Merry Christmas!

I love this time of the year because it reminds me of the two greatest adoption stories ever told. One of those is the story of Joseph. It’s amazing to me to think of the courage and faith that Joseph showed when he took the place of Jesus’ earthly father to care for him as his own. He knew that decision could cost him everything, even his life, and yet his faith never wavered. There is one of my favorite Christmas songs in which Joseph is talking to Jesus shortly after he is born and says “Why couldn’t God have chosen another man? How can I lead this family when I don’t understand? How can I take the place of your Dad when I can not explain even how you came to be, my sweet Jesus, my baby boy?” I can’t imagine how confusing this must have all been for him. Yet through all of the obstacles he faced he pressed on praying faithfully for God to provide. He spoke up for Mary and Jesus when they didn’t have a voice, and above all else, no matter the cost, he obeyed God when He called him to take on the enormous task of being Jesus’ dad.

It’s hard to top that story, but there is another that is truly the greatest adoption story ever told. It’s the story of when God sent Jesus to this earth to be born in a humble stable, to be crucified, and to be resurrected again so that when we believe in His holy name, God would adopt US into His Eternal family where we would be heirs to His throne. God knew that sin would enter this world and people would feel alone and without hope. He also knew that there would be orphans, diseases, and death in this world. But he gave us the greatest gift of all when he sent us hope through His son Jesus. What an amazing adoption story he has given us all.

This Christmas is a little bittersweet for us this year. On one hand we have been so blessed this past year with the start of a new adoption process for Elijah’s biological brother Alexander. We have been blown away by the support of all of our friends and family and God’s provision of all our adoption needs. We were also able to travel to Russia to visit Alexander in November, which was nothing short of amazing. We rejoice in the fact that our family is growing and that everyone has remained healthy. We praise the Lord everyday for the growth opportunities our whole family has experienced through these adoption processes. We are also so happy to say that Elijah has now been home with us now longer than he was at the orphanage and that he is doing very well in his “forever family”. On the other hand our hearts do break this Christmas because Alexander has taken Elijah’s place in the orphanage, and we miss him terribly and hope he can come home to his “forever family” soon. There is a song from the Third Day Christmas album called “Merry Christmas”. Below is the chorus of the song that rings so true in our hearts this Christmas.

It’s Christmas time again but you’re not home

Your family is here and yet you’re somewhere else alone

So tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in His arms

And tell you from my heart

I wish you Merry Christmas

Please continue to pray that God would continue to provide for our family as we are still about $17,000 dollars short of what we need to finish our adoption process. Thank you again for all of your support both financially and through your prayers. We are so blessed by you! I pray that God will bless your family in the upcoming year as He has done with our family, and may He receive all the glory and honor in whatever you do.

SP

Thank You!

It's been at times a difficult transition coming back home. There is something to be said for being over in Russia and being purely focused on the task at hand, with few distractions. But now, trying to juggle the adoption with all that entails, as well as the regular difficulties and distractions of our daily life it can sometimes be overwhelming. But it's just in those moments when I feel life bear down heavily that God reminds me that He's got Alexander covered. That He's taking care of it. Another couple of donations and the Lord working in the hearts of a few different people on Alexander's behalf has put us another large step closer to Alexander coming home.

So this Thanksgiving I'm thankful for the fact that God cares about Alexander. That even though Alexander doesn't realize it right now, he has a whole community of people that care about him, and that he has a God that has already planned and secured a future for him. I'm thankful for the hearts of His people and how they allow themselves to be moved. I'm thankful that because of the sacrificial gift of Jesus, His people are compelled to give sacrificially themselves. What a wonderful blessing for our family to see God's people being His hands and His feet in and around our life and Alexander's. And I'm thankful for what the adoptions of Elijah and Alexander have taught me about God, faith, sacrifice, and love.

From Alexander....Thank You!

