We are FULLY FUNDED!

Wow, just WOW! I can't tell you how humbled I am to be writing this, but we just received a final generous donation that has brought us to our goal...I'm calling it...we are FULLY FUNDED!

I have to admit that it was a little daunting when we started the application process and saw that initial dollar figure. However, we put it out there knowing that God would provide for Nastya to be here, and boy did He ever...in a big way!

I have been consistently amazed and encouraged by the generosity of our friends and family. Thank you for seeing the opportunity to make a difference in this little girl's life. I hope that you will enjoy watching your contributions manifest themselves here on our blog as we post pictures and share our time with her. Our family may be hosting her in our home, but all of us working together as a team (whether through monetary donation, words of encouragement, or prayer) have made her visit possible.

Speaking of pictures, I was thrilled to receive a message from a fellow host parent yesterday who is hosting another girl from the same orphanage as Nastya. He shared some pictures with me from a summer camp that "our" girls attended this past summer. There were several pics of Nastya and it looks like she was able to participate in some fun activities.

 

 

It's so nice to have some new pics to share that give us a little bit better glimpse into her personality. It's made me even more excited for our time with her...isn't she just precious!?

In addition to the great pics, I was encouraged to learn from him that this was a Christian summer camp! Sharing our faith with Nastya is one of several things we as host parents are asked to do while she is here. Our social worker told us that it is possible that she may have never attended church before and so I was a little worried that going to church with us and participating in the Christ-centric activities that are part of our holiday traditions will be very new to her. I'm glad to know that she will have at least had this recent experience to make things more relatable if that is the case. We appreciate your prayers for this aspect of her visit and that God will use us to continue her knowledge of Him while she is here.

So here we are, just thirty six (36!) days until her arrival, fully-funded, and it's all becoming very real! I've got some medical news pending and will also be sharing a list of some material needs we will have while she is here (some items that we are looking to borrow or have donated) so stay tuned!