Misha Comes To "US"

Learning to Wait Upon God

2009-02-14T06:53:00.007-05:00

"And they lived happily ever after"...these are words that we all love to hear at the end of a story. There is such a tremendous let down when things don't go the way we had hoped they would go. Our family grieves along with each of you over the disappointment of Misha not being adopted into our family. Like each of you, we dreamed of a different ending. We are very sorry to have played a role in bringing about this disappointment.

There are many questions, that for the sake of discretion cannot be answered. Not addressing these questions leaves our family in a bad light. My flesh would love to defend ourselves, but I must leave it to God to make all things right. I have peace that our testimony belongs to God. If it is His choice to allow it to be tarnished then we will praise Him. God can be glorified in many ways.

Why did God allow us to raise all the money if He never intended for us to adopt Misha? Why would He allow a family who sincerely desired to help someone in need be humiliated and bruised? Why would He not show His wonderful power in this situation? For the moment, only God knows the answer to these questions. The only comfort I can offer is that our family has a perfect peace over our decisions. The struggles we have been through have only served to draw us closer as a family.

Sometimes it is very difficult to wait on God. To wait on answers to the questions we don't understand. To wait on Him in coming to our defense. To wait on seeing how all this will work together for His glory. So many times I have felt myself wanting to rush ahead of God by making things happen or taking matters into my own hands.

My passion for history has helped me see the mistakes of others who have lived before me. We Christians will say that God is in control, but when situations arise that require us to wait, our actions begin to reveal that we really don't believe this. We began rushing ahead and creating disharmony among our brothers and sisters. We can make such a mess out of something that God was just allowing time to marinate for a savory delicacy. No wonder the church is in such a mess today.

In an attempt to save something that we thought was so important to God, we might begin abusing others or lashing out in anger; to the destruction of something so much more valuable to Him. The fruits of the Spirit! It is by these fruits that the world will see that Christ is truly living in us. What are the fruits of the Spirit? Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. The opposite of walking in the Spirit is to walk in the flesh; which is simply acting upon our impulses. Romans 8:13-14 "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

I encourage each of you to learn to wait upon the Lord. God will make all things right. He never loses control nor will He put on us more than we can bear. We rejoice in knowing that one day, we all will be allowed to see, the marvelous way that God has worked all things together for our good.

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

An Explanation

2009-02-12T03:12:00.007-05:00

As of today, days after our original deadline of Feb. 9, we still have not received the necessary paperwork back from the government. Therefore according to one of our original fleece, God did not allow the paperwork to be completed by the deadline.

From the beginning we asked that IGAO interview other families while we were seeking God's Will of our adopting Misha. We wanted Misha to be given every opportunity before his time ran out. As the deadline approached, it became clear to us that Misha didn't really want to be a part of our family. Therefore we made the decision to release him before more of our donors money had been unnecessarily spent.

As I've mentioned before, Misha did many things in the orphanage that he was clearly told would not be allowed in our home. The first week with us, we sat him down with Google Translate and told him that alcohol, smoking, pornographic movies, and rock music were not things he could have in our home. We asked him if he wanted us to get the organization to find him another family. He told us that he wanted to stay in our family and that he could give those things up.

Parenting biological children is difficult within itself, but guiding a child who comes with tremendous baggage really begins to take its toll on a family. Add to those stresses, long hospital stays, discovering my only sibling had cancer, a mother with Alzheimer's, and is it any wonder that when we went for our adoption physicals my blood pressure was dangerously high. My doctor told Philip that the stress I was under was not good for me and that he highly recommended that we not pursue the adoption.

We were haunted with thoughts of what would happen to Misha should he not be adopted by us. Many sources had told us that because of the severity of his handicaps it would be very difficult for him to be adopted if we didn't do this. We began crying out to God for answers.

Misha began challenging our rules and refusing to obey. Through a Russian interpreter, we had it explained to him that it wasn't up to him to question our standards but to decide if he could obey them. It was made clear to him that if he could not obey, he would not be allowed to stay in our family. Once again he said that he would try, but daily he continued to challenged us. This bothered us because we were only weeks away from the adoption being completed. One would think, that he would want to be on his best behavior. Then the day came when he set his will completely against my authority and refused to obey. I gently reminded him of the consequences and gave him time to reconsider, yet an hour later he still refused to submit. He then proceeded to tell us that he hated our stupid rules.

Philip and I have never desired to force our standards on another person. We have patiently tried to help a child that does not know what good is. Yet, we also have other children we must consider. We have dedicated our lives to protecting our children from influences that would lead them away from God. We do not feel that letting Misha go means that we have abandoned him. Actually, he is the one who made the decision. It is he that has rejected us.

We have begun the process of returning the money donated for Misha's adoption. Money sent to IGAO is beyond our control and therefore is non-refundable. Money collected on the "Chip In"was placed in a special Paypal account for Misha and Paypal allows a 60 day refund without penalty. When we realized that the adoption wasn't going to take place we immediately credited those accounts that fell within 60 days so that we could keep from incurring more loss. We also returned any checks that we were still holding that hadn't been deposited. As it stands, we have all but about $3,000 that we can immediately return to our donors. The remaining $3,000 will need to be sent in increments over the next few months.

IGAO has pleaded with us to give them your names and information so that they can contact you directly, but we do not feel at liberty to do this.

For the moment, Misha still abides in our home as we wait for necessary paperwork to be completed in transferring him. As a family, we are trying to make our remaining time with him as memorable as possible. Please pray for us because this has become very difficult.

When Satan is so hard at work to destroy, we believe the body of Christ needs to fall more heavily upon their knees. It is clear that he is working mighty hard to keep something wonderful from happening. The marvelous news is that he has already been defeated. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

Even though he has been defeated we Christians still have a human responsibility in our daily actions. Simple losses of integrity can leave the testimony of God's children blemished before the world. Philip and I believe that God has placed us in this position of humility and failure for a purpose. We have wondered if that purpose could simply be a test of our integrity. Ananias and Sapphira lied to the holy Spirit and tried to cheat God and his people. They were destroyed. Philip and I do not want to make the same mistake. We desire that God be glorified even in the middle of this messy situation. We joyfully surrender our losses for the sake of His glory.

Thank you all again for the beautiful testimony you each have been.

We love you dearly,
Philip and Melissa

Urgent News!

2009-02-08T22:08:00.004-05:00

Our family would like to thank you, once again, for your willingness to help us adopt Misha. However, events beyond our control have prevented this from happening.

We realize that a shadow of disappointment may engulf many of you as it has us. It was easy to see God glorified as we all watched people unite and sacrificially share, to help us adopt Misha. For the moment, a cloud prevents us from seeing the light of God and His purpose in this situation.

Through the years, we have found peace in reflecting on the fact that God never loses control. He knows the future and every circumstance needed to bring Misha to an understanding of Him.

We hope God allows us the opportunity to keep you informed about Misha's progress on our blog (http://www.helpmisha.com/).

May God richly bless you all,
The Johnson Family

Praise and Prayer

2009-01-30T06:10:00.012-05:00

I want to begin by Praising God for each of you! The sacrifice and love you have all shown to Misha and our family is truly inspiring. Raising close to $30,000 in just a little over three months is nothing short of a miracle, and when one considers that 70% of that money was raised during a three week span from January 1st -Jan 25th, they must see that this miracle required divine intervention. What a beautiful picture of how the church is suppose to cooperate together to bring about God's Will in fulfilling the needs of those who are hurting. God has truly been glorified!!! Thank you all, it has been a wonderful testimony to our family and the world!

It has become evident to us that the enemy doesn't like for miracles to be performed. Over the last two months we have been under heavy spiritual warfare, which hopefully explains the lack of sufficient communication. We greatly desired to honestly portray all that was going on here in order to have warriors helping pray us through our battles, but the nature of some of our struggles has kept up from knowing how to communicate.

All along there have been struggles, but it seems that everything has intensified as the deadline approaches. We've been hesitant to share our struggles because as everyone knows, we are embarking on a difficult journey. It only takes a little research to see that adopting an older child is not an easy task. We would prefer to only share the things we have overcome along the way to prevent others from being afraid of taking a similar journey. Yet, we've been realizing that this isn't completely honest. There might be other families out there who are watching our journey and if we only share our victories they will only see one side of the story. This might cause them to make hasty decisions that could harm their families, only because they were not properly informed. After much prayer, we feel that the only thing we can do is make everyone completely aware of how to pray for us. Just because a task is challenging hasn't kept missionaries from going into dangerous situations, but knowing what they may have to sacrifice and face has helped prepare them for their journey.

Just days after discovering that our goal had been met, Philip talked with another father who has just returned from Russia to adopt a four year old boy. This father told Philip that the expected $30,000 adoption ended up costing them $45,000 and that they are now close to $20,000 in debt. We were devastated! After months of fund-raising and caring for a handicapped child who has undergone extensive surgeries, we just didn't have the energy to press forward. I began crying out to God over why He has helped us reach our goals only to discover that there might be an increase in expenses and that we won't really know how much the adoption will cost until all the papers have been signed and we are back on American soil.

From the beginning of the fund-raiser, Philip and I purposed not to spend the money entrusted to us, until we could be sure that we could follow through with the adoption. We have felt that as ambassadors of Christ we need to carefully reflect the integrity of the God we represent. It has been our desire to return the money should things not work together as planned. We had thought that it would be easy to tell when we should move forward and began using the money on all the necessary paperwork. Up until now we have spent close to $5,000 of our own personal money as well as the money collected at IGAO to help move us forward.

Philip and I have worked very hard to live a debt free life and we unanimously agreed not to do anything that would place us back under financial bondage. Instead we have been pursuing and have found several ways that might help cut adoption expenses.

Another problem that we have incurred is determining if Misha will submit himself to our family rules. During Misha's first week with us he freely shared how in Russia he smoke, drank, watched any movie he desired, listened to heavy rock music, stayed up as late as he wanted and only went to school when he chose. Immediately Philip and I sat him down with the Google translator and told him that our family was very different and that he would have to follow our rules if he stayed here. We asked him if he desired for us to find him another host family. He insisted that he liked it here and would give all those things up.

During the four months he has been with us (one of those months he spent in the hospital),we have seen evidences that would cause us to question if Misha is really ready to submit himself to those rules. A week ago he broke down and told the kids and I that he hated our rules and wanted to be in control of his own life. Philip was at work, so I talked with Misha about how every family has different goals but that these are the decisions that dad and I have made for ours. I told him that if he wanted to be a part of our family he must decide if he could obey our family rules. He again told me that he wanted to be his own boss. I told him that time had run out in finding him a new family and that the only way he could be free to do what all he wanted to do would be to go back to Russia. And once again he told me that he wanted to be in control of his own life.

