A Letter From Dad

Dear Justin,





Since this blog will end up in published form, I have decided to write you a letter that you can read a few years from now. You have only been home for four weeks but it feels like you never left our home since we hosted you last summer in 2007. I don't think that this feeling is strange; after all, God knew that we would be a family before He created any of us. You were always in my heart even when you were half a world away in Ukraine.

Someday, I hope that you understand just how much we endured to adopt you. Our enemy, the devil, used every physical, mental, emotional and spiritual weapon at his disposal to hurt us and get us to give up. I confess that there were times that I did want to give in but God gave me enough strength to stand through the trials. He blessed me with a godly wife, supportive family and a church of faithful friends.

Our hope and prayer is that we can love you enough to make up for the first nine years that you spent in the orphanage, that we can be the family that you wished for and that the miracle of your deliverance will lead you to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

I can't promise you a perfect life but I will promise that you won't be bored. The Greers are a loud bunch and we can be as different as peas and carrots but deep down we all love each other. America will be different than Ukraine but I hope you will grow to love your new home as much as I do. It's not the same America that I grew up in but it's still the best and most free country on Earth. Whatever you choose to do, put your whole heart into it and success will follow.

This letter is a mini time capsule from me to you. I don't know how old you will be when read this. Today is January 1, 2009. It's a new year filled with new hopes and dreams. May all that is good, free and beautiful come true in your life!

I love you, son. Dad

Grandpa and the Kids

Justin on the neighbor's Harley.

Grandpa and Grandma got Justin a new bike for Christmas. They decided to give it to him early. Justin was very excited, he has never riden a bike before.

My Dad with all the grandkids! Trying to get a decent picture is futile.

Annual Christmas Lunch

Yesterday, my Mom took "The Girls" to lunch for our annual getaway. My Dad took care of all five of the boys. It is always a treat to enjoy lunch together, just the girls. Morgan is the only girl in the family so she gets to come with her Aunties, Grandma and me. Sometimes we go to a tea room, this year we went to Elephant Bar. We all enjoyed ourselves. Thanks Mom!

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Sausage Making!

Today we made 20 pounds of Polish sausage. The kids look forward to making it with Kevin every year. I like to be the photographer. We always have a sample sausage after it is all made. Our house smells like garlic for a week after we make sausage. We have learned from past experience going to church or any place in public after eating sausage is bad, really bad!

Christmas Sunday

Wygillia

Last night was Wygillia at Kevin's brother Tom's house. We had a very nice evening together with Kevin's family. Justin did very well and enjoyed meeting everyone. He said "Big family". I told him this isn't even half of it! Kevin's family has 12 children in it. We are hoping Justin will be able to meet most of the other next spring when we take a trip to North Carolina to meet his Nana.

We had a traditional Polish meal of Sweet Bread, fish, beans with sourkraut, perogis, baked potatoes, prunes and mushrooms. Justin loved the food, it probably reminded him of the food in Ukraine. Uncle Tom and Aunt Michaely did a fabulous job of cooking and decorating. We all had a great time! Thanks you guys for making this a special day for all of us, we love you!

Cookie Deorating and Ginger Bread House

Today was a big baking day! Since I got short notice on Christmas, I am trying to make up for lost time. Every year we decorate cookies (usually cut-outs, too tired this year) and make a ginger bread house. Last year's ginger bread house didn't last long. Our dog Buster climbed up onto the counter, knocked the house down and had it eaten before we could make it to the kitchen! He was thrown out of the house only to be sprayed by a skunk! (What a day!) The kids love decorating, Justin was no different, he loved it too. Tomorrow night we have Wygillia (traditional Polish dinner, usually celebrated on Christmas Eve) a little early this year with Kevin's family. So Christmas officially begins for us tomorrow. Sunday after church we will make our homemade Polish sausage and Sweet bread. The days are packed from here on through the new year! Next week we will celebrate Christmas with my family. I usually have Christmas at our house and really enjoy doing it; however, this year I wasn't sure I could pull it off. My parents offered to have it at her house this year

and I didn't argue much. =)

Grandparents and Cousins

We went to visit my parents and sisters last Tuesday. Justin had a fun time spending time with his new Grandpa, Grandma, cousins and Aunties. The kids were sweet to him. They taught Justin how to play handball.

