Serious Business

what? school?  you kidding?  Nope!

While we have had a lot of fun in recent days, there is much about adopting that more official, businesslike, and even painfully hard.  However, Vitaly is worth every bit of it.  So is every other child that I've met here.  Some of the business today included a visit from our social worker.  Very amazing lady who spoke pretty directly.  She knows what an important decision is coming up.  Oh, I forget that many of you don't know how this works.  Here, a teenager is given the choice of whether to accept a family's offer of adoption.  We won't get into my frustrations with what a difficult position that puts a child in.  The bottom line is that before going home, they are asked again if they want to be adopted.  If not, they go back to the orphanage.  Yes, this happens more often than I want to think about.  The child has to be very, very brave to give up what little he or she has and the ways of survival learned, as well as accept boundaries they aren't used to just when teens are usually getting more freedom instead of less.  So, she reminded him of all of this today.  What a choice! 

So, Tuesday is the day for his decision.  Until then, we go forward loving him and this place because that is really what we CAN do.  For those of you who pray, please remember this huge point in time - it will be while you are sleeping early Tuesday morning for you in America.  For those of you who don't pray, but are willing to stretch some for V, we welcome your joining us too.  God hears all!

Other business before pleasure?  SCHOOL!  Yep, Vitaly had his first day with Mom and Dad teaching.  He looked pretty much disgusted at the thought.  Then he tried to bargain down to 3 subjects.  I asked how many he has in his old school - he said 6 or 7.  I said, so why would we only have 3?  He just gave me that grin :)  Anyway, our school uses playdoh and goofy drawings by Mom and real money situations with Dad. Writing assignments to friends in America by doing posts and messages in English - that is homework?  Huh - no fighting there. Don't think it was too bad, because when it was break time and Dad was "resting his eyes," V was yelling, "Come on Dad!  Hey, let's go!"  Haha!

So, a little homework tonight, then fun!  Not sure what that will include, but it won't matter because we are together.  Wishing the other 3 boys were here too though.  Actually, V asked if we could all come to Latvia together someday.  Boy, wouldn't that be awesome?!?  Maybe I'll suggest that he pray that way!

Love from Latvia,

Sue, Bryan, and Vitaly