Joshua Goes Public

Kregg, Joshua and Caleb

Our oldest son’s name is Caleb. He is 18. For the first several years of his young life, he had all sisters and no brothers. When he was 9 or 10, he used to tell us that he was praying for brothers. We would smile and tell him that was “nice”, naively having no idea what was coming. 

Well, the Lord answered Caleb’s prayers when He sent Joshua and Benjamin to be our sons. I don’t know many 18 year old young men who share a bedroom with two younger brothers (12 and 13). There are times he wants to pull his hair out (or maybe theirs). But he is very aware of the influence he has on these two young brothers. They adore him and watch everything he does. 

Joshua has really been maturing over the past several months in his understanding of what the Lord requires of him. He recently came to believe it was time to “go public” with his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. We were thrilled. The Lord is bringing forth so much fruit in his young life. His prayers have gone from the sweet, innocent prayers of a young boy to the requests of a young man asking the Lord for wisdom, and praying for the salvation of his birth parents. His Heavenly Father is maturing him in his faith.

Six years ago, Josh and Ben had never even heard of Jesus. When they arrived at the orphanage in Magadan, Siberia after being taken away from their parents, Ben was 3 1/2 and Joshua was 4 1/2. They didn’t know what a toothbrush was. They didn’t know how to sit at a table and eat a meal. They didn’t even speak their native language well.


During these past six years as our sons, they have learned so much:  how to speak English, what it means to be in a family, how important it is to tell the truth, the need to obey us as their new parents, how to take care of their responsibilities, how to forgive their biological parents, and most importantly of all, they have learned about God. He has Faithfully revealed Himself to them.
 





As Kregg made plans to baptize the fourth of our children, he asked Caleb to assist. It was perfect. The two men who have had the biggest influence on Joshua were going to bury him in the waters of baptism after hearing him publicly confess his belief in Christ.

Lots of sweet friends came to give him a hug

Yes, I was weeping.

The Lord is so Faithful!