslan, the president of Alliance: Ukraine without Orphans project, and also a dear friend spoke both in a workshop and in the closing general session.  What is not known to that crowd is the major work done by LAMb International in terms of training and bringing best practice to this country.  It just was awesome to see them and hear them and know what LAMb/ILDC has been able to accomplish.

Here are just a few pictures of our time there-

 While walking through the exhibits, I had the chance to meet and talk with these children, part of a children's choir touring the US.

 Ruslan, Oleg and Ivan from Russia, address the workshop on orphan care in the former soviet union.

 Oleg share the mission and vision of ILDC!

 Our friends from Ukraine address the general closing session.

Ruslan shares with the large crowd that 6,000 churches in Ukraine celebrated Orphan Sunday last November.

What did we gain from the conference?  We now understand at a greater depth the explosive work of God throughout the world as He is calling His Body - the Church - into action to do something about the massive orphan crisis around the world.  Again, we come away with a deeper level of being "divinely ruined" and a desire for God to continue to use us in His kingdom work.

Major Changes for LAMb In Kyrgyzstan

We are excited for the new  and exciting changes ahead for LAMb...

Please visit the LAMb blog for the latest: www.lambinternational.blogspot.com

Just a few moments ago ( Friday evening 10 pm here), I talked with David via skype. He is having a tremendous time.  He had to leave as the LAMb team, all of them, were heading to visit a new orphanage to serve.  He has had a number of opportunities to speak, including this Easter Sunday at the Chinese Church.  David also shared that some exciting days are ahead for IUCA as more support is gained from around the world.  What a privilege for us to be in on the beginning steps of this young university.

Don't Miss These Updates from the LAMb Team

Today, Ruby and Lynn met our little girls at Dayspring.  Please visit their blog to see these beautiful little girls.

http://lambinternational.blogspot.com/


David is in Kyrgyztan with the Johnstons and Wrights so I will be posting their daily blog (with a lot of envy:) )  David's time there will be shared between Mercy Foundation needs and the IUCA (International University of Central Asia.)

Strengthening Families Ukrainian Adoption Conference Finished Today

What an incredible joy to be here. David and I spent this weekend at the "Strengthening Families Christian Adoption Conference" in Kiev, Ukraine.  Over 200 adoptive parents from all over Ukraine journeyed to Kiev by car, bus or train to attend. Most of these families are parenting wounded children and came looking and hoping for support and encouragement. We pray that is what they received.

For details of this weekend's events, please visit our partner's blog - www.lambinternational.blogspot.com. 

Here are some of our pictures as well..

We arrived last Thursday afternoon and had dinner with the conference organizers.  L to R  Ruby Johnston, co-founder of LAMb, Galina and Oksana, from CBN Ukraine, Kristy Weber, adoptive mom and wife of CBN Ukraine president, Steve Weber, Dr. Ronda Weber from the US and Karen Springs, conference chairman, from CBN Ukraine.

                                                                Registrations begins.

                                                      Opening night on Friday night....

 

Translation of the events...

Dr. John  Bergeron, Lynn Johnston, co-founder of LAMb and David share on a panel.

I had the opportunity to do a general session on the factors of success for healthy adoptive families.

Families from southern Ukraine... Vika in pink next to Ruby, is LAMb, adoption advocate throughout Ukraine. She not only shares about the need for adoptive families through churches in Ukraine, but trains new parents and provide post adoption support. She is amazing.

                                                                    More families

Our book, Wounded Children, Healing Homes was translated into Russian due to the generosity of a donor and was placed in the reception bag of every participant.

What a privilege this weekend has been.  I head home in a few hours and David, Lynn and Ruby head off to Kyrgystan for ministry there. We sat making plans today for the potential of a training trip in September to Kyrgyzstan and in 2013 to  Ukraine. The foucs of those will be on building a trauma informed program for social workers and families.

Leaving for Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan

In just a few hours, David and I again have the privilege of spending time with some incredible people in Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan.  Over this weekend, we will be participating in a national adoption conference in Kiev as part of the partnership between LAMb International and CBN Ukraine.  We have been told that there will be over 200 adoptive parents there. What an opportunity and one we don't take for granted.

