I thought I would let everyone know I am home, alive & well (and finally getting rid of the month long yucky tummy!). Since arriving home I've been very very busy trying to find a surgeon to perform a pro bono surgery on a very special child. I'm waiting to hear back from two hospitals tomorrow...I hope one of them will say yes and my days of spending 22 hours a day on the phone (crying - sshh!) will come to an end :)
It was the experience of my life, it changed me completely, it shook me to the core. I don't really have the words yet to say what needs saying, when I find them I will share...
I can say that I miss the beauty of life there, I miss smiling faces, love in people's hearts, kindness that surpasses all understanding. I actually miss having nothing but three outfits of clothing, I miss the lack of distractions, I miss the lack of bondage to stuff and things. I didn't miss restaurants or food or tv or even the internet. No distractions were a blessing and yes I do realize it is easy saying that when you only live it for a few weeks, but I am amazed at how hard the re-adjustment to "richness" has been and I'm surprised by my lack of desire to re-adjust...
If you have a child who lived in an orphanage, hug them tightly. They are special indeed, they could teach me a thing or two about survival, strength, determination and hope.
Thank you to those who left lovely comments and who emailed! You will never know how much it helped! I hope to properly catch up on blogs this weekend!
p.s. To the right of this post you'll see a link to my friend Hayley's etsy site! She is a rockin' mommy and seemstress, trying to raise money for medical bills by making these amazing dresses!
More soon...
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11 comments:
Glad you made it home. I can't wait to hear more about your experiences!
I am praying for good news from one of the hospitals! Wish there was someplace here (local). Can't wait to hear some of your thoughts on your experiences.
So glad you're home and well. Praying you find the right doctor to help that special child.
I am glad that you were there. And that you did good things there and that you are still trying to do good things.
Some things stay with you forever.
Thanks for the comment on my blog - it's great to be home for sure :) you have had an adventure all of your own as well - wow is all I can say... you asked about agencies... and I can tell you this. Not mine. 2 1/2 years??? Their contacts in country are not nearly as good / established as the other 2 agencies. If I had it to do over again, I think I would use Adoption Horizons. I've heard good things about CHOC as well but I think AH is so well positioned - they are Run by Russians, speak Russian, have people / associates / family on the ground in the regions they work in in Russia. Are they warm and fuzzy? No... they are Russian - which can be a little rough around the edges, abrupt, prickly or distant at times but they get the job done. When in Rome... I believe their timelines are fast and reliable. You don't hear anything much from families on the chat groups or FRUA about them - might be a "gag order" to work with them but again, any reports are good, healthy kids in a reasonable time line. As for my agency, the workers in the program the entire time I was going through worked part time (3 days or half days a week), they have unstable regions where they have no track record. They start new regions without really investigating who they are working with. Khabarovsk was the only region producing referrals and now the facilitator has quit. One of the other new regions has a facilitator who is being shared by a Spanish agency and has been a complete nightmare for some of the families (ie. she didn't show up to pick them up to meet their child for 3 days... they couldn't contact her - they just sat and waited). Choices has good intentions and are nice people but social workers (in my opinion) are not equipped to run business programs - they should stick to social working). They don't have a Russian working on their Russian program (oh there is some woman on their website who is Russian but she is a figure head no one has ever known anything about including the people in region in Russia). Fee increases at multiple random times, nonsensical logics on when people are moved to and from dead regions (I waited in a dead region for 12 months before being moved) - net net - they are ill equipped to manage Russian adoptions - do yourself a favor and pick AH or CHOC. In the end, am I thrilled with my little boy? Absolutely so the ends justified the means BUT the in country terror, 30 months to complete the process and never ending frustrations on the way... not so much. Good luck and keep me posted!
welcome home, can't wait to hear about your journey ( when you find the words to describe it)
:)
Lauri
Welcome home!! Now I have to reply to your email almost 2 MONTHS AGO!!
No child should have to spend time in an orphanage, I see the effects it had on one of my daughters every.single.day.
If we only cherished children more, if we cared less about 'things' and more about helping those in need...
you have seen more and done more than many of us. I am so proud of you and in awe of your commitment
so glad you're home! i know what you mean about how nice it is to live simpler and without as many distractions. i do miss that...
and i loved your comments on my blog! heck yes i will come live in a cottage in england! where do i sign?! haha. as for facebook, i am on. i would search for you but i don't know your full name!
Wow! I am soooo behind! I am glad you had such a grand experience. I think of you often and wonder how you are.
Welcome home sweet friend... thank you for being willing to have your heart broken for the work of the Lord... thank you for holding the children and loving on them while they were suffering. For being the hands, feet, arms, and heart of Jesus to these little ones.
I am praying for you and for the Lord's will for your life... can't wait to see what He has in store.
love you
God's Speed.....
(thank you for all your prayers for our team and for our children as well as the people of Peru.)
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