Simferopol Day 1

This has been one crazy week!  We left Kiev on the 23^rd, my sister arrived in Italy on the 25^th, and we fought with base personnel for 3 days about my sister being allowed to do what she needs to do to take care of our daughters in our absence.  That brings us to last night the 28^th when Brandon and I were still only 25% done with our preparation and packing for this trip.  At 2:30 in the morning, I was in a combination of laughing and crying at the same time, when Brandon insisted that we get some sleep.  3 hours later we were up and walking out the door heading for the airport.  We drove to the airport in Treviso, Italy and all went smoothly with our three bags weighing about 30 kg (70lbs) each.  We arrived at Zhuliany International Airport in Kiev which is 50 kilometers from Boryspil International Airport on the opposite side of Kiev.  When I booked our tickets, I had no idea that there were two airports and due to my lack of knowledge, put us in a tight spot.  We had only 1 hour and 15 minutes to get off our plane, get our bags, get across Kiev during lunch time traffic, and get checked in again.  We made it with 10 minutes to spare!!!  God is so Good!

On our last flight to Simferopol, Brandon and I were able to talk and reflect on what the next 24 hours would hold for us.  We knew that this was the time that we would finally be able to see, touch, smell, hold, and experience our son for the very first time.  It is an odd feeling, to love a child that you have never met, as deeply as we do.  The only way I could try to explain it is this, it is like our son was taken from us the day he came into this world, and we were never given the opportunity to kiss his little head, and count his little fingers and toes.  We weren’t able to squeeze him, and sniff his tiny ears, listen to his cries and be able to calm his fears.  We weren’t able to teach him to walk, and hear his first words, we weren’t allowed to send him off on his first day of school and be there when he came home.  All this time he has been our son, but he was lost and we didn’t know him.  Now, he has been found, we know where he is, we know that he knows that we have finally found him.  We are able to see our son for the first time, to hold his hands, and look at the beautiful creation that God has graciously brought to us.  Tomorrow we will find our lost son, and we will be together, a family.  I once was lost, but now am found, and Jesus has provided the way.