That night when Philip got home, he privately pulled Misha aside and began telling him that when our family first heard about the orphanage in Russia we felt that we could help a child there by giving them a loving home and opportunity for a happy life. "During your time here you have told several of us that you were unhappy in Russia because you wanted a family, but that you are also unhappy here because you miss your freedom. We understand that the change is hard for you, but you must decide which is worse." Philip proceeded to tell him that if it is the same, then we don't really desire to make all the sacrifices we are going to have to make. After this conversation Misha began to tell us that it is better here, but confusion has come in observing how his behavior doesn't always align with his words.

The next day, a former Russian had a long conversation with him so that he would clearly realize what all was at stake. Misha said he would try to obey our rules and told this person that he did want to stay in our family. Yet after the conversation he showed no remorse for his behavior and didn't apologize to us for the heartache he has caused over the last few days.

Philip and I realize that Misha is an injured boy and we can understand his resistance towards change and authority. We also know that he had to develop an independent spirit in order to survive in the orphanage those fifteen years. Our hearts break for him and we greatly desire to help him. The problem is that we have other children to consider and repeatable challenging of family harmony and rules will most definitely not be profitable on a long term basis.

Philip and I are not inexperienced when it comes to handling teenagers since we have raised and continue to be raising six biological children who are in or through that phase of life. We have always tried to help our children see that feelings of independence are normal during this period of life but that they must continue to exercise submission to our authority while they are still under our roof. Teenage rebellion has thus far never been a problem because we pursued to hold our children's hearts. They have always known that we had their best interest in mind and therefore they have trusted in our decisions. Philip and I will be the first to admit that we make parental mistakes, but it has been beautiful to see how our children can overlook a multitude of sins because of the love that they know we have for them.

We realize that Misha is at a disadvantage to our biological children. He hasn't benefited from years of observing us operate. Instead, his life has been filled with rejection and struggling to survive. This has created an individualist mentality that seeks to preserve itself at all cost.

Some have encouraged us to plunge ahead and began spending the money that God has provided, yet without a peace from God we do not feel this is the direction we should take. At present, we are carefully observing Misha and moving ahead as far as we can go without violating our conscience. We are praying that God will either close the door or give us a peace to move forward. Until that peace comes we do not feel free to dip into the money that has personally come to us.

Please pray that God will make His will known to us.

I'm strengthened when I consider that God loves Misha even more than we do. He has demonstrated this by taking a handicapped boy out of 132,000,000 orphans in the world and bringing him to our home. Philip and I have never doubted that it was God's will that we host Misha. Adopting him has yet to be made clear. Our desire is to glorify God by obediently following His will......whenever He clearly makes that will known.

January 22nd Totals

2009-01-22T10:33:00.001-05:00

Total Amount Needed for Adoption:

$26,830.00

Donations sent to IGAO:

- $3,976.00

Donations sent to Johnsons:

- $4,650.50

Other Donations:

- $6,992.50

Total Needed via ChipIn:

= $11,211.00

Donations via ChipIn (as of Jan. 22):

- $11,325.98

Leaving us with this remainder to collect:

= ($114.98)

Praise God!!!

Philip and I have never been comfortable with asking for money. We struggled when friends suggested that we try to raise the money to adopt Misha. These precious friends began reminding us that this adoption was not about us, but about Misha. We decided to lay out the fleece of provision for the necessary funds (without us taking out a loan), and also God allowing enough time to complete all the paperwork.

We began this fund-raiser in October and in just a little over three months, God has used each of you to raise over $26,000. I can't began to convey to you, how deeply moved our family has been through this entire process.

Originally, I started the blog as a diary for Misha. When we began this, Philip and I weren't sure what to expect. Would God bring people who had never met us, and give them a desire to unite with us in adopting a handicapped child? My faith in our abilities to raise $27,000 in less than six months, was very small.

Some of you have shared your discouragement over the lack of interest your friends or church family have shown, as you have tried to help collect money for Misha. These are economically troubling times. Please have grace on others who might not share our zeal.

Instead, I want to encourage you with a bigger picture that our family has been blessed to observe. We have seen the generous outpouring and love of fellow believers. We have received sacrificial gifts from loved ones as well as total strangers. Young children have emptied their piggybanks and asked their parents to give all their Christmas money to Misha. Many families cut way back and made this Christmas a time of joining in Misha's adoption.

We do not begin to know all the sacrifices each of you have personally made. When we began receiving money, we decided to keep a record of all the names, addresses and donations given so that we would be able to personally contact everyone who has joined with us in adopting Misha. This book is filled with all the information that I have on everyone who has given, so that I can update them of Misha's progress through the years. This book reminds me of a book that God is keeping. In His book, He is recording every detail concerning circumstances, motives, thoughts and actions over every daily deed of each of us. My only responsibility is to make sure that the entries under my name are worthy of praise.

Let us rejoice in what God has done and is doing!

Frances

2009-01-14T08:44:00.006-05:00

Frances works in "Child Life" at the hospital. One of her jobs is to mentally prepare all the patients for surgery. She explains the procedures "step by step" so that they will not be so frightened by all the unfamiliar tubes and equipment.

The hospital works extremely hard to make every child's stay as comfortable as possible. Fear can be tremendously reduced when a person knows what to expect. Frances is absolutely perfect for the job! Her sweet and gentle demeanor gives the children feelings of peace and trust.

Another of her jobs is to plan all sorts of activities for the children while they are going through recovery. She schedules various games, crafts, and parties to keep the children from becoming bored.

Frances is also one of the precious people who stood by Misha during his first Wound Vac change. Her compassion and love for these children is heart-warming.

No wonder Misha has grown to love her so much!

Alex

2009-01-14T08:12:00.006-05:00

Shortly after Misha's first surgeries, we discovered that there was a man in prosthetics who had moved here from Russia. Through the weeks that followed Misha met this young man, whose name is Alex, and they have become good friends.

Alex has been so kind to Misha; understanding how misplaced this young boy must feel. Alex himself came to America to receive surgeries from a sports injury he incurred in Russia. Not only has he been someone for Misha to talk with, but he has helped me understand some of the cultural differences and struggles that Misha is going through.

We have been so blessed by the many people God has brought into our lives during this time who have each helped strengthen our bonds with Misha.

Shannon and Stephanie

2009-01-14T08:00:00.004-05:00

Shannon and Stephanie

What fun these two girls have been!

Their fun loving humors have brought joy into our lives; making the difficult times tolerable, and the long days at the hospital memorable.

In an earlier post, I mentioned how Shannon shaved Misha's legs to keep the bandages from pulling out all his hairs. Somehow he got the idea that this was all Shannon did at Shriner's; shave patients legs. After a good laugh, Shannon, Stephanie and I explained to Misha that Shannon's job was much more than that. Not only is she the rehab aid for Physical and Occupational therapies, but she orders all the wound supplies, walkers, crutches etc... Her time on and off the job is spent serving others. Many singles spend their free time wrapped up in themselves, but not Shannon! She devotes her time to caring for the elderly or going on medical mission trips to primative tribes in Africa. Her life is truly one of sacrifice and I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to know her.

Friendships are truly treasures that we must not take for granted. Both of these girls have become friends that we never want to lose.

Stephanie has won this mother's heart! A few days ago, I told her that she has been adopted into our family. I haven't decided how to cut down the confusion that having two Stephanies will cause, but the joy of adding this girl to our family will certainly be worth the challenge. I don't think I've ever seen her without a smile on her face and she pleasantly handles Misha's harsh comments without taking them personally. Misha requires a tough skin sometimes and Stephanie and Shannon have patiently embraced him even when his bluntness would have pushed many people away. It is their persistance that has won his respect and love.

A Wonderful Christmas!

2009-01-13T11:01:00.000-05:00

We rejoice that Misha was allowed to come home for five days, during the Christmas holiday.

On Christmas Eve, he awoke with such delight and excitment over the fact that he was finally going home. We left the hospital around 10:00AM on Christmas Eve and he returned on December 29th for a few more days of treatment.

Our time at home was absolutely wonderful! Our oldest daughter, Christie , her husband Isaac, and their three adorable children spent Christmas day and most of the weekend with us. It was a joyous time with family and friends, and observing Misha experience his first American Christmas.

Front left to right: Christie, Isaac and their three children Davina, Jeanna and William; Heather, Josh and their two children Noah and Mercy; Misha, Stephanie, Matthew, Josiah(beside Misha), Esther, Philip, Melissa, Hannah (behind Philip) and David.

As Monday slowly approached, I worried that Misha would refuse to return to the hospital. He grumbled some, but to Philip's and my amazement he began wheeling his wheelchair through the hospital in search of all the people he had missed over the last five days.

This surprised us because when he was admitted to the hospital on Dec. 1st, he had no interest in making friends and meeting others. All he wanted to do was go home. At the time, when I told him that friends were wonderful and that he needed to be nicer to people so that he could experience this, he would pout and tell me that he only needed his family.

This coldness poured over to all the nurses, as he refused to let them take care of him, requiring me to be there most of the time. Philip began intervening and told Misha that Stephanie and I would have to rotate staying the night and that he would have to let the nurses help him when mom wasn't there. Philip and others felt that gradually weaning Misha from his dependence on our family would be the best way to help him learn to rely on others. After several weeks, Stephanie and I began leaving him alone at night.

This is why it was such a delight to watch him eagerly search for Shannon, Stephanie, Alex, Francis and all the Doctors and nurses that he has grown so fond of these last few weeks. All these people at Shriner's have become an extension of his family.

This is a wonderful group of people, and we have all come to love them dearly!

As I reflect on my most joyous blessing this Christmas, I would have to say that observing Misha learning to trust and open his heart to others has truly been a highlight.

International Guardian Angels Outreach (IGAO)

2009-01-11T06:00:00.004-05:00

UNICEF estimates that there are somewhere around 132,000,000 orphans in the world. These figures are staggering. What hope is there for a problem this gigantic?

International Guardian Angels Outreach is a ministry that is dedicated to finding ways of helping as many orphans as it possibly can. This is the organization that brought Misha to America. It was started by George and Alexandra Goode.

The following story of Alexandra's life is mostly quoted and taken from a book written by her granddaughter, Caroline Hornok.

Alexandra and her twin brother Valoydsa were born in Russia on September 13, 1929. Three years later their mother Katherine died of tuberculosis. They had a brother, Igor who was ten years older. Their father George Maderash was a wealthy man who provided his family with the luxury of living on a large estate and in a beautiful mansion. He was connected to King Alexander and was an officer in the calvary unit and eventually advanced to being a general.

