Today I have been unable to stop the tears from welling in my eyes.
All day long.
Of course, I am missing my Emmy and tomorrow Dw will be heading home with the team. Reality sets in. This is truly happening. I’m used to Emma and Dw leading teams for 3 weeks at a time, a couple of times a year. But this time it’s different. He comes home. Alone.
At the same time, I am weepy about the Adoption/Orphan situation in Russia.
We prayed and fasted a couple of weeks ago.
Remember?
There is joyful news from Russia. Anne was allowed to get her son {as were a few others}!
 |
| Anne with her new son Chance Michael |
Faithful God.
Anne wanted to thank all of you who prayed {and fasted!} and let you know that she is actually calling for a press conference to address President Put*n on behalf of the orphans.
But friends, there are so many others. Waiting.
A few families have been there and retrieved their cherubs. Others are there waiting. Others are in the states waiting. Some are early in the process and have no idea what will come. They are all waiting at one juncture or another. Waiting on a word. A move. Something that says, “We will allow these kids to come home.”
Remember how we talked about “Not on Our Watch?”
Remember?
Friends, there is a tendency today to say, “Well I prayed about that and I’m good.” But surprisingly that’s not how it works in the supernatural.
Actually in Luke 18:1-7 there is an interesting story about prayer.
Jesus was speaking to his disciples and said, “This is how you are to pray…”
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Isn’t it interesting that Jesus actually tells us that we should always pray
and
NOT give up?
Jesus could have said, “You prayed about this once.
You’re good.
I heard ya’.
Go relax.
I’ve got this covered.”
But He didn’t!!!!
He told us to continue to petition.
He actually told us to keep crying out day and night.
He told us to NOT GIVE UP!!!
So, on that note, I’m joining with our ministry, IVO, asking you, my bloggy friends, on behalf of the orphans in Russia:
45,000 of whom are considered “Special Needs”
{although in our home, we believe the only true special need any orphan has is for a family},
and
the 500 – 1000 specifically in process {whether just beginning or nearing bringing them home}
and all the treasures who are not considered “special needs”…
Would you please pray {and fast}
part of the day, or all day, if possible
with me?
Tomorrow
Thursday
January 24, 2013
We are contending that the God of the Universe
will move on behalf of all the orphans in Russia –
opening the doors and restoring good will between
the United States and Russia, once again.
Lord willing, one day, we will look back and say,
“We didn’t stop pleading on the orphans behalf!
We weren’t about to let it happen on Our Watch!
Not as long as we have breath!
Together we will be their voice!!“
Sooo…anybody out there willing to pray
{and fast} tomorrow with me?
Thank you so very much!
You guys are the best!
I'm ALL in! I was actually wanting to fast tomorrow anyhow because I am so grieved over all the children with such heart wrenching medical issues that are struggling right now…I am so thankful that their parents said YES to them, even knowing that it was going to be a difficult and painful road. 🙂
Thank you Rebecca!!
Linny, thank you for your encouragement. We are in a (so far) three-day battle to have our foster license "increased" so the newborn sibling of our foster-adopt son can come home to us. I know three days is nothing in terms of waiting, but the lifetimes of these two children are waiting on the subjective decisions of man. We will persevere in crying out, and we know "The Lord will fight for us while we keep silent" (Ex. 14:14). We will lift up those families waiting on the outcome of Russian adoptions–we know He fights for them, too.
Thank you Karen, and I will be praying for your situation.
Hi Linny, we're feeling defeated because we've just been denied today for a second time. Our last effort is to attend court tomorrow and petition for a court-ordered placement. Thank you for the encouragement to keep crying out. It has been just what we needed today.
Listen Karen, I KNOW that Almighty God loves your little ones and He is the one who prompted me to include Luke 18 in the post. It was not on my heart, until suddenly the Lord spoke as I was typing…so that word is for you – be steadfast, do not give up!! He who has promised it faithful.
