John, Mama, Papa, Oksana the Prosecuter, Alexandra the Inspector, Alla the Director of 21, and Lena our Court Translator... & of course... Cool Breeze Kevin...
The word for Snow is Sneer... & we had plenty of that today just in time for court... We left the apartment and the weather was really nice and we came up from the metro in Obilon to find a thick bunch of snow swirling around us. We were kind of shocked, and by the time we made the walk from the metro to court we looked like drown rats. No worry, the judge still said yes after our time in court and you can see by the photos we have officially added two more boys to the Smith Clan.
We were asked all kinds of fun stuff like, what is the size of your home, how many rooms do you have, do you know that these boys come from a "special" orphanage and that they will need lots of love and attention? Do you have enough money to care for them? What will happen with their education? What opportunities will you give them? We were asked a very interesting question and one that frankly threw us... and that was, are you thinking of adopting anymore children... Mark did a great job and said we were planning on focusing on the children that God calls us to. I liked the answer... and it dosen't count us out for anything He is working on. And then off the record while the judge was out we were asked some other interesting things... those will remain off the record for now... :) But the conversation with the folks remainging was quite something.
While we thank you for your prayers for court, we also want to thank you for your prayers for the conference. Tomorrow is Mark's last day here... which is blowing all of our minds... we can't believe it is finally time to start moving toward HOME... :) We wil go out to visit the boys because they are not allowed to come and stay with us for the weekend. Anna, Max and I will not go out to 21 on Sat. we will attend the conference. Then on Sunday morning we will go out and get John and Kevin and they can come to the apartment for one night. I have to return them by Monday evening. I am compliant... which is not to say I am thrilled with this choice. I am biting my tongue and thinking of the days when Mindi and I joked about getting it pierced with a pink tongue ring - which is by the way a total joke still- & not something I am endorsing... end side note... I have done that more than once here. I have a feeling it will not be the last time before I get home.
The best part of court, besides the judge reading our decree that we could have the boys, was listening to them answer their questions. John went first of course, and he was asked what is your name? He answered "John"... they were like, um, no your name... he was like, oh... and answered Oleg Kuzin... they asked him if he knew who we were... he said yes, do you want to go with them? yes. Who are they? He said that is Papa Mark... and then looked at me blankly... bless his soul... he finally said "Mama." He has never called me anything but Mama. I was cool with that :)
Then in came cool breeze... Kevin is so funny. He thinks he is from some huge city... his strut is way bigger than he is right now... anyway, they asked him a similar round of questions. He was Kevin, honest, even though it was not his best picture when they asked, what kind of student are you, "so so" and what kind of student will you be in America? "I'll be so so" Nicely done Son, nicely done. He was asked who are we, and he stood there like, ummmmm not sure... cause he couldn't recall our first names and thought that is what they were asking, finally the inspector prompted him with a Mama and Papa, and he looked at her like, "well duh is that what you wanted to know? I thought you wanted formal stuff lady of course that is Mama and Papa..." His new last name proved no easier to remember. :) No worries... he will get it in time. He blissfully did NOT answer completely when asked "and did you help to pick out your name?" which was the follow up to do you like your new name? I thought, OMG please do not let him say "yes I picked it out because I watched it off of a movie." ROFL. Exit Kevin... Praise God, because everyone, except of course the serious Judge was cracking up.
When all was said and done we ended up leaving with out our boys to go and meet S. at the Darnitzya Metro stop. It was hard to watch them just walk down the steps with the Director knowing they are ours but not allowed to be with us formally yet. There was no way to celebrate with them today, there was no time. We left feeling good and deflated all at once I know that sounds ungrateful and really we are not it was just hard to be told they couldn't come with us and hard to hear that because they have lessons on Sat. they can't go to the conference... I am not trying to be snotty but "please!" they are as good as done with school there b/c the 10 day wait is over on April 1 and they only have school tomorrow, half day Sat. and on the 31st.. are you kidding???? ok end of rant. It just really bit.
