Adoption | Wide Awake Family

Ask, and Keep on Asking

Posted on June 11, 2015 by kimnjed

We have been so privileged and honored to have an amazing medical team here from Germany the past couple of weeks. I tear up every time I think of them. They are with our Boys right now and I feel so incredibly humbled that they would take time off work and spend their own money to serve our boys with their whole selves.

Having them here beside us, fighting for our Boys right along with us, has been absolutely humbling and awe-inspiring. I am changed because of it. You see, I know, and Jed knows that our Boys have tremendous value. No one needs to prove that to us. They are our babies. Jed and I were talking about it the other night, and I can honestly say that we have to come to the point where we love them as much as we love our own four children here at home. I’m a mother of 90. 🙂 We would go to the ends of the earth for our Addy, Ezra, Havalah, and Seth. And so we would for our 86 other children that languish in isolation, hidden, thrown away by society.

Having the German team here has made my mama heart swell. Watching their tenderness with our babies, their tenacity in not settling for second best, the way they have risen up and made this fight for dignity their own, well, it has shown me even more how valuable our boys are. You see, during the past months as we were planning this trip for the German team we were a bit nervous (mostly I was…haha). I kept wondering if the team members would think this cause was of value. I wondered if they would really be able to help and if they would feel that coming to our Boys was a good use of their time. In that worrying I was devaluing our babies. I was assuming that no one would love them like we do, that no foreigners with prestigious medical degrees and full patient loads at home would want to “feet on the ground” fight for them. What was I thinking????? The team immediately valued our Boys and have fought tooth and nail for them over the past couple of weeks. The team members have grown to love the boys immensely, and through their love I have been inspired to press on for even further for our boys.

They deserve it.

We are their voices. If we stay silent about their potential and their need and their reality, then who will speak for them? So, I will ask and keep on asking.

Do you have room for one of our loves at your table?

They have no future here. We are fighting to give them one, but still, no future we can provide could adequately replace a family.

Yes, they are broken. Yes, they have been traumatized. Yes, they have medical needs. Yes, they will require hard work and endless hours of sacrifice on the part of the adoptive family. Yes, adoption is expensive- in every way. Yes, they have experienced things no human being should ever have to experience and yes, they are scarred from those experiences.

BUT

Did you know that they are absolutely beautiful? Did you know that Ben smiled for the first time in his life last week? Did you know it was a moment of rejoicing and the whole room exploded with cheers? Did you know Isaiah’s face lights up when a familiar voice calls his name? He’s really ticklish too 🙂 Did you know Micah has an amazing personality?? He has us all in stitches so much of the time. Did you know Stephan laughs a deep-down belly laugh when you spin him around and around? In those moments he is so handsome. Did you know that Alex loves Jed? Did you know he is so helpful and his face absolutely beams when he knows he has been a good helper? Did you know Jonathan might just have the most beautiful smile in the whole institution? He comes running over when he sees us and his smile melts my heart every time. Did you know Aaron sat calmly on my lap the other day and took my arm to wrap it around himself? Did you know he is happiest outside and loves the feel of the sun on his face?

These are our babies. We went to the end of the world for them and we’ll keep right on going. This week is the third week in a row that our team has been at the institution every single day. Great gains have been made, yet with more time spent, more ugliness has been exposed. These boys are not just a sad or romantic idea. They are precious creations of God and they should not have to live the way they live. It is injustice heaped upon injustice.

Their very lives are being stolen from them, but we are not helpless to change that! There are seven who are adoptable, who have a chance at a different life and we will not stop fighting until that chance is realized.

If you know you can not adopt, would you pray? Would you donate to their adoption funds and help ease the financial burden for the families who step up for them? Would you share their faces with all of your friends and family? Would you be a voice for them?

But maybe you could adopt? Why not you? If you have never considered it would you please consider it now? Our two littles, Ben and Isaiah, are truly living on borrowed time. They simply can not wait forever. Our Alex and Micah must have committed adoptive families by the end of this year or they will lose their chance forever.

I’m just gonna ask and keep on asking. They’re our babies and we will not stop fighting for them. It’s my mama duty.

*Click on the names to donate to their adoption grant fund.

*To find out more information about the Ukrainian adoption process please contact the awesome team at Hand of Help in Adoption.

*Please feel free to contact me for more information about the individual boys. I would be happy to answer your questions!

Revisiting Yes.

