And now... the beginning!

I can always tell when we are getting ready for a trip to Latvia...emotions begin running high, tempers get a little shorter, and the girls get a little irritated also!  LOL!  Seriously, you can see it in them, even at 14 and 16, the fear of the unknown, what one will say about the other, what if...  And our trip didn't start out all that great.  It was a very stormy Thursday as we headed to Jackson International Airport to board the 12:05 plane to Houston.  Before we ever left the driveway, we had a flat tire (that should have been an indication to pray a little harder!).  About half way, in the middle of a thunderstorm, the windshield wiper on the passenger side decides to flip upside down..we kept going until I realized the metal wiper was scraping against the glass and etching it severely.  We pulled into a gas station and our ingenuity would have made McGuyver proud!!!  Thanks to a piece of soldering wire (don't ask me why it was in the car), we once again had a functioning wiper blade and we made it to the airport with enough time to make a stop at Starbucks for a pre-flight coffee and mocha.  After take-off, they announced the weather in Houston was sunny and clear.  I was glad to hear this since a weather delay out of Houston would not be good for our 55 minute layover in Frankfurt!
Well, Houston had a problem.  First, we were a little delayed in boarding the plane.  As we were taxiing out to the runway, the pilot broke in with "We have a sick passenger.  Is there a doctor on board?"  My heart sank.  I knew what was coming.  But we continued on to the runway, and then continued on back to the terminal!  After offloading said passenger, who apparently was seriously sick, they had to find his luggage in among the other thousand or so bags in the cargo compartment...and after what seemed like 2 hours, and literally, it was, we again taxied to the runway, but this time, up, up and away!
I asked the stewardess the stupid question...is there any way we can make up the time?  She sweetly told me the gate crew would already have us booked on the next flight to Riga (along with our luggage), but she didn't know when that would be.  So, all that was left to do was sit back, relax and watch some inflight movies (sleep is not my companion on a 9 hour flight).  With emotions already running high, I didn't do myself any favors by watching Anna Karina, Les Mis and Life of Pi!  By the time we hit German soil, I was a total tear stained mess.  On arrival, we went to the nearest gate attendant to learn that we had in deed been scheduled on the next flight to Riga...in 10 hours.  But, I still maintain that Lufthansa is a very customer focused airline.  We each received meal vouchers for 2 meals each, they made calls to Liepaja for us, and sent us away with a smile.  Lera found a row of seats to stretch out on (after sleeping most of the flight) and got a little more sleep.  Rita and I walked up and down the airport terminal in search of food.  What we came across, besides the pretzels, was pretty much inedible.  But, we had fun looking.  (Has anyone tried the sushi place there?  I just kept thinking about the commercial that talks about unwise decisions and eating sushi from a gas station...).
After figuring out the internet machines, we were able to contact the foster family in Liepaja to stop Oscars from coming to Riga to pick us up at 1:00 pm.  And so you know who we are talking about, Oscars and Baiba are the foster parents and two of the most generous Latvians I know.  Oscars said he would still come pick us up even though our flight didn't get in until 11:00 pm.  We also made contact with the owners of the apartment we were staying in to let them know our arrival would be around 3 am Saturday...and they said the chambermaid would still meet us there to let us in and get us settled!  Wow!  I was half expecting them to suggest we stay in Riga!  We arrived in Riga and Oscars and his friend got us safely to Liepaja, where the chambermaid was waiting with a warm greeting at Ezera Maja.  We drifted off to sleep around 4 am with an early morning wake up ahead...
Saturday morning sunlight drifted into our little room which was warmed by several heaters.  I felt like I had slept a lot longer than I actually had, and there were more things we wanted to do than we had time for....so sleeping late was not on our agenda.  Saturday was Santa's birthday party.  Santa is the girls foster sister, and we had a hamster to purchase!  After a light breakfast, we headed to the Zoo (pet store) and found a cute little gray hamster, cage, food, bedding, house, etc!  (and that was the beginning of the vanishing Lats)!  We spent some time shopping, Lera ran into one of her teachers, we gathered up the hamster and headed to the party.  It was great to see everyone again.  There were lots of hugs and laughter that day, and yet you could see sadness in everyone's eyes.  The last time we would see this family for a long while...
Right on schedule, we got on our bus to Riga and were dropped off at ORIGO, 5 suitcases and all!  Gee, how uncomfortable that feels!  We managed to flag down a taxi and gave him the address to our newest American/Latvian friend, Jaycee.  She had offered to let us stay at her apartment since she would be taking a trip to the Mediterranean that week. We arrived at Jaycee's apartment, which is located about 5 minutes from Freedom Monument (or a 20 minute walk).  She has a beautiful apartment and was a gracious hostess.  We made a quick trip to Cili Pica and Rimi to pick up a few things to eat, then we came back and met another friend, Krista, who was staying at Jaycee's also to help us out and take care of Musha and Blakely, Jaycee's four-legged friends!  After going over the map, the bus schedules and tram stops, I felt fairly confident that we could always find our way home.  After a late night of laughter and getting to know our new friends, it was past time to hit the hay!
Monday morning, the sun was shining and the weather was crisp and cool.  We were being picked up by Daina around 11 am for our first appointment.  We had doctor appointments, new passports to register for, embassy visits, banking, and then documents to gather.  The girls each have a new Latvian Passport with their new American names.  The doctor did not find anything in their files that would be a concern.  The Embassy interview went smoothly, and in 4 short days, we were done!  In between the appointments, we were blessed to have the girls' friend, Devora, come to Riga to stay with us.  We went shopping (more disappearing Lats), made a trip to Jumala to the indoor water park.  We went to several different restaurants, and spent the evenings with Krista, Musha and Blakely.  One evening we went to one of the parks just down the street from the apartment.  There were lots of families out with their children enjoying the beautiful afternoon.  It was in the upper 60's, but there were still patches of snow and ice on the ground.  A lot of the streams also still had ice!    This was one of the first warm weeks in Latvia this year and everyone was out enjoying the arrival of Spring!

