10/31/2007 - Wednesday

• 10/31/2007 10:40:25 PMMystery MoneyA mysterious $500 check arrived at the church today.  I have not seen it but I am told it appears to be a cashiers check of some kind with an expiration date.  Its origin is Georgia.  I have no more details than that.
  
  I'm not sure I know who you are but one thing I do know - the Lord knows who you are.
  
  Thank you very much for your kind and generous gift!

10/30/2007 - Tuesday

• 10/30/2007 4:40:34 PMKids and PotatoesI like potatoes.  I like carrots and I like onions.  There is a place just north of our house called "The Muck Farm".  They sell potatoes, carrots and onions in bulk at this time of year.  You can get a 50# bag of red potatoes for $7.00.  The carrots and onions are also a good deal if you are prepared to store a lot of them.  Last year we purchased a large bag of each and ate off of them all winter.
  
  I've always been drawn to bulk purchase items.  When I was a boy, I built a bird feeder and hung it from the eve of our house.  I went to Fleet Farm for some seeds and found a 50# bag for $2.99.  I remember thinking, "WOW!  That is a deal!".  How could I not purchase such a large bag for such a low price.  It might take me a while to get through it but you just cannot beat a deal like that.
  
  As of today, the estimated cost of adopting Yuri is around $49,500.  There was another young boy named Alex that came with Yuri on the Lighthouse trip.  The family that hosted him has decided not to pursue adopting him.  I don't know why.  I was told, "he really wants to be adopted".  Since I'm an analytical kind of person, I'm thinking, "what kid in the orphanage doesn't want to be adopted?".  I read about his background story and it is heart wrenching.  I am certain there are millions of kids like him with a similar story.
  
  
  There is a parable about a kid who is walking along the beach one day and comes across a star fish drying out in the sand.  "Surely it will die", he concludes.  So the kid picks up the star fish and throws it back into the sea.  A passerby sees this and comments, "why did you do that?"  The kid replies, "because he was going to die."
  
  Here comes the clincher...
  
  So the passerby says to the kid, "Do you know how many starfish are on the beach that are going to die?  You haven't even made a difference in solving the problem."  The kid says, "I made a difference to that one".
  
  Next week in our church we are having missionary conference.  A missionary speaker from Russia is coming to visit for the whole week.  We have set aside a day to have lunch with him and pick his brain while he tells us of the state of Christianity in the Soviet Union.  As we prepare for this, Pastor Kuhn has been giving his sermons with a missionary tone.  One of the things he said was that there has been a major shift in the way the church sees the Great Commission.
  
  "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
  
  The book, "The Purpose Driven Life" in some ways has hit on the change in thinking in recent years in the church as to the meaning of the great commission.  It has gone from being a mission of creating disciples to one of benevolence.  The statement, "You cannot preach to a man who has an empty stomach" reflects the mentality that we are to minister to people and their present condition before we can minister to their eternal spirit.
  
  There was a time when the Salvation Army and the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) were Christian outreach organizations.  Today however, you never hear of any soul saving activities coming from either.
  
  Getting back to the potatoes...  Yuri's adoption is going to cost around $49,500 - which is a lot of money.  We can tack on the cost of adopting Alex for another $10,500 or so.  My employer may kick in $4,000 of that which brings the additional cost of adopting Alex to around $6,500.  Some quick math brings that to a total of $56,000 or $28,000 for each child.  Looking at it that way, it seems like a bargain.  But then again, kids aren't potatoes.
  
  When I think of the price that Jesus paid to do the Father's will, I am reminded that it cost Him (Jesus) everything to do what needed to be done.  I worry about what will happen when we bring Yuri into our home.  We already have kids and the family chemistry that currently exists will change.  We have swallowed that and are prepared for the change.  What would bringing two new kids into the family do?  Is it selfish for me to think that way?
  
  Even in the middle of doing something that is good, there is selfishness.  "How much am I willing to give?"
  
  You know, when the Titanic sank there were life boats for the people on board.  The problem is that there weren't enough of them.  But there was another problem: the life boats that were used were under filled.  They could have held more people.  But even a life boat has a physical limit.  If you were on a life boat and you wanted to help the people in the water, you would start pulling them in.  Ultimately, the boat would become full and you would reach a point where you are risking the lives of the other people in the boat if you attempt to pull one more person in.
  
