My definition of journey is constantly changing. I used to think of "Alice and Wonderland", or "Wizard of Oz" as a journey. When I came to Christ I started a journey of walking by faith. The first part of the journey I was introduced to miracles, healings, love, surrendering. Along part of the journey was a path of growth and building of valuable knowledge. I am not too sure what to label the Adoption Journey, the only thing that comes to mind is...."The Griffin", Busch Garden's newest, fastest, steepest, rollercoaster. The beginning of the Griffin ride is a steep up hill, followed by seconds of beauty looking at the James River from this incredible height. Then the cars come to the edge of a hill, where you can no longer see the tracks, and you tangle there for maybe 5 seconds (which seems like minutes) and then the release, you fall straight down. Before you know it your spinning, going up, dropping down, a few more spins and then in 90 seconds it's over. The ride is over but the head is still spinning, and trying to absorp all that just happened.
What has happened in the last couple of days is still making my head spin, and my mind is trying to absorp what happened. I am not sure that I will ever know the whole story, but God's hand is written all over it and He knew the players that had the maturity to reveal His glory through the whole thing. His hand of protection was on the people that are emotionally too wrapped up in the "Griffin" to stay on the track and possibly would have spun off.
I will give an appreviated version of the story, so that it is journaled for life. It is one of the pivital points in my faith walk that I will always go back to. When I requested Maryna to come on the host program with Frontier Horizon, the director of the orphanage would only allow her to travel if there was a guardian from Berdyansk that would be with her. I felt like this was a way of discouraging me from having Maryna for the summer. I approved and with the help of Frontier Horizon, it was financially going to work. Then another couple dicided to host a child from the same orphanage. The guardian became the Berdyansk guardian. The other family was so gracious to host the guardian for the first 2 weeks because we were going to visit my family and wanted it to be the 4 of us. On the way home from the airport the girls announce that the guardian is the director's daughter. At first the hair on my head stood straight up, but within minutes I realized the blessing that was available to us through this. The guardian seemed very nice and the girls were very comfortable with her. The guardian left with the other couple and we left the airport as a family of 4. For the next 3 days my family was adjusting to another person in the house. Little did I know that for those same 3 days the other family faced a storm, a very painful one at that. At the end of the 3rd day I receive a call that the guardian and the other child are returning to Ukraine the very next day. Wow...they unfolded the story of events, I could see God's hand of protection over my family. The host family, the agency, Frontier Horizon, and God were working together to prevent my family from being hit by the storm. The night that I received the call. Rick had taken the girls out and I was home alone. That was unusual, but I needed some space, so I thought. That night I found out that the guardian and child would be returning to the Ukraine the next day. I wasn't sure at that point what that meant for Maryna. I didn't want to say anything to Rick until we were alone. Wouldn't you know they came home with movies to watch. I sat and watched the worst movie while my head was spinning from the information that I had received about..."The Griffin". When I told Rick the story and that the guardian was leaving, you could tell by his eyes that he was on the same spinning part of the journey. A little overload of information at bedtime.
A day has gone by, no new new. The host family, we thank them and pray blessings will shower them. For the agency, a first for them, never had the problem before, they did a great job. For us, we couldn't be happier. We are so thankful for the players that God has used to protect us and are sorry at the same time. We pray that this is the confirmation that God is giving us that Maryna will be adopted by us this February. I think this summer we will spend alot of time at Busch Gardens. The Griffin Rollercoaster is my favorite ride. I think I will ride it often this summer to remind me of the journey that God's hand is directing us on and we are not to fear the drops and the spins, just hang on because there is a jerk at the end of the ride and He is in control of that too.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Welcome to America, Maryna!!!
June 19th took forever and ever to get here, the date of Maryna's arrival to America. I remember sitting in the apartment in Berdyansk, and Maryna, with tears rolling down her face, said that she will do anything to go to America. Today is the day that she will come to America, awesome. We arrive at the airport in Washington, D.C. one hour before the flight arrives. Rick, Yana and I have dinner, play a few games of Crazy-8 and then proceed to the gate where international travel comes through customs. We get to the gate right on time, 6:55 p.m. and wait and wait and wait. It took about a hour for them to go through customs. Then I look over and Rick is just hugging on this beautiful young lady, and Mama starts crying from joy.