Alexandra was schooled by governesses for the early portion of her life. At the age of nine she attended a Russian boarding school for girls supported by the Yugoslav government in Belacverka. Her brother Valoydsa attended a Russian military academy; Egor had previously graduated from one. In 1940 when returning to school, her father took her to the train station in Sarajevo to kiss her goodbye; this was the last time Alexandra saw her father. It was the eve of WWII. Alexandra's father and brothers were killed leaving her orphaned and alone.

Alexandra and ten other girls were sent to a Russian orphanage in Belgrade sometime between May 1941 and early 1942. Life was bleak and uncertain. Germany sought to suppress increasing Yugoslav resistance and launched several surges into Yugoslavia. The orphanage where Alexandra dwelled was seiged and the smaller children were sent to a death camp, the older ones, who were strong enough to work, went to Germany. April of 1944, at the age of fourteen, Alexandra and many others were carted on a train to the heart of Germany.

Many died during the 600 torturous miles of riding in cattle cars. Sporatically, the Germans would throw in a few rotten potatoes and watch the people scramble for them. They arrived in Dachau, a concentration camp with a long and evil history. After spending four months at Dachau digging graves, Alexandra was chosen to go to a labor camp in northern Germany on the Island of Rugen.

The labor at Rugen consisted of unloading coal in the ship docks, making bricks for the adobe houses for the German Army families, laying an airstrip, and gathering potatoes and cabbages from the fields. The rations were minimal--a cup of thin soup with peas, potatoes, and weevils, and maybe a piece of bread. The adverage temperature during the winter on Rugen stood around 32 degrees--quite cold when one is wearing rags. Also, on Rugen they carried out the imfamous medical experiments. Alexandra was given a series of injections, some resulting in boils all over her body, severe stomach pains, terrrible colds, sore throats, and vomiting. Her tonsils were ripped out of her mouth without any kind of anesthesia; several inmates, after having their tonsils removed, bled to death.

One night Alexandra, barely fifteen, wept quietly on her metal triple-bunk. She was questioning everything she knew or had been taught, using her young brain to ponder even the deepest metaphysical and epistemological questions: Who is God? What is man? Who am I? Why am I here? What is real? What seemed most real were the guns of the Germans and their harrowing medical injections. The pain was real. Sin was real. Was God real and did He care? Her mind was troubled and afraid. She wept to God saying, "If You are real and if You love me, take my life." He took her life--every inch and cell. Alexandra asked for physical death, and instead she was given spiritual life. Her soul pierced the veil separating herself from God. She felt unmitigated hope and joy, and her hate-filled heart was satiated with love.

Alexandra started telling all the girls of her hope, encouraging them--they thought she was mad. Her mind turned toward thoughts of escape. She had spent thirteen months in these German prisons. One night, with a round and brillant moon, she and nine other girls crawled out of their hellish infirmary. As they passed the gate, a German soldier stood with a beastly German shepherd. Unbelievably, the guard turned his face from the escapees, and the dog remained mute.

They rushed to the train station--trains were the only method of leaving this island. They hid on a train car during the black night. They had no idea where the train was going, but it was going away from Rugen, which is what mattered. After approximately twelve hours, the train stopped. One of the girls, swept by curiosity, swung open the wide door to count the cars. Hundreds of German soldiers were spilling out to the other cars, and one motioned anxiously for the girl to follow. Alexandra was struck with terror--there was no escape from these Germans. The German soldier's face pleaded with them to leave the train and flee swiftly. By some strange logic, all the girls ran along with the soldiers into the wooded area. Very shortly after, the train exploded. The Germans were scuttling their abandoned train.

Alexandra and the girls were sprinting into a battle zone. The Royal Air Force was dropping bombs overhead, and many were injured or killed. Alexandra herself received a wound to her back from the shrapnel, but none of the ten were killed. These ten frail orphans spent the night hiding and fleeing, trusting no uniform. When morning rose, the British soldiers flushed out the forest toward the town of Lubeck. Alexandra and her fellow escapees walked out of the woods with their arms raised in surrender to the Brits. The British separated the former prisoners from the hundreds of German Soldiers. Lubeck had fallen, and the day was May 3, 1945.

Alexandra was declared stateless and placed in an Allied-run DP camp. Friends she met in this camp had immigrated to United States and had asked their Russian Orthodox Church in New Jersey to sponsor their immigration. At nineteen she boarded a ship that lead her to Ellis Island on September 19, 1948 and she eventually became a United States citizen. She graduated from the University of Tennessee Medical Technician School. After graduation she worked at a doctor's office and met George Goode, a handsome, young Navy officer, in January 1951. They were married that November.

George and Alexandra now live in Keller, Texas. She has three children and nineteen grandchildren, who fondly call her Babushka--the Russian name for "grandmother." She and George founded IGAO in 1999, mainly facilitating the adoption by Christian families of children from orphanages in Penza, Russia. Their first adoption was two of their own grandchildren. Another part of their ministry is to bring handicapped children to the United States and having prosthesis or surgery conducted on special needs Russian orphans. Over two hundred children have been adopted through their agency so far.

You can find out more about their organization by visiting http://www.igao.org/.

Like Corrie Ten Boom or Joseph in the Bible, Alexandra can say, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."Genesis 50:20.

Alexandra, I'm sorry for all that you have suffered in your life! Yet, I'm thankful that God used your pain to prompt a sacrifice and love for the orphans of Russia and the world.

Thank you for bringing Misha into our lives.

Dog Therapy

2009-01-10T16:52:00.007-05:00

One of Misha's favorite times in the hospital was something they call "Dog Therapy".

Several dogs are brought in a couple times a week for the kids to pet and love on.

Misha loves animals!

And apparently they like him too!

First Steps

2009-01-03T07:47:00.010-05:00

When Misha was first admitted to the hospital on December 1, 2008, he was very unhappy. He became very withdrawn and moody. I tried to encourage him to make friends and participate in the wonderful daily activities that Shriners has for all the patients, but he would tell me that he didn't need friends, he just wanted his family.

He constantly withdrew himself into video games or movies and shunned the other patients and staff. I spent hours trying to help him see why we all need friends, but he would roughly reply that he only needed his family.

Because of his long hospital stay and the drain it was taking on the family, Philip and many other highly respected people, began encouraging me to go home at night so that he would be forced to rely on others. At the time he was completely dependent on me and refused to let anyone else bathe or help care for him.

Breaking away was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Abandoned all his life, I worried that leaving him would take away trust that I've worked so hard to build. Yet, Stephanie and I were exhausted! After three long weeks of staying at the hospital around the clock, we began going home at night.

Even though the month of December was very long, some amazing things began to take place at the hospital. The staff at Shriners work very hard to keep the children from becoming bored during their stay and also utilize the time in equipping them for handling the outside world.

Every day Misha would spend thirty minutes in occupational therapy and then another thirty minutes in physical therapy. His physical therapist name is Stephanie and she is also responsible for caring for his wounds by changing his bandages three times a week and making sure his wound vac is working properly.

Misha has such hairy legs that months earlier when they had to pull off his first bandages after surgery, the tape pulling at the hair and wounds completely traumatized him. He became very fearful of anyone who would get near his wounds and began screaming if he thought they were going to change his bandages. This was completely unnerving for everyone involved! Quite honestly, I worked in a hospital for years and was very use to working with children who had fear of pain, but Misha's fear and behavior over these procedures even traumatized me.

Hopefully, this paints a clearer picture of what Stephanie, Shannon, Francis and all the other staff who became involved with wound care for Misha had to go through. The first wound vac change he was given strong pain medication, but even this didn't seem to calm him enough. Once the procedure was started it had to be finished, so you couldn't wait around for more medication to be given. The next procedure they decided to slightly sedate him and things went much better. This group of ladies have worked very hard to make wound vac changes as easy as possible.

Misha and his Wound Vac

Shannon was elected to shave his legs since she cares for her grandfather and has become an expert shaver. Once Misha trusts someone, he latches onto them and really makes a fuss if someone else tries to step in and take their place. Once Stephanie grabbed the razor and was going to quickly shave his legs. Misha cried out, "No! Shannon shaves legs!" You would have thought that it required a degree in leg shaving.

Stephanie prepares Misha for his first steps

It was the same with Stephanie and his wound care. She was tremendously careful with Misha. She patiently took a lot of extra time to gently remove the tape without pain. He grew to trust her completely and when she had to be gone a couple of times he really took the girls, who replaced her, through the ringer. I've been told that some of these girls actually had trained Stephanie, but he would tell them they didn't know what they were doing because they didn't do it like Stephanie. They had done a wonderful job, yet, they took his bluntness beautifully and we all had a good laugh. Everyone came to know that in his eyes, Stephanie "rules".

He has really grown to love these precious ladies. Likewise, they appear to look forward to his jokes and playful sense of humor. I've been so blessed as I've watched how lovingly they dote over him during physical therapy and wound care.

During Misha's first days at the hospital, I would constantly tell him that I didn't know why we were here, but that I knew that God had us here for a purpose. That purpose has been revealed in so many ways, but the friendships he has formed with these wonderful people has truly been a highlight. He has discovered that mom was right. Friends are a WONDERFUL thing!

As Misha took those first steps for Stephanie and Shannon, I began realizing the tremendous way God has used these ladies in bringing about many first steps in Misha's young life. Thank you ladies! We all truly love you!!!

Stephanie, Shannon and Misha

Why February 9 Deadline?

2009-01-01T21:33:00.001-05:00

Many people have asked why we chose Feb. 9th as the deadline for raising money on our "chip in", so we felt that some explaination might be helpful. There's really nothing magical about that specific date but I will do my best to explain how we chose it.

On May 9, 2009, Misha will turn 16 and according to International Adoption Laws he will be to old for adopting.

As part of the adoption: Philip, Misha and I must travel to Russia for everthing to be processed; At the beginning of our pursuit in adopting Misha, we were told that we must appear before the Russian Judge (who is handling Misha's case), before the month of April, because, the Judge will be out of town, that entire month.

The trip to Russia requires a two-week stay. This means that we must leave for Russia, sometime before March 15. Knowing that there are always unknown circumstances to surface we felt that it would be ideal to leave for Russia sometime during the first of March.

To get the best air-fare prices we would need to order the plane tickets several weeks in advance, so this is how we came to the Feb. 9th deadline.

As I write this we are just a little over 6 weeks away from this deadline. Hopefully, in the next few days, I will be receiving notification on all the donations that have been sent to IGAO for Misha and will then proceed to post a bullet under the "Chip In" so that both accounts can be added.

