Mother Charged with Human Trafficking!

REST IN PEACE SWEET ANGEL!

Mother charged with Human Trafficking!

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=9087268

"God! Is it okay that i'm furious with my Church right now? I don't know! All i know is for nearly a year i've been trying to get them to just mearly mention how wide spread and hidious this crime of Human Trafficking is and haven't even received as much as a peep. I sent out hundreds of emails, personally visited and sent a hand written letter...No response! Nothing! Zip! I wasn't asking to take any of the precious money from the offering plate! I made that clear! All i asked for was for them to bring awareness to the cause and ask people (Christian people) to sign a petition telling our politicians we stand firm against this! We call ourselves Your children but we can't even do that! Lord, we are so pitiful! How is it that you still love us? How is it even possible? Why does your Love and patience Carry?"

To my Church! Make no mistake about it, we are responsible for what happened to this little girl and all little girls just like her! We did this to her! If collectively, as God's people, we sounded our Thunderous voice against this, it would not have happened! I am responsible! I could have done more! I could have been more vocal! They told me I was being judgemental so I backed off! I am responsible! She is 5 for God's sake! Last seen being taken into a Motel room with an adult male for God's sake!

"Once our eye's are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do.. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our soul's, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."

The Brothel keepers and Pedophiles awaken everyday focused on what they're going to do that day! Why aren't we just as focused at stopping them? Are we as Christians in retreat? We used to stand firmly against injustice? Take a good look into her eyes! Can you imagine what these past 5 days have been like for her?

Am I judging? I'm not the Judge!

Shane
www.finishlast.org

Home Study Appointment.

We have our initial appointment for the home study on Nov. 17th. The process begins!

The Twiet Crew!

What an incredibly awesome day yesterday! INCREDIBLY! AWESOME! DAY!

We finally got to meet the entire Twietmeyer crew (http://www.projecthopeful.org/) and what an incredible bunch they are. I had spent quite a bit of time with Kiel because he has been over remodeling our girl's room, but we have not yet had the pleasure of meeting the rest of them. Kiel was coming over to help me install the heater cover (wrong one again for the third time) and we decided to make an event out of it. The plan was he would load the family up and they would hang out while he helped me install the cover. Afterward we would all load up in the "Twiet mobile", meet Diana (wife) at work and head to China Town (Chicago) and feast together.

I can't describe the experience of seeing them ALL for the first time. Wow comes to mind! I met them at the front door and one by one they kept coming in as if there was no end to the line. Way at the end i could see this little powerhouse of a woman directing the pack. I continued welcoming them in one at a time and before you knew it there stood Carolyn. She was totally representing with her "HOPE+" shirt and "147 million orphans" purse. I use the word "purse" loosely because it is actually the size of an overnight bag but when your a mommie of a big crew, its a purse! I'm in absolute awe of her drive and determination and I think all of us will agree, "Thank God for Carolyn"!

Finally, Kiel was up and i was like "Dude", and he was like "Dude", And i was like "What up"! I so totally made that last part up but that it absolutely the level we are at. What was really said is "I have some good/bad news". The bad is while i was waiting for them to arrive i opened the box of the new part, the one he was coming to help install, again wrong one! Get back Satan! The good is we get to just sit around and enjoy each other. And that it exactly what we did! God always triumphs!

I was totally locked and loaded and ready for the Twiet crew. I had the Wii all fired up, coloring books and crayon's on the table, cement chalk on the front porch, a pot of fresh coffee brewed and the family dogs sitting at attention (yea right!). Let's see I'm forgetting something, oh yes, and a big bag of leftover Halloween candy! Ha Ha, you never pass up a chance to send that stuff down the road.

This family flows! They all just kind of found their place and started having fun. Carolyn, Kiel and myself were able to spend nearly the first 30 minutes talking about our adoption virtually uninterrupted. Where were the kids you ask? They were right there, all around us! This fascinates me but maybe because I'm not used to seeing the large family dynamic.

About 4pm we all loaded into the "Twiet mobile" and headed in the direction of Chinatown. We met Diana at work and the Twiet's followed us the rest of the way. We found parking without issue and nearly right in front of the restaurant. Another thing about the Twiet's that amazed me is how fast they get in and out of the Twiet mobile. It was like watching a magic trick. "Now you see them, now you don't"!

I was holding the door of the restaurant open and directing the flow when it appeared that one of them broke ranks and was about to get away. I reached out quickly to grab ahold of the little wrangler and nearly had a hand full of the coat when i realized it wasn't a wayward Twiet but somehow a little chinese lady had mixed herself in with the pack. Whew! That could have been awkward! Hey it wouldn't have been my fault, she totally blended in!

Again, to my amazement, everyone found a seat very quickly. Props to Kylie for being such an incredible big Sis! She totally is Carolyn's Lieutenant! We ordered the "family" meal and the food started coming out pretty quickly. I have to say Thank you to Kiel for letting me get a little practice in and pan after his children! The meal went very well and was full of laughter. Someone told Selah the sweet and sour chicken was actually rabbit, and she decided she wasn't eating rabbit. I told her that they are only cute when they have fur on them and that seemed to make it all better! ;)

Meal finished and the crew flowed back in the direction which we came. We gave them all a squeeze and watched the magic trick one more time. And off they went!

