Hebrews 13:2

Well...he's gone...probably somewhere over the ocean by now. His flight was leaving from Charlotte at 3:25 this afternoon and I believe it's a 9 hour flight to Munich. It's the first of the two flights that this group will take to get home. He was fully packed with snacks...some of America's favorites...Snickers bars, Cheetos, animal crackers, and some sunflower seeds.

He slept in the living room last night which is right outside of our bedroom door. He kept insisting and saying things like, "Me sleep, me cry" and "No Daddy, me scary." I don't know...he was sad or scared (or just wanted to sleep in the living room) and I figured that on his last night it wouldn't do any harm. He woke me and Sydney up at 6:27 this morning...insisting that we eat together before he left. Sounds formal, but he actually had a bowl of Lucky Charms and Sydney had a bowl of Fruit Loops and I had an Eggo Waffle...but we were together and he seemed pretty content.

The "goodbye" was just as I had envisioned it. Don and Yasmin Teeter who run the Wilmington ABRO program and who I think the world of, said a prayer just before the children loaded the bus. I wanted to open my eyes and look around as everyone was standing in a circle holding onto their own children and their Belarussian child. I gripped Venya's shoulder on one side and Sydney on the other and I know I'm stating the obvious, but the tears just fell. Don prayed for their safety and asked God to continue to do His work in their lives. He thanked Him for giving us the opportunity to serve these precious children. Amen to that.

We hugged Venya as tight as we could possibly hug him before finally letting him load the bus...told him to be careful, told him to be good, told him we loved him and then our time ran out. It was the same scene that I remember from last year...all of the Belarussian children on the bus waving as it pulled out of the parking lot...and all of us host families standing silently watching it turn the corner and eventually roll out of sight. No one said anything for a moment or two. We eventually turned toward each other and said our goodbyes as well, for we have become a pretty close knit group through this experience.

I carried Sydney to the car and although I know she will miss Venya, I also know that there is a little part of her that is glad to have my full attention back and honestly, that's okay. I find no fault in that.

So, God willing, I'll hear in a day or two that Venya made it home safely to Belarus. We typically get an email from the ABRO program director in Mogilev once the children have made it back to their families. We'll miss him greatly and already feel his absence. Thank you God, for our Belarussian Summer and for all the things that You have taught us in the last six weeks about life and love and gratitude. WE are SO blessed. Venya, wherever you are...spa-quenah-noche. Good night.

The Call...and Bobby says "Goodbye"

Well, we've had an emotional 3 days as our last week with Venya is now upon us. This year's visit has flown by and I can't believe he'll be loading the bus on Saturday morning to return home. It will be a difficult goodbye, but all of my "goodbyes" in life have been difficult...it's just not something that I'm good at and I've tried not to apologize for that.



We took the time on Monday to call his mom for the last time before he returns home...we typically call her on Mondays or sometime early in the week so that he can "check in." While I had never spoken to her on the phone, I did have a sense of what she was like as a woman and as a mom, but that still didn't prepare me for Monday's call. I know her son, but I don't really know her.



I dialed the numbers like I usually do and handed the phone to Venya once I heard it begin to ring. I sat on one couch, he on the other, while they spoke to one another. At times he would laugh because he would let some English (instead of Russian) slip out of his mouth. He'd make eye contact with me and we'd chuckle. I'm sure this will happen some as he returns home with English still fresh in his mind.



I sat there watching him for a few minutes, trying to make some sense out of what was being said. While I was attempting to think in Russian and translating little bits and pieces in my head, I didn't expect what happened next. He stood up, walked over to where I was sitting and handed me the phone. Again, his mom does not speak English and I speak very little Russian, but he let me know that she wanted to speak to me...she was on the end of the line waiting.



I took the phone out of his hand, slowly held it to my ear and politely said, "Hello?" She began to speak with words and phrases that I did not fully understand but I continued to listen and then I heard what we moms all recognize in one another...a fragile voice struggling through the tears as she talked about her child, and I guess, her appreciation for his time here. In all she said, all I remember was, "Spa-see-bah, spa-see-bah" which she said over and over again. It means "thank you" and while I wanted to respond, for a moment, my own tears wouldn't let me. It was an emotional scene...me, on the phone with a woman I've never met, yet respect deeply and there are only a handful of words we have in common. She cried...I cried...and Venya just quietly sat there watching in his sweet way.



