I am utterly amazed throughout my time here how each day can be the same routine, but yet at the same time each day is very different experience. Today was a high activity day. I don't know if it's because it is Saturday or if it's because the boys had some visitors. Either way everybody was excited and happy at the same time.
My contribution to today: the T-shirt activity. Oh this sounds excessively silly and your mother would never approve, but today we made Vova a one of a kind homemade T-shirt. I went to the market this morning and scoped out the best non-black solid T-shirt I could find and a set of permanent markers. Then when I got there, I explained in my best Russian (they actually understood :)) that we were making a T-shirt for Vova and that everybody had to sign it. They were all into it and everyone put something on the T-shirt, even the custodian happily put her name on the shirt too. Before leaving I held up the shirt for Vova to see, and asked if he like it. With a big smile he said yes.
One pretty amazing blessing occurred while I was there. I wanted to take Vova out of the orphanage to meet a friend during one of our remaining days, but I knew I had to clear it with the staff (since they are still officially the caretakers). For two days now I have been working on what to say to the custodian to ask if I could do this. Well today I had to do this and I was a little bit nervous. So here is the blessing: the visitors I mentioned above were actually 3 young ladies who volunteer with the orphanage and also help adoptive parents. Between the three of them, I think they spoke about 6 or eight languages. All of them spoke English and Russian (and most likely Ukrainian), and then I think each had a different specialty. I know one of them was Italian because they were talking about Italian when I got there. Well anyway, I asked if one of them could back me up in my talking to the custodian and they agreed to help. First, I asked the custodian if I could take Vova out by myself (in Russian), but then her response was not one that I really expected. She was cool with me taking Vova out, but we also had to clear it with her boss. Wow, if those volunteers hadn't been there, this would have been a serious challenge, both her explaining this to me and also me again talking to the head teacher (custodian). I was very grateful for these volunteers helping me because the outcome was very positive and everybody was in agreement.
I love how God is working in this arena here. He leaves me out here all alone to grow and stretch beyond my comfort zone, but then He reaches out and throws me a bone when I really need some help. No matter how alone you may feel in any certain situation, He will always be with you. His presence may not be obvious, but when He needs to show Himself, He will.
Day four has come and gone; Now on to day 5 with hope, happiness and many prayers
Jeff
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Day 3 - The Gift
Today was a pretty quiet day, but as anticipated, the time seems to go by pretty fast though. Much different from yesterday, the weather was not real suitable for outside play. It had been raining all morning and on the way to the orphanage, it started to snow. When I got there everybody was already inside and Vova came out to greet me. I could tell he was waiting for me. Later he asked when we would be leaving on Tuesday, so I think he's counting down the days too.
Anyway, when we got inside, many of the boys were watching the movie that I took yesterday, and so we all sat together watching the move while some passed around the DS. I took a few pictures, and Vova took the bags of chips I brought to the community stash. Everybody seemed happy, but they were all really quiet. One boy, I noticed kept asking to see the camera. I had some issues with it yesterday, so I said he could, as long as I could watch him. While watching him I noticed that he really lit up when he found pictures or videos of himself. This was astonishing. I know that I have always heard before that people are generally interested in themselves, but this felt different. Here, the kids don't really get any special attention. They don't have mom's and dad's going to their school plays to take pictures and videos. They don't have class photos where they can save pictures of themselves and their friends. So watching him view himself on the camera said two things: we care enough about him to take his picture and he knows we will remember each other.
Another very interesting thing happen just as quiet time was starting. There was a little exchange between Vova and myself, he left the room, and then the primary custodian came into the room with a gift: a smoked fish. Yes is sounds very strange to our westernized brains, but this was a very large token of gratification. Fish are a big deal here and many times they use fish as foods for celebration. I tried to explain that I didn't have a kitchen or even a knife and fork to eat it with, but she insisted that I take it. Now, throughout all of this experience the custodians have been very nice and helpful. Their English is very thin so we haven't had the longest of conversations, but either way I feel as though there has been this mutual respect between us. I believe that her giving me this gift today was her way of showing this.
So 3 days left, thanks again for following the saga.