Cutest Cross-Eyed Boy You'll Ever Meet

Today was day number 2 with Alexander at the orphanage. What a wonderful little boy. Got to see both of his eyes today. He is the cutest little cross-eyed boy you'll ever meet. First Park boy to need glasses for sure! It was a wonderful experience the whole time. 2 hours of just feeling our love grow for him minute-by-minute. He is truly a special little boy, and I can see his potential already. He is so ready for a family! He comes to both of us for hugs. He rests his head on our shoulder and relaxes. Looking forward to spending more time with him tomorrow, but not looking forward to saying goodbye. According to our facilitator here it will probably be mid-February when we go back to get him. Seems like an eternity, but it gives us time to come up with the rest of the money, about $23,000. Here are some pictures. No face, so we can share publicly. Can't wait until we get to share the whole package...

JP

So Much the Same

Well, yesterday was the first day we got to meet Alexander in the flesh. It started like most days here in Kras. Buffet breakfast in the hotel (Better than I remember from last time. Sara got her hot chocolate!). Got to talk to the boys from the hotel room (free Wi-Fi in the rooms now!). Went downstairs to wait for our ride to the Ministry of Education appointment. Same cat lounging on the couch in the lobby (how long do cats live?). Nice warm day in Siberia (up in the 40's). Met the same translator (she didn't remember us...what's up with that!). The appointment with the Ministry of Education went well. Same lady there and same inane questions, though most were directed on how Elijah was doing because we had already been through the ropes. Then it was off to meet Alexander. All the familiar sites on the 45 minute drive. The orphanage was updated inside, which was nice to see. The smells were the same though. We were informed that he wears a patch over one eye to correct a "lazy eye" condition, so we only had to wait a little while until our little pirate came into the room (Sara has already nicknamed him "Patchy"). Our 2-hour visit was wonderful! He took to us much quicker than Elijah did, but he is so much like his brother. They look very similar and we just had to laugh that the same games we played with Elijah were the same games that Alexander wanted to play. They are definitely cut from the same mold. Elijah's beautiful blue eyes are replaced with the deepest chocolate brown eyes I've ever seen. He'll be the first in the family! Both of us felt very good about the visit and can't wait to go back today. Had dinner at Cinnabon (more of that authentic Russian fare) and turned in early. Sorry, but I can't post any pictures of Alexander's face. I was going to take a picture of him from behind to post, but I forgot. I will take one today. In the meantime, here's a few pictures of Elmo on his adventures to tide you over. Until tomorrow...

JP

You Make All Things Work Together for My Good

Amidst the familiarity of everything around me, I have gone to searching within myself to figure out what is different about this journey versus last. I sometimes glance back at old blog posts, and it at times feels like a different person wrote the words that I read. I guess that’s a good thing. It means I have matured, or grown over the past 5 years. I haven’t written much this time around because it feels like I have said it all before. But lately there is one thing that I know I feel differently about. And that is my boys’ mother. I remember after meeting Elijah and seeing the damage done by living in an orphanage, my first instinct was to blame his mother. And in some ways, rightfully so. But this time with Alexander, if feels different. I don’t know why mom keeps having children, though I have my suspicions. I don’t know what the road of her life has looked like that has lead her to this place. I feel genuine sadness in my heart over the journey that she has been on. I don’t claim to know what the abortion culture is like over here in Russia, but this I do know. Their mom gave birth to them, and by doing so gave them a chance. It is very clear to me that God has a plan for the lives of these boys. And if you read back through history, you will see countless times how God works seemingly bad things for good. I believe that these boys are a gift to this world, and if I were ever to meet her I would tell her “thank you” for bringing these two special boys into the world, and I would pray that the story of her boys’ lives and God’s amazing plan for them would point her to the fact that no matter how far gone you feel you might be, you are never out of the reach of God’s arms. And that He can work your bad for good if you just let him…

JP

Here...again!