I will be praying with you my friend. I love your heart and my heart too is breaking for these babies who need to know the love of a family.
Our family is praying for YOU my sweet friend, and thank you for praying with us tomorrow. xo
I will join you again. I loved this post — I needed to hear that about prayer. Thank you, Linny.
Samantha
Thank you Samantha!! God's word is truth and we will NOT give up – no matter what – in any situation that we need prayer!
I fasted and prayed yesterday and actually had thought about doing it again on thursday! Great minds think alike….praying and fasting tomorrow it is!
Awww Jolene – perfect!! Thank you for fasting and praying with us. And behalf of the orphans in Russia – thank you!
Love it! NOT ON MY WATCH! has become my heart's battle cry… so many areas in my life that this speaks to. For my husband, my bio children, my praying-for-a-breakthough-to-be-adopted treasure, my foster children, the fosters still to come, the ones not yet found yet (Jesus has been opening up my heart during my time with Him – just because we don't know about them and their need – He does, He sees!), and the lost, starving, lonely, yet-waiting-to-be-loved treasures around the world. I'm in!
You get it girlfriend – you get it!! We cannot spend our days 'whiling away the hours"…we must be in battle mode – His word says so – crying out day and night!
I'm in too. Thanks Linny for leading us again! I am priviledged to join you all.
Thank you Charissa!!
Well.. let's do this!
Til they all come home!
Thank you Stephanie!! YOu are such a blessing to the orphans…thank you for believing and praying and fasting and being a voice!! xo
Count me in and thank you so much. This did my heart so much good. We have been trying for 18 months now to adopt a little girl with Down syndrome from a bee difficult region in Russia. We met her in July and she just turned 7 in December. She is now left to wonder why her mom and dad did not come back for her. It is breaking my heart but brings me peace knowing others are praying and fasting for her too.
Katrina, We will stand with you {or kneel as the case may be!}. Together we will see the Lord move this mountain!
Hi Miss Linny,
The Lord has been using this verse in my life as well pretty powerfully. Matt and I got devastating news this past Friday at our ultrasound (with Baby #3) and this is a verse that I think about regularly. I wrote about our Baby and how we need a miracle for life here: http://saramcnutt.blogspot.com/2013/01/our-baby-nugget-and-congenital-heart.html.
We would love any prayers for Baby and I will also be praying for these things. So glad you're such an impactful voice in the online world to bring light to these areas!
Oh my sweet friend,
I will message you privately. We will pray and we will fast. God is faithful and He IS Jehovah Rapha. Much love to you and Matt!
I'm in Linny, been praying about this hearbreaking situation and will pray and fast tomorrow. And thank you, your words of encouragement to pray without ceasing and not give up have just helped me so much to encourage me to continue to pray that God would once again move in my sweet hubbys heart and enlarge it a little more to welcome in and love another child. xoxoxoxoxoxo
Thank you for joining us. I promise you – God WILL move your mountain as you fast and pray. He will. He has done it over and over in my life and the lives of others – but we must be diligent!
Thank you Linny, so much…..and praying for your family and for Emma too. May God bless each of you in this new part of life xoxo
I would love to join in… Linny it might be *mountain-moving* to see if you can get people from all 50 states to to fast together, so literally the whole USA is represented. Maybe start a side bar tally.
Sweet friend – I absolutely LOVE this idea. I have no idea where to begin – so I will hand the baton to you…We will do another fast for Russia either next week or the next…can you research and figure it out…then email me…place in the subject "States map" – it has to be user friendly. Rock it now!
Linny, I will continue to pray for these precious babies. I am blessed to personally know a precious little girl brought home from "R" a year ago. It is hard to think that she could still be over there not knowing the love of her very special family who love her SO much!
Also, you spoke directly to my heart with the parable regarding prayer. I have prayed for almost 3 years now for my daughter to get a job for which she went to college and she dreams of doing. I "pray without ceasing" about this but I must admit that lately I am feeling very discouraged. My "mother's heart" is very heavy. I know that I must continue to pray even if I feel discouraged. Thank you for reminding me!
