What is impossible for God?

What is impossible for God?
Nothing is impossible for God...
On October 12  This picture shows up on my Facebook 

and my world around me stopped ...and my life is now forever changed.  This face of a child  4,221 miles away in Latvia that was praying for a family, God puts on my Facebook, from a Facebook page I have never heard of or ever liked.  They had posted many pictures but not just any of the pictures were on my wall just this one at the very moment I was scrolling down the Facebook wall. 
 Nothing is impossible for God.  
  
Some of you may know this story but I felt lead to share this story for those that may not. 

Our family decided to not host this child but to host a younger one instead. We then found out that the younger boy we were going to host had been adopted. They told us we would have to pick another child to come for Christmas, and they sent me an email with a list of pictures of about 7 or so pictures of children from the Ukraine.  I just didn't feel that these were it but I clicked on one picture to see if it would give me their bio, but when i clicked it, it took me to another link, and on that link was this picture of Aloizs again.  I picked up the phone and called New Horizons for Children.  I asked her about Aloizs and she told me there wasn't a link to the pictures she sent me.
What is impossible for God?

I then told her he was the first child I had seen and was the reason we were even hosting to begin with...she said well he is from Latvia and Latvia is now closed their hosting for Christmas, and they would have to ask if they could reopen it so he could be hosted. she said she couldn't make any promises but she would ask and call me back.
What is impossible for God?

Within 10 minutes she calls me back and says you are not going to believe this he is still available, they are closed but have left this boy opened for hosting... She was so shocked and said wow this is meant to be
What is impossible for God?

We then hosted Aloizs an you know the rest, I have fallen in love with this child like my very own.
nothing is impossible for God, He hears and answers prays and does the impossible because He can.  Mallory said it is like God holds the world in His hands and looks down at it like it is Google Earth, and takes His fingers to zoom in on a life that is praying and sees Aloizs in Latvia and then zooms over NC and sees the Bell family...and then Says, nothing is impossible and crosses our paths from 4,221 miles away.  

We serve a Great Big God with a Great Big Heart that loves us all and Nothing is impossible for Him

Aloizs and Jesus

What a beautiful time of conversation with Aloizs.  His depth and love never stop amazing me.  He mentioned to me yesterday that he prays for us everyday.  Love that so much! Also he shares with me today after I told him Jesus loves him he says he loves Jesus.  How precious is that when a child says those words, especially a child that is not in church or around Christians.  The Salvation Army must of made an impact on his life while he was there a year ago or so.  I am so thankful for that ministry that is reaching the world for Christ.  He so longs to be here with a family and God has heard his prayers, and is answering those prayers.  I sit in awe of God's awesomeness today.  God knows the heart, and the pureness of our prayers, and that is what reaches the Throne of God.  
We are very thankful today that we sold our 66 Mustang and it only took 2 days to sell!  We got exactly what we needed for our paper work that needs to be mailed off Monday!  Praising God for His continuing Hand that is making all of this happen.  Still praying this will continue to happen quickly and smoothly, for Aloizs.  He told me he waits for me everyday.  
The Child has been waiting on a family for 15 years, I don't want him to wait anymore than he has too.  He told me we are his only family he has and he can't wait to see us again.  
We asking for your help and support, will you be apart of God's plan of answering Aloizs' prayers?

If you would like to be apart of Blessing Aloizs there are several ways to do so,

• pray, we need your prayers and so does he
• purchase your Valentines gift from the Bell's by emailing me for details at melaniebell712@gmail.com
• make a tax deductible donation of any amount to Open Door Adoption Agency, by mailing a check with Tony & Melanie Bell on the memo line of the check

  Payable to:

  An Open Door Charitable Fund
  P.O. Box 4
  Thomasville, GA 31799-1795                                             
   
• Or make your donation online at: 

when donating online on the item line: Dedication or Gift(Option) type Tony and Melanie Bell         
https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=581703392&vlrStratCode=ikte7ptBeiZU57MdtOF65ngxyljIB1nE34co5o5pJCFyqurnHU%2feAuzV5bKg4OQI 

• Every amount helps and adds up!  

Thank you so much for all of you that have been so supportive to our family through this journey so far.  Love you all!  Melanie

Thanking God for our Loving Aloizs

I have come to a point of change in prayers, instead of "Why God have you done this to me" to "Thank you God for doing this to me"
I wish I could share all of the messages from Aloizs with you but I feel that that would be wrong, it would be blogging his personal feelings.  I don't think I would want someone to do that to me, but I do share one on one sometimes but blogging that seems like a violation of privacy.  But I would love to share just how precious this child is.  I think for so long this loving child has had all of this love bottled up in side with no one to show it to or to love him for it to be released.  I told my kids I think our family loved him and tapped into a spring of love, and Mallory said and then it exploded.  

