The Gates are Open!!!!

Yes the Gates are Open and we are able to travel as soon as we have the funds. A long journey is coming to the most exciting part of our journey. Our little ones were in the war zone part of the country so we have not been able to travel until now. They have been evacuated to a safe region so today we found out we can go!!!! We have stood on Faith Believing for this day and Our Father has made a way through what looked like through man's eyes to be impossible. He has shown us this is His plan and His timing and He is faithful. So now we need to raise the rest if the funds so we can travel. The team wants me to leave Sat. I will be traveling alone. There is a lot still to be worked out with getting our children home. It truly is a miracle that's not over. Please continue to Pray as details and policys are worked out. Pray for our funds to come quickly without delay. Thank you so much to everyone that is helping us.

Our blog will now turn to Prayers for our little ones Sarah & Abel ,their caregivers & country. Father we pray for our little ones. This is no surprise to you and when we said yes again you knew what the future held for us and our little ones. So we rest in the journey we are on. But we are not sitting ially by, we are Battling on our knees ,trusting you. Father we thank you for Sarah & Abel for the blessing they are and we ask you to nice Father and make a way so we can travel and complete our adoption. We thank you for everything you are doing and are going to do to make this possible. We ask you to protect them and their caregivers as they care for and protect the children. That you will stop anymore of the evil that is attempting to destroy their country and that is trying to steal and destroy all hope for these children and the people of this country. Father come quickly hear our Prayers and our Crys. We rest in trusting you in your timing and plan, our hearts are for this to cease now and every mountain and block be r emoved tgat is separating us from Sarah and Abel and every stone tgat is blocking our travel to crumble right now at the ve ry mention of your name Father,Abba, Jesus. We ask everyone to Pray in agreement with us binding & stopping every evil plan that has been assigned to stop Sarah & Abel and every orphan from having a family. Everything tgat is blocking finances from coming to the familys to be crushed and stopped and for Blessings to start flowing, hearts to be broken for the orphan and eyes to be open. Every judgmental prideful spirit to leave now. Hearts and motives to be examined and cleansed by the Hand of Our Father and made Pure. Father bring the body together functioning as one, working together to bring about what you have called us to do. Father bring us to our knees to look to you,seek you. Take away our pride and arrogance. Restore and rebuild us your children, this country . Your will be done on Earth and it is din Heaven. Show us any unforgiveness we may have or anything tgat would block our relationship with you it our Prayers from being answered. Father we wait to hear once again for travel, we walk this out in Peace and confidence Our Father is working knowing we can Trust Him as we prepare to travel. Thank you for Praying for our little ones, all the children, the people and the country. Watch and see what Our Father is going to do. Blessings Dennis & Cindy

It's been a long while since I posted with a lot going on. I never thought we would be going through this but we are. So in the past few months I have stayed quiet as I walked with my Father holding on and trusting with everything I had. As He has encouraged me , talked to me the same time evil was trying to torment and bring me to my knees in fear. It's a Battle ,a spiritual Battle to keep walking this journey and Believing no matter what is being said..So this is where we are. Our little ones are in the war zone and we are on hold waiting to travel. So please Pray for Sarah & Abel and all the other little ones in the war zone. We do get updates and know they are safe. We are waiting more news and this week has gotten long in the waiting. So much I cannot post, but the evil is trying to surround this country killing and destroying the innocent. Pray for this country. For those that are in the forefront fighting against evil, for those fighting for all the little ones, the innocent children, risking their lives. For most of the country life is going on and Thank you Father that families are bringing theirs little ones home. But for some its a different story and like us they are waiting. Daily we wait for any tidbit of news from abroad or a message our Father give us of Hope & encouragement. So please Pray, stand with us Believing and Praying for Our Fathers will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. For all the ones protecting the children ,that they will feel peace and strength to carry on, for their familys that every single need will be provided for. Father we thank you for keeping our little ones safe and all the children that are with them. For the ones who are guarding and protecting them from every evil force tgat has come to try to harm them has been stopped. For those that are risking everything for the children. We pray Blessings overflowing . That the children would be protected from any fear from what is going on around them. They would be protected from any lasting effects. Nothing would stop the familys from going. Praying for an end to this war quickly and restoration and peace for this country. Thank you for continually Praying.. Blessings Cindy..

