March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
December 2008
January 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
January 2010
March 2010
June 2010



11/30/2007 - Friday
  • 11/30/2007 12:57:12 PMUnder $5,000While I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, last night my beautiful wife told me that we are somewhere under $5,000 away from having the total amount.  That makes me feel better.

    We have had a very stressful week.  Through this entire process there have always been ups and downs.  For nearly each high point, there is at least one associated low point.  It's appearance is almost like clock work.  I wondered, "do other people have this much trouble?".

    The most recent high point would be the large donations we've received since the last fund raising event.  That put us under $6,000.  It was immediately followed by news that the likelihood of us getting our 10 day stay in Moscow waived is close to "zero".  Apparently the Russian prosecutor doesn't like that and is putting a stop to it.  Most of the other regions already do not permit the 10 days to be waived, so this makes sense that the region we are adopting from would fall in line with the rest of them.  While I don't mind staying so much, it translates into more days away from my other children and about $3,500 in cash.

    The second low point is the accreditation of the adoption agency in Russia.  While in some respects that is a good thing, it does account for over $2,000 in cash.  Had they not gotten their accreditation, we would have proceeded with an "independent adoption" with the very capable team of people from the Russian Orphan Lighthouse Project.  

    All totaled, both of these 2 items account for nearly $6,000 in expenses.  Had they not happened, we'd be at our goal now.  Peggy commented, "I guess God has other plans".  Indeed... other plans.

    In contemplating the reasons why things are unfolding they way they are, I have only come to one solid conclusion:  We have attracted the attention of Satan himself.  We have asked our church to be involved and many have boldly stepped up to the plate.  The Holy Spirit is moving and working in the lives of people all around us.  I guess I should feel good about that.  If Satan thinks what I'm doing is of no threat, what does that say about what I'm doing?  Not much.

    Lord, help me to hold on to You tightly with the spiritual grip of Abraham.  Help me to not see with my eyes but with my faith.  Help me to rest on your promise and the work you are actively doing in my life.
11/27/2007 - Tuesday
  • 11/27/2007 1:26:18 PM4 of 5Family 4 out of the 5 that are adopting got their notice that they have received a court date.  I saw their itinerary and it appears it is going to be a long December for them - but with a happy ending.  Praise the Lord.

    Of course this can mean only one thing...

    One family is left...

    Come On LORD !

11/26/2007 - Monday
  • 11/26/2007 9:38:48 AM3 of 5Out of the eight families that hosted children through the Lighthouse Project during Yuri's visit, five of them are adopting.  Today, the 3rd family (Tracy and Brent Homer) will be leaving for Russia to pick up their new son.  That is awesome!  I am so happy for them.  I am looking forward to the day when we are all back home with our children and we can get together, laugh, cry and tell stories of God's faithfulness.

    Tracy writes a blog called Healthy, Wealthy and Wise where she has documented their journey.

11/25/2007 - Sunday
  • 11/25/2007 9:45:21 PMAnother Awesome SundayToday we had another large offering at church.  I have not done all the calculations but it would appear that we are down to needing approximately $5,500.  Praise the Lord!

    We went into Green Bay to Fox Valley Thrift Shop to get a suit coat for me and a dress for Peggy.  That is an awesome store.  They have so much to choose from.  It would take you hours to go through the clothes just for your size alone.  We picked up a nice gray coat and some black pants and a pair of black shoes.  Peggy got 3 or 4 dresses and some new shoes to match.  I don't remember the cost but it was dirt cheap and the look very nice.

    The suit coat and dress is not part of our normal attire.  In addition to wearing them, we will be wearing them thousands of miles from home, in court, surrounded by people speaking a language we don't understand, waiting on them to make the biggest decision of Yuri's life and one of the most expensive and costly decisions in our lives - both on a personal as well as financial level.

    In Habakkuk chapter 2, God explains to Habakkuk about how he is going to solve all of Israel's problems by raising up the Babylonians so they can come in and destroy Jerusalem.  At first Habakkuk is stunned by this but comes to realize that God is using them to bring about righteousness in his people.  I'm sure he must have felt a little nervous as he considered what it might be like to see the city of God being leveled.  But then Habakkuk confesses, "the righteous will live by faith" and he is able to stand strong on th promise of the Lord.

    I want that kind of faith.  I think I can feel the sweat beginning to drip...

11/24/2007 - Saturday
  • 11/24/2007 10:30:55 PMA battle to do the right thingRecently I posed a question to a independent Christian organization regarding the opposition we're facing with the adoption and the confusion around the "true" meaning of James 1:27 - specifically the words "care for" and "visit".  The response I received caught me a little off guard but I am not surprised by it.