Well, Monday was sweet, but today was equally as sweet. Bobby had to say goodbye today and I don't know why, but for some reason I had thought that he would be a little better at it than I am. While he hated leaving with Venya still here, it's just the way our calendar of events fell...he'd had a trip planned for a long time and really couldn't (and shouldn't) miss it. So we all woke up at 5:45 this morning to take him to the airport and see him off.



While Venya hated that "Daddy" was leaving, he followed through with his typically sweet gestures of helping Bobby load his bag into the car and asking how many days he would be gone? Where was he going? And even, what about the office? He was curious, or I guess I should say, concerned. We pulled up, unloaded the suitcases and started the emotional process of saying goodbye. While it would only be a few days away from me and Sydney, we weren't too happy about it either. First, I hugged and kissed him and told him to be careful. Then Sydney (who was still in her pajamas) took her turn with hugs and kisses and "I love you Daddy." And finally, it was time for Venya.


Bobby, who was already crying, leaned toward him and they embraced with a strong and firm hold that men and boys often use when they hug. Bobby then kissed him on the top of the head, told him to be a good boy, and gradually let go as he said one last thing in Russian, "I love you." Venya said nothing as the tears started to fall. He climbed into the car, raised his knees to his chest and put his head down...hiding his face and all the emotion.


Love is a hard thing, because it means that you agree to a certain amount of pain in your life. We knew going into this experience that it would require that we were willing to love and to let go. It's a process that is difficult, yet necessary. Tatsianna (Venya's mom) is waiting for him in Belarus and we are grateful for that...and grateful that in the years to come, we have more Belarussian Summers ahead of us.

Snapshots

Happy Birthday Venya!

This past Saturday was the big birthday bash for Venya and all of the Belarussian children. I remembered from last year that while it was a little crazy having such a big group of excited kids altogether around a pool, it was also one of my favorite summer memories. I LOVE the excitement of watching them all celebrate together and of course, there is such a sweetness in singing "Happy Birthday" to this special group of kids over a cake that is decorated with the American and the Belarussian flag. They all stand there and smile before ripping open their presents. It's just a special moment that sort of hits me in the heart.

This year Venya got a Rip Stick which probably sounds like a crazy gift to give a Belarussian, but we know this kid and we know he will be "ripping it up" in Belarus. For two summers now he has enjoyed Bobby's so we know he'll find a way to skate in Belarus.

Funny story...last year I was trying to ask him what he wanted for his birthday before the big party. I thought roller blades would be good...again, the boy loves to skate and he's REALLY athletic. I used the e-translator on the computer to ask him, "Would you like skates for your birthday?" only somehow it didn't translate quite right. He later told me (after he opened the roller blades) that I asked him, "Would you like a HORSE for your birthday?" Can you imagine his thoughts? I mean, he's always appreciative and sweetly accepts whatever you give him, but a HORSE? On an airplane? For 38 hours? Back to Belarus? We laughed really hard about that one and I threatened to buy him a horse again this year!

We are having such a great time with him and the days are really ticking along. I'm trying to enjoy the few that we have left as he will be packing up and heading out on the 31st. We've really "settled in" and he's just part of the family now...yet I know that the RIGHT thing, as hard as it will be, will be to send him back to his family in Belarus...tanned, healthy, refreshed and renewed...and hopefully, with the love of the Lord in his heart.

Just Like Christmas...in the 80s

Well we've been told that the winters in Belarus are brutal...freezing temperatures and lots of snow and they actually do walk to school in it. It sounds miserable and I'm pretty sure that on most days, it is. So I could feel pretty sympathetic when Venya's mother told the translator that he needed some snow clothes and I've been on a mission to find some. The trouble is it's summertime and when you live in a beach town, they don't sell snow clothes in the summer or at any point in time for that matter.

But I have my creative way of solving problems and I was pretty excited yesterday when I remembered that Bobby had a old bag of snow clothes up in our attic. While I was still in my pajamas, I put on the head lamp and dashed up the stairs in search of the bag! I knew if I could find it, Venya and his mother would be more than appreciative.

