Hope did not feel very well this morning. We think she may be teething. She didn’t smile very much. I can’t tell you how much I just wanted to rock her to sleep and hold her! Of course, I couldn’t do this, because of the orphanage schedule. The care givers have all been so gracious and kind to us as it is. Every time we get Hope out of her room and return her, the other children begin to cry and try to come with us. It takes awhile to settle them down. I keep telling myself that they all have parents who love them and will be re-united with them soon. I truly hope this is the case.
They are all so precious!
Let me clarify something. We were previously told that the government and officials would be on spring break from April 16 -27. We were also told that all the parties involved with the hearing were willing to come in just for it. However, we learned just last night that the spring break is only for the schools and universities. We were glad to hear this, but it just goes to show how difficult communication is between two languages and a translator. Moldova celebrates Easter this weekend with Monday being a holiday. This is the most important holiday in Moldova. They attend church late Saturday night/early Sunday and bring special cakes/breads to be blessed. Then they gather with families for a special meal in which the blessed cakes/breads are eaten.
This afternoon we were picked up from our apt. about 1:20 for the hearing that we thought was scheduled for 2:00 pm. We traveled to pick up the translator, Aurelia (she is our favorite). We waited and waited. Then we got a call from Albina to come and meet her and that Aurelia had been detained at work. By this time, it is really close to 2 pm. Andy is getting worried and mentions the time to our driver, Yon (he speaks English fairly well). Yon then informed us the hearing was changed to 2:30. Ok, so we leave to meet Albina. We switch cars and now Albina is driving which is very scary! We faced four challenges: 1) we are running late, 2) Albina is not the best driver, 3) traffic in Chisinau is very chaotic (Andy says it is very mild compared to India) and Albina has to get gas for crying out loud!!! After getting gas, she points out that we have seven minutes before the hearing so not to worry. I really haven’t figured out the traffic patterns in Chisinau. There are no lines marking the lanes and I rarely can tell if a street is one way or not. Albina would pass a long line of cars parked at a light and get in front of them and the whole time she would be saying sorry, sorry. Obviously, I was a little rattled by the time we reached the hearing. Aurelia walked in just as it started! I immediately felt comforted by her presence.
Most adoption hearings in Moldova last about 30 minutes; ours lasted two hours! We really liked the judge. She was personable and very thorough and deeply cares about the children in Chisinau. Andy, of course, spoke for our family. He did an excellent job. The Holy Spirit was at work within him guiding him in his words and mannerisms. On the other hand, I couldn’t even remember how old Dow was when asked by the judge. I am usually very calm about situations, but I was a nervous wreck at the hearing. The hearing was fairly orderly, but much different from hearings in the US. For example, when one party was giving a report, the other parties were talking and Albina’s cell phone kept ringing. Also, the clerk took notes by hand. At the end of the hearing, the judge indicated that she would make her ruling on Tuesday when all of the written reports were due. While she did not say for sure, she implied that the ruling would be in our favor. She had very kind things to say about us at the end of the hearing.
So many times on this trip, I have asked myself what in the world are we doing in a tiny country in eastern Europe working so hard to bring a little girl to the US? Also, out of all the orphans in the world, why Hope? I am sweetly and gently reminded that God has specifically (and I do mean specifically!) guided us here and to her. This reminds me of God’s awesome love for each one of us. Hope is part of God’s plan for us and we are part of His plan for Hope. He is weaving our lives together in a beautiful way.
We appreciate all of your prayers and emails more than you will ever know! When we returned from the court hearing, I began reading the recent messages, and I just became overwhelmed by your love and excitement. Please know that each email/message is treasured. I am saving them for Hope to read one day when the time is right.
I have to say one more thing about Andy. His strength is truly amazing. While my emotions have been up and down, he has remained steadfast and focused. He has not wavered despite the challenges and recognizes the hand of God in every step of this process.
We have to say goodbye to Hope tomorrow. This is going to be difficult, but at the same time I can’t wait to see Dow and Beth. Leaving here will be bitter sweet. There will be a 30 - 45 day waiting period from Tuesday of next week until we can make our next trip to bring Hope home!
By the way, the top left picture of Hope was taken with the nurse at the orphanage. I included this picture, because Hope gives this little look often and it just melts our hearts!
We love you all!
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