Jeremy and Anouk Scott were thrilled last week when a friend working with the orphanage in Liberia sent them new photos of Alex and Josiah. The Scotts had hoped to be able to bring the boys home by Christmas, but God has arranged things differently. The Liberian government has been regulating the adoption process and investigating allegations of abuse in the country’s orphanages, so those efforts have necessarily hindered the completion of the Scott boys’ adoption, as well.

God has been answering prayer, giving grace and wisdom to the Scotts and the orphanage staff, keeping the boys safe, restoring Josiah’s health and continuing to help him grow stronger (they learned that he started walking last month!), and bringing them back together into the orphanage (they had been separated during investigations). Financial gifts have been coming in — about $8,000 has come in of the Scotts’ anticipated $12,000 remaining costs, and that in addition to the $18,000 or so the Scotts had already raised and seen provided to cover their expenses earlier on. Please prayerfully consider giving toward the Scotts’ needs.

Visit the Scotts’ adoption journal to read more news and see more photos!

Joy McCarnan is planning and hoping to join a mission trip* through Together for Adoption and Carolina Hope Adoption Agency this June 10-19 with a number of folks from likeminded USA churches to serve orphans in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Here is some footage of some of the orphans the team will encounter this summer: [editorial note: Video had to be removed temporarily due to concerns unrelated to the Orphans Refuge team’s trip to Addis Ababa.]
As you view this video, please pray about the Orphans Refuge trip, and please pray about your own involvement in the lives of orphans, foster children, and adoptive families.

DONATION DETAILS:
* If you would like to give toward deferring Joy’s trip costs, here are specifics:
Checks can be made payable to Morning Star Baptist Ministries (or to Global Grace, Inc.), and mailed to this address:

Morning Star Baptist Church
3426 Colony Bay Drive
Rockford, IL 61109

Any funds that are given in excess of Joy’s trip costs will be put into the Hannah’s Heart fund, Morning Star’s orphan care and adoption-financing effort. The current Hannah’s Heart project is helping Jeremy and Anouk Scott bring their sons Alex and Josiah home from Liberia.

Jeremy and Anouk Scott are praying for a Christmas miracle. It really would be a miracle for God to arrange all the details for the Scotts’ two little boys to make it to Rockford, Illinois, USA — by Christmas. But maybe He will be pleased to do just that!

Alex and Josiah have been living in an orphanage in Liberia for about a year now. It’s a good orphanage, where good people are trying to take good care of them. But it isn’t home.The Scotts have seen many, many direct answers to prayer and evidence that God is paying attention to their sons’ situation, even though they are across the ocean from them. There are still some things that must be worked out with the boys’ case histories and other details. As convinced as we are that it would take a miracle to get the boys home by Christmas, we are just as confident that God could and will do that if He wants to.
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There are several ways we can encourage the Scotts while they wait for God to reveal what’s next:
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1. If you are willing and able to give toward covering the Scotts’ remaining adoption expenses (anticipating about another $11,500), that would be wonderful.
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2. When they go to Liberia to pick up the boys, the Scotts hope to take some needed humanitarian supplies for the orphanage. It’s very possible that some of the supplies the Berrymans took when they picked up Rhianna and Baylee from the same orphanage last February would’ve directly benefited Alex and Josiah, who were living there at the time but had not yet been referred to Jeremy and Anouk. Please email Anouk about how to add efficiently to what she’s collecting to take over.
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3. If you have questions or innovative ideas, or if you would like to contribute clothes or other items that the Scotts still need for Alex and Josiah, please email Joy McCarnan for “wish lists” and details.
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4. Subscribe to the Scotts’ online adoption journal if you haven’t already. You can read and respond to their updates there.
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5. Most importantly, please be praying that God will glorify Himself by clearing the way for Alex and Josiah to come HOME as soon as possible, maybe even by Christmas!
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Today Ed, Robin and Alex (Losha) arrived home. Some friends and family threw them a “welcome home” party. Although tired from the long travels and change in time zones, they had enough energy to eat lasagna and cake. They took the opportunity to thank everyone for their prayers and support.

We rejoice with them as God has proven His faithfulness and graciousness to them during this long journey.

God be praised.

Ed sent a quick note and included some pictures.

We are well, submitted paperwork today for Alex’s Passport which we hope will be issued tomorrow, (Friday). Am sending some pics. Hope you can pick them up. We look forward to being home. God has been so good and thank everyone for all the prayers!

Ed

Joel just sent me a quick update for me to pass on to you.

