I Know Who Goes Before Her

If ever I have been unaware of God's activity around me, make no mistake about it...I am AWARE.

From time to time during this adoption process, God has placed a song on my heart that He used to give us hope.  Before our 2nd and 3rd trips, which were only 30 days apart, He gave us the song, "Whom Shall I Fear," by Chris Tomlin.  Here are some of the words, changed slightly to be sung for our Annhaven:

You hear her when she calls
You are her morning song
Though darkness fills the night
It can not hide the Light
Whom Shall she Fear?

You Crush the enemy
Underneath her feet
You are her Sword and Sheild
Though troubles linger still
Whom Shall she Fear?

I know who goes before her
I know who stands behind
The God of Angel Armies
Is always by her side
The ONE who reigns forever
He is a friend of hers
The God of Angel Armies
Is always by her side

Her strength is in Your Name
For You alone can save
You will deliver her
Yours is the victory
Whom shall she fear?
Whom Shall she Fear?
On our 2nd trip to see Annhaven, every day when we would leave the orphanage, we would sing this to her....and we would just cry.  It felt so powerful to leave her with these words, truly believing that our God would do in her what HE said HE would do.

We are now HOME!...."Home-a" as Annhaven says!  AND GOD.....He continues to go before her and stand behind her...we can spiritually see Him by her side...and we can physically see her being so comforted by the Holy Spirit in our home and family.  She is so ever-lovin' joyful and peaceful....FULL I tell you!  God is definitely showing us things we never could even have imagined. 

Now don't get me wrong....we have our moments of, "Wow...she's a real BABY!?!?"  and Annhaven has her moments of, "I'm gonna give them a run for their money"...and the boys have their moments of, "How much longer until she takes a nap?"  This baby sister stuff is hard work after being used to 3 practically grown, self-sufficient boys.  BUT GOD....so deep-heartedly thankful for His Work.

WHile in Russia I read about the principle of God's Glory:
We are called to live for something grander than our own good, comfort, success, affluence, and ease.  We will never do what is right at the practical, everyday life level unless we have the glory of God as our ultimate goal. 

THis kind of fits with the title of this blog, "God's Glory In Russia"...there was never anything comfortable or easy in this whole Russian adoption process.  Especially hearing, while we were there, that Russia might be closing adoptions for U.S. citizens.  Little did we know then, as we traveled home with Annhaven, what has now come out.  WE are still daily, hourly, soaking in the reality of God's timing in her little life.  Also, daily, hourly, we are finding ourselves in earnest prayer for so many friends who are waiting to see if they get their babies out soon. Please be in specific prayer for the Lewis Family from MS, who are getting 2 brothers, and the Luna Family from New Mexico, who are getting a baby boy.  They both made their first trips the same time we did back in August, and are just now scheduled to go for 2nd trip court next week.  We also met several sweet families who were ON their first trip to meet their babies while we were there gettting Annhaven.  Many prayers going out for all of them.  "Greater is HE that is in you, than he who is in the world."

 Thank you, friends and family, for the absolute OUTPOURING of your love and prayers and words of encouragement for us.  I have said this before, but they were and continue to be truly LIFE-GIVING...I feel like we ate and drank them for weeks and months, and continue to do so daily as you all share with us your thoughts on our behalf.  "A friend loves at all times"....thank you for letting us feel your love at all times.  And thank you for your powerful prayers that are helping our daughter feel God's love for her.  It is so much  DEEPER and WIDER and LONGER and HIGHER than anything we could ever give her.

WE pray that each one of you will see the activity of God at work around YOU and that you will JOIN HIM in it.

"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, SO THAT you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13

LOVE,
Marcee, Todd, Adlee, Sam, Jameson, and Annhaven Watkins

It's Finally Here!

Just wanted to let everyone know we are packing our bags.....and Annhaven's bag!  We leave to go and get her tomorrow morning!  Please cover our family in prayer over these next two weeks!  Pictures coming soon!!!  Praise the Almighty Hand of God!

Houston, we have a court date!

After a long wait since meeting our baby girl in early August, we finally have been assigned a date to be in Russian court in early November!!!  Guess what that means?...Annhaven will be OURS in early December!!!  Please pray for our upcoming trip to Russia.  We will get to visit Annhaven for about 4 days, have Russian medical exams, and stand before a Russian judge for legal custody of this angel baby.....and then leave the country without her one last time.  We come home and wait 30 days.  AND THEN, we travel for the last time to bring her home...

HOME...where she has a light bluish/grey room with a girly crystal chandelier...a white baby bed with soft, minky dot sheets...the sweetest dollie you've ever seen that her 3 big brothers made for her...and many special things hanging on the walls to bring joy......

BUT also, a brand new place that is strange to her - a quiet place compared to an ever noisy orphanage....strange food in light of the "mush" she is used to eating.....no other babies sleeping around her at night.....cars that make her nautious since the only time she's ever ridden in one was on her trip to the orphanage.....sights and sounds that can be scary since she's never left the 4 orphange walls....and where none of her little friends will be.....

We pray you see how much Annhaven needs God's Holy Spirit to speak calmly to her tiny heart....for this trip as we play with her and leave her again, for the next trip when we take her from the orphanage, for the trip home, and then for the beginning of a new life in our family.  WE see it as all good, but we have to remember she will be grieving some losses.  Please, friends and family, pray to our Heavenly Father, the ONE who sees all, and ask Him to give Annhaven His peace that passes all understanding.  We are praying this peace for each of you as well, dear friends. 

