KL
09-02-2004, 10:00 PM
In Russia To Adopt A Son, An East Texas Man Shares How He Relied On Faith
When His Wife Dies
"I thought she might be a little hesitant 'cause she was tired of raising
kids, but no, she was 100%, maybe more, behind it."
Jon Lloyd remembers his wife and three daughters were nothing but supportive
that day eight months ago when he came home and said he felt God's call to
adopt a little Russian boy. The family had spotted this little boy,
Grigoriy, when he visited Tyler last year.
But it took months of paperwork, finical assistance and prayer before they
finally got a chance to meet him this past June at a Russian orphanage.
"The first time he ever met me...I'm standing by the door and he just (claps
hands together) hugs me like a death grip. Of course I cried. Then he hugged
Judy. So it was an instant match," remembers Jon LLoyd.
The meeting a success, a court date was set for August when the Lloyd's
would return to Russia to finalize their dream.
"Of course the Russia trip was supposed to be the happiest time since our
kids were born," says Jon, "this just culminated eight months of stuff and
we were going there to really epitomize joy in our life and it turned
tragic."
The day Judy and Jon were reunited with Grigoriy, Judy began to feel ill.
That night, she passed out in an elevator. She was taken by ambulance to the
first hospital. Jon was left behind when she was transferred to another. He
remembers being left alone, not knowing where his wife or son had been
taken. Finally, the ambulance driver returned and lead Jon to the doctors
who had been working on his wife.
Jon remembers exactly what the doctor said. "Sorry to tell you that your
wife died, please sign here."
It was that moment, alone, in a rain drenched St. Petersburg parking lot,
Jon turned to his faith.
"I've got two choices, I can curse You or I can praise You," Jon remembers
praying that night, "and so I choose to praise Him. I thanked Him for taking
Judy in that parking lot. And I think that is why he broke my soul and made
me a usable vessel now."
A vessel Jon hopes can be used to share the message of a God can be there in
the most desperate moment. A message he hopes to share one day with his new
son in the East Texas garden his wife loved so much.
"She wanted him to have a chance to have a life in America and learn to know
God," says Jon. "That was her wish. I'm gonna tell him (Grigoriy), she loved
him so much, she died for him."
Clint Yeatts, reporting
KL
"You don't love someone because they are beautiful, they are beautiful
because you love them." - Anon.
When His Wife Dies
"I thought she might be a little hesitant 'cause she was tired of raising
kids, but no, she was 100%, maybe more, behind it."
Jon Lloyd remembers his wife and three daughters were nothing but supportive
that day eight months ago when he came home and said he felt God's call to
adopt a little Russian boy. The family had spotted this little boy,
Grigoriy, when he visited Tyler last year.
But it took months of paperwork, finical assistance and prayer before they
finally got a chance to meet him this past June at a Russian orphanage.
"The first time he ever met me...I'm standing by the door and he just (claps
hands together) hugs me like a death grip. Of course I cried. Then he hugged
Judy. So it was an instant match," remembers Jon LLoyd.
The meeting a success, a court date was set for August when the Lloyd's
would return to Russia to finalize their dream.
"Of course the Russia trip was supposed to be the happiest time since our
kids were born," says Jon, "this just culminated eight months of stuff and
we were going there to really epitomize joy in our life and it turned
tragic."
The day Judy and Jon were reunited with Grigoriy, Judy began to feel ill.
That night, she passed out in an elevator. She was taken by ambulance to the
first hospital. Jon was left behind when she was transferred to another. He
remembers being left alone, not knowing where his wife or son had been
taken. Finally, the ambulance driver returned and lead Jon to the doctors
who had been working on his wife.
Jon remembers exactly what the doctor said. "Sorry to tell you that your
wife died, please sign here."
It was that moment, alone, in a rain drenched St. Petersburg parking lot,
Jon turned to his faith.
"I've got two choices, I can curse You or I can praise You," Jon remembers
praying that night, "and so I choose to praise Him. I thanked Him for taking
Judy in that parking lot. And I think that is why he broke my soul and made
me a usable vessel now."
A vessel Jon hopes can be used to share the message of a God can be there in
the most desperate moment. A message he hopes to share one day with his new
son in the East Texas garden his wife loved so much.
"She wanted him to have a chance to have a life in America and learn to know
God," says Jon. "That was her wish. I'm gonna tell him (Grigoriy), she loved
him so much, she died for him."
Clint Yeatts, reporting
KL
"You don't love someone because they are beautiful, they are beautiful
because you love them." - Anon.
