Petition For Help

I have been struggling lately with feeling like things aren't working out the way we had planned. We worked so hard to get all our paperwork done as quickly as possible, so that we could hopefully have Olena home with us by the holidays. We have done everything in our power to make this a possibility and now it is out of our hands. That is the hardest thing to deal with. We want our daughter home as quickly as we can but we have no control over whether or not we get an appointment this year. We are praying fervently that we will be traveling this year, but that is all we can do. But, even though I am worried about it, I am not giving up hope that we will make it over there this year.

We are able to write to Olena and call her as often as we want to. It is harder for her to respond, but we get messages passed on to us by her director. I received this just today! " Olena teaches English and prays to God when the time of your meeting. Olena you, all loves. We love you very much and we kiss deeply. Olena sends you all a huge hello. Melanie. So long."
The messages are never long but they are always very meaningful. I know people wonder how we can know that she is our daughter and how we can love her, when we only knew her for 2 weeks. That is a  fair question. My only response is that we just know. Unless you have felt it, you can't adequately explain how you know something is true. You just do. She is ours and she is meant to be here with us.

Yesterday, after speaking with a new friend, one I believe will become a great friend, I learned that Olena had been here to the USA once before. She had come last summer with a group and stayed with a family in LA. She had the opportunity to have a family want her and no one did. She felt rejected and probably unloved. She has seen so much sadness in her short life and when she arrived here in Utah, she knew why she was here and didn't want anything to do with it. She didn't want to get her heart broken again. But we saw a different girl then others saw the first couple of weeks she was here. She laughed and played and loved. She opened herself up to our family and we to her. We found each other.

This is where you all come in.


WE NEED YOU! We NEED your fervent prayers for us to get a court date this year. We have done all we can do it is in the Lords hands now. Please help us petition him.

Yes we still need financial help. We do have a long way to go. We have to be up to date with our fees before we can travel. So our short term goal at the moment is to raise $9300. SO, Please look in your hearts, and wallets, and the hearts and wallets of your friends and help us bring our daughter home - We can only save her life with your help!!!

I know there may be others that need help at this time of year. And I am sure that some of you are thinking that we got ourselves into this, why should you help us. But please remember this
Olena has no one else fighting for her. We are the only ones that want her. The Ukrainian government won't fight for her, her biological parents won't fight for her, not even her living siblings will fight for her. They are all to addicted to drugs and alcohol to care about her. No one else will fight for her.

But we will. With the help of you, we can save her life.