On another note.....when we made our first trip to the orphanage, we asked what we could bring back that might be of help, and the workers said "shoes!"  And boy, are they right!  The children wear shoes that are several sizes too small...toes sticking way out and all!  And they look like your great grandfather wore them, too.  So, if you didn't get to help buy clothing for the last trip, and you'd still like to do something, consider buying a pair of shoes for an orphan.  The shoes we take will stay at the orphange for the 1-4 year olds there.  We need boy and girl sizes 3 to whatever size a 4 year old wears..??? I don't remember???  Facebook me if you'd like to help with this. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for continuing to pray for us.  If God has layed a special prayer or scripture verse on your heart to pray for Annhaven, we would love to know about it!  We are keeping a special journal for her and would count it a privelege to have you be part of her life story.  May God bless you for your thoughts toward our family. 

Marcee
for the Watkins

Received

"Therefore RECEIVE one another as Christ has received you, for the glory of God"!

This is the verse I read on the morning we left for our first trip to Russia....on our way to meet a baby girl.

 Full of emotion, excitement, anticipation, and still apprehension, God spoke this verse into my heart, affirming HIS selection of this orphan for our family.  We were to go to Russia and RECEIVE her.....to move her from a "referral" baby to a "redeemed" daughter.....for the glory of God.  And the Glory of God showed Himself our very first day at the orphanage.  Having read many books on attachment and babies in orphanages, we had prepared ourselves to possibly meet a shy, unresponsive toddler, who probably wanted nothing to do with us - especially with Todd, since they don't see men really at all.  BUT GOD.....He loves to do this.....was in our midst.  When the orphanage worker walked down the hall holding her hand, Todd bent down just to get eye level with her.  She immediately let go of the worker's hand and toddled right to Todd, put her arms around his neck, and laid her head on his shoulder.  Swimming through tears, we hugged on her....and she gladly let us.  She smiled continuously.  As we played with her, she always wanted to be in one of our laps.  Each day, her shiny personality came out more and more.  The only time she ever cried was when we had to leave her.  But we RECEIVED her....for the glory of GOD!

Her name is Annhaven Clare Watkins.

We cannot wait to show her off to you.  Please be patient with us until we have things finalized.  We cannot share pictures or detailed information as of yet.  Just please pray.....pray for her to be safe, to be filled with hope and joy and peace; pray for our court date to come very soon; and pray that God will continue to supply our financial needs to the end.

To the Glory of God,
Marcee, Todd, Adlee, Sam and Jameson

Frequent Flyer Miles???

Someone asked us if there was any way they could donate frequent flyer miles to help with our travel costs.  The answer is yes!  Any flyer miles for Southwest or Delta could be used, depending on which airline we go with for in country flights.  If this is a way you might be interested in helping, please contact us.  Roundtrip flights for this first trip are running us around $2300/person. 

Please cover our trip and the meeting of our new daughter with prayer.  Here are some specific things to pray:
*safety in travel
*spiritual and emotional bonding with her and her with us
*comfort and peace internally for her, and us
*beautiful time spent with her at the orphanage
*family and medical questions answered
*safety/comfort for our boys as we are apart
*unity/oneness for Todd and me throughout this trip

Daily grateful for your words to the Father on our behalf,
Marcee,Todd and boys

God's Choice!!!

Well, after months and months of paperwork and waiting, WE HAVE OUR REFERRAL!!!  She is the beautiful, tiny 18 month old that God has chosen for us!  Of course nothing is in stone yet, and until we make our first trip in the middle of August, anyone from her country could adopt her.  Thank you for all of your prayers thus far, and please continue to cover her with words to our Father. 


*God's purpose according to HIS CHOICE will stand, not because of works, but because of HIM who calls.  Romans 9

"I will call those who were not my people, 'my people,' and HER who was not beloved, 'BELOVED.'
Romans 9:25

HE IS

Since beginning this blog, I am always finding myself feeling I need to post something more frequently...."something" for crying out loud.  And yet thus far, thankfully by the hand of God, I have waited on HIM to actually GIVE me something to say....what a concept.  Biblical phrases like "wait on the Lord" and "it's better to keep silent than run off at the mouth" have aided me greatly in this endeavor.  Having said this, below is God's latest impression on my heart...........

God gave me another "prayer song" for our baby girl.  As you might have read in an earlier post, Russian orphanages, or "baby houses" as they are called, are not known for being loving and physically caring.  We have been praying from the beginning that our baby will experience physical love and care from her orphanage workers.....at least one....and if not that, that she will physically FEEL God's love and care and touches by the Holy Spirit's work in her life already.  The lyrics to Mark Schultz's song, "HE IS" expresses our prayer so beautifully powerful:

"Father, let the world (her orphanage surroundings) just fade away
Let (her) feel Your presence in (that) place
Till (her) heart can see

He Is
He Was
He always will be
Even when it feels like there is no one holding me
Be still my soul
He Is

Through every fear, and every doubt
And every tear (she) sheds
Down every road
(She's) not alone
No matter where (she) is

Be still (her) soul
Be still and KNOW
Be still (her) soul.........HE IS.

Would your family please pray this along side ours?  Infinite thankfullness pours out for your committment to join us in speaking words of LIFE into this child God has set apart to know HIM.

Update:  All of our paperwork is circling through Russia and we are waiting on a call with our referral.  Specifically pray that God gets our paperwork to the exact orphange where BABY GIRL WATKINS awaits!  And thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement and affirmations of prayer!  Also, thank you for your generous financial giving...it's like refreshing rain drops that enable us to keep stepping closer!

Some very special raindrops came from 3 amazing kiddos in our lives:

Madelynn (11) and Jeremiah (7)  Layton, my niece and nephew, collected and rolled coins totalling $40! 
Heidi Courtway (13), one of my small group girls who happens to be adopted from China, collected $90 in coins!  Wow at what God does through children!