And so, it was with sad hearts that we waved goodbye to Devora at the Central Bus Station on Thursday afternoon.  Lera was not in a good mood, so she went back to the apartment.  Rita wanted to go to the movies, and I had an appointment with Charles Kelly for a walking tour of Riga!  It was definitely the highlight of my trip (besides finishing paperwork!).  Charles' knowledge of Latvia's history and architecture is amazing, and his and his family's impact on Christianity has definitely made an impact on the girls lives!  In fact, there are three people who's early work in Liepaja have touched the girls...Zanda, Dace, and Charles.  They were instrumental in working with the government to help establish the foster family programs.  They recognized the importance of family in a child's life.  Without their work, it is likely the girls would have remained in the orphanage, never to have been blessed by the love and guidance of Oscars and Baiba.  I will forever be thankful for what they have done to bless the children of Latvia!
Thursday evening, after meeting Daina to receive all of our documents, we returned for the last time to our home away from home.  We started packing and cleaning.  Lera left her artistic talents on Jaycee's bathroom walls.  Rita finally went to sleep, but by this time, it was after midnight and we had to leave the apartment by 4:00 to get to the airport, so Lera and I just stayed up all night.  At 3:45, I woke Rita up and told her the taxi would be here in 15 minutes...next thing I know, I hear the shower going.  About that time, Krista gets a call saying the taxi is downstairs.  So I go down to ask him to wait. I hurry Rita, we lug all of our luggage (oh, is that why it's called 'lug'gage?) downstairs, probably waking every neighbor as we go, and load the taxi.  We arrived at the airport, tried to navigate the kiosk, then was assisted by one of Lufthansa's wonderful employees, who actually remembered us from our trip in February (I guess a smile and thank you goes a long way!).  We had very easy flights back home...no delays, no running, no worries, no sleep!  On April 19th at approximately 2:00, we landed in Houston, Texas!  We had an almost 4 hour layover, and I think we got there just a little late.  We made our way to Passport Control/Immigration.  It took almost an hour just to get to the first desk.  The agent said he had never seen an IH-3 Visa before.  He checked some of the documents, took our sealed envelopes and asked us to wait.  In about 15 minute, we were escorted to a room with several other passengers who were being processed.  We sat there for another hour or so, then we were called up to the desk.  I don't remember them asking us much of anything...just congratulating the girls and telling us we would get our information in the mail.  By this time, we only had a few minutes to claim our bags, recheck them, cross two terminals, go back through security, and catch our flight.  Now we were running!  We made it to our gate about 5 minutes before our flight was supposed to board, but it was delayed.  So back into the terminal to get something to eat and drink, and then we almost missed the flight again!  But we made it!  A short 55 minute hop to Jackson, a hour drive to Vicksburg, and we were HOME!
April 19th- 3 years prior, at my Dad's 80th birthday party, a friend told me about a couple in our church who were hosting 4 orphans from Ukraine.  This was the start of our journey.  I gathered information, talked with them, called New Horizons For Children, and signed up for the summer photolisting.  That's when I saw Rita, a little girl who would eventually become my daughter!  Who would eventually lead us to Lera!  God had already been working in us- placing a desire in our hearts.. a hearts desire for 2!  Three years later, our hearts desire was finalized! 

Freeman Both Hands

3+2=Family!

The day finally came!  It was what we have been waiting for, fighting for, hoping for, for almost three years!  On that day in April 2010, when I opened up the New Horizons for Children photolisting page and saw our Rita, I in no way thought it would take this long to make her mine!!!  And as we looked over the photolisting in March and April 2011, and saw Valerija with her sister, I had no idea that one day she would be ours!!!  But God said "hold on!"  And little by little, He began revealing His plan for us.  One child at a time.  One who surprised us with heartbreak, one who surprised us with acceptance, and one who surprised us just because she could!!!!! 
It's been a long year and a half since we started our official adoption journey.  But as we stood in the cold wind over the Karosta Bridge, fixing our adoption lock to the steel girders, and throwing the keys in the icy waters (ok, maybe upon the frozen waters) below, it all just felt perfect!  Yes, I had engraved 2-6-2013 this time.  Although we arrived in Riga on Groundhog's Day, this trip would not be a repeat of October!  For this time, we knew what we had to do!  We knew the elephant must be killed!  And although there was a slight bobble at the start of court, the girls took up their weapons and fought!  Once recovered, there was no hesitation, there was no looking back!  They marched forward, committed to this new life and we moved on down the path!!!
We had a great visit with family and friends after court, and enjoyed a long, icy drive back to Riga that night with our translator.  I met several new friends on that trip who made such a difference in our girls lives.  If it had not been for these 3 people, our girls futures could have been significantly different, as well as ours! 
So now, as we wait for the 20 day waiting period to close, we plan for our fourth and final trip to Latvia, after which the girls will become American Citizens!  I don't know at which airport we will land upon arrival in the US on 4/19, but we will celebrate somewhere...New York, Atlanta, DC, Miami... April 19th- my Dad's 83rd birthday!  Our girls final arrival to America!  I remember it was at my Dad's 80th birthday party that the words "New Horizons for Children" first entered my life.  How fitting that on that day, 3 years later, those words will be fulfilled in our lives!  The girls want to go to New York.  I've never been there...so maybe New York!  Maybe celebrate with a cake from Carlos' Bakery in New Jersey?  All I know is that, just like on this entire journey, God will lead us HOME!

2B or not 2B...but what was the question?