Posted on May 23, 2015 by kimnjed

A couple weeks ago at church a young guy came up to me that I’d never met before. He spoke some English and wanted to try out his skills, so we chatted for a bit. He said “I heard you guys work at the orphanage for sick children and now you will take one of them home to be your son!” I said yes, he was correct that we are in the process of adopting one of our Boys and then proceeded to proudly show him lots and lots of pictures of our special boy on my phone. As soon as he saw the pictures his face fell. He was obviously a little shocked, and obviously a little confused at my proud exclamation of how sweet and cute and special our boy is.

Then he asked the question that I’m sure many have wanted to ask, but so far no one else has been brave enough to utter:

“Why? Why would you do this? I don’t understand. Why?????”

I paused for a second, happy that he had the guts to say what was really on his mind, because it was definitely written all over his face. 😉 I answered with the simple truth:

“Because we love him, God asked us to, and we said yes!”

It’s a simple truth, but there is a lot more behind it, a lot more led up to it, and there is a lot more weight that goes along with it.

This adoption yes was not a simple yes. Much prayer, many tears, many conversations and sleepless nights led to this yes. In fact, many years of “yeses” led to this yes.

I remember in 2010 when our Ukraine story first began. We knew that God was asking us to say yes to adopting a little boy from Ukraine with multiple special needs. Oh boy, that was a hard yes to come to. There was nothing simple about that. We had always been open to adoption. We were fostering our Seth at that time and were really hoping we would be able to adopt him. Adoption and orphan care was important to us! But I always said I could never adopt a child with a disability. No way!!! Willingly take on a child that would remain a child for life? Knowingly adopt a child that would never live alone and would need my care for all their life? Give up the dream of retiring someday with Jed and traveling the world together (child-free!)? Heck no! Are you crazy???? Who would do that?????? That would be so hard! I guess some people are meant for that life, but not us.

Oh how the times have changed…hehe

I remember back in those days, praying about that certain boy who needed a family. I couldn’t get his face out of my mind. I couldn’t forget him, even if I wanted to. I began to rethink my reasons for saying no to him. The more I examined my line of reasoning the more my argument sounded rather lame. All my reasons for saying no were because I wasn’t willing to lay down my life and my comfort. I really, reeeeeeeally like to be comfy. Oh I love comfy clothes, comfy socks, comfy shoes (no heels here!), comfy hoodies, comfort foods, comfy chairs, a comfortable salary, a comfy house, friends I can be super comfy with. And most of all I love a comfy future. I like to know what’s coming and I like to like what I know is coming. I don’t like things that make me uncomfortable- like exercise, hard manual labor, and things that are out of my control.

Misha H.

Saying yes to adopting a child with severe disabilities is the exact opposite of comfy. It’s inviting stress and pain and hard work and expenses and a lot of “out of control” moments into my life.

BUT,

God doesn’t call us to lives of comfort. He doesn’t call us to lives of free and easy living where happiness and security are the ultimate goal. He says to us “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:24-26)

Friends, living a “chasing-comfort” life is no life at all. Jesus says that the only way we can save our own lives is to give them up for Him. That’s not a call to comfort- it’s a call to sacrifice. There’s just no way to put it lightly. Once I considered what Jesus was willing to do for me, how could I say no to a little one so in need, in order to tend to my own comfort? Ick.

That original adoption didn’t work out, but you probably know that that is what God used to turn our hearts to Ukraine. And here we are now, saying yes to our special boy.

Please hear me. I am soooooo not talking down to you right now. I am not the pro at sacrificing my comfort- just ask my husband and kids. I fail at it all the time. I’m still learning and I thank God for his patience with me.

The thing is, now I see what I almost turned down in favor of my comfort. I see it in the form of our most precious boys at Romaniv. I see it in my Dima as he sits on a plywood bed, foot tied to the slats to keep him from falling off. I see it in my Misha when he cries, so unaccustomed to human touch that a hand on his shoulder is too much to bear. I see it in my other Misha who has lived at Romaniv since 1987 in one single hallway, his world shrunk by injustice. I look into the faces of my precious boys who I love like my own children and I mourn how their lives have been stolen from them for the sake of others’ comfort. I know these boys. Over and over again I wish I could sit down with you and just tell you all about each of them. They are AMAZING.

Misha T. (2)

How could we say no to them in favor of ourselves? The world has said no to them over and over and over to the point where almost no one even knows of their existence. It’s just not right.

