He knows!

This is was the week!  We let Vitalik know the news!  We sent off the letter and the video to the orphanage and we sat and waited anxiously for his response.  (Actually I was much more anxious than Brandon, who was calm and collected)  Near midnight last Saturday I received the e-mail from the missionary.  They took Vitaliy in a room and brought out a laptop for him to watch.  He stared at the screen with his mouth partly opened, intent on our words.  When the video was over she asked him if he understood what we said and he said that he did.  He told her that there was a family who wanted to adopt him but he said NO to them because he knew that our family loves him already.  He already understood that we were going to adopt him.  She asked him if someone told him and he said "No, nobody told me I just knew."  She asked him if he was afraid and he told her no.  Then she asked him if he would like to be adopted by us and he said YES!

We received today his first letter since he found out we are adopting him.  This is part of what he said.

 "I love you very much. Will you treat me well, yes or no? Kim, Brandon, Grace and Hanna I want to see you very much. I love you very very VERY much.”

Love this Kid! 

Hanna had a dream that Vitaliy was home with us and that she and he fell asleep on the couch leaning on one another when I was reading a story. When she woke up and saw that he wasn't on the couch she told me, "Mom, I miss him, but it's weird because I haven't even met him yet."  We all feel that way.  God has given us all a love and ache in our hearts for Vitaliy proving that he has predestined him to be our son long before any of us knew it. 

We still have a long way to go, many documents to fill out and file, many obstacles to overcome, and bills to pay but God is being so gracious and faithful throughout this process.   Please continue to pray for us.  Pray that Vitaliy’s heart is calmed and that he is preparing for us.  Pray for our hearts to be prepared to welcome him into our home as our son and not a guest.  Pray that when we write to him that we have wisdom to know the words that will encourage, comfort, and show him our love. 

Thank you for your support!

What a Kid!

This is an exciting and nervous week for us.  Tonight we made our video that tells Vitalik that we are adopting him.  Our friends from Russia translated as we spoke in the video.  I wrote him a letter for him to read once he sees the video.  Since he will likely only see the video only once, I wanted him to have a letter that he can read over and over again.  He will most likely and prayerfully get to see the video and letter on Saturday.  As nervous as we were about making the video, I was more anxious after receiving an e-mail from our adoption coordinator this morning.  The e-mail said that Vitalik was visited by an Italian family earlier this week; they gave him a gift and asked him if he would like to be part of their family.  He told them no.  I was shocked!  I was totally amazed by his response.  At this time he is not aware of the fact that we are adopting him.  He is only aware that we are writing to him every week, sending him pictures, and have sent him gifts but he does not know that we are adopting him.  Despite that, he is holding onto hope that we are planning on adopting him.  What an amazing leap of faith that must have been for him!  If I was a 10 year old kid, sitting in an orphanage, and a family came and asked to adopt me, I am not sure that I would have said no.  This is completely a God orchestrated event.  God in His awesome power, by the presence of the Holy Spirit settled Vitalik’s heart and placed a hope above hope that this American family that is taking such a large interest in him, will eventually come and bring him home. 

Please pray with us that he isn’t tormented with the thought that he made a bad decision.  Pray that the video and letter get to him on Saturday.  That he receives and understands it well.  That he has hope and peace knowing that God is in control and that he is loved and wanted.  Thank you for standing with us in prayer and support.