Greatfully forever changed!

New place...Same people!

2011-11-14T12:23:00.001-08:00

To all our faithful friends and followers...We have moved our blog!

http://thelewcrew2.blogspot.com/

Visit our new blog for a surprise!

Shane & Diana

Meet Alina!

2011-07-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

This is Alina! We met her on our most recent trip to Ukraine. Our good friend Anya introduced us to a ministry for Orphans that is wide open and that we had not even considered before.

Alina is 19 and pregnant. I'm ashamed to admit, when Anya first introduced us, in my mind i judged Alina. I thought, "you did this", "you made a decision to have sex and now you want someone to bail you out". After about 5 minutes with her I started to feel how scared she was. As i heard her story i began to understand that many people let her down along the way and that she made decisions with what little knowledge about life that she had. By the end of our first meeting my heart was absolutely breaking for this scared little girl.

When Alina was about 11 her mother died. Because there was no one who could care for them, her and her brother were sent to an orphanage. Alina's brother is still in the orphanage.

Before Alina became pregnant she was given a room in the dorm at her trade school. She can not have or raise a baby in a dorm. When her mother passed away there was a flat that was left to Alina and her brother. The neighbors noticed over time that the place was vacant. First they broke in and helped themselves to everything! Later, they found it a good place to discard all of their junk.

Alina saved for 6 months to buy new windows and a front door for the place. But time is running out. Alina is due in September and we'd like to be able to have her flat finished so she can bring her baby home to thier own home. Alina would also like to bring her brother home from the orphanage. If not permanently, at least during vacation times.

The living room.

The bedroom. Alina put that wallpaper up with a little money she saved.

The new front door that she saved for.

The shower stall.

The toilet stall.

Alina, Alexi and Anya. Alina looks so worried in this picture.

When i asked Alina how much it will cost to get her flat ready to live in she said she figured it would cost her about $3000. That would include putting down flooring, wall papering and furniture. I did notice that she didn't figure in a stove, refrigrator or kitchen sink. And i'm sure there is plumbing work to be done. I sent a plumber to her flat the other day to give an estimate, but i haven't received a report back yet. I think Alina is being humble in her estimate.

In all, i think we need to raise $4000 to have her flat ready for September. Sometimes orphans need just a little help up to be able to make it through life. Will you help Alina?

Beyond the Dream

2011-02-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

I wonder what it must have been like always wanting a family but not knowing what it really is? Watching people come and take away your friends as you stay behind? You know this family thing must be great and you have hope that some day a family will come for you. But time goes by, more friends leave and your still there.

This i think must be the glasses that my Krista looks through. It is taking her quite a bit more time to warm up to this new family than it has the other three. It is almost as if she is not sure this is real and if it is, they will probably not keep me anyway. Two families before us had visited her and told her they would be her new family. What it must have felt like to deal with that kind of rejection?

But the best part for us is we get to watch her unfold and bloom. Little by little her protective wall is coming down and another beautiful part of this child is revealed.

This morning before i left for work i was being silly with her because she seems to respond to this. She isn't normally very affectionate with me. She has moments where she'll lay her head on my shoulder or briefly cuddle up with me. But she doesn't ever stay to long. But just before leaving for work today i felt little arms around my waist. I looked down to see a little smiling facing looking up at me. I brushed her hair back, kissed her forehead and told her "I love you and i'm very happy your here". The little face beeming back at me is what this adoption thing is all about. Every child needs love and deserves a family that will give them that. And the truth is, i need them just as much. They are teaching me more about love than i could ever have learned in the selfish life i lived before they came home.

Shane (Also known as Papa!)

Urgent Help Needed!

2011-02-18T20:41:00.000-08:00

I received an urgent email from our good friend Natasha at Father's House Christian Orphanage in Green Forest, Ukraine. They are in dire need of help to feed the children there and pay the heating bill.

I'll try to give you as much info as i can and try to stay as brief as possible.

Father's House was started by Grigoriy Zinchenko, a survivor of Buchenwald. He wrote a book "Escape from Buchenwald" and used the proceeds to open this Orphanage. When Grigoriy was younger he traveled the United States speaking at Churchs and raising support for the Orphanage. He is now is his 80's and cannot travel. Many of the supporters that he had built up have fallen off. When we were there last October the Director told us she is keeping the place running on about $500 a month from the donors that are left. She didn't know how they were going to make it through the winter but she has faith that God will provide. We gave them what we could when we were there and told them to keep us informed of how everything was going.

This Orphanage has been under attack in a past few years by some unscrouplulous businessmen that are taking advantage of the fact that they don't have much money. When the land was first purchased there was nothing around. But now it has become a very nice area with larger homes. These people, although so far unsuccessful, are trying to swindal the orphanage out of it's land. One of the tactics they use is to pay off officials to come down on the orphanage with code violations. They are being required to install a fire sprickler system even though the government owned school across the street doesn't have one.

I want to say that these people work hard at raising these children in a Christian loving atmosfere. Diana and I fell in love the these children the moment we met them. When there is something this good and God honoring in the world, we have to dig hard a fight for it. It is what Jesus expects of us!

They were able to put the Sprinckler system off but are required to immediately change all the Interior doors. They don't have money for this and are asking our help. The government isn't giving them a break on the heating bill either so they were forced to start heating with wood. The government also requires them to feed the children a certain diet and they are required to show receipts for the food they purchase.

They humbly asked us to help them raise $2000. This is what they need to scrap by for the next two months. If we can raise more it would be fantastic and would allow the Orphanage nurse to buy medicine for the children. When we looked at her inventory in October there was only a few bandages. We brought her some supplies from the states on our second trip but not enough for what she really needs.

Natasha the Nurse. She is shy and quiet and a very sweet soul.

A couple of the girls wanted to show their artwork.