On Monday, David and I will part ways as I return to the US and David continues on with Lynn and Ruby for a couple of weeks in Kyrgyzstan. David is chairman of the Board of Trustees for the International University of Central Asia, the new university started by Mercy Foundation. It is so exciting to see how this wonderful university is growing and sending out quality young people.  I hear from the Lynn and Ruby that there is exciting news about our work in Kyrgyzstan, but I won't know for a week what it is!

LAMb ( Lynn and Ruby) have been doing some amazing work on a national scale in Ukraine. Please visit their blog:  www.lambinternational.blogspot.com 

The Wrights are heading back to Kyrygzstan early next week. Visit their blog at www.actofkindness.blogspot.com   Bekah and Emma are already there.

On a personal note:  As we are transitioning to this new stage in our lives, we moved from our Lebanon, Ohio home to a temporary apartment in the Springboro area. After seeking God's direction as to where we should replant ourselves, we have purchased a little home in the Kettering area.  We move into it in early April. David leaves our apartment today and comes home to our new home.  Our new place is centrally located to the four churches that David serves as a counseling pastor.

Thank you for all your encouragement and support....

The Dayspring Family is Growing

Now there are five.  Five little girls whose lives has been interrupted and they have been separated from family,  I was thinking about these five girls...they represent thousands of orphans in Kyrgyzstan. But it is these five who have come our way.  The more I think about it, the more I realize the grave responsibility LAMb has been given.  It is not just any five who have walked through the doors of Dayspring, but it is these five.  That is exciting and sobering at the same time.

Here they are - We don't have a picture of our newest one yet.

                                                             This is Jenia.               
         

                                                        Anya, Dasha and Kristina

If you are interested in supporting one of these beautiful kids or in supporting Dayspring in general, you can do so by giving through the button on the right side of this blog.

Thank you for your interest and for stopping by.  We leave March 28 for an adoption conference in Ukraine and David goes on to Kyrgyzstan for another two weeks. I will be returning home April 2. 

We thank God daily for the privilege of serving Him wherever He directs....the jounrey continues

Adoption - Foster Rx: Solutions for Wounded Families

The vision began over a year ago.  Today culminated over a year's worth of planning and praying. 

In December of 2010, David and I received a surprising phone call. It was from Terry Meeuwsen of The 700 Club.  She had just finished reading our book, Wounded Children, Healing Homes. She wanted to know if we would come to Virginia Beach to discuss a vision they had.  We came and listened to her dream to create a DVD teaching series to encourage adoptive and foster parents. 

Over the last 14 months, we can been working together with her staff to bring together key folks that could speak into the hearts of families struggling with parenting children with a difficult history. It will be entitled Adoption - Foster Rx: Solutions for Wounded Families. Joining us on this project is Dr. Karyn Purvis, Dr. Wendy Flowers and Michael and Amy Monroe of Tapestry Ministries in Dallas.  Over the last three weeks, those folks have been at CBN to film their contributions. Yesterday and today was our turn.

One of the highlights of our time here was to meet such incredible people - those behind the scenes, the ones who make projects like these come to life.  Thank you - Christina, Shirl, Sherry, Alexis, Cindy, Tonya, Pete and the entire camera crew. They were so gracious,encouraging and supportive to us.

We are so humbled and appreciative of the opportunity to share in this project. Here are a few pictures from our adventure.  

Tonya doing David's make-up....a first for him!

The finished product

                                         Wednesday - talking before the shooting begins

                                                                A wide angle shot of yesterday

                           Today - shooting the final segment - parenting your adopted young adult

Over the next few weeks, the Orphan's Promise video team will be finalizing the DVD series. It will be released at the Christian Alliance for Orphan's Summit in May.  It is our hope and prayer that this effort will strengthen adoptive and foster families and enable them to be all  they need to be for their wounded children.  It is our understanding that they intend to distribute this worldwide and the proceeds from it will go to CBN's Orphan's Promise ministry, which is in 53 countries.

We simple and humbly say, Thank you Lord for this privilege.