Recent pictures

We've gotten into a routine here. We get up and get ready, eat breakfast (usually cereal and kefir, eggs, yogurt or oatmeal (Jonah's favorite). Then we go in the taxi (with Igor or Sasha--2 brothers who alternate driving us each day and who Irina our translator works with here in Izmail) THey are very nice and John has gotten used to communicating with them. I wish they didn't drive so fast and weave in and out of cars and bikers (I close my eyes and pray alot) but they are helpful and have helped us at various places, and even given Jonah some candy. On our way, John usually reads to Jonah and (and the drivers by default)-we've been reading from "Created to Work" which is a great book for a father and son to read (but I've enjoyed it too) and a story called "The Medicine Carrier" about a little boy who delivers medicine and the lessons he learns. Once there, we get Taras whose room is closest to the front (at the bottom of the stairs where Sean's room was. Once he's in his stroller we wheel down the hall around to where Lusa's room is...usually she is already outside but they bring her in to get a "pamper" on her (which we provided by their request). We've been trying to practice feeding Lusa and Taras..one at lunch and one at dinner. Today it went better with Taras taking his bottle and Lusa cooperating with her feeding. We look forward to being home so we can let her learn to feed herself and drink from a sippy but for now we just need her to get used to us. After our morning visit, we either head back to the apartment or grab lunch out at one of 2 restaurants (that are inexpensive but good food) and make an outing and then back to the apartment. Then we return to the orphanage for the 2nd visit, do the feeding, and come home for the night. After we eat, we call or skype the kids at home, which we look forward to. Haylee and Naomi have been taking lots of pictures and putting them on our family blog each day and sharing about their day...this is a high light of my day, to see them and all the fun they are having. Then (or in the afternoon) I try to update our blog. Some times we watch a movie or read together and we pray and head to bed.

Last night we got to interact with some local kids and a lady near the orphanage. They were sweet and very curious--at first they thought we were French! It was interesting trying to communicate with them--they told us their names and we gave them each a US coin, which they thought was neat. One girl gave us one of theirs. TOday we asked them how old they were. John and I wish we'd learned more Russian this past year. TOday we also met a Ukrainian couple adopting 2 brothers...they spoke very good English! They said that it is now easier for Ukrainians to adopt, which is good to hear....there are so many children that need homes. It breaks our hearts.

This afternoon we ventured out to the post office to mail postcards, the pharmacy to get baby bottles, and to a beautiful blue orthodox church in the middle of town. (Girls, I forgot the handkerchief so I had to use a pillowcase to wear in the church! We'd heard you needed to have a headcovering to enter) It was beautiful inside--we especially enjoyed the paintings of scenes from the Bible. It made us sad though that many people trust in rituals instead of putting their trust in God through faith in His son Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins. IT was a pleasant day, a little cooler than it has been here. We also ate one last time at Haylee's favorite cafe...potatoes and borscht!

Today Lusa enjoyed swinging. There is only one little swing at the entire orphanage so I doubt highly that she has ever gotten to swing. She loved it and had a huge smile! Tonight we did some bubbles-- Lusa didn't like them if they were too close! She can act so much like Sean sometimes...especially when she is not happy :) It will be interesting to see them together. Taras seemed to like them. We have noticed that he seems to be attending to us sometimes, and especially when we walk over or by...like when John was feeding him, I walked by the stroller and he got distracted. That is encouraging that he must be seeing some and be able to respond some. Today he was making a funny sound when crying--we wonder if maybe there is some reflux pain even though they say he doesn't have it.

We love seeing all the orphans around when we get a chance. They are all so sweet and run up to us talking to us. Lusa's groupa is so cute--they are so curious whenever they pass us or we pass them. There are 2 very severely impaired children always in cribs...but we noticed last night a doctor was at one's bed and today the child was not there. I wonder what happened. In Taras' groupa, there seem to be a couple mildly disabled children and there is a little boy whom John thinks may have Spina Bifida as his legs are impaired but he seems to otherwise act normally. We hope to find out about the children to help find them homes. We've seen a couple of the other special needs kids we'd seen last time being strolled around--we're glad to see that they are getting outside (last time we didn't see them outside when we came in the Spring) The older groupa (whom we know some from last adoption) break my heart the most, to see them running around in underwear and playing with whatever they can find. Still no family. So much love to give. We run into Karina each day and it breaks our heart that she is still here and that we can not give her a home. Tonight she was crying and a caregiver yelling at her. No child should have to be without a mommy and daddy to comfort them. We know another family who was here last year adopting 2 children who we hope will be able to adopt her if she truly is available. We've heard though that sometimes children are not available to foreigners--either by the parent's choice or the orphanage; or if a family member visits them, they might not be able to be adopted. It makes no sense and we pray that she and the others will find homes. At least she and the other able bodied children would go on to school at the older orphanage; unlike the disabled children who will go to a mental institution.

Tonight we got a few food supplies to hold us till we (hopefully) leave Friday afternoon. Jonah and I had fun buying a few inexpensive packs of toys that we plan to place in the play area outside where the groupas play tomorrow. Its not much, and I wish we could do so much more for them, but we hope it will make them smile.