There is Power, Power, Wonderworking Power!

It started January 22 with a skype message from Rita... the Psychologist that the court said they were waiting on told Rita she was not scheduled to talk to the girls...or was it that Liepaja was waiting on Daina to get our documents through translation...which didnt' make sense because our dossiers were stamped Oct 24th as being received in the Orphan Court!  So, frantically, Jan 23rd, I emailed Kelly to see what in the world was going on and why no one seemed to know where our dossiers actually were.  Then, before I could go to sleep that night, I had to bring this before the Lord.  For he knows where every hidden thing is located; He knows the number of hairs on our head...surely He knew the location of our dossiers.  So I posted a request for my birthday... we needed prayer.  Prayer that our dossier would be brought to light; prayer that a sense of urgency would be in the heart of those in charge of our process; prayer that any hindering or delaying spirit would cease to operate against our plans and purpose.  And response after response come back..."praying".  The fear that was in my heart ceased.  Peaceful sleep came. 
January 24th was my 47th birthday... I was waiting for my annual Asbestos course to start when I got a skype message from Rita and Lera.  They had done those little computer drawings utilizing all of the special characters.  They drew rabbits, birthday cakes, chicks, hearts, and three little words that broke my heart...Happy Birthday Momy!  That was the first time they had used that name.  Broken ice.  Mending hearts.  Trust building.  Love!  Then, that evening, my son sent me a special birthday present.  During Christmas, he recorded Rita singing and playing a song she wrote.  They had spent several sessions laying down tracks for her song.  This is a very special song because she wrote it following the death of her Mom this summer while she was hosting with us.  This song is definitely from her heart and is beautifully performed.  She gave me permission to share it with my friends and even to post it to Facebook.  It has touched my heart to hear her feelings, to hear how she is processing this time in her life, her hope for the future.  I can't wait to hear many more of her songs.
I closed out my birthday but my gifts had not all been received.  I went to work Jan 25th and was trying to focus on getting things completed for the month.  I had to take a trip to one of our remote plants and when I returned to my office, I checked my email...There was an email from Kelly saying Daina expected that Ksenija and Valerija would be separated next week.  The court was waiting on the Fletchers' dossier to be translated, received and verified by the Childrens' Ministry to ensure they were planning to adopt Ksenija before they would release Valerija to be adopted by us!!!!  And yes, we are expecting that to be complete this coming week!  So we seriously could get our referral soon.  What I was so amazed at was that the prayer was answered so quickly. The dossier, the urgency to get back with us, the update on our status;  all answers to a request prayed to the Father, through the Son, in unity by His children, for His children.  Thank you, Jesus! 
So now we wait again, but this time with peace, knowing we are on course, and there will soon be an expected end to this journey to become a whole, complete family.  I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present!

Here is a link to Rita's song...   http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58840932/Rita_song4.mp3

Rain makers

Overwhelmed...why do I feel overwhelmed today?  Nothing has really changed except the delay has been confirmed with no idea of when a decision will be made.  We get to skype with the girls tomorrow to see how they are doing.  They have been angry with each other to the point Rita is doubting her request for becoming Lera's sister.  This is not good when they all have to be interviewed for the court before separation can be achieved between Lera and Ksenija.  Not good!  I'll see how things are going there in the morning!!! 

Twenty seven days...

Where did the time go?  Didn't we pick them up yesterday?  I think this is the quickest hosting we've ever done.  Dec 11 to Jan 7.  Twenty seven days of getting to know them, of bonding, of hugging, of encouraging, of laughing, of listening, of loving. 

Right now, it all seems a blur.  There were countless late nights with my little night owls.  Sleeping until noon, shopping for presents, decorating the house.  Getting to know their personalities, both individually and as sisters.  Rita's responsibility and patience.  Lera's stubborness and sense of humor.  Together, they compliment each other and yet drive each other crazy!  Their fighting, which we imagined as yelling and hitting, turns out to be a few hurtful words, pouting, then silence.  I have never raised girls, never had a sister, never spent much time around other girls...this is a new experience for me!  But, just like with Michael, God gives me the ability to speak and somewhat diffuse the situation, change attitudes, or maybe they just do it on their own.  I know the He is working in their hearts, and in mine.  Before long, we are laughing together again...
Christmas was a flurry of activity.  Our Christmas traditions consist of Christmas Day with my family, followed by a few days with Marks family gathering in Vicksburg.  In the past few years, we've added quite a few family members to our gathering.  Cindy has reunited with the family, bringing Desiree, Donovan, Gus and Jesse; and this year, we were able to meet Tysa.  Hailey has joined us this year, adding the sweetness of a baby girl to our midst.  And we also connected with Cheryls daughter Kathy!  Seems like this family has been able to overcome obstacles that have kept us separated in the past.  We also celebrated Judy's 70th birthday!  In her battle to live, she has persevered to see this day!  What a special day to have almost all of her children and grandchildren by her side!  Why this year?  What has broken in the spirit rhelm that has allowed us to come together?  What does 2012 hold in store for our family?  Is this the year of RESTORATION of all that was lost?  Hope deferred becoming sight?...for us all!
In the midst of the hustle and bustle, I saw the girls connecting with several family members, and very important to me, saw my Dad trying to connect to his new granddaughters!  It will take time for them to feel comfortable, to trust; but we have time!
One thing I'm glad we were able to accomplish was getting Rita to record one of her songs with Michael.  We started the process last summer, but ran out of time.  And, Michael hasn't finished mixing it down, so I still haven't heard it in its final form, but it's recorded.  She shared that this was a song written about her mom.  I have a feeling I will listen to it over and over again to try to understand the relationship they had, yet didn't have; maybe get an insight into what she dreams of; what a Mom should be to her. 
Departure day came way too quick.  We made the 7 hour jouney to Atlanta to put our girls on a plane to New York.  In 48 hours, we probably only slept 6 hours, besides the cat naps in the car.  Departure day was supposed to start at 5 am so we could enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel then a stop by Starbucks for a milkshake...however, my alarm did not go off on my phone and we just about missed our departure from Atlanta...well, at least getting to security on time.  So, we jumped into high gear and got the girls up and dressed in a record 15 minutes.  A 15 minute drive to the airport got us there with about 20 minutes left to check in and visit a little before they had to leave for security.  Not what I wanted, but maybe for the best.  They did not want to go, and maybe a prolonged goodby, or better yet, so long, would have made it harder.  This time, we each got a wonderful hug from Rita.  And our little Lera!  As they rode down the escalator, a piece of my heart went with them.  But knowing they will soon come back to us does help ease this absence a little.  There is a lot to do and hopefully, not a lot of time to do it in!!!  Till we see you in Latvia!  God's speed my girls.