Our Sweet Little Nina!

For those of you who are new to our journey, this post may not be as meaningful.  To those of you who have journeyed from the beginning, you will be awed and amazed at the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father.  I pray that all who read this will be blessed.

Yesterday morning Ande returned our daughter to the orphange.  We were sad to have only had her for one night.  On the way back to our flat, Ande asked our driver to make a phone call for him. A little background...... our journey to Ukraine began 3 1/2 years ago when we met a little girl, age 8, named Nina.  She and our daughter came to America together.  The first day we met Nina, she asked me if I could adopt her and be her momma.  Oh, to be so bold!  We spent the next two weeks falling in love with both girls, and we began 2 dossiers to adopt them.  Ande and I came to Ukraine in March 2006 to visit, exactly one week before Nina was removed from the orphanage and put in foster care.  We were devastated.  We asked about her but the director would give us no info.  So, at Christmas 2007, we received an email with a picture texted from Nina to Momma Paula and Papa Ande.  She had sent the picture to the wrong person, and they found us.  It was truly a miracle.  We called her, sent presents, and had hoped to see her one day.  Well, that day was yesterday!

So, when Oleg called the number we had for Nina, the next thing we knew we have an invitation to come to Nina's apartment.  Our translator was teaching a class, so we had to use our driver as translator.  He only speaks basic English, but it was enough.  When we drove up, Nina was standing outside.  She looked exactly the same, but taller.  It was as if time had stood still the last 3 years.  The next thing we know, we're meeting her mom and sister, who are both wonderful.  The first she did was show me the bear with our family's picture that I had given her in March, 2006.  I fought back tears the entire visit.  She had every single gift and picture we had ever given her.  Her foster mom even showed me the first Barbie I ever sent Nina.  It was obvious that this family understood Nina's feelings for us and were not threatened at all. This is a single mom who chose to take in an orphan.  I can't explain how uncommon this is here- practically unheard of.  They were so gracious.  As we left, the tears came.  Tears of sadness and tears of joy.  Tears of loss and tears of gain.  This is definitely one of the most precious gifts I have ever received.  God does place the lonely in families and does not forget his children!

From Ande- Oh, how my back hurts.  Nina commenced to playing with me just the way she did back in the beginning.  In the apartment, she turned me into her personal jungle gym.  I have not played like that...well, maybe since the last time I saw her.  She talked about the time we spent on the trampoline in America.  

I too was amazed at the lady who took her in.  She gave no feelings of being threatened.  She was hospitable and gracious.  I cannot imagine how this may have felt to her because it was obvious all along that we were Nina's first choice.  She told us so in March of 2006.  This day was one of the most profound of my life.  Inside, I felt a bit of grief mixed with gratitude.  I do not know what will happen in the coming days, but I will always have another child in Ukraine; a little daughter who seems unscathed by the trauma she has lived through.  

Now my thoughts turn to praying for the single mother who is raising a special orphan.  It is James 1:27 all in one lovely package.