The old guy (Me) playing Ping Pong with the boys.

Please do whatever you can to help! If not us, then who?

Out of gratitude for your caring support we will be giving away a hand painted 5 piece Nesting Doll set that we purchased from a very well known Artist in Kharkiv. Each $5 donation gets an entry in the drawing.

If you have any questions you can email me at momentum133@gmail.com

With much Gratitude!

Shane Lewis

If you prefer to send help directly to the Orphanage this is their address:

English: Ukraine 62460Kharkovskaya oblast, village Vusoky, str. Octyabrskaya, 50 Children's House "Father's House" Director Khorolskay Y.Y.

Russian: УКРАИНА 62460Харьковская обл., пос.Высокийул.Октябрьская, 50Детский дом "Отчий дом"директор Хорольская Ю.Ю.

Great Day!

2011-02-16T07:55:00.000-08:00

We celebrated thier birthdays that we missed the year we were paper pregnant!

I had one of those exceptionally incredible days yesterday! Nothing out of the ordinary, just started out perfectly with me having a little time with the girls before they boarded the bus for school.

I should have taken a picture but i was so wrapped up in the fun i neglected to include you all visually. What we did was play Soccer in the drive way with snowballs! I would kick it out there and Tessa would kick it, then Krista chased after it with Brooke and Chloe on her heels. Krista would kick it back and Chloe would stomp it to smithereens! They laughed histerically the entire time. It is times like that that make me realize how absolutely blessed i am!

I left for work right after the bus. But all day i spent in wonder of how great it is to have these girls in our family. Because we are older and past the survival mode kind of parenting, i am really enjoying this time of my life and everything our Daughters have brought to it. Yes, they are a hand full at times and oh boy can they misbehave, but they are a blessing that is immeasureable!

I have been working to fight and raise awareness to Human Trafficking for a few years now. And during my idle time i started to think about the future that awaited our girls before Jesus gave them to us.

Here are the statistics:

-143,000,0002 Orphans in the world today spend an average of 10 years in an orphanage or foster home.

-Approximately 250,000 children are adopted annually, but…

-Every YEAR 14,050,000 children still grow up as orphans and AGE OUT of the system

-Every DAY 38,493 children AGE OUT

-Every 2.2 SECONDS, another orphan child AGES OUT with no family to belong to and no place to call home

-In Ukraine and Russia 10% -15% of children who age out of an orphanage commit suicide before age 18.

-60% of the girls are lured into prostitution. 70% of the boys become hardened criminals.

-Many of these children accept job offers that ultimately result in their being sold as slaves.

-Millions of girls are sex slaves today, simply because they were unfortunate enough to grow up as orphans.

Now, look at the picture at the top and think of this: Statistically, 3 of our girls would have been trafficked or worse!

I know, it started out super and ended with a harsh reality. But it is the icing on the cake for me. Not only do it get the be the Papa of four little Ukrainian Princesses, but we also are making a change in the Human Trafficking world by fighting the way Christians should...through adoption!

Our Girls Talking!

2011-02-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

Little Miss Chloe. Yes, she is really that cute all the time! We usually have to beg her to stop talking. At the wise age of 6 she has no problem setting you straight.

Miss Brooke. She tells you about the first birthday party she attended and a few more things. Diana and I had a great laugh watching her video.

I have two more videos to load but ran out of time. Enjoy these and i'll try to the the others up soon.

3+ Months Home

2011-02-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

I know, I stink at the Blogging thing. It has been pretty busy since we arrived home in October.

The girls are doing incredibly well, much better than we expected. We can only assume that because they were still in a Baby Orphanage and not exposed to older children we are having less issues with them than we were told to expect by many adoptive parents we talked to.

Christmas was very tight this year but we were able to get the girls a few gifts. They were super excited to say the least.

A few weeks ago Krista, Tessa and Brooke were invited to and attended thier first Birthday party. It is exciting for them and equally exciting for us to see them experiencing things that they have not previously.

This morning they left for school with Valentines for thier first every Valentines party. I can't wait until they get home so i can see the excitement on thier face. Who doesn't remember the School Valentine party?

They are all speaking understandable english and starting to read books.

Chloe had a Fashion show at School to celebrate 100 days. Her and Mama trimmed her shirt with 100 Popcicle sticks.

I'll try to post again soon. I want to get video of them talking so you can see how great their english is.

Surprise...Chloe can read...in English!

2010-10-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

All the girls are doing incredibly well and settling in. They go to bed at 8pm and are up, by themselves, around 5:30 or 6:00 every morning. We have minor melt downs but nothing near what we were prepared for. We were called in for a meeting at School because Krista was getting up during class and walking aroud. When they would say something to her she would bark at them. The only adjustment that we made was allow her to earn stickers for good behavior. The first day she earned 5 out of 6. By Thursday that week she brought home 6 stickers. And since she even had a seven sticker day!!!

This is the cutest video! The volume quality isn't great but the video is priceless. Home only three weeks and already reading. The book is called "I Like" and Chloe is reading it.

All the girls are doing incredibly well and much better than we expected at this point. Tessa is a good helper and usually a real joy. She does have her moments that usually happen just after we say to word "no". Brooke is super attached to me and when i'm home she connects herself to my side and that is where she stays until i pry her off.

I Love being a Papa! Thank you Jesus for your trust and favor!

Shane

SCHOOL!

2010-10-20T10:22:00.001-07:00

2010-10-09T04:24:00.000-07:00

We are doing AMAZINGLY well! The girls have settled (settling would probably be more accurate) in well and we are having only minor incidents of misbehavior.

The first doctor visit was today. The girls were well behaved, but stuck close to Mama & Papa for the most part. Atleast until the end when they discovered all of the fun things they have there.

