Almost Home

Greg and Zoey completed the race today!  All of the paperwork is in order and they are ready to come home.  We are so excited for their arrival Saturday at 7:30pm at the Savannah Airport.  This has not been an easy road, but one we are so glad we traveled.  Our perseverance means life for this little girl. 
Thank you so much to everyone who has prayed, donated, and stepped up to help us along this journey.  We are so thankful for each of you!  One day I will find time to thank each of you!  For now, please know that we feel so abundantly blessed by the generosity of so many.  Our Reece's Rainbow page will continue to accept donations for the next couple days if you know anyone who'd like to give.  Every donation helps and adds up!
My next post will include pictures of my whole family!  Together at last!  Together forever!  We're tying a knot.  They never can sever.  I'll be singing Annie all day long!   

Gotcha Day

We busted our sweet girl out of the orphanage this morning.  She is such a doll.  She's been so happy, like she knows she's right where she is supposed to be.  I am so excited to get her home to mee the other 6.  They are going to LOVE her!

Introducing...

Zoey Grace Knofczynski!
We passed court today and have our court decree in hand.  Tomorrow we will finish our paperwork in her region.  Then we just have to wait for her passport to be prepared and complete the embassy paperwork.  Looks like this girl will be home for New Years!

Dear World,

You may think I am crazy.  I am.  Crazy about following Jesus, crazy about using my life to make a difference, and crazy about this little girl in an orphanage in Eastern Europe.  From the beginning of our journey some people have wondered why.  Why go to all that expense?  Why risk leaving your other children behind?  Why not be happy with what you already have?  Why try to adopt kids when you can't afford it?  Why keep going when the path has been so hard? 

Here's why. 

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

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

When I reflect on our current circumstances, I know that God has a plan and purpose for them.  An amazing and mysterious thing about God is that He uses our lives in ways we may never even realize.  I believe He is using this journey to not only bring a little girl into a family, but also to impact others in ways we'll never know this side of Heaven.  God is sovereign.  If He didn't want to allow our current circumstances, He wouldn't.  But, we trust that since He has allowed them, He will use them.  Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." 

In a sense, I already know that all of these trials are in fact an answer to my own prayers.  I have prayed for years that God would impact our family and show His face in a way my children will never forget.  I want them to always know that God is God.  They will never forget this time in our lives.  The will always remember the Christmas that we couldn't all be together because we were fighting for our sweet Zoey.  I believe they will remember it as a part of our family's testimony, not as a sad time, but as a time our family got to sacrifice just a little to make a huge difference.  I have also prayed that God would grow my faith and give me a personal testimony to share with others.  Believe me, I could not make up what our family has been through over the past 7 weeks.  In the end, God will prevail and He will have victory.  This I know.  I don't know what it looks like yet, but I know God always wins in the end.  I consider it an honor that God has trusted me for this mission.

God tells us to be strong and courageous, persevere, trust His promises, put on the full armor of God and fight the battle we've been called to fight.  We know this is the battle God has chosen for us at this time.  When we reflect on scripture, we do not see people who give up when the going gets tough.  Those most like Jesus were also those who faced some of the greatest trials.  God's will does not equal cheap and easy.  In fact, most times it is the opposite.  God desires growth.  Growth requires faith & sacrifice.  Miracles aren't given to those who don't need them.  If you want to experience a miracle, you have to first be in a tough situation. 

What if this story doesn't end like I want it to?  That is a risk I am willing to take.  I know that no matter what, this battle was worth every investment that was made.  I know that God did not bring us this far to sweep it all under a rug and forget about it.  He will use it.  I do not doubt.  I look forward to seeing God's glory come from this craziness. 

If you want to really see God, make room for Him.  Get out of the way.  Put your life in His hands and see what happens.  That's what we are trying to do.  If we lived our lives any other way, we might have happiness, but we'd never know the peace and joy God has given us through these trials.  Obedience, no matter the cost, always fares better than comfort. 

We are so thankful for God's provision thus far.  He has given us huge financial support from people who are blessed to sacrifice for something bigger than themselves.  He has given us amazing family and friends who have helped in so many ways to love our children when we had to be apart.  He has given us prayer warriors that pray without ceasing.  He has given us a testimony that we will never forget.  He has given us a wealth of resources to get our babies therapy and medical care.  The list goes on.  God's provision is amazing!

When I think of my kids back home, I am often reminded of the parable in the Bible when the shepherd had to leave the 99 to go rescue the one.  Jesus doesn't give up on one. single. person.  It is hard for me to be away from my 6 precious children at home, but I must rescue the one.  I am also reminded of all the military families in our community.  They regularly are forced to spend Christmas and other special times apart from family.  Our sacrifice seems so small compared to so many.

Lest I sound self-righteous, let me leave a disclaimer.  I am a sinner.  I do not do any of the above perfectly.  I have not and will not have a perfect day ever in this life.  I try each day to keep God as my rock and make decisions that will honor him.  Do I succeed?  Hopefully more than I fail, but that's why Jesus and I are such good friends.  He has what I need.  Forgiveness.  And he gives it in exchange for one thing.  I believe and He provides.  I trust and He guides. 

Greg will leave tomorrow so he can get to Zoey's region for our new court hearing on Thursday.  We have been told we have a good judge and an immediate decision will be made.  We pray that Thursday will be a day of rejoicing with a court decree and new birth certificate in hand. 

Thank you to the many of you who have followed our journey, lifted us up in prayer, and blessed us in so many ways. 