This experience left us considering that our 4 girls could only be the start of something! We'll be called the "The Lew Crew" and perfect a magic trick of our own! Our experience has left us wanting to get the word out that it can be done and it can be awesome! If your thinking of having a big family and have any questions, just invite the Twiet's to dinner!

The Lewis's

"The Lew Crew"

Preparing a place for them!

We have been remodeling this room for about a year and really hadn't given it any priority. But when we found our girls that all changed. Some crazy connections (Thanks Kiel) were made and the room is nearly completely finished. I have to go again today to try and find the right size cover for the heater and then the carpet guy is coming!

FYI: Kiel Twietmeyer (http://www.projecthopeful.org/) has some freakish talent as a carpenter/painter! After the girls get here we are definately going to put him to do more remodeling for us.

God's Faithfulness!

Adoption from another country is very expensive and to bring our GiRlz home we need to raise about $35k. We were not sure how we were going to do this. What we did know is we live in a awesome community full of people with GIANT HEARTS!

There were two places that came to mind so yesterday i set out to visit them.I went to St. John Pub, which is a little place that Diana and I go to relax and eat "the best chicken wings in the world"! Over the years we have come to know the people there a admire thier hearts. I knew just who I had to talk to but when i arrived Sky wasn't there. I talked with a few people and a few minutes later Skye walked in the door. She wasn't there to work, it appeared she was just dropping off supplies. (No doubt a God thing that she showed up!) I told her about our girls and we shared some tears and a hug. She is going to work on a fundraiser and i can tell you already it is going to be awesome. I know these people and when they get motivated, they get it done!

I also visited the Lake Hills Fire Department. Why? I'm not sure other than i just had a feeling i needed to go there and ask them for help. Firemen save lives, Period! They have the biggest hearts and i believe that is why i was lead to them. I talked with several of the firemen there and all seemed very eager to help. They are going to talk it over with the rest of thier brothers and call me back. I'm very encouraged and will be praying!

Our GiRlz!

We want Sooo much to brag to all of you about our girls. The truth is we don't really know much about them except for they are the most beautiful creatures we have ever set our eyes on and they are HIV+. I will tell you what i can about them but our agency has advised us against posting their pictures and the country they are from. We don't really understand why but they seem to know what they are doing so we have to trust them.

Natasha: It was up in the air for awhile if we were going to be able to adopt her along with our other girls. There was another family that was interested in her. They were from the area so if they had adopted her it wouldn't have been so bad because the rest of our girls would have been able to visit with her. But the family decided to just adopt one child (which our girls grew up with and will get to see regularly). I didn't really know what a blessing that period on unknowing was. Through the process i discovered that we are "Head over Heals" in Love with our Natasha. My wife pointed out to me after we found out the other family passed on her that she looks just like me! I hadn't really noticed that before.

My heart was breaking yesterday and the tears where flowing freely (Thanks for the HUG Skye!) when i learned a little more about our (soon to be) daughter Natasha. Although not everything is clear about her life, what we do understand is she knew her Mommie before she passed and has family still alive that doesn't visit her. Possibly because she has HIV but we're not going to judge them. But the heart of a child is very different than ours and they can teach us so very much about forgiveness and Love! Natasha has some Dollies that she cares for. She sometimes makes clothes for them and loves to tell people about them. Because she knows the hurt of losing her Mommie and the loneliness of not having any visitors, she made her Dollies a promise "I will always take care of you and never leave you, so you will not ever feel lonely and forgotten"! I'm crying my eyes out right now. It doesn't matter how many times i read this story about her, the tears always flow!

Yana: This little girls in the cutest button in the tin! When you see her you just want to snatch her up and hug the heck out of her. They tell us she is a singer. That she has a great ear for music and a pleasure to hear sing. They say about her "When she sings, she forgets how hard it is to be an orphan".

Katya: Gorgeous! When you see her you will be stunned by her super pretty face and sparkling deep blue eyes. Her mommie passed but we don't know if she ever knew her. She does have older siblings but no one comes to visit her.

Oksana: The only thing we know about her is her birth month and year. But there is something very special about this little girl. She stole my heart at first sight!

A Proud Papa!
Shane

The all important "First Post"!

I've tried my hand at blogging a few times before and always seemed to lose interest. But this blog is different because it has a real drive behind it. It is created as an avenue for our friends and family to be connected to our journey through life and our adoption of four Precious and absolutely perfect little hiv+ girls from Eastern Europe.

HIV+ is a condition they have and not what they are. What they are is four little angelic beauties. They are perfect in every way and we totally get it that WE ARE THE MOST BLESSED PARENTS IN THE WORLD to be allowed to adopt these precious little flowers.

That last statement is absolutely how we feel. But then the reality sets in that until they are tucked warmly into their beds in our home we cannot safely call them ours. Please pray that God will bring our girls home to us! We are so in Love with these little bananas and we want them here with us where they belong!