The journey to America is hard and long. For the two children coming from Berdyansk, it starts with a drive to Zaporizha, which is about 2.5 hour trip. Then an overnight train ride to Kiev. The train stops and starts all night long. A very difficult place to get a good sleep. At 5:00 a.m. you get up so that when the train stops in Kiev at 6:00 a.m. you are ready to get off. A trip to the Kiev International Airport, a 5 hour wait for the plane and then a 2 hour flight to Paris and finally the last big push, an 11 hour flight to America. Once you made this difficult trip you stand waiting to get through customs. The girls from Berdyansk were exhausted. Maryna was overwhelmed with everything. Emotionally she shut down. On the way home she informed us that she was unable to eat or sleep on the plane or the train.
Yana was a superstar, what a blessing she is. She helped with translation at the airport, not only with Maryna, but the guardians and the other children. She was tender towards Maryna, helping her through this very difficult situation. Yana is definately a special young lady. She knows when to step up to the task and she proved herself again at the airport.
Shortly after we left the airport we stopped at McDonalds so Maryna could eat and the caffine that was needed to get home could be aquired. Shortly after the food was eaten, the car went quit, Maryna feel asleep, and Yana went into i-pod mode. What a dream to have these two girls with us. God has a plan, this is only a small piece of the plan. This moment in time there is spiritual peace, thankfulness and praise. God has done a great work in all of us, I am not sure the girls recognize it right now, but that is okay, Mama and Papa can see it.
The drive home is a breeze until we get close to 295, the pass around Richmond. The road narrows and if there is going to be an accident that is the spot. Unfortunately, that was the case.
The traffic is backed up, a slow crawl. An hour to think about how fast life can change, how blessed we are, how important to ask God to protect not only us, but all those around us. For over an hour the mood changes, it becomes somber, knowing that at 70 miles an hour accidents are bad and people get hurt. Anyone that comes out of these accidents with minor injuries have just experienced a miracle, I pray that on this night there were miracles.
We get home, we have to wake Maryna up from a deep slumber to walk into a house that has had a dog inside for the last 10 hours! Our dog, Ginny, is almost 9 years old and hyper as a puppy when she is happy. Poor Maryna crawled into Papa's arms to hid from the monster dog.
Ginny is very aware that there is new smells that she has never met walking into the door. Maryna goes from peaceful slumber to confusion, Welcome Home!
Yana takes them into their bedroom, Maryna's face lights up. There is a brief burst of energy. This is the moment in time that you wish that you could speak Russian, to communicate emotions. Yana's side of the room looks well lived in, Maryna's side looks ready for her to move in. The contrast overwhelmed me, I have to remind myself this is God's plan and I know that His way is the only way. My plan was for this to all happen at once, His plan, one at a time. The very first thing Maryna does is open her bag and give Yana a picture of her brother Koyla. Is God's plan more then my plan? The picture creates a bond between Yana and Maryna. Yana is grateful. Koyla, a young brother left behind, what will be his story?
Time for bed; prayers, lights out, mama and papa crawl into bed, and wake up. Too much caffine, too much excitement, and the dog has been in the house for too long, she is ready to play.
This is going to be one huge adventure this summer, I just pray that God's glory is written all it and that he gives the strength to this couple to enjoy every single moment of it.
Fran
The journey to America is hard and long. For the two children coming from Berdyansk, it starts with a drive to Zaporizha, which is about 2.5 hour trip. Then an overnight train ride to Kiev. The train stops and starts all night long. A very difficult place to get a good sleep. At 5:00 a.m. you get up so that when the train stops in Kiev at 6:00 a.m. you are ready to get off. A trip to the Kiev International Airport, a 5 hour wait for the plane and then a 2 hour flight to Paris and finally the last big push, an 11 hour flight to America. Once you made this difficult trip you stand waiting to get through customs. The girls from Berdyansk were exhausted. Maryna was overwhelmed with everything. Emotionally she shut down. On the way home she informed us that she was unable to eat or sleep on the plane or the train.
Yana was a superstar, what a blessing she is. She helped with translation at the airport, not only with Maryna, but the guardians and the other children. She was tender towards Maryna, helping her through this very difficult situation. Yana is definately a special young lady. She knows when to step up to the task and she proved herself again at the airport.
