The Avilla Family's own....
Adoption Adventure
Friday, March 5, The Beginning of our Travels to Russia!
(Written upon the return of our first trip):
Well,
Friends and Family, we are back from our first of two trips to Russia
this month! What, no daily posts, live via the Internet? Nope, not this
time. Couldn't get my connection working like two years ago, though I
gave it a diligent try. So here are my plans:
I am going to offer you a very brief overview of our trip in this post,
then give you an opening edition of the Travelogue. What about a detailed
account of the trip? Stay tuned folks, as I release a daily "as if
it were happening" edition plus an exciting new feature to my travelogues
- a Photo Essay section - on my very own web site!
Trip Overview
Hmmm… How do I sum up nine days
that were filled to the brim with laugher, hugs, memorable images, and
a constant sense of wonder at the Adventure we were on? I can only give
some of the "feeling" here and leave my subsequent posts to
fill in the mental images that will help you enjoy with us all the great
moments of our adventure. So here is the answer to "How was your
trip?"
Seeing our girls after over two years of working toward this trip was
magical! The two little ones (Svetlana, 8, and Tamara, 7) were instantly
on our laps and hugging us while their friends gathered around. Eleven-year
old Elena was more reserved, but she was smiling constantly and willingly
exchanged hugs with us, enjoying our attention. Every moment with them
was a joy! We visited them three times and met their friends and caregivers.
They have been wonderfully loved!
We saw our friends from our first trip: our homestay family, the agency
coordinator, our young translator, and our driver - reunited for another
week of enjoying each other's company as we worked together pursuing the
Adventure.
The court appearance? After three and a half hours before the judge, he
granted us parental rights (but you have to hear more details!). The trip
logistics went smoothly, with no nailbiting, although two of our six flights
were hours late (and there's a great story behind one of them!).
We arrived back home Saturday night at 11:30 p.m. We've been home less
than 48 hours and I made it a priority to update you, see?
Now for the opener:
Morning On the First Day
"Honey, something really
heartwarming happened at the airport this morning. On the shuttle bus
from the parking lot, this guy in a big jacket stands up and announces
'Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention for a moment. I want
to tell you something so you can share my joy with me. I'm on my way to
Russia to adopt three girls, the sisters of my two kids! And boy, am I
excited!' Then he started choking up, almost weeping. People on the bus
cheered and applauded…"
Yes, friends, I was pretty excited this morning and was happy to share
it with people. As Kerry and I drove to the airport before dawn, we talked
about how we had been pursuing this dream for over two years. Now we are
almost ready to enjoy the sweet fruit of our preparation. We talked about
the first time we would see the girls again, this time openly initiating
towards them as their soon-to-be parents. Kerry probably didn't notice,
but I found myself moist-eyed thinking about the life-changing events
that would be unfolding before us over the next few days. Not a day has
gone by in the past two years without thoughts, hopes, and actions focused
on uniting our kids together in our home.
I remember thinking before we started our first adoption process back
in 1995 "How can we justify spending all the money to adopt when
we have debt we're trying to pay off?" Now with a few years of experience
I can see that the hand of God was involved all along the way to provide
for our needs as we took each step. Psalm 10:14 says of God "Thou
art the helper of the fatherless". What I have seen firsthand are
some amazing circumstances occur as we moved forward to create a home
for Lise and her siblings. Not just get-by quality stuff: God has been
very kind. We moved into a brand new home last March '98, purchased all
new appliances, professionally landscaped the backyard, replaced Kerry's
Hon
da with a brand new Toyota minivan to accommodate the arrival
of the girls, setup the kids' bedrooms with new beds and mattresses, plus
have collected all manner of clothes for the girls from friends and friends-of-friends.
Often, very often, I scratch my head and wonder at the marvel of it all.
A recent example: My stock options at work were expiring and I sold them
in time to have the cash to pay for most of the remaining adoption expenses
and travel costs. Amazing! I hope this encourages those of you that are
challenged by the financial hurdle that's part of adopting internationally.
Just as amazing to me is the visible increase in capacity I have seen
in my wife to manage and nurture our two pre-schoolers. She is incredibly
resourceful, finding curriculum information, large-family menus, and supportive
friendships through her Internet connections. The preparations for this
trip were all accomplished so smoothly and methodically by her, I just
needed to pack my own clothes and the camera stuff and load our four big
duffel bags in the car. Amazing!
At the very moment I am sending this to you, Kerry and I are in Moscow
for an 8-hour layover on our way to Khabarovsk, on the Far East coast
of Russia. I'll keep you posted on our journey…
Click
here for the next episode...The Adventure Continues: On to Moscow and
Eastward - A Long Day!
The Adventure of a Lifetime with consequences for eternity starts
with one step for your family, too!...
for information about Adoption Adventure Network's
visitation and hosting programs!