Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Our Dossier Has Arrived in Ukraine!


Great news! We completed our dossier (the monstrous packet of documents Ukraine requires for international adoption approval) in record time and it’s currently in Kiev waiting for SDA approval! This is a HUGE milestone in the adoption process and one that seemed to take the last bit of energy I had! None of this would have been possible without the generosity of those who donated towards our adoption. We were under some financial pressure the last few months and extremely stressed, trying to figure out how we’d pay for all of the upcoming expenses. But sure enough… God always comes through, even when we feel like we are drowning! He has provided in many ways and we can now confidently move forward with the financial commitment of the adoption! PRAISE GOD!

Now we wait for feedback from the SDA on acceptance of our dossier and the date when we'll have our referral appointment with the SDA. If our timeline is consistent with others who recently adopted, we’ll be receiving our invitation to travel within the next 30-45 days, depending on the holiday delay. We are praying for the revolution that is happening in Ukraine and we hope for the countries sake, and our own, things settle down peacefully and quickly. We will likely have 2 weeks notice and travel sometime in early to mid-February! Of course, we've now learned that one should expect the unexpected when adopting, so we have to be prepared for delays.

Thank you for your prayers and support! We are so grateful for all those who constantly ask about Andriy and Katya. Throughout this journey we've seen so many prayers answered and we know God continues to guide the process. Because of this, I ask you to join as we pray for dossier approval, for Katya and Andriy, who is in the hospital now for 10 days, for an eye problem (we don’t have the details). My heart breaks that I’m not there to comfort him and take care of him. However, we have learned to trust God completely, even as we go through the ups and downs (and the waiting).

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

No Guarantees

When Roman and I had decided to move forward with international adoption, we knew it would be difficult, both emotionally and financially draining, but we thought of how amazing it would be and  thought it’d be worth every hardship! After all, if we could do it once, what's another try? Boy, we were in for a quite the surprise! First of all, we were both a bit stunned that we’d have to start the entire adoption process from scratch! YIKES! We already had countless hours of training, a 3” binder of paperwork and spent the bulk of our savings on our domestic adoption. Most times this is a bitter pill to swallow, but it's doable. This week I hit rock bottom as I came to the rude realization that nothing about this process guarantees success.  Here are a few updates on the adoption front:

-          Andriy’s orphanage is closing. The officials in Makeyevka, Ukraine decided it’d be more profitable to open a day care in its place. Andriy is being yanked away from the only security he’s had in his life, his friends, care takers and the orphanage he’s come to know as his home.  His orphanage is far from perfect, but it sure provides a sense of security. The last few times we spoke to him, he was nervous we wouldn't be able to find him if he moved. Although we reassured him we'll find him,  we don’t know if we’ll be able to continue phone contact with him once he is moved to a new orphanage. We are praying for God’s help in this transition.

-          I received devastating news that a family we met through our hosting program, who was also adopting, is now mourning the loss of the daughter they were supposed to bring home. Maria, from Andriy’s orphanage, was picked up by a foster family last week, and regardless of how temporary the foster arrangement, it will most likely void the international adoption. This family has invested in Maria emotionally, physically and financially.  They don’t know if they’ll ever see the daughter they fell in love with ever again. Please keep them in your prayers.  

-          Andriy has had a few families come by and visit him because they’d like to foster either him or  Katya. Although there isn’t too much demand for fostering a 10 year old boy, a three year old girl who is mostly healthy is appealing to local families. However, Andriy must agree to be separated from her (although they aren’t together now) or the family must agree to take-in both of them, Andriy has to agree to this arrangement. So far, he’s rejected these situations and patiently waits for his Mama and Papa to come from the US. However, one question haunts me… When will his patience run out?

Aside from my fears and anxiety, I also feel sorry for myself at times. I hate this feeling of self-pity but it’s been creeping up lately. Most recently, at a baby shower this weekend where I was reminded that I have a storage full of baby supplies I may never use. I never had a chance to use it. I should have had that  chance but for some reason it never worked out.  I quickly came to the realization that I’m still mourning the loss of not having a baby and now a new dose of reality: I may have lost the chance to ever have a little itty baby. The thought of losing Andriy and Katya at this point is unbearable.

Overall, what's gotten me through these few weeks was the amazing support and encouragement from friends, family, acquaintances and kind strangers! Thank you to all of our heroes, those who have stepped out and made an effort to support our adoption, both financially and spiritually! We truly appreciate it and the success of our fundraiser has encouraged us every step of the way! Please continue to pray for God's hand to be over every step of this process, from the dossier to the flight home! God-willing, we hope to pick Andriy and Katya up in February!

