Tomorrow, Tomorrow...

The sun'll come out Tomorrow,

Bet your bottom dollar,

That tomorrow

There'll be sun!

Oh, yes tomorrow is finally really here!!! We have court at four (our time). There are some last minute paperwork things that must come together in the morning but N is confident that everything will be in place. Can I hear an Amen!!! It is so surreal that tomorrow we truly go to court and legally become the parents of Kateryna and Anastasiya. I don't think they really realize what a big day this is - the big day for them will be when they leave the orphanage for the last time. That will be their tomorrow and in a way it will Zach's and mine as well. It is hard to have children that we literally have no control or protection of at this point. I can't stand many of the freedoms at the orphanage or the media (which thankfully isn't nearly as bad as some people have found in other orphanages) that they are exposed to. We can't wait to be able to love, protect, guide, and teach them as their parents. For now, we just get to visit, but it is their turf and it is counterproductive to give directives of any sort because we have no recourse if they do not listen. Suggestions and requests are usually met with willingness, but we know that requests such as - please do not walk to the market without an adult - will not be met with obedience. We feel that it would actually hurt our authority to tell them to do something that we can't enforce. There are teachers and caregivers with very different rules (or lack thereof) and we are not in a position to challenge the status quo. It is difficult though, to realize that our children are doing things that we do not think are safe or good for them. If all goes well tomorrow, then only 10 more days until they truly will be ours forever!!!

An endearing story to share... One sweet girl - Alena, who is Zach's spanish speaking translator friend - actually told him that she had prayed to Jesus about her bad hair cut and that He made her feel better (she was so sad that they gave her a bad haircut the other day). She then said that the music at the orphanage is 'no good' and that she would prefer the songs about God that they sing at Awanas and church. Wow! So awesome to see one out of many who has somehow 'gotten' it. This girl is such a gem. Pray for Alena's faith to continue to grow and for her future to be protected. Her faith seems very genuine and she seems much more confident and emotionally stable than most of the children. She longs to leave the orphanage and go to a real family. She has a 'host mom' in Spain, but since this woman is single, she cannot adopt her (as per the law of Ukraine). But obviously she has benefited from the hosting times and received hope and faith from her family in Spain.

Today we went to church (tserkva) again and what a blessing it was. Shortly after arriving (we were a little late due to taxi trouble), they sang "How Great Thou Art". What an incredible joy it was to worship with this church body in another language. Zach and I read our bibles during the sermons (yes, 2 sermons) and it was truly a refreshing, encouraging time! I prayed that this church body would truly be a light to the children of the orphanage and that they would not tire in their ministry to them. I sat behind two great foster families that we have been praying for and was overjoyed to actually see their families and their children. The world has truly become smaller!

And I was comforted by this verse this morning:

2 Corinthians 4:16- 18 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."