Monday....School! They have been asking to go to School all week. We made the decicion to allow them to start right away and get them into the grove of real life.

God Bless!

Shane & Diana

WE ARE....HOME!

2010-10-06T04:10:00.000-07:00

It's been real busy this past week and we haven't been able to update this blog.

We all arrived home Monday night at 8pm. The girls were well behaved on the flight all things considered. Chloe had a bit of a melt down the last 30 minutes of the flight. She was very tired and we had to wake her up to strap her in.

Yesterday was the first full day home and Diana was able to take them to the store and park.

For the most part things are better than we expected.

We'll try to update again soon.

Peace and Love friends!

Shane & Diana

2010-09-26T22:12:00.000-07:00

Chloe Yana "Banana" in the morning. She is super strong headed but usually always giggly!

Tessa Katia Lewis is the ring leader. We walked to the store together last night for milk and i so loved it. She was so proud walking with Papa, at the same time so focused on the task.

Krista Oksana Lewis is a super cutie that is super mischievious. Always in to something.

Four movie stars on Gotcha day!

All dress, packed and ready to leave the orphanage forever.

Sorry for the long wait between posts. It has been very busy to say the least!

We GOT'EM! We took them out of the orphanage on Friday. The first night was SURVIVAL! They were out of control stimulated, running like crazy, screaming and into EVERYTHING. What made it worse was that we were staying with friends at their apartment. There wasn't one door or drawer left un-opened. Their bed time is 9pm, the first fell asleep at 1am.

The next day we called and rented our own apartment. It was much much better! Oksana is still into everything and light switches are her major weakness. Bath time is always an adventure. The first night was total chaos with some damage to shower curtains and rods. The second night was much better with only minor flooding. Last night we did it assembly line style and it worked out much better. Overall they have been a joy and blessing with moments that are challenging. They are all very loving.

That is all the time i have now. They are hovering over Papa wanting to go out to play.

Peace and Love!

Shane & Diana

2010-09-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

We have finished all of the paperwork in the region. Tomorrow we submit for passports and hope to have them Monday or Tuesday. After we have their passports we head to Kiev for two more days of paperwork, then.......HOME!!!!!

Friday we will have a going away party for the girls at the orphanage. After the party we dress them their new clothes and we take them away from there forever. We had hoped to be in Kiev before the weekend but it isn't going to work out. The bonus is that we will have the weekend with them to just stroll around the town and get to know each other.

A little video of me playing with my girls.

Paper Chase!

2010-09-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry friends for not being able to update the blog. We just got internet yesterday and couldn't find the time last night to blog. Then today we were up at 4am to resume the paper chase. Tomorrow is another 4am wake up so please be patient with us.

We are doing great and so far everything is going very well!

Please continue to pray us on home!

Love to you all!

Shane & Diana

Here we come girls!

2010-09-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we are back on the plane to bring our girls home.

Please continue to pray for us and for a shield of protection over our girls!

Much love to you all!

Shane & Diana

We know your hearts and your loving spirit. We ask that you also add our friends the Bollinger's to your prayers? They are in an all out battle in trying to bring their girl's home.

THANK YOU FOR SAYING YES WHEN GOD CALLED!

2010-09-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

"Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” - John 13:35 NLT

We want to send out a huge amount of gratitude to all that have and continue to circle around us as we step out on this journey of faith and love. There is no way we could possibly have done any of this without your prayers and support. We are truly amazed and humbled by the love you have shown us! You all know who you are so we won't put you on the spot in this post. From the bottom of our hearts, Thank you for the love!

Peace and Love!

Shane & Diana

Home

2010-09-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

We arrived home safely on Thursday evening. A little time to regroup, prepare a few more things for the girls homecoming, and then right back to get our girls.

Pray for peace and protection of our girls while we are home!

Peace and Love!

Shane & Diana

QUADRUPLETS!

2010-09-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

WE ARE OFFICIALLY THE PARENTS OF FOUR BEAUTIES!

We head home Thursdays and will be back to finish up the paperwork and bring our girls home on the 18th.

Thank you all for your prayers!

Shane & Diana

Court

2010-09-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Asking all our friends for Prayer as we head into Court in about 7 1/2 hours. We'll post an update as soon as we can.

Monkeys!

2010-09-03T05:33:00.000-07:00

We spent the morning with the Monkeys (Our girls) and had a great time as we always do. We walked around the area, played on the bars at the school playground and purchased a treat at the store.

My Friend Hannah wrote this about this picture and it brought me to tears because i never thought of it this way. "Want to know what makes me happy about this picture? I can just hear them saying, "Look at me! Look at what I can do!" And there you are, to look and admire them. :)".

"God sets the lonely in families" - Psalm 68:6

First Bell!

2010-09-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

Today, in the entire country, all the children return to school. It is a celebrated day here and they refer to it as "FIRST BELL". They have a ceremony where the senior class welcomes the kindergarten class in. It was great to watch and we thought about the everlasting impression that must leave on a 6 year old to have a teen celebrate the day you start school.

So, as you can see we were able to accompany our girls to their first day of school. It was such a great experience for us to share in their culture and create a memory!

Another Roller Coaster ride

2010-08-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

The day started out with us visiting our girls in the morning. It is always the best part of the day when we are greeted by four smiles, four hugs and four kisses. We were only able to spend about 45 minutes with them because we had a meeting about our court date today. It was enough time to get some playing in. As we were leaving we had a break through with Oksana. All the other girls love to give us a kiss goodbye. But, Oksana usually will give you her cheek. Today she insisted on a kiss just like the other girls. We understand her and where she is at right now. We found out that we are the third family that has committed to adopting her and she has been a bit protective of herself. So, we are seeing signs of her opening up. Praise God!