   


    

Looking for the Light At the End of the Tunnel

I was hoping by now I would be introducing the world to our new little girl, but unfortunately we've hit some bumps in the road.  We were supposed to be able to finish the paperwork for her on Thursday, but instead took a big step back.  I can't disclose all the details now because it could risk our adoption, but basically we have to start over with a new court hearing.  My dad came with me for this part of the journey because Greg had already signed everything he needed to before he left with Otto.  The plan was for him to stay home with the kids and for my dad and I to return for 2 weeks and then bring our girl home.  Now, Greg will need to come back to Eastern Europe to appear in court again.  Hopefully then the judge will make an immediate decision and we can get this party started and get this baby home. 
It was always my hope to have my whole family home for Christmas.  This does not look likey at this point.  It would take a huge miracle!  We know this child is worth fighting for.  Her future here is very bleak and she needs us.  We will continue to do whatever we need to to bring her home.  We believe God has sent us here to do this work and He will have the victory.  God doesn't call us to easy or comfortable.  He calls us to fight for the things He fights for.  Orphans are dear to the heart of God and we want to obey His calling to care for them. We can't see the many ways God will use this one little girl's story to impact so many, but we know God will be glorified in many ways because of this struggle.  Please continue to partner with us in prayer.  Please also consider joining us in this battle financially.  We have gone from fully funded to being in need of about $8000 because of the extra expense we have incurred.  You can make a tax deductible gift by clicking the Reece's Rainbow link on our blog.  There is no better way to spend your money than to help save the life of a child!  If you know of anybody looking for a place to give a year end gift for a tax benefit, please share our story!
Hopefully next week will bring great things!   
 

Otto is HOME

Our last several days in Otto's country were very crazy and busy with sketchy internet, so blogging was not possible.  So much has changed since I last posted!  Otto is now home where he belongs.  We were able to have court for Zoey on Thursday, November 29th, and were done in time to get our driver to take us to Otto's orphanage so we could get him out that night.  It was about a three and a half hour car ride and was the closest I've ever felt to being in a racing video game.  Imagine Mario Cart in real life - fast speeds, crazy passing, and luckily no wipeouts.  We arrived at Otto's orphanage just before 8pm.  We handed the nanny a small slip of paper that was our permission to remove Otto from the orphanage.  We handed over some clothes and snowsuit and a few minutes later our boy was dressed and ready to leave his life of being an orphan.  We had about about an hour and a half before our train would leave, so our driver took us to the train station where we hung out waiting.  The train we were to board only stops for five minutes so with all of our luggage and our big bundled baby we needed to be ready and waiting when it arrived. 
The train ride went smoothly.  Otto was cheerful and happy to play with us for the first little while.  Then we decided he better get to sleep, since it was getting really late.  Greg laid down with him on the small train bed and he went right to sleep.  I decided that I would sleep with him for the night.  He slept, me not so much.  The train beds are maybe 3 feet across, so it isn't a great fit for two.  Around 4:30am Otto woke up and started giggling.  He was super giddy and playful.  He drank a bottle of pear juice and was happy as can be.  We were hoping he'd fall asleep again, but he was too busy flipping around and checking things out.
The next morning we arrived in the capital city and completed the final bit of paperwork and the medical exam.  By 2pm we had Otto's visa in hand and were ready to purchase our tickets home.  We spent our final hours walking the streets one last time and getting packed up.  Friday morning at 4:20 our driver came and got us and took us to the airport.  We flew to Munich then onto to Charlotte before landing in Savannah at 7:30 Saturday evening.  We were blessed by the crowd of friends waiting for us. 
Otto is doing great.  Imagine his life...  He was born September 24th, 2010.  His mother took him home from the hospital hoping for the best.  When his down syndrome diagnosis was confirmed, about three months later, she took him to the orphanage where she asked them to care for him for a time.  She later returned with his father to sign the paperwork to relinquish their rights and put him up for adoption.  How heartbroken she must have been.  In their culture, there is not support to care for a child with special needs.  The doctors don't want to treat them, the schools won't accept them, the beliefs are severely jaded as far as what can be expected from a child with down syndrome.  They don't see any potential or worth in their lives.  Otto spent the next year and eleven months laying in a crib in the orphanage.  Think of all the wonderful experiences and milestones a child hits during those first two years.  Otto was robbed of all of that, left to lay in a crib and play with his hands.  I believe the orphanage that Otto was at is one of the better ones.  It was clean, the children were fed, Otto was not drugged like so many children are to make the jobs of the nannies easier.  But it was just a live of survival, a life of existence. 
Now Otto has a family to love him, toys to play with, nutritional food to eat, doctors and therapists to treat him, and he will experience the joys of life.  We are so thankful that God chose our family to receive the blessing of Otto James.  We already love him so much and can't wait for what lies ahead.  Little Otto has had his world rocked!  He senses are experiencing so many new things.  What a gift to be a part of it all!
We were blessed at the airport with people taking videos and pictures of Otto's homecoming.  Like the birth of a child, it is an event we will never forget.  We are so thankful to have these memories to share with others. 
Monday, I will leave again to return the bring Zoey home.  My dad will be traveling with me.  I am so excited for our adventure together to get this little girl and bring her home. 

Here are the links to the videos put together by Christy Parker and Trent Holloway.  Thank so much!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jshla-FNGjM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m8wq2xdLig&feature=youtu.be

Left For the Last Time

On Sunday we had our final visit with Otto until Greg returns to his region next Sunday to bust him out.  He has changed so much since we first met.  Already he sits up straighter, laughs more, and is overall more playful.  I think he is really going to love having siblings to play with! 
It was bittersweet for me to leave him.  I hate the thought of him laying in his crib for another week waiting, but knowing the next time I see him will be at the Savannah Airport brings me such joy.  He has waited for 2 years for a momma and he is so close to finally being home with his family. 

