Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Prayer Warriors Needed

Oh, my friends, we are needing the blood of Christ to cover this journey. As soon as we got to the orphanage, they went and got Jonathan. He came into the director's office and sat down. All I could think of was, this is him! I was so excited to finally be here!

We have two wonderful facilitators who were speaking with him and asking him if he still wants a family. After some talking back and forth he said, "No."
He was told since he is such a good writer of stories, he could apply to a theater college in Kiev. We were also informed that he lived with his mother up until five years ago when her rights were terminated and he was sent to the orphanage.

Mark looked at him, and through Mark's voice the Holy Spirit spoke. I can't tell you what all he said, but I sat and cried. It was perfect, right from the Lord. He spoke of family and how we had crossed the ocean because we heard Jonathan wanted a family and we would like him to be a part of our family. Oh, I wish I could remember all the wording. Jonathan hung his head down and asked if he could leave for a few minutes. We could tell he was about ready to cry. He came back and said, no, he didn't want to be adopted. Before we left the room Mark and I laid hands on him and prayed blessing over his life.

We got up and left the room because his answer was no. I can't describe how my heart broke for him. You could see the confusion in his eyes and the uncertainty of it all. Mark, myself and the facilitator were all broken for this young boy and the decision he was making.

When we turned and looked back into the room, Jonathan had his head in his hands not knowing what to do. You see, he has to sign a paper stating he either wants or doesn't want a family. He was supposed to write that he didn't want a family and there he sat without picking up the pen.
Mark and I have earnestly prayed and sought the Lord about all this before we even got here. We knew the chance we were taking. But this isn't about us! It's about a young boy's life. We want Jonathan to WANT to come home with us, otherwise it's not going to work. So we stood in that hallway praying the Lord would intercede.

The door closed and we started to leave when the director stopped us and asked us to come back in. Jonathan couldn't say "no" right now. He asked if we would be willing to stay a couple of days so he could make his decision. Absolutely!! We walked out and he came out a couple seconds later, walked up to Mark and hugged him. I knew right then, he needs a daddy. (a mama, too, but he doesn't know it yet. ;) )

Prayer request is: let his yes be yes or his no be no. We have to have a definite answer on Friday. He could say "yes" and change his mind after court while we are waiting for the court decree. We are hoping that doesn't happen. Mark and I truly love this boy.

Our driver needed to run back into town, so Mark and I and our facilitator went out into the courtyard to sit on a bench and Jonathan was out there. We smiled and nodded to him and he went back into the orphanage. We walked all the way to the other side of the courtyard to sit. We had been there about ten minutes when I looked up and saw Jonathan coming toward us. He came and sat down next to me. It surprised all of us. He sat there the whole time we were waiting for our driver.




Mark's and my prayer right now, if you will be praying with us, is that what the caregivers, friends and any negative influence is speaking into Jonathan, that it will be like gravel in their mouths. They can't even get the negative words out. And that Andrey's (that is his real name) heart will be in the right place. We want what is best for him and we are hoping that is us.
Blessings,
Hansina

57 comments:

  1. Oh Dear Lord... Please help this boy see the HOPE and LOVE that are being offered to him. Give him the strength to say yes. DEAR LORD HELP HIM TO SAY YES!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Praying for God to penetrate his sweet heart and lead him to make the best decision for his future. Clearly he is drawn to your love. His 'no' is most likely fear. You are doing such a good job of not pushing but being open and welcoming to him. I've got a whole army of prayer warriors on this!!! Please keep us posted!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh Hansina- praying hard!!! Have you talked to Cindy or Carolyn or anyone? Do you need me to get the prayer chain going here in IL? PRAYING

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm praying for Andrey and the rest of your family - that the right decision will be made.

