Katya's Story
In order to truly understand the frightening experience we went through in October of 2008, you will need to read our story from the beginning to the end. Each email was written at the time it was actually happening. Our current situation is that we now have guardianship of Katya, she is living with us at home in Kiev, and we have started the one year long adoption process. Click the links in order to read each section of Katya's story.
Final Day - Day Sixteen - Out of the Orphanage
October 23, 2008
This email includes:
- Out of the Orphanage
- The Desire to come Home
- Time for Bed
- Gather Your Children
- Contact / Support Info
OUT OF THE ORPHANAGE from Judy
Katya is safely home ... and I am, too! The day held some scary moments
for Mike and Ivan, our lawyer, in Chernigov, but God brought them through.
They got to the orphanage around 11:00. Luke came, too. That really made
Katya's day. It was a big statement of love. Victor, the orphanage director,
and Galina, the assistant director, signed all the documents necessary to
release her; then insisted that we eat lunch before we go. They had a table
set specially for us -- we felt like royalty. We ate, gathered Katya's things,
said our goodbyes, and drove away, praising the Lord. Then we all let out a
big whoop of joy and victory!
We arrived home at 4:00. Sammie was just a few minutes behind us,
coming from school. We gathered the kids in the livingroom for a time of
prayer. Mike held Katya close in the rocking chair. We all prayed. I taped
Katya's prayer and hope to share it with you sometime. Mike will post it on
the internet in the near future. So many of you have prayed for her, and I'd
love for you to share in her heart of thanksgiving to the Lord. It was
precious.
THE DESIRE TO COME HOME
Katya is thrilled to be out of the orphanage. When I arrived at the
orphanage with Doug and Zachary Stoddard on Monday, she met me with
a big hug and stated, "Mom, I have been here for WAY too long. Only ONE
more day till I can come home!"
I did not have a good feeling about that and immediately said, "Maybe,
Kate, maybe. We must not count on anything for sure."
I'm glad I said that, because we were delayed an extra two days waiting for
signatures on the documents. I truly can't imagine how Katya felt through
this whole ordeal. It was a total of only 16 days, but she said it felt more
like a few months since she'd been home. After staying near her for several
days, I can understand why. There is SO much fighting and pushing that
goes on constantly, so much yelling and kicking -- so much meanness
and selfishness among the children. There simply are not enough adults to
watch over them well.
Victor, the director, asked Katya one day, how she had become so good.
She told him that her mama had trained her. I am grinning over that one,
thanking the Lord that those first two years of hard work (and nearly pulling
my hair out in frustration) are now paying off.
The food was very monotonous for an Americanized girl. Soup and mashed
potatoes can get pretty old after a few days of having one or the other for
every meal. And then there was the issue of cleanliness. Katya loves to be
clean. The ability to bathe or take a shower whenever she wanted was one
of her greatest joys when we first took her from the orphanage. She used
to run to the bathroom many times a day just to wash her hands. She
loved the pretty smelling liquid soap. She would wash and dry her hands,
then press them to her nose and revel in the smell of them for a while
before running off to play. Now once again, for the 16 days she was there,
the 5th and 6th grade girls had only been given one shower. I arranged a
shower for us when I was there -- so that makes two -- but even that was a
week ago. After our family gathered for a time of prayer and thanksgiving to
the Lord for bringing her home, Katya headed straight to the shower and
enjoyed a long, HOT one!
TIME FOR BED
I hear Mike telling Katya that it is time for her to go to bed. She is
EXCITED to go to bed -- to sleep in her own bed tonight. She was SO
excited to see her room again. "Oh, my pretty room!" She sat on her bed
and exclaimed, "Oh my! I've forgotten how soft my bed is!" (She has a
memory foam.)
There are many things I want to tell you from my four days at the
orphanage -- but I am so tired tonight. I think I'll save some stories for
tomorrow. There are some good ones -- like about the "missing" packet of
screws and pegs for the shelves we bought, or Galina's questions about
WHY we were spending money to adopt Katya when we have three
children of our own ... right in front of Katya. There are stories about the
new toy room -- thank you, Prairie Home Church. You'd all be experiencing
some touching tears if you could see the toy room ... and the reaction of
the kids. I have some good pictures and videos.
GATHER YOUR CHILDREN
But for tonight, let me just encourage you, that if you have children still at
home -- gather them in for some hugs and a time of telling them how very
much they mean to you. And for all of you -- go around your homes and
thank God for the things that are so easily taken for granted -- heat, clean
drinking water, milk, washing machines, clean clothes, electricity that you
can afford to use, showers with hot water, a variety of food in the
refrigerator and cupboards, toys, pretty smelling liquid soap, indoor toilets
that work, and toilet paper!!
I just asked Katya what she has enjoyed most about being home. I had the
previous list in my mind. Katya brought me back to what is most important
when she replied without hesitation, "Being with my family who loves me
and takes care of me." Then, after thinking a little bit longer, she
added, "And I love being warm." Katya is walking around in shorts and a t-
shirt. She is relaxed and warm. It is amazing to be warm. Clean and warm.
And loved. Fun.