He loved playing with the boy in the mirror.

And licking him!

We've found his ticklish spots.

Mommy and son for the last time until the flip side.

Otto James Knofczynski

It's official!  We are the parents of Otto James!  We passed court on Thursday, November 22nd - Thanksgiving Day.  We are so thankful for the addition of this sweet boy to our family.  We know he will be such a blessing.  We now must wait for his passport to be prepared so we can go home.  It takes 4 business days for the passport, then 2 days to get the necessary paperwork completed at the US Embassy.  So by Tuesday, December 4th this little man should be ready to head to his new home.

As we prepared for this adoption, our stateside facilitator kept telling us to be flexible.  You never know what may happen when you get there.  We figured, we're pretty flexible people, we will be fine!  We never would have imagined all the twists and turns our journey has taken.  We've revised our plans MANY times!  Everytime we think we know what's ahead there is a major change of events.  We do know that God has us on this journey and He isn't surprised by any of it.  So we continue to trust that he will lead and provide and we'll follow. 

Our latest plan looks something like this...
We are supposed to have court for Zoey next Thursday, November 29th.  Is has been pushed back from Monday to Tuesday to Wednesday to Thursday.  We are really hoping it isn't pushed back any further!  My dad is scheduled to stay with the kids until Monday, December 3rd.  So in order for one of us to be home before he leaves, we will not be able to both stay to bring Otto home.  But in order for one of us to leave here before Otto, the paperwork in the capital city needs to be signed.  So, I (Stacey) will be flying from Zoey's region up to the capital city and back to sign paperwork.  We will have court Thursday, and then I can leave to get home to the fabulous five waiting on me.  Greg and Otto will be able to leave by the following Tuesday, to hopefully be home Wednesday.  That still leaves one kid here that needs to be there.  So my dad and I will leave the following Sunday, December 9th to come back and get Zoey.  That trip will take nearly two weeks. 

Ultimately we will all be home for Christmas, which has been the goal all along.  We just didn't know how tricky it would be!  We are so thankful for these two little people who have been so rejected to finally get to learn what it is like to have a family.  It breaks my heart that Otto and Zoey have never experienced the love of a mother.  They have never gotten to play with other children.  They don't know much outside the four sides of their cribs.  This Christmas will be so special for our family!

The Final Super K

We met our sweet baby girl on Wednesday.  She is perfect!  She is tiny for her age, but smiled right at me the first moment we met.  I told her, "I am your momma.  I am here to take you home and love you forever."  It was love at first sight!
Our day was very busy, just like the day we met Otto for the first time.  We had many papers to sign and deliver different places.  Fortunately, we already learned our lesson on the name thing, so we already had the name, Zoey Grace, chosen for her. 
One of the places we had to go was to meet with a social worker.  She asked us some expected questions such as what other children we already have, where we work, what our house is like, etc.  Then she asked what our impression of this child was.  Without thinking, I immediately said, "We think she is beautiful!"  Greg added, "and healthy."  The social worker looked at him a little puzzled.  Then the social worker and our facilitator had a conversation we could not understand.  Our facilitator then explained to us that in their culture people do not believe children with down syndrome should be considered healthy.  The social worker just shook her head like we must be some kind of crazy people.  It is so sad that they can't see the potential of children who have different abilities.  They just see them as too imperfect to deal with.  We see them as people made in the image of God for a purpose.  God doesn't make people wrong.  He has a plan and a purpose for both Otto and Zoey and we have been chosen to be a part of it. 
 We didn't even get to touch Zoey the first time we met because we were told she had conjunctivitis and a cough.  Their medical diagnosises are interesting to say the least.  Later in the afternoon when we returned we got to take her to an upstairs room to play with her for one hour.  When they brought her to us she was all bundled in a hat and snowsuit.  Not so we could leave the building, but just so we could go up the stairway and down a hallway to play.  They really have a thing with bundling here!  Just walking around the streets on a 45 degree day we have seen children all around outside in snowsuits like they are about to hit the slopes.  We are curious what they do when it gets really cold and does snow. 
We plan to spend the next several days in Zoey's region visiting her a couple times a day before heading back to Otto's region to visit him for a few more days before going to court there.  Today when we went to visit Zoey they brought her to us in a puffy winter coat and hat and would only let us stand in an entryway between the hallway and her groupa room.  She had a little stuffy nose so the nanny only let us stand there and hold her for 10 minutes and then told us that was enough for today, come back tomorrow.  So hopefully she will get rid of her runny nose so we can spend more time with her. 
We look forward to the day when all of our children are at home with us.  It will be so fun for them all to get to know one another.  Edison told us today that he will teach Otto to do somersaults and walk and he will share his toys with him.  God has big things in store for these 7 Super K's!
 

The Next Phase of Our Adventure

God has opened up an opportunity for us to bring home a daughter.  The circumstances surrounding our decision to pursue this child have been difficult, but we feel we have made the best decision for this little girl. There was another American family planning to come for her as soon as they could get their paperwork completed, but the reality is this child may not have time to wait. She is in a region where it is likely that she will soon be taken into foster care, which would remove her chances of ever being adopted and ensure her a future in a mental institution. We feel that God has us here at this time, in this place, in the circumstances we've been through for the purpose of us saving this child.
Sunday night we left the region where Otto is and rode a train all night back to the capital city. Monday afternoon we had our second meeting with the government to request an official referral for our baby girl.  Today we will pick up the official paperwork and get back on a train to travel to our girl's region. Wednesday we will get to meet her and complete the necessary paperwork to request a court date. We are hopeful that we will have both of our court dates next week. The kids' regions are about 6 hours apart by train, so we will not get to visit them both. We have found in this culture that each day brings new plans and surprises. Nobody seems to plan ahead more than 2 days, and usually it is more like 2 hours.
We've enjoyed spending time with other American families. We are always thankful for conversation with people who speak un-broken English. We had hoped this experience would be a bit like an extended date for Greg and I, the calm before the storm, a second honeymoon... That was wishful thinking! If you ever consider international adoption, please know it is a battle. We are here fighting for these children to be released from a life of bondage. It isn't romantic, but it is rewarding.