Monday, September 23, 2013

Exciting News

I have been meaning to update the blog since shortly after Andriy’s departure, but it’s been quiet the whirlwind at the Kravchuk Residence. After a very difficult goodbye, we’ve been knee-deep in paperwork .  I’d like to thank everyone who has checked in with us and asked about our little guy! It means so much to have the support of so many friends and family! For those of you who don’t know him, here’s a bit of background about our favorite 9 year old.

Andriy was born in 2003 in Makeyevka, Ukraine.. Andriy explained he lived with his grandma for a few years, but has been in the orphanage since. He has never met his mother, and because she is an alcoholic, her rights were long revoked and she has never been involved in her children’s lives. Andriy’s father was killed when Andriy was young, and only has a few faint memories of him. Andriy has a brother that is approximately 13 that has lived with a foster family for several years. Andriy also has a little 3 year old sister named Katya, who was orphaned at birth, but lives at another orphange. Andriy talked about his sister with such joy, but he has only seen her once in his lifetime, when they were admitted at the same hospital, apparently a nurse made the connection and took him down to see his little sister for the first time.  

Andriy came to the US with lots of anxiety, little self-worth, impaired vision and a host of other issues (cursing being one of the minor ones, lol). Andriy is considered legally blind when he doesn’t wear his glasses, and needs special glasses with a 10.5 prescription. Despite of the challenges Andriy has faced in his short life, this kiddo lit up our whole world and had an amazing attitude about life. Andriy had never before had his own toys, a birthday party (he didn't know when his own birthday), let alone glasses that were the right prescription. With God's help, he left our home with many toys, a birthday bash and a cool pair of glasses that  enabled him to see the world in 20-20! The hosting experience was more wonderful than we ever hoped for! A few weeks into his visit, we knew we couldn't say goodbye to Andriy because the thought of him growing up without the care and love of a family broke our hearts. 















We have decided to adopt Andriy and make him part of our forever family! A few days after committing to adopt Andriy, we received an email stating that Andriy actually has a three year old sister named Katya! Much to our surprise, God has led us to adopt both Andriy and Katya. I say that we are surprised, because Roman and I had previously considered international adoption, but for financial and personal reasons, we had decided domestic infant adoption was the best route for us. Clearly, God had his own plan. Unfortunately, we can no longer move forward with our domestic adoption and have lost the $18,000 we have already paid towards our domestic adoption. In addition, the cost of the international adoption is going to be somewhere between $34,000-$42,000. Those numbers put a pit in our stomach, but we believe if God guides, He also provides!  Whenever we feel anxiety over that exorbitant expense, we think of Andriy and what a blessing he has been in our life and we find a way to rationalize it.
Katya, Age 3

Many people have approached us to ask how they can help or contribute to the adoption. I have set up a fundraiser to help fund a portion of our adoption expenses. Please note Pure Charity sends all proceeds directly to our agency and can provide contributors with a tax-deductible receipt. Thank you in advance for your prayers and support! Most of all, thank you for helping us bring Andriy and Katya home to their forever family! Please join us for yet another roller-coaster ride through the journey of international adoption!

www.purecharity.com/kravchukadoption

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Changing Lives - Orphan Hosting

If you are anything like me, you are looking at the calendar and trying to figure out how it’s already mid-August and shocked at how summer has flown by. Our summer has consisted of trips, family outings, soaking up the sun, swimming, playing lots of volleyball and most recently, orphan hosting. We’ve had the pleasure of hosting Andriyko, our 9 year old Ukrainian smarty-pants for two weeks now. I was extremely stressed out the week prior to Andriy’s arrival as there had been several changes to flights, delayed visas and unexpected costs that we were not prepared for.  Like most women, I don't do well with unexpected changes.  Andriy arrived several days late, exhausted, hungry and terrified, but we were grateful he arrived safely. It’s been a busy time for us in the Kravchuk household, with lots of laughing and some crying (mostly on my part, as I wasn’t prepared for how much sympathy I’d feel towards this little guy).  Here are a few of the most memorable Andriy moments thus far:
 
-          Andriy would not take a shower the first night he arrived (mostly nerves) and explained that he could only shower if it was Wednesday. (They shower once a week at his orphanage).

-          The first morning we woke up, Andriy was sitting on the edge of the bed with his clothes folded and his bed perfectly made. He is very helpful and tries to help around the house any chance he gets.

-          Andriy’s amazement the first time he saw sliding doors at Target. He said “Is this Abra kadabra?”

-          When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, he said “Dvornikom” which is janitor in Russian, because his favorite activity is washing the floor. We quietly chuckled.