I usually prefer to keep this blog upbeat, but today I’m calling you out. I’m asking you to set your comfort aside for the sake of the yes. This life is not all that there is.

There are boys who sit on wooden slats and never feel the grass on their feet or the sun on their face. Their lives are void of all comfort.

There are people being sold into slavery for the pleasure of others. No comfort to be had there.

There are children sleeping on county office floors because there is no foster family to take them in. No mommy and daddy to comfort them when they cry.

What will you do with your yes? Will you pick up your cross? Will you sacrifice your life for the One who gave His whole life for you? Will you see past your comfort and your 401k dreams and your comfy couch and rise up? We can do something about these injustices! We must do something.

Vladik W.

Your yes means something. It may mean everything to the someone who needs it, the someone sitting on a plywood bed.

The friend from church, the one who asked us why we would do this crazy adoption thing? He said yes and visited our boys with us the next week. As we were riding home in the car he said: “I spent the morning with the boy you are adopting. Now I see! I see why you would love him. He is great! He is so smart! He is just…..great!!”

There is so much joy in the yes. What will you do with yours?

*Several of our boys need adoptive families who will say yes to them. Would you pray about that yes? You can read more about those boys here and here.

Unexpected Blessings: England!

Posted on May 13, 2015 by kimnjed

Did you know that I could be the perfect criminal? All these years earning money like an honest person, and I could have just been a thief! 😉 You see, unbeknownst to me, I have almost no fingerprints. Yeah, I guess no one really pays attention to their fingerprints (or lack thereof) until they try to adopt. Who would have thought that this biggest hurdle in our adoption process would be my fingertips??????

For our adoption we have to have FBI clearance (which requires fingerprinting) and US immigration approval (which requires a separate fingerprinting process). Easy peasy, if you have fingerprints. We had our fingerprints taken with ink in Kyiv, at the Embassy, and then they were mailed to the US for processing. My FBI prints were rejected first, for poor quality, so I had to fly to the US to have them redone. Remember that? Well, then my US immigration prints were rejected, soooooo Havalah and I flew to England last week to have them redone at the US Embassy in London. At that embassy they have an electronic process with which you can do your prints over and over until you get high enough quality prints to be accepted. I found out last Tuesday that the London Embassy would do my prints on Thursday, so Hava and I flew out last Wednesday.

At first I was frustrated to have to fly to another country AGAIN, on behalf of my fingers, but we’ll do whatever we gotta do to get our baby home, so we decided to make a bit of a holiday out of it and enjoy ourselves in the process.

We arrived in London on Wednesday afternoon and our appointment wasn’t until Thursday at 1:00, so we spent Wednesday evening and Thursday morning exploring London and drinking in ALL THE ENGLISH being spoken everywhere. It was awesome. Going somewhere where you can understand everything is like a vacation for my brain. It is a relief, and just a joy. We had the best time.

We headed to the US Embassy with time to spare on Thursday and nervously awaited the staff member who would take me in for my infamous prints.

It took some effort, that’s for sure. The computer kept rejecting, rejecting, rejecting, and ultimately wouldn’t pass some of my fingers, but in the end the staff member assured me the prints he had captured were “good enough”. SWEET RELIEF!!!!!! I was nervous since I don’t understand the system and he hadn’t gotten a “pass” for all of my fingers, but in the end after 20 reassurances, I decided to trust him. Haha.

We celebrated by going to theater to watch a movie in English! Such fun.

One funny thing about this trip was seeing everything through Havalah’s eyes. Although we’ve only beeen gone from the US for 18 months, that’s a long time for a little one. Hava was only 4 when we left. We were standing in line for our passport check when we arrived at the airport in London and when she heard people talking she said “Mom! They know how to speak English here!” The not so funny thing was the constant reminders to my rather outspoken daughter that yes, people speak English here, so yes, they can understand everything you say. Oy.

Her fascination with squirrels, common place in Oregon, but not common in Ukraine cracked me up. She saw a Burger King sign and said “Hey! I think I know that place!” Her awe over all the green grass and amazingly in-repair sidewalks made me smile. She made friends with strangers on every form of public transportation, living it up with her mad English skills. What a sweetie.

We did some more exploring on Friday morning, and then took an afternoon train north to Hull, to spend the weekend with some friends.

Just the week before Hava and I were in England we had a team from Hull here in Ukraine, so we were happy to see them again and visit Hull Vineyard, their awesome church that supports Wide Awake. It was a sweet time enjoying friends and making new friends. We felt so loved and cared for. My heart was encouraged and Hava got her love tank filled to overflowing. Thank you Hull friends for loving us so well. We love you!!!

