My beautiful son
What a blessing today was! Day #8 of the wait period...we are winding down to the final days here!
Yesterday, we had a chance to spend time with the Kayser family, who is also here from America adopting a child. They've been on this journey before and have many friends in this city, so we had a wonderful time of fellowship and shared our hearts for adoption, orphans, living out our faith, homeschooling, etc. It was so refreshing! We also got to visit more with a missionary from Canada and his Ukrainian wife and 2 year old son - what a precious family! Our boys had a blast interacting with the Kayser kids, playing on the Wii and just having a great night!
Thankfully, the Kayser's have been gracious enough to offer to help me in these last few days, knowing that Josh is already home. So...I took them up on their offer and asked if they could watch my boys for a few hours this morning so that I could make a surprise visit to the orphanage to see Toby! I was just aching to see him and I know the weekends are especially dull for him since most of the kids at the school go home and there are just a handful of orphans who stay in one group during those days.
I walked quietly into the building and up the stairs to the entrance to his groupa room. There I saw him tenderly bending over to tie the shoes of his friend, Kiril. Kiril cannot use his arms, so Toby was helping him. He looked up and jumped and shouted, "Mama!!! You came!!!" He ran and hugged me and held on tight for quite a while!
His nanny came out and greeted me warmly and said she was so glad that I could come, since Toby had missed us very much. Then, hand in hand, my boy and I walked out to the Sports Hall where we had our very first one-on-one visit.
It was WONDERFUL!! He was much calmer without the boys there. We were able to talk quite a bit and he was full of questions about what the next few days will hold for him. He understands the adoption process very well since he's seen so many of his friends go through it. He understands that Tuesday is the day for "documents"! And that Wednesday is when we will take him home with us. FOREVER! I love that I can say those words to him in his own language: "Wednesday you will be with us forever!"
We played the game "Spot It!", we colored, he opened his Kinder Egg toy, we talked some more. He asked if I had clothes for him on Wednesday. "Yes, my son. I have nice clothes for you!" And will we go to America on Wednesday? "No, my son...we go to Kiev first and after a few days we will fly home to America." But what date will that be? "I'm not sure, but we hope December 24th." And do you have ice cream in America? "Yes, my boy...we have ice cream and we will have some ready for you!"
Toward the end of our visit, I asked if we could go back to his groupa so that he could show me where he spends his time and I could meet some of his friends. He was excited to do this and was so proud walking back into the room with his Mama right behind him. We first went to the room wher the younger kids were. I FINALLY got to see Wetherby (on Reece's Rainbow)!!! I've been in touch with his Mama, who is coming for him very soon, so it was very special to get to hug him and kiss his head and whisper in his ear that he is loved and his Mama is coming!
I also met Chester (these are the Reece's Rainbow pictures...I am going to try to get updated ones before we leave!)
...and Byron.
Oh, what sweet, sweet boys! Oh how I pray a family finds them soon! Chester is all smiles and just full of love! He was so eager to come up to me and show me a little treasure of a toy he had in his pocket! I did not hear him speak, but he responded to everything I said and just loved the personal interaction. And Byron...tiny, precious Byron...was sitting in a small wooden chair, held there by a kind of sash. He was happily saying something I couldn't quite understand and his shoe fell off. He said, "Oh!" and pointed to his shoe, so I came over to put it back on and give him a hug and a kiss! These boys need families! They are taken care of here, but they are not thriving. As I left later, I heard a nanny screaming at one of them for something and it broke my heart.
Toby then took me into the room for the older kids. There were only two other children there - Kiril, whom I had met before and a young girl who sat by herself and didn't really respond when I greeted her. I don't think that either of the are available for adoption. But I treasured the time I got to sit next to Toby and his buddy Kiril! Such a sweet boy! He asked if we could tell his friends who were adopted hello for him and that he missed them. I remembered that I had the photo album with me, so I got it and showed him the pictures of some of those very friends with their families in America. He was so happy!
During all of this, I could see that Toby was so happy and kind of proud to have me there. He liked to introduce me to whomever walked in. One lady came in to serve the soup for the kids' lunch. She began talking to Toby while I was speaking with Kiril, so I didn't catch the first part of the conversation. But I did hear her say, "And is this your mother? What do you think about her?" And this is what my sweet son said: "Yes, this is my mama. She is kind. She has long, beautiful brown hair. She has a face that is also beautiful. I love her and we are leaving here on Wednesday."
A treasure. I've always known Toby was our treasure. This was just one more moment to confirm it. I can't imagine the joy and love that we would have missed if we had not listened to the Holy Spirit's prompting back in July. If we had fought him and said we weren't ready to adopt...we didn't have enough money....we just got on our feet with a new job for Josh....whatever. What pale, terrible excuses could have kept us from experiencing not only this precious son, but also the amazing, adoptive-Father love of God.
