I know some of you are wondering IF we actually got our 1% miracle. Well, before I answer that, let me tell you a bit about our day.
God is so good! Our goals for today were to get ALL of the paperwork needed to submit our final application to the MSP in Kiev tomorrow morning -- AND to get a court date set. There are so many things involved that it could really set the head spinning -- if I could only understand Russian! LOL!!!
We went first to the Notary to get the official application for adoption notarized for the MSP tomorrow morning. That all went well. Except that I left my hat there. BUT, they actually called Halya and told me that I left it there. I have no idea if/ when I'll be able to get it! Anyway . . .
The next stop was the orphanage. But before I get to that, let me tell you about the book I've been reading on my Kindle as we're traveling back and forth to the orphanage. God saw fit that it was the ONLY book on there (it's a new Kindle!). It's called Kisses from Katie, and if you're ready for God to sit you down and give you a good talking-to -- this is a great book for you to read. I have been so encouraged, humbled, and convicted by this young woman's wisdom and commitment to be radically abandoned to the Father. She has literally given up everything to go to Uganda and be a mommy to 14 girls (she's now only 24), start a feeding ministry to some of the poorest people on earth, and organize a sponsorship program for children to go to school and be fed. Seriously, read the book! As I've been reading this book, God has reminded me again and again, (through Katie's words in the book) that the most courageous thing we can do is to love with abandon. So, here's where it gets a little tricky. I KNEW that I wanted that 1% miracle for one reason ONLY -- ME! I didn't want to stay any longer in Ukraine than I needed to. BUT, I also felt like leaving Sasha here would be the wrong thing to do for those 10 days. So, I came to a moment of surrender this morning -- I told the Lord and Quincy that I believed that if we didn't get the 10 day waiting period waived, that I should stay. I knew that Dad would come and I wouldn't be alone -- but I believed that Sasha would be our daughter then, and there's no way on God's green earth that I would leave any of my other kids in Ukraine for 10 days without me! So, that was the beginning of my day . . . willing to surrender it!
Anyway -- one final medical something-or-other was needed from the orphanage. We really didn't have much time to spend with Sasha, and she was pretty upset when we had to leave. She hid in a little playhouse and wouldn't come out. It's SO HARD to know what to do. I'm not her mom yet -- and I can't speak her language. The caretaker told two of the older kids to go in and get her out. She still wouldn't come out. I finally went over and, by this point, she was slowly coming around. I used gum as a bribe to get her to put her jacket and stuff back on -- then let her share the gum with a few people around us. She eventually got out of her mood. See -- that's where it's so hard. I don't bribe my kids to obey -- but, the orphanage is just so weird. I honestly can't explain it. We will have so much work to do with her when she gets home!
After we got the paper from the orphanage (we did have to wait about a half hour for the Director to sign some papers), we went to the Children's Services department again, and picked up their final paper! Yeah!!!!! That left only one more task -- the Court.
If I had know then what I know now -- I wouldn't have even worried about the 10 day waiting period -- there was so much MORE that could have gone wrong. Turns out that the official process is this: Halya would apply to the court, which had 10 business days (what's with the number 10 in this country!) to assign a judge, then we'd have to set a date with that judge. OMGoodness!!! Halya is amazing. She knows how to get the job done. Of course, she LITERALLY had to go around the corner of the courthouse (outside, in the freezing cold and dark so that nobody saw to pay the judge his money! BUT, he agreed to take the case and give us a date before the end of the year (the 28th). He did NOT agree to the 10 day waive. I think if he did that it would look too suspicious! Heaven forbid!
So, what's next?? WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS! The MSP legally has 10 business days to finish their paper, however our court date is 10 regular days! PLEASE PRAY that they will finish it!! Rumor is that they are taking their full 10 days. Quincy is also assuring me that he wants us to go home during the 10 day waiting period. It's very difficult to explain, but Sasha is still pretty clueless. Even we don't understand this completely, but Halya says that she will be fine. The concept of a home and family is really just a strange theory in her mind. She doesn't really even know how to wish for it! Obviously, she knows that we are one day going to come and take her away. But she has no concept of what a family really looks like or what they do. She knows that she's going to America -- but, to her, that could be the next town over! Also, the 10 day waiting period will actually be 12 days because the last day falls on their Christmas. So, now, we're talking close to a 2 week waiting period -- and still another week of paperwork after that in the country. We have decided that Sasha really doesn't know any better at this point. She will be disappointed that we are not visiting -- but she would not be devastated as we though she might be. We will have Halya explain to her what is happening -- and then we will go home. And I really DO think that we need time to prepare our kids at home for Sasha. And I'd like to have a Christmas with our kids and Tia and Cody, too, before bringing Sasha home. That may sound strange, but Sasha will be going through so many changes -- and already getting so much more than she has EVER known that adding presents under a Christmas tree to that will just be a bit too much, we think. BTW, their "Saint Nicholas Day" is tomorrow and she will be getting presents at the orphanage! And we have things at home for her too.
So -- that was our day! In the end, we got EVERYTHING we needed! And we didn't get what He knew we never did. THANK you for your prayers for that 1% miracle! Turns out that quite a few other miracles took place that we didn't even know we needed! I know that it may be a little bitter sweet -- and some of you may question the wisdom in our decision to go home -- but we have a peace about it. From now until the court date, we will visit Sasha every other day. We're on our own now since Halya has gone back to Kiev and then home. I'm sure we'll hang out at the apt. mostly on the days we don't go to the orphanage. Tomorrow, it should be windy with a high in the low 20's -- so we definitely won't be picnicking in the park!!
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