We were very concerned today is it looked possible that we would be having either two or four separate court dates because our girls are unrelated. We put a call out to our friends for prayer and God answered! We are scheduled for court on September 8th, one court session for all. We have an up hill climb ahead of us as we are in uncharted territory. We will be the first to adopt four unrelated children out of this region. Prayers are requested!

Tomorrow is another huge holiday here as it is the firs school bell after summer vacation. We're going to be picked up real early so we can walk our girls to class on this special occasion.

Full report tomorrow!

Peace and Love Friends!

Shane & Diana

McDonald's Delivered!

2010-08-30T08:50:00.000-07:00

We have been promising the girls that we would bring them McDonald's French Fries. Today we delivered. You think we are spoiling them?

Playing with my Girls!

2010-08-29T04:36:00.000-07:00

They could keep this up all day...although i'm sure i couldn't! ;)

Requesting a Court Date tomorrow!

2010-08-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow after we visit the girls we head over to the Court offices and request a date. Please pray for an expedited date!

We also would ask that you lift up our friends the Harper's as they request a court date tomorrow as well. And, our friends the Bollinger's as they start tomorrow on a more certain path! There are many other Families here as well that need your prayer. Please pray for an unmistakable momentum to start here so that all will know that God is the Father of all and He alone makes these decisions!

Peace and Love!

Shane & Diana

UPDATE: WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE PAPERWORK COMPLETED TO BE ABLE TO REQUEST A COURT DATE. SO, WE WILL TRY AGAIN EITHER TUES OR WED. PLEASE PRAY!

Sisters!

2010-08-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

The trip to the doctor today was not nearly as bad as I thought it might be. Our girls are such troopers. They went in, had their blood drawn and were out like it was nothing. I would have preferred spending the day with them just playing. But, it was good to see how they were away from the orphanage also. Tomorrow our driver is off for her 10th anniversary (Happy Anniversary Natasha!) so we won't visit the girls tomorrow. We will likely spend the day with some missionaries that we learned about.

If that isn't a perfect picture of sisters there isn't one!

Momma packed the perfect lunch for the trip to the Dr.'s office. Sausage, cheese, crackers and fruit (as requested)! And jello for dessert...Mmmm!

The "I so have daddy wrapped around my finder" look!

You can't say I didn't warn you about those eyes!

The girls call me Papa. But we have not forgotten about the Papa that allowed us to come on this trip.Clearly we are "without words" Blessed by our Father! We've learned that this is absolutely not something we ARE doing! Rather, by the grace of God we are allowed to do this! Thank you Jesus for the honor of Your trust in allowing us to care for these Precious Angels in this temporary home!

Peace and Love Friends!

Shane & Diana

A little look into Heaven!

2010-08-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

I have to say the major grocery store near our apartment puts all the big boys back home to shame! The meat looks better, it is cleaner and the carts roll better!

Oh and the desserts.....Mmmmm!

Back to two players in the game.

2010-08-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

Diana rested all day yesterday and felt good enough today to go visit the girls. That gave Dad a better opportunity to spend some one on one time with them. How amazing each day is with them! They love to sit on my lap and just play, give kisses and hugs. I AM INCREDIBLY BLESSED BY OUR FATHER!

Tomorrow will not be such a fun day as we have to take them to see a doctor and they have to get blood drawn. I'm not looking forward to it! I'll probably suck up to them afterwards with a trip to McDonald's.

Peace and Love Friends!

Shane & Diana

The test of Fatherhood.

2010-08-23T02:53:00.001-07:00

Diana has come down with a cold and opted to stay home and rest up. So, i went to see the girls by myself. Yes, it was active!!! Yes, i'm pooped!!! We had a great time and played like mad. I always had at least one girl in my arms, usually two and at times three. Maybe we'll try four tomorrow...NOT!

Each day we bring them some water and a small treat. To my amazement, they asked if tomorrow we could bring them fruit, meat, bread and cheese instead of candy? SURE! I'm all for that! in a few minutes i'll walk up to the store and prepare for tomorrow.

They are active but so so sweet. They love the attention from a Papa. The care givers kept telling them that Papa must be tired and that they should give him a break. They would respond "But our Father is strong". If they only knew just how tuckered i was.

Peace and Love to all of our friends!

Shane & Diana

God Speed!

2010-08-22T00:06:00.000-07:00

Everything went perfectly well today! Praise must be given to God because it could only be by His will that this was accomplished so quickly. We had to drive out to two of the villages where our girls were born to get a paper that allowed us to continue with the process. Because Monday and Tuesday are Holidays here it was declared that Saturday would be a work day. But our facilitator called for two days to let them know we were coming but no one answered. So, on a chance we drove way out in the country to two different villages and were able to get what we needed.

Today (Sunday) we will just stay here at our apartment. Tomorrow we start visiting our girls daily and just enjoying them.

Sweet Day!

2010-08-20T22:08:00.001-07:00

We spent our second day with the girls yesterday. I can't describe the feeling of walking through the gate and having four little smiling beauties running to you yelling "Mama Papa"! They are so precious and we can see already will be a handful. I could go on forever about them!

So, today is another paperwork day. There are some papers we must get done before we can begin filing with the court. So please pray that we get these papers today.

God comes through again!

2010-08-19T08:31:00.000-07:00

God is amazing! We did receive the referral we needed today so this evening we are on the overnight train again to the region to do more paperwork and love on our girls.

We are now heading out the door to have dinner with the Harper's and another couple John & Diana from Indiana. Then back here to grab our bags and head to the train station.

Shane & Diana

Back and forth!

2010-08-18T23:41:00.000-07:00

We have been on a fast run since we arrived. Tuesday was our appointment and we recieved our referral that afternoon. That evening we took the overnight train to the region. We arrived there about 6:30am, went to our apartment, freshened up real fast and headed out to meet our girls.