At 7pm we took off from LAX en route to Moscow. The flight over on Aeroflot was a pleasant surprise. This time we had individual monitors with movies and video games, unlike the visits to Elijah. Also, they have a camera mounted on the front of the plane and you can watch takeoff and landing live while it's happening. Sara doesn't like these parts of the flight to begin with, so this put her a little over the top. Not much sleep happening on the flight over, so we were pretty beat when we reached Moscow. We had 2 1/2 hours to get to our domestic flight to Krasnoyarsk. Everything went without a hitch. A lot of improvements at the airport from 2 1/2 years ago, so we had a much easier time of it. Slept a little on the flight to Krasnoyarsk, arriving at around 6am Sunday morning. It was pretty much a 24-hour endeavor. But we are here, and now that the travel portion is complete, the excitement begins. I couldn't help but laugh as I drove the 30 minutes from the Krasnoyarsk Airport to the hotel. All the familiar sites. Even greeting our two helpers at the airport. It didn't seem like any time had passed since we were last here. And I am pretty sure that stepping into the orphanage is probably going to be the same. But the visit will be new and unique. I thought about Alexander as we were landing, and how he has no idea that a new life awaits him. Just any old day for him. How many times do we wake up in the morning thinking that this will be just "any old day", and not even realize the potential that it holds. One of my "any old days" lead me back here for a second time, a place I never imagined I would return to, at least not in this fashion. Embrace your "any old day" and make it something special...

Off to the orphanage tomorrow morning!

JP

(Also, I totally forgot that Russians clap for the pilots when the plane touches down. Classic. I think I'll start a trend in the U.S.!)

Deja vu

Hey all! I'm sitting at the gate at LAX waiting for our flight to Moscow. Even though we've done this before, I'm still a little apprehensive about what lies ahead. Though we have done this before, I'm still trying to soak up this experience in all its subtle nuances that will make it different than the time before. Like saying goodbye to four wonderful little boys, and not just three. And sharing a seat with Elmo this time instead of Curious George. May God teach us new and amazing things on this journey. And may we find our son healthy and ready to meet his new parents. Please keep us in your prayers.

We Finally Got His Referral!!!!

We received our official referral for Alexander today! He is so adorable but we are not allowed to post any pictures on the internet until after court - sorry. We leave for trip #1 November 12th!!! I am so excited to meet this little boy! Please pray that our appointment with the international adoption specialist to go over his medicals will go smoothly and that he won't have any major medical issues.

SP

Start Christmas Shopping Now!

Jerry Best creates his free-form stoneware pottery from his home and Studio in Webster, WI. Each piece is uniquely made by folding the clay over Lake Superior stones. Then it is glazed using a variety of browns, greens, and blues to create a one-of-a-kind piece. Treat your friends and family to something special this Christmas. 50% of this sale will go directly to Alexander's adoption. If you haven't already be sure to browse through our other items below as we have extended the sale of them now through Christmas.

Thanks again for your support, we could not bring him home without you!

Big Milestones!!

Yesterday marked a very big milestone in Elijah's life. He officially has been home with us longer than he was in the orphanage! It's amazing to think how long that has truly been. It seems like forever since we brought him home. I am so torn with my emotions over this day. I want to celebrate the fact that we are moving so far beyond his life in the orphanage and that he has made so many huge strides in becoming the little boy that God has planned for him to be. Everyday we observe new positive changes in his behavior and in his demeanor. He is more relaxed than he has ever been and is not afraid to show his true feelings whether it's truly happy, sad, mad, or afraid. Everyday we see proof that God is breaking down the walls of his heart and answering our prayers by filling the holes that we can not fill or even see. After 2 1/2 long years we are finally seeing his little light shine. He now asks lots of questions about his life in the orphanage and about God. He wants to know things like why Jesus loves him so much? And how he can go to heaven when he dies; he wants to take a taxi. Yet at the same time not losing his control by asking "Do I have to go to heaven?". He has started to say little comments like " I remember seeing lots of babies in their cribs in the orphanage" making us believe that he might remember more about his life in the orphanage than we originally thought. I celebrate this day because God has surely "set the lonely in families" Psalm 68:6 when he brought him home to us.

On the other hand there are still times when we see many of the effects of him being in the orphanage for so long. I question things like "When will he stop obsessing over food?" "When will he let go off his fears of being loved and held by his mom?" It breaks my heart that I can't hold him and love on him like I do with my older boys. That he is so threatened by me that he feels he needs to hit me or say something mean like "I don't like you" when I sit down next to him to read him a story. I praise God everyday that (and question God everyday why) he choose me to be Elijah's mom. While on one hand I celebrate today, I am also broken-hearted at the realization of how long those 2 1/2 years really were for Elijah. The loneliness, and fear, not to mention malnutrition and the painful effects of being born drug-addicted that he had to endure all alone is overwhelming to me as a mom. While I am now free, just as Elijah is, to move far beyond the damaging effects of the orphanage and into the life that God has promised "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11, I am thrown back into the orphanage because now Alexander has taken Elijah's place and is suffering the same way. I pray for Alexander everyday that God will hold him in His arms until I get there to bring him home. I praise Him for the fact that one day I will post that Alexander is home and moving on beyond his time in the orphanage.

