ANASTASIA for the Thomas family — TX
Rob and Donna were married in 1985. Rob works as a Sales Manager and Donna works in preschool ministry. Rob and Donna have been greatly blessed with three beautiful daughters. Their oldest is married and enjoying married life! Their second daughter presently attends a job training program for adults with special needs. And the “baby girl” attends college and is studying microbiology/pre med.
Rob and Donna’s lives changed dramatically with the birth of their second daughter. She has several medical, developmental and educational disabilities. Though having faced many obstacles, she has made progress well beyond what most predicted. God has been so faithful through many years of therapies, special education and doctor visits, and today she is looking forward to soon getting a job!
Five years ago their oldest daughter began to care for a little girl with Down Syndrome during the summer. As the youngest daughter grew older, she also began caring for this angel. God has since worked to cause this family to become like “real” family to the Thomas’. It was through their sweet little one’s life that God caused the entire Thomas family to fall in love with children with Down Syndrome.
Rob was adopted as an infant, and so adoption has always been dear to their hearts. After having their three daughters, they were so busy raising them that the idea only came up occasionally. In the spring of 2011, Donna was introduced to the Reece’s Rainbow site and began looking at all of the beautiful children featured. Overwhelmed with the cost, the idea of adoption seemed only a dream to her. However, one little face never left her mind…
In the fall of 2011, with their youngest moving away to college, the house became unusually quiet! Through following the adoption story of a family at church (again through RR) Donna began to once again dream of bringing one of these sweet ones home. As God worked in her heart, the same little face stared back at her from the page—Anastasia still did not have a home.
As she began to pray, God reminded her that HE was to be the one to speak to Rob’s heart, and not her. So, she prayed and kept quiet, only mentioning Anastasia to Rob asking him to pray she would find a home. One evening in January, during a special dinner, Rob ordered his food, took a few sips of his tea, and turned to her and said, “ Tell me all about this little girl and what it takes to adopt her.” Wow—God had certainly worked in his heart!
As they have begun this journey, their Heavenly Father has affirmed their decision to commit to adopting Anastasia in many ways. Every day is a walk of faith. Every day they take the next one, two or three steps toward bringing Anastasia home to be a part of their family. Every day they pray that God’s Spirit would speak to her little heart and assure her that she is loved and treasured—assure her that she is being pursued by parents, sisters and grandparents that already love her. Rob and Donna’s prayer for Anastasia is Psalm 139:5 –Father please hem Anastasia in behind and before, and lay Your hand upon her.”
2/10/13—WAITING FOR COURT DATE
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at http://hemmedinbyHim.blogspot.com