  Here is my point...  what is the capacity of my home?  Not it's physical capacity or square footage.  I mean, "how many children can I actively raise at one given point in time?"  Am I putting the rest of the family at risk?
  
  What if I say, "no" we are not going to go after Alex.  Yuri is enough for now.  We'll revisit adopting a 2nd child later after the Lord has stretched us and we've settled in to our new comfort zone.  Have I sentenced Alex to a life of doom?  It seems like I've asked myself that question before...  Someone else may adopt Alex and he could be a blessing to that home.
  
  What if I say, "yes" we will adopt him and we become over burdened?  What if he is a huge blessing to our family?
  
  I don't want to make this decision out of guilt over Alex's condition.  However, guilt is a good motivator but it can sometimes get you into a mess you weren't ready for.  On the other hand, I don't want any regrets either.
  
  My waffling reminds me of Tevia from Fiddler on the roof, "... but on the other hand..."
  
  Lord,
  let's pretend for a moment that I am as dumb as a sheep.  Please send a clear answer on this.  Clear like a rock hitting my head.
  

10/27/2007 - Saturday

• 10/27/2007 10:52:06 AMWRVM.orgI have completed the website design work for a local Christian radio station.  The  job included a total redesign from a static FrontPage website to a database driven Active Server Application.   Wisconsin's Radio Voice of the Master - WRVM.org is up and running.  The income generated from this will be added to the account to bring Yuri home.  
  
  Thank you to Mike Cornell, Al Kilgore and Rich Frischkorn.  Your radio ministry has been a blessing to Wisconsin and Michigan for 40 years.  May the Lord continue to richly bless your work.

10/22/2007 - Monday

• 10/22/2007 10:03:58 PMCool SpreadsheetPeggy made a cool looking spreadsheet to track all of the fees, what we've already paid and what remains.  I published this to Google Docs so that you could see it and know what we're up against.  Also, if you decide to adopt from Russia you'll be a few steps ahead of where we were when we started.
  
  Adoption Fee Spreadsheet
• 10/22/2007 4:28:15 PMPulling The TriggerWhen I got to work today, I shared all of the good news with my friend Patrick.  "We are $12,500 away from bringing Yuri home!"
  
  He asked, "So what are you going to do now?"
  
  "I don't know.", I said.
  
  "Yes you do.  Why are you not doing it?", he replied.
  
  Oooohhh - Bullseye!
  
  "It seems like your in the same boat you were in before.  It is just like when God said to the Israelites, 'I brought you out of Egypt, I defeated the world's most powerful army in front of your eyes, I provided food for you every in the desert for 40 years, why can't you trust me on this?'"
  
  Peggy had said something very similar to me earlier in the week.  She thought, "We are getting so close, what if we just took out a loan and funded the remaining amount that way?"  But then she said she felt as if God were saying, "you trusted me when you had $0 and when you had $5000.  Can't you trust me for the final amount?"
  
  Just when I think that I had learned some valuable lessons about letting God lead my life and stepping out in faith - I was choking.  I felt like Peter did at the moment the rooster crowed.
  
  After we had made the commitment to adopt Yuri and we thought the cost was going to be $40,000, I told Peggy, "when we get to $36,000, we will submit all of our paperwork and begin the process of waiting for our court date.  I reasoned - "that was before - this is now".
  
  I went back to my desk and checked my email.  I noticed an email from Mrs. Franks.  She and her husband are in Moscow now.  The left on Saturday to pick up their new daughter.  
  
  
  Hey Peggy and Dan,
  Just wanted to give you a little information on Yuri.  Marina said everytime she goes to his orphanage, he is jumping up and down asking her when you are coming  or are they coming?  I told Marina I would let you know this and she told me not to tell you because it may make you sad.  I convinced her that families in the states live for any information they can get on their child in Russia.  I will try to see him  when we go to the region tomorrow.  Is there anything you want me to tell him?  Please e-mail back to let me know.  Also, the people here are great.  We really are enjoying our time. All previous fears are eliminated.  They take good care of you here.  You have no need to worry.  We will keep praying the Lord provides soon for you.
  
