Today, on May 19th, 2015, after 2 ½ hours
in court, the judge officially approved our petition to adopt Igor! She also approved our petition to change his
name to Isaac Benjamin Jacobs. We thought
and prayed over his name change for a long time, discussing it at length with
Isaac on our last visit. He was very
excited about his new name, and chose not to keep Igor in his name at all.
His name is full of significance. Just as we are given a new name when we are
adopted into God’s family signifying a death to our old self and a birth to new
life and inheritance, so Isaac’s new name represents death to his status as
orphan and new life in a family.
Isaac – Abraham and Sarah waited for a long time for
God to fulfill His promise to them in giving them their son, Isaac. We, too, have waited for a long time for God to finish
this adoption and to gift us with Isaac.
Fortunately, for us, God did not ask us to wait 25 years! (Genesis 15-21)
Isaac
means “laughter” and Isaac bring much joy and exuberance to our home.
Benjamin – Benjamin means “son of my right
hand.” Galatians 4:7 says we are no longer a slave
but a son and an heir. In the same way, Isaac
Benjamin is no longer an orphan. He is
now a son.
Jacobs – By taking the Jacobs name Isaac now has a
family. He has an inheritance. He will be surrounded with love and
encouragement. Romans 8:15-17 says, “For
you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have
received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our
spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God
and fellow-heirs with Christ.”
When we are adopted by God we get a “daddy”, a
father. Abba means “papa, or
daddy.” Isaac now has daddy!
Although our judge intimidated me in the first few
minutes as she walked in and began the proceedings with a very stern face, as
court proceeded we could see that she had a warm heart and seemed genuinely
happy that Isaac would now have a family.
This was her first adoption case and she wanted to be very thorough so
court took longer than we were anticipating.
After court we took Isaac, the orphanage director,
and our facilitator and translator out to lunch to celebrate. Tonight we will spend the night in Balta so
that we can spend time with Isaac at the orphanage tomorrow before we take a
bus back to Odessa.
Ukraine has a law that there must be a 10 day
waiting period after a petition for adoption is granted in order to allow any
family to step in and assume legal responsibility for the child. After the 10 days, only one parent needs to
be present to return to court and pick up the court decree and the child. Then it takes 10-12 days to complete all the
necessary paperwork with the child before he can leave the country. Because Ashley is graduating from high school
on June 6th, we are delaying our return to Ukraine by one week so
that I have the opportunity to attend all of Ashley’s graduation events. On June 7th, Josiah and I will fly
back to Odessa, and on June 9th we will pick up Isaac and begin the
paperwork chase.
Our hearts are overflowing with praise to God for all He has accomplished for us!
Psalm 146
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord while I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom
there is no salvation.
His spirit departs, he returns to the earth;
In that very day his thoughts perish.
How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
(the God of the Jacobs!!)
Whose hope is in the Lord his God;
Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is
in them;
Who keeps faith forever;
Who executes justice for the oppressed;
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
The Lord protects the strangers;
He supports the fatherless and the widow;
But He thwarts the way of the wicked.
The Lord will reign forever, thy God, O Zion, to all
generations.
Praise the Lord!
