She Has A Name


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She has a name. Marina. I never liked calling her “M”, per orphan hosting rules. I get it. Privacy. Protection. But she has a name. When a child lives in an orphanage, they already feel nameless.

God knew her name before He laid the foundation of the world. He knew the name she would have for 14 years. He knew the name she would receive right before her 14th birthday. And He knew the name she would be to Him. The name that only He could give her. No court. No man. Only God. Daughter.

Today, praise God, she is Marina Worth. It gets better. Her baby sister is Gabriella Worth. She has a new name too.

A post can’t tell the story of the last year. But if my friend, Hyacynth Worth, ever writes this story into a book, I will jump at the chance to be her publicity manager.

I met Hyacynth providentially when advocating for the adoption of Marina. I’ll never forget the first phone conversation I had with her and her husband, John. I cried. She cried. Hearts broken over a child in need of a family, but a child not cleared for adoption.

August 2014 we said goodbye to Marina. I hate thinking back to that day. I feel the flood of emotion all over again. The excruciating pain of looking into her eyes, seeing love tangled in pain, hope clouded by fear, questions no one could answer.

The Worth family was paperwork ready for adoption. God had already begun preparing the way before He showed them which way to go.

Both of our families prayed. I vividly remember standing in my garage when I spoke with Hyacynth the second time on the phone. She wanted to know what God was speaking to Steve and me about adopting Marina before she shared what God was speaking to her and John.

I swallowed hard, clenching the phone tightly, as I answered her. My pride battled hard. My pride wanted to make everything make sense and fit the way I thought it should fit. My pride was concerned about how my answer would sound more than it was concerned with speaking the truth of what God was speaking to us.

But Hyacynth’s patient and loving voice opened the door for me to speak honestly and painfully bold.  My pride lost. “We are not hearing God tell us yes to pursing adoption.”

She paused only briefly before continuing, “We are hearing God calling us to adopt the girls.”

The girls. Two girls. Not just Marina, but her baby sister, Gabriella.

Overwhelmed by His faithfulness. Again.

Neither were cleared for adoption. Since when does God let international law stop Him when it comes to rescuing and redeeming?

For one year I’ve watched this family more intensely than I’ve ever watched another family. Hyacynth will never know the impact she has had on my faith and my walk with the Lord.

I’ve watched this family pray bold, pray more specific than I’ve ever heard anyone pray in my life. I watched them form a prayer team. I watched prayer warriors gather around this family and literally pray these girls from Eastern Europe to the USA in one year. Mountain after mountain crumbled as we watched.

Hyacynth is one of my closest friends now. Never met her in person, but I share with her things I only share with my husband and my sister. One of the most unexpected gifts God brought was her friendship.

God’s like, “Oh, you think you can contain me to just give one gift through a prayer request. Watch this.” And gift after gift after gift He gives.

I wish I could share with you a year’s worth of stories. Those aren’t my stories to share.

But today, praise God with me. Today, two girls who were orphans in Eastern Europe are home in America, in a loving family. Forever.

The thing about God is His perfect plan. Now that I know the Worth family, they are the perfect family for these girls. In every way God has prepared this family uniquely to make sure these girls receive what they need to heal from years spent as orphans.

The Worth’s are surrounded by an amazing system of support, love, and encouragement. And He has uniquely gifted them to provide individually what those girls need.

Hyacynth is a writer. One of the most beautiful writers I’ve read. Don’t miss her blog. You will find beautiful stories of their journey towards the girls.

If you are new here and want to catch up on our story with Marina, start here.

Thank you for being a part of this with us. It is only the beginning. Continue to pray for Marina and Gabriella and the Worth family.

When we say yes to God, we just never know what He will do. I don’t like to think on what-if’s, but what if we’d said no to hosting Marina when my sister asked us to? What if my sister had said no to hosting when we asked them to?

God only needs our yes. He does the rest.

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