Here we are, back at home, doing lots of laundry, with a
new appreciation for our many comforts and luxuries. There is so much we take for granted. Curt has been crossing t’s and dotting i’s
for our dossier today. We’ll be sending it
off to Victor before you know it. It’s
been fun to daydream with the kids: “Imagine the first time the boys ________ (get
on the airplane, go to the grocery store, visit the aquarium, see downtown
Tulsa, etc).” Cassie and Clay are so
excited. There is a lot to do to prepare
for Illya and Svyatik to join our family, but we are up for the task.
Although our week in Ukraine was far from “fun,” it was an
immensely valuable experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. The four of us really bonded, and I’m sure
the emotions, images, and smells from the trip will never be forgotten, and
will forever change the lens through which we see the world. The faces of the orphans at Uglegorsk will
haunt me for a long time. Contrary
to all logic, there was lots of joy at Uglegorsk. I cannot stop thinking about Dima, Losha,
Ola, and Oksana, and all the others that greeted us with big, beautiful smiles. What does their future hold? For some, I shudder to think.
I am so glad I finally found your blog. I have prayed for your boys since September of 2010 when the Fryburgers (a family from my church) adopted Sergei and came home with pictures of children for our church to pray for. Ilya's picture is one that we took to pray for and once we found out he had a brother we prayed for both of them. I felt so strongly about these boys that I started advocating for them, looking for a family for them. They were the first ones I approached my brother and sister-in-law about.
ReplyDeleteAnyway to shorten my story, I was glad when I heard there was a family interested in adopting the boys. We were pleased to see Oksana's picture, thank you, my brother and sister-in-law are in the process of adopting her. They are hoping they have all their paperwork accurate now so that Victor can go to the SDA and apply for their appointment. Also, Ola has a family that is working toward her adoption.
Melissa