Today is friday, our 11th day and we're on our own till next thursday. Victor our interpretor left yesterday and will come back for our court date. This seaport city is cold , wet(rainy), and33* f. The winds were hard enough that it prevented us from going forward @ one point. Many plaques and statutes here. One says that @ this spot in 1879 the wind quit blowing and 487 people fell over. (just kidding)
Got a ride in the taxi today. Got her to pick us up @ 3pm in front of our hotel and drop us off @ the orphanage with the promise to pick us up @ 5pm and return us back to our hotel. " How do you do this thing , Oh international one?" Simply put, I discovered her son knows english- so I got his phone # and I call him our itenerary and tell him to call his mama and relay the message. Ride to and from orphanage is $4.00 U.S.
Marina was snoozin' when we got there. Yana was out "shopping". Everthing is locked up, so we go to Marina's dorm. There we meet Natasha, her roomate. We invite her to stay, please don't feel you have to leave because of us. She stays and plays "jenko". She seems so sweet. Yana arrives and is all of her smiley self- How can a grin get bigger?
We're just killin' time, being together. Ultimately "jenko" degenerates to pound on papa time where there are no rules. We stop short of "waterboarding"- @ least for the day...
I can't keep my attention off of Natasha. She seems too quiet. We change gears and break out the Christmas cards. We have the girls write to their friends and sign their names to the others. Natasha knows one of the williamsburg kids, so I give her a card and encourage her to write. Her handwriting is impeccable. But she has nothing to say. Marina hands me a watch that needs a battery. Says her older brother gave it to her some time ago. I ask Natasha if she has a brother. "No". Marina tells me she has no brothers, no sisters, papa, mama, nobody. I ask her of her age. "I'm 15".
Three days ago a cople we'd met here to adopt a 3yr. old left empty handed. All the work, effort, committment, $$$- all of it -gone.
This is very real stuff we're working against here. It's not a given, nor any quarantee any or all will take place. I may make light of our time together, but know WE'RE FULLY AWARE we're up against a "goliath" of obstacles.
Just want you all to know their are times we have our lows. But being "low" is not being "lost".
This is not our fight. It's His. We're only doing what He's asks us to do.
Christ himself say's that what GOD requires of us in the form of work is simply to believe in the one who sent Jesus to us ( John6:29).
We're asking for our girls sakes all who are reading this blog, "go to work" and pray on our behalf. Pray to the GOD who healed my eye 24 years ago. (It's still 20/15) He's the one who put these kids on our hearts. He's the one who moved all those who gave of themselves financially for us to do this.
This is His battle.
Thank you all for following along and being our support. You are witnesses to all that's about to happen in the next 6 days.
Spiritually speaking, you in front row seats of His theater. The stage is set. Sit back, and get ready- the curtain is moving...
Papa Rick