Jeff
Anyway, when we got inside, many of the boys were watching the movie that I took yesterday, and so we all sat together watching the move while some passed around the DS. I took a few pictures, and Vova took the bags of chips I brought to the community stash. Everybody seemed happy, but they were all really quiet. One boy, I noticed kept asking to see the camera. I had some issues with it yesterday, so I said he could, as long as I could watch him. While watching him I noticed that he really lit up when he found pictures or videos of himself. This was astonishing. I know that I have always heard before that people are generally interested in themselves, but this felt different. Here, the kids don't really get any special attention. They don't have mom's and dad's going to their school plays to take pictures and videos. They don't have class photos where they can save pictures of themselves and their friends. So watching him view himself on the camera said two things: we care enough about him to take his picture and he knows we will remember each other.
Another very interesting thing happen just as quiet time was starting. There was a little exchange between Vova and myself, he left the room, and then the primary custodian came into the room with a gift: a smoked fish. Yes is sounds very strange to our westernized brains, but this was a very large token of gratification. Fish are a big deal here and many times they use fish as foods for celebration. I tried to explain that I didn't have a kitchen or even a knife and fork to eat it with, but she insisted that I take it. Now, throughout all of this experience the custodians have been very nice and helpful. Their English is very thin so we haven't had the longest of conversations, but either way I feel as though there has been this mutual respect between us. I believe that her giving me this gift today was her way of showing this.
So 3 days left, thanks again for following the saga.
Jeff
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Day 2 of our 6 day countdown
Last night after dinner (which was very interesting for reasons I won't go into here in the blog) I decided to transfer some hand written notes which I had jotted down during the last trip, to the computer. It seems the schedule was so busy that I hadn't had the time to do anything like that. Anyway, I came across a piece that I wrote probably on one of the plane rides, but this one verse really struck me as something that truly describes my current endeavor, both here in town and also in the orphanage:
Now, in preparation for going to the orphanage today I decided to load up on some goods. In the suite, the kids have a Sony Playstation 2 that they share, so I went to my favorite game vendor in the market and picked out his best 3 age appropriate games (all for less than the price of one used game at home). I also found a new movie they didn't have, and then headed down to the sweets isle. I stopped and collected an assortment of candies and a bag of cookies. Then last, but not least, I bought some sun flower seeds at the grocery store.
When I arrived the weather was nice so many of the boys were outside. We played a little bit of futbol (that's soccer for those who don't know), but then decided to go inside. That is when Vova opened the bag and found all of the loot. Boy was everybody excited! New games, hurray! They all wanted to run inside and find the custodian so she could unlock the Playstation. Inside they all had a lot of fun as they each got a chance to do something new.
Later, Vova passed out all of the candy and the cookies, but kept the sunflower seeds with us -- it was just a single bag. But then later during quiet time, many of the boys were just hanging around so I decided to pass some of them out. After their afternoon snack and all those sweets, they were all really interested in sharing some of the sunflower seeds (they were even the unsalted kind). I am truly amazed when I see how such little things can mean so much to these kids. These simple things that we take for granted on a daily basis mean something completely different to these kids who have no real opportunity to control their current situation.
This was day 2 which means there are 4 more days left. As the number of days gets smaller, I feel like they will also feel shorter. I hope that we will be able to spend the time wisely and keep the activities enjoyable. There are so many possibilities and I look forward to each new day.
Thanks again, and keep believing that all your prayers are worth the effort.
Jeff
Feeding the hungry, provide for the poor.
Work and discomfort have you here in store.
Light fills the darkness and shows all His love.
Serve in the field, but we're fed from above.
Now, in preparation for going to the orphanage today I decided to load up on some goods. In the suite, the kids have a Sony Playstation 2 that they share, so I went to my favorite game vendor in the market and picked out his best 3 age appropriate games (all for less than the price of one used game at home). I also found a new movie they didn't have, and then headed down to the sweets isle. I stopped and collected an assortment of candies and a bag of cookies. Then last, but not least, I bought some sun flower seeds at the grocery store.
When I arrived the weather was nice so many of the boys were outside. We played a little bit of futbol (that's soccer for those who don't know), but then decided to go inside. That is when Vova opened the bag and found all of the loot. Boy was everybody excited! New games, hurray! They all wanted to run inside and find the custodian so she could unlock the Playstation. Inside they all had a lot of fun as they each got a chance to do something new.
Later, Vova passed out all of the candy and the cookies, but kept the sunflower seeds with us -- it was just a single bag. But then later during quiet time, many of the boys were just hanging around so I decided to pass some of them out. After their afternoon snack and all those sweets, they were all really interested in sharing some of the sunflower seeds (they were even the unsalted kind). I am truly amazed when I see how such little things can mean so much to these kids. These simple things that we take for granted on a daily basis mean something completely different to these kids who have no real opportunity to control their current situation.
