Your Guess is as Good as Mine!

The most often questions asked me these days is; "When are you going to get Koyla". Your guess is as good as mine, only God knows the plan. We are doing all we can do, our facilatator, Victor, is doing all he can do, so now we just keep the faith that it will come soon.

The lastest update story is a tale of United States Law and Ukrainian Law and the Rahns are in the middle. On April 16th Victor went to the SDA office with the final 3 pieces of paper. The dossier was now complete, accepted and ready for the date. They told him to come back on the 23rd to get the date. On the 23rd they told him they could not give him the date yet because there are two major holidays coming up in May that will affect when people can have appointments. They had not decided how much time they were going to take off for the holidays. They asked him to call on Monday and they would let him know. On Monday he was told that the office had been so business that they did not have time to schedule appointments, but if he came in on Wednesday, the 29th, they would have the appointment scheduled. On Wednesday he was told that they found fault with the I-171H form, which is our American form for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. They said the dates were wrong and that they had never heard of an extension before. Victor explained that we were granted an extension and that this paper was still valid. Victor has to go to the U.S. Embassy to get a letter that stated that this form has been approved and the extension is a new law that was passed in July 2008. Victor called the SDA who said that the letter would be accepted but that he would have to come back on May 7th because the deputy director of booking appointments has gone home and is now on vacation and then there will be the holiday (Labor Day is May 1st), so therefore we can not book the appointment, but we promise that it will be booked on May 7th and we will get them in at the end of May. Victor wants me to get a new form that has dates changed and our government agency can't change the dates on the form because it make the form illegal. Who will win the battle? Who knows? God does!!! In the mean time I lay awake at night repeating,
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, Be still I am God, I am the vine you are the branches, Be angry and do not sin, and Don't be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord's salvation. It did work. I finally got the peace that I was needing to fall asleep.

In the mean time, Koyla will turn 13 on May 7th, and Yana will be done with soccer by the time we leave, and Rick will wrap up work that needs to get done, and I can think about all the things I want to do in the Ukraine for the summer, since more and more of my summer will be there. I am still hopeful that we will have an appointment somewhere around the 20th or 21st. I am praying that I am in God's will on that. I would love to be back in the United States before the July 4th holiday. We do know that God's timing is perfect, even if we think he is looking at the wrong datebook.
Fran

Hold the Flight!!

We are not making our flight plans yet, we are still waiting. On March 26th our facilitator had his appointment with the SDA. They gave him 3 papers to return to us and have us do over. The facilitators can't keep up with all the changes that are taking place, but this time they are splitting hairs. We got them back in record time, but not perfect time. Our papers arrived in Kiev on Monday, April 6th. They made it by FedEx in 3 days!!! They had to be translated and notorized and then run over to the SDA office. All done in record time. The SDA office is closed to dossier work for 15 days April 1st to the 15th to do quarterly reports! Oh no.......another red light. Hurry up and wait, Hurry up and wait, Hurry up and wait. I did learn this as a child. We played the game hurry up and wait all the time, Red light-Green light. Why is it as an adult it is not as much fun? Maybe my problem is fun, I should make this more fun. Turn it into a game, a guessing contest, create a game similar to monopoly or .... Am I missing an opportunity here?
Now I think I am going nuts. I think I do better at hurry up and wait.

God did not leave me without seeing His Glory. In this period of hold, God showed me that He is sitting on the throne. I love to see this, it gets me so excited. In 2005 a group of children came to United States with the "Old Russin Shoe Maker" performance. The children were from Berdyansk Orphanage, Yana was one of these children. During the performance at the Williamsburg Community Chapel, I spotted a young girl that looked just like one of my nieces. I welted up with tears. The thought that these children didn't have family overwhelmed me. The sight of this young girl made me stop and think about the importance of having someone helping you direct you path as you get older. It is easy to see the lack of nurturing that a young child would miss living in an orphanage, but the older child missing the guidance and security that comes from a family unit. I have thought about that young girls over and over. I never got her name or found out anything else about her, but her face and the feeling that I got when I saw her has never left me.

Last summer one of Yana's friends came to visit Williamsburg from North Carolina, she was also adopted from Ukraine. This year she returned to visit with her sister. This young sister is the young girl that stirred up my emotions in 2005. It is so exciting to know that she has a family and the couple adopted her whole family at that. How is that for God's Glory. It makes hurry up and wait well with my soul.

We are still praying for a fast appointment, hopefully in May, maybe even the first or second week. I have been hearing that they are setting fast appointments.