  
  
  This is the first word we've had about Yuri since he left our home on April 1st.  I knew what had to be done.  I've listened. I've heard. I was reminded of what I've learned: "When the SON is shining, don't stand around and wonder what to do - do it".
  
  Thank you Patrick. Thank you Jon.
  
  I called Peggy and read her the email... 3 times.  She cried.  I said, "let's get the rest of the paperwork ready and get it in the mail".  In my mind I set my trigger limit at $36,000.  We're at $37,000 right now.
  
  Peggy sent the following reply:
  
  
  Hi Denise!
  Please tell Marina that I cried... tears of pure joy! That is the best news we could have gotten! Actually, it's the first we have heard anything about him since he left. We weren't sure how he even felt about us or coming back, so this tells us that he wants to be part of our family.   On top of this wonderful message from you, we had an unbelievable weekend. We had $8225 come in between fundraising and donations! :) We now need only $12,500, and that includes all the recent increases. God is so good - SO much better than good!!     After Dan called to tell me about your email (and he had to read it to me 3 times!) he also said that I should finish the paperwork and send it in. He said that from the start he felt that after we reached $36,000 that we would send in the dossier. We have raised over $37,000 at this point.  We are now putting it completely in God's hands. We are plowing the fields getting ready for the rain.
  
  I am not sure what you can tell Yuri. I told him in our letter (if the computer translator worked right) that we think of him all the time and miss him alot- and that we hope to see him again soon. Feel free to have Marina read it to you if you haven't yet.   -Here's something- could you tell him that we are saving his red remote control car for him? On the video that we received after he left he had commented that we should keep his car for him. We did and actually, I found an identical one at Goodwill. So now we have 2. One for James and one for Yuri.
  I wish you could ask him if he'd like an American name when he comes - but I doubt that that would be allowed.
  
  Thank you so much for telling us. Dan and I are thrilled that you are enjoying your trip. Not to mention that Dan is happy to hear how they take care of you over there! I'm not looking forward to eating beets though.......:(
  
  God bless you. I'm praying for your safety, the court date, your reunion and every aspect of the process. Enjoy Russia! :)
  Peggy
  
  
  
  The trigger is pulled, the dominoes are falling, the clock is ticking, the ball is rolling, the show is on the road.
  
  Hold on Yuri - we're on our way!
  

10/21/2007 - Sunday

• 10/21/2007 6:42:04 PMAwesome Sunday OfferingPastor Kuhn called early this morning: "Hi Dan, I'm here at the church and holding a check in my hand.  We're you expecting a check?"
  
  "Yes, no, I don't know..."
  
  "It was in a business envelope with a window and addressed to the church so I opened it.  It's for $(n),000"
  
  We drove to church in a state of peaceful contemplation.  It is hard to describe.  It was kind of like the feeling you get watching home videos on TV.  You see yourself and your family in the video, you know the story and what is happening but you can't interact with it, you only get to watch.  As the video plays out, you smile (or cringe - depending on the video).  But your at peace while you watch.
  
  We get to church and Rich from WRVM radio hands me a check.  I had revised their website for them and this was payment for my work.
  
  Then Nicole (who ran the lemonade stands all summer) came up and gave me a fat envelope filled with cash.
  
  Then after the service was done and the offering was counted, another $292 came in.
  
  Then after we got home we discovered that another $(n),000 was donated
  
  Peggy plugged the new numbers into her spreadsheet.  All totaled, today we received $7,292.  This does not count the donations from Nicole or the check from WRVM because we had known about them previously.
  
  According to our current figures:
  Total Fees Needed:   $49,565.70
  Total Amount Raised: $37,006.70
  Total Remaining:     $12,559.00
  
  I am so pumped up.  I can hardly stand it
  

10/20/2007 - Saturday

• 10/20/2007 5:14:05 PMSuring Auction Wrap-upToday marks the final scheduled auction.  After a cold spell and a few days of heavy rain, todays weather was beautiful.  Mary brought her 36 cup coffee maker and set it up next to ours.  We sold out of both and filled one of them half way again and sold that too.  It was a great day for coffee.
  
  
  
  We met a couple who said their daughter just adopted a little boy from the Ukraine.  The final cost was just under $50,000.  This is right on par with our current cost estimates.  Apparently she had to stay there for 30 days.
  
  Lord - please bring us home sooner than that.
  
