Adelyn (12)

I think adopting Katya will be really fun.  I'm looking forward to seeing her and Piper get to be friends.  Piper's always wanted a little sister. Although we saw when Katya was here that she didn't really want to be "little sistered," it will be fun to see their relationship develop. It will be more like they're twins.

For me, I'll be CLEARLY one of the oldest kids in my family.  I've always been right at the middle point. 

When Katya was here, it was really fun to figure out what she was saying, especially "E- DEE-su-DAH!"  which means, "Come here."  And "SMAH-tah-REE-ya," which means "Look!"  

One of my fears is that she won't really feel part of our family.  I really don't want this to happen.  I think that if we just love her, even when she doesn't show love to us, she'll develop trust and we'll get close to each other.   

I feel like God's called us to adopt Katya.  He's "put her" in our lives.  Us kids have always wanted to adopt, but Mom and Dad have always said that they were open to it, but unless God put someone on our doorstep, they didn't feel called to adopt.  God kind of "put" Katya "on our doorstep." 

I think some people may scorn us for our decision to adopt.  When we were having a yard sale, someone asked, "Why adopt a child from another country when there are so many here?"  There's nothing wrong with adopting from another country, if it's really what God has called you to.  At this point, God hasn't brought an American kid into our lives to adopt.  He may at some point, but for now, He's brought Katya. 

I'm really excited to go to Ukraine (hopefully) this summer to bring Katya home.  I'm excited to go to our sister church in Rivne and to go to Odessa where Katya is.  I expect that it will be very hard to see all the kids in the orphanage and that I'll want to bring them all home, but I trust that God will give me strength to go through it.  I think it's cool that God has called our family to this because one of my dreams is to run an orphanage in another country.  I had dreamed about this when I was 7, but really had forgotten about it until now.  It will be cool to see how God uses this adventure to plant His purposes in my heart.  Another thing that is really cool is that while we were at IHOP (International House of Prayer) in Kansas City, a man prophesied over my mom that she would have a connection with an orphanage in Eastern Europe.  At that point they had not even thought about going to Ukraine.  I love how God works out His plans.