One Year Ago

A year ago Scott and I were in Ukraine.  Yesterday was the one year anniversary of us meeting Sasha (when I think back on that time, I can only think of Benjamin as Sasha!) and Vitalik.  The boys were brought into the director's office with us, their teachers, our facilitator, the orphanage doctor, the social worker, and the director.  She told the boys in what seemed to us to be very harsh Russian, that we were here to adopt them.  It was blunt and cold and for the boys, completely out of the blue.  Sasha reacted with tears and fear and Vitalik reacted with (what we now realize) was a very confused smile.  This is our first picture of the boys after we met them.

So many emotions for both boys.  In today's entry from last year in my journal I wrote extensively about our first real lengthy visit.  Sasha had made a complete commitment to being adopted and was so happy to spend every minute he could with us.  With Vitalik, looking back, we should have been able to see it would not end well for our adoption of him.  He was withdrawn and kept his distance from us.  Still today, it is hard to remember how it went with him.  We were not the family he had dreamed of and it is still something we grieve even today.  Our thoughts and prayers and hopes of a good future for him are ever present.

Sasha, however, is home and doing amazingly well.  He is absorbing information faster than I can imagine.  We learned about Abraham Lincoln a couple of weeks ago and he thought Abe sounded like a really cool guy.  Now when we see a tall man, he exclaims, "Ah, Abraham Lincoln!"  It also dawned on me when I was saying 'Hey Diddle Diddle' with Ellie, that he had never heard it, or any other nursery rhyme I could think of to tell him.  His look of delight at hearing them was priceless.  We have so very much to catch up on!  We still have hard days here and there, but way more good days than bad.

I am very excited to tell you about the family who the proceeds from the first month of our jewelry sales will go to.  Here is a little of their story:

Craig and I have been blessed with 4 amazing children McKenna 19, Levi 17, Elias 13, and Dylan 11.  It has been my desire for several years to bring another child into our home through the blessing of adoption.  It wasn't until the fall of 2013 after a dear woman came to our church and spoke of the orphans in Ukraine and their desperate need for a forever home that we decided this is our time.  This is our son.  Edic is a 14 year old Ukrainian orphan with a sweet disposition and never ending smile.  We feel this young man has done far more for our family than he will ever know.  This journey has brought us to our knees and ever closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Our faith has deepened as we fully rely on Him to bring our precious child home.  In Ukraine, children age out at the age of 16 and are no longer available to families in America.  We desperately hope to bring him home soon.

"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me."  Matthew 25:40

I met Pam online last year while I was in Ukraine and we have been talking ever since.  I am so excited about their adoption drawing close and am thrilled to be able to help them in a very small way.  In honor of Edic, I am making a few of these necklaces and they will be on my Etsy shop in a few days or feel free to contact me directly about one.  You can order one with or without the heart charm.  Anyone who is interested in buying one, know that all the proceeds will go towards this family's adoption process.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @leastofthese127 and check out our etsy shop at Lot127.  All proceeds will go to help support vulnerable children.