(boohoo I didn’t take nearly enough pics in Hull))

We’re back in Ukraine now and just waiting on our US immigration approval, and then all of our documents can be submitted to the adoption authorities here, and our in-country process can begin!

Would you pray with us for speedy approval by immigration, and that the adoption authorities will have no issues with our paperwork? Our situation is unique, so we aren’t sure if they will require extra documentation from us. We pray not, because we are desperate to get our son home. We are so close!

I’m so thankful for the special England gift that God gave to Hava and me. It seemed like an inconvenience at the time, but it was just pure blessing. God knows just what we need, and He goes before us to prepare the way. I mean, the week before I found out I would be going to England He brought us English friends who would bless our socks off and shower us with love. This trip wasn’t just about fingerprints, it was about me learning to trust Him and His goodness, even more.

One step closer to getting our baby home. What a wild ride! 🙂

Guest Post: For Sweet Isaiah

Posted on April 27, 2015 by kimnjed

*I am so excited to share a guest post from Natalie Maxwell, fellow adoptive mama! Natalie and her husband, Ryan adopted their son, Ivan from Ukraine in 2013, and are returning soon for two more loves with special needs. You can follow their story here. Thank you Natalie!!*

It has only been two days since I first laid my eyes on his breathtaking face.

So full of joy…

So tender…

So unforgettable…

Isaiah

Since that day, when I close my eyes I see his smile.

Two days ago I stumbled on Kim’s blog and was completely captured by the little boy they call Isaiah. I told Kim that he reminds me so much of our eldest son and that’s when she asked me if I would write a guest post to advocate for him. I said OF COURSE, and ever since I have been thinking about what I could possibly say to help this little boy’s mama find him.

So this post is to you, Isaiah’s future mama (or daddy). I pray God uses my words to rock your world and etch this precious little boy’s face directly onto your heart.

I know how it feels to be going about your normal life when one day you stumble onto a picture that changes everything.

I know how your heart feels like it’s being pulled apart right now.

I know you probably have a million and one reasons why you could never adopt this little boy.

You may be thinking…

He’s too old… his needs are too severe…I don’t know anything about cerebral palsy…how would he fit into our family?…we don’t even have the money for an adoption.

Every child is so different, but would it help if you could take a little peak into someone else’s story, someone who once asked all of those same questions?

My husband Ryan and I had only been married for two years when I stumbled onto Ivan’s picture late one night. I could of easily hardened my heart to the constant churning or chose to drown out the Lord’s tender voice with the noise of my already busy life, but there was something in that little boy’s eyes that changed me. God began speaking to both my husband and me and made it very clear that we were supposed to fight for this little boy we had never met, who lived across the ocean.

Ivan was born in a small village in Western Ukraine. He was born premature, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and was abandoned soon after birth. He spent the first year of his life alone in a hospital, partly because he had bronchitis and other respiratory issues, and partly because no one knew what to do with him. After turning 1, he was brought to a baby house (an orphanage for younger children) where he spent the next 4 years of his life laying in a crib.

When we found his picture Ivan was 5 years old and in danger of being transferred to an adult mental institution, like where Isaiah lives now. We had learned of the horrid conditions of these places and knew that this tender little boy would not live long in such a place, so we began our adoption journey right away. We knew that the only way we would be able to raise the money or even be approved to adopt him would be if God made a miraculous way for us… and He DID.

Shortly after we committed to adopting Ivan he was moved from the baby house, but by some miracle he was not transferred to an institution, but instead to an orphanage/preschool. At this place, Ivan was shown love for the first time. The care was still far from ideal, but it was during this time that he began to speak for the first time and use his hands and arms.

After meeting him it was clear that God had been preparing this precious little boy for our love.

The day we met

Ivan has now been in our family for a year and a half and we can’t imagine life without him. From the first time I saw Ivan’s picture I just knew in my heart that he had the most tender, sweet personality, and that couldn’t have been more true. Kim told me that “Isaiah is always happy, and considering his circumstances, he really has nothing to be happy about.” That was our Ivan… a truly joyful soul hidden within the dark walls of abandonment and neglect.

That is why I’m writing to you, begging you to silence all the opposing voices and listen to the One voice that matters.

Will adopting Isaiah change your life forever?

Yes.

