yonas

where do i start.  it's been so long since i posted about Yonas because it's been almost a year since we last received an update.  for six months we've been trying to arrange another Skype visit.  finally, last Friday, it happened. 

 

wow, what can i say??  Layla took a cell phone picture of our Skype exchange, so maybe i should start there....

 

isn't he sweet looking??  as far as how he is doing, this is what i wrote to the sponsorship families.....

 

"As is expected with a pretty big language barrier, communication is tricky. We asked lots of the usual questions, and he was finding it difficult to understand most of what we asked, so Betty, the Kingdom Vision International worker, translated for us.

Basically, the gist of it is this. He is well, feeling good and taking his meds. He is on summer break now~ he just finished grade nine and is going into tenth grade in the fall. He is 15 years old, but really doesn’t look it. His enjoys studying geography. He likes to play soccer.  When I asked about his home it was translated that things were ok, not the best, but ok…He does get food, but again the translator suggested that for a boy of his age and with his medical status, he wasn’t having nutritional needs met as well as they should be.

I meant to ask him if he had any questions for us, but forgot. :) It was a bit overwhelming. I reminded him that we all loved him, prayed regularly for him, and were so thankful to have the chance to see him. He got to see four of our kids as well, which seemed to make him smile. He said thank-you and 'I love you'…..oh my heart….

Because of the great difficult we had in arranging this visit, I have asked if we could switch to a communication model like Compassion uses, by regular snail mail.  The KVI staff seems to like this idea. If it happens, I will keep you posted."

 

so, there is the latest.  my ongoing prayer is that Yonas will see his God-given potential met, whether with a forever family, or not.  that he would know the love of Jesus in his day-to-day life, and see his future unfold as he must dream about (i hope he still dreams about a future).  that he would feel loved and warm and safe.  that he would have his spiritual, emotional and physical needs met.  man, do i wish that for him....as i said to a friend, when i think about Yonas i waffle between feeling peaceful and frantic, sad and frustrated, and so it goes... seeing this child struggle from afar is hard...also if you know of any family who would seriously consider adoption of an older child with medical needs, please share Yonas' story with them.  i believe in miracles.  we are living with one right here in our home! :)  thanks for caring and praying for Yonas!