Bobby didn't discourage me, but he also didn't offer to help which I at first thought was a little lazy on his part. I didn't let it worry me too much. I was on a mission and thought I could handle it until I saw that the infamous red "ski bag" was too far out of my reach at which point, I called for Bobby and up the stairs with some heavy footsteps he came.

Bobby put on the headlamp and reluctantly (but silently) climbed over the other boxes and cobwebs until he got to the bag. He pulled it out into the bonus room floor and let out a deep breath. I simply smiled and said "thank you." I would take it from here. I would carry it down stairs and present all of the the "goodies" to Venya with a "Ta-da!" I was just forgetting one very important thing...this bag (and all that was in it) was cool...in the 80s.

I unzipped it and quickly spotted the ski goggles. Perfect! Venya's been asking for these specifically...these will be great! I opened the rather large box containing...um, the rather large goggles...and handed them to Bobby so that he could model them for Venya. As he put them on, the living room broke out in uncontrollable laughter! They were the biggest, bulkiest goggles you've ever seen and there was no way that Venya would be wearing them. How would he hold his head up?

Well, the jokes continued as we each grabbed something out of the bag and tried it on. It really did feel like Christmas as Bobby reached down and pulled out an old wool sweater that I'm not sure was even cool in the 80s. Venya, as sweet as he is, politely shook his head with a little "no" every time we tried to hand him something. He did enjoy trying on the ski boots, but those went back in the attic along with most of the rest of the stuff. One day...like maybe on Halloween...we might actually pull it out again and oh yeah, I apologized to Bobby for thinking he was lazy. :)

Snapshots

'Twas the Night Before Fishing

So, we decided to go fishing on Sunday morning, which meant that we spent a little bit of time on Saturday evening getting ready. Bobby took Venya out to do the usual pre-fishing routine of gassing up the boat and checking to make sure that we had the right bait. We learned last year that Venya LOVES to fish so he was eager to help get things ready for the big trip.

During their preparations Venya kept asking "Fish...six, zero, zero?" He wanted to know exactly what time we would be heading out. Would it be 6 o'clock? I guess he remembered from last year that the fish bite in the morning, but Bobby was hesitant to answer...I mean, it was a holiday weekend and we really didn't want to be fully committed to a "get out of bed" time.


As we put Sydney and Venya to bed we were still trying to calm his excitement. He was giddy and was acting sort of like it was the night before Christmas as he continued to ask, "Fish...six, zero, zero?" We laughed and said our new favorite word around here which doesn't reallly commit you to anything, "Maybe." We then headed toward our own bedroom to hit the sack.


Well, I was somewhere off in wonderful dreamy land when I heard a voice at the doorway of our bedroom. "Daddy, wakeup, six, zero, zero!" It felt like the middle of the night, but when we turned toward the clock it was in fact...six, zero, zero. We laughed (which felt great to wake up laughing.) This kid was ready to fish and was once again beginning the day dressed and ready, only this time he was in the doorway of our bedroom urging us to wake up!


We asked him later what time he actually woke up. He said with a smile, "Me, wakeup, four, zero, zero...FISH!" I wondered why his bedroom light was on! Apparently he woke up BEFORE the sun and sat there waiting until six, zero, zero. While he and I are still not on the same sleep schedule, I've got to admire his passion for seizing the day...and the fish!

Home Again!

Well, we're back and while it's good to be home, it was also really good to be away. Venya survived the long car ride home (along with the long car ride across Florida and the car ride to pick up Bobby at the airport.) Lord knows how many miles we put on Bobby's car, but I sure enjoyed the journey...stopping at the fireworks store in South Carolina and the peach stand in Georgia. Here is a shot of the kids in the back seat just as their delirious state of "We've been in the car too long" began on our ride back to Wilmington.

As a side note, we finally figured out what Venya was talking about with the cheese and the "Pow, pow, pow." One day we were making sandwiches together and he picked up a slice of Swiss cheese and pretended to shoot some holes through it. Anyway, all that time (and through all that laughter) he was just trying to tell us that the Swiss cheese that he and Bobby bought at the store looked like someone shot holes in it.

