Pray for Irina

We are now in Kiev where I have internet and can use my own computer instead of my facilitator's. Well, to tell the truth the last few days have been very difficult. While every adopitve parent is told everything that can possibly happen, there is no way to know what issue you and your family will face. So, some words of wisdom to parents, who are wondering and waiting for their travel date, it would be better to expend your energy memorizing God's Word and spending quiet time with Him. I wish I had prepared myself in that way more than running around busy busy busy. I understand wanting to get here so bad to finally get your arms around the child(ren) you've waited so long for, but we forget that children are not adults. Even the family they have wanted for so long can be scary and stressful to them. Pray for your child(ren) to be prepared for this change and that God would comfort their tiny little hearts and minds. This will be time better spent than doing anything else.
Although a family has been Irina's dream, it is a huge change in her life. We've figured out through translation that she didn't realize how hard it was going to be for her. She wants to understand me and she wants me to understand her. She is afraid to come to America alone with no one to speak Russian with. She honestly thought that our translator was coming to America with her. As a mother, it has been horrible to watch her grieve especailly because she will not let me comfort her. All I can do is cry out to the Lord on her behalf since He says:"As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you. "Is 66:13 When I have not allowed the Lord to work through me, self reliance crept in but my strength failed. My pastor has said "Self-reliance is God-defiance." That has helped me so much. God doesn't need our help. He is God! He created the Heavens and the earth and all that is in it. We would not have breath in our lungs without Him,yet we try to handle everyday life apart from the peace that God is God and we are not.
Please pray for my baby girl. In so many ways, she is a baby inside. She is almost 9yrs. old, but inside she has not truly developed. She has been deprived of the loving arms of a mother and the leaderhsip of a father. Pray she will allow me to comfort and love her through her distress. Pray she will not refuse the love that stands before her. As I am writing this, it reminds me of us as God's children. He stands ready to receive us,help us, comfort us, and waits for us to come to Him with our needs, but we don't. We run around like chickens with our heads cut off wondering why everything in our lives is so crazy looking everywhere but UP to our Heavenly Father. If you are in the midst of trouble today, don't try to skip A & B and jump to C. Turn to Jesus and surrender your life to Him(A). Go to Him, cry out in prayer and obtain wisdom from His Words that He left us, the Bible(B). Then living out your life(C) will be for His Glory because YOU AREN'T DOING IT! HE IS! Saying this helps me remember to do this myself. Thank you for your prayers. God is Faithful!Prayers are already being answered. Our pastor helped us find a Russian group at Harvest Bible Chapel Naperville that meets every Fri. It is a group of families that have adopted Russian speaking children,who meet for support. The children can continue their language,while learning English! This is a great gift from God.
Will post pics of the sisters together later. Headed to Embassy appt.