"grandma" praying for the babies!
Thank you for joining in. I have to say, I brought one private request to the Lord for almost 10 years…over and over…and I would say, "Remember the widow in Luke 18, it's me again Lord, just like that widow….you know my request….please would you grant me the petition I ask of you?" He finally did, above and beyond ALL I could think or ask…but it was not without prayer AND fasting. Regularly. But besides being blessed beyond measure with my answer, I grew to know Him more – a beautiful additional blessing of fasting.
Joining in Linny!
Thank you my sweet friend!!
Tomorrow is our prayer day so definitely we will be praying with you, may God set all HIS TREASURES free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Sarah!!
Yes, yes,yes I am in! So heavy hearted with all this and have been praying about this situation. I love that you used that reference, I have truly been that widow with my children and so many others. Believing He is going to move mountains and I suggest we start that praise march again and crumble that wall. I also need to email you something that has been on my heart . Lifting you up as well as you release your beautiful arrow, Emma and miss her being near you. Love you guys.
Lori
Thank you Lori. And thank you for praying as we release our precious girl. xo
Hmm, I came here to share something, but the first thing I think when I see this post is "oh, rats!" See, I was pleading with God about something heavy on my heart, and kind of wondering if I should fast about it, and I really didn't want to fast about it and asked Him not to ask me to fast but that I would if He asked me. And then, I came up with this idea "how about if Linny decides to have one of her days of fasting I take that as you asking me to fast, and if not I take that as you not asking me to fast."
But I would appreciate prayer, because quite frankly I'm scared to fast. I've already made a commitment in my heart to fast once a month for a specific person, and then God placed another burden on my heart to fast for the leaders of my church throughout the year. And now this… And the thing is, I'm so underweight it frightens me. I've always been underweight, but all the fasting of last year and a medical emergency have made me really underweight. I feel like I look like I have an eating disorder. You mentioned something about your Emma being slim… well, I'm slimmer. I'm afraid.
But here is the reason I turned my computer on and came directly to your blog. Someone shared something tonight at my Bible study that weighed so heavy on my heart. A family was planning to adopt a group of three siblings from the DRC, and the DRC part of the adoption was completed so that those three siblings were legally theirs in DRC. But then they found out that they had been lied to, and the third girl of the bunch was not a sibling of the other to. So they are not going through with the adoption for her. Instead, this thirteen year old girl will be sent back to a war zone where unspeakable, nasty dangers lurk. No home, no family, and because she's been adopted in the DRC no future hope of adoption. It breaks my heart. This poor, precious girl, rejected because she isn't a sibling of the other two? Why? And her would-have-been adoptive dad is a pastor. It grieves me.
I understand that the mom is in the DRC right now to bring the two siblings home. I am praying so hard that God would move mountains in this family's heart, and move heaven and earth to bring that sweet girl home to the family she was meant to have. I'm praying that He would wrestle to bless this family, that He someday that would kneel before him with trembling awe to think that they almost missed out on the incredible blessing of a jewel of a daughter, but that He was infinitely God and blessed them anyway. This is my heart's cry, and I wanted to share it with you and your readers so there would be more people praying for God to move mountains.
And I'm afraid I'll chicken out on the fasting thing, so I wish for encouragement. I know Jesus didn't drink smoothies when he fasted, but…
Miss Brittany
Clearly the Lord is directing you to fast! I very am sure that He can sustain you during a fast. I fasted {water only} when I was in high school because I wanted to draw close to HIm and hear Him speak, I fasted at other times for Him to move mountains..I began fasting when I was about 10 years old. I had read about it in my alone times reading my Bible and knew I was supposed to be obedient.
I continued fasting from that time when I was 10 till today…and I fast often.
