Day of Favor

We are overwhelmed today by God's blessing.  Yesterday brought an amazing turn of events that, in a way beyond our hopes, answered our prayer that we'd win the favor of the orphanage director.  We were very nervous because, as we'd said, no child has ever been adopted out of this school, presumably because the director is against foreign adoption.  Edna and I were gambling that it was based on his being devoutly Orthodox and didn't want to see his children going to non-Orthodox homes.  Apparently, our gamble has paid out.

We began the day very happy to go see our boy again.  We introduced him here by his legal name, Sayid, but found out yesterday that he was baptized when he came to the school and the director gave him the baptismal name of Alexander, the nickname for which is Sasha, so they call him by both names. We went to the school around 11:00.  When Sasha met us, I was carrying two bags of toys and things and, again, without being asked, he helped me by taking one bag to carry to the playroom.  We did some memory games which again confirmed he has normal intelligence (to us).  I also showed him my iPad, which of course he loved.  I had loaded several fun game apps which we played together.  He and Edna had a lot of fun playing connect four, and he started to loosen up and be a little silly, taking Edna's hand on her turn and forcing her to make bad moves.  

Meanwhile, our translator was doing some more research. Disturbingly, she reported that the assistant director had spoken to Sasha the night before and reported that he likes us, but said he wanted to stay in Ukraine.  We assumed it must be that he was being manipulated, because he only seemed to want to be adopted when we spoke to him.  We went outside and played for a while and someone came by and asked him if his father had come to play with him.  He said no, just guests (which of course, is technically correct, but would have been a chance for him to identify me as his father, if he had chosen).  So after that we left, feeling a little uneasy.  We planned to come back at the end of the afternoon to go to Vespers with Sasha and his group.

At the end of the afternoon, we arrived back and went to the area of the school where Sasha's group lives.  The assistant director showed us around and we were surrounded by the cutest group of 12 grinning girls and boys you've ever seen.  One little boy named Michola stood in a doorway and looked up at me and, wanting to show off his English skills, said with conviction, "one hundred!"  Charm factor off the charts.  They were all so sweet, we said we wanted to take them all home, and we meant it!  We walked over to the little church across he street surrounded by the children who were holding our hands and chatting with us, sometimes throwing in a random word of English.

During this walk over and in the church it was sweet to get to love on these children, to exchange little smiles and see how happy they were.  There were about 40 children in the chapel and, while we couldn't understand the words, the familiar structure of the Vigil service ticked by.  What good children--patiently standing with only a little fidgeting for the 1.5 hour service.  About halfway through, unexpectedly, the director walked in, so he saw us praying with the children.  At the end, along with the children, we went up and received anointing with oil and then returned to the school hand-in-hand with happy, chatty children.

When we got back to the school, the school nurse asked if we wanted to adopt a girl, too.  There was a 15 year old girl how had been following us from a distance and smiling. Evidently, she  hoped so much that we might adopt her that she sent the nurse to ask us.  We told her yes, but we are looking for a younger girl, and are not even approved for over 12 at this point.  Our hearts went out to that girl, though, especially Edna's.

Since he had seen that we were there in church, the director sent word that he wanted to meet with us right then (gulp!).  We were glad, though, to get on with it and went a little later to his office and sat down.  Body language and facial expression were not saying "something good is going to happen to you".  First question, in a rather aggressive tone, "Why are you here, and what do you want?". We said we wanted to adopt, and specifically came to Ukraine to adopt an Orthodox child or children. We also told him about Mary Evelyn and that we have an empty home that we want to offer to kids who have no parents.  With that, very slowly, things began to thaw.  He motioned that his heart went out to us and said that his daughter had also died several years ago at the age of 15. Then he was back to business and lectured our translator at length, the details of which were not all translated, but the basic picture is that he sees himself not as a public servant, but as a father to these children--good part being that he obviously cares a great deal about these children, and it shows!

We complimented him several times about the school and  how we can see the fruit of his loving labors in these children, all of whom appear to be happy, healthy, polite and devout.  There truly can't be a better orphanage in this country.  Downside to his devotion, for someone in our position, is that he obviously wants to protect "his" children from going into homes he wouldn't approve of (he didn't state this, but that's easily assumed).  So the fact that we were devout Orthodox parents, and he had probably been able to observe our loving interaction with the children opened his heart, I believe.

So then we got a shock when he suddenly said he's not against foreign adoption, and that actually, it was Sasha who said no to the Italian family last year.  He said he liked us and didn't want to see Sasha play games with us like he did with them, and asked if he could call him in and ask him to make a decision in front of everyone!  So a few minutes later there was our boy, and the director asked him for an answer and told him he shouldn't change it like he did before.  Poor boy looked terrified and just stared and thought.  I went over to him and gave him a hug and kiss and told him not to be afraid.  He started to cry.  Our translator called him over and held him and spoke reassuring words.  The director looked on kindly and encouraged Sasha to be honest and that he needed to look us in the eyes and tell us what he wants.  Finally, though timidly and terrified, he got it out:  "I want you to be my parents".  Wow.  He continued to look like the proverbial deer in the headlights for a little while, but as the Ukrainian adults chatted on about other things, our new little family had time to sit and soak in the new reality.  I got out the camera and started showing him some pictures.  He would point to Edna in this picture and whisper "mama", then one of me and say "tato".  Then he saw one in our house and  said "my room".  Sweet!  Then I thought of the video function on the camera we started taking videos of ourselves and the silliness broke out!  We had come a long way from Friday morning!

The director got so happy and friendly that he walked us all the way our to our car, joking and smiling and several time shaking our hands and giving us his blessing and best wishes.

We're heading back to the orphanage this morning and are looking forward to another special day.