This was day 2 which means there are 4 more days left. As the number of days gets smaller, I feel like they will also feel shorter. I hope that we will be able to spend the time wisely and keep the activities enjoyable. There are so many possibilities and I look forward to each new day.
Thanks again, and keep believing that all your prayers are worth the effort.
Jeff
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Day one of our 6 day countdown
I've been here for only 5 days now and it really feels like a month. At home 5 days seem to go by in a flash and usually there is little different from the first day to the fifth (except maybe what's on TV). So in my short 5 days here I have officially become a new father, I have learned a lot about the Russian language and I have made some new friends both here in the city and also at the orphanage. Last night the idea of living in my (very small) hotel room for another 7 days seemed to be a very daunting task, but today everything appears very differently. Like the day after a large battle, the smoke slowly started to clear and then by the end, I saw everything in a new light. Maybe I'm making too big a deal of it, but today was a very good day. I got around town quite well and things went nicely at the orphanage.
For some reason, I had a nervous feeling before going to the orphanage. It's not really bad; it's like that feeling you have just prior to presenting a paper or pitching a proposal. It's that self reflection asking if I am prepared or have it in me to finish well. That feeling seems really silly now because, God doesn't expect us to face challenges or tasks that we are not truly able to handle. Sure some things may appear difficult on the surface, but that's God's way of forcing us to be better people. My trip to the orphanage started in the school hall (mainly because I arrived earlier than before), so there was a pretty chaotic exchange with a group of older kids mixed with the younger ones. Topic of the rally: "Bubble Gum". Seems like whoever has the bubble gum is the center of attention. But you know what, I felt like the situation was handled well and there was a certain feeling of happiness for all. When we finally ran out of bubble gum, we headed back to the suite.
I took a new movie today, we had the smart phone, the Nintendo DS, and the camera; so there were many different things for everyone to do. With all the activity the three hours just flew by, so when the taxi arrived nobody was ready for me to depart. It was very hard to leave, but part of me is still glad that Vova is staying in the orphanage for one more week. He has been there for more than three years and many of the boys have been there during that same time. These are his circle of friends, and on Tuesday next week he will leave them. Some of them he may see here in the US, but many of them, he will never see again. While you may think "what's the use in dragging it out", I figure, why not make the remaining time last as long as we can? These are the days that build the memories that he will cherish for a long time. Years from now when Vova is sitting around and he happens across a photo album of our time here in the orphanage, I hope he remembers his friends, and that he keeps them forever in his heart.
Sorry to get so deep here in the midst of describing an active and fun day. I really hope that each day, as we get closer and closer to Tuesday, becomes more and more special to Vova and to his friends. While I am not in complete control, I hope that I can contribute to every day being special and that everyone can be involved.
Thanks again for your continued support.
Jeff
For some reason, I had a nervous feeling before going to the orphanage. It's not really bad; it's like that feeling you have just prior to presenting a paper or pitching a proposal. It's that self reflection asking if I am prepared or have it in me to finish well. That feeling seems really silly now because, God doesn't expect us to face challenges or tasks that we are not truly able to handle. Sure some things may appear difficult on the surface, but that's God's way of forcing us to be better people. My trip to the orphanage started in the school hall (mainly because I arrived earlier than before), so there was a pretty chaotic exchange with a group of older kids mixed with the younger ones. Topic of the rally: "Bubble Gum". Seems like whoever has the bubble gum is the center of attention. But you know what, I felt like the situation was handled well and there was a certain feeling of happiness for all. When we finally ran out of bubble gum, we headed back to the suite.
I took a new movie today, we had the smart phone, the Nintendo DS, and the camera; so there were many different things for everyone to do. With all the activity the three hours just flew by, so when the taxi arrived nobody was ready for me to depart. It was very hard to leave, but part of me is still glad that Vova is staying in the orphanage for one more week. He has been there for more than three years and many of the boys have been there during that same time. These are his circle of friends, and on Tuesday next week he will leave them. Some of them he may see here in the US, but many of them, he will never see again. While you may think "what's the use in dragging it out", I figure, why not make the remaining time last as long as we can? These are the days that build the memories that he will cherish for a long time. Years from now when Vova is sitting around and he happens across a photo album of our time here in the orphanage, I hope he remembers his friends, and that he keeps them forever in his heart.
