You can access our main blog and see updates on the boys at thelouxfamily1.blogspot.com
God bless you and thanks so much for your prayers and support!
Hugs!
Renee', Derek and tribe of 9
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Our Boys Are Finally Home!!!
Hi to all of you! We are so pleased to announce that our boys are finally home! It was a whirlwind of a trip... lots of stories to share with you. We traveled for 48 hours in cars, trains and planes with our little guys. I've only slept 6 hours since getting home, so, I am only posting 1 picture tonight but will add more pics and update all of you, in more detail in the next few days.
Thanks again to all of you who have been praying for us. We are so humbled by your love and your kindness!
God bless you!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
2AM on the Train
Derek and Renee, Derek's mom, their friend Amy, their facilitator Sergi and ALL THREE BOYS are on the train from Novograd to Kiev. It's 2AM their time.
They are all exhausted and the boys are all sacked out asleep. It's been a lot of stimulation for the boys obviously since they have never been outside the orphanage walls, and are seeing so many things they've never seen before.
They should be at the hotel in Kiev by 3AM and will have to get up bright and early for 9AM medical appointments and a noon appointment at the US embassy for the boys!
The party went well. The worship team played some awesome upbeat worship songs and the kids LOVED it!
They fly home Saturday! We can hardly wait to see them and meet the boys!
If I hear more I'll let you all know. Continue praying for them all. For grace, strength and favor for Derek and Renee, and for peace and rest for the boys!
They are all exhausted and the boys are all sacked out asleep. It's been a lot of stimulation for the boys obviously since they have never been outside the orphanage walls, and are seeing so many things they've never seen before.
They should be at the hotel in Kiev by 3AM and will have to get up bright and early for 9AM medical appointments and a noon appointment at the US embassy for the boys!
The party went well. The worship team played some awesome upbeat worship songs and the kids LOVED it!
They fly home Saturday! We can hardly wait to see them and meet the boys!
If I hear more I'll let you all know. Continue praying for them all. For grace, strength and favor for Derek and Renee, and for peace and rest for the boys!
Brief Update
I know you're all waiting for an update.
I had a 30 sec phone call with Derek a few minutes ago.
They have the boys with them in their apartment, everything when great at the orphanage.
Derek asked me to call back later this afternoon. As he put it, "I've got to go. It's bedlam here. There are three little boys crawling all over the place, and we're trying to figure this out."
So, know that the boys are in their arms, they are happy, things are a bit crazy, and we'll get more of an update soon!
I had a 30 sec phone call with Derek a few minutes ago.
They have the boys with them in their apartment, everything when great at the orphanage.
Derek asked me to call back later this afternoon. As he put it, "I've got to go. It's bedlam here. There are three little boys crawling all over the place, and we're trying to figure this out."
So, know that the boys are in their arms, they are happy, things are a bit crazy, and we'll get more of an update soon!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Last Lap
Well, I just got a call from Renee and she, mom, and Amy have landed in Kiev safely. They are getting some lunch and then heading to the train station to catch the 7pm to Novograd Valenski. Pray for them, by the time they arrive here, they will have been traveling 30 hours. They will be so tired. Tomorrow we are hosting a goodbye party for the boys at the orphanage. The Lord has opened some really wonderful doors here. Yesterday I was asked to play music for all the kids in the orphanage (John - you're next!). I started playing an up-tempo Irish jig on my low whistle and the care-givers and kids all started clapping. We were having a great time. About fifteen minutes into it, the director came into the room and stopped everyone. I thought, "Oh shoot, he's probably former KGB and I've crossed the line. Cold basement and electric probes here I come". I was mustering all the Jack Bauer courage I could when I noticed that the director had tears streaming down his face. He looked at me and then pointed to the camera in the corner and said he had been watching and listening to all the music and heard the children clapping and singing and full of joy. He said, "Thank you so much, thank you".
Because of this favor, I've been able to get a worship team from a local church in as the "live music", for our goodbye party! This worship team is precious .... and really good. This church is so full of the life and joy of Jesus. They are really excited about being able to minister to the kids. I am hoping that this will give them a continuous open door with the director so that they can go weekly and minister to the kids. Imagine these orphans feeling the presence of their Heavenly Father on a regular basis. Nothing could help or heal them more than that!
