Denis James Hendriksen... It's official.

 Inside the court room... IT was a difficult day to say the least.  Bob was at the stand for over an hour getting questioned and asked difficult questions... I could do nothing but  pray. Denis and I sat on the bench behind him.  We would look at each other and I would ask Denis in Russian if he was okay. He would look up to me with a stern yes, with a bit of shame and fear in his eyes.
I never realized all that I had endured through my life was going to be for a purpose far greater than I ever imagined.  I believe my struggles in life have been worth it.

In our Homestudy it had my life story... where I lived basically everything about Bob and I.  The court wanted to know more. I had to share my life... My loss... My shame in front of my boy... BUT... Denis also had to sit there and share the shame, the hurt and the loss in his life.  It was like GOD joined us together.  GOD set me free and now GOD was using me to help set Denis free.  I can't explain the overwhelming feeling of what it was like to look into Denis eyes and to be able to speak to him without saying a word.  I knew GOD Himself was setting Denis free.  Maybe one day I will be able to proclaim what GOD has done in more detail... OR, maybe it's GOD just wrapping HIS arms around Denis and I saying... I LOVE YOU and will NEVER forsake you... YOU ARE MINE and I AM yours!

I looked at Bob and said, "GOD has used you greatly in Denis and my life.  Bob, do you even know how much you are giving us?"  My husband has grown so much in the LORD through this and so have all of us.  He is leading us to the Lord everyday and together we get to Praise the LORD.  I'm thankful for my husbands faith and for HIM listening to the LORD to not give up.


There are no words to describe what GOD has done.  There have been so many miracles along the way.  Yes, miracles that I once did not believe in or failed to see or doubted that there could be a God that would reveal Himself in such powerful ways.  GOD has revealed Himself!!!! PRAISE THE LORD!


Bob and I was sitting at the train station when we found out that if we had not switched judges that our appeal to adopt Denis would not have happened.  We see GOD's hand taking care of us when we couldn't understand during a hard time what was going on when our paperwork was pulled from the court... Maybe this is where we doubted that HE IS GOD and when HE tells us, "Do not worry"... we worried... We never stopped praying, we knew that GOD was doing something and we asked, prayed that HIS will be done. There were times we wanted to give up and the LORD would encourage us to keep moving forward... Literally picking us up to carry us.  I believe GOD wants us to have a child like faith, where we may think things are horrible at the time but that HE truly wants us to give our lives completely and speak, I don't know what HE is doing but I TRUST HIM.

Bob made it home safely to U.S.  Sarah Dutcher has made it safely to Moscow.  We will be heading out again on the 10th by train to go to Denis.  It will be a great experience for Sarah... I know it was for Bob and I. Please continue praying, we still have much to do!