Hello All,
Today was a very difficult day.  We had waited so long to see Sasha and hear those words that he wanted to be adopted, but  then our world came crashing down.  All I kept thinking about is Lord, I know you are in control.  Then I thought I was giong to throw up and then again thinking, God I know you are in control...all the while trying to keep my composure.

This is how our day unfolded:  Woke at 3:30 a.m. rode 30 minutes to Kiev airport for a 6:45a.m. flight to Donestk.  The flight was easy, only about 1 1/2 hrs.  We landed and took a shuttle and then graabbed our luggage and met a driver outside the Donetsk airport...thank goodness our wonderful Ksenia was with us.  She speaks fluent English, Ukrainaian and Russian and is an amazing Godly young woman.  After getting in the car at the Donetks airport, we drove for 2 hours to the region of Lugansk.  Once in Lugansk, we unloaded the car and put our suitcases into our apartment, which by the way is beautiful by Ukrainian standards. To get into our apartment, we have to unlock the outside gate, unlock a central door and our apartment door has 6 deadbolts on it  We then got back into the car for for another one of the  wildest rides of our life.  From the front seat, Jeff  literally could have touched the cars in front of him.  We sped around trucks and cars, passing in a lane which we somehow created, with enormous pot holes that a smiall child could fit into.  Anyway, the ride was very scary to say the least.  Our driver passed cars in the left lane and we were headed right towards another car, basically playing chicken....only to see who would swerve away first. OMG!  Jeff was in the front seat and had a white knuckle grip on the handle on the inside of the car..  I kept squeezing Ksenia's thigh.  I forgot to mention that when I went to buckle up, it didn't work so I was "free."  We were also stopped by a cop and was told that cops only stop you to see if they can get some of your money.

Anyway, we finally get to Lutugano...sasha village!  We walked into an office full of women and sat, while they talk and talk Ukrainian talk.  We wait and wait and Jeff says to me, "this is taking me to a whole new level in patience."  Finally, they are ready to talk with us.
..... "Do you have other children?" "What do you do for a living Jeff?" Where does your oldest daughter live if not with you?" etc. etc.  This is all translated to us.  So we get a stamp of approval and move to another office where The Inspector proceeds to ask us a few questions...."What is Rock Hill known for?"  What is the population of Rock Hill?"  Oh my gosh...who the heck cares...okay, we just want our son!!! Then we get another approval from The Inspector and walk across the street to the schoolhouse.  We literally got chills and our adreneline was pumping so fast, just knowing that Sasha was in that building.  So we sit in another office waiting for the Assitant Director of the Orphanage to show up.  Finally she comes and takes us to another room with 4 other women in it besides me, Jeff and Ksenia. 

Then. in comes Sasha.....I jumped out of my seat to run to him and said, "SAAASHHHHA"  He gave me a huge hug and said , "Hi mama."  then Jeff's turn....Jeff picked him up and said, "SAAAASHHHHAAA."
He said, "Papa."  So immediately we were told to sit down.  Sasha was escorted to the room by a man who looked truly evil.  He sat in a chair and starred at Sasha the entire interviewing process.  Sasha was asked several questions.....in Russian and Ksensia was trying to translate to me in my ear as fast as possible. 

These are some of the questions they were firing at him as he sat there stunned....
 Sasha, do you know these people?
Sasha, do you know what they are doing here?
Sasha, did you know they were coming?
Sasha, do you want to be adopted by these people?
Why do you like them so much sasha?
What else sasha?
Do you want to be adopted....

anyway, it was horrifying.  The answers he gave were not consistant with the conversation we had with him the day before on the phone.  He had said...mama papa, when you come here?  yes yes yes, come mama papa! 

So here were some of his responses....ummmmmm. I don't know why they're here?  no i didn't know they were coming?  i like the dog....
do you want to be adopted by them....."I want to think about it for a couple of days."

All the while this man is glaring at him....a teacher who escorted him down to the "Adoption Stage."

Jeff and I couldn't hardly breathe.  this was the moment we had been waiting for and it was fleeting away from us and we didnt' know what to do.  the meeting was ended quickly and we all walked out. Jeff and I literally in shock!!!!!!....Our heads were spinning and it left us with the feeling of, "Really....did that just happen?"

So we walked upstairs to talk with Sasha, all the while being starred at by this teacher who had walked in with him to the meeting.  As soon as he left the room, Ksenia spoke to Sasha and said, "Sasha, are you scared...?  Sasha said yes!  Ksenia said,  "Sasha you can't be scared and you have to do what is right.  Do not let this man intimidate you."

We texted karley to see if she could make a quick phone call to us so sasha could here her voice.  She talked with him and it was sooooo cute!  Then she got off the phone in tears and told us that it completely made her whole day.  

Then Jeff got down on his knees to get eye level with Sasha and said, :Okay Sasha, here's the deal......I'm not messing around.  Mama and Papa came here to get you to take you back to America to be part of our family.  Do you want to be in our family.....HE SAID ,"yes."....Then Ksenia pulled him over for a chat and she told us that she said to him, do you want to go to America and be a Nyman.  He said "yes and I will be ready to say yes tomorrow." 

Jeff and I had spent about 2 hours with him, taking pictures, feeling like we were going to burst and finally at the end, he said yes....he was being bullied by this teacher to not go to America.  He said to ksenia..."Please don't let him come to the meeting tomorrow."  

When we walked out, I had already started to cry and didn't feel like I could keep it in another second.  He introduced us to a couple friends and said, "This is my mama and papa." and then looked back at me twice while I was crying and said..."mama."

Our adoption facilitators are both Godly people here  in the Ukraine...they are actually sisters.  They said to us....you cannot leave him here.  You cannot give up on him.  He has no chance here and you have to fight for him. 

This was our devotion today:  ! Peter 1:6-7  "for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may be proved geniune and may result in praise, glory and honor, when Jesus Christ is revealed." ......In everything thing God works for the good of those who love Him.  Even in our difficult times, God is directing us for good....and to bring glory to Him. God uses our trials to strengthen our faith and our faith can sustain us. 

I am sooooo tired and didn't even read over this blog....so please pray with us for Sasha to have courage and for us to have the right words tomorrow.  We want Sasha to come for no other reason than he loves us as much as we love him....we feel like he does.  But today was a direct attack by the enemy and we feel tired and worn down.

If he agrees to this tomorrow, he will sign off and then we will have court by Monday or Tuesday and then come back 10 days later to get him..

Thanks for your prayers...love you !!!