Happy Birthday!!!

Today, is Eliisa Vika-Faith's fifth birthday!  Today is the likely the fifth time that a birthday came and went without her knowing just how special she is and how thankful we are that on this day, five years ago, she entered this world so that we would have the privilege of becoming her family.  I had prayed for this day to be the day that I would break her out of the orphanage forever, but God had different plans.  His plans are so much bigger than my plans and although I can't always see why, I know it is ALWAYS good.  We will celebrate our sweet Eliisa Vika's birthday when we finally bring you home, along with fireworks (even if they are for the 4th of July and not only intended for you) and with your sister, Elliana, who will turn five right after we finally bring you home. 

Happy Birthday, our precious little girl!  We love you more than we could ever tell you!  We are so thankful that you were born on this day!  Our lives would be incomplete without you!  You have already taught us so many lessons for life, and we are more blessed by your existence than we will ever be able to give back to you!  We miss you so much, our hearts hurt!  We hurt that you don't even know just how special today is!  We are praying for a lifetime of making this day one of the most special days of the year!  Hold on just a little bit longer, and we will come and finally bring you home where you belong!  WE WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!  Above all, we want you to know just how much your heavenly Father loves you.  He created you in His image.  You were created PERFECT in every way in His eyes, even if the world you live in does not view it this way. "I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well."  Psalm 139:14

This post would not be complete without a few updates on my second trip.  Once again, our plans were not God's plans, and our second trip will look a little differently from how we had hoped and prayed.  I will be leaving for Vika's country on Sunday morning.  I will arrive on Monday afternoon and take the overnight train to either the city where her she is at right now or directly to her birth city to start the paper chase.  I am praying for Wednesday to be the day that I will go and get her and never look back.  The next few days after that will be spent waiting on the passport.  There will be a weekend and two holidays that we will not be able to accomplish anything, and I was unable to get a ticket home before July 1.  So, our tentative return date is July 1.  Please pray for me as I will be traveling by myself for this trip.  There will be a great many unknowns and also a lot of traveling involved.  There will be no more families in our region from the States when I return, and I am unsure of where Vika and I will spend most of our time waiting.  Please pray for Vika as I am taking her away from the only "home" she has ever known.  As I take her into a whole new world of unknowns.  As she adapts to a new schedule and new freedom she never had before, and most of all as we travel home.  Pray for the preparations I have to make this week.  I have been in a daze, not knowing what exactly to prepare, and now I only have a few short days left.  :)  We also need your prayers for another issue we just found out about this evening.  We found out that because Abe returned to work this week that this officially ends his leave of absence.  We are not sure why no one told us this would happen, but we need your prayers that we can find a workable solution for Abe to be able to take off the last two weeks that I will need to bring Vika home off so that he can stay home with the girls.  We feel that it will be very important for the girls to have this time with their papa before we bring home their new sister, especially because their new sister will need a lot of attention and if they have not had mama or papa for so long, it will be very hard on them to adapt.  PLEASE pray!