Saturday, August 27, 2011

Happy Birthday to Me!

It's been a long day figuring out flights, finishing packing and all around cabin fever as we wait for this storm to come and go.  In spite of it all, it has been a great day.  To make sure everyone is up to speed, we are now leaving Tuesday on the earliest flight Finnair could get us to not make fares change.  And yes, we tried everything!

We could have gotten a refund and rebooked tickets leaving tonight...but who has that much cash laying around?  We'd have waited for the refund to buy the tickets and then they'd be gone.  We could have taken a flight out of Dulles tomorrow...it was only $2900 per ticket.  So we did the reasonable thing and took the Tuesday flight...and we've emailed Latvia to say we're not going to make it.

I feel sure we'll be able to get court changed...but, we also have experienced about everything one can experience on this journey.  All the joys, heartaches, uncertainty...you name it, we've done it. So this leg of the adventure should not be any different.  It's cool though how we really are ok with all of it.  We're a little tired...but now we have plenty of time to rest up!

So after a few hours on the phone figuring it out and a few more making sure the resolution was communicated to everyone necessary, we decided to brilliantly go out in the storm.  We needed to run to the mall and we had the best time.  NO ONE was there!  No lines in the stores!  We cut up, laughed, played all around the mall and felt like it was open just for us.  Then, for my birthday, we went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner.  There's normally like a 30 minute wait there.  Tonight we walked in, were seated and had our food in very short order (good thing since there's nothing in the house...remember we're not supposed to be here?)

We laughed and giggled and played...hard to tell who was the adult and who was the kid!  And we missed J.  But E was very entertaining!  Us girls on one end of the table could not quit laughing...while the boys just looked at us and shook their heads.  I told them that this was why girls do "Girls Night Out"...we just "get" each other...and sometimes you just need to giggle.

Here we are back home and I thought I'd post quickly before the power goes out (seriously hoping it doesn't).  I've had quite a few people who are friends on FB asking me what we're up to.  Some know half the story and others don't know anything if they've missed my posts over the past months.  So, the quick story is:

Last year in October, Gary and I knew God was laying it on our hearts to be more involved in Orphan Ministry.  We, as Christians, are commanded in too many places in Scripture to help the orphan and the widow and we needed to do something *active* to make a difference. 

We decided a good first step was to host a child for Christmas.  This would give us the opportunity to allow a child to see a Christian family and let us see if our family was one that could assimilate a child who was not blood related into our family...how would it feel, what would we do, how would our kids react?  We went into this not intending to adopt...just "check it out."  We picked J out of a biography/photolisting and began what would be the first of many stages of waiting. 

December 13 he arrived at National Airport super late in the middle of a snowstorm.  Gary and I would talk later about the fact that when we first saw him coming down the jetway, I looked at him and immediately felt love for him...that was our son.  Scary and weird to say the least.  We got home at a ridiculously late hour and the first thing he asked was if he could take a shower.  After getting everyone in the bed, we both said to each other that it did not feel like we had a stranger in our home.

We had five wonderful weeks with this boy and by the second week we were ruined.  We knew that as long as he wanted a family, we wanted to be that family.  On January 8, we went to a hosting party where we casually met E.  J mentioned "Mom, that's the little boy from my orphanage who follows me around sometimes."  He came up to me and gave me a hug...Gary and I joked then, "why not two at a time?"  (We never shared that with our friends the Hurlburts I think...Dave's mantra is SIBLING GROUP!)

Too much to else share here but suffice it to say, he left us on January 15 and we immediately dove head first into getting the adoption underway. 

A few days later we found out that E was still here on an extended visa...and we decided we'd love to meet him.  E was a special needs child and was just turning 7.  VERY different from spending time with J who was fluent in Russian, Latvian and English.  SO much happened in the following weeks...so much that on "slow" nights for the blog, maybe I'll do a little Then and Now stuff.  We learned so much by being taken through all of that with God.  Trust, sharing, loving unconditionally - REALLY UNCONDITIONALLY - seeing a child who was sweet, everyone knew that, but in such need of focused love and development.  It was just unreal.

And I am so grateful to the Vargas family for bringing little E here and working so hard for him and other special needs children.  I was watching video of E today from our first weekend with him in January.  The only two words he could clearly say were Apple and J's name.  Might have been more but that was all we got.

Today, E is a blabbermouth!  Now, we still don't have communication (he's about 2 year old speech) but he gets his point across.  The other day a few weeks ago he stood at the refrigerator and with a little coaching from Mae said "I want apple juice please."  I cried. 

I cannot wait for his Orphan Director to see him...and there is so much more to share about this boy's amazing journey and how God has used him in so many ways to open the eyes of others. 

J has been through some challenges since going back...and we are not 100% certain that he will accept our adoption.  We have poured prayer all over this though and we know without a doubt that whatever God wants for our family WILL be done.  I beg him to let me be this boy's mama.  And I know it won't be easy.  He's a teenager for goodness' sake...it's not easy with the three I already have.  But we would no more walk away from this precious boy than we would the three we got to know and see from birth.  And little E?  Well, he's stuck with us ;-)

So this is why we must get to Latvia.  Our sons are waiting to come home...and while we've been blessed to have E with us all this time, we are so ready to start taking the title of orphan away from them.  For they are orphaned no more...they have a family.

1 comment:

  1. Your obedience will be blessed! Beautiful story Shelley one I would love to happen to Kyle and I. We have talked about it through the years but have never felt the calling at the same time. Praying for His will to be complete. I love you!!!! xos

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