21/2 Wonderful Days!!!!

What is the best medicine for frustration?.......Marina. Maybe someday Marina will be my frustration, but for now, she is the best cure for the blues that Mama can have. We have had the best time just being together. The longer we are together the better it is getting. It has been good for her too. We have spent most of our time hugging each other, talking, walking, laughing, and doing word puzzles.

When I arrived on Thursday, I knew that Marina needed time away from the orphanage. She was angry, hurt, and put a wall between her and God. If I even mentioned God, she would just turn her head. As time went on, the girl we left here returned. She went to church today and seems to enjoy the service. Up to today, when we would pray, I would get a limp hand. Today, I got a firm grip. She told me today if she ever gets out of Ukraine she is never coming back. Of course she would have to so that I can adopt her, but I am not going to tell her that right now. She is very guarded about the student visa program. She understands, but is not getting too excited about it.

Nancy and I will go seperate ways tomorrow. She will go on to Kherson and I will stay in Berdyansk. I am waiting on the Lord to help me with the next step. Marina say, Mama, you pick me up after school tomorrow? My answer, I don't know. She doesn't understand the whole picture and there is a language barrier. I will do what ever I can to make this happen, so I will travel whenever I need to and try to explain everything to her later.

I miss Rick and Yana, and so often we sit at the same tables as when there were the 4 of us. We always point to where Rick would sit and where Yana would sit and wish they were with us. Next year, February 2009, we will all do this again. I only wish that this would happen just once in the summer. Maybe winter is better. People where clothes in the winter. Last summer a lady from Italy was asked to wear clothes in the open market, she had nothing on. They had to pass an ordinance that you must wear clothes in the downtown area. I know that will never happen in this cold weather!

I appreciate the comments and prayers. Please pray that the Lord will give me wisdom for the next move. I am not sure if anything can be done on this end or if it is time to go to Kiev. I just pray that I will know what to do when I wake up in the morning. Marina will go back to school at 7:45 a.m. I have one week to make a difference. I feel pretty small and powerless right now. I know that is the best place to be. When I am weak, I step aside and let the power of God do the work. I know I can't but he can. Tomorrow is a good day to find out what He can do, because I have no plan.