This is a bittersweet time on many levels. My girl has parents and has privileges and a parent to care for her...so sweet. And she leaves the area of orphans at the one end of the hall for the other. But the bitter is that there are still orphans down at the far end of the hall. And today, as if to replace Viktor, there was Yuri! He didn't smile but he did watch us wave and speak his name. He threw the toy he had out onto the floor.
It is bitter to leave my husband and other three children to enter this time of sweetness with Katia. It is bitter to be unable to communicate with the staff or anyone for the most part but sweet to always be able to communicate with my Lord and have lots of time alone...a mini retreat with Him. I want to hear from Him and worship Him and communicate with others by showing Christ through showing respect for them, kindness and sympathy where I can and love for Katia. And I can do some reading that I haven't been able to get to.
Tomorrow we carry a bag of soft toys that make music and sounds to give to the children of Vorzel that remain at the other end of the hall. I am grateful for the hands that did the collecting of these things for us. I will represent you tomorrow as we give these to the children and put them on and in their beds. And the two dino sleepers can be put on the boys that sit in pink sleepers due to the shortage of appropriate clothes.:) Katia is cozy now in several sleepers that can be changed as she needs and she looks so sweet and girly in them instead of the mismatched, ill fitting and not warm enough clothes.
This weekend, our family will be winding up a long stay here. There are some goodbyes and final visits, church, our favorite Ukrainian cafeteria, some of the sights around us. They will come to visit Katia and I in the hospital. We will be planning thank you gifts for staff.
Katia was better today but then spit up milk and we don't know how much was aspirated. She was suctioned. The first best thing that can happen for her now that she is getting fed is to get a g-tube going directly into her stomach and get rid of the ng tube in her nose where so much can happen to compromise her breathing.
We are in the home stretch. We want to post more about this beautiful area and the experiences we've had, so we shall see if the other Russell's manage to do this before we travel or if they are having more experiences! Stay tuned and God bless you for your continued prayers for us and for His glory.