Do We Care?

There has been bad news in the adoption world this week.  Russia is trying to pass a law banning adoptions to the US.  What does this mean?  Well, in the last year about 1,000 children came to the US from Russia, in the last twenty years around 60,000 Russian children have come to their families in the US.

It has become increasingly difficult to adopt from Russia.  The cost, the requirements, the number of trips required, the random paperwork required by judges, the time away from home, all of this has increased in recent years.  But there are still precious children coming home to loving families.  And if  President Vladimir Putin signs this law that will come to an end.

Friends, do we care?  Do we care that there are 2.5 million (possibly up to 4 million!) children without homes in Russia alone!?  (Reports are rather unreliable) And many, many of them are living in truly deplorable conditions.  Children with special needs especially often live in the worst conditions imaginable.  One author from Russia describes the asylums special needs children are placed in at the age of  about 4-6 as, "nightmarish concentration camps that most people in the Western World cannot even imagine".

I know, "What can we do?"  We can PRAY.  God cares about orphans.  We can pray that this bill does not get signed into law.  We can step out of our comfort zone to care for the 150,000,000+ orphans worldwide!  Have you asked God what He wants you to do? Have you asked God if He wants you to open your heart and home to a child without a home?  Can you give financial assistence?  Can you sponsor a child?  Can you tell others about the need?  Can you commit to praying specifically about these needs? 

We can all do something.

But do we truly care?  Do we care enough to step out and do what we can?  I know it seems like our tiny bit won't make a difference.  But I leave you with a quote from Mother Teresa,

"We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”

Safely Home

I am home.  Home with my sweet children.  Home with my dear husband.  Home where everything is familiar.  I love to travel, but I love, love, love to come home!

I am so thankful that I was able to go to Russia.  The time ended up being different from what anyone could have foreseen, but that only makes me more thankful that I was able to be there.  You see, my friend didn't pass court last Tuesday.  The judge asked for more documents before the case goes any further.  It was very, very difficult.  Some of the things the judge asked for are very hard to obtain, but we are all contacting everyone we can and praying that God will work this out according to His will.

So much of the time while I was there we spent contacting people in the US, which had to be done at night due to the time difference.  There is still one document that she needs before the judge will schedule another court hearing, so please pray that this document can be obtained.  I plan to try to go speak with someone on Tuesday to see if it will make a difference.

Out of the window as we were nearing the London Heathrow Airport.

The plane that brought me home.

The trip home went smoothly.  All my flights were on time and no luggage was lost, so definitely a success!  I bought a little wooden child's chair that is exactly like the ones in Annika's baby house in Uralsk.  I had to carry it through the airports, but I got it home and I am so tickled to have it!

The chair.  Made in Russia.
 

The family was waiting for me in the international arrivals hall at JFK.  It was so wonderful to put my arms around each of them and hold them tightly. 

They had gifts waiting for me when I arrived home.





We are having a quiet, restful day today.  It is exactly what we need!

Today I Got To Meet...

The little princess that is the whole reason for this trip!  And she is worth every mile that has been traveled, and every stressful moment her Mama has been through, and every tear that has been shed.  She is adorable!

I can't post her picture, but here is a tiny  peek.

A Tiny Glimpse of Perm...

The Hilton Garden Hotel where I am staying.

All is well, at least as far as I am concerned, in Perm!  I am enjoying the time here so far.  I have not gotten to meet Liz's little girl yet, but hopefully soon we can visit the baby home. 

I also keep getting positive reports from home, so that makes my time so much more enjoyable!  Can I just say how much I love video calls!?  Little Eliana is doing great for her Daddy and loves talking to me when I call.  So much so that Keith gave her a bath during part of the last call so that everyone else could have a turn talking!


For dinner last evening we went to a restaurant that Keith saw online and told me about.  It ended up being within easy walking distance and was a really nice place!  It was beautiful and the waitresses dressed in traditional dresses.

The entrance...

This is the salad that we shared...

This is the beautiful bread basket with a little crock of garlic spread...

And this is my meal, Pork Chop in Crispy Browned Cheese.  All the browned yumminess you see is cheese...

Liz has her court hearing this afternoon.  We are praying all goes well and have no reason to believe that it won't.

Back in the (Former) USSR...



View out the hotel window.

I made it to Perm!  I arrived around 3 AM.  Then I visited with my friend, Liz, until around 6:30 and slept past noon.  I know, not the best way to beat jet lag, but we'll do better tonight since Liz has her court hearing tomorrow morning.  No sleeping in tomorrow!

I'm Going to Russia!!

It started back on this day.  I invited my sister-in-law's sister, Liz.  I didn't know her, but knew she was adopting from Russia, and thought it would be fun to meet her. 

She had just gotten a referral for a little 19 month old girl from Perm.  As we talked about when she would travel she mentioned that she would be making three trips and wasn't sure who, if anyone would go with her.  In spite of the fact that I had only met her in person that day, I blurted out that I would go!  And then I felt silly because why would she want me to?

But, she did.  She traveled for trip #1 a couple of months ago and has been waiting for a court date.  Today the news came.  She needs to leave for Russia on August 22.  And I am planning to go with her!!

That is twelve days from now.  So now it is all about visas and tickets and all the details.  Ahhh.  Who would have thought I would be so excited?!