A Story Needing to Be Told...

Oh this is so beautiful and so amazing and something that only God could have done. I will always look at this and just truly think, "Who but God?!?!"

My heart just swells a little more each time I think of what God has done here and the great thing is - I get to see the results so very often!!! All praise to Him for the story I am going to attempt to do justice to.

When we were in Ukraine, our hearts were broken over so many children that we came to love and that we had to leave behind. The Lord has since worked in some amazing ways in allowing us to continue to minister to those children. We have been blessed to be a part of hosting trips and humanitarian aid to our girls' orphanage. We are delighted that several of those children are now being pursued for adoption. But one in particular grabbed my heart and just wouldn't let go.

From the moment I saw this one little girl, there was something about her that pierced my heart and I just loved her. We soon discovered that she was the best friend and classmate of our daughters. While in Ukraine waiting to adopt our girls, Zach and I talked and prayed about what we could do to help her. As we got to know her we were broken over her story and drawn by her precious, sweet spirit. We inquired about possibly adopting her ourselves but that door was quickly closed as she was not yet available. We prayed about starting the process again and going back for her but every time we prayed about it we did not feel a leading in that direction but yet still a love and a burden for her. At the same time, without discussing it, we both felt a strong sense that she belonged in the family of our dear friends, Camille and John. We were excited about the possibility of her being in their family but didn't really think it was possible because they were in the process to adopt a little boy through the foster care system while we were in Ukraine. We were sure that they would not be adopting again any time soon. Eventually the burden was so strong that we mentioned it to them.

They prayed and God revealed to them in some pretty incredible ways that they were to pursue sweet Galina. It was so clear and He also revealed His provision for their adoption of her. So, they began adoption paperwork and hosted her for the summer. Galina dared to open her broken heart once more and dared to love and to be loved. Last summer was an unbelievably sweet time to see how perfectly this child fit into their family. All those watching just stood in awe of how perfectly this child fit into their family - she looks like them, talks like them, her personality is like them, she was made to be their child. And we just rejoiced in seeing our daughters reunited with their dear friend on the other side of the world and in seeing this child that we had come to love finding her home.

Just after this past Christmas, Galina came home to her forever family. Who but God could have placed these children, Nastya, Katya, and Galina, into the perfect families for them? And He knew from the foundation of the world that they would be taken from the other side of the world and placed into these families. And before doing so, He gave the added blessing to these families and to these children that these families would be close friends and ministry partners? What a delight it is to raise and even educate our Ukrainian daughters within the friendship of our sweet friends.

What absolute joy it is to see Galina Lilly in her family.

Forever.

The night Galina came home forever...