  We were hoping for a big day of sales today.  I ended up frying about 4 cases of patties.   Mr. Bahrke brought 2 more just in case.  We sold over 100 cans of soda and the last bag of potato chips.  I asked him if there were any more auctions on the horizon.  He said he had one more tomorrow (Sunday) that was a multi-estate auction.  It will be done at his farm but we will not be doing the food stand.  Other than that, there are no more scheduled.  He told me, "you just never know in this business.  We are one step away from the undertaker.  We've done 20 auctions this spring and summer and 10 of them were because of someone's death."
  
  I have seen some of what he is talking about.  When ever we go to an estate, I wonder what the circumstances were that brought about the auction.  I have spoke with some of the owners and they would say things like:
  - "I thought this item would go for more."
  - "I was surprised at how much this item went for."
  - "I could not watch while this item was sold.  I had to walk away."
  
  Do they know that the "finality" and "closure" this auction means for their lives, is the seed of new beginnings for another life?
  
  
  Working the food stands has provided us with an opportunity to tell people what we are doing.  One family whose estate was being auctioned said, "we don't know what we are going to do with this money".  What I nice problem to have.  I have an idea that could help us both.  Peggy told them what we have been doing all summer and where today's profits were going.  They asked for our information.
  
  Lord - please - let Your will be done in this.  Finish in a bold way, what You've started.
  
  I spoke a little with Mr. Bahkre's boys after the auction was done.  They thanked us for coming and said we did a good job.  That was a nice compliment and felt great.  I hope we have the opportunity to work with them again.
  
  
  Some time during the auction, Grandma Carol began to tell us a story.  I'll try to relay it as accurately as possible:
  I guess she was feeling somewhat distant from the Lord over the past week or so.  On Wednesday, she realized that here reading and quiet time were not what they were supposed to be.  She got back into her bible and read and prayed during the morning.  In the afternoon, she got a phone call from a Family Foundation that she had sent a 3 page letter too some time ago.  It seems that the letter was misplaced and was recently found.  They said that what we were doing is the type of thing that their foundation was intended for.  They had some other checks to write and then they would write a check for us.  Since they only give to 501c3 non-profit organizations, they would be sending the check to the church.
  
  OO  OO  OO  OO  __  OO  OO
  
  I think my heart skipped a beat in there.  I became weak and tingly all over.  Does this mean the dry spell is over?
  
  Auction Photos

10/18/2007 - Thursday

• 10/18/2007 9:49:39 PMFacing a dry spellThe last scheduled auction is coming up.  After that there are no more new fund raisers on the horizon.  Peggy has been working with a Tupperware consultant trying to schedule something.  I don't know how that will turn out.  Based on the recent fee increases, we need about $20,000.  I don't think Tupperware is going to cover that. That is a pessimistic attitude and I'm having trouble shaking it.
  
  We still have a hand sewn quilt that we are trying to raffle off but as of now, we do not have a raffle number and so there is no way to generate income from it.  We are scratching our heads and wondering what to do and what other outlets we can pursue.  I got an email from John Gard's campaign.  It seems they raised over $100,000 in six weeks.  That would be nice.  I'm going to write him an email and see if he would like to use our story in his campaign some how.  I think it would be good for both of us.
  
  Some time ago, Peggy and Grandma Carol were in Copps food store picking up soda for one of the auctions.  They encountered a reporter from one of the local news stations who asked them about a recent beef recall.  In true Grandma Carol fashion, she told them about the adoption instead.  Way to go Grandma!  They took our name and number, but as of today, nothing has become of it.  This seems to happen a lot.  People appear to be interested, and then nothing.  This is the root of bitterness in my soul talking.  When things like this happen, most often I end up looking at myself and asking, "have I done that?  Have I expressed interest in something, indicated that I wanted to help and then not helped?"  Yes - I have done that.  You know, when ever you point a finger at someone, there are 3 more pointing back at you.
  
  The stress of all of this has become quite a burden.  We are on our knees in prayer more lately.  It seemed like we were so close and then... the price set back, followed by a fund raising dry spell.  All is very quiet on the horizon.  Peggy is fasting.  Before we go to sleep at night, she will get on her knees and reach over and hold my hand while she prays.  She doesn't know it, but when she is not in the room - that is when I'm on my knees.  It is a deeply personal thing and when I humble myself before the Lord in such a way, I'd rather do it alone.  This fretting about the funds is only leading me towards bitterness and complacency and I must repent of it.

