England Adoption Update

Hey Everyone

Sorry to have disappeared for bit. I was coordinating a youth retreat that happened this last weekend and am realizing that it's starting to take a little longer to bounce back than it used to. I have no idea how I ever did the IVCF retreats where I was lucky to get about 8 hours of sleep for the weekend and then go to class on Monday.

Anyway, that's not why I'm back to the updating today. Kristi (Jensen) and her husband Rich have been going through the adoption process to adopt from Russia. About a month ago they got a name and a picture. If you look back through previous posts, you'll find one announcing the news. Unfortunately, there's been a new development. Here's what Rich posted on his facebook site last night:

"Attachment is a funny concept. I’m not talking about the things that hook to your vacuum. I’m talking about the bond that you develop with another person. I say it’s a funny concept because you could know someone for years and not ever become attached to them, or you can simply see a face in picture, and develop an intense attachment almost immediately. That’s what happened to me when I saw a picture of a little Russian boy named Sergei. I was hooked immediately, and I had quickly made up my mind that I wanted to adopt him.

I’ve heard many stories of how a father feels when he first sees his newborn baby. I don’t know what that feels like exactly, but I know that what I felt the day I saw Sergei’s picture was like nothing I had ever felt before. He instantly became a part of my heart; a part of who I am.

That’s what made today so sad.

Kristi and I found out today that Sergei was adopted by a Russian family. We knew it was always a possibility that something could stop the adoption at any moment. Especially in Russia, where there is a strong push to keep Russian children in Russia. But we were so sure that God had chosen Sergei to be a part of our family that we just didn’t want to think about anything but him being home with us.

To say that we are saddened would be an understatement. The truth is we feel a profound sense of loss. We formed an attachment to him that will never be broken. A part of our heart will always be with him. We also find ourselves with a sense of fear. We fear for Sergei. What if his family won’t love him enough? What if they are abusive? What if they adopted simply to get a government check? What if they are not Christians?

We don’t know why this had to happen this way, but we do know that God is still God. We also know that he loves Sergei more then we ever could, and that God has chosen our family for us. There could be lots of reasons why God put Sergei in our lives. Who knows, maybe God just needed someone to be praying for him for a while. God doesn’t make mistakes, and he never does anything by accident. That’s why after losing all that he owned and hearing that his children had all died, Job said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21b NASB)

But as Kristi and I have found out in a very real way today, even when you know that God is working things out for the good (Romans 8:28), it can still hurt, a lot. We would appreciate your prayers during this time. Pray that we would have peace about Sergei’s new family. Pray for his safety, and that he would know Christ at a young age. Pray for us as we are still in the adoption process and faced with new decisions almost daily. Pray that we would be able to grow close to God, and fully give our burdens to him, especially the burden of having a family. "

I'm also going to add a request that you remember Jay and Lindsey Sykes in your prayers as they are working through the adoption process to adopt from Africa. And indeed, when you think about it, everyone's life is touched by adoption in some way. Maybe you or a sibling is adopted. Or maybe a friend is adopting, has adopted, or was adopted. I encourage you all to also take a moment to thank God for the blessings adoption has brought into your lives.