The highlight of our trip was visiting the place in Florida that so many people refer to as "magical" and while I would agree with that, when it begins to rain, it loses its "magic" a little. In spite of the weather, we had a great time and Venya's face as we approached the magical world of Disney was just as you would picture it. I texted Bobby as we walked through the gates at Magic Kingdom..."You should see his face...one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done." To see Disney through his eyes...to see everyday life through his eyes...it really is more fulfilling than it is work and at moments, I get overwhelmed with sentiment and gratitude for all that God has provided us with and now, all that we are able to provide.

Venya loved the rides...the faster the better, so we quickly circled the park and made our way to Space Mountain. I tried to explain in my English-Russian blend that it would be fast and it would be dark. Was he up for it? While we had already been on Thunder Mountain, I wasn't sure that he (or his stomach) would like the speed of Space Mountain, but I would have felt like a failure if we didn't at least try to make it happen, so Venya and I got in line just as the wait time read, "40 minutes" which was also hard to explain. After 40 minutes, I think he figured it out.

I kept looking Venya's way as we were approaching the loading area. I kept trying to read his face...look for fear...look for anxiety. I kept asking him if he was okay and giving him the thumbs up...waiting for him to give me one in return. I was trying to remember back to my childhood...what else happens in Space Mountain that I might need to warn him about? What's my plan if he gets sick? What's my plan if I get sick?

We finally loaded the "shuttle" with Venya in front of me. I became a little alarmed as the back of his seat now blocked my view of his face and there would be no more reading of his body language until the ride was...over. I quickly yelled over the space noise one last time, "Venya...okay?" to which I got no response. Great, I thought. Here we go.

We immediately shot into the darkness and I remember thinking, Wow! This is a lot faster than it used to be! When did they decide to turn up the speed? I looked toward the blond fuzzy head that was in the seat in front of me but could see NOTHING until that one "magical" moment. We were approaching the starry sky in an upward high speed motion when I suddenly saw Venya's skinny little arms shoot up in the air as if reaching toward the heavens. The silhouette of those arms against the black starry backdrop was priceless. He was okay...he was more than okay and I laughed in my seat as I suddenly decided to follow suit and raise my own arms. Thanks God!

Disney can be a place of true bonding...travel there. Walk 5 miles around the park in the hot sun together. Have a Mickey bar. Walk a few more miles in the rain. Stand in line 40 minutes and speak with signs and sounds and a few words in between and then finally, raise your hands toward the heavens and smile. It was a great trip, with great reward and once again, I'm grateful.

Lost in Translation

Sometimes we get lost in translation...or should I say, lost without a translator. While we are definitely communicating more this summer, there are certainly times when I wish I knew more Russian. Yesterday was one of those times.

Yesterday we packed up the kids, loaded them in the car and headed down to see my mom in St. Augustine, Florida. It's only about a 7 hour trip...I say that jokingly because Venya must have said, "Ma-shee-na 7 hours!" meaning, "Car??? 7 hours???" about 100 times.

Well, I guess over a 7 hour trip (which actually turned out to be 8 hours due to heavy rain) one would expect a kid to get a little bored. So Venya, while he didn't complain, began to speak a little more English. You know, break up the trip with some good conversation...only we didn't get very far.

It started with Venya calling my name...

Venya: Holly

I turned and looked over my left shoulder and to the back seat...fully expecting to once again hear, "Ma-shee-na 7 hours???" only this time he said something different...something funny although I'm not sure that humor is what he was going for.

Venya: Daddy...cheese and then he held up his hands as if he were shooting a gun and said, Pow, pow, pow!

I gave him my usual puzzled look and said, "Again?" which he has quickly learned the meaning of.

Venya: Daddy...money (he added another English word)...cheese and again a pow, pow, pow

This time I chuckled a little while thinking what in the world is he trying to tell me? We did just make a pit stop at a convience store to get gas and a snack, but no one got CHEESE. Sydney got a strawberry granola bar...and I talked myself out of getting a diet coke. What cheese is he talking about? What's the pow, pow, pow?

He tried again...
Venya: Daddy...cheese sandwich...then he drew four circles in the air with his finger and again went pow, pow, pow as he pretended to be shooting at the circles with his gun.