-          Andriy takes pictures of everything (every toy, kitchen cabinet, painting, etc.) so he can show his friends at the orphanage. He recently asked for our photo album and proceeded taking pictures of every photo in it.

-          Andriy has a bit of a cursing problem. He is improving quite a bit, but it’s still a work in progress. At one point we were waiting at the DMV and he yelled some Russian profanities when his patience ran out (I couldn’t blame him), most adults can’t even handle the DMV. 

-          Andriy lined up his few toys and called us into his room and very proudly said, “Look at my wealth.”

-          After attending church this Sunday, Andriy said, “Wow, I am very popular! Everyone in America knows my name, and one person even said they have been praying for me. Actually, I think the entire galaxy knows who I am.”

-          Every night before bed, we tell Andriy a Bible story, memorize a new verse and pray for him and his vision specifically (we found out he has some major vision problems and is considered legally blind). One evening we prayed earlier than usual and when we were tucking him in, he said we had forgotten to pray. We weren’t going to discourage another prayer, so we all got down on our knees and Andriy said he wanted to thank God for healing his eyes and giving him better vision. Now Andriy told us he had never heard about God or Jesus before his visit, so the fact that he was grasping this concept was beautiful.  

The last two weeks have been both challenging and rewarding, but most of all, have been life-changing. Over the last few days, several people have mentioned how great it is that we are changing this little boy’s life and making such an impact, but I can honestly say he is changing our lives more than he’ll ever know! If you have never considered orphan hosting, please do, it’ll change your life!  It may seem overwhelming, but I would be more than happy to walk you through the steps and help you through the paperwork. If you have interest in participating in this ministry, but don’t have the finances, believe me if God guides, he provides! We’ve seen this in our lives over and over again.
 
 Please say a prayer for Andriy,  so he will enjoy his last few weeks in the US and so he may grasp God's unconditional love.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Unexpected Victories

Hi friends! Hope you are all enjoying your summer! I'm realizing I'm more of a California girl than I thought, it seems my mood rises along with the temperature. I've been feeling more optimistic this week than I have in months. Although we don't have any adoption news, there are three victories I'm celebrating: 

1) I have been pain-free for the last 60 days. Seems like an odd statement for a 24 year old, but often when living with my health condition I experience a lot of unpleasant side effects, one of which is chronic pain. Don't worry, I have learned to function through the pain, but boy,  living pain-free is something HUGE to celebrate!  Until I experienced poor health, I was never as grateful for the days of good health.  Praise God!!! 

2) My older sis Elina graduated from school with her bachelors degree a few days ago. This was a huge celebration because she has overcome many obstacles and challenges in her life and has been able to prosper despite of them. I'm very excited for the future God has planned for her! 

3) Last but not least, I've been praying for God to send me an answer as to what I'm supposed to be doing with all of this free time I have after losing Olivia. I left my full time job of 6 years in November and I was hopeful we would have been on adoption #2 by spring. When that didn't happen, I was praying that God would point me in the right direction and show me what I should be investing my time in during the wait. This Friday, I unexpectedly received my answer.  We were presented with an opportunity to host an orphan for the summer. The original host family backed out and they weren't able to find a family that could get their paperwork and payment submitted by the due date of the following Monday. Because Roman and I are adoption and foster-care certified, we had all the necessary documents and clearances that were needed to host. When I explained to the volunteer that we'd be able to step in and host the little boy, she was in tears and was relieved she wouldn't have to break the little boys heart. We are nervous but also super excited to welcome Andrey, a nine year old Ukrainian orphan,  into our family for 5 weeks later this summer. We hope we can reflect God's tender love and care while he is in our home and also show him a great time. Please pray that God gives us wisdom as we embark on this new journey! 

The reason I have been optimistic is summed up in one simple statement: God comes through and answers prayers! The last few months  I've had the song "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller on my mind. Feel free to give it a listen: 

Sunday, April 28, 2013


When Life Is Unfair 

As of April 28th,  my husband and I have been married for 6 years. As much as I  loved sitting back and pondering over the great years we've spent together and the beautiful relationship we have, I can't help but cringe at one somber reality. It has been almost six years since we first  started trying...  And childless for 6 long years! That's so crazy. Especially when the average time it takes a couple to conceive is 6 months. I know that life goes on and trust me... it's going on around me. I just don't feel like mine is. I know we have the adoption to look forward to but I feel like I'm stuck in time. Don't get me wrong, I've had a lot of wonderful memories and an abundance of blessings over the last 6 years, but just a mere 6 months ago I was preparing to live a life full of baby snuggles, burps and diaper changes and now I'm just stuck in time, while life around me is moving forward.  I know this is not encouraging or very helpful, but somedays it's how I truly feel. I am stuck in the same spot I was 6 years ago, just killing time. While everyone else has and is moving on. People are getting married, having children... one, two, and three. And we're still... just here.

