I didn't want to say anything about this until it was done, since so much was up in the air and I wasn't sure it would materialize. Kayla, Victor and I drove to Amvrosivka to talk with Sasha. I feel we have done what we can to show him he is loved and that he matters to us. The ball is in his court now. Please pray with us that he can tune out the bad influences in his life and make good decisions, one at a time.
The good news is that his orphanage is a wonderful one, if there can be such a thing. The facility is very comfortable and modern and the staff that I've gotten to know over several visits is warm, kind, and concerned about the kids. I am confident that they will work with us to help Sasha however they can. There is a lovely deputy director here that I hug at the end of each visit. She doesn't speak a word of English but communicates great love, patience, and peace. After the meeting with Sasha, Kayla and I had some time to kill while Victor met with someone else. This lovely lady took Kayla and me up to her office and had tea/coffee with us. As Kayla and I processed the emotion from the meeting, this lady's sweet, understanding smile was very calming. "horisho, horisho," she kept saying. "It will be okay, it will be okay."
The weather forecast for today had been 1-2 inches of snow by the end of the day, but at least that much was on the ground when we woke up. It kept falling and falling, all day long. As you can imagine, Ukraine, especially rural Ukraine, is not all that quick with the snow plows. I've experienced some harrowing car rides in my life, many of them with Sasha (different Sasha, of course) behind the wheel, but this one was no doubt the worst. The road to Amvrosivka scares me like no other in good weather; with 6-8 inches of snow on the ground and low visibility, it's enough to induce continuous prayer. I'm glad Kayla was with me, because I'm sure I would have chickened out and demanded we turn around without her reminders of why we were doing this.
With the weather conditions and resultant traffic in the cities, we were cutting it close with getting to the train on time. Fortunately, Kayla and I had enough foresight to pack our bags as much as possible before we left. Anya, who stayed with the boys, did a marvelous job of packing everything up, checking out of the apartment, and getting the boys to the train station. We got on the train with three minutes to spare.
So, as I sit here on the train, still processing all the events of the day, I am thankful for God's protection. There is no doubt he was watching over us today. I am thankful that the Donetsk chapter of this process is over and that one week from this moment we will be packing for our ultimate trip home. I am thankful that Kayla is here. These last few days have been extremely challenging and emotional, and having her to confide in, encourage me, keep the boys busy and break the tension when needed has been more helpful than I could have imagined.
I am praying that God will speak to Sasha in a way he can hear and that Sasha will make good decisions, as his life is at a turning point. I pray that there will be no more drama as we spend this last week in Kiev. I pray that the boys, Kayla and I will have a chance to relax, have some fun, and prepare for entry/re-entry to America.
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