So I am so thankful for this time of seeing such a loving child have a family to express his love to.  It is absolutely beautiful.  He has even sent messages about how he loves our church. 

Thank you for all of your support and continued prayers.  Specific prayers  for Aloizs protection for his now and peace and Hope in his future.

So here is our rough Timeline of our process:  

• Get official notification that he is available (done)
• send in Adoption application (done)
• passports (done)
• get approved by the adoption agency
• Start and finish our home study (approx 1-3 months)
• approval for international adoption
• Aloizs saying yes to being apart of our family
• Scheduling of our first travel date.  We will have to make 3 trips to Latvia.  The first being 3 weeks long,  we will be allowed to bring him back home with us on a special visa 
• Possible Summer hosting for 5 weeks if our travel for our first trip to Latvia will be later than the summer.
• Our 2nd trip for 3 days (which Aloizs will travel back to Latvia with us)
• 3rd trip for a week. (which Aloizs will travel back to Latvia)
• 4 post placement visits (after 1 month, after 3  months, after 1 year and after 2 years)

So we have a long way to go and a lot more steps that are not listed.  Thank you for your prayers.  We long for that first trip to Latvia.  Love you all!  Melanie

Getting to know Aloizs even miles away

I am not sure why God has called me to be there for Aloizs?  Sometimes I feel the task is very heavy and other times I feel honored that God has chosen me to reach out to this most precious boy who lives so far away.  Another week has gone by, it is hard to believe he has been gone a week.  I thought with a little time it would get easier, but I am finding it is getting harder. My burden for him gets heavier, I have cried more in the last 5 weeks than I think I have in years.  Those of you that know me, know I am not a cry baby, when in fact I usually try to be the strong one in the group.  I have felt weak through all of this, but now I am starting to see that my tears are not that of weakness but of compassion and love at a new level that I have never been at.  A level that I feel is only God given.  When you are broken for what Breaks God's heart, it is an experience I can't say that I have ever been at. I love children and feel a great call on my life for all children.  But this level is one I have never been at.  
So I daily pour into this most loving and hurting child all hours of the day and night, I feel as though I am weak, but this task is not for the weak, but the strong in Christ.  
I average about 70 messages a day with Aloizs and many are those to reassure him, to help him through his tears and pain.  I get about 4 hours of sleep a night, and spend several hours translating every word he sends me and every word I send him.  While in the mean time keeping up with all of my other many responsibilities of ministry and my children.  I not in no way patting my self on the back, because I am not able to do anything with out Christ.  I felt the need to share my heart, and the reason for my tears.  I also have many of you who are pouring into me that I am thankful for your support that I can lean on you for this time in my life.
To share a little about our Aloizs, He has said to me that God has sent me to him, and he loves God. This means so much to me that he recognizes who is in control.  And gives God the glory.  He continually tells me he loves me in everyone of the many messages a day.  He cries and grieves every night and pours out his heart to me.  Sometimes I wish more of this would of come out when he was here, so I could hug him.  It is so hard to hear how sad and hurt he is and not be able to hug him.  So only through translated words do I try to reach out in love to him.  He said He feels alone in Latvia, and I told him he is not alone, that Jesus is with him in Latvia and he is not alone on this Earth, because he has us, that love him. It must of made him feel better because he finally went to bed at 11:00pm tonight, first time he has been that early since he has been back.  
A week ago while Aloizs was still here during one of my crying closet time melt downs I prayed and asked God why he did this to me?  Not that it is about me, but why God brought him to me...The next morning I woke up to read my devotional and the verse said...
Colossians 1:27 CEV ...(Contemporary English Version) 
(I had been using this version for translating to Aloizs so it was still on this version.)...
27 "God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his wonderful mystery.  And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and He is your hope of sharing in God's Glory."
So that answered my question, love how God just put that exact scripture to that exact moment. He really is a God of Love.  Through all of this, God is saying Jesus lives in us and is our HOPE, for God's Glory and everything he calls us to do should reflect this.  My eyes have been opened to a whole new level of Faith in God, If we are obedient to Him with our life and seek Him, He can reveal more of who He is.  
So tears of weakness I don't think so, tears of being overwhelmed with God's love and goodness, I think so. I am humbled tonight with God's call.   Love you all!