It's so hard not to wonder why life is so unfair? I just recently heard my high school acquaintance had a second baby out of wedlock. She's not sure who the father is and isn't sure she'll be able to provide for both kiddos but she's going to "figure it out." Oh the irony! Life seems so unfair!

When I pray and think about this a bit more, I feel condemned. Truth be told, God doesn't owe me an explanation and never promised life would be fair. As a matter of fact, Jesus said in John 16:33  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The truth is we aren't entitled to have any of the great blessings we have in life, we are given all things by the grace of God and through his will alone. If you are like me and starting to realize how unfair the world is, remember God has and will continue to show grace to you, but it may be in different ways. You may not have it very easy in this world, but Our Lord has overcome the world! Fairness or justice isn't what should bring us joy or contentment, God's love and grace should fill the empty places in our soul and make us feel content and whole, regardless of which path we walk in life. By the way, I'm totally preaching to the choir here. I can use this reminder more than anyone. I hope it's helpful to you as well. 

Chin up, God has it all figured out, even if we don't!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

When God is Silent

Do you ever feel like God is silent? Lately I have been very discouraged and have been struggling with hearing God's voice. I have to admit I've been bitter and confused about the way things have turned out the last few months.  Sometimes I feel like I'm not cut out for all that God has planned for me.  I have been praying for God's peace and love to strengthen me in the last few weeks, but all I seem to feel is turmoil and grief.  My current emotional and spiritual state has given  me an entirely new respect for the story of Joseph. For more than ten years, things had gone from bad to worse for Joseph. Once a free man, he was sold into slavery by his own brothers to people who were his enemies. Through it all, he continued to obey God and work hard for his master. Then, he was falsely accused of assaulting his master’s wife, and he was thrown into prison.

Where was God in the apparently negative events? Not once had Joseph received encouragement from family or friends. Even though Joseph knew God was guiding and blessing him, the times of waiting rigorously challenged his faith.

When God is silent, when He doesn’t intervene, it may seem that He isn’t involved in our life. But God is never still. I try to remember He is always at work, especially in the “silent times.” He uses every event, every situation, and every person in our lives to prepare us for future and fulfill His perfect purpose.

When Joseph is finally released and ruling Egypt as second in command, with the power to save his family and people, Joseph at last understood God’s special plan. I truly desire to be like Joseph and cling to Him in the tough times; trust Him in my darkness.  

If you have an extra moment, please say a prayer for me. I pray that I can stay faithful through this sometimes difficult road.  

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Shattered Dreams

"Shattered dreams are never random. They are always a piece in a larger puzzle, a chapter in a larger story. The Holy Spirit uses the pain of shattered dreams to help us discover our desire for God, to help us begin dreaming the highest dream. They are ordained opportunities for the Spirit to awaken, then do satisfy our highest dream."
-Larry Crabb

The last few nights I've had a really hard time sleeping. I keep myself awake thinking about why God allows trials and tribulations to hurt his children in unimaginable ways. If I'm completely honest with myself, I  wonder why the many widows I know, the moms who have had miscarriages and still births, and the hopeful believers who pray to be healed from fatal illnesses have to endure such great pain in their lives, even though they have the almighty God on their side? I catch my mind slipping to my own self-pity at times. Why has God allowed our family to experience so many shattered dreams? How are teen girls getting pregnant on a whim during one-night stands, yet I'm prepared to parent and don't seem to have a chance at fertility? Why do I have a closet full of adorable precious baby onesies, lafayettes and dresses, yet no baby to cloth?

 This road of self pity and doubt is very dangerous, and I've found the best way to beat these thoughts is to pray and read scripture. I've proclaimed Jerermiah 29:11 many times, especially during my moments of self-pity and doubt. I constantly remind myself that God's plans for me are much greater than the plans I have for myself.  Granted, there is a part of me that feels entitled to be angry and teary, because I've been through a lot. Most people who are struggling and grieving are most likely entitled to feel that way. However,  As Lary Crabb stated, The Holy Spirit Is there to comfort us through our pain and uses broken dreams to find our desire to follow God. Isn't that the big picture anyway? 

The pain, grief and suffering you may be facing is not random. God wants you to draw near to Him and ask for His direction in your life. We may not have all of the answers to our many questions, but I believe God is in complete control and knows what is best.  God allows things to happen for reasons we can't comprehend. Keep walking through this life with your eyes set on Him and keep trusting in God alone, telling people about His amazing faithfulness, love and comfort. God can comfort you in your shattered dreams and give you a higher dream and purpose!