Fields of the Fatherless

By C. Thomas Davis...

One of the most convicting books I have read in a very long time.
Introduction:
In this world you are an orphan eagerly anticipating your adoption as God's child.
In this world you are a widow, longing for reunion with your Bridegroom.
In this world you are a stranger, a pilgrim waiting to become a citizen of heaven.
And in this world, God has called you to care for the orphan, the widow and the stranger.

"God gave the responsibility to care for the defenseless to those claiming to be followers of Christ. It is through our hands the Father's love comes. It is through our voices His voice is heard, it is through our efforts and those of the church that His care is revealed to the ones the rest of the world has forgotten. "

Why reach out??? "God calls His people to reach out to the defenseless because they are the neediest. Without our help, they die early deaths, they are swept into lives of poverty, they make bad decisions and end up in jail." "One person has the ability to completely revolutionize the life of an abandoned child, a foreigner who is here to study or work, a single mom, or an elderly widow."

True compassion is Involvement.

As most of you know reading this blog, our journey began when God brought into our home a 11 year old young man named Ihar from Belarus. During his visit to our home, God showed us His great love for Ihar by causing us to fall in love with his child. He is the ours even though we are unable to adopt. God gave him to us to love, to nurture to give hope too. Although Ihar was unable to come to America this past summer, God provided by placing Ihar in my host family (Atroshkin family) home for the summer. While their daughter, Liza, came to our home.

Ihar needs to know we are still there for him and that we still love him like a son. His biggest desire has been for Rommy and me to both come to Belarus this Christmas. While I have been unable to see how this could happen, God has used one very special person to pay our passage to Belarus. Still there are other funds we need...but yet God is showing us He has more work for us to do and the orphans in Belarus are part of that work. So while we are unsure about the rest of the funds, we are reaching out and trusting God in His unliminted resources and will go and get involved in these orphanages to a deeper level. Our trip begins December 28. There are so many orphans (like Ihar) who need to experience the Hope of Jesus. How can they know this hope if no one is willing to go?

Please pray for us. We love you all.

Letter of Thanks!

I thought I would post the letter I rec'd from Belarus. It is from Anzhelika, Liza's Mother, and Ihar's caregiver for the summer. Lena works at ABRO Belarus. She is a wonderful lady who speaks excellent English! She has been a big help to me with Ihar. :-)

A letter from Anzhelika

Dear Marta and your Family,

We want to wholeheartedly thank you for your care and love for our entire family. Liza enjoyed so much the time she spent in your family and she will always remember these 6 weeks. Every day of them was full of joy! May the Lord bless you for your kindness and your love!

A little about us.

We have had a rather cold summer this year with plenty of rains.
The favorite pastime of David and Ihar is soccer, sure.
Ihar loves you very and misses not being with you this summer.
On the night Liza and Anhelina returned, he was not sleeping.
He was eager to get to know how you were doing.
He was so excited to get the gifts you sent him.
He was so happy and we were happy for him!

We met Adam in the church only once but Ihar and David were in the country on that day and they did not meet.

Dearest Marta,

Again, we are very grateful to you and your Family for everything.
We will be happy to meet with you here if you come to Belarus again.
With much love, our entire Family



Dear Marta,

And here are thanks coming from me, Lena .
Thank you very much for your care and remembrance.
It was so kind of you to think about me too and to send the gifts through Tatiana.
You have so many people you care about!!!!
I really was deeply moved by it.

You are very special and Tatiana spoke so highly of you!
I wish you and your Family lots of God’s blessings!

Today is our last day before the vacation. All groups have returned safely! Praise the Lord!!!!
Please write us when we are back in the office and I am always glad to be of any help to you.

I am writing through Mark as I feel that messages from here do not get to you for some reason.

With much love, Lena

Weeks 4, 5 & 6 - Liza's Visit

Where did all the time go? Liza and her group left Sunday, August 2. They arrived safe in Belaurs on Monday around 7:00 pm our time (2:00 am their time). These last few weeks, we spent much time with Tatiana (our chaperone); group activities (with the other children who flew to America with Liza); visiting her sister, Angelina, in Pinnacle, NC with her host family; bowling; a trip to the zoo; a trip to Carowinds; shopping; Vacation Bible School; swimming; watching movies (Liza's favorite channel on TV was the Hallmark channel)....and a day of straigtening her hair to look like Hannah Montana....

She is different from our little boy, Ihar. So it was a very different experience for us. She returned to Belarus bearing gifts for Ihar from us as well as gifts for her family. Their views on family are much different than ours here in America.

We are having to make a decision on a trip to Belarus over Christmas soon. Miranda leaves for South Korea on Aug. 17 so our family lives will change again very soon. Amazing how much spice children add to life!!!

Liza's Visit Week 2 & 3

As you can see from our pictures...we took Liza to Oak Island for a Tarlton Family Vacation. That means staying in my in-laws trailer and enjoying God's creation every day! Liza absolutely loves the ocean! She kept wanting to go further and further out to "ride the waves". We had beautiful weather! We came back home on Saturday, July 4 in plenty of time to watch the fireworks.

