When we saw her face!!

Last night we jumped on an overnight train and arrived around 7:30am at our destination. Then Luba arranged for a driver to pick us up and drive us about 135km (70m) to the orphanage where the director was already waiting for us to meet with her and the child. The whole way in the car I was just praying that the Lord would give us peace, that no matter the outcome we would trust him, that the child would immediately connect, and that the director would approve. My heart was just sinking already and no less than a mile away from the city we saw a man who was killed in a motorcycle accident laying in the street. I prayed that the Lord would be with his family and that this feeling of weight would go away.

We made it to the orphanage after driving around the city for a while and finally pulled into a fairly large complex with separate sections that all attached centrally. We pulled in and immediately I felt a peace over the place, as we walked in and turned to the right we sat at the waiting area for the director to come back. After 4-5 minutes she came in, a very Ukrainian motherly type, who though looked very authoritative yet seemed very friendly. We sat down and she began to ask Luba about the process, after a few minutes she asked us "Why do we want to adopt?" I told her that there are so many children in this world who are in need of a home and a family to love them, that we have a beautiful daughter but know we are missing someone. She seemed pleased with my answer and began to talk about M (we will refer to her as M until she is legally ours.) She bragged about how helpful she was when asked, how she is very patient, and how she is a very good girl, she had some heart issues when she was young but she is better now. Her mothers rights were revoked by the state after she began to abuse alcohol, supposedly her family kept her from most of that and she was raised by outside family until they felt the mother wasn't going to change, that's when they put her in the orphanage about a year and a half ago. We asked about abuse or any other medical or social issues she may have and the director reiterated that she is a great child with no problems nor history of abuse.

Then it happened, this beautiful girl walked through the door, this wasn't the girl in the picture, at least so we thought, this girl had joy written in her eyes. She walked up to the doctor and gave her a big hug, the doctor patted heron the stomach and said as you can see she is healthy, I patted mine and said so am I. When she walked I said, "Hola, Como usted?" She smiled and said "Hola, bien." You see M has spent 3 different trips with a Spanish family, but they felt they were unable to pay to adopt her, though they had a great relationship with her. So we talked for a little while through Luba, I would ask her a few questions in Spanish (Gracias Senora Maqueda), and then Luba asked question. Would you want to be adopted by them and live in america, she smiled and said Da! Luba asked us the same question, and there was no doubt, this is our daughter, so we said, "Uh, Yeah!" Oh yeah her birthday was August 18 and was in Spain so did not get a present, I walked out to the car and came back with a pink cat (now sitting on her bed) and sang a short remix of the happy birthday song.

M showed us around the orphanage by herself, as we tried to converse in Spanish and broken Russian and for the most part could figure out what each other were saying, HUGE BLESSING! She took us to her room, where she and 12 other girls, "nina's." We walked all over that place, and if you threw me back there I would have no clue, but M knew the maze very well. We walked outside and she showed us around the complex, explaining that each little alcove was designated to each groupa, her groupa had some flowers that they all worked on planting and watering, she told me the little groupa wasn't allowed in their garden, very funny. After showing us her school across the street, then sharing that she is learning English at the school, we went back to the front corridor. We bought her a frisbee, so then we threw with her for a little while, she would fake throw it to Kate the whip around and throw it at me, a unaware but very slick ultimate frisbee trick. Kate said she was done and quickly M said no mas. So for all of you who thought I would get a girly girl, your wish came true. Her favorite color is pink, she does not play soccer (subject to change), she does not play basketball, she loves to sing, she loves to dance, and she loves princess stuff, oh yeah and Hannah Montana (subject to change also.) All in all she is precious, we had to leave but knew we were going to do whatever it would take to bring her home. Oh yeah she got her bible out and began to talk about Jesus, uh is this my kid or what. I can't wait for you all to meet her, but for now all you get is vague descriptions. As we walked away she closed her eyes and hugged Kate, then gave me a big hug, though she was sad I told her "hasta minana" I pray she finds peace that we will not stop fighting to make her ours.

Please pray for an expedited process, that the director and inspector are on our team, that M has a reassured peace that she is our child, and that in all this God receives all the Glory.