No More #15

Micah in his room

Tomorrow's the big day!

We had two days to ourselves without any trips to the orphanage. Wednesday we spent just getting some rest and doing some souvenir shopping, a task that we knew would be easier minus one little one. Very relaxing! Thursday was a wonderful day! We finally made contact with Constantin, one of the pastors of the Baptist Church here in Kras that we had learned about through a friend back home in the States. He and his family have also been working with Campus Crusade for Christ for the better part of 10+ years. He has moved on from working with college-aged kids to working with business-people, sharing with them that there is more to life than just working and making money. It was a wonderful afternoon. They graciously invited us to their home for lunch. The food was amazing and the company was even better! His wife and two girls are wonderful, and it was so exciting to hear what the Lord has done in their lives and what He is presently doing in the birthplace of our two boys. The afternoon flew by, and I am sure we overstayed our welcome, but it was so engaging that we didn't want to leave. We were even given a mini tour of their home by the girls, ages 11 and 6, which included the two family hamsters and their art collection (rather extensive seeing as the girls are the artists...and very good I might add). They even gave us a piece for free that they made for Easter to give to our boys. The highlight was getting to hear Constantin (who is the worship leader for the church) play piano and sing "How Great Thou Art" in Russian. It was absolutely amazing! Then being able to pray for them and their ministry with the people of Krasnoyarsk was a privilege I won't soon forget.

We visited Micah today, the last time before we pick him up on Saturday. We got to go with his caretaker to get his pictures taken for his passport and visa. This made things easier, since we normally have to do the visa pictures in Moscow right after getting off the plane (there are usually no smiles for that one...although in typical Russian fashion there were no smiles for this one either). We also got to see his room, which was incredible. It is such a complex range of emotions that we feel when we see our childrens' rooms. To see their roommates (such adorable little kids), the bed where they sleep, their bathtub, and even the potty they use (even that's adorable). Wow! It's hard to put it into words. Everything is numbered to keep things organized with the children. Micah is #15.

Tomorrow morning we bring Micah Aleksandr out of the orphanage for good. It is a crazy mix of emotional ingredients. Part excitement, part fear. A dash of sorrow and a heaping scoop of joy. #15 is going home. The crib with his number on the headboard is going to be empty tomorrow night. The little #15 tags are getting pulled off Wednesday and Sunday on the bath chart. Potty #15 is going to be dry. And the nametag on his closet that says Belousov Aleksandr is getting pulled down for good. And for that I will praise God forever. Unfortunately, in a few days, weeks, maybe months there will be a new #15. And for that I grieve. Please pray with me that another family will step up and take in the next #15. Better yet, please pray with me that as the Lord changes the hearts of the people here in Krasnoyarsk through people like Constantin, there will be no more #15's...

JP

Group #9

Potty #15

Crib #15