You have all been a tremendous support and encouragement! We are so grateful for your patience and sweet spirit during this entire process. Many of you have energetically taken Misha's cause upon your shoulders and have planned several exciting events to help us raise the remaining balance. We anxiously await to see how God is going to answer our fleece.

Happy New Year to you all!!!

New Russian Friends

2008-12-30T16:00:00.000-05:00

Olga, our Russian translator and friend, has been a continual blessing in Misha and our family's lives. We have been so delighted to also get to know Paul and the kids over the last few months.

Paul and Olga, Victoria, Alec, Maryanna, Janet, Eugene, and Paul Jr.

Shortly after Misha's hospitalization he began saying that he missed speaking Russian and hearing his own language. Olga told me she would gather together several youth who spoke Russian and bring them up for a visit.

The first group that came were Olga's neighbors, friends and family. They represented three different churches and it was really good for me to experience how Misha feels when everyone around you is speaking a language you don't understand. I really enjoyed getting to meet Natalia and her children, as well as, having David teach me how to play a game of pool.

We had a great day and I just loved the following photo of Hannah and the girls!

A few days later, Misha had a visit from the younger youth group of Slavic Pentacostal Church in Inman. Stephanie and I were at the Bonne Aime dinner, mentioned in the previous post and unfortunately missed getting to meet this group. Misha and the rest of our family really enjoyed getting to know these precious people, as well.

Our family was so blessed by the sweet and compassionate spirits both groups had toward Misha. We were delighted to hear that some of the churches have Russian services and look forward to taking Misha so that he can hear the gospel in a familiar language. God bless you all for everything you did to make Misha feel loved and special!

Misha sure looks happy being surrounded by so many lovely ladies!

Bonnes Amies

2008-12-30T07:59:00.003-05:00

During the Christmas holiday, Stephanie and I had dinner with a wonderful group of ladies, who call themselves the Bonnes Amies (which means "good friends" in french); introduced to us by a friend and fellow church member Judy Bishop. We had a delightful time hearing stories about how Judy's mom, Julia Scott, Mary Jane and Florence formed this group over 60 years ago. The group meets once a month and every year has a special theme for Christmas (this year it was candy canes).
We were so blessed as we observed the special bond these ladies share with each other. It reminded me of the days when women would get together and exchange homemaking skills as they laughed and quilted together. The busy generation that we live in has robbed many women of the priviledge of having such close friendships and opportunities to learn from each other. How encouraging it was to witness a group of women who have overcome such obstacles.

After a wonderful meal and a time of sharing the group presented us with a generous check for Misha. Thank you ladies for the special part you have played in adopting Misha.

Misha's New Wheels!

2008-12-28T06:54:00.001-05:00

Update: I wrote this post several weeks ago, but due to our lengthy hospital stay, I'm just now getting around to publishing it.

Philip and I have been so blessed over the last two months by your prayers, gifts and words of encouragement. God has used so many different things to demonstrate His provision for our every need, even before we know those needs ourselves. The following story is a beautiful testimony to this.

When we were preparing to leave the hospital 6 weeks ago, three days after Misha's leg amputations, Misha was very nervous about how we would get from the car to the front door of our house. Our home is not handicap accessible and he was really worrying about how we were going to pull this off. Everyone at the hospital assured us that everything would be fine, but Misha wasn't convinced. After hours of quizing him we began realizing that his big concern was our old wheelchair bumping him around to much and not allowing him to recline to the position that was comfortable for him. We decided to just rent a reclining wheelchair for a few weeks in order to give him peace of mind.

(Misha's old wheelchair)

When the day came to return the wheelchair, Misha had a doctor appointment and since the rental company was nearby we decided to just drop it off on our way home. Just for fun, Philip decided to price wheelchairs while we sat in the car. Minutes later he came out, picked up Misha and told me that the saleman was really nice and had suggested we just bring him in for a look around. As we entered, a used electric wheelchair caught his eye. Philip placed him in it and to all of our amazement he began wheeling himself around with great skill and ease. From the look on his face you would have thought that someone had just handed him the keys to a new Ferrarri. He was clearly impressed!!

However, we left that day realizing that an electric wheelchair simply wasn't something we could wisely spend money on. Two weeks later the salesman called and said that the owner had willingly offered to reduce the price. We were amazed at what a good deal was being offered to us; yet, trying to collect money for Misha's adoption must be our number one focus, so we decided once again that even though it was a great deal... it was a luxury that we just couldn't afford right now.

Several days later, Misha had another doctor exam and we found out that he would be hospitalized for several weeks. After the surgery to connect him to the Wound Vac, I had the opportunity to talk with several patients who also had this machine and began realizing that several weeks is a very hopeful estimation. Everyone I talked with had already been hospitalized for at least 6 weeks and most thought it could possibly still be months before they were able to go home.

The thought of Misha being hospitalized for that much time overwhelmed me for many reasons. How would I juggle hospital and home? How could we make a needy child more independent... quickly? These and other questions raced through my mind.

Suddenly my phone vibrated and brought me back to reality. The wheelchair had been privately donated to Misha by its owner. What a shock! And WHAT a blessing!! When I called the store to thank all who were involved with making this gift happen they connected me with the owner of the wheelchair. I was so blessed by the generousity of a total stranger and yet after only moments on the phone our spirits connected by a shared faith. The owner asked that I not reveal their names but gave me permission to share the blessing.

God used this sacrifice to demonstrate several things about Himself to me. His Omniscence was revealed in His knowing our needs long before we did. The day we innocently pursued renting a wheelchair, for a scared little boy, had been orchestrated by a loving God who was preparing others to join with Him in meeting our needs.

Misha has had many painful experiences these past couple of months. The Wound Vac machine has tubes that are connected to a sponge that fits inside Misha's legs. This sponge has to be changed three times a week and is a very painful procedure. Misha's wheelchair was presented to him just moments after his very first sponge change. There could never have been a more wonderful gift for the moment.Because Misha's arms and hands are deformed the removal of his legs required him to depend on everyone else to help meet his basic needs. As I've watched him glide around the hospital with a huge smile on his face, I've realized that the wheelchair help give him back dignity that he had lost. In his wheelchair he can pretty much go where he wants to go giving him a feeling of freedom and control that he desperatedly needed.

Since Misha has been in-doctrinated with atheism, it has been especially wonderful for him to witness the mighty power of God, in providing all our needs.

World Magazine article on Misha

2008-12-11T22:31:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, we were contacted by Alisa Harris, a reporter for WORLD Magazine, about doing an article on Misha. Here's the article per WORLD Magazine's website!

One of their own

EASLEY, S.C.—When Philip and Melissa Johnson, the parents of eight children, volunteered to open their home temporarily to a disabled Russian orphan, an organization sent them a photo of 15-year-old Misha Bunitskiy. His hands were twisted towards his body. His elbows were locked straight. His arms were so fragile that you could close your fingers around them. His feet and legs were so mangled he had to walk on his knees.

But a friend told them, "He looks just like one of your children," and since Misha came to the Johnsons' home two months ago, he's become like one of their own. At first Misha had a breakdown if he spilled a drop of food. He was self-conscious about his deformities, especially his feet, until once when Melissa felt an impulse to kiss them. He started to cry, grabbed her in a hug and said, "Mom, I love you!"
It was a breakthrough, Melissa said: "I guess he felt that I had accepted something he's been rejected for." Misha's mother saw his crooked body and abandoned him at birth. Now the Johnsons hope to adopt Misha so he can stay after he completes his medical treatment and recovery. He is with them under the auspices of International Guardian Angels Outreach, a Christian organization that places disabled Russian orphans in temporary foster care while they get medical treatment.

There have been challenges—Misha hates American food and has to break habits he learned in the orphanage, where he smoked and drank—but he has bonded with the Johnson family. "He loved the children," Melissa said. "He really loved me. . . . He came up to me like he wanted to sit in my lap and I just grabbed him and hugged him, and he'd never had that before." He's a mix of strength and vulnerability, Melissa said—brave but terrified of pain.

Misha has already undergone a double amputation at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Greenville, S.C. He'll get a prosthesis and if he chooses, surgery to unlock his arms and fix his hands. For Misha to stay after his recovery is over, the adoption will have to go through before he turns 16 on May 9. Melissa hopes that happens, and that this adoption is part of a bigger one: "The bigger goal is to adopt him into the Lord's family. And you know, that's the reason we do this." — Alisa Harris

To read the entire article, with the other families featured, click here.

Longing for Home

2008-12-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Misha is doing great! His legs are healing nicely, and we are praising the Lord that all his cultures came back negative. Every day is filled with occupational therapy and physical therapy among other socialization activities such as crafts and games.

I find that we're kept so busy here, that I've not had the time to update like I would have liked. The hospitalization has also prevented me from getting all the DVD's out in a timely fashion. Stephanie will be sending a batch out today, so I thank you all for your patience.

When I first heard that Misha's stay would be a long one, dread filled my heart. I caught myself worrying how I could ever keep up with all that needed to be done at home and be here at the same time. I praise the Lord for a wonderfully understanding husband, and children who are willing to sacrifice themselves and help out.

I'm daily reminded that God always has us right where He wants us. I have loved getting to know the precious staff here at Shriners. I have met so many wonderful people and have been blessed by so many of the patients as well.

I have a confession. I'm a person who could easily become a hermit. I love being in my home with my family and I really have to push myself to mingle in social situations. Its not that I don't enjoy being around people, quite the opposite, I love people. I am just naturally an introvert and get charged by being alone.

God is using this time to teach me that His plans for our lives are not always comfortable. Stephanie and I have realized that for the moment, God has placed us in an arena where we can share hope to those who are hurting.

Although we all long for home, we will joyfully bloom where we have been planted.

Reflections of Thanksgiving

2008-12-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful Thanksgiving we had this year! We traveled down to our oldest daughter's home where we enjoyed the fellowship of her husband's family, along with ours. Our four oldest daughters, cooked the entire meal, providing Isaac's mom and I with a much needed rest.

Last minute touches!

Look at all the delicious food!

And Desserts!

Misha asked us several times what this holiday was all about, so it gave us some great opportunities to teach him about being thankful.

Hannah teaching Misha Yahtzee

During his first days with us, we began realizing that he was not always thankful for the things he received. This confused us because we have always expected that someone who has so little would be grateful for anything they received. Instead, of gratitude we faced a demanding and complaining spirit.

One of the areas that his ungratefulness was mostly displayed was during mealtime. He would say, "foo, me no like"and push away his plate. Maybe some of you out there are also finicky eaters and sympathize with him, but as the mother of a large family I cannot share your sympathy. There are too many jobs in our household to create another. Welcome to boot-camp Misha!!!