Sorry to get so deep here in the midst of describing an active and fun day. I really hope that each day, as we get closer and closer to Tuesday, becomes more and more special to Vova and to his friends. While I am not in complete control, I hope that I can contribute to every day being special and that everyone can be involved.
Thanks again for your continued support.
Jeff
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
very Busy day...
So today was the busiest day yet. We left the hotel at 6:30 am, picked up Vova from the orphanage and headed to Simperofol. With court papers in hand (hurray), we were going to get the birth certificate made and "Legalized"; obtain a new Ukrainian social security number, and then apply for a passport. If you think about what that would take to do all this at home you'd think we were crazy to say we could do it all in one day...but hey, here we did. Our coordinator and driver knew exactly where to go, who to talk to and what had to be done for everything to be completed. Vova and I only had to really be there for maybe 10 minutes of the whole day, but because it was in a different town, we had to stay with them the whole time. That said, most of the day was spent sitting in the car waiting for our coordinator.
Some of the time we played on the Nintendo DS, some of the time we played on the droid phone. We finally got through level 33 of the frozen bubble game which is where Twila got stuck during our flight home in November (Vova has been trying to get through that level since I let him have the phone on Saturday). Anyway, the rest of the time we just sat there watching people walking by. I was reminded of a time when I was about 12, in the days before DS's and smart phones. There were many a day that I would have to sit in the car waiting for a parent to get out of work or school, and the only thing to do was watch the people walking by. For some reason, that never gets old.
Fortunately, there was some time in the morning where we had a 5 hour gap. We started by eating breakfast. We left so early that nobody ate breakfast (and I hadn't had my morning coffee yet :)). We were in the center of the city (the kind of place where you can walk down the middle of the street) and we had a tough time finding a restaurant that was open that early. We finally found this cafe/bar that also served breakfast. Vova selected pancakes (they really looked more like crepes), and the adults had normal adult food. The tea was the type where the leaves and hot water were mixed in separate pot so Olig had to show Vova how to pour it into his cup through the strainer; it was really cute. Also, he wanted to eat the pancakes with his hands but our coordinator made him use his knife and fork. He pretty much ate everything on the plate. He even drank the remaining honey that was available to pour on the pancakes. I guess he liked it.
After walking around for a while and enjoying the city center, we finally drove over to the city park where they had a zoo. We walked around the park for a little bit and rode one ride--the bumper cars. Vova really enjoyed that even though it wasn't quite clear to him that the intent was to run into the other guy :) Next, we went into the zoo. Now it wasn't like the North Carolina Zoo or the DC Zoo, but they did have all sorts of different animals. One thing that was cool was that we could buy a cup of food, and each of the animals that weren't dangerous were positioned to be fed by the patrons. We fed a mountain goat (or something like it), a deer, a lama and a bunch of goats. Also, the pigeons really liked Vova because he tried to feed all of them (until the food ran out). While this wasn't much it was very enjoyable and I think Vova really liked it.
Once all the waiting was complete and the paperwork was processed and moved around, the day ended in a short little stop at the passport office. There, they had to take Vova's picture to complete the application. We had a very nice lady taking the pictures who seemed to like Vova very much, so it was very cute watching her work with him. The camera was in a fixed position so she had to grab a bundled stack of files for him to sit on while she snapped the photo. He gave her a cute smile and the picture came out very nice.
Now all of you are still asking that question...Is Vova with you now? Well, for several different reasons which I will not really go into, it seems that everyone here believes it is best for Vova to stay in the orphanage until we leave for Kiev. While I would probably prefer it differently, I have decided to not raise this as an issue for several reasons. First, we haven't really raised anything as an issue throughout this process and I believe that this type of attitude is necessary -- go with the flow and don't worry about little things that don't matter in the long run. Second, with Vova in the orphanage, I don't have to worry about any trouble with going back once he's out (I really like spending time with everyone there). Finally, since the decision was kind of made by committee (where the orphanage personnel were involved), I believe it is politically astute to follow their lead. We should go to Kiev on the same day we get the passport. So next Tuesday we will pick up Vova, go back to Simperofol to get the passport, and then we are off to Kiev.
