Creating a Family in the Midst of War
Donation protected
Many of you know that my daughter, Claire Clark, started a journey in 2018 to bring two Ukrainian children into her home permanently. Claire hosted N and B (names need to be kept confidential) for the summer of 2018 and the following winter. Ukraine denied the application for her to adopt them at that time. In the ensuing four years, they kept in touch through video chats, voice messages, and Christmas packages.
As time passed, N (now 18) aged out of the orphanage and began attending college in the fall of 2021. When the war started, all the schools shut down, and she spent weeks in a bomb shelter, losing nearly all the few earthly things she possessed as her city was shelled and invaded by the Russians early on in the war. Through support from Claire and, ultimately, the Lord, N was able to get to Poland, where she spent nearly two months in a refugee camp. From there, we got N to Portugal for increased safety. She reunited with Claire at the end of May and began the complicated US visa process that took them from Portugal to Germany to the Middle East and then finally home to the US a month later.
On the other hand, B was evacuated two days after the war began in February. This is an amazing rescue story of God’s divine intervention as the leaders of Father’s House (the orphanage) brought over 50 children from Ukraine safely to Germany. You can read the miracles for yourselves at https://www.facebook.com/otchiy.dim as they recorded the evacuation starting February 24.
While in Germany for embassy interviews, Claire and N were reunited with B for a week! After many tears of joy for the reunification of this brother and sister pair, we had to leave him behind because laws at that time made it impossible for us to take B (a minor) out of Europe legally.
Miraculously, in the past three weeks, we received notification that the Ukrainian laws for guardianship have drastically changed. We have been contacted by a Ukrainian lawyer and social worker, as well as the director from B’s orphanage in Germany, who stated they would assist N in getting guardianship of her brother and bringing him to the United States to live with Claire. Only God could make this happen.
It is all MIRACULOUS!! TO GOD BE ALL GLORY!!!
We now know this means that Claire and N must travel to Europe to sign documents, fly to Germany to pick up B and sign documents, and fly back to the US. Unfortunately, this unconventional story does not qualify for traditional adoption scholarships; this is why we need the people of God, as they are led, to assist in our journey!
Here’s a list of prayer needs as we move forward with faith to believe in God for more than we can ask or imagine:
- For God to make a way for N to travel with Claire out of the country and the ability to get back to the US along with B.
- Safety for all those who travel.
- Finances for all needs currently known and those unknown
- Healing and wholeness for N and B with all they’ve been through
- Healing and wholeness for Claire, along with divine wisdom to parent two orphans from a war-torn country
Here’s a list of physical/financial needs this money will go towards:
- Immigration Lawyer costs and immigration entry fees
- Plane tickets for multiple flights
- Transportation costs when on the ground
- Hotel/AIRBNB stays
- Furnishing a room at home for B
- Rebuilding a wardrobe for both B and N - especially for winter
- Extraneous fees (likely there will be Ukrainian lawyer/court fees paid once we get there, but we don’t know for sure yet)
Thank you in advance for your prayers, love, and support as we witness God working in our midst in this amazing miracle. The money raised will go directly to Claire and the children for the above mentioned items for travel, fees, and setting up her home as a family of three.
Lori Schuerman
Organizer
Lori Schuerman
Organizer
Algoma, WI