What an incredible weekend we have had. Last week we put Alex on a plane to return to Australia where he is based out of as a missionary. This time is was so much harder than its ever been to see him go and cried for 2 days. He was home for 3 weeks and it was a whirlwind of activities. We knew after Alex left we would soon be getting dates for travel. This week passed so we were expecting sometime after the weekend or next week to receive the phone call from Nancy to tell us when we would be traveling. Well our Saturday started out with Dennis busy with his errands and I headed to the backyard with homemade biscuits he had made earlier with my homemade jam and a cup of coffee. Also Bible ,my devotional Jesus Calling and my journal for Sarah & Abel. So after a bit of time in the word and journaling, seeking answers & peace from my Father with everything going on in our adoption I then started yardwork and feeding of animals goats,sheep,pigs,chickens ect. We also got a fire going to burn a huge limb that fell and clorox the picnic table. At about 1 we went inside for some ice tea as it was warming up for the day and I checked my phone for phone calls. There was a missed call but I didn't recognize the area code so I Google it and it was Naples ,Ft. Meyer's didn't know anyone down that way but then I remember a mom who is also adopting from the same area we are lives south of us & maybe it was her. So checked for a voicemail and it was Nancy asking us to return her call. I didn't think it was Nancy from RR because of the location and it was Saturday so I didn't think travel dates were given on the weekend.I made the phone call and this sweet lady acted like she knew me but I didn't know if it was Nancy for sure till she said she had dates for us! So I'm trying to stay focused and process everything she was telling me. We have been give a date for June 19. That means we would have to leave on the 17 to make the appointment. So I get off the phone find Dennis to share the news with him. This is the phone call you wait for in adoption . For us with the journey we have been on it also brings a lot of emotions . We've been here before and we've traveled , after hold our little Adalyn we had to leave her thinking we would be back the next month to bring her home. Then the ban in Russia became real and adoption was banned for anyone in America. We tried for a year Praying,Believing,traveling to Washington and waiting for a miracle. In December a year from when we first traveled to see Adalyn it became clear that for now we would not be able to get her out. So getting the news to travel again brought back all the emotions of our first journey. So as I sat with my Father and let him speak to me and show me our journey with Adalyn has been very similar with our journey to Sarah and Abel but it not the same journey and I have to trust Him. He showed me through the date of June 7, you see He gave me that date 2 years ago with Adalyn but nothing happen until this year, 2 years later. I thought it might mean travel dates a couple of weeks ago but when I saw it was on a Saturday I knew no way because they don't give dates on Saturdays, well my Father does to send His message. My Father keeps showing me this is His timing and His plan and I have to Trust. Then we have the finances. We have a whole lot to raise in a very short amount of time. He knew this also. So we rest in the assurance that He will provide in His timing. As He has told me Why Worry!!!! This is my plan not yours... Why worry!!!! He also given me this through a friend Faith,Believe then stand back and watch me work. I am the Great Shepherd and I do my job well. Just know I am working, just Believe and you will see great things beyond anything you can imagine. So as we continue this journey with so much unknown we keep stepping and Believing in Faith totally trusting in Our Fathers plan and timing. Please pray for our little ones Sarah & Abel, for our family that we will remain strong in Trusting & Believing not wavering ,for Peace & restoration for their country. For their protection. Healing emotionally and physically for their little bodies. That there would be no delays that are not from Our Father. That'll will see our Father in this journey...... Blessings Cindy

"For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you. Do not fear, I will help you." Isaiah 41:13. My Hope and Trust is in my Father, whom and what shall I fear! Nothing! He has a plan for my life,my husband and my children. I surrender all to Him and release holding on to nothing, giving Him total control. I will walk as He guides and leads me and allow Him to carry me. My Hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ!!! In my weakness I find strength in my Father. In the darkness I find the light, the light of Jesus. In this world He tells me there will be trouble and I am to count it all in joy. I surrender it all to Him as I face these next days surrendered and trusting, because My Father tells me that He turns everything for good in His time and He will provide. Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father. I entrust my life, my husband, my children ,my family into the Hands of My Father knowing He will finish what He has started. I trust His timing and His plan. Please Pray for Peace for our little ones country, for provision and travel dates. The Victory is Mine says the Lord.... Blessings Cindy