January 7, 2013- Looking back to the last post (yes, it's been quite a while), I am amazed at how things have changed; disheartened that we are not where we were supposed to be; thankful that we are not where we could have been!  So, October 5th, the girls and I boarded United /Lufthansa for our 'easy' trip.  We planned a few extra days in Liepaja to see their foster family and friends.  We arrived in Riga on 10/6 and we were met by their foster dad, who drove us to Liepaja.  We went to church on Sunday and spent the afternoon with the family.  We had a wonderful time seeing everyone- almost like 'coming home for Christmas'!  Everyone had gifts and Grandma made some of the most delicious food for us!  I had my first experience on the ice and managed not to break a leg as I gingerly glided around the skating rink, never venturing more than a foot or two from the rail!  Lera got to spend some time with her friends at the Karosta Day Center, and a couple of sweet sisters hung out with us for a few days.  Then came the day before court. (Can you here the creepy music playing?  Da Da Duhhhhh!)
I could tell the girls were very troubled.  They began arguing and having heated discussion in Russian.  They wouldn't share what was going on until late that night.  They were trying to work out their differences and had listed 8 things they felt they needed to work on.  I was impressed that the girls were able to put their differences on paper....We discussed it a little, but the problem is, once Lera is angry, it's hard to get her to cooperate.  And if Lera doesn't communicate, Rita gets her feeling hurt- so it's a catch 22!  So, Daina picks us up for court, and she talks briefly to the girls.  Little did I know, but we walked in to a formal courtroom, with Judge, Court Reporter, Prosecutor, and our Attorney and Translator.  Not at all what I was expecting!  Everything was moving along ok until the judge called the girls to the stand.  Let's just say that we ended up with a lot of confusion and hurt feelings...So, the prosecutor recommended we have another 4 months to resolve these issues...and that's how we ended up here today...still waiting...now preparing for trip 2B (or 3 of 4 now!).  It was a hard return to the US, although I was so thankful the Judge didn't pull one or both girls from the adoption!  We met other families at LIDO's that night, but unfortunately I couldn't enjoy the food and I don't think I was good company.  So many families were dealing with heartache that night- not just us!  So, 2A was a flop...2B will hopefully be short and sweet- Limited contact with friends and family to cut down on confusion, no extended stay, just a quick trip to Liepaja and hopefully, a stop at the bridge on our way out of town so we can put our Adoption Lock on the rail and throw away the key to symbolize that we are family forever!!! (An interesting note...when I ordered the lock, I should have had them engrave it with not only our names, but it should have had 10/10/12...but, for some reason, I did not put the date...hmmmmm.  So now I will take the lock to our local jeweler and have them engrave our 'new' date! 
These months have been helpful and hurtful for our situation.  The additional time has helped them get over some of their anger towards each other, but they would have done that anyway, and probably even quicker without this uncertainty hanging over them.   It has added additional stress to all of us because we still face this giant elephant standing in front of us, trying to keep us from our purpose.  As we look down the path, fear of the elephant keeps emotions stirred up, uncertainty of our outcome causes short tempers, it takes a lot of money to feed the elephant.  There are blessings beyond the elephant, but it's hard to focus on them when we know we have an elephant to kill!  So how will it end?  I don't know, but in Jesus' name, we press on! 

A Mid-summer's Night Dream

9/20/12- 15 days and counting until we head back to Latvia for our 2nd of 3 trips!  In just 20 days, we will no longer be a family of 3; for in 20 days, we will stand before the Orphan Court and agree to be a family of 5!  In a mere 40 days, the adoption will be final in the court system as the 20 day period closes in which someone could contest the adoption.  Then we will return to Riga for a week of Embassy appointments to finalize the immigration of our girls.  Once we land, there will be 2 new Americans in the USA! 
This summer has been a mixed bag of emotions.  We have experienced a lot of new feelings, tested a lot of discipline methods, watched and evaluated attitudes, and I am happy to say that Mark and I have survived, grown and bonded better with them than I really thought we would.  Now, it hasn't been without it's bad days; but, they have been 'days', not weeks or months! 
It has been interesting to watch the relationship between Rita and Lera.  Since I've never seen a sister relationship up close, I've learned a lot about girls, and particularly, TEEN girls!  They are also discovering what it means to be sisters, even though they both have biological siblings!  I am beginning to know the different tones of their voices and what attitude will soon be displayed.  I'm seeing what brings true happiness, and what causes stress.  I am sometimes still surprised when Lera curls up in my lap in the rocking chair, but I love that opportunity to simply hold and rock her for as long as she lets me.  I've been so proud of how Rita has pressed into studying and reading books for school.   I've seen the two of them comfort each other, and then cause the other great pain (sometimes physical, but more often emotional).  I've heard the laughter of pure joy as they ride with their dogs in the back of the truck, as a million stars twinkle in the night sky above them, and they point with excitement as they identify some of the constellations!  I've fought their independent, rebellious streaks and gotten irritated at their neediness.  I've battled feelings of guilt while at work, knowing they are home, bored and missing me (and so thankful that they miss me!).  I've cried tears of joy and tears of desperation.  Both were healing!  I've prayed for them, about them, and in spite of them...and that also was healing!  I've been anxious to get to this day, yet hoping time would almost stand still so we don't miss a moment spent together.  They are the highlight of my day, and the reason I'm exhausted at night.  I love them with all my Momma heart (except for the part that belongs to my son) and I'm so happy to finally be able to say, "these are my daughters"!  They are my dream come true! :)

It's Where We Are...