SP

Then....



and now...

October 17 - 23

Handmade wood wall art by Dan Neilson

Dan started making wood wall art a couple of years ago. This week he is featuring his sailboat collection. He creates sailboats in small or large sizes with or without sunsets and birds. He uses a variety of colors of stain ranging from white to browns, greens and reds. All sailboats are similar but with subtle differences which makes each individual piece very unique. All pieces are custom made to your desired color specifications when ordering.

50% of proceeds will be donated to help bring Alexander home. Please call 651-775-4164 to place an order. Thank you for looking!

Item of the Week October 10 - 16

Jenifer Neilson has been creating handmade beaded jewelry for 4 years. She started making jewelry for weddings and other special orders and now it has grown into her full-time passion. The name of her company was inspired by her girl's nicknames and now her jewelry is inspired by the women she meets everyday. Jenifer works out of her home studio in Stacy, MN. Don't miss out on this opportunity to buy a handmade gift for someone you love this Christmas. 50% of the profits from each sale will go to help bring Alexander home.

Item of the Week- October 3-9

Donna Best has been creating hand-thrown stoneware pottery for 33 years. She works out of her home and gallery in Webster, WI and also has her store Pottery At Best in Hayward, WI. All of her pottery is lead free, and microwave and dishwasher safe. Please mention Alexander's adoption when you order this item.

Round 1 Completed!

Hooray! We have completed Round 1 of the document scavenger hunt! And with only mild discomfort. Quite a few miles on the vehicles, though. Now we wait as the documents get translated. Assuming everything is accepted by Russia (which it should be), then we will be receiving the official "Referral" soon. Maybe the next couple of weeks or so. Then it will be time to pack our bags for first visit. Still have a tough time believing it.

In the meantime, we keep busy with continued fundraising. Right now I am doing a Saturday morning outdoor circuit training workout for donations. Yesterday I had three victims (I mean participants). It was a lot of fun, and helped to continue to chip away at the goal. Check out facebook for updates (if you are not our friends on facebook, then what are you waiting for?). Also, we are heavy into making arrangements for a benefit concert in November. Please keep your eyes and ears open to updates on that one. It promises to be a very enjoyable evening, and one you're not going to want to miss.

Speaking of chipping away, we continue to do so with Elijah as well. A rollercoaster ride is definitely the best way to describe it. 2+ years and sometimes we still wonder if we just got home. Same issues, bigger kid. But the peaks of his progress keep getting higher, and the valleys he often sinks into are not quite as deep and not quite as wide. But they are still there. Just a reminder that only God can change the heart. All we can continue to do is show him love unconditionally and positive direction consistently. The rest is in His hands. Isn't that just like God...

JP

We Do Care About the Environment....I Promise!

Greetings from the land of tree-wasters. We are busy in the paperwork portion of the process. While it is proving to be just as annoying as the first time, we come into it the second time fully expecting it and are therefore keeping our heads up. Minor delays have forced us to have to wait a little longer to finish the homestudy process and submit all the necessary paperwork in order to make our first trip. But we are confident in the timing of all of it.

Donations continue to come in. Praise God! We are nearing the halfway point! We are still about $5000 short of what we need to make the first trip, but we are confident that it will all come in at the point at which we need it. We are expecting to have to make the first trip sometime in late September or early October. I can't believe that we will be meeting Alexander soon! Stepping into that orphanage again after over 2 years is going to be so surreal. The Spirit of God was so present there the first time. I hope to find it the same 2 years later. After that, it should be only a few months (probably around Christmas time) until we make our second trip and bring him home. It's still crazy to think that he could be home before the end of the year.

We are in the process of coming up with more fundraising ideas (possibly a benefit concert for Alexander), so we will keep you updated. Please continue to pray for us that the Lord will provide for Alexander's needs, both those physically and emotionally for him in Russia and financially for his homecoming here in the states.