Thanks again for keeping up with the saga and keep us in your prayers
Jeff
Some of the time we played on the Nintendo DS, some of the time we played on the droid phone. We finally got through level 33 of the frozen bubble game which is where Twila got stuck during our flight home in November (Vova has been trying to get through that level since I let him have the phone on Saturday). Anyway, the rest of the time we just sat there watching people walking by. I was reminded of a time when I was about 12, in the days before DS's and smart phones. There were many a day that I would have to sit in the car waiting for a parent to get out of work or school, and the only thing to do was watch the people walking by. For some reason, that never gets old.
Fortunately, there was some time in the morning where we had a 5 hour gap. We started by eating breakfast. We left so early that nobody ate breakfast (and I hadn't had my morning coffee yet :)). We were in the center of the city (the kind of place where you can walk down the middle of the street) and we had a tough time finding a restaurant that was open that early. We finally found this cafe/bar that also served breakfast. Vova selected pancakes (they really looked more like crepes), and the adults had normal adult food. The tea was the type where the leaves and hot water were mixed in separate pot so Olig had to show Vova how to pour it into his cup through the strainer; it was really cute. Also, he wanted to eat the pancakes with his hands but our coordinator made him use his knife and fork. He pretty much ate everything on the plate. He even drank the remaining honey that was available to pour on the pancakes. I guess he liked it.
After walking around for a while and enjoying the city center, we finally drove over to the city park where they had a zoo. We walked around the park for a little bit and rode one ride--the bumper cars. Vova really enjoyed that even though it wasn't quite clear to him that the intent was to run into the other guy :) Next, we went into the zoo. Now it wasn't like the North Carolina Zoo or the DC Zoo, but they did have all sorts of different animals. One thing that was cool was that we could buy a cup of food, and each of the animals that weren't dangerous were positioned to be fed by the patrons. We fed a mountain goat (or something like it), a deer, a lama and a bunch of goats. Also, the pigeons really liked Vova because he tried to feed all of them (until the food ran out). While this wasn't much it was very enjoyable and I think Vova really liked it.
Once all the waiting was complete and the paperwork was processed and moved around, the day ended in a short little stop at the passport office. There, they had to take Vova's picture to complete the application. We had a very nice lady taking the pictures who seemed to like Vova very much, so it was very cute watching her work with him. The camera was in a fixed position so she had to grab a bundled stack of files for him to sit on while she snapped the photo. He gave her a cute smile and the picture came out very nice.
Now all of you are still asking that question...Is Vova with you now? Well, for several different reasons which I will not really go into, it seems that everyone here believes it is best for Vova to stay in the orphanage until we leave for Kiev. While I would probably prefer it differently, I have decided to not raise this as an issue for several reasons. First, we haven't really raised anything as an issue throughout this process and I believe that this type of attitude is necessary -- go with the flow and don't worry about little things that don't matter in the long run. Second, with Vova in the orphanage, I don't have to worry about any trouble with going back once he's out (I really like spending time with everyone there). Finally, since the decision was kind of made by committee (where the orphanage personnel were involved), I believe it is politically astute to follow their lead. We should go to Kiev on the same day we get the passport. So next Tuesday we will pick up Vova, go back to Simperofol to get the passport, and then we are off to Kiev.
Thanks again for keeping up with the saga and keep us in your prayers
Jeff
Monday, December 6, 2010
So our "big day" has come and gone...
So our "big day" has come and gone...While it seemed a little anti-climactic it was still pretty big and slightly chaotic. Turns out that were a few mistakes in the court documents/resolution so we have to get those corrected before we can really continue. I haven't been told that these mistakes are a serious problem, but our coordinator has had to work very hard today sorting everything out. At this point in the process, I cannot possibly be more thankful for Stork and all the people that are helping us here. There are many little details that need to be taken care of for each step; so the team has been working very hard to be sure that everything is completed and that we stay on track.
Because of the chaos I didn't get to go to the orphanage until very late in the afternoon. This was OK because with it being cold, everybody was staying inside anyway. Consequently, we just hung out doing the normal afternoon activities; however, one funny little thing did happen. Some of the boys were playing with Twila's new camera (the one that she had just bought hours before I left Thursday). Well, after taking a few pictures and experimenting with some things, they figured out that the camera could actually take videos. Now this little discovery turned out to be the big excitement of the day. Everybody had to get a shot in and show their talents. From all of the takes, it seems that they all know how to dance, and some even aspire to be rappers. I really enjoyed watching their creativity.