10/17/2007 - Wednesday

• 10/17/2007 10:32:53 PMPrices going upOver the last few weeks, we have been mulling over some changes in the total cost of the adoption.  I have to admit that it feels like a great set back.  One of the things we missed was a deposit amount for $2000.  It was in the contract we signed but not on the fee schedule summary.  Additionally, another deposit fee increased and so did the amount of the home stay costs and the daily Russian driver fees.  We also underestimated the maximum possible days we would have to stay in Russia.  
  
  There is a potential that we would have to be there a total of 19 days.  All together the changes came out to be nearly $7000 bringing the total amount of the adoption to around $49,500.  Ugh...  I'm sick just thinking about it.
  
  There is no turning back.  We are committed to staying the course, sick or otherwise.
  

10/16/2007 - Tuesday

• 10/16/2007 9:44:41 PMPictures for saleLast night, my youngest daughter asked me if we could sell a picture that she had drawn.  The picture was a pencil drawn image of a butterfly landing on a flower. It was colored with crayons.  She asked, "If I sell this at the next auction, do you think anyone would buy it?"
  
  I hated that question.  Let me rephrase that...  I hated the feeling that was coming over me as I thought about what my answer was going to be.
  
  I asked, "how much are you thinking of selling it for?"  
  
  "25 cents", she replied.
  
  "Well... I'm not sure people are going to buy it for that.  When they come to the auction, they are looking to buy other things.", I said in return.
  
  The thought of no one buying it or someone buying it and then casting it to the ground or in the trash only to be found by her later makes me a little sick.  The cold aspects of the world is something I want to protect my children from.  This is a great picture for the refrigerator and something I'd like to keep in a shoe box to help me count my blessings but I can't bring myself to let her sell her pictures at the auction.
  
  I asked, "Can you think of anything else you could sell?"
  
  "I can draw other animals like dogs and cats too", she said.
  
  How do you respond to that?

10/12/2007 - Friday

• 10/12/2007 10:12:42 PMChocolate RainSince we began our adoption adventure, we have been the recipient of all kinds of gifts and donations.  Today I became the proprietor of a small but thriving office candy bar business with a faithful customer base of 1.  Jason, a friend and (now) former coworker gave me his stock of chocolate candy bars that he was selling out of the over-head cabinet in his cubical.  He had purchased boxes of M&M's, Snickers, Milky Way, Crunch and others from SAM's club and sold them for $.50 each.  Everyone in the office knew he had them and when they needed a chocolate fix, he was there.
  
  Like so many other gifts, this one came out of the blue and was unexpected but is greatly appreciated.  Often times, this is how the Lord works.  This is not to say that the Lord works in random unpredictable ways but rather that He works through people and the relationships we have with them.  The God I serve is a relational person and is at work in the friendships I invest myself in.
  
  Thank you Jason.  Your kindness and generosity will be another story I tell over and over again.
  

10/8/2007 - Monday

• 10/8/2007 12:47:59 PMBang! Bang!!After a somewhat disappointing weekend, we are looking forward to our next fund raising opportunity.  Currently we have 1 auction scheduled for October 20th.  After that - nothing.  We are not sure how, when or where funds will come from but we are certain they will come.  No sooner had I come in to work today when "BANG!" - a colleague of mine dropped off a bag of change.  "What is the source of this?", I asked.  "Just change we had."  Minutes later, "BANG!" - a donation came in to the adoption website from someone in Florida.
  
  I did not see either of these two gifts coming.  That is how it has been.  Just when you begin to think that God will not be on time, you realize that He was never in danger of being late.  The Lord provides.
  
  Thank you Mr. colleague person  - You continue to be a blessing to me.
  Thank you Florida person - I will respond privately to you shortly.
  Thank you LORD!
  
  Speaking of timing...  my personal assistant, accountant and all around, all-purpose awesome utility babe told me that she can have the remainder of our dossier paperwork completed this week.  It is not just the paperwork but getting it notarized and appostilled too.  By sending this to our adoption coordinator in Michigan, ("Val"), we would be pulling the trigger to start a chain reaction that will lead us to getting a court date.  We have no idea how fast the sequence of events would occur or if we will have the money by the time the court date comes.
  
