WE ARE GOING TO UKRAINE!!!!!

After weeks and weeks of thinking “we will hear any day now”, WE GOT THE PHONE CALL!!! It’s Ukraine or Bust for the Smiths!  Our precious adoption agent, Allison, called at 7:55 am on Wednesday, November 30.  She said  “I’ve got some sad news for you.  Sweetie, you aren’t going to get to host the kids for Christmas this year.”  My heart and stomach dropped.  Then she said “You aren’t hosting because you will be in Ukraine adopting.”  Friends, I nearly lost it!  I started thanking Jesus and screeching.  Then I screamed to Rod “We are going. We are going!!”  Then it hit me….  I was screeching and screaming into the phone.  Poor poor Allison.  Because of me, she will probably email or text good news from here on. 

Allison then went on to let me know that we needed to leave in 10 days.  10 DAYS.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????  Rod needed to get on to work (2 more mouths to feed) so we prayed together (he prayed and I shook) and then he dashed out the door with newfound purpose.  I was alone.  Still shaking.  You know those sitcom scenes when the woman goes into labor and all her best-laid plans go out the window and she starts running in circles and everything goes haywire??? That was me.  I was in international labor and I could not think.  The room was spinning and I was shaking and pacing the floor.  So I did the only thing that I could think of to do… I walked straight into my closet and straightened my necklaces and began choosing which ones I would take with me.  Oh my word, how I wish I was making this up.  As I type it, I feel like such a goober.  But it is the truth, and I promised myself that I would tell the truth on this blog thing.  After the necklaces were seen about, then I went to sit on my bed to spend some time with my sweet Savior.  The dogs and I snuggled down in the sheets.  I opened my Bible and closed my eyes.  And I laughed.  And laughed.  And laughed.  I felt like Abraham’s wife, Sarah, when she learned she was going to bear a son in her old age.  She laughed at the thought.  So did I.  And I laughed in amazement at the whole stinkin journey.  Psalm 126:2-3 says “Our mouths were filled with laughter, and our tongues with songs of joy.  Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”  That’s it exactly.

So now it is Monday.  We leave Saturday.  The packing has begun.  Can I just give a shout out here to all the Burnt Hickory Student Ministry folks who I love so much??  These are the folks I have had the privilege to go with on umpteen camps and mission trips.  We’ve been all over the globe together to proclaim the name of Jesus.  These people are a treasure to me.  These people are also the ones laughing hysterically now at the thought of me packing for 5-6 weeks.  I’m known amongst these people as a heavy packer.  I always have to have help with my luggage.  One camp, I seemed to find the need to take 11 pair of flip flops.  The news got out and I got called out by name at the next camp meeting and was asked to please cut back.   Now, as we go to adopt, I have received several emails requesting that we pack very light.  So far, I have been unable to remove anything out of my luggage except for 2 scarves.  I had packed 12.  I wish I was making this up, too.  Anyway, we are packing and preparing documents to present to the embassy and shopping for presents for orphanage workers and Christmas shopping and doing a million last-minute other things.  It is not going to all get done.  But, whatever.  On Saturday, at 8:40pm, Rod, Jarrod, and I will be on a plane to go get our children.  Children that we love with all our hearts.  Children who have been in an orphanage for 6 years waiting to live in a home.  We are very very aware that we have been on a journey to get to the JOURNEY of raising and ministering to these wounded kids.  As much as we can at this point, we do get it.  We have been asked lots and lots of questions about this.  All really good questions, for sure.  And so we keep answering “yes” to questions like “Do you know this is going to be exhausting?” and “Weren’t you tired when you were hosting them?” and “Do you think they are wounded?” and “Have you lost your mind???”  And we answer “no” to stuff like “Do you know their whole background?” and “Do you know why their parents gave them up?” and “Do you know if they have learning issues?” and “Do you know how you are going to work it all out?”  THIS ONE THING WE DO KNOW:  We have been called by God to this.  And that is enough.  We are learning that having all the answers is not to be a prerequisite to obedience.  And we are learning that ease and comfort are rarely involved in obedience.  And we are learning to be ok with that.

Please pray for us as we prepare to go.  Much is yet to be done and many many responsibilities are being left behind. 

Please pray for Logan and Parker as they fly out to meet us for Christmas!

Please pray for Nicholas and Anya as they realize what is happening.  They have a huge decision to make.  Saying “yes” for them means leaving their country, their friends, their comfort zone (even if it is an orphanage) and go to a new country with a new language and new friends and a new family.  It takes a tremendous amount of courage to say “yes” to this and many children back out at the last minute out of fear.

Please pray that as we go, wherever we go, that His Name and His renown would be the desire of our hearts.  That we will carry His Name.  That we will make much of Him.

And if you read all the way through this, sweet blessings to you!!!