Because I arrived there late, and our coordinator was still working, I really had no idea when I was going to leave. 4:00 came and went, then 4:30, finally 5:00. This was the latest I had ever been in the orphanage, and everybody was leaving the suite (they were basically kicking me out). Turns out, instead of homework, they have a late school session where they do their daily assignments. Instead of making me stand there for 1/2 an hour Vova asked if I could join them in the classroom. This was quite cool. Their classroom wasn't much different than those here. It was a little smaller than what we typically see in public schools, but everything was in Russian. There was seating for no more than 18, and the desks were specifically sized for someone less than 120 pounds. Vova wanted me to sit next to him, but I would have looked like Kung Fu Panda trying to squeeze in that seat. During that time some of the kids were diligently working, some were staring off into space, and some were just goofing off. This only shows that kids are the same everywhere you go. I am very glad I was able to experience that time, and I even learned a little Russian cursive to boot (everything in school is in cursive).
Now on to the business at hand. It seems that our big day is actually going to be a series of days; however, as I like to always keep in mind, our God is timeless and He has not fallen short when things don't happen as humanly predicted. Many of us know that all things work out to the good for those who believe, and I believe that this is how we can best show God that we trust him--though our patience. In this day and age we are not given prophets like those in the old testament. We we won't be getting any God forecasts this week about when I will take custody of Vova. Instead, we are given grace through His son, Jesus, which is truly the only way that we can trust in God and let His timing work out in the end.
Thanks again and keep praying.
Jeff
Because of the chaos I didn't get to go to the orphanage until very late in the afternoon. This was OK because with it being cold, everybody was staying inside anyway. Consequently, we just hung out doing the normal afternoon activities; however, one funny little thing did happen. Some of the boys were playing with Twila's new camera (the one that she had just bought hours before I left Thursday). Well, after taking a few pictures and experimenting with some things, they figured out that the camera could actually take videos. Now this little discovery turned out to be the big excitement of the day. Everybody had to get a shot in and show their talents. From all of the takes, it seems that they all know how to dance, and some even aspire to be rappers. I really enjoyed watching their creativity.
Because I arrived there late, and our coordinator was still working, I really had no idea when I was going to leave. 4:00 came and went, then 4:30, finally 5:00. This was the latest I had ever been in the orphanage, and everybody was leaving the suite (they were basically kicking me out). Turns out, instead of homework, they have a late school session where they do their daily assignments. Instead of making me stand there for 1/2 an hour Vova asked if I could join them in the classroom. This was quite cool. Their classroom wasn't much different than those here. It was a little smaller than what we typically see in public schools, but everything was in Russian. There was seating for no more than 18, and the desks were specifically sized for someone less than 120 pounds. Vova wanted me to sit next to him, but I would have looked like Kung Fu Panda trying to squeeze in that seat. During that time some of the kids were diligently working, some were staring off into space, and some were just goofing off. This only shows that kids are the same everywhere you go. I am very glad I was able to experience that time, and I even learned a little Russian cursive to boot (everything in school is in cursive).
Now on to the business at hand. It seems that our big day is actually going to be a series of days; however, as I like to always keep in mind, our God is timeless and He has not fallen short when things don't happen as humanly predicted. Many of us know that all things work out to the good for those who believe, and I believe that this is how we can best show God that we trust him--though our patience. In this day and age we are not given prophets like those in the old testament. We we won't be getting any God forecasts this week about when I will take custody of Vova. Instead, we are given grace through His son, Jesus, which is truly the only way that we can trust in God and let His timing work out in the end.
Thanks again and keep praying.
Jeff
Sunday, December 5, 2010
What does it take for your emotions to show?
So on the surface, today appeared to be not much different than any other. We had a pizza party (well, I just brought pizza and cokes for every one in the suite) and everyone was excited and thankful. One of my favorite things to do at home is to treat my kids and their friends to something special. Anything from treating them to McDonald's or taking them to the doughnut shop after a sleepover, the kids always seem more appreciative when their friends are involved. Today was no different; everyone enjoyed the food and the company and we all felt good for that little speck time.
Last night while talking to Twila a stark realization had come to me. Previously, we joked about our experience in Jonkoi as something like that movie "Ground Hog Day". You know the one where Bill Murray wakes up to the same experience day after day, until finally he has a change of heart and sees his life differently. Well, this joke, was less funny to me yesterday and today, because I realized that the "Ground Hog Day" experience for these kids is just that: the same basic routine day after day. For some the end may not be the same as for others. If nothing else, at least I know that I have given them a small break in the daily monotony of their lives.