We Met the Boy!

Thursday afternoon we were able to pick up our official paperwork to take to the orphanage to request to adopt our little boy.  That night we got on a train around 8:30 to ride to the region where our little boy lives.  We arrived in the region at 7:08am with our facilitator and got right to work.  We did stop by our hotel to check in and get a quick breakfast before running around for the next several hours.  First we stopped by the orphanage to meet with the doctor to get the official medical report, which is required before you can officially commit to adopting the child.  She told us lots of information, which basically boiled down to... he has down syndrome, but is otherwise healthy.
When we finished with the doctor, we got to go see the child, which is also required before filing the official petition to adopt.  He was much taller than we expected, but so skinny.  When the nanny handed him to me he felt like dead weight.  He has very low muscle tone and a super flat head.  Both results of laying in his crib for most of his life.  We only got to stay a few minutes because there was so much to be done on a tight schedule. 
We then left the orphanage and headed to the notary.  We found out that we would need to give a name for the child to the notary.  Yikes!  We thought that we wouldn't need a name until court.  Traditionally, Greg and I have an arrangement that he names the girls and I name the boys.  I didn't want to have the pressure of naming a child in 10 minutes, so we decided I would take the girl and Greg could name the boy.  We narrowed the list to Nico, Otto, Finn, and Zane.  Greg really liked the name Otto and we figured it would be perfect since he will be able to write it backwards and no matter what it will still be correct.  A good match for a poor kid with a last name like ours!  It also happens to be my great granfather's name, so I'm fan. 
After leaving the notary, we made stops at the court house, some government building, the hospital (to drop off paperwork to the social worker who was in the hospital, but was expected to be discharged and was willing to do our paperwork from her house this weekend), back to the orphanage to take a picture of the baby for his passport, to the train ticket office to get our tickets for Sunday night to go back to the capital city for our second adventure, and then back to the hotel to get lunch while our facilitator went to meet with the lawyer.  Then we were picked up to go back to the orphanage for our first official visit.  By the end of the day, our driver had been working with us for 11 hours. 
During our first visit at the orphanage we were told that we should be able to take Otto outside to get used the conditions since he's hardly ever been outside, but then the nannies told our facilitator that he has had a sore throat so he wouldn't be able to go outside.  I have no idea how you tell if a 2 year old that acts like a 6 month old has a sore throat, but apparently in their advanced medical technology here, they can tell :)
We have now visited him three times (once Friday and twice today) and he has already started to change.  When we first met him, he was very limp and not very engaging.  Today we got smiles & giggles, he sat up straighter, and was very interested in us and the toys.
The orphanage is very clean and well-staffed, but a very sad place.  There are 16 babies in his groupa and at least 4 nannies sometimes more.  Usually the nannies are sitting around chatting while the babies all just lay in their beds doing nothing.  Sometimes they are watching TV and often times they are outside smoking.  Once we've seen one of them playing with a baby.  They all get fed and changed at the same time always, so if it is feeding or changing time the nannies are busy caring for the babies.  They have very set procedures they follow for everything and are particular about strange things.  They allowed us to stay a little later today at lunch time so we got to feed Otto.  He got one bottle with a potato/water/milk type mixture and one bottle with a little fruit juice.  He sucked them down like he hadn't eaten in days, although I know he gets fed on a strict schedule daily.
When we visit we are only allowed in a small entryway room and they lay out a rug that is about 6'x9' and we are to stay on that to play.    We bring a few toys with us and they have a few we can use also. 
The first day we visited we could tell Otto was overwhelmed after about 30 minutes.  He had probably never had to much attention in his life!  He tolerated our visit this morning better, but was tired when we left.  When we went this afternoon he was done playing after about an hour.  We have to try to get him ready for the craziness he will enter when he gets home to his brothers and sisters!  Hopefully Clay will teach him how to crawl and pull up and he can teach Clay how to eat.  They will be good buddies!
We can't wait to go see him again tomorrow!

Another Unwelcome Surprise

We had our government appointment on Wednesday at noon.  We spent the morning waiting to be picked up.  Things in this country seem to be on a way different time schedule than we are used to!  We were ready at 9am like we were told to be and then waited for a call telling us to come down for our ride.  Finally at 11:45 we got the call and went down and waited a few minutes until a car pulled up and honked.  We assumed that was our clue to get in.  After our introductions, the first words our facilitator told us were, "I have bad news." Not at all what we expected to hear.  We thought we were so close.  It never occured to us that bad news could still come! 
Our facilitator explained that Shelley's paperwork, just like Libby's, was missing the father's signature. How can these kids wait so long in orphanages being neglected and malnourished and nobody cares enough to double check the paperwork until somebody who wants them comes along?  What a horrible system!  So in our appointment we had them check to see if there were any other girls who would be an option for us.  After much checking, every possibility was slashed for one reason or another. 
Our only hope for a girl at this point is for them to locate an available girl in another region that we could adopt.  It would add another $9000 to our fees, and would change the travel plans of at least one of us.  We are praying for a miracle.  We hope that God will provide some way for us to bring a daughter home.  If not, we have to accept that He is soverign and has the best plans for our family.  It isn't always easy to accept plans that are different, but we came here becasue of His love and our desire to live out His Word, so we must accept whatever path is given to us. 
Adoption is not for wimps!  I am feeling a little defeated and wimpy today, but I know this too shall pass and soon we'll find peace in this craziness.
We've met three other American couples who are here adopting and had dinner with them last night.  Today we'll meet up with them again before boarding a late night train to the region where Atticus waits for us.  Friday we'll hold that sweet boy in our arms. 