When I was in 11th grade, I weighed 87 lbs.and yes, I fasted often. I was full grown – 5'3" and 87 lbs. I fasted anyway. I would lose weight if I just skipped one meal. I ran a few miles three days in a row and lost 7 more pounds. Seriously, my metabolism was nuts! But I fasted anyway and the Lord spoke in huge ways.
Of course, on the flip side, IF you said, Lord, I want to fast, but I feel I must drink fruit smoothies, He is a God of much grace…and He can speak, no matter what. It's between you and Him.
The situation in DRC grieves my soul. I will pray for the situation to change and this girl to have a home. I'm certain that bloggy friends who read the comments will pray as well. War torn DRC {or any country in Africa} is the LAST place a young girl should be! Oh, how the unthinkable can happen! May the Lord Jesus Christ protect her and provide a way of escape!
Thank you so much!
I wanted to come back and thank you again. Your words truly en-couraged me. My faith was boosted to trust that God had truly called me to this and would see me through. Incidentally, my sister, who had no idea of my conversation with God or my plans, decided to fast that day over the very same matter.
I actually cried after I read this, because it is hard to fight fear when some of the people you want to encourage you seem to be on the side of the fear. I had been longing for encouragement, and you were God's provision. I've saved your comment to encourage me again in the future.
And thanks for praying for this girl with me!
I'll join you tomorrow. Sending up special prayers for the situation in Russia, and for Ruth and Andy, online friends that have just adopted for the fourth time. Their last three have been domestic adoptions from the foster care system in Indiana. Jordan, their newest little guy, is seven or eight, and just came home today. Also praying for a miracle that my sons' hearts would be healed from the pain of abandonment by their biological mom and years in the foster care system, and that they would be able to have normal healthy relationships and adult lives.
Thank you Carol. And I will include your sons in my prayers tomorrow. I think of the road you have walked so often…you are a hero! I am grateful to call you friend…your diligence, faithfulness and perseverance has been noted by our heavenly Father…and He is not slack concerning His promises…May the boys undertand the Love of God in a way that astounds all who know them…and may your heart be comforted as we pray and fast together. Love to you.
Yes, yes, YESSSS!!!!
Thank you so much!
You know I will.
Including for Emma.
Love to you and each of yours.
You are so sweet my friend. I am so thankful you were able to come hang out with me as you guys drove through. I miss you.
I will be praying as well…thank you Linny and others for doing this! Love to all
Love
Jill
http://www.campfunk.blogspot.com
Thank you Jill. I am grateful for your prayers!
I've been fasting from desserts every other day for several weeks for the R adoption situation! I was about to end the fast, so this is good motivation to continue! Linny, thank you for the encouragement.
If anyone can't fast for medical reasons, I would encourage you to fast from dessert – it is a good way to give up something.
Thank you so much Sarah!
Count me in. Our friends from Church, an older couple in their late 50's or early 60's were in the final stages of adopting a beautiful 5 year old little girl with down syndrome from Russia. She is beautiful. She has the mental capacity of a 9 mth old and can not walk or talk 🙁 The family are amazing people and really love this precious girl. Praying that they are able to bring her home, as well as all the other families who have said YES to one or more of these special treasures.
Breaks my heart!!!
Misty, I believe, with all my heart, that this family will bring their little treasure home. God is faithful. We press forward, praying, fasting and believing!
This struck me… thanks Lin. We are thinking/hoping to get back out there… but oddly ever child I enquire about has someone there. We have SO much going on in our lives, husband's illness, camp changes and stress and I am struggling to keep it all together… I realized that this too is a all a spiritual problem/issue. Thanks for the call to continue praying! I know God has a plan… and I need to walk in it! Be blessed!
Oh my friend….I will pray for you in this season…God has a good plan and He will accomplish it – I know you! He will. Press in. He is faithful. D & J came thru and she came to play with me Sunday night. Such a breath of fresh air to my soul. YOu are so blessed to have them pastor you guys – they're the BEST!