We got to the Mc.D's and met up with S., Lori, and Anna and Max. & have I mentioned again that Lori is amazing? And I mean just totally a God send? Wellllll she is... She watched Anna and "Beckman" today while we went to go and take care of court. The snow had not only stopped by the time court was over it was gone. Then as we placed our order in line it came again... a total white out. I mean like, unreal blizzard looking, for like 30 min. Wind and all. The flakes were as big as quarters. And the wind was so wicked. I say all this to set you up for what really happened next... See while we are about to eat our nice McLunch there are two children who come up to S. and ask if they can have some money... She said, no, but are you hungry? they said they were and she said she would order them something. She did. While she did she asked a few questions. Where were they from? A village outside the city. They got here two weeks ago. Why did you come here? Mom and Dad are drug addicts and it was worse at home than on their own. She stepped aside to order, I asked them, where have you been today? They said in the street. I asked where will your bed be tonight? They told me in the street. Get it folks... the snow is swirling outside like there is no stopping it, and these two kids 14, year old Roman, and 15 year old Andrey, with no heavy coat on, are telling me their bed will be in the street tonight... I am over come at what we can't do... and not at all satisfied with what God has allowed us to do so far... and I know I have to work on that... I am not sure how, but I know that my heart is not ok with kids sleeping on the street here or home or anywhere for that matter... Mine were upstairs waiting for their "Happy Meals" and while they gave their Dad heck tonight about getting in them, they have a bed. A warm one. Two more were headed back to hotel 21 which any of you eagles fans x or still can take anyway you want... but they were fed, and in I hope, under 15 days they will be home in a family... Where are Roman and Andrey tonight? I don't want to think about it, and I can't stop. It just isn't ok, and it isn't enough to be satisfied where we are now.
It is Maundy Thursday... It is the day of preperation for the Passover Feast... it is the day Christ bowed and washed the feet of His disciples. Have you ever had your feet washed? I have... Have you ever washed someones feet? I've done that too by His grace... It is the most amazing feeling to show that kind of compassion and love to someone. God has let us wash some "Viniyet" (stinky) feet... but they are the most lovely feet. Can I challenge you to serve someone today? Serve as Christ did? No expectation of a repayment. No promise from the other party that they would respect and love you back for it... This parenting thing see, it is really quite a twist for us as Christians... we are constantly being shown His love through the circumstances that we find ourselves in, constantly learning how we treat the Lord, and how we should really. Today I watched S. serve some kids with some serious problems. We begged them to come to the orphanage. They are fearful. I hoped to see them tonight, told them how to find us, but they never came. When you get in bed tonight, please do so having first served someone totally from your heart with no thought of self... and second, please pray a prayer of thanks for the life you live, good bad or indifferent in your oppinion, and ask Him to look out for Roman and Andrey and so many more like them.
Love from the other side of creation...
The Smiths.
We were asked all kinds of fun stuff like, what is the size of your home, how many rooms do you have, do you know that these boys come from a "special" orphanage and that they will need lots of love and attention? Do you have enough money to care for them? What will happen with their education? What opportunities will you give them? We were asked a very interesting question and one that frankly threw us... and that was, are you thinking of adopting anymore children... Mark did a great job and said we were planning on focusing on the children that God calls us to. I liked the answer... and it dosen't count us out for anything He is working on. And then off the record while the judge was out we were asked some other interesting things... those will remain off the record for now... :) But the conversation with the folks remainging was quite something.
While we thank you for your prayers for court, we also want to thank you for your prayers for the conference. Tomorrow is Mark's last day here... which is blowing all of our minds... we can't believe it is finally time to start moving toward HOME... :) We wil go out to visit the boys because they are not allowed to come and stay with us for the weekend. Anna, Max and I will not go out to 21 on Sat. we will attend the conference. Then on Sunday morning we will go out and get John and Kevin and they can come to the apartment for one night. I have to return them by Monday evening. I am compliant... which is not to say I am thrilled with this choice. I am biting my tongue and thinking of the days when Mindi and I joked about getting it pierced with a pink tongue ring - which is by the way a total joke still- & not something I am endorsing... end side note... I have done that more than once here. I have a feeling it will not be the last time before I get home.
The best part of court, besides the judge reading our decree that we could have the boys, was listening to them answer their questions. John went first of course, and he was asked what is your name? He answered "John"... they were like, um, no your name... he was like, oh... and answered Oleg Kuzin... they asked him if he knew who we were... he said yes, do you want to go with them? yes. Who are they? He said that is Papa Mark... and then looked at me blankly... bless his soul... he finally said "Mama." He has never called me anything but Mama. I was cool with that :)
Then in came cool breeze... Kevin is so funny. He thinks he is from some huge city... his strut is way bigger than he is right now... anyway, they asked him a similar round of questions. He was Kevin, honest, even though it was not his best picture when they asked, what kind of student are you, "so so" and what kind of student will you be in America? "I'll be so so" Nicely done Son, nicely done. He was asked who are we, and he stood there like, ummmmm not sure... cause he couldn't recall our first names and thought that is what they were asking, finally the inspector prompted him with a Mama and Papa, and he looked at her like, "well duh is that what you wanted to know? I thought you wanted formal stuff lady of course that is Mama and Papa..." His new last name proved no easier to remember. :) No worries... he will get it in time. He blissfully did NOT answer completely when asked "and did you help to pick out your name?" which was the follow up to do you like your new name? I thought, OMG please do not let him say "yes I picked it out because I watched it off of a movie." ROFL. Exit Kevin... Praise God, because everyone, except of course the serious Judge was cracking up.
