The Chaos That Was Ukraine

In so many ways, and on so many levels, I'd rather NOT talk about Ukraine -- but I can't let that experience in my life go by without some reflection on the significance it has had and will continue to have in my life and the life of my family.

I will not bore you with all the details.  Just a few quick notes about the second trip that I took with my dad to get Sasha and bring her home.  A brief mention of intense spiritual battles . . . "we do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers" --

1.  The first two days in Zap were spent traveling back and forth between two cities, trying to collect all the documents needed.  I spent $430 in taxi on just those two days

2.  When we had finally collected all the documents and were on our way to break Sasha out -- the orphanage lawyer called to say that there was a misspelled word in the court decree and she would not release "the child" until we got the judge to fix it.  Seriously? (The word was an insignificant nothing word -- not a name or anything like that!).  Halya called the judge who told her to tell the lawyer that she could face up to 3 years in prison if she didn't obey a court decree, to which she responded, "Well, fine, then hurry up, the child is waiting."  Thankfully, I was blissfully unaware of all of this until it was over. 

3.  Our passport did not arrive on Monday as we had planned, putting us a day behind in our schedule, but that was OK, because we had planned for an extra day "just in case."

4. No train tickets to Kiev on the night we needed them.  Andrew, our driver, who is one well-connected individual, managed to get some tickets that were on reserve for VIP occasions.

5.  We almost did NOT get medical clearance.  The doctor wanted to order a psychiatric evaluation of Sasha because she couldn't remember how old she was.  (Like, when was the last time she had a birthday party?).  They put her in a room with baby toys and wanted to watch her play!  Ummm . . . wouldn't that PROVE that she was mentally retarded?  They continued to insist that we wait for the psychologist (which, if we did, we would miss our visa appointment at the consulate, meaning we would not be leaving Ukraine the next morning).  I picked up the phone to call the consulate twice before they finally gave in and said they would give me the paper with a note on it that I refused the psychological evaluation.  There is so much more to that story.  It was over 3 hours into the whole ordeal before they tried to switch their story and claim that they were worried about the epilepsy on the plane, and when I said, "Fine -- but she's on medication for that" -- They were like, "Oh, she's on medication???"  THREE HOURS LATER!  I finally got the paper, got to the consulate an hour late, and got the visa.  Dad slipped out of the van at the medical clinic, so I was worried about him as I watched him walk up and down the hall trying to work out the pain in his knee and hip!

6.  We missed our plane in Chicago and had to wait 5 hours!  Sasha was on overdrive and couldn't seem to burn out.  I gave her a Benadryl -- but it didn't kick in until we got on the plane.  When we finally got on the plane, a seat was broken, so we had to wait for maintenance to come clear the plane for take-off.

7.  We finally landed in Tampa after 11:30.  Sasha was so incredibly tired by that point that she just couldn't handle the emotions of it all and had a seizure.  It was very short and not severe, and then she promptly fell back asleep on the floor of the airport.  The paramedics checked her over while she continued to sleep.  We decided not to take her to the hospital, but instead to take her home and let her sleep.  We were all in bed sometime around 2:30.

It's difficult to put into words just how spiritually difficult this journey was.  Even after getting Sasha (or perhaps, even more so, after getting her), the battle was no longer really about would Sasha be free -- but would Satan work his way into our relationship, breaking bonds before we even had a chance to really build them.  I am NO super spiritual person, trust me.  Quincy and I have been doing this whole journey scared!  I shrink at those comments on Facebook that make us appear to be some kind of spiritual giant!  Ha!  I'm not even at the point where I would say, "Oh, I wouldn't trade this experience for anything."  I certainly wouldn't trade Sasha's freedom from the orphanage for anything ... but I must be honest and say that I'm still not 100% sure I can handle it.  Well, I'm 100% sure that I can't handle it without a lot of leaning on Him.  And, even this early on, . . . I'll get a glimpse of what God is going to do, what He's already doing in her life.  She has, not once, had a meltdown over bedtime.  Her little battle of wills are getting shorter, and we are all learning what will work and what won't.  I see redemption -- for all of us.  We are still climbing a very steep mountain and we are still fighting the fear ... but, we'll just keep doing it scared, and eventually, "perfect love casts out fear."

An Orphan No More!

It's official Sasha is ours!  January 4, 2013 is a day that changed our lives forever, and I have to say, I expected to feel a little something more than I did.  Now, before you start to worry, don't.  I honestly can't explain to anybody, except perhaps to another adoptive mom who has experienced the same thing, but when the judge came back in and "officially decreed" that he would grant our application to adopt Sasha and officially change her name -- there was just this sense of . . . hmmmmm . . . how can I explain this?

OK, let's go back to the very first time I saw Sasha's picture. I felt like I had seen her face 1000 times already.  On the very first day I met Sasha and she hung on my shoulder, trembly and self-conscious, I felt like she had already been there, and I'd held her up and patted her head a hundred times before.  She just felt like mine.  So, when the judge came in and gave his little spiel, I felt like . . . hmmmmm . . . still can't quite explain it.

I mean, I KNOW that it all becoming official is very important.  It's vital, of course, that she become legally ours.  But, I guess that the whole legal thing didn't mean that much to ME because I had already become her mom a few months ago.  It was just a relief, really, that the legal process was FINALLY coming to a close and we could breathe a little easier.  But, to me, there was nothing "official" about the judge's decree.  It was "official" before the foundations of the earth when God knew she would be ours -- and "official" when God wrote her name on our hearts back in August.

So, yes, Petyk Oleksandra is now officially Oleksandra Elizabeth Wylupek.  And, for that, we are INCREDIBLY thankful!!!  This journey is just beginning . . . but I want to say how proud I am of my youngest daughter.  She shows incredible courage and determination to walk into a whole new world with people who can't even understand a word she is saying!  But, she understands our love -- and she trusts that.  That's quite a thing for a 9 year old!