Good News!
There is officially a new Foster Kid!
Mom and Dad and Alex just made it through the Russian Court.
God has bountifully blessed us and answered our prayers.
I will send a fuller update later when I get the details. Just wanted to let everyone know.
Praise the Lord!
Thanks,
Joel

This is an update from Joel Foster, as of Saturday evening:

Thank you all for praying, Mom and Dad will be able to stay in Penza through their court date. They were also able to pick Losha up yesterday, and he will be able to stay with them through the court date, instead of at the orphanage. Those are both big answers to prayer. They will all be going to a Baptist church tomorrow at 3:00 in the afternoon, and will have an interpreter going with them. Losha was at the hospital for a full four days, and has not really been able to see his friends yet; Mom and Dad plan to take him to see them sometime next week. He was a little nervous coming back to Mom and Dad, not having seen them for a while, but is ok now.

The court date is the next big problem - 2:00 Tuesday. Pray that all goes well.

Thank you.

Joel

Joel spoke with his parents today and forwarded me an update to share:

“They (Ed & Robin) went to Nishi Malov (I don’t think that is spelled correctly) on Monday and had an interview with the Director of the Ministry of Education, the director of the orphanage, and a social worker, all of whom endorsed them. All went well, they had a safe but wild ride they said! They are having an interesting time trying new foods.

Losha might have to stay at the orphanage until the court date because he has lost so much of his russian language, but Mom and Dad really want him to be able to stay with them. I think he is kind of nervous. They would appreciate prayer for that. They also need prayer that they will be able to remain in Penza until the court date. There is some ten day restriction they are trying to get past.

On Tuesday they visited eight doctors, had an amazing nurse who helped them get through, they are all done with their russian medical checkups. They say they are doing fine, just waiting now. They hope to be able to do a little sight-seeing.”

Let’s continue to be praying for our brother and sister as they are in Russia.

[UPDATED* AS OF 10AM] Lord willing, the visas will *did arrive via FedEx this morning [praise the Lord with us!], and three Fosters will be boarding a plane for Russia this afternoon! Ed and Robin Foster are leaving today with Alex (a.k.a. Losha, Lyosha, Alosha, Alexsey, Aleksey, etc.). They plan to stay in Russia for three weeks, in order to finalize his adoption. Alex has been living in Illinois with the Fosters since May, and he has really settled in with them and with all that is going on at their church. You can click here to scroll through some of the Foster family’s photos from the last ten months.

Since Ed is a self-employed tradesman, the loss of three weeks’ work will be an additional financial burden to the family, on top of the expenses already incurred during Alex’s adoption process. This past Sunday evening, Morning Star was able to collect about $1500 toward the Fosters’ needs. Two of the three airline tickets were covered by someone’s donation of frequent-flyer miles, and the bookings were able to be rearranged so that the Fosters could travel together rather than on separate flights (which was originally the case).

We are rejoicing to see these details come together! Everyone is excited to see Alex’s adoption become official and permanent. Please join us in praising God for all that He has accomplished over the last couple years to bring Alex into this family! And please join us in prayer that, three weeks from today, Alex’s “hope to stay” will have come true and he will be coming home for good.

Alexey “Alex” Kharl Foster

Visit Alex’s HOPE TO STAY page.
Keep track of updates about the adoption.
Read what Ed and Robin Foster have to say.
View photos of Alex with his family.

Hannah’s Heart (the adoption-fundraising division of Global Grace) can facilitate tax-deductible donations, if you would like to give toward the offsetting of the Fosters’ travel costs and many other expenses.

Over the last year or so, Lyosha “Alex” Foster (see Hannah’s Heart “HOPE TO STAY” page | see photos) has become “part of the family” here at his adoptive family’s home church, so it can be easy to forget that his adoption has not yet been finalized.

While we normally try to stay OUT of court, the Fosters have been waiting for a court date in their adoption of Lyosha. The scheduled court date is March 11, 2008. This means they will be flying to Russia next week and will be there for approximately three weeks.

Please be praying for the Fosters as they prepare to travel. While this is an exciting time, they also carry great burdens. There are airline tickets to purchase, arrangements to make, and many projects to complete before leaving for Russia.

If you are able, please also consider helping the Fosters make this trip. You could donate funds through Hannah’s Heart/Global Grace (designated for Alex or the Fosters). If you have Mileage Plus award miles with United or United affiliates (Star Alliance), it could be arranged for you to share them with the Fosters to help offset their travel costs.

Rejoicing with our brother and sister,
Jeremy Scott