We were all laughing now as he shook his head and turned his eyes toward the window. I looked at Bobby and said, "Do you think he's saying that he wants you to pay for some cheese (Chuck-E-Cheese) and play the "pow, pow, pow" game? Venya was shaking his head no in the back seat. I've been told that he can probably understand more English than he can speak and I now know this to be true.

He tried one final time...

Venya: Daddy... Okay, I get that, he's referring to Bobby,

Money...usually means "to buy" or "paid for something,"

Cheese sandwich...not sure about this one, Sydney had a grilled cheese but that was hours ago and a strawberry granola bar 30 minutes ago,

Me...Venya pointing to himself,

Now he added a charade...he pointed to his eyes and this usually means that he sees or he saw something,

And once again, the gun with his hands and a pow, pow, pow.

Laughter filled the car. We still don't know exactly what he was trying to say, but I enjoyed spending the next few hours thinking about it. I mean we used to play the alphabet game or "I'm going on a trip and I'm taking..." when I was a kid, but "Guess What the Sweet Belarussian in the Back Seat is Saying" is far more interesting...and funny. I actually laughed out loud as I laid in bed last night remembering the whole scene...and one of these days, I'm going to ask the translator, especially since I'm a little concerned over the pow, pow, pow.

Art Day at the Henderson's Farm!

So, yesterday was Art Day at CarrieBeth and Mitchell's farm! (Thanks guys for hosting!) I didn't get to go...I take that back, I decided to take a break from all of the "going" and sent Bobby and Sydney and Venya on their way. The kids had a great time...making tie dyed t-shirts, playing in the sprinklers and eating hot dogs in the sun. Apparently they finished the day with a shaving cream fight. Now even though I enjoyed a little break, I kind of wish I'd been there for that!

Snapshots

Chuck-E-Cheese and Your Heart

Well, today we decided to take a break from the pool and the 100 degree temperatures and we headed to one of Venya's favorite indoor places...Chuck-E-Cheese! I am quite certain that I had not been there since last summer and for good reason. I mean, even though several of my friends have insisted that "the pizza is actually really good," I'm still one who tends to vote for calling Domino's and hitting the couch. And let's face it, anyone can tire pretty quickly of the dancing mechanical mouse and all of his mechanical friends. The one playing the guitar even has a broken eye, so he gives you this eerie wink as you stand there and watch. It's just not my cup of tea.

Anyway, I have to say that there is some good to be found at this place...I saw it last summer and I saw it again today and well, before I get ahead of myself, let's just say that it's enough to make me go back a few more times this summer. Today, I got a glimpse of Venya's heart at Chuck-E-Cheese of all places...and I'm pretty sure that Sydney did as well.

See, for about an hour, the kids bounced around in the arcade area of the restaurant...going from game to game and collecting as many tickets as they could possibly hold. They even tried that old trick that my sisters and I used to do...pull slowly on the tickets and you might be able to pull an extra one from the roll.

Anyway, after all of our playing time, we were ready to close it out. But before we dashed off to the prize case, we had to hit the ticket counting machine, which in my opinion is one very cool device. All you have to do is put your tickets into the "feeder" and it pulls them through and counts them. At the same time, it makes this very cool chomping sound, as if someone is on the other side of the feeder and is actually EATING the tickets.

Well, Sydney went first with her stack of tickets and gradually loaded each individual strand into the machine, the whole time watching the tally go up. Eventually, her last ticket went through to the "ticket monster" and we all glanced up to see the total number on the display screen. It read 94 and she was more than content with that. I was even content for her...but someone else was not. As I looked over, I saw Venya counting out 6 of his tickets. He handed them to Sydney and said, "Sydney...100" as he pointed back to the ticket counting machine. See, he knew something she didn't. The cooler prizes in the prize case start at...you guessed it, 100 and he quickly, and generously, got her there.

Of course, Venya then ran all of his tickets through and received his final tally...234. I was watching him now as he confidently pulled the slip with his total on it from the machine and carried it over to the clerk at the prize counter. He pointed to 4 different things that he wanted...one of them being a pair of stick-on earrings, which I found odd...until he turned and handed them, along with two other prizes, to Sydney.