We Made It

We arrived Tuesday afternoon in the capital city of the country where our children wait.  We've spent some time wandering around and went to the grocery store to get a few things to eat.  Wednesday morning we have an appointment with the government officials in charge of adoptions.  We will officially make it known that we intend to pursue the adoption of the two little ones God has set before us.  Our journey continues...

You Lead, We'll Follow

Atticus turned two is September.

Shelley will be two in January.

It has long been our prayer for our children that God would show His face to them while they are young, that they would be raised to know that God is God, and that they would be so certain of this and have such a mighty testimony to look back on that never would they turn away from the way they should go.  We have also prayed for God to use us for His purposes as He has planned.  When you pray prayers like these with expectation, you should also expect a great adventure with the Lord.  Such is our story.

We were surprised back in May when God called us to adopt a child with Down Syndrome from Eastern Europe.  We could think of many practical reasons this was a bad idea, but no Biblical reason.  God confirmed over and over to us that this was His calling.  We moved forward in faith trusting the Lord to guide and provide.  Over the next several months we began raising money and praying for our little girl.  Somehow the idea of adopting this child became as normal to us as going to the grocery store or making dinner.  The idea of not doing what we had been called to do became much more crazy to us. 

As we moved forward, God provided as He always does when He calls you to do something.  We started out needing to raise $25,000.  Dollar after dollar, sometimes a few at a time, sometimes several hundred at a time the money came in.  One day after we got our travel dates we were fully funded.  That in itself is a testimony!  Then three days after we got our travel dates, we got a call.  Everyone in our adoption world knows that you do not want to get a call after your travel dates call, because most likely it is not good news.  Ours fit that bill.  Our baby girl, the one we had prayed for, fought for, fallen in love with, would not be available to be adopted at this time.  We were given a few options.  We could wait and see if her status would change quickly, we could choose another child, or we could travel and choose a child once we arrived. 

After lots of prayers and tears, we have decided to move forward with a new plan.  Many of the families who have gone and done what we are doing end up going back again to adopt another child or end up bringing home more than one child on their first trip.  Once you see the need, it cannot be ignored.  We decided that we would just wait on God to show us what to do.  We prayed that God would make it clear to us if we were to bring home more than one child.  All along, we considered more than one, but just didn't feel like we had been shown to bring home more than one.  One more child seemed pretty easy and natural.  We have one more space in a bedroom, one more seat in our van, one more seemed just right. 

Sometimes God just waits to reveal things in His perfect time.  Looking back on when we adopted Clay, we had no idea what his life would entail.  We didn't know the countless hours that would be spent in doctors offices and hospitals, the hundreds of therapy sessions we would attend, the long list of medications we would administer, the medical terms we would learn.  And had we known, would we have signed up?  Would we have been too scared?  I am so thankful that we didn't know, only God did, and He had already prepared us in ways we didn't know and had planned provisions in ways we couldn't have imagined. 

And so our story continues with God revealing only what He intends for us to know.  When we started this adoption journey, if God would have shown us two up front we might have backed away, made excuses, and missed out on what God has for us.

We are now confident that it is God's plan for us to persue these two little ones.  We don't yet know the end of the story, only God does, and that's good enough for us.  God wasn't surprised at the call we got last Monday.  God isn't surprised that we are now planning to bring Shelley and Atticus into our family.  We trust that God's plan is the best plan and if we surrender to Him, He will deal with all the details of our lives.

So we move forward in faith.  We leave in eight days.  Both of the children we are going for have been unloved, untouched, and undernourished.  That will all change so soon.  We trust that God will work a miracle for these two little ones.  Both of them are about 2 years old now and cannot even sit up.  They are extremely delayed because of their living conditions.  If you want to see God work, stay tuned... our story continues in the hands of the God of the universe. 

If you want to be a part of the redemption of these two little ones, we invite you to partner with us in prayer.  We will be starting a private facebook group for those who want to follow our trip.  We will also continue to post here as we are able.  We would also invite you to partner with us financially.  God had already provided above and beyond what we need for one child, but we still need about $3000 to cover the expenses of bringing home two children.  Please give if you can.  Every bit helps and adds up quickly.  You can still click on the picture of Libby on our blog and it will take you to our updated FSP where you can make a tax deductible donation. 

Leaving On a Jet Plane, Don't Know When We'll Be Back Again...

We got our travel date today!  Our appointment with the government in Zoey's country is on November 7th, so we'll be leaving home on the 5th.  Time to figure out what to pack, what to leave, make lists, clean the house and cars, prepare the kids, write Clay's instruction manual for Grandma...
Looks like the next two weeks are going to be BUSY!
We expect our first trip to last 2-3 weeks.  We will travel on one way tickets because we won't know our return date until we pass court.  Once we get back home, we will wait about one week and then Stacey and her dad will return for the second trip to bring Zoey home.  By Christmas all the Super K's will be home together.

Next In Line!