JP

Couldn't you just eat him up?

Just a quick update to let you all know where we are in the process... Through many generous donations we have been able to raise just over 19,000!!! This lets us continue on through the homestudy process (which is almost complete) and onto the dossier. We were trying to get everything done before we left to visit my family at the end of July but were told by our homestudy agency that we can not get our fingerprints done for the police clearances for another 4 to 6 weeks. So this puts getting everything done (homestudy and dossier) at the end of August. Everything is moving along at this point very smoothly, but we are finding it very difficult to get 6 physicals done in a timely matter. On another matter, we have been told we will need to move out of our house by next summer so we need to have this process complete in a little less than a year!!! Please continue to pray that God will provide both the money and time to get this completed before then. Also, over the weekend we took our family portraits and got some great shots of Elijah. Enjoy!

We're Not Alone

Well, friends. It's definitely time for an update. If you know our family well, you know how much music plays an important part in our life. If the song has begun on this blog, then I ask that you listen to the words, and then read on. Many of you have probably heard it, and if not then here you go.

If there were a song written to sum up what our life is about right now, and in a few words why we have decided to give Alexander a home, then this is the one. Every time I hear the chorus "Love will hold us together. Make us a shelter to weather the storm. And I will be my brother's keeper. So the whole world will know that we're not alone." I think of Alexander. It is love, a love only possible because God first loved us, that is driving us to adopt Alexander. I think of the fact that he needs a shelter for the storms of his life. I know that he needs a "keeper", and God has called our family to be that "keeper". And the reason for why we are doing this adoption, "So the whole world will know that we're not alone".

In Matthew 25, Jesus called us to care for "the least of these", because he knew that if we did so, then the world would understand why he came, and more importantly why he died. And when we realize that this life is not about "us", then we truly have an opportunity to experience the life that he had planned for us. A life not necessarily filled with the promise of fortune, fame, or the easy life, but rather a life filled with the promise of a deeper meaning that will last a lifetime and beyond. This is what has happened from the moment that we committed to Him that we were going to give this little child that He loves a home...

We are excited to tell you that since our last post we have received a number of donations from some incredible people that God has touched to help Alexander. We have as of today received just over $18,000!!!!!! I will repeat that...$18,000!!!!! Two things I will say about this. 1-God is working in the hearts of his people again. That so many people would love Alexander this much without even knowing him would not be possible through any earthly means. This kind of love is only possible because it is a perfect mirror of God's love for us. How fortunate we are, and how fortunate Alexander is! And 2-if you are still feeling like you've never experienced God in a tangible way, this is what you do. Step out and love the unlovable. That is where you'll find Him.

I couldn't finish a post without an update on Elijah. Of course, things are still a roller coaster with him, but the progress is evident. The baby steps are continuing. He spent the entire weekend at grandma and grandpa's for fourth of July and had a wonderful time without incident. It was wonderful! He is getting closer and closer to his brothers. More affectionate with family. In fact, he is finally (after 2 years) coming to Sara without prompting asking for hugs and kisses. Coming face-first with arms wide open. Wow! I tear up just thinking about it. This is how it's supposed to be. I know it doesn't sound like much, but for a child with a past like Elijah's, this is huge! More updates (and pictures too) coming soon. Thank you for all your prayers and support, and stay tuned...

JP

The Race Before and the Race Behind

A big "Thank You" to all those that showed their support last week. Yes, I survived the Marathon. The course was beautiful...a great way to see the higher points of San Diego. I highly recommend it. Beats those expensive bus tours!

I finished the race in my personal best time of 3:26:12. And in case you haven't seen on the meter on the side of the blog, we have raised over $3000 towards the adoption. What a tremendous blessing!

I know I've compared the adoption process to a marathon in the past, but I have to say that I believe it's harder than a marathon. At least with the marathon, you know where the finish line is. Regardless of how you get there (walk, run, crawl), once you have traveled 26.2 miles you are finished. This is definitely not the case with the adoption process this time around. We have a goal, but we don't know how far we are going to have to run to get there. In fact, we don't even know if there is going to be a finish line for us. At any point, God may just tell us that the race is closed and to get off the course. Not sure I would ever consider entering a running race like that (but could make an interesting reality TV show I guess). But here we are, and we have only run the first couple of miles.

