“Enjoy where you are while you are on the way to where you are going.”

We have had some technical difficulties the past two days with computers and with lack of power at our apartment. We do apologize for the lack of recent updates regarding our journey in Odessa and with Artur.

We have visited Artur and other kids every afternoon this week. We are building relationships with many of the kids at the orphanage which is fun and encouraging. When we arrive, it’s a joy for us to see familiar faces and their excitement. We generally talk for a few minutes at the entrance then head straight for the basketball court (with Artur’s leading, of course). The basketball, Uno, and Jenga games begin, and we play hard for usually 2 hours or so.

Two days ago, I (Scott) journeyed with Artur around the play area to participate in many other games with the kids. Some games I knew; some games I was lost. But, the kids got a kick out of me looking clueless so it was worth our time.

One of the last games we played was “Zombie.” Guess who was the designated Zombie? That’s right, yours truly. Zombie = a 32 year old balding man chasing around ~20 10-16 year olds amongst what seemed like an endless playing field. I recruited a young Zombie (Taylor) to assist in my efforts. The game really was fun until I felt like I was going to breathe my last breath. My mind kept saying, “Keep chasing the kids! You can do it!” My body kept saying, “Heck no! What are you doing!?” The game soon ended upon my retirement. I’m sticking to casual basketball and Uno for a while now.

To update you on adoption process, we had another interview with local officials yesterday. The interview went well. We are progressing towards our court date which is hopefully in two weeks. There is a 10 day waiting period after the court date, then we’ll soon after head back to Kiev with Artur to finish more paperwork and finalize the adoption process.

I have to fight my personality when it comes to waiting in most circumstances. I, along with most every other man, struggle with enjoying the process as we work towards accomplishing the goal. I want to accomplish the goal now! There’s no fun to be had before the goal is accomplished! Helen balances me out beautifully. She’s willing to “stop and smell the roses” along the way.

So what’s the goal for this trip? Adopt Artur. When will that officially occur? Probably not for 5 more weeks. So now what? My personality is to be agitated and not enjoy the wait. So, I’m writing this blog entry as therapy and to challenge myself to enjoy our time here.

It’s been such a blessing being with Helen and the kids every day. Sure, we’ve had our challenging moments of getting in each other’s space. But, these are times when the family bond can grow. There have been and will continue to be so many teachable moments for all of us throughout this process.

A client of mine has this tagline on his email signature: “Enjoy where you are while you are on the way to where you are going.” I’ve always appreciated that quote. I need to be challenged in this area. My feathers get really ruffled when there is a surprise change in plans or a delay in accomplishing a goal. Well, welcome to the past two weeks for us!

This journey is a healthy journey for all of us. We are learning more and more about each other. We are learning more and more about Artur, his friends, and his past. We want to know more about his past. So, we will go to places that he has been to try to understand him better. We can only imagine what he has been through. But, making the effort to go to the places he has been will help us and him. We are confident of this.

We’ll post some new pictures soon. In the meantime, a family member pointed out this verse to us:

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:7-11)