Yes, I am still here. I haven't had much to say so I haven't posted in awhile. I am at day 9 in my 10 day wait. Monday, I will go with the translator to Odessa where Justin was born get his birth certificate and we should get the court judgement on Monday as well. After that I can get Justin out of the orphanage and then be off to Odessa again on Tuesday where we will get the Ukraine passport. This will take approximately 3-4 days. Then we will go by train to Kiev to sign paperwork and get an American passport for Justin. Then hopefully in a few days we will be off to America! Of course anything can change between now and then and I have learned to not hold on too tight to "my plans". I am learning to live minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day. This is how God is teaching me to lean on His strength and not my own.
I think I officially have a cold. I have been taking Zicam to try and kick it but it isn't going away. I am hoping I don't have "Pink Eye" and that it is just red from the cold. Please pray it doesn't get me down. The kids cannot leave the orphanage if they are not healthy. Even though I am sure I got the cold at the orphanage, please pray that Justin doesn't catch it. That would be a real bummer to not get to leave because of a cold! Thanks to everyone for showing me your support with your comments. I really look forward to reading them each morning!
5 comments:
Hi Honey,
We are praying that you get a good night sleep and that your cold and "pink eye" are gone when you wake up. I hope that you will take it easy and rest on Sunday. Please stay in the clinic so that you may be 100% for the last leg of the journey.
Loving you,
Kevin
Pam -
My heart goes out to you as I read your post. I remember how ragged and worn we were by this point in our process. It truly is a roller coaster of getting your hopes up and then having to wait or go through one more obstacle. I pray for strength, comfort, and undergirding for you. I am thankful that the Lord is giving you this experience to lean on Him more, learn of Him more, and be opened up to receiving His love more.
The picture of Justin with Dyana really touched me. I can only imagine what she must be thinking. I'm sure she's longing to be going with you and Justin, and I know that must weigh so heavily on you. There were so many things within our adoption process that I truly didn't understand and wondered (and still wonder) why God allowed things to unfold as they did. It's in these times that it can be challenging to fully put your trust in His plan rather than your own. But, then again, His plan is really all we have. : ) So I pray that the Lord will bring you peace in His timing.
On a practical note, we did not experience the "quarantining" of our child prior to her leaving with us, but we did experience everyone getting much quieter and solemn. The mood of the group totally changed as the day for Anastasia to come home with us grew near. Stella in particular withdrew, both from us and Anastasia. It really is heartbreaking. There's no easy way around it. As for wanting to throw a party (I can't remember if it was you or Melissa V. that wrote about wanting to throw a party), we were allowed to throw one, but it wasn't much of a party. We were told very specific and limited treats we could bring. Then when we brought them, the caretaker made everyone sit in their desks while we passed out food and drinks. That was the party. It was basically a glorified snack time. No one was allowed to get up, move, play, or anything. Then after "snack time" was over, the caretaker quickly ushered everyone outside. It was a bit odd. It was so weird to compare our experiences between the two orphanages our girls were at. Anya's buildings were not as nicely kept, but her caretakers were so warm and loving. They let us take Anya on outings, throw parties, attend their performances, sit in on classes and homework time - we really connected with the caretakers and the entire group of kids (actually kids from the entire hall). But at the orphanage where you are, we were never allowed to take Anastasia off property. We weren't told about performances or school events. We were made to feel like an inconvenience (by the caretakers, not Olga). It was an odd experience. I hope yours is going better.
One thought I had that I wanted to ask you about: do you think it would help Justin if we/Anastasia was able to talk with him and tell him how things are in America, what he can expect, to not be scared, etc.? If you think this would be helpful, we can try to set up a time & way to make it happen.
Again, our thoughts and many prayers are with you.
Wendi Z.
Hi Pam,I hope you start feeling better.Stay warm and get as much rest as you can. I'm looking forward to your return, so I can come visit when you get settled and rested.
What beautiful pictures of Justin and D. I pray that someday in the near future that Ukraine will allow D to grow up with a loving family of her own.
Take care of yourself.
Love,
Janice
Hang in there!!!! You're almost home. I'll pray that you feel better.
Laurel
Hi Pam - Still praying and hoping very safe travels and smooth transitions. My very good friends are missionaries in Odessa - they are home in the US for one year. Their blog
http://mossefamily.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.htmlr
is Running the Race on my blog page. Anyway, I think it might be fun to meet at the park with their kids sometime...their kids know the language and it just might be a fun and encouraging little visit. My friends miss Odessa so much...the people not the cold! Hang in there strong lady!
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