  I told Peggy to get everything ready and hold it.  I am a little hesitant to send it.  I realize that at the rate things have been going, the necessary funds could come in quickly.  However, the little voice in my head says, "don't count your chickens until they hatch".
  
  This statement is in contradiction to something we heard recently in a movie we watched - Facing the Giants.  It was a good movie with a great story.  The line I'm referring to was, "prepare the fields".  This is in reference to a story about two farmers who prayed for rain during the middle of a drought.  After praying, one of the farmers went out and began to prepare his field for the coming rain.  This act was a reflection of his faith that the Lord would answer his prayer.
  
  Maybe I've got the whole thing confused but I don't want to guess at the Lord's timing by mailing in the dossier and hope the the funds and the court date occur at the right time.  I'd rather have the funds in hand and say, "we're ready for court".  Is this a lack of faith on my part or being smart about money?  The pressure of the decision in my brain makes my head hurt.

10/6/2007 - Saturday

• 10/6/2007 9:45:06 PMMarinette Auction Wrap-upIf I could describe this day in a single word (as compared to the other auction days) it would be "rain".  Overall we have had a very dry summer.  In the later part of the summer and early fall we have been blessed with good weather.  Not so today.  We had watched the forecast all week to help us try and prepare.  Last night, the weathermen on all the Green Bay stations predicted (aka guessed):
  - Upper 70's
  - Humid
  
  Mr. Bahrke had warned us earlier that this would be a smaller auction and said that if we sold one case of burgers we would be doing good.  However, a small auction combined with actual weather of 60's and rain...  we didn't see that one coming.  Perhaps I shouldn't say that.  When I got up and checked the sky, it was red.
  
  
  The auction was at a small residential home in the city limits of Marinette.  From what I understand, an elderly woman had moved into a nursing home and her children were taking care of her estate.  All the items at the auction were her personal possessions.  We arrived shortly after 8:00 am and setup in the front yard.  We waited quite a while before any customers filtered in to begin looking over the items for sale.  One item that caught Peggy's eye was a 16 QT canner.  They also had a much larger canner for sale.  I'm not sure of the exact size but I'm going to guess it was around 30 QT.  It was massive.  With these two items in mind, Peggy decided to register for the auction.
  
  
  In the end, she didn't get either item.  Mr. Bahrke had to work very hard to get anyone to bid on anything.  I think only the die-hard auction fans were in attendance and they only wanted some specific items.  The entire auction was over in 90 minutes.  I fried about 30 burgers of which we ate 8 of them ourselves.  Today's profits - $68.
  
  
  There were some highlights to the day.  We traveled up to Peggy's uncle's house for the afternoon.  On the way there we got to see the world's largest chicken.  How can you beat that?
  

10/5/2007 - Friday

• 10/5/2007 10:07:20 PMHow to dummy-proof your power inverter1. Keep the wires connected to the inverter
  2. Tie or strap one of the wires in a knot so it is shorter in length than the other wire
  3. Fix the inverter in such a way so that it is always in the same relative position to the source of power.
  
  If you examine the image below closely, you will see that the deep-cycle battery is strapped to the board on which it rests.  Previously, I would keep the inverter in its case, and the board and battery in the basement for storage when not in use.  They were never all together.  When I wanted to use them, I set the battery back on the board, screw the inverter on and then make all of the connections. There was no guarantee that it would be positioned the same way as before.
  
  
  
  As you can see, the red wire from the inverter has been shortened with a zip-tie and it cannot reach the black terminal.  I feel much better about the whole thing now.  One thing is for sure - this is a heavy unit to move around.  When I carry it, I have visions of the battery handle breaking and it falling on my foot.  In my mind, I can see my toes shattering as acid leaks from the cracked case...  Oooohhhh  Ouch!  It is too painful to think about.

10/4/2007 - Thursday

• 10/4/2007 1:06:50 PMMaking it realWhen we started our adoption adventure back in March, seven other families joined us in hosting 8 Russian orphans.  Out of the eight families, five have decided to pursue adoption (including us).  This morning, we received word that 2 of the families have received their appointment for a court date in Russia.  WooHoo!  YEA!!  Both are set sometime around the 4th week of October.  They are each planning to stay approximately 4 weeks and return sometime around the 2nd or 3rd week of November - just before Thanksgiving.
  