We were doing okay until we pulled up to the front gate of the Orphanage. That is when all the emotions hit us that the time we have been waiting for had finally come. We took a few minutes to pull ourselves together and then headed in. We aren't going to go into great detail about how it all went down. But our time there with them was amazing. So many emotions! Instantly you feel like they have always been yours!

They were a bit shy at first but started to open up very soon after. Krista was showing us all the things she is good at. Chloe said when we gave them a Teddy Bear "They always bring you something when they come". and then before we left she asked Mama "When will we go home"? Mama said "soon. Yana, "When is that"? "What if i finish all the bottle of water you gave me while your gone"? and she kept going...so impatient...love it! I don't think they really know what a Mama and Papa are, only that they have always wanted one. After a little while Dad finally picked one of them up and gave them a hug and kiss. They seemed to like it because they kept coming in "pit stop" style for another, then off running around again. We were only there about an hour because there was a lot of paperwork to complete before we boarded the night train again heading back to Kiev. New procedure in place that requires lots of travel.

So, at the moment we are back in Kiev waiting for a second referral so we can catch another train back to the region tonight. The Ukraine is on Holiday Monday and Tuesday so they are working this Friday and Saturday. There is much paperwork to be done and we're going to try to get as much done as we can. Olga our facilitator is amazing!

KEEP PRAYING FRIENDS!

Shane & Diana

Heading out!

2010-08-17T05:08:00.000-07:00

We had our SDA appointment today and received our referal. They are very kind there and you can tell they do this because they love these children. We have to return in a little bit to get the form we need and then we board a train tonight for the region.

We also met the Harper's for lunch today. We hit if off like old friends. We hope we get to see them again before we leave.

We'll try to keep you updated. We aren't sure what kind of internet service we'll have in region. We will also be on a dead run through Friday. Small snag that we can't talk about yet, but God has it handled!

Shane & Diana

We made it to Kiev

2010-08-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to update you all real quick and let you know all is fine. We made it to Kiev and Miss Olga was there waiting for us.

Tomorrow is our appointment at the SDA. We probably won't be able to travel to the region tomorrow because we have to wait on the official paperwork.

We'll keep you updated!

Shane & Diana

Leaving Tomorrow!

2010-08-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

It is 11:30pm and I just got in from dropping our 16 year old son Alexi "BIG MAN" Lewis off at his best friends house where he'll stay while we're gone. You are never reminded more of just how much you love your child as when you have to leave them! Our comfort comes in the awesome Christian loving family that will care for him while we're gone.

So, we are out of here tomorrow to go meet our girls for the first time. We are very anxious. Bags have been packed for three days and sitting by the front door. Please keep us in your prayer!

Shane & Diana

Girl's room ready and waiting!

2010-08-12T05:41:00.000-07:00

This is a video we made for our girls so we could show them their room.

Daddy's Girl's

2010-08-12T04:49:00.000-07:00

Pretty much the cutest girls ever!!!

WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT DATE!

2010-07-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

We heard yesterday that our appointment date is August 17th!!!

Waiting Stinks!

2010-07-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

We are so close that the anticipation is nearly killing us. We know this is God's will and we must accept God's timing. Easier said than done! God continues to show us His faithfulness and each time we learn to trust Him a bit more. Sometimes I feel a little guilty for not being able to fully trust. I think that is maybe part of the process of growing into the comfort of His love?

I thank God for the people He has circled around us to walk and comfort us through this process. As we reflect back it all seems to come in excellent timing. The Twietmeyers, Houstys, Dykstras, Buckmasters, Hiems, Allens, Kocis', Jones', Devenouges, Batemans....and many others that seem to ebb and flow in perfect choreography as we journey through the process.

After reading a friends BLOG this morning many thoughts I had seemed to come together in perfect clarity. From the beginning people will always tell you "That is such a great thing your doing". And it was a great thing we are doing for possibly the first month of the process. Then it starts getting difficult and very emotional. You start to second guess yourself. All through the process God is growing and preparing you for the "gotcha" day. On the surface it seems like alot to go through and you think it is a shame it has to be so difficult to "save" children. I believe the process is perfectly difficult and necessary. It changes you as a person. The Journey is a requirement and a blessing in itself. We are not the same people we were back in November when we started this journey!

Next update will be pictures of the girls room. Diana was up until midnight working on it. Not that it needs much still, but it helps her deal with the waiting.

Shane

We are submitted!

2010-07-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

Our Facilitator was able to get us submitted before the July 1st cut-off at the SDA. So we are now waiting on a call for our appointment date.

Dossier in Kiev!

2010-06-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

Our Dossier has been delivered in Kiev. Next it will be transcribed and submitted.

Dossier on it's way to EE!

2010-06-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

We received word today that our Dossier was good and has been sent on to EE. It should arrive there the 29th.

Shane

Dossier sent!!!

2010-06-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 5am this morning and headed south for my two hour drive to Indianapolis to get the final three ducoments for our Dossier Apostilled. I figured they must open at 9am and since they are on EST that would mean they open at 8am our time. I kept thinking I was going to have traffic issues since i'd be hitting Indy at morning rush hour.....But it was as if God cleared a path for me. I wasn't delayed at all!

I arrived at the Government building about 8:45am EST. Pulled up front and there was one open parking spot right in front of the entrance. I walked inside, cleared the security check and arrived at the Secretary of States office about 8:50am. There was no waiting and within 5 minutes i was back out the door.

I drove back home and finished putting the papers in order. Then the OCD kicked in. I sat that the table for what seemed like an hour just rechecking the Dossier. This is hilarious because i had just yesterday gone through it for hours as well. I guess after all the time and effort it is hard to accept that the paperwork is actually done!

Diana and I drove to UPS together.....And off it went!