Liza enjoys spending time with Ethan (my nephew) and had a blast bowling w/Ethan.

Today we went swimming with some friends from church. Liza has made new American friends, Abigail and Emma. She had great fun with them!

Liza's favorite foods are pizza and chicken nuggets from McDonalds!

Meet Liza! aka "Lizaveta Atroshkina"

Liza arrived on Sunday, June 21, 2009. Her plane landed around 3:30 and after a long wait in customs she and the group she traveled with made their appearance around 5:00 pm. She is the oldest daughter of the family I stayed with in Belarus. She came bearing chocolates for Rommy & Zack, and hand creams for Miranda and myself! Plus she came with letters from her Mama and Ihar (in Russian of course)....! Ihar is upset he could not come but he is happy spending the summer with Liza's family in Belarus.

We have had a busy week. She called her mother in Belarus and her two sisters who are visiting with other families here in America. We have been swimming, shopping with our chaperone, a trip to the dentist, to see the play Cinderella at Matthews Playhouse, watching TV, seeing a movie, meeting my Russian co-workers at Target, and playing with Ethan. Not to mention meeting Rommy's entire family for dinner one night. She is tired and happy!

God is good all the time! Love you all!

God is Still on the Move!

It has been a long time since I have written! The Government of America and Belarus were not able to come to an agreement so the orphans and children in foster families will not be able to come to America this summer. Yes, that does mean my little boy, Ihar. Only he's not really so little (he is 12 years old)! He will be 13 years old on July, 25. Only the children who have families are allowed to travel to America.

We have been absolutely heart broken over this but God does has a plan and a purpose and His will is perfect. And we are trying to rest in that. We decided to invite Liza Atroshkin. She is the oldest daughter of my host family in Belarus. We shared a bed most of the nights (remember they have 7 children and only a 2 bedroom apartment) and she and I became great friends. She does speak some English and is so mature for her age. She went everywhere with Ihar and me and so they are good friends too! Here is a picture of Liza with Ihar. Liza would like to go to the university and learn to teach English for the schools in Belarus when she grows up.

Since my return to America in January, my host family have been getting Ihar out of the orphanage on Saturdays/Sundays and taking him to their church (most weekends). Inviting Liza to our house is a way to help her, help my host family and yes, even help Ihar.

I was able to call Ihar for the first time since coming home from Belarus!!! He is at my host family home and I cannot begin to tell you just how good it was to hear his voice!!!!!! I talked way too fast for him to understand everything I said. However, I know God will use it to remind him, how special he is and that he is loved so very very much. He told me "I love you too very very very very much!" It was priceless. There was much excitement at their home when they found out it was "Mata" from America calling! Now for the exciting news, Liza told me on the telephone that Ihar stay with their family this summer! He will stay with David (their oldest child) while Liza and her 2 sisters are in America! So while my heart grieves, God continues to show me He has not fogotten Ihar.

I will keep you posted on our visit with Liza. Thanks for praying for us, for Ihar and for the children of Belarus. There is such hopelessness in that part of the world....but my host family has HOPE as their HOPE is in the Lord.

Pictures and Favorite Memories from Belarus...

Ihar standing in front of a cross
at a Russian Orthodox Church










Here's a link to my web album. Just click it on to view my pictures. I Love you all...thanks for praying for me! Marta

http://picasaweb.google.com/rdtarlton/ChristmasInBelarus?authkey=denz253M83Q&feat=email#

Some of my favorite memories while I was in Belarus:

- Seeing Ihar the first full day I was there. He was waiting for me by the front door of the orphanage. He threw himself into my arms.....for a giant hug!

-The times Ihar told me how much he loved me....over and over again!

-Watching God work in the arrangements with the Orphanage Director in getting Ihar everyday till 8:00 pm.

-Worshipping God in the two churches that profess His Holy Name. And hearing praises flow from the Belarussians singing. And sitting in these churches knowing that Ihar was hearing about our God in his own language

-Praying mornings and evenings with my host family. And being able to share my testimony with them.

-Visiting the orphanages and seeing the precious children God has not forgotten. Also when Adam played the piano and sang with an orphan "How Great Is Our God" in Russian at Cherikvo Shelter.

-Taking Ihar to the pizza place. Waching him enjoy pizza, coca-cola, and ice cream!

Some of my least favorite moments!:

-Learning my family has a pet. A "house mouse" named "Sima". Sima is actually a RAT and not a mouse. He lives in a small cage right next to the kitchen sink. These are my least favorite animals so anyone who knows me it was God's grace that helped me endure!

-Watching my family wash dishes with water and a rag, no dish detergent used. Knowing I would be eating off of those dishes again. And 4 of the children were sick with a stomach virus and high fevers.

-Being in the bathroom knowing the door would open on me at any moment!

-Night times after I had to return Ihar to his orphanage. I cried all the way back to my host family home every night.

-Having to say "Good-Bye" to Ihar and not knowing if I will get to see him this summer. (At this time the Goverenments of USA and Belarus do not have an agreement signed for the orphans to return. And Ihar is a orphan)