Hi I am Anne and I want to thank you so much for your continued faithful we just got word from another family outside of Moscow have BIG problems even told to go home and come back. They said not leaving have one way ticket and would stay till they got what they come for.. It has been couple days wrote letters to officials and even went to see this man that signed this appeal.After not backing down this office called today after much deliberation of courage from couple that was actually Russian and Ukrainian decent from USA got a call from them after they they had already left office to come back tomorrow hash it out again. No need they called their hotel for them to call back when got there they are with drawling appeal. Glory to GOD… Keep praying my sweet friends please dont stop crying out for these children and these babies. PRAISE GOD they get court decree tomorrow and pick up there BABIES 3 and 4. We are so EXCITED to answer to prayers and letters. Thank you Jesus. As they said we have experienced a MIRACLE. Jumping out of my self with happiness for them.Lord keep softening the hearts Lord. As I was reading my BIble for the short time I had submorning between getting ready to leave and taking care of Chances needs God gave me a Verse. I will share the two verse he has given me while I am here in country of R. This is why I know I am to do this Press conference for the others left behind.
Psalm 24:11 Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death, dont stand back and let them die. Dont try to avoid responsibility by saying you dont know about it. For God knows all hearts and he sees you. He keeps watch over your soul, and he knows you knew. And he will judge all people according to what they have done.
This spoke volumes to me. This a a scary thought. But I must do what I know I need to do. Please pray for courage for me. If anyone of you dont know what I am talking about just google the St Petersburg Adoption Petitts and you will see all the news press and coverage here about us. We are supposed to be the last one leaving Russia and St Petersburg so it hit the news stand and TV and radio. Very BIG deal Reporters as far as Germany. I will link of on the last on that is actually in English. http://tv.ibtimes.com/3-year-old-russian-orphan-last-go-america-8628 This one I did appeal the President and they actually did a great job airing the rest they really didnt yet. Pray the right people will sees the and be soften by a few good men. I keep thinking in the bible old testament God said go find a few good men and I will save you on most of these times they found just that a few. I pray the few being me which have been given a voice when for so long I did not have one no one wanted to hear about now the media cant get enough of us. Pray we are the Noahs, the Abrahams, the Esters, the Ruths we need a Miracle and I am praying God will use me to do this miracle. He know I am bold enough to do it. He has given me one by giving us our son. Know I pray he will open the Red sea for all these babies to go home. I am praying for all but most of all all the ones that have met there families and have a refferral an have court. BUt not stopping there praying the ban will be lifted in GENERAL. Pray folks Pray. The other verse God gave me the night was praying when the Public Prosecutor was appealing ours monday was this:
Job 28:7,21
Let me walk in the path in the path of wisdom that no fowl knows.
That is my prayer. That is my praise. God is working and Chance is doing a great job. Perfect in every way. Blessings so much AnneP
We are praying for favor for you Anne. So thankful for the place God has put you in…As it was spoken to Queen Esther: "Who knows, but that you were put in this place for such a time as this?" GO!
I am praying and participating in my first fast for this! You have an amazing family and am so glad I came across your blog however many months ago. Have you seen this YouTube channel/video? –> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXo7VMc5Ex4 This mother started the channel to show people the normalcy of having adopted children in the family and to inspire others to adopt. She has even inspired a subscriber to adopt a special needs older child. I don't know why, I just felt the need to share that with you. Thank you for everything you do!
Thank you Jenny. I have not seen the channel. I will give it a look when the day settles down. Thank you for telling me about it.
Thank you so much of the reminder from God's Word! We are in the process of adopting from Honduras (just about 2 years into the wait which we thought would be less than one year and still waiting for a referral) and my husband & I committed at the beginning of this year to be more diligent in our prayers for our adoption. This is what I needed to read today. Sorry that I didn't read it before this morning but we have been praying for those adoptions in Russia. We spent time there 11 years ago and this was our starting point of our journey to adopt when our hearts were pricked by those that we spent time with there. Russia is definable on our hearts & mind! So happy to hear that Michael was joined with his family!!!