So much has changed since my last post!  We were given a court date of May 15th in Liepaja Orphan Court.  That meant flying from Jackson, MS on May 13th...Mother's Day!  We had an early morning flight out of Jackson and Michael drove us to the airport.  We caught our flight to Charlotte, NC, then to Dulles in DC, Frankfurt, Germany, and final destination of Riga, Latvia.  Once we arrived in Riga, we waited (and waited, and waited) for our bags, but they never came!  The Lufthansa customer service was awesome!  They gave us emergency kits and began tracking our bags.  We took a taxi to Avalon Hotel in Old Riga.  After checkin, we were so exhausted so we laid down for a while before dinner.  By the time I woke up, the tummy was wreaking havoc and supper was a no-go!  One bag arrived late Monday night and Tuesday we started off with a wonderful breakfast downstairs.  We ventured out to exchange money for Daina and miscellaneous expenses as well as on a mission to find flowers for the girls.  Daina was set to meet us at 10:00 am at the hotel to drive us to Liepaja for court.  We found a great outdoor market not far from the hotel and bought 6 beautiful, purple tulips.  After packing, we headed downstairs to meet Daina. I had never seen a picture of her, nor her us; so when she walked in we didn't recognize each other for a while...then she walked over and I met one of the sweetest people in Latvia!!!  We were in the capable hands of her son as he drove us to Liepaja to reconnect with the girls!  There were so many emotions as we neared Liepaja and Daina kept us engaged in conversation.  As we approached the city, Daina told us about her first impressions of Liepaja, but then went on to tell us how much those impressions changed as she got to know the people and area. 
Liepaja is an amazing town!  It did not take long for us to fall in love with that place!  We went straight to court and followed Daina's lead as she worked the system.  We went into a modest but very functional court room with large windows looking over neighboring rooftops.  Not long after, the judge and assistants entered and court proceeded.  Daina explained all that was being said, we answered questions, and then the door opened and the girls came in with their foster dad!  It was so awesome to see them again!!!  We completed court and we were granted permission to keep the girls with us for the next 3 weeks while in Latvia.  With that, we gathered the girls suitcases, crammed them into Daina's car along with ours, and headed to Kaleja Maja, a converted attic apartment in a Blacksmith house that was built in the 1800's. 
Kaleja Maja was an amazing home away from home!  There was a kitchen with a small refrigerator, sink, and 2 burner propane cooktop.  The kitchen was also set up with two beds for additional sleeping space.  Two seperate bedrooms and a small bath completed the apartment!  But, at least we got to cook 2 meals a day in the apartment instead of having to eat out each meal.  The girls claimed their room, but after seeing a small bug in the original timber walls, they moved on to the kitchen sleeping space! 
For the next 3 weeks, we had the most amazing time in the girls hometown.  We rode bicycles all over town, played in the Baltic Sea, met their friends and family, and got to enjoy seeing where the girls grew up!  We completed all of our required visits with our social worker and court, and headed to Riga to secure the girls Visa's.  The US Embassy in Riga is a very secured compound near Spice Mall.  Our first trip there was with Daina; Our second trip was just me while Mark and the girls stayed at the mall to shop.  With Visa's in hand we prepared to fly home!  It was so exciting to be completing that leg of our jouney with our girls at our sides!  Even an overnight delay in DC was enjoyable with them with us!  So, off to Jackson on June 2, a day late, but all in God's time! 

Counting Down

On April 22nd, our updated documents arrived in Riga, Latvia and were delivered to our Latvian Lawyer.  We had already emailed our homestudy and it was due out of translation on April 23rd.  My gut feeling was that we would have our referral before the end of the month with travel in mid May.  I kept thinking how awesome it would be if we flew to Latvia on Mother's Day...well, on April 24th, we were given our court dates of May 15th and 29th, which means we fly out of Jackson on...Mother's Day!  Our official referral came on Friday the 27th and we immediately signed and returned, as well as emailed the Director of Children's Ministry to accept our referral.  So now, we have airline tickets booked, we have a room in Riga for our first night, an apartment in Liepaja for 14 days, and then an apartment for 3 nights back in Riga. 
Rita seems very happy with this change in her life.  I think Lera is happy.???  We are happy and excited to begin this journey.  We don't always understand 'why us'.  We are just glad we were chosen for this amazing opportunity!  The girls are such a blessing.  It is exciting to discover aspects of their hearts, to feed their hopes and dreams, to begin this life journey together with them.  Another adoptive mom wrote recently about feeling sad that she had missed so many of her adopted child's 'firsts'; but then she realized, even though the child was a teen, she still got to experience so many of the 'firsts' she enjoyed with her younger children, just with an older child!  I, too, look forward to many firsts! 

A Long Time Coming...

Much has happened in the past few weeks.  We have been been poked and prodded, tested, stuck, and questioned extensively.  And the verdict is...ADOPT!  A second opinion says, ADOPT!  And now, our agency has issued our renewed homestudy, I received it on 4/12, had them apostilled that afternoon, and shipped it to the Lindell's on 4/13.  It's rather interesting that Chris and Julie will be the one's to take these final documents to Latvia for us...we met them in Atlanta for the Christmas 2010 hosting.  We were hosting Emily and they were hosting her foster sister, Val, for the second time.  The girls communicated off and on during the hosting period and we thought we had 'lucked out' on our first hosting experience.  Everyone was sure we had found our daughter...even Emily's statements and actions said so!--until she got back to Latvia!!  Chris and Julie were supportive as we dealt with the heartbreak of 'losing' Emily.  Now, as we get ready to make our first trip to adopt Rita and Lera, Chris and Val will be making their 3rd and final trip to Latvia to finalize Val's US immigration status.  They will hand deliver our documents to Daina. 
We just got an email from Daina that our updated homestudy, which we emailed to Daina on 4/12, will be out of translation on 4/23, the day she should get our originals.  Then, all that is left is for the documents to be notarized in Latvia then delivered to the Childrens Ministry office.  Next should be our referral...
And again, we are tied with a Georgian family... this time it is Ken and Heidi Fletcher.  The Fletchers are adopting Lera's biological sister, Ksenija.  We were informed that we would all be in court together since the girls have to be adopted at the same time. 
So now it is time to reveiw the checklist of things that are needed for the 1st trip.  A handful of forms, income tax summary page, gifts for about 5 ladies and 2 men, gifts for the foster family, clothes for Rita and Lera, and a large sum of cash in the form of brand new $100 bills that can be exchanged for Lats and Euros.  Thankfully, the few fundraisers we had done last year plus selling some items we no longer used, have funded trip #1 (minus that pesky little thing called Airfare for 4!).  But, God will provide for that also.  Hopefully, in a little over a week, we just might have our referral.  Could we really be at this point?  It's been a long time coming, but maybe it's just about time!

