The Beginning

Our story actually begins in August of 2006. A human interest story came on 9news here in Denver about a group of Ukranian orphans coming to the area looking for loving families who would adopt them. I saw that story, went to their website and put in our preliminary application. My only requirement was that we have a child younger than our daughter, Madelyn, who was 8 at the time. Perhaps I should have spoken with my husband first, however. Although he was adopted at birth himself, he felt our family was just fine the way it was and had no intention of changing status quo. God, however, just smiled, leaned back and waited.

Jay and I had many arguments for a while. Finally, I decided that it was Jay or an orphan and chose Jay. I wasn't happy with the decision, but also wasn't praying about it either. I am so grateful that God watches out for us even when we are blinded by humaness!

September through January, I received emails from the organization that was bringing the kids to Colorado. I ignored them because I didn't want anymore arguments with my husband. My heart still ached everytime I read one of those emails. But my decision was made.

Thursday February 15, 2007: It's 9:00 pm. Maddy is in bed as am I. I get up for work at 3:00am and everyone knows I go to bed early. So when the phone rang, I knew it was bad news.
It was David, however, the director of the program bringing the kids over from Ukraine. He realized that we were not interested in adopting as I had not responded to any of the communication previously sent to me. He was in a predicament, though and needed some help. Four of the kids coming over did not have homes to stay in. Would we be willing to be an advocate family? One that would allow the child to live in our home for the 3 weeks while actively trying to help this child find a permanent home. Jay was at the Y working out, so I said I would talk to him when he got home and call David back tomorrow with an answer.

Jay didn't hesitate to say yes. His exact words were, "That's the least we could do." God had waited for the right time and went in with a vengance!

I called David back that next day and told him we would be happy to be an advocate for a child. He thanked me and told me Mary, the Denver coordinator would be calling me with more details. Since this was all last minute, I really anticipated a call from Mary that day, which was Friday. But no call came. For sure then on Saturday, right. Nope...no call. Sunday evening the call finally came. Mary said she had looked at my original application (you know, where I said any child younger than Maddy?) and realized she didn't have any kids younger than Maddy that needed an advocate family, so she didn't call.

END OF STORY......RIGHT?!

Of course not. God was working behind the scenes the whole time. Mary received a call on Saturday night from a couple who had signed up to host a child from the beginning. The couple had had a death in the family and would not be able to host the child they had been matched with. They apologized profusely, but Mary knew all was good. She called us Sunday evening and told us about Sash. Of course we would help!