    It would seem that even in the realm of performing service for the Lord, you cannot escape political correctness.  In this case, the basic question is, "what are we as Christians supposed to do regarding widows and orphans?"  It seems to be a simple enough question and being the straight forward kind of person that I am, I expected a straight forward kind of answer.  Here is what I got:

    Dear Dan,
    While it is not our the policy to become involved in the differences between churches and their members, we take the majority view that widows and orphans are both an individual and church responsibility. Most of the social service problems of today could be solved if all of the body of Christ took this issue to heart.

    We urge you not to become critical of your church leadership. Prayerfully submit yourself to God's guidance and their leadership. Unless God places you into another fellowship, we encourage you to remain where you are under their authority. To us, this is a simple trust issue and a question of whether everyone involved has the courage to lay it all before Christ and then to do as He directs.

    Your job is to follow Christ's example and do the work to which you are called. Perhaps your simple, but active service to widows and orphans can be the long-term catalyst for heart change among your fellow believers. Again, trust in God's plan and timing.

    Thank you again for writing. “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think… to Him be the glory.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)


    Even though my question was not directly answered, some other very important issues were addressed in their response.  Specifically, what is "my" responsibility towards the Lord's work.  The answer is: my job is to serve the Lord.  Part of serving is submitting myself to the authority placed over me.  

    Another issue is one of attitude.  A critical view towards those with whom I disagree, regardless of who is right (assuming someone is actually right).  In the end, my actions will either glorify the Lord or reflect poorly on Him and myself.

    What I was after was a confirmation that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing and I believe I have that.  Jesus summed up all the laws in this:
    1. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind
    2. Love your neighbor as yourself

    We can trade our endless supply of rules, regulations and procedural steps and trade them with these 2 commands (the Lord's yoke) to lighten our burden.  It seems simple enough.  I never thought it would be so hard to do the right thing.  Perhaps this is only a glimpse of what the apostle Paul thought as he was getting chased out of town or stoned.  Yikes!
11/20/2007 - Tuesday
11/13/2007 - Tuesday
  • 11/13/2007 9:59:48 PMFamily Life TodayAll this week, Family Life Today with Dennis Rainey & Bob Lepine are talking about the growing movement of Christians who are addressing the global crisis of orphans.

    Please check out their website Family Life Today and take a moment to listen to their programs.  You can hear all the original broadcasts via streaming audio on your computer and they are well worth your time.  Additionally, you can download the transcripts from each program.

    As I began to listen to them, I was overjoyed to hear them speak with authority on our covenantal responsibility to the fatherless and the widow.  Here are some exerpts:


    ...We're going near the heart of God. He has a heart for orphans, and we've caught a bit of His heard and have the privilege of – well, maybe delivering His passion and how He feels about those who are fatherless to our listeners.

    ...we do presume that all of us practice pure and undefiled religion. James said this is pure and undefiled religion, that we would visit "the widow and the orphan in their distress," and I think in American churches today, we are in need of a good dose of getting close to orphans. I think it will do us as much good or perhaps more than we do for the orphan.

    ...There is one other thing we can do as we talk about the crisis of orphans. We did some research and found out that 80 million Americans have thought about adopting, and of those 80 million, overwhelmingly the number-one place those Americans look to for help and hope as they think about adopting is the church.

    ... I personally believe one of the greatest ministries that starting a church after church across the country are laymen who are grabbing hold of this concept and saying, "You know what? Maybe we can't adopt. Maybe God's not calling us to adopt, but He has called us to care for the orphan, to go after the foster care child, and also be the champion for adoption in a local church." Speak to that and challenge those who are listening right now to maybe be the leader in their local church alongside their pastor, championing the cause of the orphan.

    There is no better place than the local church.

    ... I'm going to tell you something – God is at work in unprecedented ways around orphans, and if you want to join Him, as Henry Blackaby says, "If you want to join God in His work, I can, on the basis of this book, right here, the Bible, I can promise you God is already at work in the midst of the orphan and those who need to be adopted in the foster care system and the local church, I believe, is the place where this needs to begin."


    This is awesome radio that hits the nail right on the head.  Please check out the links below.  Each one is a blessing.