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart...the verse which inspired the name of our blog.  A reminder came through email this morning that I need to delight myself in the LORD.  A scripture with an instruction, and a promise.  The same promise Rita used on her cardboard testimony last summer for the NHFC video.  A promise I refuse to give up on.  As written by Robert Hotchkin on Elijah List: 
("Delight yourself in the Lord." That word delight in the original Hebrew is "anag" which means "to be soft or pliable." When our circumstances are difficult, or we have been believing for a promise of God to come forth and it has not yet manifested when we think it should or the way we think it should, we can often suffer from disappointment and discouragement. This can cause us to harden our hearts toward God, giving into fear and lies like, "Well, He hasn't come through yet so maybe He isn't going to." But when we take our eyes off those circumstances and put them back on God, we remember what He is really like. We remember that He is loving and kind and merciful and gracious and generous and faithful and trustworthy – no matter what! When we stop trying to figure out what He is doing, and focus on what He is like, it becomes easy to delight in the Lord. And as we do, our hearts "anag" – they soften, opening back up to Him, and we are able to believe and receive again.) 
I see this much like the steak I mentioned a few posts back...it has been beaten so much lately that it has become fork tender!  It is not easy to be 'tenderized'.  It's often very messy.  But the outcome can be quite glorious! 
We have made a little more progress toward the finish line.  Slowly, surely, we will get there! 

"One day, voices that lie, will all be silenced
One day, all that's divided will be whole again
One day, death will retreat and wave it's white flag
One day, love will defeat the strongest enemy
So we wait, for that one day, come quickly
We want to see Your Glory
Every knee bows down before Thee
Every tongue offers you praise, with every hand raised
Singing Glory to You and unto You only
we sing Glory to Your name." 
"Glory" by Selah

Pressing toward the mark for the prize

Saturday, March 10th...Springing forward on our clock tonight and springing forward in our attitude!  I decided to only speak of positives- I choose to see the vision of meeting our girls in Latvia.  I choose to see us bringing them home.  I choose to hear their laughter in our house.  I choose to believe.  Today, I got a letter from MSU Vet Camp...Rita has been accepted for a full scholarship to their 3 day Vet Camp in June.  My job is just to get her there...well, technically, God's job is to get her there.  We will do whatever it takes, whatever is required, whatever!  We have faced so many delays in this process that it just doesn't seem to matter anymore.  You know when you get news that would normally make you double over, but instead you just say 'whatever', you are becoming 'seasoned'.  Sort of like a steak that has been beaten to the point it is now tender enough to cut with a fork...yeah, we are there! 
Wednesday night at sundown started the Jewish holiday of Purim.  This, of course, goes back to Queen Esther's bold appearance before King Ahasuerus to plead for the deliverance of her people.  So Purim is a celebration of the day of deliverance from oppression.  Wednesday night, I was invited to give my presentation on Israel to Living Waters Church.  I only had a few days notice, but everything went great (ok, there were a couple of technical diffficulties with my 6 year old computer, but I was able to fill the gap with stories of our trip).  I felt it was a day of deliverance from the oppression that has been over us.  A day I decided to appear before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and ask for His mercy and favor.  I know He is faithful to hold out that golden sceptor to us, His children. 
Lera's sister told me she has been praying so hard for everything to get approved and she feels like March 21 will be a good day.  I'm agreeing with her...a new season, a new chapter, a new beginning.  A start to a new life.  March 21, 2012.  Lord, hear your children!  We ask for favor, for supernatural intervention.  Lord, we ask that you work your miracles for us!!!  You are the only one who can make this happen. 

2 Timothy 4:7  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. 
1 Corinthians 9:24  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 
Hebrew 12:1  Therefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men...

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men
Gang aft agley,
An'lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me
The present only toucheth thee:
But, Och! I backward cast my e'e.
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!

Feb 5th, all was right with the world.  Feb 6th, we had our visit with our social worker to update our soon-expiring homestudy.  Feb 7th, I was calling for prayer!  How quick and unsuspecting a little piece of news (or a plow) can change things.  Where your focus is on your future plans, now it drastically takes a turn to the here-and-the-now!  Survival becomes the only thing you can deal with.  Emotionally drained and unbelievably fearful, we began to fight to save all we have known to be true, and even there did questions arise.  Like a tornado spinning out of control...but did we even see storm clouds?  I don't think I saw them.  I was only seeing blue sky and then BAM!  What the enemy hit us with knocked us both for a loop.  But Jesus stepped in and picked us up.  Slowly, He has dusted us off, and we are again proceeding to the finish line, slowly, surely, when BAM!!!  Another hit, but this time it was supposed friendly fire!  Hmmmm...Houston, I think we have a problem!  But you know what?  This time, I refuse to fall... see the first hit taught me a lesson!  Jesus is standing by my side!  He has strengthened me into a strong, Christ-dependent woman!  I will not give heed to fear, nor to doubt!  I will stand my ground and fight for what I know God has promised!  I will not be moved by this attack.  I will stand knowing Jesus has my back.  He is my shield and my strong tower, He is my strength, my hope, my deliverer!  I'm hanging onto the Rock, and the Rock is hanging onto me!!!  He never lets go!

Still chomping...