I know the following verses is probably a little cliche at this point in time, but here goes:

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

It is verse 2 that strikes me as so important. If Jesus was willingness to endure such hardship and pain for "the joy set before him", I guess I should too. And though I can't see the end, I can see Him and that's where I need to fix my eyes. Lots of distractions coming from the sidelines, though. Please pray that we do not "grow weary and lose heart"...

JP

Running for Alexander

What would an adoption be without fundraising??? Raising $50,000 in just a few months is no easy task. So to prove our dedication (and of course promote orphan awareness) Jeremy is running the Rock n' Roll Marathon this Sunday June 6 in San Diego in honor of Alexander. If you would like to pledge your support you can donate here online using PayPal or send your donation to us by mail. Thank you so much. Every little bit helps!

Elijah has a Brother!...Here we go again...

Where to begin, and still keep it short?

Here's the Reader's Digest version. We decided a couple of months ago to inquire as to the status of a potential sister of Elijah's that we were told might be available for adoption. In the process of that inquiry, we found out that in addition to a sister, Elijah also has a little brother. His name is Alexander, and he was born in July of 2009. We were approached by our adoption agency, America World Adoption Association, and asked if we were interested in pursuing adoption of Alexander as his sister is not available for adoption at this time. I have to say that it hasn't been an easy decision for either of us. It has been extremely difficult at times with Elijah's behavior, and that has certainly threatened to sour our willingness to adopt another child. This, coupled with our present financial and other uncertain life circumstances has made this a very difficult decision. But when we both stripped all of that stuff away, we were left with the feeling that it was only right to try to bring Alexander to the home he deserves, and the brother that he has never met.

So, amidst a sea of fears and doubts we have decided to step forward in faith with the knowledge that, just like in Elijah's adoption, he is going to light the way. And, like before, I'm certain He is only going to light a little bit at a time. How else would our faith grow? I am certain of one thing though, and it's that this time around is going to be more trying than the first (I can hardly imagine how). I know that it is going to test us to our personal limits and force us to rely solely on His strength. I can't honestly say that I am ready for the task at hand, but I am trusting that through prayer and the support that we have around us I will grow stronger and find the courage it's going to take to see this through. Please keep us in your prayers as we step out. Please pray for Alexander that he is kept strong through this time.

Here we go again...

JP

New Year, New Elijah

Hello friends! I'm not exactly sure who is reading this anymore, mostly because I haven't posted in so long. But I have felt for a while that it was time to update, regardless who may or may not be reading. At the very least, it is Elijah's history, and it will be important to him. It has been over a year and a half since we came home from Russia with Elijah. Let's just say that the first year and change were trials of the most Jamesian proportions (I made up a word...cool). But through prayer and tears we are happy to say that things have turned a corner for the positive. The tantrums have almost completely subsided. The breaking of toys has calmed down to a normal 4-year-old level. The physical acting out is gone. The best way to describe it is that he's a different kid. Now don't get me wrong. He still has his moments. But by the grace of God he is showing all signs of becoming a well-adjusted little boy. We have high hopes for the young man he will become.

He just celebrated his 4th birthday on the 7th of January (Russian Christmas). It was so much fun. For his third birthday he had been with us for just a little over 6 months, and he wasn't quite sure what was going on. But this time, he had watched his three brothers' birthdays come and go, so he knew what was in store by the time it was his turn. Even though we knew that an entire day dedicated to him might be a little overwhelming for him, we thought "who cares". It only comes once a year, and he's worth it. So the day was filled with wide eyes as we went from one activity to the next. Nothing extravagant, just a day doing his favorite things and eating his favorite foods. He spent the morning asking "Will it still be my birthday after I eat breakfast?" "Will is still be my birthday after I go to the bathroom?" What a wonderful day!

To see the Lord change the heart of Elijah over the past year and a half has been nothing short of miraculous. I know that we will have more bumps in the road ahead of us. But for now I rejoice in the fact that I know he is happier and more content then he's ever been in his life. And it fills me with hope. If the Lord can do such an amazing work in Elijah, I guess there's still hope for the rest of us too...

JP