And there it was. Again I saw it...Venya has a generous heart and what he can't communicate in English, he communicates pretty clearly through action. Why don't I do that more? I'm even starting think that sometimes it's all the things I say that actually get in the way of simply acting how I genuinely feel. Funny...and I thought we were helping Venya. But this year again, the lessons he is teaching me, and teaching us, are priceless.

Venya did keep one thing for himself...a plastic spinning top which he has placed in her hand with no argument every time Sydney has said, "My turn," and I'm pretty sure, she gets it. I'm pretty sure, she sees what I see because at the end of our Chuck-E-Cheese visit she finally "cashed in" on a toy car, which she slowly turned and handed to Venya with her sweet, six year old smile. So, it's day 5 and I can already say without hesitation, that we will miss him when he returns to Belarus. I know I'm sappy, but I'm also tired...after all, I DID get up at 5:45 this morning.

Dressed and Ready!

So, for the past three mornings in a row I have found Venya dressed and ready in the living room before 7AM! I walk out of our bedroom in my pajamas and with the sleep still in my eyes and there he is...bright-eyed and ready to go. He even goes so far as to put his shoes on. I'm not really sure what time he actually wakes up, but I know this, he's ready and I'm....well, I'm not.

See, I'm in "summertime" mode which is really far away from "ready" mode. The only thing I'm really ready to do is sit on the couch and sip some coffee, and I'm content to do that for about 3 hours.

I have to admire him though. There is a sweetness about it, and some degree of perseverence to keep trying to get the Campbell crew going so early in the moring. I sometimes wonder if he thinks that one of these mornings I might actually get dressed and go somewhere exciting and he's afraid that if he's not ready, he'll miss it. SO, he gets dressed and he gets ready and then probably internally faces the disappointment when I once again, round the corner in my pjs and head toward the coffee pot.

Sometimes I think that I wish I could approach life "dressed and ready" and with a child-like excitement. I mean, I think about getting up early, I just don't actually do it very often and I'm pretty certain that I've never really been EXCITED about morning (with the exception of Christmas, of course). I can easily talk myself out of morning exercise. "I'll do it later," I say to myself as I roll over. I struggle...I mean really struggle...with getting up EARLY for a quiet time and think of how simple that sounds. Get up, sit in the quiet, spend time with God...I mean, there is really nothing in that that sounds hard...except for the getting up part and if step one doesn't happen, then step two doesn't either.

So, tomorrow, I might actually challenge myself to get up, to get dressed, and to get ready for the day. I'm going to try to change my attitude and try to think, "Yeah! Hello Morning!" instead of "UGGHH...morning." Maybe I'll beat him to the living room shoes and all, but Lord only knows what early hour it will be if I make it there BEFORE he does! But I think it's worth trying...I think a change in my approach to the day could be really interesting. I just might need a nap before the day is over!

The Deep End Swimming Test

So, last year we didn't realize that Venya couldn't swim until Bobby was fully dressed and in the deep end of the swimming pool executing our first rescue mission. I remember the last words out of my mouth were, "Is he OKAY?". That was just before Bobby ran past me with a leap that only an ex-lifeguard could do. It was funny later in the day, but for a moment I remember rethinking the whole swimming pool installation...especially since the non-swimming victim weighed roughly 80 lbs and seemed to have no fear.

Anyway, this year we decided we would be smarter. We would be prepared. We would all go out together at the same time and ease our way into the pool...reminding Venya through a series of charades that THIS is the DEEP END!

Needless to say, we couldn't hold him back. I think I was two steps out of the back door when I heard his splash and began to watch the awkward, and awfully splashy, swim across the four foot area of the pool! Once again, I had all of those motherly thoughts that we mothers have around pools. I should remind him not to DIVE into the 4ft. area. I should figure out a way to tell him, "No running around the pool." I need to communicate that around the water we are very careful and by the way, wait for the adults to get out here before you go jumping in!

But how could I be so serious in the presence of such laughter? How do you slow a kid down (especially a boy) when he is so excited to be in the water that he can't decide exactly where to be in the water? I think in less than 2 minutes Venya and Sydney had every pool toy that we own out of the deck box and into the swimming pool. Bobby jokingly reminded that "the more you take out, the more you put away" to which we both laughed. Again, who could stop the excitement? Who would want to?

