God is always telling us in one way or another that it's good to remember...the people of israel set up stones from the jordan to remember that He made a way for them and that "the hand of the Lord is mighty". Jesus has the bread and wine and said "do this in remembrance of me". and when peter is encouraging the church he says he "considers it right...to stir you up by way of reminder".
so, i've been remembering. when i see what He has done, worries of the now turn into hopes of the yet-to-come. lena is just 1 of a little community in northwest arkansas of amazing kiddos with special needs adopted from ukraine. it's pretty remarkable, really. lena and the others, each with their individual stories, all that stem from some women who fearlessly follow Jesus (the picture before you push play on the video is a little fuzzy-headed blond girl in a blue shirt, this is little lena) into places to touch the untouched and be light in the dark.
it's funny the way He weaves stories together. our friends, the brills, have had paulina as their daughter for nearly a year now. our lena has been home 2 1/2 years.
2 girls.
from eastern ukraine. who laid in the same room together for years. now, both in fayetteville arkansas. in forever families who love them. in forever families who happen to be friends with one another. i think about both of these girls and remember.
this is where they used to sleep in the orphanage
outside of the orphanage
paulina and lena, in december 2011
paulina in december 2011
a few months ago i got to keep paulina while the rest of the brill crew went to a basketball game. it was surreal. we see paulina and her brothers and sisters all the time. they are friends with the rascals and go to school together & come over. but there was something about this night...
having just lena & paulina together at my table that was so sacred and beautiful.
they both signed eat (amazing, amy!) and they both like yogurt and the way a wipes bag crinkles and getting tickled. they don't engage each other much, but orbit each other with ease. they are so beautiful and i am so grateful for these two beauties at home with families who treasure their everything.
too much. i love these bottom pictures. such beautiful wonderful girls.
ReplyDeletethat was almost more than I could take…in the good kind of way.
ReplyDeleteI should be sending emails, but instead I decided to go check out your blog. :) So glad I did... Those two beauties are pretty incredible. I love that you captured these sweet pictures... Gosh, it fills my heart with joy and my eyes with tears to think of how much their lives have changed these past two years. Absolutely awesome...
ReplyDeletethis is so awesome
ReplyDelete