I will Praise you, O Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing Praise to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:1-2. We have Prayed and Our Father is answering our Prayers. We have been praying for our fsp . Our Father is answering our Prayers. We are also moving closer to travel dates. We want to thank everyone who is helping bring our little ones home. So much has happened I don't know where to start. I post on my fb and forget to post here. The last 3 weeks we have had our son Alex home from the missionfield ,he is with YWAM and Is based in Australia. We have one more day with him before he flies out on Friday. When we picked Alex up from the airport he was flying in from Argentina where he was leading a team before he came home. He travels with everything he needs in a back pack and that's it. He totally has to trust the Lord to provide everything for him. Mornings with Alex home are filled with him playing his guitar and singing & worshipping. I am so going to miss him and always do when he leaves but I look forward to when he will visit again and can't wait to hear of how God will use him. Right now the kids are worshipping in the bedroom. When I sit and remember through the years how our Father has provided for us and seeing how He is working through our children, I have peace. There is nothing too big for our Father. Today was a difficult day as I battled to stay at Peace not letting fear or worry take over. I cried out and God answered and calmed all my fears through Nancy and those that had the answers. I was given clear instructions what to do and by the afternoon I was out of that mirey pit and my footing was on solid ground once again. Then He blessed us again today in moving our fsp. We are getting close to travel so the Battle is getting heated but I know I can trust my Father as He carries us through. Please keep praying for us. I want to share what happened last night. Dennis & I were sitting in our living room after dinner when we saw a car drive up. It was Dennis's brother. He handed Dennis an envelope to help us bring Abel & Sarah home. But what happened in my living room that night with the presence of the Lord was so much more than the money. You see my husband was adopted as was Lowell and their two sisters Kim & Shawn. Dennis and Lowell were adopted when their parents lived in California and the girls were adopted from Korea. A few years ago Lowell found his birth mother & stepfather and his 2 brothers & 2 sisters. Lowell shared with us how they are praying for us and our adoption. Is this not incredible. The heart of a mom who had to place her baby boy for adoption now reunited with her baby boy is praying for us and our little ones. Healing,reconciliation, restoration. Abel & Sarah have impacted our family in so many ways and we have not even held them yet. Gods ways are not our ways, they are so much better if we will just trust. So as we keep walking through this journey with our Father and trusting Him waiting expectantly for what He is going to do next. This is exciting and amazing.... Please keep Interceding and surrounding us in Prayers and the other familys that are traveling to bring their little ones home. Please pray for their finances that everything will be provided and not delayed . For Gods perfect timing and protection. Blessings Cindy

Pray......

Please Pray for me today. All of my family has headed today for a day at the Beach and I stayed home because so much needs to be done. It's so quiet in the house and I awoke to a unsettling feeling with our adoption. I don't know if my fears are real or not. I now struggle did I make the right decision to stay behind. I battle the balance of our very large family and our adoption. Trying to be there for everyone and everything that has to be done to bring our little ones home. We have been on this journey for almost 2 years. On May 26 it will be 2 years. We knew God called us. We are so close again and waiting on travel dates. We have so much to raise and our fsp has not moved since we committed in January. Please Pray for me today as I keep walking this journey on Faith. I know we were called and that our Father will provide. That we have not sat idly by and not done our part. That I can keep my eyes and ears on my Father and not worry what others think . I have a very real feeling there is something evil going on behind the scenes. Please Pray for protection, that evil would be stopped. That mouths would be shut with evil lies. That plots would be destroyed. That he that comes to kill, steal and destroy will be powerless , the prayers of the righteous will prevail. Everything that was stolen from the children will be paid back. Father I don't know where all this is coming from but you do and I release this to you. I pray the full armour of protection for our family and our children and anything that is coming against your plan be dealt with by your mighty Hand , that nothing would be stolen from our family or these innocent little children. Father let your Blessings overflow and nothing stop the provisions from your Hand for all the familys that are stepping out to bring your little ones into their homes. That they would not have to beg and worry about the finances.That fsp would move as you deposit the funds into each account. That the burden and worry of finances be lifted. Father we thank you now for providing for the familys and the children. Father I thank you today for everything you will do today for every family. That they will feel you Love and Peace that can only come from you Father. Thank you for each person, each family you are using to bring about plan. On earth as it is in Heaven. Thank you Father........