When all was said and done we ended up leaving with out our boys to go and meet S. at the Darnitzya Metro stop. It was hard to watch them just walk down the steps with the Director knowing they are ours but not allowed to be with us formally yet. There was no way to celebrate with them today, there was no time. We left feeling good and deflated all at once I know that sounds ungrateful and really we are not it was just hard to be told they couldn't come with us and hard to hear that because they have lessons on Sat. they can't go to the conference... I am not trying to be snotty but "please!" they are as good as done with school there b/c the 10 day wait is over on April 1 and they only have school tomorrow, half day Sat. and on the 31st.. are you kidding???? ok end of rant. It just really bit.
We got to the Mc.D's and met up with S., Lori, and Anna and Max. & have I mentioned again that Lori is amazing? And I mean just totally a God send? Wellllll she is... She watched Anna and "Beckman" today while we went to go and take care of court. The snow had not only stopped by the time court was over it was gone. Then as we placed our order in line it came again... a total white out. I mean like, unreal blizzard looking, for like 30 min. Wind and all. The flakes were as big as quarters. And the wind was so wicked. I say all this to set you up for what really happened next... See while we are about to eat our nice McLunch there are two children who come up to S. and ask if they can have some money... She said, no, but are you hungry? they said they were and she said she would order them something. She did. While she did she asked a few questions. Where were they from? A village outside the city. They got here two weeks ago. Why did you come here? Mom and Dad are drug addicts and it was worse at home than on their own. She stepped aside to order, I asked them, where have you been today? They said in the street. I asked where will your bed be tonight? They told me in the street. Get it folks... the snow is swirling outside like there is no stopping it, and these two kids 14, year old Roman, and 15 year old Andrey, with no heavy coat on, are telling me their bed will be in the street tonight... I am over come at what we can't do... and not at all satisfied with what God has allowed us to do so far... and I know I have to work on that... I am not sure how, but I know that my heart is not ok with kids sleeping on the street here or home or anywhere for that matter... Mine were upstairs waiting for their "Happy Meals" and while they gave their Dad heck tonight about getting in them, they have a bed. A warm one. Two more were headed back to hotel 21 which any of you eagles fans x or still can take anyway you want... but they were fed, and in I hope, under 15 days they will be home in a family... Where are Roman and Andrey tonight? I don't want to think about it, and I can't stop. It just isn't ok, and it isn't enough to be satisfied where we are now.
It is Maundy Thursday... It is the day of preperation for the Passover Feast... it is the day Christ bowed and washed the feet of His disciples. Have you ever had your feet washed? I have... Have you ever washed someones feet? I've done that too by His grace... It is the most amazing feeling to show that kind of compassion and love to someone. God has let us wash some "Viniyet" (stinky) feet... but they are the most lovely feet. Can I challenge you to serve someone today? Serve as Christ did? No expectation of a repayment. No promise from the other party that they would respect and love you back for it... This parenting thing see, it is really quite a twist for us as Christians... we are constantly being shown His love through the circumstances that we find ourselves in, constantly learning how we treat the Lord, and how we should really. Today I watched S. serve some kids with some serious problems. We begged them to come to the orphanage. They are fearful. I hoped to see them tonight, told them how to find us, but they never came. When you get in bed tonight, please do so having first served someone totally from your heart with no thought of self... and second, please pray a prayer of thanks for the life you live, good bad or indifferent in your oppinion, and ask Him to look out for Roman and Andrey and so many more like them.
Love from the other side of creation...
The Smiths.
1 comment:
We are so happy for yall. We are really praying hard for yall for next couple of weeks , then the whole Smith family will be coming home ! YEAH YEAH ! WE so can't wait to love on yall and the kids ! Yall be safe and we love yall!
Love the Phillips Family & Snuggles and Sissy
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