We are next in line to get our travel dates!  Can't believe that in less than one month, we will be holding Zoey.  We are super excited and feeling super CrAzY!  It seems so overwhelming to get things ready for the other five kids to stay home and pack everything we will need for an unknown amount of time in a freezing cold foreign country (bringing only what we can carry around with us!?).  At this point, I just keep making lists as if possibly if I write down what needs to be done enough times somehow it will all magically happen. 
We are also trying to prepare ourselves for what we will experience - not only a different culture and strange places, but many things we cannot even fathom.  It will be hard to meet our baby and then have to leave her in an orphanage again.  It will be hard to look through the binders of children waiting, many with little hope of ever having a family.  There are so many other things that haven't crossed my mind that we will experience.  Exciting, scary, adventurous, unknown...  But we know that God is with us.  He has gone before us.  He will provide for us.  He will guide us.  We could never do this ourselves.  Only with the grace, peace, and strength that come from Him is any of this possible.  Thank you Lord for choosing us to give Zoey the gift of life and for giving us the gift of her. 

 

FINAL Fundraiser - Butts for Babies!

We have embarked on our final fundraiser!  We anticipate traveling in early November, which is coming quickly! 
If you would like to purchase a Boston Butt or Chicken, please contact us at knofsky@yahoo.com.

Feed the fans and change lives!

Get your butt or chicken for game day...

&  help us change two lives forever through adoption.

Two girls on the other side of the world will soon know LOVE like they’ve never experienced.

Zoey, from Eastern Europe, will be joining the Knofczynski family later this year.

The Meade’s will be bringing home a little girl from China in 2013.

     

Smoked Boston Butts and whole Chickens are ON SALE NOW to help offset the costs of these adoptions!

Muther’s Famous BBQ Sauce also available.  Choose from mild or spicy.  $5 per pint.

COST:              $25 Per Boston Butt

                        $15 Per Chicken

AVAILABLE:       GAME DAY: Oct 27, 2012         Georgia     VS   Florida                 

Choose your pick up location: 10am-noon at Sam’s parking lot in Pooler

11am-noon at Dollar Tree parking lot in Richmond Hill OR the playground at Daffin Park    

Thank you for your support and prayers! Please follow our journeys at: www.anothersuperk.blogspot.com               meetthemeades.blogspot.com

Any questions? Call Stacey at 605-695-1215 or Christine at 912-547-0238.

Order summary for your records:

Butts: _______________   Chickens: _______________        BBQ Sauce: _______________ mild or spicy

Paid by cash or check           Pickup Location:  Sam’s in Pooler   •    Dollar Tree Richmond Hill       

Daffin Park playground

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Return this portion with payment to Stacey or Christine by Friday, October 19^th.

 

Name: ______________________________________________________________ Phone Number: ________________________________________

Butts: __________________   Chickens:____________________   BBQ Sauce: _______________mild  _______________spicy

Total Paid: ___________________  cash or check                 Sold By:__________________________________________________________

Circle Pick Up Location:    Sam’s in Pooler   •    Dollar Tree Richmond Hill    •    Daffin Park playground

 

Buddy Walk

We had a fun day at the Buddy Walk today!  It was amazing to see so many people come out to support Down Syndrom awareness.  We had a booth to represent Reece's Rainbow and got to share with many people the difference Reece's Rainbow makes for so many little ones.  It is our hope that our story will inspire another family to begin the adoption process.  Thanks to our friends who came out to walk with us.  Can't wait to walk it next year when Zoey will be with us!

One of the Reece's Rainbow programs we shared today is the Christmas Angel Tree Project.  You can get more info here:  http://reecesrainbow.org/angeltreeinfo
When you donate$35 or more, you will receive a beautiful photo ornament of your sponsored child to hang on your tree. Our theme for 2012 is the “Starfish Story”, because it makes a difference to each one. This is a very special way to “share Christmas” with an orphaned child, and it’s a very personal and meaningful GIFT IDEA for everyone on your list. Gift cards will be sent with the ornament to your intended recipient(s). These are great for friends and family, but also for teachers, therapists, caregivers, doctors, etc.

The Fundraising Continues...

Our Pictures in the Park Fundraiser sponsored by Ashley Goss of EmmAva Photography was a huge success.  We are so grateful for Ashley's generosity and talent!  Ashley spent a Friday evening and Saturday morning doing mini-sessions for 14 families, then donated all her proceeds to our adoption fund.  Amazing!  Can't wait to see all the great pictures. 

The Pampered Chef Fundraiser was also a success.  Christine and I were each able to add $100 to our adoption funds. 

Our final fundraiser, the Butt and Chicken sale is going on now.  We are preselling the meat for pick up on October 27th, the day of the Georgia vs Florida game, at one of three locations: Sam's in Pooler, Daffin Park Playground, or Dollar Tree in Richmond Hill.  Contact us if you are interested.  knofsky@yahoo.com

We should have our travel date by the end of this month.  We anticipate traveling in November.  Generally, families get about two weeks notice before a travel date, although we could get as little as five days or as much as three weeks.  Now to start packing...

We are so thankful for the many people who have stepped up and donated to help Zoey come home.  Her's is a story of redemption so much like each of ours if we so choose.  Adoption is a perfect picture of what Christ has done for us.  He chose us despite our filth, came for us at the ultimate cost, and changed our lives.   We have been called to follow that model.  We have chosen Zoey, we will go for her no matter the cost, and her life will be changed.  And above all, I know that we will be blessed.

Submitted!