I always think that the process will get a little less stressful the closer we get to bringing our girls home. I guess I feel a little less stressed but i realize that until they are here in our home safely tucked away in thier beds i won't be able to rest.

Shane

SO CLOSE!

2010-06-16T15:11:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow morning i'm driving to Indianapolis to have the last three forms Apostilled. Then i'll overnight it to California for one last going over by Victoria (Director of About A Child) then we're submitting!

Yesterday we received more incredible news. Getting close to traveling and not having all the money we decided to ask our Credit Union for a loan. Problem is, they do not and newer have given a signature loan for the amount we were asking. In fact, we were requesting more than double the amount of they're MAX signature loan. We prayed about it and left it in God's hands. Our mighty God came through as He always does. We got a call from the loan officer yesterday and she said...WE ARE APPROVED!

Two of our Great friends are in EE right now meeting thier children. One of the families is adopting from the same Orphanage and Group as we are. We so hope to make our first trip when they return for thier second.

Thank you all for your Prayers!

Shane & Diana

Dossier is Complete!

2010-06-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

We received the I-171H on Monday and Hammered Down on the rest of the Dossier this week. We completed all the paperwork at 4:30pm this afternoon, scanned it and sent it off to our Facilitator for review. We hope to be submitting next week!

We are still quite a bit short on the funds we need. We are meeting with our Church staff tonight to see if they can help. Our back-up plan is to apply for a loan with our Credit Union. They have NEVER given a signature loan of that amount before but will be presenting it to the board.

Today we need your prayers!

Blessing!

Shane & Diana

I-171H is on the way!

2010-06-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in awhile because there really wasn't much more to say. But today we recieved exciting news.....USCIS is sending out our I-171H today!

Our Dossier is nearly complete and hopefully we'll be mailing it out for review next week.

Thank you all for the prayers and well wishes!

Shane & Diana

New names and a new life

2010-04-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

We had not previously posted the pictures or information about our girls at the advice of a friend. We had time to consider it all and have decided to introduce them to you.

We have decided to give them all new first names so that they will feel chosen and accepted into our family. Thier current first names will be thier middle names so they have a choice when they are older.

Meet Brooke Natasha Lewis! She is 7 and the only one that we know of that knew her mother. I cry every time I tell the story about her Dolls. We are told she plays with dolls and is very proud of them. She really lights up when talking about them. She is always obsessing over them and takes exceptional care of them. The poor child doesn’t understand why she is in an Orphanage and why her mommy left her there. So her way of dealing with it is to care for the dolls the way she wishes she would have been cared for. She says to her Dolls “I will always Love you and will never leave you so you will not feel lonely!

Meet Chloe Yana Lewis! She is 5 and the absolute cutest little button you'll ever see. We are told that she sings constantly and that she has an amazing voice for such a little girl.

Meet Tessa Katia Lewis! She is 6 and as you can see has SUPER smile power!

Meet Krista Oksana Lewis! The is the little angel that stole our hearts at first sight and started us on this journey. We still don't know much about her. Only that she is 6 and doesn't smile in any of her pictures.

If we don't talk about it how will the stigma ever go away?

2010-04-02T06:13:00.000-07:00

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” – James 1:27

HIV isn't something our girls did, it is something they were born with. After much research and considerations we have decided to raise our girls with their condition in the open. We want all to know that HIV isn’t what it used to be and there is a lot of misinformation out there. We have done quite a bit of research, talked at length with Carolyn Twietmeyer at Project Hopeful and met with the Physician Team at the University of Chicago. We believe that it would been worse on our girls dealing with all the secrecy in thier lives than dealing with ignorance. Only when people start talking about HIV will the ignorance go away.

Most of what people know about HIV comes from the 80’s when we weren’t clear on what we were dealing with. Here is what we know today: HIV can NOT be spread through casual/household contact. HIV is NOT spread through hugging, kissing, shaking hands, sharing toys, sneezing, coughing, sharing food, sharing drinks, bathing, swimming or any other casual way. It has been proven that HIV and AIDS can only be spread through sexual contact, birth, breastfeeding and blood to blood contact (such as sharing needles). There has NEVER been a confirmed case of HIV being spread from family member to family member or through sports related contact. You have nothing to fear! It is merely a chronic treatable disease here in the US today. We can and will snuggle with, tickle, make funny noises by blowing on thier tummies and kiss our girls, "yes" on the lips! Our girls can play sports, go to school, get married, have children and live happily ever after in the Love of our Lord Jesus!

More information about Orphans with HIV can be found here:

http://www.projecthopeful.org/

http://positivelyadopted.com/

5 Mom's - 20 Adopted Children - 8 with HIV

2010-03-31T15:48:00.000-07:00

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:27

One of God's greatest gifts to the world are Mom's!

Meet Cindy Allen, Traci Hiem, Diana Lewis, Carolyn Twietmeyer and Bridget McDonough Kocis who together are responsible for bringing 20 Orphans (8 with HIV) home to thier loving arms.

Praise God!

Adoption Tax Credit Extended thru 2011

2010-03-28T05:37:00.000-07:00

The Adoption Tax Credit, which was scheduled to expire in 2010, has been extended for one year, through 2011.

The Adoption Tax Credit will see several positive adjustments, as confirmed by Joint Council on International Adoption Services: The maximum credit will increased from $12,150 to $13,170.

The Adoption Tax Credit is now retroactive to January 1, 2009. This represents a potential increase of $1,000 for adoptive families.

The Adoption Tax Cred was made refundable. If a family has no tax liability, the IRS will refund the amount due. Please consult a tax professional for all of your tax questions.

The extension of the Adoption Tax Credit through 2011, was passed as part of the health care reform bill which was signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday, March 23, 2010.

Home Study Approved!

2010-03-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

We have been approved by our social worker to adopt our 4 girls! The homestudy has been typed and was sent to the state for approval.