So after the party settled down and we got to "talk" a little, the phrase we developed to describe the current feeling was this: "Завтра большой день". For those who don't speak Russian, the phonetic sound is "Zaftra bolʹshoy dyenʹ" which means "tomorrow is the big day". Tomorrow is when our coordinator will arrive, we will go to court to obtain the court documents, and then the remaining steps of this process can continue. Everybody in the orphanage knows that when we have the documents we can go pick up Vova, and he will get to leave with us. But right now nobody knows when that will be. We all ask the question "когда?" (when?) but nobody knows the answer. It can be likened to a pregnant mom who knows the baby is due any minute, or to the Jews knowing that the messiah would come and be from the house of David. They all know that it is coming and that it will be soon, but nobody knows the exact time.
Finally, upon leaving today I had a little emotional spell. I am not the kind of guy that gets emotional over just anything, so this was nice. Leaving my kids for a trip or sending them off to Grandma's house is never a problem for me. Sure I miss them, but usually don't get emotional. I am a firm believer that this type of space can be healthy as long as is not habitually distant. No, the things that get me excited (or emotional if you will) are when I see my kids do the things that God has enabled them to do without a lot of input from me. Watching Jeffery perform on the drums, or seeing Abigail receive every award possible during the 5th grade graduation; these are the things that cause the emotions inside me to well up. Maybe its selfish and personal, I don't know. But I really love it when any kid gets the opportunity to express the talents that God has given them, and I always get emotional when I see the results. For some reason today in the parking lot at the orphanage, I had the same feeling. Vova was exchanging words with the driver concerning the time schedule for tomorrow. I didn't get everything, but I understood enough to know that Vova was asking Oleg what time, and that nobody really knew what time :) Anyway, surprisingly, this exchange gave me this same proud feeling that I mentioned before. I don't know why, but I believe that knowing that he is my son played a very large part.
Once again, thank you all for your support, and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we go through our "большой день" tomorrow.
Jeff
Last night while talking to Twila a stark realization had come to me. Previously, we joked about our experience in Jonkoi as something like that movie "Ground Hog Day". You know the one where Bill Murray wakes up to the same experience day after day, until finally he has a change of heart and sees his life differently. Well, this joke, was less funny to me yesterday and today, because I realized that the "Ground Hog Day" experience for these kids is just that: the same basic routine day after day. For some the end may not be the same as for others. If nothing else, at least I know that I have given them a small break in the daily monotony of their lives.
So after the party settled down and we got to "talk" a little, the phrase we developed to describe the current feeling was this: "Завтра большой день". For those who don't speak Russian, the phonetic sound is "Zaftra bolʹshoy dyenʹ" which means "tomorrow is the big day". Tomorrow is when our coordinator will arrive, we will go to court to obtain the court documents, and then the remaining steps of this process can continue. Everybody in the orphanage knows that when we have the documents we can go pick up Vova, and he will get to leave with us. But right now nobody knows when that will be. We all ask the question "когда?" (when?) but nobody knows the answer. It can be likened to a pregnant mom who knows the baby is due any minute, or to the Jews knowing that the messiah would come and be from the house of David. They all know that it is coming and that it will be soon, but nobody knows the exact time.
Finally, upon leaving today I had a little emotional spell. I am not the kind of guy that gets emotional over just anything, so this was nice. Leaving my kids for a trip or sending them off to Grandma's house is never a problem for me. Sure I miss them, but usually don't get emotional. I am a firm believer that this type of space can be healthy as long as is not habitually distant. No, the things that get me excited (or emotional if you will) are when I see my kids do the things that God has enabled them to do without a lot of input from me. Watching Jeffery perform on the drums, or seeing Abigail receive every award possible during the 5th grade graduation; these are the things that cause the emotions inside me to well up. Maybe its selfish and personal, I don't know. But I really love it when any kid gets the opportunity to express the talents that God has given them, and I always get emotional when I see the results. For some reason today in the parking lot at the orphanage, I had the same feeling. Vova was exchanging words with the driver concerning the time schedule for tomorrow. I didn't get everything, but I understood enough to know that Vova was asking Oleg what time, and that nobody really knew what time :) Anyway, surprisingly, this exchange gave me this same proud feeling that I mentioned before. I don't know why, but I believe that knowing that he is my son played a very large part.
Once again, thank you all for your support, and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we go through our "большой день" tomorrow.
Jeff
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