So, all of the paperwork is done for our updated home study!  FBI Fingerprint results are back...just need to copy and send all of the originals to New Beginnings.  Olevia will be here tomorrow at 4 for the required visit to complete the update and then just wait for the Home Study to be reissued.  This process has been fairly quick!  (Gee, I think that's a first!)
We had a surprise when we got home today from my parents.  I took the dogs out for a walk and found 5 adorable puppies in our pasture.  No idea where they came from.  Asked a few neighbors, but no one is claiming them.  Anyone want a really adorable dog?  Looks like they have been well cared for and they are very clean.  One in particular loves to snuggle at your neck...ok, might have to keep that one!  Rita and Lera want a dog they can train.  Of course, we have Max, but he's about 7 and set in his ways.  Then there is Bella, but she is more 'my' dog I've been informed.  So, I've got 4 pups to give away...unless I can find the owner.  Can't afford 5 more dogs!
We have skyped all weekend with Rita and Lera.  Their Foster Mom also facebooked me to let me know that the girls have 'agreed to endure each other' for adoption.  They really are close, but I think the little green monster raises it ugly head as they are vying for their position in our family.  Rita said she would like to go to Vet Camp but Lera doesn't...so I mentioned that we would drop Rita off at 9 and pick her up at 5 and Lera and I would go find something to do.  Rita quickly said she wanted to go hang out with us!  It took a little pursuading to get her to agree to Vet Camp again.  I really see this as a great opportunity for Rita to have a role model who is achieving what she wants to do...be a Vet.  The Vet students are the camp counselors and the professors teach the sessions.  It will give her an opportunity to see if this is something she would really like to do, and if so, hopefully give her motivation to improve her school work.  Rita is extremely bright, but I think right now, she is lacking motivation, or vision, or confidence.  ??? 
We have had some wonderful conversations this weekend.  Rita is sick again and now running fever in addition to the stuffy nose.  I had sent a bottle of Robitussin back to Latvia with her after their FM asked if I could send some medicine that actually works.  They used to be able to buy 'Toclase' and she said it worked great; then, they took it off the shelf and all they have now are sugary syrups that don't work for cough or cold symptoms.  She said she doubted the Robitussin would help, but she also has the same cold that Rita has, and after using Robitussin, she said she needed to apologize and asked if I could bring more when we come!  I told Rita she needed to take some medicine, but she said it wouldn't work on her.  I told her it would stop the runny nose that is draining down her throat, into her lungs and stomach, and making her sicker.  She laughed and said I should be a doctor!  Lera got the Robitussin and Rita took it!  Hopefully she will get a good nights sleep. I guess she will miss another day of school tomorrow.  Her attendance has been really bad since returning to Latvia.  I don't know what to do about that...
They are now consistantly calling me mommy!  It is very sweet to hear and read.  This is a huge step that they have taken.  Lera also has requested a tutor for her English!!!!!  Soooo HUGE!!!!  Maybe by the time we get there, she will be willing to speak to us?  That would be so awesome!  I can't wait to have a real conversation with this child and see what is really in her heart!  Her eyes are the windows to her soul, but out of her mouth her heart will flow.  Can't wait! 
A fellow NHFC family has been very heavy on my heart this weekend.  They are in the process of adopting the two little gypsy girls we had initiated a referral for, but we withdrew after discussing them with some previous host families.  I knew they were beyond what I could manage, but my heart was so enamoured by them and I felt very led to continue praying for them.  I was so excited when I met the family that was hosting them this summer and again to find they were adopting them.  Now, while on their 1st trip to Latvia, the adoption has fallen through because of deception and confusion.  My heart breaks for the family and for the girls as they give up their chance of breaking free from this orphan spirit and coming into the spirit of adoption..  This is the fear I think every family and every child faces while in this process....will they back out?  Will they forget us?  Will they leave us too?  Not only are these emotions experienced by the child, but these are thoughts that are always in the back of my mind.  I'm thankful that Rita and Lera have pledged their committment to 'agree to endure' each other.  But I know it only takes one misconception, one person whispering lies in their ears, one deceiving spirit, and it can all fall apart.  I never thought in my wildest dreams that Emily would have said 'no'!  But, she did.  We almost punted this whole adoption thing, but I didn't want Emily to give up, and realized I couldn't give up either... And that led us to Rita, who led us to Lera!  And now we have an ever growing family tree with branches in Georgia, Virginia, New York, and Latvia...with every family who has loved these girls!  But, I won't feel secure until trip 2 is complete, knowing those concerns can turn into reality.  My heart hurts for you, Tabby! 
I wonder what the week of Feb 5th will hold for us?  Will we get word that the Fletchers' Dossier has been received in the Children's Ministry?  Will we get our referral this week?  Those are the next two steps... All of the families who got their referrals in January have now received their travel dates for late Feb- mid March.  Come on....we are ready for the gate to open so we can RUN!  We're tired of chomping at the bit!

Updates abound...but it's all good!

How does that song go..."you put your left foot in, you take your left foot out; you put your left foot in, and you shake it all about; you do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around.  That's what it's all about!"  Well, one thing...I'm learning to take 'news from Latvia' with a little less fretting and a lot more action!  So, last week, Kelly realized our Homestudy expires Feb 21!  So what does that mean?  A quick call to New Beginnings in Tupelo answered that question:  updated medicals, updated fingerprints, updated background check, updated police checks, updated child abuse registry, updated vet records, updated W-2's, letters of employment, DL, SS, Doctor letter...and $740 fee.  Hmmmmm.  Ok, so I hit the ground running Thursday and Friday. I filled out all of the forms that I could to give permission for all of these agencies to investigate us again, got our son to sign his when he got home from college this weekend, and mailed those off Monday.  Called and made appointments with our doctors to get a TB test, HIV and RPR bloodwork.  Called the vet and got vaccination records.  Emailed copies of our SS & DL's to NB.  Completed Michaels medical on Wednesday.  Mark and I go get our bloodwork and TB updated Friday morning, then drive to Raymond, pick up Michael when he gets out of class, and then to an FBI center in Flowood to get fingerprinted at 3:00.  Supposedly we should have results done first of next week.  We will have a visit from Olevia, our awesome social worker, at some point in this process (Gee, add cleaning the house in there somewhere!!!!!).  But, it's all good.  Almost done...just waiting...yep, just waiting...again. 
I've been skyping with the girls quite a bit.  They are really in a funky mood.  They are fighting constantly now and Rita says she cries all the time.  She's sick with this sinus stuff again and can't breathe.  She does not want to go to school anymore.  Her grades have plummetted and she thinks that's ok because she won't need any of those courses when she gets here!  I've tried to tell her she will...she's not hearing me.  I asked if she felt that she was in an 'in between place' in her life right now... one foot in Latvia, one foot in America?  She said maybe.  I know this has got to be hard on these kids.  I know how hard it is for me to concentrate on work right now.  I'm ready to be there, but can't be yet.  You feel like a race horse at the gate, just waiting for the bar to lift so you can run as fast as you can...very frustrating because the bar seems stuck closed; but you have to stay on high alert, or when it does finally open, you will get left in everyone else's dust!  But, it's all good...  I know, or at least I hope, I'm learning something in this phase! 
I have listened to Rita's song so many times.  It's haunting.  Beautiful.  Raw.  Telling.  Sometimes I listen and it's just sad.  Other times, I feel tears whelling up inside, not because of saddnes, but out of love.  Rita told me today she was so upset because of all of the people who are dying in Eastern Europe and Russia due to this massive cold.  The high in Liepaja today was like 2 degrees F, and it's been like this for almost a week.  Other areas of Russia and Ukraine are seeing temperatures dip into the -10's.  I wonder where God will use this child...She says she wants to be a vet (and I'm getting her and Lera enrolled in Vet Camp this summer at MSU!), but I so can see her doing so much more...well, I know God will direct her path in this.  My job is to encourage her to be everything she can possibly be and listen to HIS voice.  'For I know the plans I have for you, saith the LORD'! 
So, are you wondering why I'm not mentioninig Lera much?  Remember, Rita and Lera are fighting...I haven't been able to really 'talk' to Lera 'through Rita' for a little while.  I have emailed her and I tried to skype with her this morning, but that didn't work.  I'm trying to let her know I love her very much and I haven't forgotten her.  She really is a sweet girl.  I see so much potential for her here.  I just pray God will help her understand the power her words have to inflict pain.  Blessings or cursings...I pray one day she can speak blessings freely.  I'm praying for wisdom here!  I need to do a scripture search on 'tongue'- wow!  Lot's in Psalm and Proverbs, of course!  Hmmm...wonder if Mark can do a few lessons on 'the power of the tongue'!  Oh, Honey!....
Well, the girls should be waking up now to get ready for school.  Time for me to call it a night!  It's all good...