    I know my big brother (actually a foster brother) always struggled with this. He knew his family was destructive (not saying Andrey's is) and he truly wanted to be part of our family, but, it felt disloyal to live with us and have fun with us instead of his family. It didn't help that his family taunted him by saying he thought he was better than them now (just because he actually ate regularly and didn't sleep on the floor, I suppose). *sigh*

    I don't know how much this will help in Andrey's case, but, we did our best to make sure my brother knew it wasn't a contest where loving one set of family meant you couldn't love the other set. It was never an either/or situation and choosing to stay with us right now did not mean that he could never see them again.

    I can only imagine how much tougher it might be for your son since he would be leaving everything familiar (home, language, culture, etc).

    I really pray that you will all be comforted by the Lord and that he will make the right choice.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my goodness! He "looks" like his new father! You have to show him the picture of the three of you; he needs to see that he "fits" in your family. He certainly looks happy to have you there. My prayers are with all of you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought that exact thing too! Wow, so neat. Praying for you all.

      Delete
  6. I said a prayer for you and for him. I hope he has wisdom beyond his years and can understand the ramifications of the decision. If he planned to try to reunite with his mother, might that be something to talk to him about (i.e., that you would be supportive of him finding and visiting with her when the time is right or he is an adult?). Perhaps he is holding out hope of going back to her and may be thinking if he leaves the country all opportunity to ever see her again is lost.

    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  7. PRAYING!!! This poor sweet boy, he must feel so much confusion and conflict. I pray that will be taken from his heart and that he will know NOTHING can replace the love of a family in his life!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. My dear family!!! We have been praying ALL DAY & will continue on! Our Lord knows the end of the story - but you are sooo right, NOTHING of this journey will go to waste!!! We love you & Andrey!!! He obviously FELT your love & the Holy Spirit is obviously already working on the deep places in Andrey's heart! Take heart & lift up your head, your trust lies in the Lord & HE alone has led you to this place! - joy

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh my, we will be praying and praying!!! Sweet boy. We will pray that the Lord have His way and Andrey will have supernatural wisdom beyond his years.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh Hansina... Tears are falling as I type this. I am praying sweet friend. Praying that God will show him how much he is loved, and how much opportunity he will have here, and how wonderful his life can be in his own family. My heart is heavy for you. Praying for your peace as this decision is being weighed...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Crying out for all of you. The picture of the three of you is so precious.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Praying and praying and praying here.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I will pray that God's will be done in your lives and Jonathans life. It must be so scary for Jonathan.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh, Hansina! I am praying, praying, praying that God would change his heart. He's too young to be out on his own.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Praying, praying, praying. Lifting all of you up before our Heavenly Father!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Praying for you <3
    And praying for Jonathon <3

    ReplyDelete
  17. Praying for you and for Jonathan, and that God's will in his life be done. ((((hugs))))

    ReplyDelete
  18. It is so hard to accept that each of us have our own journey. I pray that Andrey makes the right choice, even in his youth, for himself and his future. May God bless all of you.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hansina and Mark,
    We are praying for God to open his heart and his mind to know that your family is where God is calling him.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh, my! My heart hurts for you, and for Andrey, too :( Praying that he will be led by the Lord in his decision. <3

    Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oh,my! My heart is hurting for you, and Andrey, too...praying the Lord will help him make his decision.

    Hugs!
    Rochelle

    ReplyDelete
  22. Praying for "Jonathan", and praying for your family. Perhaps reassuring him that you love him infinitely, will encourage his writing and will help him learn English so he can continue his education might be helpful?? And assuring him that other teens have been adopted and have great lives now?

    It must be so hard for a young boy to yearn for a family, yet know that if he chooses to be adopted, he must leave his country and all he's ever known for a place where he knows no one, must learn a new language, and where there are so many cultural differences. That requires such a huge leap of faith and is such a lot to have to suddenly face, with little or no preparation to assist with the decision. I wish there were some way that "Jonathan" could visit your family over the summer, then make his decision - but know this isn't possible.

    Praying for the best possible outcome and comfort and reassurance for all of you...

    Susan in Ky
    Cousin to 2 teens from EE

    ReplyDelete
  23. You know you have our prayers!!! Have not stopped thinking of you since we last talked! It is so hard for the older kids to leave what they have and I am praying for him to see through the words of the ones that may be telling him negative things. Hang in there!

