Destiny

Some stories you don't feel comfortable telling until its all said and done. This is one of those stories. Last year we first became involved with Reach Orphans with Hope, an organization that brings children from Ukraine to the United States on a hosting program each summer. Roman was one of the children expected to come. When we first saw his picture early in the summer, our whole family remarked how much he looked like Gabe. Imagine our disappointment when we heard that Roman would not be coming because a family from America was adopting him. Then imagaine our surprise when he showed up! Apparently, it had not worked out with the other family.

People often ask how you choose a child to adopt. I always say "You don't choose a child. God chooses you to parent a particular child." Anyone who saw Gabe and Roman together last summer can attest to this. God's plan was simply unfolding.

We began the process to adopt Roman and Vitalik. We knew our dossier was to be submitted in April when we heard that Roman was about to go live with a foster family---the next day. Shane Duke just "happened" to be at Roman's internat the day the paperwork was being finalized. I just "happened" to be in Ukraine and was able to fly out to Lugansk. God's plan continued to unfold.

This week we met the potential foster mother. We had heard that she had been calling weekly to see if the adoption had happened. We also met a woman who has known Roman since he was taken to the orphanage at the age of 4 1/2. She has visited him regularly and taken him to her home for holidays. She obviously loved him but it was not in God's plans for her to adopt him.

God saved Roman for us. One, two, three times. Now he is our son. And that, my friends, is destiny.