In adoption language, the word SUBMITTED is big stuff!  Our paperwork was submitted to the government in Zoey's country on September 20th.  That means all of the documents we spent 3 1/2 months compiling have been checked and double checked for accuracy, translated, notarized again, and hand bound into one official packet called our dossier.  Our dossier is now in the hands of the people who will let us know when we can come to their county for a formal appointment at which time we can request Zoey as our daughter.  The craziest part of all this is that we have no idea when we will get an appointment.  We can pretty confidently narrow it down to the next 4-10 weeks, but when you're talking international travel and leaving 5 kids home, that's a pretty big range of time to consider.  We are praying that our appointment will be on November 12th.  That means we would leave here the 10th and probably be home shortly after Thanksgiving.  We know God has all this covered for us.  He has already worked out all the details, so in Him we trust as we wait.  

Fund-Rais-Ing

Fundraising: The nausea, weight gain, and sciatica of adoption.

Surely caring for my baby will be easier than all this fundraising business!  I am not by nature a fundraiser.  I hate asking people for money, but more than I hate that, I LOVE my baby and my GOD.  So, because God has sent me on this mission and God uses His people for His good, I know that God has planned to use some of you reading this to be a part of Zoey's rescue mission.  We have just a few fundraisers left before we will be traveling.  Please think of them as opportunities for you, not just me begging ;)

Opportunity #1
This coming Friday, September 21st, Christine Meade (who is in the process of adopting a little girl from China) and I will be hosting a Pampered Chef Fundraiser.  We will receive 20-30% of the show total.  If you can join us, it is at my house Friday at 7.  If you can't join us, but would like to order some great kitchen gear or perhaps get a jump start on your Christmas shopping and help us out at the same time, you can order online at http://www.pamperedchef.biz/biancascuisine?showId=3795484

Opportunity #2
Friday, September 28th and Saturday, September 29th, we have Ashley Goss a local photographer from EmmAva Photography offering mini photo sessions at Forsyth Park.  What a great time to get an updated family photo or a sweet picture of the kids for a Christmas card.  A $60 donation to our adoption fund gets you a 30 minute session and a CD with 10 images. 

Opportunity #3
The final fundraiser will be a Boston Butt/Chicken sale on Saturday, October 27th.  This is the day of the big Georgia/Florida game.  Let us help you feed the fans!  The butts are $25 and whole chickens are $15.  We will be taking pre-orders that can be picked up at one of several locations on the 27th from 10am-noon.  Guaranteed delicious!

Contact us if you are interested in any of the above!  knofsky@yahoo.com

Celebrating!

We are so excited to announce the completion of our paperwork!  We have received all of our paperwork back from various state and federal offices.  We have all the seals, signatures, and special stamps required to send our paperwork on to Zoey's country.  Our paperwork will leave our hands on Monday and begin its journey to Eastern Europe.  It will officially be submitted by the end of this month. 
All we have left to do now is to finish fundraising and start packing.  Of the $25,000 it will cost to bring Zoey home and make her officially part of our family, we have already been provided with $16,508!  Amazing!  In just 3 1/2 months, God has provided 2/3 of the money needed.  Going in to this adoption, coming up with $25,000 seemed almost impossible except that we knew God would provide where He called.  If you've never experienced the miracle of adoption firsthand, I really can't explain the wonder of it all in words.  The fact that God has allowed our family to experience this miracle twice is astonishing. 
We are very grateful for the love and support of so many throughout this adoption process.  We know that Zoey and our family are being lifted up in prayer daily.  Thank you!  Prayer is the most important part of this whole process, and we have felt your prayers. 
We are so humbled and blessed from the many who have provided for this adoption financially.  Thank you for making a sacrifice in order to be a blessing to a baby half way around the world.  James 1:27 tell us that, "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."  The world tells us that orphans, especially those so far removed from our lives, are not our problem.  God tells us they are.  If Christians aren't going to stand up for these children, who will?  Not eveyone is called to adopt, but if you are a Christian, you are called to do something.  We are so thankful that God has placed in our lives so many people who know the blessing of giving.  We also know that because of prayer, many total strangers have been led to support Zoey.  Its perplexing to think that a baby laying in an orphanage has so many people loving her from over 5000 miles away. 
One day Zoey will know her story.  Thank you for being a part of it!

Our remaining paperwork: signed, sealed, and ready to be delivered.

While we were double checking our paperwork list and getting everything together,
our girls and 2 of their friends were decorating the kitchen counter with these signs. 
Zoey, you may have spent the first 9 months of your life without a mama, but you've got lots of
mamas waiting for you here! 

Amazed! Again.

Our yard sale fundraiser to help bring Zoey home was a huge success. We made $2363.50! WOW! We are so thankful for God's provision during this adoption process. Also thankful for unbelievable friends who shed some serious sweat helping out at the sale to benefit our baby girl. And of course many thanks to those who donated items and came out to shop.
You are all a part of an amazing story about a little girl who was left in the hospital when she was born and who has lived the first 6 months of her life with no mama to love her. Most likely she spends most of her days laying in her crib being touched only when necessary. Because of the generosity of so many, Zoey will soon know the love of a family.
We are proof that when God calls and you follow with obedience, He shows up in BIG ways. We already love Zoey so much and can't wait to hold her.

Awaiting the Golden Ticket

We received our paperwork on Friday notifying us of our last fingerprint appointment.  Yay!  We will travel to Charleston early in the morning on Tuesday, August 28th to complete this last step.  Once we get our report back, which generally only takes a few days, we will get the report apostilled and then all of our paperwork will be sent across the ocean.  Because this is the paperwork that completes our dossier, it is considered the 'Golden Ticket'.  The one last paper that stands between us and our baby girl. 

28 Day Count Down

September 1st we will be holding our third yard sale as a part of our fundraising to bring Zoey home.  God greatly blessed our first two yard sales, and we are praying the same for this one.  We are currently collecting donations.  If you have anything you would like to donate, please contact us at knofsky@yahoo.com.  The sale will take place Saturday, September 1st in Somersby subdivision in Pooler. 