Shortly after we left the airport we stopped at McDonalds so Maryna could eat and the caffine that was needed to get home could be aquired. Shortly after the food was eaten, the car went quit, Maryna feel asleep, and Yana went into i-pod mode. What a dream to have these two girls with us. God has a plan, this is only a small piece of the plan. This moment in time there is spiritual peace, thankfulness and praise. God has done a great work in all of us, I am not sure the girls recognize it right now, but that is okay, Mama and Papa can see it.
The drive home is a breeze until we get close to 295, the pass around Richmond. The road narrows and if there is going to be an accident that is the spot. Unfortunately, that was the case.
The traffic is backed up, a slow crawl. An hour to think about how fast life can change, how blessed we are, how important to ask God to protect not only us, but all those around us. For over an hour the mood changes, it becomes somber, knowing that at 70 miles an hour accidents are bad and people get hurt. Anyone that comes out of these accidents with minor injuries have just experienced a miracle, I pray that on this night there were miracles.
We get home, we have to wake Maryna up from a deep slumber to walk into a house that has had a dog inside for the last 10 hours! Our dog, Ginny, is almost 9 years old and hyper as a puppy when she is happy. Poor Maryna crawled into Papa's arms to hid from the monster dog.
Ginny is very aware that there is new smells that she has never met walking into the door. Maryna goes from peaceful slumber to confusion, Welcome Home!
Yana takes them into their bedroom, Maryna's face lights up. There is a brief burst of energy. This is the moment in time that you wish that you could speak Russian, to communicate emotions. Yana's side of the room looks well lived in, Maryna's side looks ready for her to move in. The contrast overwhelmed me, I have to remind myself this is God's plan and I know that His way is the only way. My plan was for this to all happen at once, His plan, one at a time. The very first thing Maryna does is open her bag and give Yana a picture of her brother Koyla. Is God's plan more then my plan? The picture creates a bond between Yana and Maryna. Yana is grateful. Koyla, a young brother left behind, what will be his story?
Time for bed; prayers, lights out, mama and papa crawl into bed, and wake up. Too much caffine, too much excitement, and the dog has been in the house for too long, she is ready to play.
This is going to be one huge adventure this summer, I just pray that God's glory is written all it and that he gives the strength to this couple to enjoy every single moment of it.
Fran
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Berdyansk Reunion 2008
What a beautiful picture, Ukrainian children that once lived in an orphanage, now have families that love them. The Berdyansk Reunion was a wonderful occassion for the adults and the children. All the children in this picture are from Berdyansk except for a handful of 4 or 5. Most of them knew each other in Ukraine, and all of them have roots to the Ukraine. There are two boys that lived in another orphanage in Ukraine, what a surprise they had when they came face to face.
The reunion started off on Friday, June 13th, with a dinner-simple one of course. Then at 8:00 it turned into a Disco Dance. The children had a blast. The lights dim, the disco ball spinning, shoes off, the Russian music blasting and the dancing began. The next two and half hours was filled with energy.
The following day we are out the door and at Busch Gardens around 10:00 a.m. An exhausting day of rides, walking, eating, and good fun. Even some of us adults took the challenge and jumped on the "Griffon", Wow! You would think by 9:00 everyone would be exhausted. Only the grow-ups, the children could have used up the last hour and continued to ride for the last hour.
The final day included church at the Williamsburg Community Chapel thanking and praising God. We followed church with a picnic, soccer game, and more fellowship. We said good-bye to people from Arkansas, Alabama, Virginia Beach, and of course Williamsburg at the end of the day, Father's Day at that.
We get home exhausted, Yana crashed. She played very hard all weekend, even had a friend that was adopted at the same time she was, stay for 2 nights. It will take a couple of days to recover from this weekend. Just in time for Maryna!
We are prepared to pick up Maryna on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in Washington, D.C. As I write my heart is just racing, excitement, nervous, thrilled, scared, emotional, trusting, and most of all thankful that God has paved this path for Maryna and for us.
Fran
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Preparing for Maryna
Yes we are preparing for Maryna and not Marina. For over a year I have written Marina and when I got the list of children coming for the summer, Marina's name was Maryna. That is a very appropriate to make a name change at a time when life is going to change for her. It is biblical too, a change in life, a change in name.