    ReplyDelete
  24. We are praying for you! I am sure you have support but I wanted to offer this. We have adopted 7 children from Ukraine. Eight monthes ago we adopted the 18 year old bio sister to 3 of our boys. She was told by teachers, administators, etc. NOT to come to America. She was SO scared. She went back and forth and then decided to come. She is SOOOO happy she came. She is fluent in Russian and English and we call UA often. If you would like her to speak with "J", to share her experience, she will gladly do it. She is a well spoken gentle spirited girl. Feel free to email me at stefanies67@verizon.net if interested. Otherwise, know that we are praying for you all!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh my. I can't even imagine the shock you must be going through right now. And Jonathan. Being a teenager is confusing and hard enough even under the best of circumstances. Poor Jonathan. You are so wise. As a foster parent of teens, yes it is good you understand if he doesn't want to be adopted, this simply will not work. I am so grateful that the Holy Spirit gave your husband the perfect words. May the Spirit continue to work in the hearts and mouths of those involved in the next few days. Let his yes be yes or his no be no, and let his answer be one sought out and with God's will. Praying! I hope you will get more opportunities to spend time with him before Friday. Let him know he is loved and worthy of love.

    ReplyDelete
  26. LORD JESUS, thy will be done!! And be the shelter under which this family waits, as they love on him and wait on You!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Praying for you all! How painful for you and so confusing for him. Such a huge scary decision for a young boy. Praying that the voices he is listening to internally and externally would be voices of truth.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Praying for you all! How painful for you and so confusing for him. such a big scary decision for such a young man to make. Praying that the voices he is listening to both internally and externally are voices of truth and not deception.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Mark & Hansina,
    I am fasting and praying for you all tonight. I remember your story from when Adeye posted originally and was so excited for him to be getting such a wonderful family. Poor guy. He is just so scared and being so young... I can't imagine how hard this decision must be for him to make. When I look at his pictures he reminds me of my Alex who is 13 and it just breaks my heart. I can just picture him with his head in his hands trying to make a good decision for himself. I'm praying for great courage for you all.

    Let his yes be yes or his no be no, Lord. In Jesus name I pray that You would intercede mightily on behalf of this family and may You be glorified in their lives as well as Andrey's.
    Thank you Father for Your perfect will and for the peace You will give Mark and Hansina because their hope is in you alone.
    Blessings,
    Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
  30. Praying for you both and for Jonathan!!!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Will you be spending more time with him, to help facilitate his decision? Praying for all of you....

    ReplyDelete
  32. Praying for you all!
    Joy

    ReplyDelete
  33. PRAYING!!!!! I also shared on FB to rally other prayer warriors to storm heaven for your family and for sweet Jonathan!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Such a hard position to be in, I cannot imagine voluntarily turning my whole life upside down at his age. Maybe it would help if in the next few days you sat down with him and helped him make a pros and cons list... like for example, pros of staying would be not leaving friends and not having to learn another language. But pros of having a family would be someone to care for him when he is sick, family to celebrate holidays and his birthday with, having emotional and financial support if he ever needs it, help with his schoolwork, etc. Maybe explain to him that colleges in America have programs for people to help learn English, so he could still be a writer in America. Maybe show him as many pictures as possible, and see if you can come up with a soccer ball (good male bonding lol) Praying hard for you guys, and for God's will in Andrey's life to be done!!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Storming HEAVEN for all of you!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Does he realize that he can be part of a family with you, go to school, save money etc and then he can go back to his birth country as a visitor or helper in a few years? He will be able to see friends again? I will pray that God takes his fear away and he reaches for a good life with your family.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Praying, praying, praying.... been following Jonathan's story via Adeye's blog, may the Lord have HIS way in Jonathan's life, and may you all be at total peace with the decision!!
    Hannah

    ReplyDelete
  38. Tammy, ON, CanadaMay 30, 2012 at 5:36 PM

    We (my 16 year old son and I) prayed for you tonight. I prayed for what you asked and more. May God's will work in this boy's life in a mighty way. May God surround you with His peace and love and joy.