For now we are going to change our focus. We are celebrate our Risen Savior. He has Risen indeed and His grace is given to me daily. Happy Easter
Fran

Waiting for "The" Meeting

Hurry up and wait, sound familar? So much of life is like that. Your hurry to get here and there to find yourself waiting at the red light. I don't do red lights real well, but I practice trying to be a good red light person. We are at a red light waiting for the green. Our facilitar has received the last of our changed paper work and is now waiting to return to the SDA office at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 26th. There is good chance that our appointment will be at the end of
April, so I am trying to prepare for that scenario. I also realize that the papers could be returned again, many changes are taking place in Ukraine for adoptions, especially paper work. I realize that after being told Koyla, our son to be, is registered, there is always chance the papers are lost, we have been down that road before. Have you ever been at a red light and it didn't change? You look around to see if others have noticed, you wait a little longer and start wondering what to do. It is really hard when you are the first person at the light and others are looking to you to make the decision. That is how I feel with this adoption. I am so ready to get on with life, yet we are at a red light, waiting. I look forward to our trip to Ukraine and having Koyla as my son, but there are so many things that are on hold until this is over. There is nothing on hold that is more important then adopting a child. There is nothing on hold that has any eternal value, just things.

When I get real anxious I look at Koyla 's picture and that has a calming effect on me. I look at Yana and I realize that this little guy is worth the wait. This picture of Koyla was taken by friends who recently visited Berdyansk Orphanage and met Koyla. They brought a gift to him from our family. We got a real good report about Koyla. The director says he is a good boy!!! I guess there could be other motives for saying he is a good boy, like she wants him to be with his sister, but I will choose to believe he is a good boy.

Hopefully on March 26th when I get out of bed and run to the computer, the light will turn green. We will have our appointment and the official packing can begin. Until then, I am sitting at the red light, waiting.

Fran

Part 2 of the Rahn Journey Begins

Yes, she is beautiful! The inner women in Yana is as beautiful as the outter Yana. She and her papa went to a father/daughter diner. They are such good buddies.

I don't blog about Yana much, because I want her to enjoy her privacy, but now that she is part of the Part 2 Journey, you will hear more about her as it applies to the journey.

Our papers are in Ukraine, most of them have been translated already. Some of them came back the first time they went out due to the changes in the laws in December 2008. Our facilitator says that once we are approved we will be able to go for our appointment as soon as Yana's brother is available. From the information we received from the facilitator, Koyla should be available at the end of April. It once seemed so far away, now it seem right on top of us. So much to do, so much money yet to save!!! I could throw myself into a panic. I do realize that nothing is for certain on this part of the journey either. I am well equipped for that too. I know that the SDA could come back and tell us that they were only joking when they told Victor that Koyla was available. Fortunately, I am ready for anything this year. I told Rick that it felt good to know that this would be our last trip to Ukraine to adopt. He looked at me and said, "Who said it was". Oh my!!!! If God has a plan for more adoptions, He must increase the size of our home, increase the amount of our savings, and slow down my aging process. I know that He has the ability to do all three, so who am I to question. We hope to be getting word about our appointment in a couple of weeks. We are praying for timing to be in our favor, late April, early May. That God would help us prepare for this journey mentally, physically and spiritually.

Yana will be traveling with us to Ukraine. She and Rick will stay until the court date and then return to the U.S. so that Rick can work and Yana finish the school year. Rick will return to sign the final papers and travel home wth us. This is the plan as of today, and are open if God's plan differs.

Part 2 of the Rahn journey is officially started, May God Bless it,

Fran

Yana's First American Dance

October 25th, marks the date that I am sure our headaches will begin. We send our beautiful daughter off to her first dance here in America. I begged her to buy a raw fish and bring it with her and eat it with the head on. Now way, that kind of stuff happens at home, not in front of her American friends.

We are hosting a student from France for the week. She arrives in time for the Jamestown High School homecoming dance. Anne-Laure is here for a cross cultural experience. I told her she is getting more then one cultural experience. We have taken Yana out of the Ukraine, but the Ukrainian will never leave Yana. That is what gives Yana so much of her charm, she loves who she is. We love who she is too, our little Ukrainian daughter.

The picture is Anne-Laure, Yana, Ella, and Erica. Yana's dress is from the Ukraine. When Marina was here for the summer, she and Yana did a dress exchange. This is the dress that Marina bought for her birthday with the money we gave her for a present. Yana was so excited that no one would have a dress like hers. The day of the dance, the girls got together at Ella's house to do make-up, hair, and have dinner. Erica pulls out her dress to show everyone and Yana announces that Ella has the exact same dress!!! That is not acceptable to happen, so off to J.C. Penny's they go to buy Ella a new dress, just hours before the dance. I am so proud of the girls, they were so sweet to Anne-Laure. Ella and Yana are friends from Berdyansk and Erica is one of their closest friends. It was so wonderful that they could open their hearts up so easily to Anne-Laure. Beautiful girls and a wonderful night, that is a success story.