Christmas Preparations

Believe it or not, we got my tree up last Saturday. We are trying our best to make this a special first Christmas with Justin. I feel like I got short notice this year in my preparations. It is so nice to have the decorations up. We all enjoy seeing them.

Justin is adjusting so remarkably well. He is very happy and gets along great. He is communicating better and better every day. He loves his sister and his brother and takes turns playing with each of them. Morgan loves having her independence to go into her room to draw and listen to her cd player. That is when Justin entertains Garrett. Garrett and I are the social ones in our family. He really reminds me of me. As Morgan would say "I am glad I don't have to be the only entertainment committee!" Garrett is a good big brother. He likes to help Justin with his English lessons. He is also teaching Justin how to build with the Legos. Morgan likes to read to Justin. Today, Garrett was up with Justin before I got up and I heard him on the telephone talking with Kevin. He was saying "I am trying to be the dad and it is hard." I called him into my room after he got off the phone and Garrett said "I was trying to get Justin to sit still and be quiet so he didn't wake anyone up. Being the dad is hard." I told him he didn't need to be the dad, just the big brother! Morgan said "he always trys to be the dad!" I told her that is what the oldest kid always does. I know because I was the oldest too!

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

We went and picked out our Christmas tree yesterday. We always take a family photo. Unfortunately, they didn't turn out very good. Last Wednesday we all drove around the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights. Justin just kept saying "WOW", "WOW"! It is so fun to see Justin experience Christmas probably for the first time. He is at a great age and everything amazes him.

Justin loves to wear his Superman Costume that the Chavez family gave him. He barely likes to take it off. He wants to wear it every where. He looks so cute in it. He thinks he has big muscles when he wears it. He has Kevin zoom him around in it like he is flying. He also likes to ride the scooter while he wears it. The cape flies through the air!

The elf is Twinkles. Nana sent it to the kids. Every morning the kids have to find him. Justin thinks it is so fun.

Thoughts about adoption

I wanted to share with you some thoughts on adoption that my friend Lynette at http://varnells.blogspot.com/ wrote on her blog the other day. Lynette is a mother 12 children! I have been so inspired by what an amazing family she has. I love the way she expressed herself in this post. I agree wholeheartedly with her. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things!

My heart is heavy for orphans today. I am so sad for the children who will never know the safety of a daddy’s arms or have their tears wiped by a mommy who cares. I look forward to heaven where we all will have a perfect Father and all are adopted. None will be orphans.Willie and I seem to have, “Tell me why adoption isn’t for you” stamped across our foreheads, because people often give us their reasons even though we haven’t asked. Maybe our family stirs their hearts toward orphans. I have my guesses why people often feel they have to give us their answers for not rising up and accepting the call to adopt, but that is my flesh and unprofitable. Adoption is inconvenient. We don’t want to be inconvenienced and we certainly don’t want our children to be inconvenienced. It is costly of time, money (in some cases more than others), and most expensive in the emotions department. Oh, if I could only express in words the joys of adoption! Our adoptions have brought me to my knees like nothing else I have ever experienced, but God has time and time again proven Himself so true to His character of faithfulness. Our seventh adoption, Elijah, should be finalizing in just a couple of months. The whole deal will most likely have taken two heart-wrenching years when it is all said and done. That is about average for our adoptions. Since Elisa (the 3rd adoption), I started saying, “We are never doing this again. It is just too hard.” By Isaac (the 6th adoption), I knew better. With Elijah (number 7 and counting), I couldn’t imagine persevering through another adoption. Those who are closest to me have heard my whining, complaining, and the anguish of my soul in some of our darkest valleys. I have had my faith shaken and have failed more tests than I would like to admit. By God’s grace, we may make it look easy, but it is not. Our adoptions have been some of the most demanding character training grounds we have ever endured. All that being said, in our adoptions we have received our greatest blessings. Of course the children are blessings. They are precious and bring us more joy than I could ever express, just like my biological kiddos. But I am not talking about the obvious blessings, but those which are not so apparent: God’s faithfulness in using our adoptions in the working out of our salvations. In saying “yes” to God’s children, He has poured lavishly His gifts into our family. It all has been more than worth it!We hope that God has more children out there for us. Today my heart breaks for the thousands and thousands of children that will go to bed tonight without a mommy and daddy that will love them forever “no matter what.” My flesh is frustrated with the American desire to live in luxury and pomp that seems to permeate all of us. We aren’t willing to be inconvenienced. I am exasperated with my own desire to live the easy life. I often struggle with the thoughts, “Things are so wonderful. We are so blessed. Why rock the boat?” However, by God’s grace on me, a sinner, He always keeps calling and beckoning my heart for orphans. I cannot be true to my God and look the other way. The task is daunting and seems insurmountable. It reminds me of the sand dollars and the sea story. We can’t save them all, but we can help this “one.” And to this "one" it makes all the difference by God’s grace.I rarely say anything about the call to adoption because I don’t want to sound ugly with pride. I know that only by God’s grace He has chosen to use our family. The only credit lies on Him. I don’t want to condemn, but encourage. But today I cannot keep silent. Children are waking up all over the world right now with no arms to run into. There are children who need to hear the gospel. There are children who need a hope and a future. Please understand my heart. I just want to encourage the few of you who may read this and have God nudging you gently (or strongly) to seriously pray and seek God about His will for adoption in your family. Adoption is hard. It isn’t easy, but the rewards are out of this world!