    Tammy, ON, Canada

    ReplyDelete
  39. Praying for your family and Andrey. We know the heartache you are experiencing. Last fall we adopted a 16 year old girl from Crimea who announced that she did not want to be adopted when we were applying for the visa to bring her home. We were devastated leaving without her and the following months were terribly hard. We have learned like never before to trust the Lord and we will pray for His will in this adoption.

    ReplyDelete
  40. oh my goodness, what a difficult situation. you have our prayers!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Praying for precious Audrey! What a huge decision he must make! Praying the Holy Spirit will fill him with the wisdom he needs to make such a choice. Praying for your too.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Praying for Jonathan. What a huge decision this young man must make! Praying that the Holy Spirit would fill him with wisdom beyond his years. Praying for you too.

    Diane
    www.mylifeingodsgarden.com

    ReplyDelete
  43. Could there be a family member that he is hesitant to leave? Could he be reassured that he would be able to keep in touch, maybe that would ease his mind?
    Praying for you and Jonathan.

    Karen





    could there

    ReplyDelete
  44. I am amazed at your unselfish heart and beautiful reaction to Jonathan's NO. I pray he will see your unconditional love and accept it.

    ReplyDelete
  45. We are praying for the Lord to be in this and for courage and peace for Andrey. We are praying for you and Mark as well. How devastating this must be! It hurts to read it! Please know that you have prayer warriors in Md praying for you all.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Hansina and Mark, I have had four people contact me about your situation and ask me to contact you, thinking I might be of help or at least offer some comfort. We waited/sponsored our daughters 5 years before finally being able to travel to adopt them...only to have the very same thing happen to us as you experienced today. They were 10 and 11, very long story, but prayer turned the tide after we actually left for good, it was a huge and wonderful surprise, and one I am forever grateful for. Today we are as close as you can possibly be. Please email privately if you need to share, talk, or pray together for Jonathan's healing. The pressures of making such decisions are incredible on these poor kids, the fears are huge. I will pray unceasingly for his heart to open, for your continued wisdom (You handled things beautifully thus far), and for God to be at the very center of it all.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Hansina and Mark, I have had four people contact me about your situation and ask me to contact you, thinking I might be of help or at least offer some comfort. We waited/sponsored our daughters 5 years before finally being able to travel to adopt them...only to have the very same thing happen to us as you experienced today. They were 10 and 11, very long story, but prayer turned the tide after we actually left for good, it was a huge and wonderful surprise, and one I am forever grateful for. Today we are as close as you can possibly be. Please email privately if you need to share, talk, or pray together for Jonathan's healing. The pressures of making such decisions are incredible on these poor kids, the fears are huge. I will pray unceasingly for his heart to open, for your continued wisdom (You handled things beautifully thus far), and for God to be at the very center of it all.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Have been praying since reading this yesterday.

    Holly S

    ReplyDelete
  49. absolutely praying! what a burden on his young shoulders!

    ReplyDelete
  50. I am praying. It must be scary and uncertain for him though, to leave his friends, his country,and the only "home" he's ever known to leave the only life he's ever known behind and to go all alone with strangers, to a strange country and have to learn a new language and make new friends. It must be so hard and overwhelming for him. I pray he will have the courage to face a new adventure and to choose family and love!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Hansina and Mark,

    Our names are Jamie, Marcos and Samuel. We had/have a very similar adoption experience and would like to encourage you all. If you would like Johnathan (Andrey) to talk to a Russian adoptee on this end who is happily home for nine months, loving his family and introduced to Christ as well as an all around sweet teen we are at your service! We may not know you but surely feel the pressing of our Father in heaven to contact you, encourage you and be of any help we may be. Please check our blog if you want to know more of our story. God Bless you all!

    ReplyDelete