Mealtime has become the classroom where Misha is beginning to learn gratefulness!
The Lord has been using Misha's ungratefulness and the heartache it has caused me, to reveal how much my Savior is hurt by my daily demands and ingratitude. As I constantly sacrifice for Misha and work to meet all of his needs, I have become frustrated when he didn't appear to understand the fullness of what all I do for him. One day, when I was in "one of my moods", I began to get a small glimpse of how Jesus must feel when I continually neglect to appreciate all that He has done, and continues to do, for me.

When God adopted me as His child; He took an undeserving sinner and clothed me with a garment of Righteousness. During the 25 years that I have been His child, my needs have always been sufficiently met. Yet, there have been so many times when I have grumbled, complained or questioned His judgement over the circumstances in my life.

Jeanna holding her cousin Mercy

We can all deceive ourselves into seeing only selective things about ourselves. As I have looked into the mirror that God has placed in front of me (Misha), I have seen my true reflection. It is not very pretty!!! I now desire to strive for a thankful, joyous spirit. By the grace of God, and with His help, I will be a better example for "the mirror" He has placed in front of me.

Back in the Hospital!

2008-12-03T08:58:00.003-05:00

On Monday, December 3rd, we took Misha in for his regular doctor examination. After examining his legs they decided to re-admit him for a surgical procedure that would open up his wounds and allow them to place a wound-vac in both his legs.

The wound-vac is a small machine that connects to a sponge and tubing that is inserted into the wound and kept in place with tape. It gently suctions any drainage from the wound and will expediate proper healing. It also helps keep the area clean so that there are fewer risk of infection.

The negative thing about this machine is that it must stay attached for several weeks to be effective. Therefore, we will be spending most of the month of December in the hospital. Misha's not to happy about that!!!

His surgery went very well. There was no sign of infection, but there was a lot of fluid trapped under the skin. He's doing great and ready to get up and move around.

I've meet some really nice families this visit at the hospital and know that God has providentially led us here. God has proven that He works all things together for our good and He's been using these testing moments to build my faith and trust in Him.

Spending the holidays in the hospital during such a busy time, isn't my idea of a restful break, but God knows how to slow my activities down to the important things. We had already decided to make Christmas very simple this year. God is just ensuring that I have a good excuse!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

Blessings to you all,
Melissa

DVD's are Here!

2008-11-21T10:12:00.001-05:00

Our DVD's have been duplicated and are now ready to be sent!

If you or your church would be interested in seeing the DVD or passing it around, please email your name and address to helpmisha@yahoo.com.

If you have already donated money, you will automatically receive a DVD unless you request otherwise.

The DVD's are free, so please help us spread the word about Misha, by sharing the video with your church, friends and family.

Thank you all for the wonderful testimony you have been to the "Body of Christ".

Beautiful Feet!

2008-11-21T06:55:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, "My Comfort Zone", stepping outside the walls of protection that I've created for myself isn't something that comes naturally. My family and I are learning though, that having made the first step, God is using our willingness to teach us so many things. One is the depth of God's love for us.

When Misha first came, he was very careful about anyone seeing his feet. Twisted and permanently curled backwards, they reminded me of pictures I have seen of the bound feet of Chinese women. The first time I took off his socks I could see the guarded look of a boy who had felt many rejections because of his deformities. My gentle and approving reaction was a turning point in our relationship. I noticed that in the next few days he felt much more secure in my presence.

One day, as I was drying him after a bath, I felt this impulse to bend down and kiss his deformed and twisted feet. It was one of those times when inside I'm thinking, "This is ridiculous! He's going to think I'm crazy", yet I really felt I was suppose to do it. As I reached down and carefully placed my lips upon the feet that had caused him to be a castaway, his eyes began filling with tears. Suddenly he reached out with a big bear hug saying, "Mom, I love you!" From that moment on, he has never seemed to doubt my unconditional love for him.

Through that experience, I began to remember the times that God has reached down and kissed my deformities. Oh, it wasn't a literal kiss, but He has used several very creative ways of revealing His unconditional love for me, just the same. First of all, God has used the sacrifice of a few Christians, who have demonstrated their love for me when I haven't been so lovely. Their patience and willingness to accept my imperfections has helped ease the pain of spiritual growth.

I began knowing who I could trust with my deepest struggles, and would allow them entrance into my fortress so that they could counsel me on how to overcome these short-comings. One of the greatest things they have taught me is how to die to myself and let Jesus take complete control. Thank you my precious friends! I have truly been blessed!

God has also used His word to comfort and nurture me into realizing my human frailty. I have come to see that God does not desire my perfection. Perfection creates pride! God hates pride! It has been through severe brokenness and coming to the place where I have realized that I, in myself, have nothing worthy to offer God, that complete surrender has come. It was in that broken and unworthy condition that God reached down and kissed my deformities.

Don't struggle against the hands that have created you! He loves you and desperately wants to kiss your feet! They're very beautiful to Him!

Picture found on allposters.com

Nick Vujicic

2008-11-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

Shortly after we had agreed to become host parents for Misha, we received a picture that revealed that not only were his legs deformed but also his hands and arms. My husband became very discouraged wondering how we would ever be able to equip him to become an independent person.

I remember driving to town the next day, crying out to God for wisdom in knowing how to handle a situation that was much bigger than us. Misha's handicaps seemed beyond our ability to handle. Philip nor I shared our concerns with anyone but God.

When I got home, I turned on the computer to check my mail. My daughter Heather had sent me a short video clip of Nick Vujicic and encouraged me to watch this incredible young man who was born without arms or legs. As I watched this video, tears began flooding my face. Nick's courage and love for the Lord has given him a tremendous worldwide ministry where thousands have been saved by his preaching and testimony. After watching this video we went on to google "Nick, no arms, no legs" and discovered other video's and sermons by him on youtube.

Nick has truly triumphed over his limitations! God has used him to remind us that: "All things are possible with God!"

Why A Handicapped Child?

2008-11-13T20:18:00.001-05:00

Moscow

For several years, our family had prayed that God would show us what sort of ministry we should be a part of. Most of the ministries we had previously persued seemed to pull our family in different directions. Because family unity has always been important to us, we were convicted that whatever ministry God was calling us to, should be one we could all participate in together.

Moscow

In 1991, my husband was priviledged to be able to go to Romania on a mission trip. While he was there, his heart was touched by a couple of homeless orphans who roamed the streets in search for handouts. James 1:27 tells us that pure religion is to visit and take care of the fatherless. Since his Romanian trip we had been distracted from that mission, by raising eight children of our own. Even though this desire lay dormant in his heart, it was never forgotten.

Moscow

A year ago, our daughter Stephanie left college and told her dad that she wanted to be a part of helping him fulfill his vision in some sort of family ministry. Caught off guard, Philip couldn't really think of what that would be and recommended that she just help with the homeschooling and chores for now. Steph and I began privately praying that God would show our family His plans. Shortly after our first prayer together, Philp came home from work and as we sat around the dinner table, he began telling us of an organization he heard about on the way home. This organization brings disabled orphans from Russia for surgeries that will drastically change their lives. Suddenly, Stephanie's eyes met mine. We smiled at each other as we both came to the realization that Philip has always had a passion for orphans. As she and I quietly observed the whole family taking sincere interest in this new ministry idea, we snuck off to a quiet corner and shared our thoughts. Was this the ministry God had for us? Did we as a family, have the ablity to help a handicapped child?

Kremlin in Moscow

Every time I was pregnant with one of my children, the sweetest words I could hear from my care-giver was that the baby was healthy and without defect. Yet, just giving birth to a normal child doesn't guarantee that they will never suffer events that might cause them to become handicapped. I've come to realize that in just one moment our lives can change forever. A sudden car accident or disease could remove any chances of us continuing the life we presently take for granted.

Orphanage

My husband and I have always known that, should something happened to one of our children, and they became disabled, God would give the courage and grace to face those difficulties. Yet the question might be asked, "Why would someone willingly seek out to become the parents of a disabled child?"

Children in Orphanage

UNICEF says the worldwide number of orphans is now 132 million and growing. This number is absolutely mind-boggling. One might ask, with there being such a large number of orphans needing to be adopted, and so few people willing to adopt them, why seek to make our lives more complicated by taking on a "broken" child. Why not choose an easier road and adopt a young, healthy child who would be easier to raise? I truthfully must admit that taking the easier way would be my natural desire. Yet, as our family has pondered all these thoughts, we came to the conclusion that the easier road might not be the one God has chosen for us. Having a large family and older children to help with all the extra chores a handicapped child will require gives us an advantage that many considering adoption do not have.

It has been our observation that most couples desire to adopt a normal younger child. We began feeling that our ministry needed to be to a child that might otherwise be forgotten. When we heard about International Guardian Angels Outreach, and the disabled orphans, we began feeling that a six month commitment would give us an opportunity to know if handling a handicapped child was something we could actually do.

Misha leaving the orphanage

After many months of prayer and pleas to the Lord for His protection over our family, we began seeing the doors open for Misha to come to us. We have realized that just as our lives can change for the worse with just one car accident, Misha's life could change for the better with the opportunity to hear the gospel and have so many blessings and priviledges opened for him. Only God knows the plans that He has for Misha. Our prayers have simply been that God would direct and protect us as we willingly committed our family to His glory and purpose. Faith is trusting that God will answer those prayers.

The Providence of God

2008-11-13T09:49:00.002-05:00

What a suprise it was for me, (as I'm sure it was for each of you!) to come to Misha's blog and find an anniversary love note from my precious hubby. I wasn't expecting THAT!!! Thanks sweetheart!

For those of you who have done the math, and are wondering how we have produced such a large family (including a 27 year old) in only 20 years of marriage; I encourage you to read "Our Love Story and the Providence of God"

I'll warn you though, you'd better have a box of kleenex because our love story has truly been written by God.

Happy Anniversary!

2008-11-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversary Melissa! I love you very much and I am grateful to God that He chose you to be my wife. These have been 20 wonderful years and I look forward to many more to come!

The natural man would think that sharing your love with such a large family would reduce my portion, but just the opposite seems to occur. With the addition of each child it seems that your love for me grows. Even though Misha requires much of your attention at present, I can feel that your love for me continues to grow.

I love you, and may God continue to bless our marriage,
Your Husband

My Comfort Zone

2008-11-08T05:48:00.002-05:00

I have always felt safer in my comfort zone, where life is much more managable. Avoiding situations that might get messy or reveal my true sinful, selfish heart, has kept me somewhat protected throughout the years. Without realizing it, I was handicapped! One of my disablities has been fear. Fears have kept me from stepping outside myself and experiencing all that God has wanted to teach me. Over the last six weeks my family and I have begun to get a taste of the joy we have been missing. As I've watched my children smother Misha with more love than he could possibly know how to assimilate, I have realized that he has been more of a blessing to us than we could ever be to him.

