All is well

My in-laws came by yesterday and presented us with another donation from their church via the candle selling. If you have read a ways back you'll know a church member found our about these candles on Craig's List from a woman that wanted to donate them for fundraising. That is all we knew....NOW, the rest of the story....the woman that donated them was grieving after a failed adoption in Russia. The candles made her sad to look at so she posted them on Craig's List. Over a hundred people responded. A woman from the church-who is adopted-took it on herself to respond and tell the story of Dias. Her letter was picked, she went and picked them up (2 hours away) then put them in the vestibule at church. No prices just whatever amount you want. That yielded almost $400.00, plus several checks in the mail directly to us, and now this amount of almost $100.00. This is not a big church nor did this come out of a missions budget. This came out of the pockets of people, on budgets, during a recession. Some we know, some we don't. The amounts are not the issue (but it sure did help). The love, the prayers, the support and goodness they showered us with is the point. How blessed in so many ways we have been during this adoption. We have met new friends, learned about a new place and culture and added a son, brother, grandson, nephew and little wise spirit to all our lives.
Have heard from both families that are in Taldykorgan right now and they are well. Their chosen Kazakh babies are well and Dias is well!
Things still pace along with the families after us trying to adopt the boys that were held back from them like Dias was to us. One family that had thought they might try and adopt another little boy who had been moved (aged out of baby house)to the children's orphanage, found out he has been adopted by a Kazakh family. We are so sad for them and their loss of a dream, but so happy for that boy. Being adopted in country is always the goal. We as Americans tend to feel we and our country are best, but actually, as much as the orphanage staff are happy for a child to have a family at all, it is very sad for them when a child leaves Kazakhstan. It is not their first choice. It is us that are second best to them.
I don't have statistics right now but in-country adoptions in Kazakhstan are way up. This is quite a compliment for the Republic of Kazakhstan as they have had a struggle turning that around. And we heard it is actually harder to adopt for them in country than us out of country. Kinda like it was harder for us to adopt in the US than abroad. What is up with that????? Doesn't that seem backwards?
Shawn has been a little sick and has some things going on that keep us pretty busy right now. I had a little anxiety this a.m. about juggling two little boys.....I have never had more than one at a time. My friend Marcy that has 2 year old twins and is old like me(sorry Marcy but you do look better than me if that helps....) (surrogate births and adoption) just shakes her head and laughs and says get ready. She says even going to Wal-Mart is all new. What the hell. After what we have done and been through to get to this point, I say BRING IT ON!