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.

Are we having fun yet?

We picked up the girls in Atlanta on Dec 11 at 10pm.  It was a great reunion with Rita and I was able to give Lera that hug that I should have given her last August!  We spent the night in Atlanta and then headed to Starkville on Monday to meet with Marks professor.  The girls surprised me with how well they got along...I guess I was expecting more fussing.  But I began to see in the girls what I suspected- they bring out each others strengths.  Rita's english is amazing in verbal communication as well as very good written skills.  Rita speaks Latvian, Russian, some Italian, and English.  Lera speaks Russian, a little Latvian, and completely understands English but refuses to speak it!  Rita is Lera's translator.  I just sit amazed when they talk together.  I see so much more of Rita's personality now; her silly, funny side, her serious side, her moodiness, but mainly her laughter.  I've heard many things about Lera from her previous host families and most of it was very good, and seems to be accurate (including her stubborness!).  We enjoyed our time in Starkville walking around campus, watching the squirrels, going to Bulldog Lanes to shoot pool.  We met with Cathy, my best friend from college days, and saw her two girls.  It was great to reconnect, but sort of eye-opening when we realized it had been nearly 25 years since we spent afternoons at the Entomology Department taking care of the moth cultures and sneaking off to TCBY for a vanilla and coke float!  Oh, those were good days!  I dont' feel this old!
So, Tuesday Mark headed to campus to meet his professor and the girls and I made our way to the breakfast buffet for fresh waffles and fruit.  After some good news from Marks professor, we left Starkville and headed to Vicksburg.  We stopped in Bovina to pick up Bella, and then drove home to introduce Lera to her new home. 
One of the first things Lera did was head to her bedroom that she shares with Rita, climb on her bed and smile.  I have so enjoyed watching her relax here, a first hug initiated by her, a smile, a laugh, and then the pranks and tickles.  Over this past week she has even felt comfortable enough to stay at home alone with Mark.  They spend time working math and physics problems.  Mark writes out Algebra problems and she works them.  Then Geometry, and she works them; then calculus and she just looks at him and laughs!  Great thing is math transends all languages!  He showed her physics problems dealing with fulcrums and stresses, and friction, and she was able to work them...  Her spatial understanding is excellent.  Of course, Mark already has her entering Engineering at Miss State!  (ok, maybe I do too!).
Rita has reacclimated really well.  She amazes me with her patience and caring for Lera.  She loves to be busy with any kind of work, be it raking leaves, vaccuming, washing the car, or bathing Max.  She is so responsible, so caring, yet she loves to have fun and laugh.  My heart simply overflows with compassion and love for this girl!  Ok, I have dreams and visions for her also...Vet, Social Worker...something helping those in need!  I know God has placed so much inside this 15 year old girl and he has her on a path to be used in His Kingdom.  I just can't wait to see exactly what that will be!
I have loved getting to know these girls this past week.  From watching the first taste of shrimp and crab legs, to watching them make 'gogo', to listening to their whispers in Russian, and hearing the music that God has placed in their hearts.  I look at them and just think, these are my girls; can this really be?  Everything seems so right; not at all stressed...except for when Rita asked if we had paid everything for the adoption, and if we could get our money back...ouch!  I told her no, we couldn't get it back and asked if she still wanted to come live with us.  She said yes.  Only thing we can figure is she had skyped with her foster family that morning and she was homesick.  She really loves them, and it seems that she helps them out an awful lot with babysitting.  I know she misses them so much.  She did say that this would be a huge change and would be hard;  I asked if she realized her life was going to be different whether she stayed in Latvia or moved here; she said yes.  We told her to listen to what God was speaking in her heart.  She seems happy now.  Lera seems happy.  Mark seems happy; Michael seems happy; I'm happy!  So we wait to see where we go from here...and when... and where... why is all we know, and sometimes we even ask why!  But in our heart of hearts, we know why! 

They're here!