On January 7, 2014 we committed to adopt Charlie & Lola.... On May 7, 2014 today we are submitted.. This means we are just waiting on travel dates.... We should be traveling in June to bring our little ones home. This day is just overflowing with Blessings. What a Mothers Day Gift. Our son Alex came home today from the mission field for a 3 week visit. This will be short because we together with Alex but just had to post our good news!! These two blankets were made by a very special friend of mine Lori. She gave me them a couple of week ago and I knew I would use them in the post where we announced we were submitted. When I first met Lori she was homeless. But this never stopped her from giving even when her needs were so great. She has made other blankets for family's adopting. She made one for Adalyn and for Dawn Brooks for Kolya. I've walked with Lori as she struggled to get off the streets and when she lost her best friend Mr. Jim. Lori has walked with me pray for our adoption with Adalyn and now with Charlie & Lola. She is an incredible woman and the good news is she is now homeless no more!! This picture is taken on one of several Gates we have on our little acre all made by my husband and son Addison. on this one the made a heart. The little shirts are from Stephanie Wetherington another adoptive mom we know for years along with her family. I have friends that have walked and prayed us through this journey. My friend Thereasa knows every single emotion I've had through this journey. She Prays, enourages, listens, loves me where I am at the moment and most of all intercedes with her husband Jim in Prayer for Dennis & I. There are so many more who I will post about . Please continue in Prayer for our little ones and for our Family. Thank you to everyone that has helped us in so many ways to help us bring our little ones home. We never could of done this journey without you. We thank our Father for allowing us to be a part of His plan. Our journey is not over yet , we can't wait to bring our little ones home....... Overflowing in Blessings...... Cindy  

Now our journey to Russia began. We started our paperwork and a few days later left for Maryland. On J une 3 our son Andrew & Casey were married. Now three of our children were married. Our daughter Jennifer is married to Kevin and they have our first grandchildren Westin,Trentin & Cindy Sue. Our son Aaron is married to Laura. After a beautiful wedding we all head home. Now we continue with all our paperwork. On June 27 I was at my chiropractor who is also a friend and sharing with her and another lady Susan about our adoption. I have never had a prophetic word spoken until that day. Susan told mopen a window or a door He was going to open the Gate. She also asked what my favorite color was because God was showing her a flower the size of a quarter and it was Purple. Well purple was not a color that meaTanna to pray nt anything to me then. So as I'm trying to understand everything that was spoken my appointment was over and I left for home. I walked to my back yard and we have a little path to the backyard and on a bush we have was one single purple flower. The name of the flower is yesterday,today & tomorrow. It was one of those moments you just knew you were in the presence of the Lord. Our Father is the same as He was years ago as He us today. That was the beginning of how my Father spoke to me through the color purple. At first I thought is this crazy ,is God really talking to me like this. Then I read Jeremiah and that was how God spoke to Jeremiah he gave him visuals. So if God spoke to men in the Bible like this, I was sure He could also speak to me this way. So when God would move in our adoption purple would be involved. I was still trying to figure out what the Gate meant. Well in August I moved into Lindys house to babysit her 5 children while she went to Ukraine to adopt Kole. So I took care of Genesis, Jude & Zane,Gabe & Levi. What I learned in 6 weeks would help me more than any book on adoption. It was also in that time that that God spoke through my son Alex and told me watching Lindy & Guys children would be critical for our adoption and to keep believing speaking nothing negative. At that time also God gave it was the orphanage Gates and at that time I didn't know what it fully meant. I realized all the orphans were behind Gates. This was in September. In October my friend Tanna traveled to Russia for her first trip to meet her little daughter Lucy. I asked Tanna to pray over the orphanage because the chances of her seeing Adalyn were pretty slim. Well I knew Tanna had made it and was going to the orphanage and I prayed and had friends praying also for her to see Adalyn. Little did I know Tanna was doing the same and later that afternoon I got a message from Tanna saying guess who I saw. This is so incredibly unbelievable how our Father answers Prayer. Tanna walked into Lucy's room to see her bed and guess who was in the room. Adalyn!!! Our little girls beds were right beside each other. Not only did she see her and get pictures ,she held her hand and prayed over her. Our prayers were answered more than we could ever of imagined. Then in November we heard they were going to push us ahead because Adalyn was considered a medical emergency. She desperately needed surgery and weighed only 14lbs. So in Dec. we got travel dates to leave on Dec. 15 and return home on December 23, 2012. Little did we know what was going to happen... Will continue on next post...need to get some sleep to pick Alex up at the airport. Couldn't sleep but now getting a little sleepy. Blessings Cindy.....

