Our first days together

We've been bad not to update in three days while all this goodness is going on--sorry about that!  But in this case, it is true that no news is good news.  

We're doing great.  Things are moving along with an almost miraculous speed and smoothness.  After the wonderful turn of events last Saturday, where we left off, we had another good visit on Sunday.  In that visit, we asked Sasha to read to us.  He ran to his room and came back with what he said was his favorite story.  It was in a book of spiritual children's stories and was about a child who prayed for healing and was told to go with his parents to a particular church where he prayed before a miraculous icon and by God's power, he recovered.  So precious that our little boy has such a tender and pious heart that this would be his favorite story.  Our translator was very touched by it.  She said his reading was about on a 7-year old level, which is understandable since he is nine and has only been in the orphanage learning for two years now.

Monday started with a trip to the orphanage with a regional official to get the official "yes" from Sasha.  He had to compose a handwritten letter confirming his desire to be part of our family.  A litlle cliff hanger again, but not too bad...just a few sober stares into the abyss of unknowing, then he focused and reconfirmed what he'd said on Saturday and began his letter.  After getting his letter, we left and our coordinator/translator started in earnest driving all around getting paperwork done, and the orphanage took Sasha to another town to have blood drawn for HIV and other tests.  We'd hoped to get to visit at the end of the day, but he didn't get back till late, so that was that.

Yesterday, by the end of the day our translator/coordinator had everything she needed to take back to Kiev in advance of our court hearing which she got scheduled for next Thursday, the 26th, at noon.  It sometimes can take a couple of weeks to get done what we've done in three business days, but everyone really wants to help us.  After getting quick and happy service from the regional office here, as we left we thanked them sincerely and one lady responded (in Slavic) "Bless the Lord!", to which we say Amen.

Before the day ended, our translator wanted us to return for a short visit with Sasha, especially to explain that she was leaving and that we'd be visiting him alone now for the next few weeks while we work on the adoption.  She also explained to him about his new name.  As we mentioned previously, he was given the name Sayid at birth.  Our plan had been previously to keep whatever name the child had and make it their middle name, and give then a new first name.  The name Sayid, an Arabic name chosen not because of any connection to an Arabic history but just because his mother had heard it in a movie, packs special baggage (maybe lined with plastic explosives?) that we don't think our boy needs to carry for the rest of his life.  Also, we like his baptismal name of Alexander (whence the nickname Sasha), and the orphanage director asked us to keep this name, which we are glad to do.  Our original plan had been to give him the new first name Andrew, so we're going to put it all together and the boy we bring home will henceforth be Andrew Alexander King.  We plan eventually to call him Andrew, but for now we've dropped Sayid and are only calling him Sasha, which may always be a nickname at home--we'll see.

So when our translator told him about his new name, it seemed to be another big thing to absorb (maybe especially no longer being Sayid?) and we thought he seemed like he might cry again.  Edna pulled out some M&M's for therapy and poured a pile into his sweaty little hand.  Even in his emotional state, that sweet boy first took a few and handed them to me, then few to Edna and to Luda before eating any himself.  Even though his runny nose and sweaty hand made them hygienically questionable, I happily took and ate my two.

So we're on our own now until next Thursday, when Luda, our translator, will come back to help us at court.  Each day we will go out and visit with our boy for about 1.5 hours--not longer so that he can continue his school work.  After court, we'll have another 10-day appeal period before the court's decision becomes effective.  So that means on June 6th, he will be our son officially!  After that, we get a new birth certificate with his new name, a new Ukrainian passport, and we head back to Kiev, where we'll get him a visa from the US Embassy and--finally, blessing God--COME HOME.

I'll leave you with a picture from today's visit, where we discovered that Sasha plays chess.  I like chess, too, so I'm looking forward to lots more matches!