We leave our heavy hearts here in Russia

Today started with us making a quick stop to pick up several packs of diapers to give to the orphanage where Malia lives.  We also picked up a couple of cakes for the workers and the doctors to show our thanks.  We had another sweet time of play with Malia today.  She is too much and so much fun!  There were some surprising things that happened today with her.  We walked into the orphanage and immediately she was brought out into a small dressing area.  Wendy was given her clothes and she got to dress her in 3 layers of clothes for another 70 degree day.  We went out to the shelter where we were at yesterday that had a slide and a rocking horse that she loved.  While I was holding her she made a little grunt noise at me.  I made the noise back.  We did this many times.  We couldn’t understand each other’s language but it seemed like a basic form of communication for us none the less. Too cute! Malia started finding the little tree seeds that we call “helicopters” which led to our first experience of telling her no as she attempted to eat them.  That was a funny experience.  I found some more of these “helicopters” and showed her how throwing them up they would spin to the ground.   We took her “pit crew” snow suit off as it was just way too warm to keep her in it but we were fearful of irritating the orphanage workers.  I think we took it off and put it back on her three times.  We found a little tricycle that we pushed her around on and she had a big time with that.  All of the sudden one of the workers  came up to alert us it was time for her to go back inside as we were told it was time for her to go to lunch and time for us to leave.  It all came to an end so quickly. Oh, how heavy our hearts became.  We took her back inside and peeled off the layers of clothes as Wendy started to slowly unravel as well.  She did a good job of holding it in as to not scare or confuse Malia.  I grabbed a couple of pictures of her little locker where her clothes are kept. We each told her bye, gave her kisses, and told her that we love her and that we will see her again soon.   Wendy and I made it back outside before she totally fell apart.  We went back to the shelter where we had been playing with Malia and sat down on the bench inside of it and let it flow.  Anya came back from delivering some documents of ours somewhere else and was somewhat shocked to see Wendy upset.  She thought something bad had happened.   She was so kind and understanding and helped comfort Wendy.  We gathered our things and had trouble not looking over our shoulders as we walked toward the gate, hoping to catch one more sight of our little girl. 

We knew this day would come, that we would have to say goodbye and return to our home and her future home over 6500 miles away.  We have always said we would find solace and excitement during this time between now and bringing her home by getting her room ready as well as the rest of our home.  To add to that we have been so pleasantly surprised at how nice the orphanage is as well as its workers and how obviously well she is taken care of.  As heartbreaking as it is to leave her we keep telling ourselves this is simply a means to an end, of bringing this little orphaned girl known only by a file, into a very loving family and extended family and friends.  She has no idea how many people love her and who have been and are praying for her. I think she will see in short order.


~Scott