Like a Duck to Water

On our way home

Snap! Just like that, things started moving ahead at a blistering pace on Sunday, after our translator arrived.  She is a fast and smooth operator!  On Sunday we had the party for the kids in Sasha's group.  On Monday and Tuesday we ran all over, getting Sasha's new birth certificate and passport.  This stuff can sometimes take a week or more, but it was done by close of business on Tuesday, in time for us to go pick up Sasha and rush back to Kiev.  It was such a thrill to finally be getting Sasha and so see him off campus, wearing  the new clothes we got for him and  just enjoying his new life and even his first Happy Meal!  Seeing his pleasure of discovery in things as simple as the warm air hand dryer, fries with ketchup and a hamburger brought more joy to us than we would have ever expected.

Last night when we said bedtime prayers, we took turns between Sasha saying them in Slavonic and Mark saying the same ones in English. I got a little teary when Sasha listed each of the kids his his group by name in his prayer because it was so sweet. He has lived with most of them like siblings for two years and loves them. What a change for him, and for us.

So far he's adjusting  very well. He is obviously very happy, is eating a lot and wants to please us. Mark's diligent studying of Russian is paying off now as he's able to communicate pretty well with Sasha. I am still nodding, smiling and speaking English. I'm also calling him Andrew. Andrew did have his first time out today, but it was around the time each of us was feeling emotionally worn out anyway so a nap was timely and he woke up so pleasantly. There nothing sweeter than a child who knows his parents are in charge (for those few precious moments when you feel in charge that is).
 
We expect to be heading home soon. Today we had a bright and early start by going to the American Embassy to submit documents and then Sasha had a brief medical appointment for his visa. The doctor there said she thought he was very neglected as a child but that he has no cognitive or mental abnormalities. We agree, with the right opportunities, he is going to bloom. We have one more appointment tomorrow at the American Embassy and then we are done! We plan to fly home on Friday!

Tonight we had dinner with one of our American friends who also just got his son out of the orphanage. We are so happy that God blessed us with this perfect timing once again! We met at the TGI Fridays and this time they brought a huge bowl of ice for us and I was almost as excited about my ice water as Andrew was about the big ice cream sundae he had after dinner!

So many new fun experience to look forward to at home soon! He's taken to being part of our family like a duck takes to water.