We started the weekend off with a trip to visit The Hermitage Museum with Oksana....great to have your own translator. Incredible place!!! It was about a 10 min. walk from our hotel and we stopped at a yummy bakery on the way.
Sergei picked us up at 1:30 and we drove to the orphanage to visit with Sasha and got a very special treat to see him in a play performed at the orphanage for a group of Swedish doctors who have offered to provide medical assistance to a number of the children at the orphanage, free of charge. It was really impressive...a local theater company has been working with the children there and the kids did a great job...not your typical school play. What a great opportunity for those poor children who have such limited opportunities in their lives. Sasha was definitely the cutest actor in the play:)
A few weeks ago Sasha told me that he has a godmother, named Olga and that she wanted to meet us. Sasha was able to call Olga and invite her to come to the play as well. It was a bit awkward because she was very sad that we are taking Sasha to America. She is a widowed psycologist from St Petersburg. She has been visiting Sasha for the last 3 years when he would be in the hospital and they have grown very fond of each other. She said he started out calling her Olga and then wanted to call her Mama. She said she wanted to adopt Sasha but said she could not afford it. You could tell Sasha was a bit torn about who to give his affection to last night...it was really odd. He was calling us both mama. I'll have to admit I am a little afraid that she may try to change his mind about being adopted, of course I have to have faith that God did not bring us this far for that to happen, but to be totally honest I was a little sad (maybe slightly jealous) when we left the orphanage last night.
She shared some things with us about Sasha. She said that he went through a very angry stage because he couldn't understand why God let him have this disease that would kill him. She said she took him to her priest to talk to Sasha and pray with him. She also said that the doctors said that Sasha might live to be about 23 years old. I know that is a real possibilty, but I hope that getting him home and healthy and taking good care of him may give him extra time. I fill confident that getting him out of this envoronment and to a place filled with love and lots of sunshine will definitely add years to his life. Regardless of how long we have him in our lives, I want to make sure he knows Jesus.
Today, we had a free day and we slept till about 11am then walked to the city and toured the Spilled Blood Cathedral. Then we did a little shopping and stopped to have sushi for dinner before walking back to our hotel.
Tomorrow we leave to start our trek home. We will spend a couple of hours at the orphanage with Sasha one last time before heading to the airport. (I am so tired of having to say goodbye to this sweet child) We have a short flight to Amsterdam with an overnight layover and then Atlanta bound. Can't wait to see my baby girl! I want to feel some sunshine on my face...this is one of the dreariest places I have ever been. All in all, it has been a good trip and very eye opening. Can't wait to say "ya'll" and everybody know what I mean. I've been giggled at too many times at my southern attemp at Russian. Time to come home where I belong!!
Awww...I am sorry I did not post sooner..and it sounds like more adoption ups and downs and the emotions that follow..let alone this situation with Sasha's Godmother..who has not adopted him yet..and probably never will (if its been this long). Sasha deserves more, he deserves you!
I will have you in my prayers.
Posted by: Jeannie | November 27, 2009 at 10:50 PM
I saw your video on youtube, the things you need to face when you decide to adopt a child...i'm really glad to see that you made the diffrent choice, everybody wants a baby, girl, healthy, and you choose an older child, boy, with special needs!Should have more ppl like you on the world.Here in Brazil it's even more difficult to adopt a child, i'm only 19 but like you, i hope one day i can do the same journey that worths it in the end.Sasha already look like both of you, he's cute, i'm sure he's yours.Send kisses for him (:
Posted by: Nadine | December 16, 2009 at 10:43 AM
We are a fellow CSS Family. We brought home our daughter in Sept. '08 from Moscow.I wanted to congratulate you on your newest blessing!Sasha is a precious little boy!
Blessings,
Nicole
Posted by: Nicole Settle | December 16, 2009 at 05:01 PM