All the things that I have ever tried to teach my children about love and compassion have suddenly been placed into an arena where they can thrive. It has given me great pleasure as I have watched each child joyfully sacrifice and show their unconditional love to this new brother. Selfishness that I have tried for years to remove from certain children's hearts, has incredibily begun to evaporate, due to their joyful willingness to serve Misha. None of these attributes have been forced , but mysteriously began developing as God worked on each child's heart while they became first-hand witnesses to a life that has been less fortunate.
Recently, Misha told us that as soon as he was born his mother looked at his twisted and deformed body and said, "Oh, he's scary, I don't want him." This was just the beginning of the rejection he has received in his first fifteen years of life. How deep the heartache of his rejection goes can only be revealed in time. Fortunately, in spite of all the hardships he has suffered, he shows no signs of bitterness. As we have watched and observed him, we have noticed that he is very aware of his limitations, yet, he doesn't complain or say things that indicate he feels sorry for himself. This has put us all to shame as we remember all the silly things we have grumbled about in the past. God is truly using Misha to show our family how to have thankful hearts.

My children have verbally sought to help Misha see that the outside of our bodies is only a shell. I have heard them tell him that it is what's in our hearts that matters most. People can have perfect shells, but be very broken on the inside. This is repeatably revealed in all the Hollywood actors and actresses who are on drugs, lead miserable lives, or commit suicide. Our society thrives on outward perfection, yet the heart across our nation has become bitter and cold. Only Christ can cleanse our hearts and make us pure. I'm so thankful that God gave us the courage to take that first step outside our comfort zone. Life can be dangerously messy outside these zones; as we are daily reminded. However, now that I have lived on both sides, I can honestly say that what I thought was safe, was nothing more than an artificial sense of control over my life. I have come to realize what a foolish protection that was. Psalms 4:8 says, "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makes me dwell in safety." God wants to free us from all our fears, pride and selfishness and fill us with courage, mercy and love. He wants us to learn to depend on Him for our nurture and protection. I can't began to convey all the blessings we would have missed out on if we hadn't been willing to open our hearts, roll up our sleeves and get a little messy by serving this tremendous young man.

Are you comfortable? I encourage you to put your trust in the Lord and step outside!

Help Misha Video

2008-11-04T10:31:00.001-05:00

Watch Help Misha in Family Videos and Faith Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Treasures of Gold

2008-11-03T12:44:00.001-05:00

Watch Treasures of Gold in Family Videos and Faith Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Misha's "Surgeon"

2008-11-03T12:34:00.001-05:00

My daughter, Stephanie, posted the following video on her blog:

Misha's sense of humor has kept our family laughing since the day he arrived!
Yesterday, during one of the times he felt intense pain, he was holding his bear dressed in the surgeon clothes the hospital gave him. Between pains, Misha pointed at his bear and said, "Doctor, my operation!". He then proceeded to jokingly break the "doctor's" legs.

We got him to re-enact for the camera...

"My legs, you! Spanky, spanky!"

As you can see, he wasn't too happy at that moment with the doctor that performed his amputation! Misha, Misha!

Touching Base

2008-10-26T18:13:00.005-04:00

For close to a week now, I've had very little time to be on the computer. I'm so thankful to my daughters for keeping everyone up to date about Misha's surgery. During our hospital stay, many people encouraged me to go home for an occassional rest. Even though I appreciated their concern, I felt that I needed to demonstrate my steadfastness to this young boy who has only known abandonment through his life.

Hannah, Misha and Stephanie

Misha is now at home and doing very well. His pain is kept to a minimum and he's back to cracking jokes with us all. I love how he makes jokes even in his distress. To give you an example of his humor; The second night after Misha's surgery, Philip, Stephanie, Hannah and I were all sitting with him and talking. Since his amutation, there is a good two foot clearance from the foot of his bed. Hannah got a little tired of standing so she very carefully sat down on the end of the bed. Misha immediately raised his head and said, "Ouch, feet! Hannah, you sit on feet!" terrified that she had somehow hurt him she stood up and then smiling he replied, "Joke, Joke!" And persuaded her to sit back down.

Holding a bag of candy he received as a gift

The amazing thing about Misha is even during this horribly painful time for him, he still found something to joke about. His quick wit keeps all of us on our toes.

My initial goal was to document each day in Misha's life, so that we could watch the progress he made along the way. I've come to realize that my expectations were unrealistic. At present, I'm nursing him around the clock with pain medication to be given every four hours and tylenol in between. Normally, I would blog after everyone is in bed but these days I'm trying to sleep whenever there is a free moment.

Asleep on our couch

I hope to get back on top of things soon. I've received so many wonderful blessings and know that it has been because of all of your prayers. I can't wait to share all that God has been teaching me. Thank you for your patience.

Olga: A Perfect Rose for Misha

2008-10-26T11:33:00.007-04:00

There have been so many people who have jumped on board in helping us care for Misha. It would be impossible for me to mention all of you by name, but every part that each person has played has been very important in encouraging us to press forward. God has sent many blessings to reveal His control over the entire situation.

On Monday morning, Misha and I sat in the hospital admission area waiting for all the pre-surgery physicals he would undergo that day. I longed to be able to talk with him and calm all the fears that must be running through his head. Without being able to really communicate with him, I was limited to just hold him and tell him that I loved him. This was becoming continually insufficient.

Then Olga arrived. Olga was born in Russia and came to America when she was nine years old. She speaks several languages and works for a company that supplies interpretors to hospitals, jails, courtrooms etc... yet, she has given of her free time to sacrifically help Misha.

Misha and Olga as we enjoyed a meal from Chick-fil-a

I immediately knew Misha and I were going to really like her. She spoke to him so lovingly and I later found out that she is the mother of six children herself. As I watched her communicate with Misha, I began praising God for His careful provision for our needs. Had I been in charge of finding an interpretor that would fit our personalities so perfectly, I would not have known where to began my search. I've been reminded that God knows our every need, even before we do; He also has the perfect provision for those needs.

Olga reading card to Misha

Misha has grown to love and trust Olga and even now that we are home he begs for her to come to our house. When I asked Olga if I could create a post about her, she begged that I not build her up as something special; she didn't want to take the attention away from Misha. May it suffice to say that as God walked through His glorious garden, He picked a perfect rose for Misha.

Thank you Olga!!! You are very loved and appreciated!

Some Fun and an Update

2008-10-22T18:00:00.004-04:00

While I was visiting this past week, I took a few videos that might give you a little glimpse into the personality of this precious young man we've come to love so deeply.

Sorry about the darkness of this video! But we thought you might like to see Misha communicating with the family through Google Translator. We pull up a Russian keyboard on the browser so that he can type in Russian, and he can then translate that Russian to English through the Google Translator. Talk about handy!!

The next video showcases Misha's amazing ability to peg people's little quirks, personalities, and phrases as soon as he meets them. Everybody gets a kick out of seeing him perfectly imitate each of us!

Misha's spirits are higher today, and this afternoon they were able to aleviate his pain some. (The epidural they had given him wasn't completely numbing his legs, and he had spots of extreme pain.) When I talked to mom a little bit ago, she said that a few hours ago Misha was rating his pain as an 8 out of 10. As of an hour ago, he said the pain had come down to a 2.

Please continue to pray for Misha's recovery from surgery, and courage in facing the challenges of the next few months.

Surgery Update

2008-10-21T14:33:00.003-04:00

Misha came out of surgery around noon, and the doctors said that the procedure went very well. They are hopeful that he will be able to come home soon, provided he begins to heal quickly.

Misha was very disoriented and distressed when he woke up, and the loss of his legs combined with the pain seems to be taking a toll on him emotionally. Please pray that God will comfort Misha, and give him strength and courage. We also need prayer for wisdom for ourselves; that we will know best how to comfort Misha while he's hurting, both emotionally and physically.

Praise be to God for bringing Misha safely through surgery! We have faith that He will heal Misha, inside and out.

Misha's Surgery

2008-10-21T09:36:00.005-04:00

My daughter, Stephanie, has posted an update on Misha and his surgery. I am copying the post here for your convenience. To view the original post click here. I will have one of my daughters keep you informed throughout the day with updates on Misha's surgery and recovery as we get more information.

Having just kissed and prayed over Misha, we are now sitting anxiously in the waiting room…the next few hours of his surgery will seem an eternity!
Why did evil win over good in the garden of Eden? That is a question I’ve found myself asking continually as we’ve been at the hospital preparing for his surgery. Even though death has been conquered by our Lord, we must still face the consequences of living in a fallen world.
My dear brother, Misha, is now experiencing a heavy dose of the evil in this world. Because he was born with this disease, it is necessary to have a double amputation in order for him to have improved mobility.

When it was first decided that our family was to foster Misha during his surgery, I didn’t feel very sympathetic towards the operation that would take place. In my mind, it seemed so distant and in-personal; I didn’t fully comprehend all that would be involved. But since Misha’s arrival on September 24, I have grown to love him in a way I never anticipated. He is now truly my brother, and I cannot imagine life without him completing our family!
Because he has become my brother, I am experiencing an overwhelming fear, anxiety, and doubt; there is a sympathy and compassion you feel towards a family-member that is hurting, which allows you to taste a little of what their experiencing.

Yesterday had an early start for dad, mom, Misha and me. After being admitted into the hospital, the day started with many visits with doctors and nurses. Misha and I were able to break away between visits and sneak in some PS2, (Spider-man won most of the time!).
The conclusion of visits came with the last visit to the prosthetics department. In the midst of the conversation, Misha caught my eye and began to make different facial expressions. Our attention spiraled downward as we exchanged expressions back and forth to try to make the other smile. Every time he flashed a smile at me, the room would light up!
This continued for a while until the prostheticist pulled out the samples of what Misha was trading his legs for. I could see a cloud pass over his face and the light faded. We left the room and I could feel a heaviness of understanding at everything he must be meditating on. It had been a full day of information about the pain, hardships, and procedures that would stand in his future, and it seemed as if the cost was greater than the rewards.
Once we walked out of the room, mom and I gathered around him to offer our support. In my butchered Russian I told Misha everything was going to be okay. He began to fight back tears, and after moments of fighting he hung his head in despair and began to weep. We gathered him in our arms and grieved with him; knowing that though the surgery is necessary, and will improve his life, it was needful for him to grieve over the loss of his legs. The amount of change the surgery will bring into his life must be daunting for him. After a few hours of sweet fellowship Misha’s spirits lifted. Though he was incredibly nervous going into surgery, he no longer seemed depressed about his situation.