Yesterday when I went into the orphanage to play with the boys, Ethan saw me from across the room and he threw his arms out to me and broke out into laughter. No one could believe it. The workers were all pointing and commenting about it among themselves. I was shocked. He recognized me and clearly, far more than I realized had been sinking into his little heart and mind. When I picked him up, Silas began reaching up to me and crying ... he wanted to go with me to. So, with one in each arm I made my way back to the play room. I sat them both on the bed, gave Silas a bunch of stickers to play with, and I began to play my Irish whistle in front of them. They both sat there on their own listening, and looking at me playing with big eyes of wonderment and regular smiles for around 30 minutes. Ethan seems like a sponge, just soaking up everything he can. It hit me this morning while walking the snowy streets trying to buy potatoes, I love these little boys - I feel it. They are mine and in one day, we are getting them out of here and into a whole new world. Starting tomorrow, we will not visit them anymore, they will be ours forever and wherever we go they will be with us. I think I've felt some of the emotions of Jesus in John 17 when he cried out, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am ..."
Because of this favor, I've been able to get a worship team from a local church in as the "live music", for our goodbye party! This worship team is precious .... and really good. This church is so full of the life and joy of Jesus. They are really excited about being able to minister to the kids. I am hoping that this will give them a continuous open door with the director so that they can go weekly and minister to the kids. Imagine these orphans feeling the presence of their Heavenly Father on a regular basis. Nothing could help or heal them more than that!
Yesterday when I went into the orphanage to play with the boys, Ethan saw me from across the room and he threw his arms out to me and broke out into laughter. No one could believe it. The workers were all pointing and commenting about it among themselves. I was shocked. He recognized me and clearly, far more than I realized had been sinking into his little heart and mind. When I picked him up, Silas began reaching up to me and crying ... he wanted to go with me to. So, with one in each arm I made my way back to the play room. I sat them both on the bed, gave Silas a bunch of stickers to play with, and I began to play my Irish whistle in front of them. They both sat there on their own listening, and looking at me playing with big eyes of wonderment and regular smiles for around 30 minutes. Ethan seems like a sponge, just soaking up everything he can. It hit me this morning while walking the snowy streets trying to buy potatoes, I love these little boys - I feel it. They are mine and in one day, we are getting them out of here and into a whole new world. Starting tomorrow, we will not visit them anymore, they will be ours forever and wherever we go they will be with us. I think I've felt some of the emotions of Jesus in John 17 when he cried out, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am ..."
Monday, January 19, 2009
Update for Derek and Renee
I just got off the phone with Renee who was in airport in Chicago headed to Ukraine. Pray for Renee, Derek's mom, and their friend Amy as they travel today.
At Derek's last visit to the orphanage, he discovered that there has been an outbreak of chicken pox or measles at the orphanage. Please pray that their three boys are not affected by the virus so that their trip home is not delayed in any way.
I'm hoping Derek can update you on the whole story himself sometime soon, but I'll give you the short and sweet version so that you can be praying. They have been given permission to bring in a worship team from a local church on the day of their farewell party at the orphanage. This means that they can worship and pray over all of the children at the orphanage on Wednesday! This is such an amazing blessing and we are rejoicing as a family at the favor of God in all of this. So if you're up bright and early Wednesday morning, please join them all in prayer- 6AM Cent time, 2PM Ukraine time!
Hope we all get a more detailed post from Derek soon, but I wanted to get you all praying NOW!
Blessings, Tracie
At Derek's last visit to the orphanage, he discovered that there has been an outbreak of chicken pox or measles at the orphanage. Please pray that their three boys are not affected by the virus so that their trip home is not delayed in any way.
I'm hoping Derek can update you on the whole story himself sometime soon, but I'll give you the short and sweet version so that you can be praying. They have been given permission to bring in a worship team from a local church on the day of their farewell party at the orphanage. This means that they can worship and pray over all of the children at the orphanage on Wednesday! This is such an amazing blessing and we are rejoicing as a family at the favor of God in all of this. So if you're up bright and early Wednesday morning, please join them all in prayer- 6AM Cent time, 2PM Ukraine time!
Hope we all get a more detailed post from Derek soon, but I wanted to get you all praying NOW!
Blessings, Tracie
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