stairs...

It was what you would call a monumental day today just in sheer accomplishment alone, but also in the good outcomes of the day. Off to a slow start…we actually found someone to turn on the code for the washing machine! Yessss! Now, we began to be concerned about any action for the day as lunch time came and went, and we took some time to pray with our new adjoining apartment family about their embassy visit and hopeful flight tomorrow. Our prayers were interrupted when our facilitator called us and advised he would pick us up in 10 minutes to go for our referral letter for girl ‘k’, the yet “un-meetable” sister of the boys. Now in the SDA office there is a place I like to call “the stairs”. It seems that the stairs serve as a waiting room, a social area for adoption facilitators, and a Romeo Juliet playhouse where the actors come to the top and shout out their lines to the unsuspecting parents to be and the others below. Meanwhile, the guard examines each visitor in the stairwell with a scowl, and then a blank look and occasionally a smile.

Finally, you are chosen to leave the stairs, flash your passport, sign some graph paper book, get your referral paper, and head out the doors-try not to slip on the ice. Now it was on to the inspector for girl ‘k’s region, and a quick grilling ensued from 3 ladies seated at desks in a 10’x10’ room. They looked incredulously at our desire to have possibly 9 children now, but I was clearly able to share that this could be part of God’s highest use of our life and it was Him who motivated us to begin this journey.

Now drive quickly on to the private orphanage in Clanton, Ukraine (just kidding). We were able to meet our friend L. and soon a lovely, somewhat shy girl appeared over our shoulder, looking like she belonged between 2 boys we have already met. We began discussing our family, and showing pictures of us, and within a few minutes there seemed to be some bridges built like some miracle was occurring. She took us all upstairs to show us her room, her friend’s rooms, and she even made a comment to another girl at the orphanage that was translated to us quietly as “these are my future parents”. Within another 10 minutes, we had permission to take girl ‘k’ with us to meet her 2 brothers, who she had not seen in 8 years. It was frankly unbelievable that it all worked out the way it did, and we sat there stunned as she talked with her brothers and we looked at pictures from big ‘k’s room of their past lives. Of course, little ‘k’ was his usual active self, being the typical 10 year old who had basically never seen his sister. We were treated to a tour of the boys hallway and rooms, and sat around a table in the teachers area and had quite an amazing reunion. Our time closed out there, and we had to return girl ‘k’ to her district, so we struck out yet again toward Clanton, Ukraine. Of course it was completely dark for the drive and we discussed weighty topics in the car with her as we rode.

We received hugs like we had known her for some time, and she has clearly said that she wants to be part of our family. She said she has dreamed of this for 8 years now, and she even wants to change her name to match the ‘K’s, abruptly coming up with her own ‘k’ name.

More details tomorrow…
Blessings