Fingerprints

Already we have clearly seen how God has been working to prepare "things" for Asher and Annalise.  Today, I was privileged to actually see a few more of those special fingerprints.

Ever since meeting with the international doctor, we realized how beneficial it would be to have someone who spoke Lithuanian with us, as both Asher and Annalise will be needing some surgery rather quickly after arriving in The States.  Hospitals are scary- hospitals that in a different country are even scarier- and add to that you have no clue what is going on and cannot understand anyone?  That just breaks my heart!  We had a few ideas of how to try and find someone- but that is where God comes in....

I walked into Goddard to drop off Adeline and Alden this morning.  Miss Sarah- the amazing lady who designed the adoption t-shirts and who tirelessly served at the yard sale- she handed me an envelope with money inside.  It was from a nanny of a child who attends Goddard.  She is from Belarus/Lithuania (and we think) speaks Lithuanian!  She heard of our story to adopt Asher and Annalise and wanted to help get two children from her country, here.  How cool is that??  Wouldn't it be neat if she could, and was willing to, interpret for us?  She is a grandma-ish lady I'm told- how comforting is a grandma?!?  The family she nannies for has been given our information- and we hope she is going to contact us!

As I am getting this news, the wife of the Goddard director comes out of her office.  She had an idea for me.  She had just finished reading a book called Izzy's Fire, and one of the book's subjects actually lives here in Richmond.  Why is that neat?  The book is the story of a Lithuanian Jewish family's survival during the holocaust!  That survivor lives here in Richmond and actually runs the Holocaust Museum and I have actually MET him!  Guess where I am taking a week long class in a few weeks- The Holocaust Museum!  What's even crazier- I actually read Izzy's Fire to my class last year- and I even remember, now, looking up on a map where Lithuania is!  Maybe, just maybe, Jay (super old but still amazing), the survivor, will know of other local Lithuanians.  In the book, they mention spending time with family and what a tight-knit community they have here in Richmond.  Wouldn't it be neat if there were some people there who could talk to Asher and Annalise?  Teach me to cook some Lithuanian foods? Share about the culture?  Keep the Lithuanian language alive for Asher and Annalise?  Someone else that Asher and Annalise can share their roots with?

There is one final possibility for Lithuanian language help- there is a large teaching hospital downtown.  There is a multitude of international students studying there- in the fields of medicine and endless other fields as well.  There is a distinct possibility that there is a student there who speaks Lithuanian and who would be willing to help us ease the fears of our two new kiddos.  How cool is that?

The hand of God is clear here- multiple possibilities for Lithuanian contacts, right here in little old Richmond!!

As if this wasn't enough- the fact that we may have access to Lithuanian culture greatly helps increase the chances that a judge will waive the 40 day waiting period.

God is Good- I am honored and humbled that I get to see some of his fingerprints!!