We are changed. Forever.
Yesterday, we had a chance to spend time with the Kayser family, who is also here from America adopting a child. They've been on this journey before and have many friends in this city, so we had a wonderful time of fellowship and shared our hearts for adoption, orphans, living out our faith, homeschooling, etc. It was so refreshing! We also got to visit more with a missionary from Canada and his Ukrainian wife and 2 year old son - what a precious family! Our boys had a blast interacting with the Kayser kids, playing on the Wii and just having a great night!
Thankfully, the Kayser's have been gracious enough to offer to help me in these last few days, knowing that Josh is already home. So...I took them up on their offer and asked if they could watch my boys for a few hours this morning so that I could make a surprise visit to the orphanage to see Toby! I was just aching to see him and I know the weekends are especially dull for him since most of the kids at the school go home and there are just a handful of orphans who stay in one group during those days.
I walked quietly into the building and up the stairs to the entrance to his groupa room. There I saw him tenderly bending over to tie the shoes of his friend, Kiril. Kiril cannot use his arms, so Toby was helping him. He looked up and jumped and shouted, "Mama!!! You came!!!" He ran and hugged me and held on tight for quite a while!
His nanny came out and greeted me warmly and said she was so glad that I could come, since Toby had missed us very much. Then, hand in hand, my boy and I walked out to the Sports Hall where we had our very first one-on-one visit.
It was WONDERFUL!! He was much calmer without the boys there. We were able to talk quite a bit and he was full of questions about what the next few days will hold for him. He understands the adoption process very well since he's seen so many of his friends go through it. He understands that Tuesday is the day for "documents"! And that Wednesday is when we will take him home with us. FOREVER! I love that I can say those words to him in his own language: "Wednesday you will be with us forever!"
We played the game "Spot It!", we colored, he opened his Kinder Egg toy, we talked some more. He asked if I had clothes for him on Wednesday. "Yes, my son. I have nice clothes for you!" And will we go to America on Wednesday? "No, my son...we go to Kiev first and after a few days we will fly home to America." But what date will that be? "I'm not sure, but we hope December 24th." And do you have ice cream in America? "Yes, my boy...we have ice cream and we will have some ready for you!"
Toward the end of our visit, I asked if we could go back to his groupa so that he could show me where he spends his time and I could meet some of his friends. He was excited to do this and was so proud walking back into the room with his Mama right behind him. We first went to the room wher the younger kids were. I FINALLY got to see Wetherby (on Reece's Rainbow)!!! I've been in touch with his Mama, who is coming for him very soon, so it was very special to get to hug him and kiss his head and whisper in his ear that he is loved and his Mama is coming!
I also met Chester (these are the Reece's Rainbow pictures...I am going to try to get updated ones before we leave!)
...and Byron.
Oh, what sweet, sweet boys! Oh how I pray a family finds them soon! Chester is all smiles and just full of love! He was so eager to come up to me and show me a little treasure of a toy he had in his pocket! I did not hear him speak, but he responded to everything I said and just loved the personal interaction. And Byron...tiny, precious Byron...was sitting in a small wooden chair, held there by a kind of sash. He was happily saying something I couldn't quite understand and his shoe fell off. He said, "Oh!" and pointed to his shoe, so I came over to put it back on and give him a hug and a kiss! These boys need families! They are taken care of here, but they are not thriving. As I left later, I heard a nanny screaming at one of them for something and it broke my heart.
Toby then took me into the room for the older kids. There were only two other children there - Kiril, whom I had met before and a young girl who sat by herself and didn't really respond when I greeted her. I don't think that either of the are available for adoption. But I treasured the time I got to sit next to Toby and his buddy Kiril! Such a sweet boy! He asked if we could tell his friends who were adopted hello for him and that he missed them. I remembered that I had the photo album with me, so I got it and showed him the pictures of some of those very friends with their families in America. He was so happy!
During all of this, I could see that Toby was so happy and kind of proud to have me there. He liked to introduce me to whomever walked in. One lady came in to serve the soup for the kids' lunch. She began talking to Toby while I was speaking with Kiril, so I didn't catch the first part of the conversation. But I did hear her say, "And is this your mother? What do you think about her?" And this is what my sweet son said: "Yes, this is my mama. She is kind. She has long, beautiful brown hair. She has a face that is also beautiful. I love her and we are leaving here on Wednesday."
A treasure. I've always known Toby was our treasure. This was just one more moment to confirm it. I can't imagine the joy and love that we would have missed if we had not listened to the Holy Spirit's prompting back in July. If we had fought him and said we weren't ready to adopt...we didn't have enough money....we just got on our feet with a new job for Josh....whatever. What pale, terrible excuses could have kept us from experiencing not only this precious son, but also the amazing, adoptive-Father love of God.
We are changed. Forever.
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