Micah's Orphanage

Its a very emotional thing to go through my family photo's and select just a few to send back to Micah's orphanage.

Some RR friends are adopting from that orphanage... one family is there now and another leaving in just a couple of days. I've emailed her to see if she wouldn't mind taking some photo's of Micah to give the orphanage and our translator if I can email them right over.

Not only is it very emotional looking back through the last year at how much he's changed, but also thinking about the time we spent there with him... and of all the children who've probably grown as much as he has but not actually changed much... The hopelessness. And loneliness. Imagine being one of those kids watching sweet Mommy's and Daddy's come in, pick out your friend, play with them for a week and then the three of them disappear forever. Jake and I would come get Micah and the other children would run up to us begging us in Russian to hold them. The care-givers would yell out to them no, to leave us alone, that we were "Borysov's {Micah's} Mami and Papi."

And here's Micah now. Running and playing and laughing in my living room. He's been riding the bus to pre-school and he LOOOOVES it. :) On his way out of the bus he tries to push as many buttons and controls as he can before we pull him off the bus; he even tries to pull the big handle that closes the door, lol! Maybe one day he can work as an aide on a special-ed preschool bus. :) And he sure loves his Nana and Grandma. He takes their faces in his strong little hands and gives them a big, loud, slobbery kiss. :) He's also more cuddly with me these days too. When he first came home, he mostly wanted Jake. But now, when he's tired, he climbs up on my lap and pushes his cheek and ear against my mouth so I'll whisper and sing to him. That's what Mommy's do. That's what he never had.

A friend of ours from church recently spoke some Russian to him- we wanted to see if he remembered or not. He did. And he was terrified. He didn't cry but he turned to me with a frightened face and held on for life to my neck. He held on tight but turned back to her and just said "NO!!" over and over. :( Poor little guy.

You're safe, Buddy. We love you. You're ours and we're yours. Forever.

I'm so glad Jesus adopted us. I'm glad we can climb in his lap and feel his breath on our faces. I don't want to be one of the ones left watching others run to Him. I want to be His kid. Loved and thriving.

*sigh* Back to picking out photos...