    Defending the Fatherless Through the Call of Adoption

    Facing Infertility Together

    Counting the Cost of Adoption

    A Biblical Mandate

    Practical Care for the Orphan

    Hope for Orphans
11/12/2007 - Monday
  • 11/12/2007 11:49:44 AMDossier Away!We received our dossier packet back from Madison early Monday morning.  Peggy reviewed all the documents and we discovered one mistake.  My employer's head quarters is in Virginia and a letter of reference we received from them was notarized in Virginia.  Therefore the state of Wisconsin could not verify the notary's signature and had to return the documents to us with a credit of $30.  

    This is a small setback as we will now have to forward them to Virgina and then on to Michigan and then on to Moscow to be translated.  I hope they are as fast and efficient there as they are in Madison.  Either way, the remaining packet of documents went into the FedEx box Monday afternoon and they are on their way.  We have included a FedEx label for the Virginia documents so that they will be sent directly to Michigan when they are complete.

    The next steps are:
    - Translate all of the documents into Russian
    - Purchase a blazer for Dan.  (a suit-coat or blazer is strongly recommended when I stand before the judge in Russia)
    - Wait for a court appointment

    We are so very close now.  It is still a possibility for us to get over there before the end of the year.  We are trying to wait patiently.  The anxiety I feel is way worse than waiting for Christmas to come.
11/8/2007 - Thursday
  • 11/8/2007 5:48:50 PMSweat, Prayers, Tears, and FedExAs of today, our dossier is on it's way to Madison via FedEx to be apostilled.  We have sent previous documents to Madison and they are so efficient that we got them back in 2 days.  Today being Thursday, we are hoping to get the documents back next Monday.  If that is the case, then they will go to Michigan and then off to Moscow sometime next week.


    This is an important day.  That envelope represents and contains a tremendous amount of agonizing prayer, stress, tears, sweat and $320.  I told Peggy, "I want to get a picture of this."  She asked, "why?".  Here's why: this is the last part of the preliminary work on our end.  From here on out, the journey is in someone else's hands.  Today marks the beginning of "the waiting game".  We wait for a court date.

    Of course, even before day one - everything has been in the Lord's hands.  These last months have been an exercise in "keeping your eye on the target" and "trusting in the Lord".  There are a million one-liners I could use to describe today.  The bottom line is that we have reached a new plateau in our spiritual walk.

    I was reading today in Habakkuk 2 where the Lord is telling the prophet to write down what He is about to tell him.  Habakkuk is to put it on tablets so that a herald may run with it.  "...For it awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false.  Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

    Of course the message God has for Habakkuk is not related to the adoption but it made me think of the contents of the envelope, what they represent, and the fact that we are waiting on an appointment.  All of our efforts will not prove to be in vain.  That package of 32 papers represents a small portion of God's will coming to life.  Even though there are a couple of people I know who are opposed to what we are doing and how we are doing it, I am confident we are in the center of God's plan and no person or force is going to thwart that.
11/4/2007 - Sunday
  • 11/4/2007 10:44:27 PMApproaching $8,000The remaining amount needed to bring Yuri continues to drop like a stone.  As of this writing we need $8,169.  Today, another $1,056 in donations came in.  Also, someone left a message on the Church's answering machine pledging $1,000.

    The Holy Spirit appears to be accelerating His work as we approach the end.  It is very much like how the Green Bay Packers crush their opponents in the final minutes of the game each Sunday.  It is very exciting to watch and be a part of!

    One of the biggest differences between what we are doing v.s. the Packers is that we are not racking up points against an opponent that we will face again next season.  By adopting Yuri, with all the hands helping and the saints praying, with people sacrificing and turning their eyes, hearts, and minds towards the Lord's work, we are inflicting lethal wounds to Satan himself.

    To GOD be all the glory for ever and ever!  Amen
11/1/2007 - Thursday
  • 11/1/2007 6:40:00 PMUnder $10,000Another gift came in today.  This time it was $1,000.  As of today, we have raised something like $39,840.70.  This now puts us less than $10,000 away from our goal of getting Yuri.

    It feels like we have momentum.  I hate to say that word because doing so takes away from the importance of the Holy Spirit moving in people's lives.  Momentum implies that energy has been put into or onto something but if you take away the source of the energy, there is some kind of residual force that remains and keeps the object in motion.

    In this case, I believe the "energy" is the Holy Spirit himself.  But what happens if you take away the Holy Spirit?  My guess is that there would be no remaining residual energy.  On the other hand... I believe that having an "encounter" with God is like having an "encounter" with a semi tractor-trailer on the high way - It is not possible for you to come in contact with either and NOT be changed.

    I'm not entirely sure on how all of this works, but one thing is certain:

    God is moving and people are responding.