Well, time is flying by and Alyona and the other 7 orphans from Ukraine arrive in just 5 days. WOW.
I'm going to do this blog post in a Q and A format. People have either asked me/us these questions, or you've been thinking them. I just know it!
Q. How long will Alyona stay?
A. 19 days. She will fly home on January 3rd.
Q. Will she have to go back, even if a forever family is found?
A. Yes. The adoption process takes many months, and more paperwork, home studies, references, etc, than you can shake a stick at. Oh, and did I mention an adoption from Ukraine costs about $25K. Yeah.
Q. Is the Scoggins family prepared?
A. Yes and no. We feel like the training we've had and the blog stalking I've done, coupled with email exchanges and phone calls from families that have hosted before, have given me/us a pretty good idea of what to expect. No, in that we don't have the things we need for her, yet. Mostly because we don't know her size. I'm still looking for clothing donations. (gently used hand me downs are great!) Pants and jeans, mostly.
Q. What are you most nervous about?
A. The language barrier. For sure.
Q. What do you have planned for her time here?
A. Well, we know she'll need at least 2-3 days just to recover from the travel and jet lag, and to get her internal clock matched with our time zone. Those first few days we will pretty much "lay low", except for a trip or two to the store to get her the above mentioned pants. And shoes. And a coat. And pajamas.
After we've found our groove, we're gonna show her a good time, RVA style! Here's what's on tap: "mom"/daughter pedis, The Nutcracker (no English required!), Richmond's famous Tacky Lights Tour (CFA peppermint milk shakes in hand, as is our tradition!), lots of games, Christmas baking for the neighbors, A Christmas Story at the Drive-In (complete with Santa, a wagon ride decorated with lights, a bonfire, cocoa...how awesome is that???), and a "Mingle and Jingle" dance, put on by the orphan care ministries of West End Pres and Hope Church. If you would like to attend, let me know and I'll get you the info!
Q. What are you most excited for?
A. I'm most excited to see if this experience will be the ticket to finding her forever family. Beyond that, I'm excited to just share in her joy as she experiences things for the first time. Like, being part of a family in a home, rather than being one of many kids in an orphanage. Even little things like presents on Christmas morning, eating at a restaurant, and relaxing in a bubble bath will be new to her! (we've heard that bubble baths are huge hits for the kids- even teenage boys love them!)
And now, the question you've all wanted to ask, but haven't dared to (ok, some of you have dared)...
Q. Is it possible that you will adopt her?
A. That is not our intention at this time. We will pull out all the stops to make sure that any couple that wants to get to know her or pursue her gets the opportunity. As far as she knows, this is a "vacation" and a chance to visit America, and nothing more. (of course, she has seen her friends hosted and then adopted, so she knows, I'm sure, that this could be her chance)
We have been witness to God doing some pretty crazy, dare I say "miraculous" stuff, so I'm not going to try to predict or assume anything.
We are anxious to sit back and enjoy the show, humbled to even be playing a small part in it.
If you have a question that didn't get answered, feel free to ask.
For now, I'll leave you with these verses- All three of them are pretty huge to me right now...
Proverbs 24:12
"Once our eyes are opened we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act."
"God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy."
Ephesians 3:20
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think"
I can't wait to see what God has in store for ALL of you as a result of your family stepping out in faith and hosting Alyona!
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