How we came to adopt.

2009-12-31T08:13:00.000-08:00

We were pretty happy with our lives, content with watching others do the Lords work and sending a check to support this or that! But i always admired the faith of others that seemed to be just a little more in Love with Jesus than I. I remember many times praying that Jesus would give me "That kind of Faith"! What i really imagined was Jesus kind of snapping his fingers and Shane would awaken with a deeper Love and faith in Him. Silly me! I look back and realize that if Jesus were to do that there would have been no point in our creation in the first place. But the prayer was made and Jesus answered in His way. He started showing me things that would tug at my heart, and we would send a check. Then he started showing me things that would absolutly break my heart, and we would send a check. Then he dropped the bomb on me, he showed me something that need to be addressed and that a check would have no effect on, he showed me the children that live life without Love. After all, isn't our entire purpose on earth to LOVE? It is our greatest Commandment!

I read this story by Katie Davis and it through me into tears:
Monday, December 15, 2008

I found this story in my journal last night... its fairly old but still has the same meaning. As you hold the ones you love this Christmas, please keep in mind those who have no one to hold them.

Yesterday a sweet little girl named Rita came to my house with two teeth that had been completely eaten through by a cavity and were almost completely rotted away. The holes looked like they were starting to get infected and the nerve was exposed; I cant imagine how much pain she was in. I took her to the dentist, and they said they were closed. The dentist was in a hurry to leave and wouldn't help me, but he said I could use his things and do it myself. Of course I was terrified, but I was more scared to think about the teeth not being removed immediately; they looked so painful. I gave her a shot to numb her mouth, waited about ten minutes, tried to sterilize these tweezer things with a match and dug out what was remaining of her poor little teeth. I don't think she could feel it, but my heart hurt for her.
I took her back home, made her a hot bath and some soup. Then she had ice cream and slept in my bed under a big blanket. As i tucked the covers in around her and kissed her head she looked up at me with these big, wondering eyes. Unbelievable as it is, she was SOOO happy. She told me that this was the best day of her life, even though her mouth hurt. She said that she would get her teeth pulled every day if she could stay with someone like me. And that made my heart hurt even more.
There are so many children out there that don't feel loved on a daily basis. So many children that don't have a person to hold their hand or rub their back when they are scared and in pain. So many children who don't have the simple pleasures of taking a warm bath or sleeping under a blanket. I would move all of them, ALL of them into my house if I could. I wish I could love them all. I wish more people cared enough that they also wanted to love them all. Sometimes I just can't even believe how blessed I am. I have always been loved, always been cared for, always been warm and well-fed. Its frustrating sometimes, but mostly its just motivating. Sometimes I feel so tired, and then something like this happens and I am reminded that I can give a child the best night of her life simply by making her soup and kissing her forehead. Simply by loving her.

Sometimes I feel so tired that I think if I give away any more of myself I may actually be empty. And then I remember, It is only in giving away the love given to me by the Father that I am ever actually full. And so I keep going because of Rita. Because kissing her forehead and saying 'I love you" actually did change the world for that little girl. Because maybe through my hands she can get just a glimpse of a fraction of the love her Maker has for her. There is nothing better.

It can be found at this link: http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/2008/12/i-found-this-story-in-my-journal-last.html

After reading this story i realized that there are children in this world that will never know what Love is. They will never know the warmth of a hug or the security of knowing you have a family that you can fall back on when your hurt or lonely. I thought, what kind of world do we live in that a little girl says she would have her teeth pulled everyday for a bath, cup of soup and a kiss on the forehead? So that is why we dediced to adopt! Because if we didn't these children have no hope and will never feel LOVE!

The Bible says: "Once your eyes are open you cannot pretent you don't know what to do". With the new found deeper Love for Jesus I couldn't imagine how i would be able to explain to Him that I did nothing to show Love to the Unloved!

Now about "OUR GIRLS"! God sends you in the direction we're supposed to go. With our girls, it was Love as first sight, as He intended! He knew He had conditioned our hearts for this, that I had a good job and great insurance, so therefore we could handle this assignment. So he showed me a picture of Oksana. I must have stared at it for hours. To this day all we know about her is she is 6, has HIV, she doesn't smile in any of her pictures and we are incredibly in love with her! Along with her in another picture were 4 others girls that Oksana had grown up with in the orphanage. We talked about it and decided that if we were going to do this we will do it to it's fullest. We decided that if possible we would bring them all home as sisters. Later we were told that one of the girls, Irina was already spoken for by another family. We were happy for her and sad that she would be split form the girls she grow up with. But God is amazing and soon we found out that he had a plan to address our concerns! Irina was being adopted by a Christian family right here in the Chicago area. She looks exactly like her new Daddy! And she will know Love and the Love of Jesus! And!!!! She will get to see her "sisters" often!!!

Statistically, there are 147 million orphans in this world. If Orphan were a country, it would be the 9th most populated country in the world! 99.6% of all orphans will never know the Love of a family through adoption or otherwise. There is an 85% failure rate for all orphans in the Ukraine that age out of an orphange. 15% commit suicide within two years. 70% of the girls are trafficked or turn voluntarily to prostitution to survive. Many of these girls are never heard from again because there is no one looking for them! But for our girls the story is even worse. Because they are considered older children (That baffles me that 5, 6 and 7 year olds are considered older) they will very likey never get adopted. Add to that they have HIV and thier chances go to zero! If that wasn't enough, they only have access to two ARV medication there. They take one until they build up a tolerance and then are switched to the other. When they build a tolerance to that one they are switched back. But possibly eventually they will build a tolerance to both and will die there in an orphanage without ever knowing Love and the Love of Jesus! But the good news is we are going to get them. With us they will know love and the love of Jesus and here in the USA we have access to 97 medications and eventually they will be undetectable!