Misha has no knowledge of a Sovereign God. If I were facing this surgery; I would have security about what would happen to me if all went wrong and I died, I would know that whatever the outcome it was God’s will and He would work everything to His good and for His glory.
Please pray that God will reveal Himself to Misha through this. Pray that He will comfort him with a peace that surpasses his understanding.

This is such a wonderful reminder to all of us how despairing life would be without the promise and comfort of our God!

Prayer Requests

2008-10-21T05:34:00.000-04:00

We covet your prayers on the following matters:

Misha's amputation went well!!- Please pray for quick healing, and the ability to be fitted for prosthetics afterwards.

Provisions for Adoption- We only have a few months in which we can raise the money necessary to adopt Misha. The United States only allows adoptions before the age of 16. Misha will turn 16 on May 9. This only gives us a few months in which to raise the nearly $27,000 that we are lacking, fill out the necessary documents, fly to Russia for two weeks, etc... Pray that God will cause everything to go smoothly.

Here is the cost breakdown for Misha's adoption (these are approximate figures):

Group A
*Adoptive home study- $1,200
*Approval of home study by agency- $2,500
*Submission of apostilled dossier to Russian agency $5,800
*Identification and approval of a child for adoption $3,500
*Prepayment fees for 4 post placement reports to Russian Government $2,000
*Fee to CIS for fingerprinting $ 830
Subtotal Group A $15,830

Additional International estimated cost for adoption

Group B
*Airfare (2 parents) to Moscow $4,000
*Airfare for adopted child $1,000
*Expenses while in Russia (Hotel, food, transportation, etc...) $5,000
*Additional Russian adoption fees
(Child's passport, orphanage support Medical exam etc....) $1,000

Subtotal Group B $11,000
Subtotal Group A $15,830
_______

Total $26,830

While these expenses seem beyond our personal reach, we are reminded that "With God all things are possible."

We have been encouraged to think that it would only take 2,700 people giving $10 each for us to raise the money needed. The only problem with that scenario is that we don't personally know 2,700 people.

Then it occurred to us. What if 27 churches could raise $1,000? Would that be too difficult? It would only take 40 members in each church giving $25 each!

We desperately need to get the word out, because there isn't much time. If your heart has been touched by our story (see previous posts), please tell your friends and loved ones. As you can see, we have much to do. God alone knows the plans He has for Misha and our family. We can only do our part to the best of our ability. This is a humbling place for us to be; asking our brothers and sisters in Christ for financial help.

However, because money is required for us to do what we believe God is calling us to, we send our request for help out to you. Our prayer has been that if this is God's Will, the money will be provided.

The Bible says in I Samuel 30:24 that "the share of the many who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike."

We believe that God will bless those who give towards the adoption of Misha, just as he will bless our family for all we invest in this young man's life.

James 1:27 "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

Many are not in a position to consider adopting a handicapped orphan. We have been blessed to have older children who are excited about helping us care for Misha. We could never care for him all by ourselves. Neither can we financially provide the funds required to adopt Misha by ourselves. We need your help! No gift is too small. Our God is capable of taking a few loaves and fishes; dividing them and feeding thousands. He can take even the smallest donations and multiply them to meet Misha's needs.

If you or your church would be interested in helping please contact us by email at helpmisha@yahoo.com for more information. You may also pay by debit card using the ChipIn form at the top of the page.

We are in the process of putting together a short DVD that could be shown at your church. If you have any other ideas that might help us find a way to keep this precious boy, please feel free to make suggestions.

God bless you all, and thank you for keeping us in your prayers!
Philip and Melissa

Off to the Lake

2008-10-13T08:28:00.008-04:00

Misha eager to get into the water

Misha decides it's too cold and wants out

David, Josiah, and Esther get into the water

Misha decides the kids are having so much fun, he wants back in

Philip is having a hard time holding him because he's kicking so hard

Matt comes up with the idea of putting a noodle in the neck of the lifejacket

Misha goes wild with excitment so Philip decides he better get in with him

Yeowee!!! It's cold!!

Matt and Hannah glad they're on the dock

What a fun day!!! Thanks Craig and Rose for sharing your lake house with us. You really brightened this family's day. Especially, a certain young man who continually says, "Go back to lake tommorrow?"

The ride home was much quieter!

Trip to Furman University

2008-10-11T19:06:00.004-04:00

Today we went to Furman University so that we could take family pictures for our Christmas card. We had taken some pictures a few weeks ago, but needed to include Misha. Trying to get a good picture of everybody is quite a challenge with a big family.

Given the size of our family, we're lucky that they had alot of bathrooms.

Trip to Biltmore

2008-10-10T23:15:00.000-04:00

This morning we decided to take a field trip to George Vanderbilt's mansion on the Biltmore Estate. Last year, Stephanie had been hired by a couple to take their engagement pictures. They had paid for her visit to Biltmore and I had gone along just to keep her company. We had enjoyed our day there so much that we paid just alittle bit more for a yearly pass, since all our kids would be free. Our passes expire on Sunday, so we decided it would be fun to let Misha see how the wealthy live.

He's only comment about the house was that it was old. But he really enjoyed the petting farm and the ice cream we had. It was a wonderful day!

Camping

2008-10-04T22:45:00.003-04:00

This is our favorite time of the year to go camping as a family. The air is cool and brisk making a nice campfire warm and cozy at night. We decided Misha must experience this part of our fall family activities...

...but our weekends are packed full until his surgery on October 21st. Our solution was to just set up the tents in our front yard. Since we live out in the country and are surrounded by woods and wildlife, we thought the adventure would be fun yet, close to all the conveniences of home, should we need to retreat. We all dressed warmly and filled the tents with warm blankets and a few air cushions for those of us with bad backs. The boys slept in the middle tent which is the largest, and the girls where in a tent on one side and Philip and I in another tent on the other side of the boys.

After we were all snuggled in someone started saying goodnight to everybody the "Walton" way. After a few minutes Misha chimmed in saying, "Goodnight dad, goodnight mom, goodnight crazy Stephanie, goodnight Maggie (our dog), goodnight Cindy (our chicken), goodnight bearded chicken (our rooster)." We all giggled listening to his sweet but very thick Russian accent. He really loves making us laugh. I went to sleep that night feeling so content and happy.

Misha enjoyed our camping adventure so much that he's dragging us all back out there again tonight. As I sit here typing I can hear the fun I'm missing. My back is sure to be sore tommorrow, but I'd be a fool to trade this experience for all the soft warm comforts of my bed.

Goodnight everybody!

The Cowboy

2008-10-01T21:37:00.000-04:00

Today there were a couple celebrations. First, it is Josiah's 12th birthday! Even though we had celebrated it the night before we wanted to find a few things we could do to make today special for him. Also, today marks our first completed week with Misha. So many wonderful things have happened this first week.

We decided to take our first trip to Walmart today. I needed to get a few items for Misha, and the kids needed more ammo for their nerf guns. While browzing through the toy aisle Misha had so much fun seeing the abundance of toys on the shelves. He found a pistol he wanted so it went in the buggy. We also decided to get a nerf soccer ball since my girls have bruises on their legs from the hard blows they've received from their games with the boys. When we got home the kids had fun dressing Misha like a cowboy and getting some pictures. He's really becoming a "ham" in front of the camera. He has gotten to where he'll say, "Steph, get your camera."

A Mother's Love

2008-09-30T21:21:00.000-04:00

Tuesday was our first official day of school together. Stephanie worked with Misha, while I home-schooled all the others. It was a good day! Steph went to the library and found a language program for Misha to use on the computer. She also found one for us, so that we can all learn alittle Russian along the way.

My parents and Heather came up for dinner so we celebrated Josiah's 12th birthday a day early. After opening presents, Matt built a bonfire and we all sat around and sang songs. A really neat thing happened during all these events. We had been sitting around the computer watching a few funny video's on you-tube. Misha was standing in front of me and I leaned forward and just gave him a big hug. He backed up snug against my legs so we sat there for a long time just snuggled together with him on his knees in front of me. After a while, I felt like his knees might be getting tired so I asked him if he wanted to sit in the chair. He responded that he didn't. I then asked if he would like to sit in my lap, and he shook his head that he did. As I went to lift him onto my lap he practically jumped up onto it. We sat for hours with me just holding him. How much he must be starving for a "Mother's love".

Dawn translates

2008-09-30T02:23:00.001-04:00

Monday morning I decided to let the kids sleep in a little. They've been playing so hard lately and hadn't gone to bed until 1:00 last night. Normally, I wouldn't allow such late evenings on a school night, but since we're still bonding I felt allowances should be made. After they woke up we did alittle school, had lunch and then my friend Jenny, her daughter Sarah and Dawn came up to visit with Misha. Dawn is fluent in Russian, so we had a wonderful time asking Misha all sorts of questions.

We found out that in Russia, Misha had 9 years of schooling. We asked if he had taken English, to which he replied, that he hadn't. He went on to tell us that he had taken 4 years of German instead. This amazed us because he is picking our language up so quickly. He really seems to have an ear for hearing all the different sounds and a wonderful memory as well. Both things I seem to be lacking.

We had so much fun listening to Dawn translate all the things we've been wanting to say to each other. I'm so thankful for such wonderful friends and their willingness to sacrifice their time to help make this transition easier. Thank you ladies!!!

Jenny holding Annie (her grand-daughter)

On Monday night, Philip took the boys to Boy Scouts and Misha went along. The boys were all friendly to him, but he came home saying he hadn't enjoyed it. The scouts were planning a jamboree that is coming up so Philip said it wasn't one of their more interesting nights. We will keep trying because there are so many wonderful things our boys have been able to learn and do in BSA.

His Full Potential

2008-09-29T02:43:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning we woke up early and headed for church. During the service I noticed Misha writing something to David who was sitting beside him. Thinking he might be needing something, I asked Hannah to look up what he had written in our translating book. She discovered he had written “Esther” in Russian.Then he proceeded to write her name in English

I smiled, and then watched in amazement as he wrote, David, Matt, Stephanie, Melissa and Philip, all in English. I couldn’t believe it. He then pointed to a word on the bulletin and whispered, “Welcome”. Sure enough, that is what the word said.

I sat there praising God in my heart for opening all the doors so that Misha could come to us. Sitting beside me was a young man who months earlier felt he had no hope. I have realized that there is a brilliant mind packed inside his disabled shell. I can’t wait to help him out so he can reach his full potential!!!