  Thinking about it brings a certain uneasiness to my stomach.  There is a saying that goes, "Be careful what you pray for - you just might get it".  We have been working and praying so much that - while I have thought about the trip, I haven't had time to let the reality of going to Russia sink in and touch my heart.  This is where the fear factor base camp in our home changes.  Peggy worries and stresses about raising the money and making sure the paperwork is all correct.  She is very excited about the travel portion of the journey.  I am less concerned about the money and paperwork and more about the travel.  
  
  I am not a person who readily embraces adventure.  While I have dreams about such things, it is rare that I actively pursue them.  This is where having a spunky wife is of great benefit.  I am so far outside of my comfort zone that adventure and not knowing what is going to happen next is beginning to feel normal.  I still have some reservations about making the trip and being away from my children for so long.  Anxiety - my old nemesis, has taken up camp outside my home.  I have decided that "focus" will be my new ally.  I must continue to concentrate on the tasks at hand in order to successfully stay the course.
  
  This might seem like a contradictory statement with, "keep your eyes on the prize".  Perhaps I'll keep one eye on each.  I know I'll feel much better after we speak with the other families when they return.  I mean, I hope I'll feel much better when they return.  I mean...
  
  Focus! Focus!! Focus!!!

10/1/2007 - Monday

• 10/1/2007 12:55:17 PMGambling MoneyGreat Grandma Gladys likes to play cards with her friends.  I think the game of choice is Bridge.  I know nothing about it, only that they play for pennies and Gladys is pretty good at it.  I know this because she donated her winnings.  That's pretty cool.  I never could have foreseen donations coming from something like that.  Chalk that up to the ever-growing list of mysterious ways of the Lord.
  
  Don't get me wrong.  It is not that I condone gambling or believe that God does.  I'm not sure that I would even put this in the category of gambling as much as a method of keeping score in an activity that elderly people engage in.  "Gambling" is what I did when I purchased a losing lottery ticket.
  
  I've played cards for pennies before.  Sometimes I will get our penny jar off of the top of the refrigerator and the kids and I will play 21.  I'll give each of them 20 cents and we'll play until we get tired.  Then all the pennies go back in the jar until another day.  Playing for pennies takes time and patience.  Grandma Gladys has both.  God bless her.  I believe key aspects of her personality and spirit have passed on to her daughter (Grandma Carol) and my wife.  What a fortunate and blessed man I am to be surrounded by such people.
  
  
• 10/1/2007 12:32:23 PMApostilled and Out The DoorLast month some time I signed up for an account with Federal Express so that we could quickly send out our important documentation along with a prepaid return label.  We had not used the account until last Wednesday.  Peggy spent a lot of time gathering and preparing our first wave of 35 notarized documents to be apostilled.  Additionally, she had to put together a photo album that represented our home and family.  The whole thing was very stressful for her but as of last Wednesday she sent them off to Madison - along with a check for $350.  By Friday morning, the documents returned with the seal of approval.  That was much faster than I had expected.
  
  The entire packet of documents will now be sent of to Val in Michigan where they will be forwarded to Russia.  Our names will be entered into the Russian database and associated with Yuri's name.  In the mean time, we will continue to raise funds and fill out paperwork.
  
  More recently, we have begun to fill out grant applications.  Some of them like Shaohannas Hope ask a lot of questions.  It is all a little stressful but in the end it will be worth while.  Whether we receive any grants or not, I will not be worried (stressed-yes, worried-no).  This journey has been the ride of a life time and I will talk about it until the day I die.  I remember when...
  - People I don't know and never met believed in this before I did...
  - Donations for Yuri's visit came in from all directions...
  - Like a bonehead, I purchased a lottery ticket looking for answers...
  - My friend Jon explained to me something all farmers know - when the sun is shining, you make hay...
  - I slept in WalMart's parking lot and listened to street racers...
  - We made 50 gallons of booyah...
  - We sold a bazillion Seroogy's chocolate bars...
  - We ran a portable food stand...
  - Friends and family gave creatively of their time and resources...
  - The Lord was at the center and directed everything...