Is Tomorrow The Day?

Almost every night when I tuck Edison in and say prayers with him, he asks, "Mamma, is tomorrow the day we go get Zoey?"  He is so excited to get his baby sister home!  Last night when he was praying he said, "Dear God, please don't let any monsters get Zoey.  Help Jesus take care of her."  He loves to look at her picture and smiles ear to ear every time he sees it.  I love that all my sweet children down to 3 1/2 year old Edison are so passionate about adoption and getting their sister home.  They have seen first hand through our adoption of Clay what a blessing adoption is.
Most people assume that Zoey is the one who will be so blessed because of her adoption, but we know that we will be equally blessed to have her in our family.  We can't wait to see her thrive!  We will gain a daughter and sister and she will become a part of a family for the first time in her life. 
Hopefully we'll hold Zoey for the first time in about three months.  We are so thrilled!

Blessed Again

We had another amazingly successful yard sale to benefit our adoption!  So excited to report that we made a total of $1901 at our South Dakota sale.  I really thought my $1000 goal was lofty, but God blessed above and beyond...again.  We are once again so thankful for everyone who supported our efforts.  Thanks for praying for succes, thanks for donations, and thanks for shopping.  Thanks also to my parents for letting us overtake their garage for several days!
Our final yard sale fundraiser will be September 1st at our house.  Can't wait to see what God has in store for us then!  Thanks to Brandi and Christine for collecting donations while we are out of town!
 

Conquering the Paperwork!

We are getting so close to the end of the paper chase!  These are all the documents we had to have notarized then apostilled.  Soon they will be on their way to Eastern Europe.  We finalized our homestudy on Tuesday.  As soon as we receive it in the mail, we'll submit our application to the USCIS for our final fingerprinting.  Once we get clearance from them, our dossier will travel across the ocean and into the hands of the people who will make everything happen for us in Zoey's country.  We still have a few pieces of paperwork we are waiting on for the final dossier, but hopefully while we wait on our fingerprints we'll get those documents in order.  If all continues as planned, we'll travel in mid-November and have Zoey home by Christmas. 
We are also preparing for our South Dakota Yard Sale Fundraiser.  Our pile of donations is growing!  We are so thankful for everyone who has stepped up to help us out.  So many people have been praying for us and donating to us.  Thank you!  Zoey's life will be drastically changed because of you!

Read All About It

Our story was featured in the Accent section of July 7th, 2012 Savannah Morning News in an article written by Anne Hart.  She highlighted our family and the Holloway family.  We are thankful for the opportunity to share our stories with others.  Adoption is such a blessing!  We are so thankful our families have been chosen to receive these precious children.  Check out the article at http://savannahnow.com/accent/2012-07-07/anne-hart-pooler-families-open-arms-special-needs-orphans

Great is God's Faithfulness

After two weeks of cleaning out our house and collecting donations from others, countless hours spent sorting and pricing, and very little sleep I am thrilled to report that our yard sale made $4344.  Wow!  Split between the Holloways and us, that means $2172 each.  We were praying for a total of $3000 and God blessed over and above.  On top of that we got to witness to so many people about the God we serve and the children we love who desperately need families to love them.  We had so many friends step up to help us through prayer, donations, physical labor, shopping and childcare.  Thank you!  We also had many complete strangers come to the yard sale and donate above their shopping total.  One sweet couple bought about $2.50 worth of merchandise, then returned to their car and came back with $400 cash they wanted us to have because they were moved by our story.  Others paid for a few items with $10, $20, or $100 and asked for us to keep the change.  We were so humbled by such generosity. 
We praise God for His faithfulness and provision!  He brought us the stuff, gave us the endurance to prepare for and hold the sale, brought people to buy the stuff, and kept our children safe and healthy and well behaved for our friend Kelly who had 14 children at her house for 24 hours.  And He filled us with joy as we spent 16 hours at the yard sale.  That right there is a miracle!  16 minutes is usually more that enough for me at any yard sale :)
We are excited to see how God will continue to provide as we seek to follow His will.  We will be holding another yard sale on September 1st at my house.  Our garage is nearly empty and ready for donations!  My mom has also offered to have a garage sale at her house while we are there in July, so to all our South Dakota friends and relatives - start cleaning out your stuff. 
Several people have asked me how close we are to our fundraising goal.  Well, right now, $2172 closer than we were last Friday!  We expect our adoption to cost about $25,000.  To date we have spent $3443.  We have raised a total of $3822 which includes the yard sale, our Reece's Rainbow donation page, and some donations we have received in the mail.  We are trusting that God will provide all we need. 
I can now count on one hand the paperwork that remains to be completed.  It is amazing to look back over the past 45 days and see how much has been accomplished.  Our homestudy should be finalized in the next couple weeks, which will allow us to schedule an appointment with the United States Citizen and Immigrations Services for our final fingerprinting.  Then we'll just be waiting for everything to come together for approval by all domestic and foreign agencies.  After that it will be travel time!  We still anticipate traveling in November/December, and really hope to have Zoey Grace home by Christmas.

Christine, our dear friend and amazing advocate for orphans, Brandi, & I in our aprons donated by our friend Kristen Grach who along with her husband, Jeshua, does mission work in the Amazon and purchased these handmade aprons from a street vendor.  They were perfect for our gigantic sale because of ther flashy nature and multitudes of pockets. 

This picture doesn't really do our sale justice because you can't see the whole furniture, stroller, baby item section or the mounds of clothing we had, but take this times 3ish and you get the picture. If only we would have had a helicopter for a bird's eye view :)