Fran

Back to School--Fall 2008

What is missing from this picture? Fear, there is no fear.

The past 8 months have flown by, and Yana is adjusting so fast to her new life. She will be the first to admit that it is not

an easy adjustment, but she knows that it is all worth the

effort. The beginning of this school season was nothing like the first day of school in January. Yana was up early, excited, and ready to go. She knows that the challenges will be greater this year and that she has to work very hard.

Yana had a full summer. Many trips to Busch Gardens, Water Country and visits to Kingsmill. Many friends came to visit, many sleep overs and girl parties. Lots and lots of movies (since we have no hook-up for television). She did find time to take summer school and prepare a little for the school year ahead. She shopped, rearranged her room (more then once or twice), and kept close contact with the friends she left behind in Berdyansk. We brought the summer to a close with a family trip to Lancaster, PA. to visit Amish country and most of all see the production of "In the Beginning" at the Sight and Sounds Theater in Strasburg, PA. It put a perfect closer on the summer. It gave us time to catch our breath and remember all of our blessings. We were hoping this trip would draw us closer together and that it did. Rick and I knew that Yana was at peace being in a family. She is looking forward to include her own brother in on the love of family.

The only news about Marina is that camp is over and she is now in trade school. We have not heard from her, and may never hear from her again. We all have moved forward and let the past just be the past. There are times that we find ourselves pondering, but we don't stay there for long. We have accepted that the story was written this way for a purpose. I am grateful for our time we all shared together and pray that God will father her into His hands of protection. We pray as a family nightly that Marina will see God's hands. May this all have a glorious finish.

Time to prepare for Hurricane Hanah that is coming past to visit this weekend. Lets pray that she is not as mean as she looks right now!

Fran

Goodbye, God Bless Marina

Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. Though one goes along weeping carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves. Psalms 126:5-6

What a powerful promise that God gives us that grieve over our harvest that feels so lost. Where is the return on our investment? So much labor, love, sacrifice, and now pain. Where is the fruit to this. It is in the promise, there will be shouts of joy. What does the whole picture look like, I have no idea. All I know is God's promises are yes and amen, even when the harvest looks dead.

Marina is gone, she left as scheduled on Monday, July 14th. She left her summer vacation early and her adoption behind. She left with a smile on her face, a hug and kiss for Mama, and a hug and a kiss for Papa. Mama cried, Papa's eyes full of tears, and Marina with sparkles in her eyes and a sweet smile on her face. I don't get it, but I am sure that my parents didn't get me either. When I grew up, I didn't get myself when I was a teenager. I do have some theories, but who knows if I will ever find out if my hypothesis is correct. This may be one of those questions I have to put on my list of questions that can be answered on the other side of heaven. I just hope that instead of asking God the question, I will meet Marina there and I can ask her what happened. If that is the case we will be laughing hysterically, because Psalms 126 says so. I will accept the harvest on either side of heaven and be shouting with joy.

The one question most people ask is will we hear from her again? We never talked about it. We are leaving it up to her. She will have to write the first e-mail and we will respond. As long as she writes, we will respond. We have times that we want to know what happens to her and then times when we think it would be too painful. We will take whatever comes our way and use it for God's glory, because the bottom line is His glory. We left on good terms, she knows the depths of our love for her. Marina never missed being a part of our prayer time. When we got into the car to leave for the airport, at 5:00a.m., Marina was in the back seat with her pillow and a blanket over her head. I thought she was asleep. Rick and I prayed for the journey. As we started to pray I felt Marina's hand grab on to mine and her head lean against my shoulder. I am amazed at her desire to pray. I pray that she keeps on praying, even through the circumstances that will be ahead of her in the days to come. She knows that mama and papa will always pray for her.

The adoption process is started, the homestudy is underway. The direction has changed to Yana's brother, Koyla. Who ever dreamed the journey would include a 12 year old boy. I have come to know one thing is for sure, nothing in this journey is for sure. We are praying for God to open the doors for Yana and her brother to live together again, it is His picture. We have a frame that was given to us when we came home with Yana. It says "The Rahn Family". We never put a picture in there because we felt one person was missing. Marina will always be missing from the picture, but now I decided to wait to see if Koyla will complete the picture.

As much as I am in pain, I am fascinated by the story. There is a sense of mystery that gives me spark. All I know is in the end there is a promise of shouts for joy!
Fran