Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. -James 1:27

I am amazed at watching the hand of God move. I thought that I would come home and Ukraine would be a bittersweet dream. I thought that hopefully the hearts of my students would be moved and maybe we could plan a trip together. But in the three days since I arrived home, God has not waited for me to move. He is moving despite me.

Christina has been on my heart at every moment. I stand in Hannah's doorway and watch her sleep and I can see Christina sharing her room. I look in the rearview mirror of the car and I can see her sitting between the boys. We sit down to dinner and I can see her in the empty chair at our table. And so I did a very foolish thing. I sent an e-mail to the Ukriane and told them to petition for her visa. I asked them to let her come and be with us for the three weeks this summer. How will this work? How will we do this? I have no idea.

This morning I checked my e-mail and there was a message from the Ukraine. The message said that Christina could come for the entire summer. Not three weeks, but the entire summer. I can hardly wrap my brain around it. My mind races as I imagine being with her as she experiences so many things for the first time: church, riding a bicycle, fireworks, family.

Yet, in the midst of my celebrating, God has brought me low. He has humbled me. I am a prideful person and I don't like to ask for help; to ask for help would be to admit weakness. But I am asking for help now. I am asking for Christina. Please pray. Please pray fervently. The cost of having Christina come for the entier summer will be $4000.00. That is no small sum of money. But I know we serve a God who holds all things in His hands. Pray.