Two Months: More Laughs, More Tears and a Baptism

Today marks two months since Karina landed with us in Jackson, MS.

This journey continues to be full of laughs and tears.  It is one of the most joyous and one of the toughest things we have ever done.

Everyday Karina learns about living with her new family... 

and about living with silly boys that like to pretend that they are the green Incredible Hulk...

And like to get real muddy.

Everyday there is something we just do not understand...

Her English comprehension continues to improve with each passing day but there are still plenty of times when we do not know what the other is saying.

A few days ago Karina was told not to do something... but she did it anyway... there was a confrontation... there was confusion... there was frustration... there was tears...

"Mamma... I not understand what you say.  I not want to disobey... sometimes I not understand what you say... I sorry mamma."

"I'm sorry too, Karina.  Sometimes I do not understand what you are saying either."

I pulled out the Russian/English dictionary and we learned the word patience... much about this journey involves patience with one another.

Everyday there is something new to do...

Storey Grace needed a bath... she really needed a bath.  I turned the water on, she got in the tub and in walked Karina.  I turned to Karina and said,

"Oh, thank you Karina for bathing Storey Grace for me.  Thank you so much!"

"Daddy", replied Karina, "I cannot bathe her.  I never do that... I do not know how to do that... I have never done that."

"Do you bathe yourself?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Then you know how to bathe your sister."

She looked at Storey Grace, who was so excited that her sister was going to bathe her, and started the process of cleaning a very dirty little sister.

The two had a great time... Karina helping and caring for her little sister... and Storey Grace looking up to her big sister.  

There was lots of bubbles and giggles and splashing.

After the bath, Storey Grace looked up and said,

"See Karina, you can do it!"

Everyday we learn more about life in the orphanage...

"In orphanage, they use us to learn how to do things."

"They practice on you?"

"Yes."

"What do they do?"

"Well, people that want to cut hair will come to orphanage and practice on the orphans."

"Did you like that?"

"No, daddy!  They always mess our hair up!"

Everyday people embrace Karina...

We continue to be humbled and amazed at how so many people have reached out to welcome Karina.  Thank you for your emails and notes and gifts and food and clothes and parties!  Karina is out right now with her mom getting some much needed items with those gift cards.

One thing Karina misses is her friends from Ukraine.  Thank you for embracing her in friendship.

Parker, thanks for wanting to be a friend to Karina.

SaraCaroline, thanks for the emails... she will write you soon... she can speak easier than she can write.

Everyday we grow in grace...

Karina loves Jesus and it becomes more evident to us every day that she is growing in God's grace.  She was interviewed last week by an elder and pastor of our church and shared her testimony of faith in Jesus and her desire to join the church.

This Sunday, April 5, at the 5:50PM service at First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Karina will make a public profession of faith and be baptized!  We welcome anyone that wants to witness her baptism to join us at First Pres. Sunday night.