We Made It To Vil'y!

Grandma Sergiy wanted to make sure you saw his beautiful drawling.....

The masked banditos!  More like COLD banditos!

Joe, Sergiy, Sasha (The Cozza's family's soon to be son & Nicole)

Us and our boy!  Oops mom's eyes are closed!

Sergiy, Viktor and Joe playing Chess

 It was wonderful to make it to social services then the school and be greeted by so many friendly and smiling faces.  Once we were brought into the office we were greeted by a smiling face boy calling out "Mama" in his raspy Italian voice and came to me with a big hug grinning ear to ear.  Then a big hug for Papa.  The staff spoke of how he has been waiting for us and anxious for our arrival and how happy he was when we would call.  Again the teacher, directors, social worker manager and staff were incredible!  So it came down to "adoption" as we are all sitting there in the room and he had his friend Viktor there.   He wanted us to host him or adopt him.  I explained I interviewed Viktor before and because of his age he is a "Host Only" child but we can do all we can to try to find him a host family.  They asked if we would go outside and watch them do flips.  Both Viktor and Sergiy did amazing flips in the snow for us off hills and even a building roof.  Amazing athletes.  We all huddled back inside and it was clear Sergiy was distraught.  Our deal before Joe and I left was we were not going to talk Sergiy into being adopted.  If he did not want this then we would leave quietly.  Long story short he wants to come home with us, the school wants him to come home with us but the kids are his family and some are extra special to him more then others and with that he is torn about leaving them behind.  I cannot blame him when this is his family and all he has known.  We are asking him to leave everything he has known and trust us with his life when he has only known us for a short while compared to how long he has known the kids and staff at his school. Kids think about the "Now" and "Moment" verse the future outcome so I fully understand his struggle.  As he said yes to adoption I sat there staring about my boy knowing he is not settled with this answer.  I told him I need him to want to come and if he doesn't then we don't move forward.  We love him and want him to be with us but I don't want him living with regrets or "What if's".  So we all agreed for him to tell the social worker verbally Monday his answer because Papa has to go home so he can provide for the family, Monday is the deadline.  He understood fully.  He did sign on paper he wanted us to adopt but the verbal is the final move to start the paperwork rolling.

We knew prior to coming we had a good chance of this happening.  We were prepared mentally for this knowing full well this could very well but what we were faced with.  We knew there were several very important kids in his life that could shift his mind and for that he is struggling this desire to stay with them or come with us.  I would hate to be in his shoes.  I truly have no good feeling or bad feeling about this but either way but I know God put us on that plane here.  I told Joe before we left you no he could say "No" and Joe said like I mentioned in one of my previous posts "It is only money, it can be replaced".  So I knew with Joe saying this we had to get on the plane.  This was way out of the norm for him to say or act on.  It may be we bring our kiddo home.  It may be we meet up with the folks of New Hope and meet other folks in ministry, it may be I do all the interviews for NHFC and get to see these incredible kiddos.  It really could be any or all of these and I do not know the answer but God does and I find rest in that because it is all out of my control.  My only control is that I choose and can trust in the Lord and know he has it all figured out.  So after all this time spent talking about adoption, yes, no...etc. we decided to whip out chess and Viktor and Sergiy played several games against Joe.  Serious strategist game!  It was fun to watch the boys play.  Then Sergiy and I both had on turtles for our necks because neither of us do cold so we pretended we were bandits.  Then Sasha who the Cozza family soon to be son stopped in for a visit. It was great to see him.  Gave him lots of hugs on behalf of the family.  Poor kid looked at me like they were a virus too like Sergiy.  LOL!  But when we talked about his Mama and Papa he lit up and talked about how much he loved them and wants to help them with things.  Too awesome!  His krooked grin can light up a room.  It was time for lunch so the boys walked us to the car and as Sergiy was walking ahead of us with Sasha he looked at me and pointed at our car and I nodded yes.  Then he and Sasha walked on.  Sergiy stopped turned around looked and me and came back at me "Mama" with open arms.  I know my boy is torn and I am torn right there along with him.  He is a big boy and I need him to be Ok with whatever he chooses and pray he never looks back either way and kicks himself.  That is my prayer for him.  We support him no matter what it may be even if we leave minus a Dewberry. 

This morning John with Hope Ministries that just started working in Vil'y in the last 5 weeks was so generous to come pick us up this morning at the train station bright and early.  We had a delightful conversation and went out for coffee and breakfast.  Turns out tomorrow night they are having a concert and were going to join up with them, the school and kids to help out and have some fun.  So we are looking forward to the event bright and early tomorrow morning so there will be more to come!!!!

Thank you all for your continued prayers.