(A view of Berdyansk from our apartment)
Today was a day of blessing! For the woman, you can relate by remembering your 7th month of pregnancy (if you have been) and wondering if you will ever give birth!! For the men, you can relate by remembering your wife's pregnancy by the 2nd month and wondering if she'd ever give birth. Either way in the end the humble feeling that God has graced your life with a magnificent precious gift and responsibility just leave you astounded when you hold the child and realize you are not worthy of this blessing but by the goodness of God. This was our feeling as we held our new girls in our arms and saw in their faces the desperate relief that we were there to take them home!
After many tears of joy & relief and long awaited hugs & pictures, we settled down to the orphanage director's desk. The two ladies from the Juvenile center who accompanied us today questioned the girls and us. They asked the girls if they wanted to be adopted by us. Even Nastia who we had not met smiled longingly and said with mama and papa. Luda was asked about her older siblings in their twenties who live in Berdyansk. After determining there was no established relationship with them, we were told the siblings DO NOT have to sign off on the adoption giving permission!! Praise God! The bible study today included Mark 10:27 "...with man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." We had been told this would be a necessary step we could not avoid and were concerned.
(some kids from Nastia's group)
(girls coming back from getting coats to go to medical apt.s)After the interview was completed, the girls were off for the five necessary medical checkups. Many other documents were needed to be prepared and we learned Monday would be another day some people would not be available. We are praying for the documents to be ready Tuesday to go back to Kyiv for Wed to the SDA to prepare the court papers. Then possibly a Monday court date before starting the 10 day wait. This still would put us on track for coming home on time. We also learned we have some extra steps necessary to do for the court decrees making the children orphans. Will do these during waiting times.
We will have the children over the weekend from 10a-6p each day. We had to sign for the permission stating we would not give them cold drinks and ice cream though to keep them in good health!! Luda, from Father's House, headed back to Kyiv. Larissa our new translator (thank you Pastor Kenny and Mary Jo, this was their translator 1 1/2 yrs ago) arrived today!!
Love and blessing!! Dan and Julie
1 comment:
Hi Dan and Julie! My name is Deb, and Karen gave me your blogspot info. My husband and I are the family that is adopting from Kherson. We are headed back there in a couple days, but are home with our kids right now. We're following your adoption, and praying you through the process. The most frustrating part for me has always been the little steps in between the big steps that no one ever seems to mention until you are there -- then something that I thought would take half a morning actually takes 2 days.... however, nothing compares with the blessing of getting to be a Mommy to someone who didn't have one! We have always held onto the thought that the harder we work, and the bigger the sacrifice, the more valuable the child becomes to us. Your girls are beautiful treasures and it is a blessing to follow your adoption! We will keep you in our prayers.
Deb Amend
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