Day 3: Praise Him in the morning. Praise Him in the evening.

Goodbye sweet new friends!  It was so fun spending the day together!

Day three really started at the end of day two... After a wonderful day of sweet fellowship with the other adoptive families, we wound up back at the top of the hill where I would receive my referral that same day and then jump on a night train and rattle down to my girl's region!   As I waited back a the top of the hill, I noticed another family who was probably waiting for the same exciting piece of paper that I was.  When I asked them I learned they were Italian and adopting a darling 5 year old.  As we sat there waiting, we had no language in common but the language of excited mommy love was very loud and clear.  What fun to share that joy with another family from the other side of the world!    I raced back to Karen's home to pick up and pack and wait for Vitali to pick me up. 

At some point I realized that I'd be riding the night train with the wonderful Iryna who lives in the capital but she is the SW for the area where my girl is living!  Fantastic!  We had a fun time on the train and probably slept at least a total of 30 minutes as we rumbled down the track for 7 hours in the dark.  



We "woke up" at 5am and exited the train shortly there after where we drove straight to a hotel... I was able to get a bit more rest but poor Iryna jumped straight into paperwork!   She told me to be ready to meet our darling at 1230 and I was so excited I could barely sleep!

When it was finally time to drive to the school I could hardly contain myself!  We walked up one flight of stairs and my heart was pounding out of my chest!  I actually was worried I might faint or something!  As I tried to stay calm I noticed what a very fine school it is.  I've never seen such a clean, cheery, colorful, warm, bright building in all my orphan/ orphanage experience.  I was amazed!  The teachers and inspectors clearly loved these children very much!  

Ok I took a break....
 

Day 3 continued:  Oh my gracious!  This girl!  I can’t even tell you how sweet she is! The tenderness of her heart!  She is very conflicted… let me tell a bit of background about her difficult life until now… On the first day that I went to her school before I met her the sweet teachers sat down with me to give me her background… this is what they explained:

“When L was young she had a momma and a papa.  Her momma was a drunk and “not a good mother” and her parents were separated.  Her papa loved her always and when her mother passed away her papa took great care to love her and he was preparing the papers to be sure he had legal custody of her.  Her papa was everything to her.  Then three years ago (L was about 9 years old) he passed away.  As the teacher/sw was driving her to the orphanage, after her papa’s passing she said to the teacher in her meek little voice, “who will miss me now?  Maybe only my cat?” (The teacher was heart broken to hear such words she told me.)  Her father had a girlfriend (who has kids of her own)  and this woman who we call the “aunt” has moved into the apartment (that L sees as her own apartment)  and has given L false hope so many times.  She makes promises, “I will adopt you”  “ I will bring you this present” “I will come get you for the holiday and take you to our family”  But the aunt never follows through and she has told the teachers that she has no intention of adopting L, she makes excuses and probably she truly can not adopt a child with cp but she has not been honest with L.   She cannot bring herself to tell the truth to this sweet girl.  So L has waited so many times.  She has packed her bags, prepared herself, but no one has come.  She has continued to have faith in her aunt, but no one has come.”

As this kind teacher told me the story, My heart was aching to just reach out and love this precious darling little gentle child!   Shortly after hearing a good amount of her history and medical needs, I noticed her quietly and slowly walking into the room!   

I wanted to run to her and tell her she does not have to wait and be disappointed any more!!! I will love you always!  I know a great savior who will love you even more than I could ever love you!  Please let me show you this beautiful love!!!! I tried to restrain myself as she slowly positioned herself to sit on the couch… Thank goodness I had a stuffed puppy to give her because I didn’t want to overwhelm her with a crazy mommy embrace but I could nuzzle the puppy into her cheek and push my great love through to her tenderly.  As we sat on the couch together sharing pictures and getting acquainted I passed her a few little presents, a little pink sweater and a small set of little girls earrings.  She loved it so much!  Her sweet smile and meek “sank you” said so much more!   After talking and sharing pictures for a bit, the teachers started speaking to her and to echother(I could not understand).  As we both sat attentively listening to the teachers, social workers, inspectors and doctor, she reached out and held my hand so gently… we sat there like that for several minutes.  I was bursting with affection! 

 Our meeting was not long as the children were about to go eat “second lunch” so we said goodbye… she asked the teachers how do you say…… in English.  She turned to me and said “Emily, I like you.  Please come back to me soon.”  I melted!

Later that day we came back and were greeted in the garden by a very excited L!  As soon as she saw me she wheeled herself out to me and started talking excitedly and pointing to each thing in the garden laughing and explaining each thing… I wish I spoke Russian!  I only understood very little but it was so fun that she was excited to see me!  She led me to a bench and we sat and talked and laughed together for a while.  

 Then the director came out to meet us.  This woman loves her kids so much!  Have I mentioned how very very nice this school is?!  The playground is so so cute!  The school is very clean and warm and inviting!  The children are all clean and happy and peaceful!  She is doing a wonderful job! All the teachers are doing a wonderful job!

This is when I realized that the director and teachers have known I was coming and have known she would be conflicted and they have been working overtime to help her understand what this adoption means and what will happen to her if she stays here or if she goes to America.  I realized the director has paid for an older student with cp who is in an “Internat” now to come to the school and explain the conditions at this other school for older kids.  She is well past the age to be moved to the older school but they have held her because they knew we would come for her.  The director wanted her to truly understand  what will happen if she declines adoption!   This older boy traveld for hours to get to the school!  He was a sweet kid and had much to say to her… she turned to me and said…. “Ummmm…. Inernat….no L at internat!”

Also, Iryna had asked the other families who have adopted L’s friends from this school to send all the sweet update family pictures that they could so that L can see that it is a good family life in America!  I can not believe the effort of these ladies! 

Next the director said that she had until Tuesday to make a decision... and she was very uncertain, very conflicted about still waiting for this "aunt" and leaving her older brother behind (he is 24 and they do not see each other often but I can tell she loves him very much). The sweet thing is that you could tell she thought it would be “fun” and “exciting” to join an American family.  She knew she would have so much more materially than she could ever have now but that stuff does not matter to her as much as the burden of her love for these people here.  She was still very conflicted… And I loved her even more for her honesty!  The director said how many days do you need?.... three days? Two days? Four days? Luda said can I wait until next week to make the decision and director goes back and forth with her for a minute and then says you have until Tuesday! (She is loving but pushy and she also knew that we could not start processing paperwork until after the four day holiday weekend so Tuesday is the best day for L’s papers to start!)

So M knows she can spend the next several days with me before she needs to make a decision... 
What a beautiful Peace God can give us if we just ask!  Praise him when the sun Goes down!