Thursday, Jan 11th

We have been here 28 days! We are so glad to be on the home stretch and almost back in the U.S. We have been trying to buy Alex some clothes this week. It has been pretty difficult. There are not too many places to choose from, and it was very difficult to get Alex to try on his new clothes- he was not happy about it at all. After we had made him try them on, he was so mad at us he just wanted to go back to his room. Igor translates what Alex says when he gets mad as "I am offended". It is funny to think of him being ''offended'' when he doesn't get his way. The clothes and shoes ended up being too small, though, so we had to go back out and look some more. We bought a few things yesterday, and they are on the big side, but oh well... He will at least have something to wear out of the orphanage. It's harder than you think to have to buy clothes for someone just from their measurements (that we attempted to do with a metric tape measure).

Humorous comment for the day - We've been in Lugansk now for 20 days and we have decided that they really love their fireworks here. At random times each night for every night since we have been here, fireworks displays have erupted just outside our apartment window and at various spots around the city.

Journal entry - Kim - 12/22 (After missing our flight to Lugansk, and Chris being so sick)

The adventure continues, and not always so easily. Or actually definitely not so easily. I have been realizing that God doesn't intend for this process to be easy.
I know when the desire to adopt was first in our hearts, we were struck by how symbolic it was of what God did for us. He adopted us into His family and made us His children. He chose us to be His, not based on anything we had done, and has given us a home in heaven. I didn't think about at that time the cost our adoption came at. Jesus paid a great price for us to be adopted.
All we have gone through is very small in comparison. It reminds me of what He has done for us, and makes me even more appreciative and thankful to Him for it.
"There is a cost to adopting children; Jesus paid an enormous price - more than we can comprehend- in absorbing our sin so we could be redeemed and adopted. Our family's payment of money and time, waiting and heartache pales in comparison. But in that pale glimmer we have a glimpse of God's devotion''. (Quote from my favorite book on adoption ''Carried Safely Home'').