So We Met

Greetings World

So, three days in Romny, Ukraine.  What can I say, it has been the most emotional, heart wrenching experience of my life, right along side when my sister died.

We met a sweet, beautiful, petite little girl on Wednesday.  There are lots of little blessing bundled up in just getting this far.  From our understanding, and let me be clear, it is often very difficult to decipher what is fact and what is fiction when in comes to what we are told, but we were told that in the past when potential adoptive parents have come to visit he hasn't even allowed them on the steps.  He let us in, gave us all the information about her health, her studies and her life.  Again, we were "told" that she has a grandmother and grandfather in this town that have custody of her older sister.  We were told that the do visit (? often) and that she goes to school with her sister.  We were also told that a foster family came to meet here to bring her into their home and she refused to see them.

So, we are in, we have met and we have played.  Lily is a great asset, the girls hit it off.  We started by showing pictures of our home and family that Annie had put together.  She liked that, so we moved on to other pictures on the computer which she really liked.  We showed her lots of Disney pictures from our trip last year.  She likes Mickey Mouse.  They got ahold of the computer and played for a long time on photo booth which created many, many giggles.  Then they played a few card games and before we knew it our time was up.  We never left the directors office and he never left, but went about his business with his staff and other kids.

The next day we are welcomed back, this time for a 2 hour visit.  Again, lots of card games, more photo booth and more looking at pictures.  We brought a banana for her at her request, which she obviously enjoyed very much.  We asked if we could come visit again tomorrow and she said yes, YEA!  We asked what we could bring, she said another banana and some juice.

So today we were to be at the orphanage (the director calls it a boarding school) at 3:30pm.  This time we were aloud to play in a private room upstairs that had a table and chairs for us to sit at.  We played UNO for a bit but we all grew weary of that and so we tried to get the computer to cooperate and pull up some pictures of Lily's school and some pictures of Colorado.  It was pretty slow but we got a couple, not much.  Then on to the iPad the girls went.  Playing several games until our time was up.  We took a few pictures that I hope to be able to share, but we can't do that until after court.

We get to go back tomorrow for a 3 hour visit and they are even going to let us take her off the property.  I am not sure what we are going to do yet, but we will come up with something.  Maybe go get a little treat somewhere.

On Monday we are going to be allowed to ask her officially if she would like to be part of our family.  She does know that we are visiting her because we want to adopt her.  She has told us that she likes our visits and looks forward to them every day.  That is all encouraging, but until Monday we will just keep pressing ahead.

Lily continues to amaze and inspire us.  She is eating far better than I.  For me it is a mix of total anxiety that just takes my appetite away and the fact that the food in this little town is far less than appealing.  I am glad I have my peanut butter and the bananas are good too.  Oh, and Ukraine has amazing chocolate.  But back to Lily, she jumps right in with our new little friend.  When it was time to leave yesterday, I told Lily to give her a hug.  She did and was given a big bear hug in return.  She was happy to offer a hug to me and a bit cautions with Jamie.  Lily doesn't seem the least bit intimidated by the cold, the culture or the unfamiliarity.  Amazing!  She is constantly refereeing to her new sister and saying she misses her when we get back to the hotel.

The town is a small town, with lots of internet and mobile phone stores.  I had to get an external modem in order to have internet.  Babies are pushed on little sleds rather than strollers.  Everyone walks, even here.  Dogs roam the streets, one who stands in the street barking at every car that stops.  Wonder if he would be here if we came back in a year.  We can't figure out the industry or what drives the town.  We saw our first real examples of the vodka drinking here.  Three young ladies at lunch yesterday (11am) got food and a decanter of vodka.  Tonight it is Friday night so a few gentlemen at the hotel restaurant had finished half a bottle in half the time it took us to eat our meal.  Sad really, they set even the breakfast table with a shot glass.  Our translator says it is not normal for people to drink at breakfast but lunch and dinner, yes.

I have to say, it is very difficult being here.  On more than one occasion I was ready to turn around and come home.  I have felt the depths of home sickness, missing my two girls back home.  I have felt despair in doubting this system.  I have been overwhelmed by culture shock and have cried more tears in the past three days than I have in years all together.  Which I am thinking is a good thing.  I worry constantly about Annabelle and Emma, I worry that this isn't going to come together and then what.  I worry that it is going to come together and then what.  But in all of this, the waves of emotion and uncertainty I do know of one certainty, God did not bring us all the way here to let go of us now.  I am pressing on and pressing into Him.  I find great rest reading the Word and end each night doing so, otherwise I am pretty sure that I would not be sleeping or eating.

Thanks for all the well wishes, prayers and encouragement from literally all over the world.  I know of people in New Zealand, Germany, Ukraine and the U.S. praying faithfully for us.  We feel it, I feel it, intact I can tell when it is night time there, that seems to be the time of day where I have to press through the most.  We love you all, we miss you all and will update what happens on Monday.  Once we get through that we should have a better idea of what lies ahead.  By the way, this whole "asking her if she wants to be part of our family" thing gives me a better understanding what it must be like for a man to ask a woman to marry him.

Blessings from this world to yours!
In Christ Alone!