Christmas Angels

Where of all places do you think I would find Christmas angels? In the County of San Mateo, Tax Assessors office. Yes, it's true. There were actually 3 of them there that helped me get a letter needed for our adoption paperwork. It was definitely something outside their normal duties, but they were willing to see the human element in the situation and respond. They wished their blessings on us and I wished blessings on them. Now all we wait for is our FBI clearances. Dear little Ruslan, I believe you are getting closer to our lives. I wish Christmas angels for all of you who read this blog. Merry Christmas!

Focus on What’s Ahead

As we are waiting on some documents to come in (the child abuse clearance and our FBI fingerprints), we were notified of one of the documents we already submitted that was rejected. It is our proof of home ownership document. We had it signed/notarized by a realtor, but apparently that was not “official” enough. They want an actual certified copy of our deed and the proof of home ownership letter to be signed by the Tax assessor. I jumped right on it and went to the County offices last week, got the deed OK, but the letter from the assessor is posing a problem. They are discussing it there to see if there is anything they can do to help. It is definitely going to require someone being able to think outside the box. We are not sure yet how this one will play out. Just more bumps on the road.

This road has been long and challenging. There have certainly been many times when we are discouraged. It is at times like these that I have to look to the Source of all for nourishment to help. Recently, I have found some inspiration in a couple passages that I want to share.

The exact day last week that I heard about another one of our documents getting rejected, this passage was in the readings for the day “They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.” (Isaiah 41:31) I could hardly believe it, it was just what I needed to hear. It gave me the energy to zip over the County offices with determination.
Today is the reading about Zechariah. He had been praying for years for a son. He never stopped making his petition to the Lord, even though he had become accustomed to the silence. When the angel appeared to him to tell him that his wife, Elizabeth would conceive in her old age, it is not surprising that he was terrified and responded in disbelief. (Luke 1:5-25) The reflection in the “Word Among Us” (a daily meditations publication) about this passage was most meaningful for me. It talks about how frightening it can be when God does answer our prayers. The gift comes with new challenges that invite us to grow and change. It specifically spoke to how different life will be for new parents. All these new challenges will drive us to depend on God in new and different ways. I want to quote the ending of this meditation, since it perfectly captures my heart today. “The angel reminds us to keep our eyes on the joy set before us, just as Jesus did (Hebrews 12:2). God never gives us a challenge without providing the means to meet it. All we need is patience and trust. Lord, help me to believe that you love me and long to fulfill the desires of my heart. Help me let go of the fear that holds me back from rejoicing as you answer my prayers.”

What Child is this?

As I listen to this song this season, it has special meaning for me. We have been ruminating repeatedly on all the tidbits of information we have about our son. We know that he is beautiful, because we saw him. We look at his picture several times a day. We think about the intensity in his eyes, the dimple in his chin and the wry mischievous smile he wears. We know that he likes cars and constructing things because he told us so and we saw how much fun he had with the remote control car we gave him. We know he has artistic ability from the beautiful picture he painted for us. His picture also tells us that he is positive and hopeful. His caretakers told us that he is doing well in his pre-school classes. We know he is anxious about the school he will attend here, because he asked us to send him pictures of his new classroom. His caretakers also told us that he is outgoing and friendly. He told us that his best friend’s name is Roman. We know that he likes all food, except cabbage. He particularly likes meat, especially sausage, but his favorite food category is sweets with ice cream taking top billing. We know that he is adventurous; he expresses a willingness to go with two practical strangers halfway around the world to live.

Even though we have all these things about him to ponder, I cannot help wondering, “What child is this?” There is still so much to know, so many things to learn and so much time to make up for. We want to be the best parents we can be. The words of Olga, the director of Ruslan’s orphanage, keep ringing in my ears. She said, “The main job of a parent to is help their child find his/her own unique and special gifts. The gifts buried inside that will make the world a better place.”

In this season that we reflect on the birth of our Savior, I know that the Blessed Mother holding Baby Jesus in her arms was wondering the same thing. “Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) Mary has been a special guide on this journey to family. We are doing our best to follow her lead and continue to put our trust in God.

Sliding into Homeplate

We are feeling like we are finally sliding into home. Our little guy should be home with us in the next few months. We had some horrendous paperwork issues since we have been home that we weren't sure we would be able to overcome, but it seems that we are on the way to solutions. Most of our documents were notarized and apostilled last Friday and sent to our coordinator on the eastcoast. She should get them today and send them on to Russia. Overnight mail takes 4-7 days to get to Russia. Once they are there, they will be translated (another 4-7 days), then presented to the judge. We are praying that when he sees them, that he likes what he sees and issues us a definitive court date. We know that it would be a miracle to get one before the end of December, so we are being hopeful for late January or early February. Then, we will be on our way to bringing Ruslan Cole Rachko home. We will be making a visit to his new school this week to speak with the principal about enrolling him, we will also be making an appointment with a local pediatrician as well. Things are rolling along. We are sliding into homeplate at last.