We are busy getting as many as our projects done before Maryna arrives so that our summer is the girls. We are busy painting, fixing, weeding, shoveling gravel, building, etc. We are doing everything with a great deal of excitement. We called Maryna on thursday and she was standing in line at the U.S. Embassy, Kiev, waiting to get her visa. She was scared, we were surprised. I never thought of her getting scared over this exciting adventure. I can't help wish that it were different and we were holding her hand through this. After I hung up the phone I thought about her being scared in Kiev Embassy, wait until she hits New York City Airport. Now that is a cultural shock!
I am not sure that Yana is all that ready to have Maryna. We have been talking about it and praying for her visit, but I think she is fine having her own room. The best indication of it happened by accident. I want to build a second floor on our house. Now we are starting to need one. Before the second floor happens, Rick has to build his workshop so that he can expand. Before Rick builds his workshop we have to get approval from the county. Before the county approves anything we have to get closer on a land swap that our neighbor kind of forced us into doing. This land swap has already taken a 16 months, because there is a creek on it that runs into the Chesapeak Bay which is some 60 miles away. So you see the upstairs of our home is the future. One night I was teasing Rick about the second floor, could we build it this summer, we would have plenty of help. Yana was in full agreement. Rick encouraged her to draw the plans for her bedroom. The next day she gave us her plans, the luxury suite, with 3 windows, a study area, huge closet, double bed. That is what happens after being in America for 5 months! It doesn't take us humans long to want a lot. I said, where is the bathroom? Her eyes got huge and she said, "Oh yeah, I forgot". I will hang on to the plans though, it was pretty good looking for the master bedroom, after all you always have to think about resale value and that bedroom would have a great value. When I asked her about Maryna's room she said, "You won't have to build Maryna a room, she can have mine room that I have now!" Am I in for an exciting life with 2 teenage girls. I have experience though, I was a teenager once and I had 2 sisters, I know what I am in for.
We are getting ready to call Maryna now, that you God for skpe and e-mail. It has kept us connected. Our prayers are that all goes well with the travel and that Marina will like her future home and family. I know that God is in the center of all this, so His will, will be done.
Fran
We are busy getting as many as our projects done before Maryna arrives so that our summer is the girls. We are busy painting, fixing, weeding, shoveling gravel, building, etc. We are doing everything with a great deal of excitement. We called Maryna on thursday and she was standing in line at the U.S. Embassy, Kiev, waiting to get her visa. She was scared, we were surprised. I never thought of her getting scared over this exciting adventure. I can't help wish that it were different and we were holding her hand through this. After I hung up the phone I thought about her being scared in Kiev Embassy, wait until she hits New York City Airport. Now that is a cultural shock!
I am not sure that Yana is all that ready to have Maryna. We have been talking about it and praying for her visit, but I think she is fine having her own room. The best indication of it happened by accident. I want to build a second floor on our house. Now we are starting to need one. Before the second floor happens, Rick has to build his workshop so that he can expand. Before Rick builds his workshop we have to get approval from the county. Before the county approves anything we have to get closer on a land swap that our neighbor kind of forced us into doing. This land swap has already taken a 16 months, because there is a creek on it that runs into the Chesapeak Bay which is some 60 miles away. So you see the upstairs of our home is the future. One night I was teasing Rick about the second floor, could we build it this summer, we would have plenty of help. Yana was in full agreement. Rick encouraged her to draw the plans for her bedroom. The next day she gave us her plans, the luxury suite, with 3 windows, a study area, huge closet, double bed. That is what happens after being in America for 5 months! It doesn't take us humans long to want a lot. I said, where is the bathroom? Her eyes got huge and she said, "Oh yeah, I forgot". I will hang on to the plans though, it was pretty good looking for the master bedroom, after all you always have to think about resale value and that bedroom would have a great value. When I asked her about Maryna's room she said, "You won't have to build Maryna a room, she can have mine room that I have now!" Am I in for an exciting life with 2 teenage girls. I have experience though, I was a teenager once and I had 2 sisters, I know what I am in for.
We are getting ready to call Maryna now, that you God for skpe and e-mail. It has kept us connected. Our prayers are that all goes well with the travel and that Marina will like her future home and family. I know that God is in the center of all this, so His will, will be done.
Fran
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