A birthday wish come true!

You know every year on Garrett's birthday since I can remember, he has wished for a little brother! We have continued to tell Garrett that the only way he was going to get one was if God put one on our doorstep. This is practically what God did for us 17 months ago. God answered Garrett's prayer and he is so excited to be Justin's big brother. He is doing a fine job of taking Justin under his wing. The two of them have been inseparable since Justin has gotten here.

1st Haircut

Justin really looks American now! He got his American hair cut from Garrett's barber Nathan. Justin looks so handsome.

Family reunion

Yes, we made it home. We got to LAX and home by 2:00AM on Friday night. I have been a zombie ever since. I don't know if it is day or night. We had a nice reunion. I was so glad to get back to America with my family. Morgan had the house all decorated for us. The kids are doing well. Garrett and Morgan both have taken Justin under their wings. He loves them both.

Zostra America!!!!

Yes! We got the Visa today. We went to TGI Fridays to celebrate and had dessert. Zostra simalute America! (Tomorrow, airplane, America!) Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! I am not even excited! We fly into LAX Friday night at midnight. We leave Kiev tomorrow morning at 11:55am. Here we come family and friends! We miss you guys sooooo much!

Leaving Odessa

After 14 hours of riding the train we finally made it to Kiev this morning about 8:00am. The ride was something else. It had to be at least 100 degrees last night inside the train! I was ready to be sick. Kevin and I call this ride the "Shake and Bake Train". The windows in the cabin do not open and if you open your door it is even hotter. I walked down the hall to the "Toliet" and there were people sprawled out on their beds in just there underwear dying in the heat. Kevin called me this morning and said "I am so proud of you. When you get home, I am going to treat you like a queen!" I am going to take him up on that! Actually, he always treats me like a queen.

When we arrived in Kiev, "Nick" took us to the clinic for the medical exam. Justin seems to be in good health. The exam is required before you can get your Visa. It was about 1:30pm when that was accomplished and the Embassy is only open until noon. I went anyway and they were really nice. I told them I really want to go home on Friday and he took me anyway. Tomorrow we have our interview and hopefully will receive Justin's Visa. Justin and I are both so excited about coming home. It has been a long, hard journey.

Yesterday we had to check out of our hotel by 12:00pm. We weren't getting the train until the evening. I was concerned about what we would do all those hours. We were staying at the Odessa Executive Suites. Scott the owner was so kind he allowed us to stay in the two bedroom apartment for free so we had a place to hang out before we left. If you are ever in Odessa, I highly recommend this place. It is close to everything and they speak English. They are very helpful.

One More Tree To Kill

Pam is supposed to pick up Justin's passport on Tuesday and take the ten-hour "shake & bake" train ride back to Kiev that night. From there, it's off to the US embassy for the last pieces of the Mount Everest sized pile of paper that the adoption process requires to be complete. It's not a very "green" system; we have killed a forest of trees in the last seventeen months. One more to go!

Pam and Justin are scheduled to fly home on Friday getting into LAX late that night. Please pray that God will allow the paperwork to be complete and for them to come home on Friday to the family that desperately misses them.