My heart was touched by this sweet girl advocating for her friends, and now my life is changed forever!  A few words and a photograph found a child a forever family!

Anya, a lovely 10 year old from Russia, had only been home with her adoptive family for 5 weeks when she stood in front of our home school group and told us about her friends still waiting in Russia.   Anya described what it was like to be an orphan and how adoption had changed her life.  Later that evening, she asked me if I knew her Jesus.  When I told her I did she brought me 2 pictures of her best friends left behind in Russia.  She said, ‘I want my friends to find families so they can know Jesus, too.  Will you help me find a family to host them?’  Anya’s experience was that hosting leads to children finding forever families--something she wanted for her two best friends.

My heart was touched by this sweet girl advocating for her friends, and now our lives are changed forever.   Within just a few weeks we became fast friends with Anya's family. We began praying daily for 2 little girls, both named Nastya.  Our prayer was that God would provide these girls with host families.  Not long after that our family went from "we'll ask everyone we know to host these children" to "let's host one of the Nastya girls this summer".  Another family close by hosted the other Nastya.  We were so happy to have these special friends of Anya's in America; fulfilling her dream of providing her friends the same opportunity she had. 

While Nastya was with us we prayed without ceasing that a family for her would be found, never considering that family could be us.  Shortly before Nastya was to return to Russia, we began praying about whether God meant for her to be our child.  God provided the clarity we needed and we made the decision to adopt her.  It is almost a year ago exactly that we met sweet Anya, and our lives are changed forever. Once we thought our family was complete.  Now we know it won't be until our Nastya is home.

A few words and a photograph found a child a forever family!!