About Us

Hattiesburg, MS, United States
We are a really average family that just can't get over that we have been adopted by an extraordinary God! We are excited and expectant as the journey to enlarge our family unfolds before us.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Last quiet day & that's great!

Denise and I are spending what we hope is our last quiet Sunday in Sevastopol preparing to leave. We are not sure when we will get to leave, so today is a good day to get things ready. Nastia will be with us for good by tomorrow evening, so we are spending the day washing clothes so we can be packed and out of the way. We have a washer/dryer combo in this apartment (a real luxury here) but it takes forever to do a load and the load are small). We are trying to get everything clean, so we get a fresh start for the run from here until whenever we get home. Who knows what we will have for here until the end.

Yesterday was eventful. Galya got our court decree, but the law says that if it matures on a weekend, it cannot go into force until the first business day after. So, we started the birth certificate and passport petition with the notary (more like a lawyer in America) the morning. Hopefully, we will get those things going in the afternoon Monday. There is still a lot of uncertainty about the passport. We hope to hear more about the process Monday. Please pray that there will be no hurdles with that or picking up the birth certificate Monday. Nastia has one medical test to get at the hospital Monday morning and then we think we can pick her up.

We hope to see the other precious kids at Orphanage #2 one more time as well. It’s going to kill us to say goodbye! Some of them who we have known from visiting Hattiesburg because we know them so well. Others, because we have started to get to know them and see into their lives and personalities while we have been here. They are happy for Nastia, but you don’t have to look hard to see the sadness when we are hanging out with them either. Especially a couple of the older girls. They just have a look of resignation in their eyes sometimes that I catch in a moment when they are looking at Nastia and Denise. It’s like they are sure they will never have a life like that. My question is, “why not?” I’m sure some of them aren’t adoptable, but I’m sure some are. Just thinking out loud. If hanging out with these kids in Hattiesburg changes you, hanging out with these kids in Sevastopol infects you. If not Sevastopol, then somewhere. There are 147 million orphans out there right? Lots of them with the same kind of resignation. Maybe God is calling you to adopt one of the ones who has given up! He did!

Before I get too heavy, when we adopted Nicholas I did a top 10 list of things that I was not going to do for a LONG time (if ever) on our blog. In anticipation of our impending trip homeward I have been working on an updated top 10 list. I am not ready to release the list, but be assured that this list worth the wait!!!!

Have a great Lord’s day. We are looking forward to the service with the Temple family via Livestream and can’t wait to be there in person soon if the Lord wills!

Blessings,

Rick

 

1 comment:

PlainJane said...

We all know that there are so many orphans who need families - the need is huge. But when those "orphans" become Vania, Palina, Nastia, Tanya, Julia, Sergiy - blonde hair, blue eyes, brown hair brown eyes, wonderful sense of humor, good at drawing, etc, it totally changes everything. These kids in that orphanage have names and personalities and likes and dislikes, each one unique, each one made in the image of God, each one longing for a family, so many with time running out, so many losing hope.

It would be wonderful if more folks would barrel ahead with the attitude of "I'm gonna pursue adoption until the Lord tells me to stop" rather than "I'll just sit here until the Lord tells me to go".

It's an honor to be able to follow your story! I will continue to pray for you as you begin that last busy leg!