Friday, February 11, 2011

We need your prayers!

We got to see Vladik today. We had a meeting with the orphanage director, a woman from the Inspector's office,  and our translator. The director interviewed us for a while and seemed pleased with our answers. Then she called in Vladik. He came in with one of his teachers/caretakers. He did not smile much but did give us both hugs. When the director asked him if he wanted Keith and I to be his parents and go and live in America he said I don't know. When asked again in a few different ways he shrugged his shoulders and said I don't know again. All the while he did not smile and his teacher/caretaker sat right next to him and kept a hand on him. When Vladik was here over Christmas he told us, through a translator, that he wanted us to adopt him so we were incredibly surprised by what took place today! Now we will have to wait until Monday (we think) when someone from the Inspector's office can come back and the orphanage director will be there to ask him again. We will get to visit him a bit more tomorrow and hopefully Sunday too. Please pray that Vladik remembers the feeling he had while he was in America with us and remembers his strong desire to be adopted by us. After this meeting today we were allowed to hang out with Vladik for about an hour. He acted like his usual self (the Vladik we knew from his time in America with us) and we had so much fun. We love him so much and can not imagine our lives without him and what his life would look like without us. Please pray and ask anyone you know to pray for Vladik as well. We know this is a tough decision and it is a decision that will change the rest of his life but we know that deep down he wants to say yes but something is keeping him from doing it (fear, outside influence, who knows?!?!). Please pray that something will be removed and he will free to express how he truly feels about being adopted.

10 comments:

  1. Julie and Keith -

    Prayers all around for everyone... I can't imagine the emotional roller coaster, but hold confidently to your calling. Praying that Love will overcome any and all obstacles!

    Jax, if you happen to read this: you don't know me, but I knew your mom when she was little, and I know Charlie and Ann pretty well. I'm really proud of you in all this! Hope lax practice was fun!

    Christy

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  2. Julie (and Keith!),
    I have seen Vladik with you both and it is clear that he really loves you. I remember Julie telling me about the fact that the orphanages don't want to lose the kids to adoption. It sounds like they may be trying to pressure him into saying no, with the presence and the hand on the shoulder kind of thing. I will pray for Vladik to be strong enough to stand up for himself because I know he belongs in your family. Is it possible to have him asked without the teacher there hovering on him?

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  3. We sat in that same room getting an "I don't know" from one of "our" kids. We will be praying for you. Every night my boys and I (Dennis from there) pray for his sister, the families adopting there, and several names on Dennis' mind from there I don't even know. We will add you and Vladik to the list.

    If you have a picture I'll show it to Dennis so he knows who we are praying for... I'm sure they know each other.

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  4. Yes, Brian and I feel your pain. We will pray that whatever pressure he is under will be lifted. We've heard "rumors" about issues from this place, and this same thing happened a few months ago to another boy about this age. Social services had to get called, so hopefully it won't come to that for you guys. We didn't see any pressure from within on our girl, but she's older.

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  5. Oh Jules...Vlad will say "YES"! It's the game these people play with the Americans.It is so wrong. Everything will work out, I just know it. Try not to worry. Just believe and it will happen. (I bet he was so shocked to see you and Keith.) He really wanted to smile, but he wasn't allowed to by that mean school teacher!

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  6. Hey Julie & Keith!
    Just wanted to let you know I am thinking about you and praying for Vladik. Can't wait to meet him!

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  7. Hi, Julie and Keith,

    I know that Vladik desires to be with you. I pray that he has the courage to speak those words out loud.

    I pray that you are both encouraged and comforted in this time.

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  8. Thank you for all your kinds words and prayers. We will be able to visit with Vladik for one hour on Saturday but not on Sunday. We are bringing pictures to remind him of how he felt when he was with us. We are also bringing gifts and candy. Keep praying and we will keep you updated!

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  9. Melissa, the picture that is our profile picture is a picture of Jackson and Vladik. Vladik is on the right. Or you can go back to November or December and I posted that picture as a blog post back then. We have friends who adopted from here last summer and they went through the same thing and now their daughter is home with them too. We have been told this is not unusual but it is still difficult to deal with.

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  10. Love you Julie and Keith and Jax and Vlad. I know it will work. Thinking of you.

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