We swam for about an hour before coming in for lunch. Oh yeah, getting back to topic, he CAN swim and with each stroke he took yesterday he looked more like a "swimmer" and less like a "splasher." One of these days I'll get around to addressing the pool rules, but for now, I'll have a little faith and let the kid have some fun!

He's Here!

Well, two things are true tonight as I sit here and write...he's here and I am a terrible blogger. I have no photo of our reunion tonight. The short video clip that I have is just of the bus pulling into the parking lot and that's it. The "regular camera" didn't even make it out of the camera pouch. Like I said, I'm a terrible blogger. I've got no footage.

Anyway, enough about that. He is here. He is back and all is well. It was great to see the bus pulling into the parking lot. The tinted windows kept us from being able to see faces, but I did see someone in stripes put a fist to the window, bang a few times, and then wave. I was certain it was him and I was right! We hugged him as he got off the bus and I immediately asked, "How are you?" Funny...after all of this time I still can't remember that he doesn't speak English and therefore, had no answer.

Sydney was super excited which was cute. She talked the whole way home in some slightly different, yet still very English, voice. He gave her a silly band and let her play with his happy meal toy, so so far, his demeanor seems very much the same.

We got home and immediately tried to call his mom and thankfully, we were able to reach her. He talked for a while and then we put him to bed. I'd better hit the sack myself. Tomorrow's a big day. Thanks God for bringing him here safely and thanks for the sweet reunion...now for some rest.

The Night Before Venya Arrives! written 6-18-10

Well, it’s the night before he arrives and it’s no surprise that I’m my usual self…easily excited, overly anxious and even a bit sentimental. As I sit here on the couch watching the US OPEN I can’t help but think about the blond headed 10 year old boy who left home today at the 1500 hour….roughly 8am this morning our time. I wonder where he is right now, how he’s doing, is he hungry, is he tired? We won’t actually be hugging him until 11 o’clock tomorrow night. It’s a long way for a young man to go, but I’m glad he does it…glad his mom has the faith to allow him to do it.

When I think about it now, I’m not sure what made us originally sign up for this experience…maybe God just nudged us one morning at church and we responded and the next thing we knew we had a 6 week visitor in our home. When we first heard about the program (The American Belarussian Relief Organization) I remember thinking, “That’s cool. We could do that.” But I think that about a lot of things and we don’t actually DO them. Over time, I started searching for information from people who had already hosted children in the past. After hearing their stories and meeting with Don and Yasmin Teeter, we decided we were in…we just didn’t know exactly what that meant.

So, last summer was our first summer with a non-english speaking Belarussian child in our home. I wish I had taken the time then to write about his FIRST experience with us or I guess I should say, OUR first experience with him . There were so many funny things that happened, yet I can’t recount them right now. This blog is about this summer and this experience. This summer begins tonight…and it’s filled with all the anticipation that goes with seeing someone you love, when you haven’t seen them in a really long time. I can’t wait to hug him! I can't wait to see how much he's changed...and how much he has stayed the same. :)

I think we are prepared…but those are big words. His bed is ready. We’ve got plenty of groceries. We went to Walmart last night and bought him some new socks and clean underwear along with a few t-shirts and shorts. We thankfully received the bag of "hand me down" clothes that Tricia brought over for him and they are all placed in the drawers in his room, ready for wearing. We’re ready…and now we just wait.

We tucked Sydney in bed a little while ago and told her to rest up. She’ll be up late tomorrow night since we told her that we would take her with us to meet the bus when Venya arrives. (Something she didn’t get to do last year.) In the morning, Yasmin and Don (and several others from the group) will take the bus from Coastal Christian High School to Charlotte…meet the kids, hug the kids, feed the kids and then start the four hour trip back to Wilmington.

I pray for safe travels for everyone. I pray that the kids don’t get sick, as many have done in the past after traveling for over 30 hours. I pray for Tatsiana (Venya’s mother) who must have kissed her son goodbye this morning. I’m grateful for so many things, but tonight I’m overly sentimental about the fact that I have a home that is a “holiday” spot for a child from another country. I’m grateful for my church (PC3) and for the mission that it steadfastly sticks to which is "to reach people and help them walk with God.” Thank you for helping me…now God, give me strength, to help Venya for the next 6 weeks and beyond.