Happy 16th Birthday

We started the day somewhat slow and lazy before we all had a major misunderstanding that almost put a damper on our big birthday celebration. But we weathered the storm and Vitalik chose to go out to Terminal to ride go-carts again. Terminal is sort of like a mall except it has more entertainment than stores: laser tag, cinema, ice skating, to name a few. Carting there is exceptionally cool. We went once when Gabe and the boys were here and they were all impressed with these carts. Liability issues in the US prevent them from going this fast. We also had lunch and went bowling. Vitalik is actually not a big fan of bowling but he felt sorry for Roman because he is too small to ride the go carts so he wanted to do something that Roman could participate in as well. Roman had never been bowling before today. He told me several times, in English, "This is my first time to bowl and I like it." Both of the boys are using English more and more and I am very proud of them. I understand more and more of their Russian everyday, too. It's really a miracle that we are able to communicate as well as we do. Many of our issues, however, arise from a breakdown in communication so I am trying to use my facilitator more lately for dealing with misunderstandings before they get out of hand. It has helped. Whereas pouting sessions were sometimes lasting a day or more, they have been reduced lately to minutes or hours. I have seen Vitalik in the last several days really making an effort at being a good big brother. He asked for spaghetti for his birthday dinner but when Roman whined about spaghetti, he asked for Pelmini instead. And he is really good with him out in the city, helping him across the street and around the metro. I smile sometimes when I see Vitalik trying to cheer Roman out of a pouting episode. He acts toward Roman the way I act toward him when I am trying to cheer him up. After we left Terminal, we had the cab driver drop us off at Kreschatik and we walked around a bit. It was quite the carnival atmosphere this evening and the weather was unbelievably cool for late July. If this is our last weekend here, it was certainly one to remember. I love it when they have Kreschatik closed to street traffic and everybody is outside just enjoying life. I was so thankful to be able to spend this day with a son for whom I had prayed would be ours by now. I was hoping we would be home before today, but what really matters is that Vitalik officially had a family before his 16th birthday. For those of you who might be resistant to the idea of adopting an older child, please know that these children are all delayed somewhat in their development. It may seem weird to many people that we would adopt a boy already turning 16. But were it not for his physical size, I would never feel like I am parenting a 16 year old. These older children need families as much as any other child. Not only that, but it is now or never for these kids. A matter of life and death for many of them. Maybe there are some of you who have not yet heard the statistics on older orphans in Ukraine:

-Children usually graduate from the internats between 15 and 16 years old and are turned out, unprepared for life outside the home.
-About 10% of them will commit suicide after leaving the orphanage before their 18th birthday.
-60% of the girls will end up in prostitution. Those who run prostitution rings target orphaned girls, who are especially vulnerable due to their lack of options and lack of people who care what happens to them. Though promised good jobs, they end up on the streets and brothels of cities across Europe.
-70% of the boys will enter a life of crime. Many of these will die young of violence or end up in prison. Most inmates contract TB in prison.

Many times throughout today, I looked at Vitalik and these statistics ran through my mind. While it is true that he may never appreciate being ransomed from these potentialities, I will never be able to forget what could have been and what God did for him. I am just so thankful. A few days ago, we were shopping at a small Christian bookstore and there was a young lady working there that Vitalik knew. Unfortunatley, she did not speak any English, but Vitalik explained to me that he used to go with her on the weekends to church or Bible Study when he first was placed at the orphanage. I wondered if she had prayed that he would find a family; I wondered if she had planted the seeds of the gospel in his heart that we are now watering. Perhaps even his own mother prayed for him before she died. Vitalik and Roman both have been so blessed by God. (I was about to say and they don't even know it. I stopped right here to go tuck the kids in for the night and Vitalik was expressing his desire not to go to church in the morning. So we are discussing it and I say "God has been so good to you, Vitalik. We should be thanking him everyday for what he has done. Its a miracle really." Now, I said this all in English and this stubborn boy who was just telling me why he wasn't going to church tomorrow says to me in reply and in Russian "Can we leave at 10:00 and ride the metro to church so we can get there early enough to sit by the window?" So maybe they do understand just a little of what God has done.)

Well, its late here and I feel as if I am just rambling so I think I will post a few more pictures and call it a night.