Process has started

Thank you for your continued prayers.  Aloizs seems to be doing better.  He messages me about 30 times a day, which I am thankful we have the social network in Latvia and that he has computers in the orphanage.  I really don't think he would make it without it.  (and i wouldn't either) He even messages me through the night for me but during school for him.  They have computers in the library at his school.  They are 7 hours ahead in Latvia, so at 12:00am here and 7:00am there he is up ready for school and checking in with me.  He really has to have constant connection or he worries.  He is still so fragile.  Today I meet with a friend for lunch and when I left he had been messaging me and it said "Where are you, why are you not writing me".  He really is precious and very tender, more tender than I knew when he was here.
I talked with the chaperone that lives in his orphanage, she is still here in America, so I thought I would call and talk with her one more time before she leaves.  I told her we really miss him and she said she knows he really misses us, because she has never seen him on the social network so much.  said he use to never get on the computer.  She said now he is on all the time, so I knew he had to be talking with you.  She is also friends with both of us on SN, and it tells who is online.  
She is really sweet and a God sent.  She also said she would take care of him for me and I didn't need to worry about him.  I really appreciate her.  Love how God worked it out for her to be here for me to get to know.
We have got our application for adoption sent in, finally, took longer than I wanted. But I am glad this first step is finished.  We now move to the next step which will cost $4000.  This will be our first big hurdle.  We are trusting God to make a way so this process can move quickly.  
We are taking orders for our "Double Love Bouquets"  candy bouquets for  Valentines day, Showing love to your sweetheart and showing love to our Aloizs.  Pictures and prices to come.  We figured everyone will be purchasing a gift for their loved ones for Valentines why not get your gift from us:)  If you are interested let me know.  
Thank you for your prayers!  We have good moments and not so good moments, but we have Hope.  Love you all! 

Thankful for friends

Tonight my heart is still heavy and I am still not in the best shape, but I am so thankful for the friends God has placed in my life.  I have never needed others like I do now, I am so thankful for all of you that are walking right with me through this.  I can not tell you enough how thankful I am for all of you!!!  
Aloizs still needs your prayers his hard times are from 6pm-11pm his time so that is 11:00am-4:00pm our time.  I really think it might be that it is going into night time, which was when we played our family UNO and then Tony and I would kiss him good night and pray with him.  I think that was his favorite time in our home.  I think the night time was what meant the most to him, so that is when he misses us the most.  He has sent more messages today about wanting to be with us, and the one that gets me the most "I love you with all my heart you're my momma"  He is grieving.  He told me he can't look at the photo album we made him because it makes him too sad.  
With your help and prayers though we can turn this around for this precious boy that so desperately wants a family.  We have had 5 fund raising ideas come in this week!  Thank you all so much!  From singing benefits, to chicken stews, to yard sales, Jewelry parties, and so much more.  You guys are just the best!!  Our first one is one our family will be doing, we are going to be selling Candy Bar Bouquets for Valentines!  It will be "Double Love" fund raiser:) Show love to your special someone and while at the same time showing love to Aloizs, by helping make his dreams come true.  Be looking for more info on how to preorder your bouquet for Valentines:)
Love you all! 

First 2 days apart

Well these first two days have been very hard.  I don't think I have any tears left in my head.  I have heard from Aloizs over 40 times within the last 2 days.  He over and over says he wants to be with us, He loves me with his whole heart and he is sad.  One message said I cry , I cry, I cry because I want to be with you.  It rips my heart out.  Of course I reply to every message, with reassurance that we love him, and that I miss him too.  but I got to the point last night I was very worried about him.  His messages started to scare me that he was grieving himself too much. On our training day there was a man there that spoke he had been an orphan in Russia and he said through his teen years of about 3 years in the orphanage over there he had 11 teens commit suicide in his facility.  So I was so worried,  I sent him a message and said that we are sad we are apart but we need to be happy that we can be together again.  I think that helped, he sent me another message and said he was not crying and was heading to school.  
Please join me in continuing to pray for him.  He is very upset and having a hard time being apart.  Not all of them do this.  If you look at the picture of the group of children in the Germany airport on my fb page most of them are happy...not Aloizs.  I even read a post from a host mom that said her hosted child packed 4 days early she was so excited about going back.  and others said the something. We were told in training, that they get excited about going back because they have been on the coolest vacation ever, and they can't wait to tell each other what they did or what the got.  They go home with new suitcases full of all new things.  But with some like Aloizs, they just want a family, and God puts together something beautiful like he did with us and you just can't live without it.  I grieve and hurt like it is a death and I know he feels the same, it has actually brought me strength to have to lift him up.  To have to say we need to be happy God has brought us together and he will again.  Please pray about how you can help us bring Aloizs back home.  God may have brought me a 6'2" 14 yr old but he is still my new baby that I can't wait to bring back home.  We are starting our fund raising, please help me bring my baby home.  Love you all!