We are not perfect! It seems like everyday i am reminded of how imperfect i am...Praise God! But there can be little doubt that these girls will be better off in an imperfect Christian home than the place they are at now!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Shane

Rollcoaster ride............

2009-12-29T06:14:00.001-08:00

Hi all! We were reminded today that we haven't written in awhile to keep our friends and followers updated.

Fundraising is still in progress and we are setting up our next two fundraisers as of this writing. Homestudy is still in the works and is mostly completed.

It has been a very busy time as it is the Holidays and i'm working every available minute of overtime i can find. Sometimes i'm worried that we won't raise the money we need in time and other days i go with Michele Perry's saying "His will, His bill"!

It is a nervous time for us at the Lewis house. We love these girls so much and we are faced with the reality that until they are here with us nothing is for sure.

Please pray for us and our girls.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!

Shane

JESUS HAS AIDS!

2009-12-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

Jesus Has AIDS
Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 10:00 PM
Russell D. Moore

Jesus has AIDS.

Just reading that in the type in front of you probably has some of you angry. Let me help you see why that is, and, in so doing, why caring for those with AIDS is part of the gospel mandate given to us in the Great Commission.

The statement that Jesus has AIDS startles some of you because you know it not to be true. Jesus, after all, is the exalted son of the living God. He has defeated death in the garden tomb, and defeated it finally. Jesus isn’t weak or dying or infected; he’s triumphant and resurrected.

Yes.

Yes, but, what we’re often likely to miss is that Jesus has identified himself with the suffering of this world, an identification that continues on through his church. Yes, Jesus finishes his suffering at the cross, but he also speaks of himself as being “persecuted” by Saul of Tarsus, as Saul comes after his church in Damascus (Acts 9:4).

Through the Spirit of Christ, we “groan” with him at the suffering of a universe still under the curse (Rom. 8:23,26). This curse manifests itself, as in billions of other ways, in bodies turned against themselves by immune systems gone awry.

That’s why the church is to suffer, continually, with Christ as we take his presence into the darkness of a fallen creation. The Apostle Paul says, then, “I rejoice then in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Col. 1:24).

Some of Jesus’ church has AIDS. Some of them are languishing in hospitals right down the street from you. Some of them are orphaned by the disease in Africa. All of them are suffering with an intensity few of us can imagine.

Some of you are angered by the statement I typed above because you think somehow it implicates Jesus. After all, AIDS is a shameful disease, one most often spread through sexual promiscuity or illicit drug use.

Yes.

Yes, but those are the very kinds of people Jesus consistently identified himself with as he walked the hillsides of Galilee and the streets of Jerusalem, announcing the kingdom of God. Can one be more sexually promiscuous than the prostitutes Jesus ate with? Can one be more marginalized from society than a woman dripping with blood, blood that would have made anyone who touched her unclean (Luke 8:40-48)? Jesus touched her, and took her uncleanness on himself.

AIDS is scandalous, sure. But not nearly as scandalous as a cross.

At the crucifixion stake, Jesus identifies himself with a sinful world (including the scandal of my sin). He was seen to be cursed by God (Deut. 21:23; Gal. 3:13). This is why it seemed so reasonable to the shouting crowds to curse him as a false Messiah, because only those rejected by God would ever be hanged on a tree. And that’s why the apostle Paul had to repeatedly insist that he was not “ashamed” of the cross. At Golgotha, Jesus became sin (though he never knew it himself) by bearing the sins of the world (2 Cor 5:21). Now that’s scandalous.

Moreover, some of you are angry because you believe that the statement I typed above is an affront to the dignity of the ruler of the universe. He doesn’t have some immune deficiency disease; he’s ruling from the right hand of God.

Yes.

Yes, but we cannot see Jesus only in his Head but also in his Body, also in his identification with those he calls “the least of these, my brothers” (Matt. 25:40). Jesus isn’t right now hungry, is he? He isn’t naked, is he? He isn’t thirsty, is he? He isn’t in jail, is he? Well, yes, he is…in the nakedness, hunger, thirstiness, and imprisonment of his suffering brothers and sisters around the world.

When we stand in judgment, we’ll stand, Jesus tells us, accountable for how we recognized him in the trauma of those who don’t seem to bear the glory of Christ at all right now. We see Jesus now, by faith, in the sufferings of the crack baby, the meth addict, the AIDS orphan, the hospitalized prodigal who sees his ruin in the wires running from his veins.

I wonder how many of us will hear the words from our Galilean emperor, “I had AIDS and you weren’t afraid to come near me.”

And so, if we love Jesus, our churches should be more aware of the cries of the curse, including the curse of AIDS, than the culture around us. Our congregations should welcome the AIDS-infected, and we shouldn’t be afraid to hug them as we would hug our Christ. Our congregations should be on the forefront of missions to AIDS-ravaged regions of the world. Our families should be willing to welcome those orphaned by this global scourge.

Through it all, we should be insistent in gospel proclamation. To those whose blood has become their own enemy, we should announce blood they know not of, the blood of One who can cleanse them of all unrighteousness, just as it cleansed us (1 Jn. 1:7); the blood of One who is forever immune to sin and death and hell (Jn. 6:53-56).

Jesus loves the world, and the world has AIDS. Jesus identifies himself with the least of these, and many of them have AIDS. Jesus calls us to recognize him in the depths of suffering, and there’s AIDS there too.

Jesus has AIDS.

Mother Charged with Human Trafficking!

2009-11-15T20:23:00.001-08:00

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.

2009-11-14T14:08:00.000-08:00

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

The Twiet Crew!

2009-11-10T03:02:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-11-09T06:16:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-11-09T03:18:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-11-09T02:19:00.000-08:00

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"!

2009-11-09T01:46:00.000-08:00

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!