Will loving him through the healing of his past trauma completely break you at times?

Yes.

Will adding him to your family challenge you and your family members in almost every way imaginable?

Yes.

Will it be the hardest thing you’ve ever experienced?

Likely!

But will his smile light up your life in a way you never dreamed possible?

Yes, absolutely yes! Every. Day. YES.

Will he be worth all of the hardships and struggles he will bring?

Yes. With tears streaming down my face… YES!!

After 10 months home

I can tell you sweet friend, that the journey will be longer than you can imagine and at times you may question God’s judgment in choosing you to be this precious child’s mother, but even at the end of the hardest days, you will be able to look into his eyes and know that he is safe, he is alive, and he is adored. Yes, by you, but a million times more-so by His Heavenly Father and that truth will bring you to your knees in worship.

So please, after reading this blog, if your heart is stirring, PRAY. Pray that God would give you courage to say yes. And if you’re not Isaiah’s future mama and your reading this, PLEASE SHARE and tell all your friends to SHARE.

Ryan and I think often about the likelihood that our Ivan would not be alive today if we had not adopted him. The only way he would of survived life in an adult mental institution would have been if someone like Kim and Jed were there to help care for him. Kim and Jed can only do so much though, I believe they would be the first to tell you that Isaiah desperately needs a FAMILY.

Will you join me in fighting for this joyful soul?

Sweet Isaiah

*We have many videos and pictures of Isaiah. If you have questions about him please feel free to email me at kjohnson@wideawakeinternational.org If you have questions about the adoption process please contact the Hand of Help in Adoption team at: inquiries@handofhelpinadoption.org.

BIG, FAT ANNOUNCEMENT!

Posted on April 12, 2015 by kimnjed

The secret is out!

The Johnson family is expecting!

We are so happy to share the wonderful news that we are pursuing the adoption of one of our Boys! This is something that God has had in the works for about 5 years, unbeknownst to us. We’ve been working fast and furiously since January, and if all goes well we should have a new son this summer!

Due to the nature of adoptions in this country, and because of our unique living situation and relationship with the insitution, we can’t announce publicly who we are adopting until the judge makes it final. What a glorious day that will be!

Right now we have compiled our dossier and it is here in country being translated. All we are waiting on is USCIS (US immigration) approval and then our dossier can be submitted to the adoption authorities here, and we pray pray pray they will accept it!

Everything about this situation is unique, so we just aren’t sure what will happen. All we know is that God said to step forward, so that’s what we are doing, and it is our joy. (Not to say there haven’t been a few sleepless nights during this process!)

Hands of Hope, our friends, and wonderful partners of Wide Awake, have supported our Boys for many, many years. They were loving our boys before we even knew they existed! They have been such a support to us during this process, and now they have gifted us with a $4,000 MATCHING GRANT to help with adoption costs! We are so thankful!!! YAY YAY YAY!!!

Adoption is super stinkin’ expensive and so many people already support our Boys so faithfully, so it felt a little strange for us to ask for help with adoption costs. Then Hands of Hope came along and offered this help. Wow. God is so amazing.

Would you like to help us get one of our Boys home? You would????? Fantastic! Here’s how:

An adoption fund/account has been set up for us by Hands of Hope, through Lifesong for Orphans. If enough people give donations to total $4,000, then Hands of Hope will donate another $4,000 for a grand total of $8,000!!!!!
*donations are tax-deductible and 100% of all donations go toward this adoption*

MAIL CHECKS TO
Lifesong for Orphans
PO Box 40
Gridley, IL 61744

You MUST must note our Family name and account number in the memo so the money gets put in our fund. (Johnson/#5279)

ONLINE
Go to www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate , scroll down and select “Give to an adoptive family”. Fill out the form, including our name and account number (Johnson/#5279).

Thank you dear friends and family for loving us, for loving our Boys, and for your support in this YES. We absolutely can not wait to see what love can do. We absolutely can’t wait to see how God will use this rescue mission to speak to the hearts of directors and nannies and Ukrainian people. He is writing a beautiful love story, and we are humbled to our knees to be a part of it. 🙂

PS: Just an FYI, no Wide Awake funds have been used, or will be used to fund this adoption. We felt like we needed to make sure you all know that. If you have questions about the financial part of this at all, don’t hesitate to ask!

PPS: Did you know you can sponsor our Boys through Hands of Hope????? Oh yes you can! I’m working on a big fat post about that. Look here for a sneak peek.