More Practice at Waiting

I have waited my ENTIRE life to adopt.  I have pretty much always known I was going to adopt children.  I have waited YEARS for Derek to be ready to join me on this adventure.  Then once the Lord had prepared his heart, we waited to get a referral for a foster-adopt placement from US foster care.  I have waited on several foster-adopt placements, fallen in love with children, again and again, been their mommy for months and months, and then had them taken away from me when it was decided they would return to biological family members.  Over and over again.  And each time, I waited and waited for my Father to sooth and heal my broken heart from those losses.  


I have waited on the Lord's perfect timing.  Then He showed us Gideon.  He has been waiting for five years.  His ENTIRE LIFE!  I knew we couldn't leave Gideon waiting.  So we started the process.  I have waited MONTHS to get to Eastern Europe, ever since we committed to Gideon in June.  We had hoped to travel by October, but then there was a long, two-month shut-down, rather unexpected.  And so we waited some more.  Then finally, we were invited to this country!  We waited for that travel date to finally arrive.  We got on a plane.  And sat and waited patiently in those crowded little airplane seats, eating pretzels and sipping Sprite, while we waited to cross the Atlantic.  We flew.  We waited in airports.  Got on more planes.  Waited some more.  Now we are here!  We got to our appointment where we would see our boys' files, sat down on a leather couch in a hallway outside the office, and we waited.  Somehow, that fifteen minute wait felt like one of the longest waits of them all!  Could this be real?  Could this really, truly be happening?  We are so close!


And so of course, there has to be the unexpected.  We did get the boys' referrals, so nothing earth-shattering has gone wrong.  This is just a minor speed-bump, truly.  But being asked to wait until Tuesday to meet them . . . REALLY?  Haven't we waited long enough?!?  Haven't the boys waited long enough?  But I guess not.  The Lord's refining fires are a mystery to me, but I try to trust Him and let Him lead.  Last night two other families left this city to go meet their children.  They are probably meeting them right about now, in fact!  A couple of other families are here in this town, meeting their children.  I am SO HAPPY for all of them, and living vicariously through them, because today their dreams are coming true! 


And meanwhile, we wait.  Wait in a very cute little apartment in an amazingly beautiful thousand year old city in Eastern Europe.  Trying to be happy to be here, trying to soak in the rich culture, trying to appreciate the beauty that is all around us, even though all we really want to do is get on a train, go to the institution, and scoop up those children who have been waiting for a hug from their mommy and daddy for way too long.   And soon, so very very soon, we too will finally be done waiting.  Our boys will finally be done waiting.  Their mommy and daddy will come for them!  It is so soon.  But until Tuesday, we are waiting.


So I know what you all really want is pictures of that first meeting, but since I do not have those yet, I will leave you will pictures from our walk around town instead:

my first day here, I saw a babushka stop and cross herself
as she passed by this church

new building being built near our apartment

a Soviet car, from the old days when this is the only kind
of car anybody was allowed to drive (and even then, there
were not enough of these to go around!)

brave man crossing a crazy busy street,
and in the background notice the billboard for fastening
your seatbelt?  Seatbelts have really not caught on
around here yet!

pink building (I am including this for my daughter's
benefit!  Hey, it's pink!  What's not to love, right?)

these cars are parked about three deep on the sidewalk, all in
different directions

I am including the picture of the crane for my son
Josiah's benefit.  He would love to just stand on the
sidewalk and watch these guys work all day long!

And here, on the same building, they are building
it up, brick by brick.  Awww, Joey, I miss you, buddy!
You would love this!

fancy schmancy kids' clothing store

There are birds everywhere!  Sometimes we have to step around
them to avoid stepping on them!  

very important office building I never want to forget:
inside this building we received the paperwork
for our adoption!

statue right outside that same building