On Sunday morning, 12/11/11, we dropped Bella off for a play date(s) with David and Dian, and Rusty and Ginger, then headed the car east to Atlanta.  The drive was amazingly quick...just over 6 hours not because we were speeding, but because I don't think we encounted a single construction zone...of course, it was Sunday!  So after arriving in Atlanta, we ran a few errands to buy things I had forgotten to pack, like toothpaste, went to eat at Longhorn Steakhouse, and checked into the hotel.  After a quick nap, it was time to head to the airport.  I think I could go there 100 times and still get turned around as to the North terminal and South terminal!!!  If it were left to me, we would probably never find our car! 
So, after arriving, we met up with several other host families and enjoyed seeing everyone's posters.  We also met LeAnn's daughter, who was adopted about 4 years ago from Latvia.  She is now 17 and helping her mom with New Horizons airport arrivals!  She was so encouraging as she told us how well she has adapted to life in America and life in our school system.  That helped alleviate some fear I have of understaning how these girls will adjust.  It will happen...it will just take some time. 
So with video camera, Fuji camera, and iphone in hands, we anxiously await the group of kids who have now been traveling over 24 hours.  The kids from Rita and Lera's hometown left around 2 am on Sunday morning (which is about 6 pm Saturday night our time) and arrived at 10 pm Atlanta time!  That included a 7 hour layover at JFK and nothing  to do!  I sure admire the chaperones who have travelled with the kids and managed to not lose a single child! 
As they walked around the routunda, we try to spot Rita and Lera.  I finally see Lera, but never saw Rita...then began to wonder if something happened and she couldn't come.  She was saying Saturday that she was sick again...but then, of course at the back of the line, there was this young girl who has impressed upon our hearts because of her candidness, her heart of gold, her courage.  As we were called to come 'claim'  our children, it was such a relief to hold her and be able to tell her we were so glad she came back.  And then, Lera...this child who we don't yet know except through other's eyes.  With big, clear blue eyes that sparkle with such mischief, yet such a longing deep within.  I finally got to do what I wished I had done when they left Atlanta in the summer...I got to give her a big hug!  After our photo was taken, we headed to McDonalds with the Fletchers and Ksenija to catch up and hang out!  Everyone was so tired, so we soon parted ways and we took our 2 daughters back to our hotel to get a good nights sleep. 
When we arrived, they spotted two gifts I had placed on their bed...an early Christmas gift and welcome gift rolled into one... two iPod touches.  I wanted to get them something that would entertain them on the trip home as well as give them access to a translator, camera, video, and some internet access.  This little device is perfect!  They also came with gifts...Lera had knitted me a beautiful pink pillow and Baiba had knitted a warm pair of socks.  They also gave us a huge tin of Latvian chocolates...and when I say huge, I mean HUGE!  I don't know how Rita carried this around this whole trip! 
Over the next day, we got to see the interaction between Rita and Lera.  I was worried they would fight all of the time, but I've been pleasantly surprised (of course, it's only been a day), at how attentitive Rita is to Lera and how well Lera listens to Rita.  I think the hard thing will be getting Rita to step down as 'mom' and let me mother Lera.  Rita's heart for others just leaves me in awe of this child.  And yes, for those of you who have hosted Lera, she is still resistant to speaking English.  I don't think there is much she doesn't understand, but she sure won't speak it, which puts Rita translating everything!  Right now, we look to Rita to help us communicate... I guess we need to stop but it is so easy for everyone (except Rita). 
We've had some fun times, some laughs, some looks...  A few boring moments, but I think boring was good today!  With Christmas just 10 days away, hectic is just around the corner!  All in all, I've really enjoyed this host so far!  Now, on with the rest....

When worlds collide!

Well, in just over 24 hours, we will join many families in the Atlanta airport as we anxiously await a group of kids from halfway around the world walk into our world.  Approximately 80+ orphans from Latvia will arrive to spend the next 4 weeks with Christian families all over America.  Some are going to California, Colorado, Texas, New York, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and two special girls will come to Vicksburg, Mississippi!  We didn't think we would be here again, but delays in separating Lera and Ksenija have slowed our process.  But, as we sat in Hope Fellowship Church last night, the word given was there would be rapid acceleration in those plans God has ordained, and our hope deferred that has made our hearts sick, will soon be sight!  I fully believe that while the girls are here hosting over the next 4 weeks, we will get the word from Latvia for our travel date to start our adoption.  There is such a peace that God has this all in His hands.  Now, we must concentrate on the next 4 weeks and getting to know Lera and Rita better and letting them get to know us.  There are major trust issues to overcome.  They have to know that they can trust us completely.  How hard is that?  Could you put your life in a strangers' hands?  It will be a process that has already begun, but will take years to complete.  Years of dedication, years of encouraging, years of proving that we love them...  only through Christ can this be accomplished. 
So, as we get ready to sleep, kids from all over Latvia are loading into cars and buses to make their journey to Riga.  Around midnight our time, they board their flight to New York.  Then, after a layover that almost equals our normal work day, they board their connection to Atlanta.  We will be gathering, waiting, meeting other anxious parents, hoping we can communicate with these kids that have been entrusted into our care. 
Lord, we ask for your blessing upon each child, each host parent, each host sibling, so that your love will flow through us and touch these children.  Help us to connect with them and be able to teach them about you at this most special time of year.  Lord, bring healing to their hearts and help them to trust again.  Help us teach them of forgiveness.  Let us be examples for their eyes and ears.  Let us represent you well.  In Jesus' name. Amen! 

Totally amazed!

You know, technology is amazing.  Today, I logged into the computer to check email and see if the girls had written.  After a disappointing 'you have no mail from the girls', I saw my Skype box pop up and a notice that our girls were online!  What a pleasant surprise I had today.  We ended up talking with Rita for over an hour.  Lera was watching TV and I don't think Rita told her we were online.  But Ksenija stopped by the computer to say hi!.  At one point, my husband called us from work, so I had him talking to Rita by holding our phone next to the computer!!! How strange...He's at work in Mississippi talking on a phone to a computer to our daughter half way around the world...What a connected world we live in! 
Rita shared more of her heart with us today and I am constantly amazed at how giving this young lady is, sacrificing 'things' that would make her happy, to help someone who should be helping her.  But she gives with a pure heart, expecting nothing in return other than the joy of giving a little warmth and care to another.  I don't know what God has in his plan for her, but I can see where he will be able to meet the needs of others through her huge heart!  Yes, we need to protect her from being 'used', but God will lead us to teach her.  Who knows, one day, I can even see her walking this same path that  we are on...reaching out to a child who needs to know unconditional love!  My heart is overflowing with love for our beautiful daughter!