Super heroes

I have to tell you that adopting couples are my heroes. I’ve told them. And I’ll keep telling them.

These folks are on an emotional roller coaster from the time they decide to adopt until after they’re home and dealing with surprises on the home-front.

But the surprises that arise here in-country can be the most emotional. Suddenly things turn sour…like the judge in Russia who determined that a child with Down syndrome was unfit for a family. What?

In the past few weeks, we’ve heard some interesting tales here in Ukraine as well. Nothing quite THAT offensive, but still troubling to the families.

Recent events: A family discovers upon arrival that their daughter-to-be has been transferred from the orphanage. To where? An institution? Why couldn’t they wait…they knew we were coming?

A family learns the day before the appointment at the adoption center that one parent is too old (by a few months) to adopt and so the paperwork needs to be changed stateside AND here to reflect only one parent adopting with spousal approval. The document from the States must be the original — no fax, no e-mail. Less than 24 hours to get it here!

A family learns that their child is hospitalized with a fever. How high? Any other complications? Is she getting proper care? Will we be able to visit her?

A family learns that her child’s orphanage is under quarantine for the chicken pox. One parent has never had chicken pox. Will we be allowed to visit?

A family learns that the sibling group of four who visited America last summer has a problem: One of the four no longer wants to be adopted. If ONE says no, then all FOUR stay in Ukraine. No splitting sibling groups. The couple is in-country and has no idea what to do next and no one seems to be able to understand why this one child has changed her mind.

These are just recent events. And these go on and on and on. Not just here, but everywhere. The endless holidays that shut down government offices. The only person with the ‘stamp’ is sick today. We only handle THOSE requests on Tuesdays.

Please keep these super heroes in your prayers. We’re so thankful that they see God’s Hand in the midst of it all and trust that His plan will not be thwarted.

But it’s hard to live through it. It’s hard to be in a foreign culture where even the alphabet looks strange…where food is different…where you can’t be understood when you speak. And you can’t understand what’s being said all around you. You’re exhausted. You’re frustrated. And you just want to take your children home.

May God be their Rock. May He be their Refuge. May they sense His grace poured out on them.

And may He be glorified. Adoption was His idea, after all.