Battle Zone

2008-09-28T02:30:00.000-04:00

“What are we going to do today?” These were the first words Misha typed in the translator on Saturday. “Would you like to go to the zoo?” was our response. After an eager yes, we crammed in our van loaded with games and a picnic lunch. After a good tour of our local zoo, we found a nice grassy place to spread our blankets for a picnic lunch in the park. With full tummy’s, Philip and I, caught up on some missed sleep while the kids all played games on the grass around us.

After the park, we walked downtown and wheeled Misha over the suspended bridge. Everything was so beautiful with colorful flowers, rocked walkways and cascading waterfalls. It was such a peaceful walk.

Then our son David, who loves studying WWII, noticed that we weren’t far from the Army Navy Store. He asked if we could take Misha to see all the war paraphernalia. I honestly think that our tour of this store was the highlight of Misha’s day. He revealed that he’s a typical boy. The owner was so impressed with Misha’s knowledge of guns. He rattled off, M4, AK-47, and bazooka. I guess there isn’t a language barrier with the names of weapons. Pulling me back to the camo section of the store, he began asking me if he could buy a pair of army pants. I told him that David had lots of military clothes they could share.

Back at home, Misha dressed in camouflage pants, while the kids got out their Nerf guns and glasses. Misha had such a wonderful time hitting his live targets. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a happier child.

Shriner's Exam

2008-09-27T02:30:00.000-04:00

Our second day with Misha, began with a late breakfast that Stephanie prepared for us. We played a few games and then got ready for our long day at Shriner's. Misha asked us if this was the day he would go to the hospital to stay. I used the computer's translator to explain that today would just be tests and x-rays so the doctors could see what all can be done for him. All the kids lovingly told him goodbye and we were off to Shriners.

As we rolled him into the waiting area he saw Alexandra, Dianne and D'mitry. He jumped out of the wheelchair and happily ran over to Alexandra just chatting away. He found a ball that had been given to D'mitry and began running around excitingly kicking and throwing it to anyone who would play with him. Seeing this abundance of energy that had suprisingly surfaced I felt it might be best to give him a serious partner, so I began kicking the ball around to him. We had a blast "horsing around" as we waited.

At Shriner's we meet Dr. David Westberry, who will be Misha's surgeon. As they preformed tests and x-rays they began telling us that removal of his legs would be done through the knee. When we asked if there was anything they could do for his hands and arms, they began explaining that in order to fix his hands they would have to break the wrist and fuse them in a straightened position. This would give him the look of normality, but would take away all the abilities he now has to feed and take care of himself. Since he can't bend his elbows, the twisted condition of his hands actually allows him to extend them up to his mouth and also gives him more flexibility.

Our goal is to do what ever can be done to help Misha become as independent as he possibly can be. Striving for perfection in his appearance at the cost of his independance would in our opinion be a selfish motive. Yet, I'm excited to know that there are always new technologies being invented that might open his world even more. We'll keep our eyes and ears open to whatever God might send to help him.

As I've watched Misha I have been so blessed by his sweet spirit and sense of humor. He shows no bitterness or anger over all that has happened to him during his short life. I can't wait to sit back and see what all God has in store for him. I believe with all my heart that God has sent Misha to us for a purpose.

After the Shriner's exam, George and Alexandra Goode came up for dinner and we had a delightful evening getting to know them better. It truly was a wonderful day!!!

Mema Johnson, our family and the Goode's having dinner

Misha proudly showing off clothes given to him by Alexandra Goode

Our First Day Together

2008-09-25T09:42:00.000-04:00

On Thursday we spent the morning just getting aquainted and taking Misha for a walk around our property. At 2:00 he had his first visit with Dr. Greg Edens. Dr Edens, his wife and entire staff were absolutely wonderful! We spent several hours in his office so that he could give Misha a complete physical. We learned that he had perfect vision and hearing in spite of a bad ear infection. After the visit we picked up an antibiotic and then came home to play with the kids.

Before bed, we plugged into Google's translator and let it interpret phrases for us. The night before, we had discovered that Misha could read and write very well in Russian. This will help our communication process tremendously. He also surprised us all at how wonderfully he could type and operate the computer.

Misha loves David's radio controlled Hummer

We have been amazed at what all he can do. That first night he had insisted on bathing and dressing himself which was a tremendous feat when one considers the twisted condition of his body. His independance demonstrates a courage I find very admirable. The next day, as I helped him remove his shirt, I began realizing that bathing himself properly was an impossible task for him to do successfully. He can't bend his elbows and his hands only have limited motion. His shoulders and arms are semi-webbed together making it impossible for him to lift his arms above his chest. In order to save his dignity, we let him wear his underwear while we bathed him. After we've helped him out of the tub, I carefully dry him and help him into his shirt. We then leave the bathroom and allow him the privacy to change his underwear and continue to dress himself. He does an amazing job. I'm so proud of him!!!

Taking a rest after a full morning

Birthing Pains

2008-09-24T15:50:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, I found myself continually becoming more nervous as the hour approached to pick Misha up from the airport. I began examining my heart over why I was feeling so much anxiousness. I knew it wasn't fear over him coming. After months of prayer and begging God to protect our family, I had a complete peace that if God brought Misha to us, it would be God's perfect will.

Misha reunites with Igor (a boy who came from Russia a couple years ago)

Three people had gone to pick up Misha and another little boy, D'mitry, from Russia. George and Alexandra Goode, as well as, D'mitry's host mother, Dianne Ewing. Alexandra called us around 7:00 pm to let us know that the flight was still on time and that they had arrived safely in Atlanta. She began telling Philip that Misha seemed like a really nice boy and was learning English very quickly. Since Dianne had come to get D'mitry, Misha asked Alexandra why his "mommy Melissa" wasn't there to pick him up. Is it possible for your emotions to be torn in two different directions? Upon hearing this, my heart broke for his disappointment, but at the same time, I rejoiced that he wanted me.

Misha and Igor

I began realizing that my fear was simply wondering if Misha was going to accept me. Could I possibly compete with the "imaginary mother" he has dreamed of for the past fifteen years? My other children hadn't had a choice. They had come into the world loving me and the nurture I could give them.

Misha and our family with George and Alexandra Goode

Slowly, people began departing the plane. I waited and eagerly watched for Misha. After a long wait, I saw the elevator open and his wheelchair coming towards our entrance. There were so many people between us that I was prevented from seeing his face at first. But then, I saw him and noticed his eyes eagerly searching the crowd. As our eyes met, we became fixed upon each other. I pushed through the crowd and began hugging and kissing him. He didn't move or seem to know how to return such affection, but I noticed a sparkle in his eye.

Deja Vu

2008-09-21T21:03:00.000-04:00

"He looks just like one of yours"! This is the comment we have heard ever since Misha's picture has hung on our refrigerator. One day I was going through some old pictures of our children and found these of my son Matt. It reminded me of one of the pictures I had received of Misha, so I compared them and this is what I saw.

Misha

Matthew

Misha

2008-09-16T07:16:00.000-04:00

The voice on the other end of the line asked Philip if we preferred a boy or a girl, and what age. She said that most likely the child wouldn’t be over nine years of age. That seemed good to us, considering that our youngest child is now ten. Since our ten year old is a girl and had an extra bed in her room we felt a girl would work best. A few days after we had made this initial decision, Philip received a call asking if we would possibly be interested in a fifteen year old boy instead! Because the family had decided on a girl and we had agreed that a younger child would be easier, Philip told her, “No, I don’t think that will work.”

That night when he was sharing with the family about his conversation, the children and I began wondering what would happen to the boy. Our minds raced, and we began rearranging our house, thinking of how this young man might fit into our family. Philip decided that I should at least call and get more information. I snuck off to a quiet part of the house to make the call in private, but it wasn’t long before my husband had snuggled up beside me with his ear to mine.

We found out that the boy’s name was Misha, and he had been born with a birth disorder called Arthrogryposis. Arthrogryposis used to be called a "throw away" disease even by those in the medical profession. Thankfully, surgery (not available in Russia) and people like Alexandra have changed that thinking.

Take a look at a few pictures of a boy named Sasha who had Arthrogryposis. These show how dramatically his life was changed.

Sasha before surgery

Sasha standing tall

The following are a few pictures of Misha taken as a child.

Misha (approximately 6 years old)

Misha and friends

Imagine having a perfectly normal mind that is filled with all sorts of hopes and dreams and being confined to a defective shell that prevents you from living a normal life. I was told that two years ago, he had been approved to come for surgery, but that the paperwork had gotten messed up and another child had come in his place. The clock was ticking away and his window of opportunity would soon be lost forever.

Misha in 2006

If a foster home was found for Misha he would come to a local hospital for surgery that would remove both legs at the knee. They needed host parents to love and care for him during this time and the months of recovery that followed. They ask that a commitment of six months be made, giving enough time for the legs to heal and adoptive parents be found. Since he had already been approved by an American Doctor who said that Misha would be a perfect candidate for prosthesis; the surgery would immensely change his quality of life. No longer would he be confined to crawling on the floor but he would actually be able to stand and walk. As tears rolled down each of our faces, Philip shook his head at me as an indication that I could tell her that we‘d like to get started.

Misha (May 2008)

The Initial Spark

2008-09-14T21:47:00.000-04:00

During the first days of March 2008, my husband, Philip, was traveling home from work and listening to Christian Talk Radio. Alexandra Goode was the guest speaker and she was sharing about her ministry to the disabled orphans of Russia. Around the dinner table that night, Philip began sharing with our family what he had heard, and our children excitedly replied, "Dad, please call and find out if we could become a foster family!"

Philip and I have always dreamed of "one day" helping orphans. At first glance, we might not appear to be the sort of family who would be interested in taking on more children. Having had eight children, three of which are now grown, one would think that I should be longing for the day my nest would be empty and I could finally have a little "me time". I admit, the thought of kicking back and relaxing sounds very appealing, but what would I do after that? I've often thought of many things I could pursue. I love archeology and have several books I hope to be able to write some day. Yet, after giving everything much thought and prayer, I could think of nothing more suitable for me than investing my life into the lives of children. My life has grown so accustomed to serving my family that I can't imagine how lonely it would be to no longer hear the precious voices that echo on the walls around me. Children are our only hope for the future. Investing in the lives of the next generation is the only way we can help instill values in our posterity. Contrary to what our culture tries to portray, I have found the life of motherhood very rewarding.

Listening to Alexandra that day sparked a dream that had lain dormant while we changed diapers and wiped dirty noses of the children God had blessed us with. It occurred to us that our youngest was now ten, and that maybe the time had come to pursue that dream. Philip made the call.