Our Story

This is our story that lead us to the orphanage gates. 

Dennis and I met when I was 17 and he was 21. I was still in high-school and was working at Dunkin Donuts; he was working for Jennings Funeral Home. He would come in for coffee every day. In May of 1974 he asked me out and on August 3, 1976, my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary, we were married. We went through the turmoil of not knowing if we would be able to have children, but then three years later we had our first baby girl, Jennifer - our first little blessing!  When the funeral home that Dennis had washed cars for during high-school offered him a job we made the move back to Brooksville, FL from Ft Lauderdale, FL. It was difficult leaving my family but the city life was never for me, so we moved back to Dennis' small home-town and bought a small house on an acre of land. It was beautiful but took me awhile to adjust because I so missed my family. My mom was my best friend growing up. I was raised in the military so we moved often, and making friends was very hard for me. But God's Hand was in this move. Then we were blessed with the births of Adam, Andrew, Aaron, Alex, Austin, Addison and Nora. Eight blessings God gave us to raise! In between their births we also were blessed with 9 little ones who took their first breaths in the arms of Jesus.             

Mine and my husband's hearts have been lead to adopt. Dennis was adopted along with his 3 siblings. He and his brother were adopted from California, while his two sisters were adopted from Korea. 

We had never planned on adoption, until we met a family in our town who was in the process of adopting two little ones from Ukraine. When I saw little Gabe & Levi's pictures my heart broke and that's where it all started. I got to speak with their adopting mom Lindy and then with another group of women as we organized a fundraiser for her adoption in downtown Brooksville. I started to see where it could happen, so I went onto the Reece's Rainbow website that had connected Lindy to her two little boys and I started to look at all the children. I came across a little girl named Sarah and fell in love. As I watched Lindy, my eyes were opened and my heart was broken and there was no turning back. But now how was I going to convince my husband. We had already walked through years of people thinking we were crazy for having all our little ones, but after I gave birth to Adam God told me to Trust Him for how many children we would have, so we did. Even when it got difficult, even after the birth of our youngest Nora and going through 3 years of having 6 little ones go into the arms of Jesus, we still said 'yes Lord'. The last time I was pregnant I was 45. Then at 55 I hear the call to adopt. My husband was 59 , what would he think?! I spent almost a year looking at Sarah's picture when another family committed to adopt her. My heart broke, but at least she had a family. Then a week later as I went on Reece's Rainbow a little baby girl Adalyn popped up and I just knew. I would check the website every chance I had, which wasn't often because we didn't have internet in our house at that time. I asked a friend of mine to inquire about her for me because I also was not very knowledgeable about navigating the internet either. She did, and by the time I got to her house she had already been given more pictures of the little girl. I knew, and now I had to talk to my husband. 

This was how I knew Adalyn was meant for our family - Adalyn was born with a cleft lip and palate just like our son Addison. In fact we have 3 boys born with different forms of this. Then her name - Adalyn. Our son Addison's middle name is Alyn, and so is my husband's. Addison Alyn, Adalyn.... I just knew!!! But by 3:00 that afternoon she was gone. Another family committed to adopt her and I was broken. Did I get this wrong? I had two friends Lisa and Debbie tell me 'hang in there, she'll be back'. Now I thought they were crazy!!! The next night I was in a spiritual battle and it was so bad I called Debbie and she gave me scripture, she prayed with me and told me I had to talk to Dennis, Adalyn would be available again. We would be the back-up family if the other family decided to back out. Since we didn't have internet my friend Lisa did the communicating for me. On May 26 , 2012 Dennis and I were talking in our bedroom and the phone started ringing but I ignored it because we were talking, but they kept calling back. I finally answered and it was Lisa, she had gotten a message that the other family let Adalyn go and she was ours if we said yes. So now I had to talk to Dennis. We did, and on Saturday May 26, 2012 at 12:30 we committed to Adalyn. This is where our adoption journey began.

This will be too long of a post if I continue, so I will finish the story in another post!

Blessings, Cindy......................