Okay, so it's been a few days since we returned to the states and it's been over a week since I've blogged. I really need to go back and catch you and myself up on what our last days in Latvia were like. You see, this blog is my way of journaling so that one day Lilia and the rest of our family will be able to look back on this journey and remember all that we experienced. So, let's start with Thursday!
Thursday, December 1
We had a free day! Nothing scheduled at all today, so we asked Lilia what we should do...shop!!! Well, this worked out perfectly because we had a lot of souvenirs to buy for our loved ones back home. We headed out late in the morning and headed down a little side street that we had not yet explored. It was a great choice! This little street had so many adorable little shops with amber (baltic amber is everywhere here), ornaments, mugs, and other handmade treasures. I must say that the amber vendors and stores are quite alluring here, they make the most beautiful jewelry and these little trees with amber "leaves". Everywhere you go in Riga, there is amber for sale. Lilia never misses an opportunity to look at it (so of course we had to sneak in necklaces with amber hearts for both girls stockings! Shhhhh, don't tell!). We also got to see the old City Wall and enjoy some more of the beautiful architecture of this city. We ended up at the Central Markets, of course! After buying lots of fun souvenirs and gifts like handmade wooden spoons, perfumes, and amber trees we headed back to the apartment. Thursday evening we also got Lilia's picture taken for her US Visa.
Friday, December 2
This morning we slept late and then got ready for our US Embassy visa interview appointment. Daina picked us up at 11:15 and off we went! We really didn't know what to expect from this appointment and Bob was a little nervous. However, once we got through security and into the actual "interview" we realized that this was no big deal. We were called up to a little window where a very nice English speaking woman smiled and greeted us. She looked at our papers and asked how we planned to educate Lilia while she was on the visitor visa and I very politely said "I will homeschool her". That was it! She said "Okay" and handed us our paperwork telling us to come back on Monday to pick up the Visa. YAY! I love easy interviews! So, back outside we went to wait for Daina's son to pick us up. We had brought along a cake for two girls who are waiting to be adopted by another family here. Their mom asked us to deliver a birthday cake to them for her and Daina agreed to take us to their orphanage which is near the Embassy. Have I mentioned how kind Daina is and how much I enjoyed her company? Not only did she take us to the orphanage, but she walked up to the door with us and spoke with the worker there for us, explaining who the cake was for and who it was from. She translated for us and was a big help. We had decided on Thursday that we would go to Dome Cathedral for an organ concert on Friday night, so in the evening, we headed out to eat dinner before the concert. We ate at an awesome restaurant called Il Patio Pica. It is a 200 year old restaurant in the basement of this building. Old brick walls and arches, gorgeousness! We really liked the atmosphere and the food here. We will return! This evening we also found a great little book store where we picked up some cook books, travel books, and Lilia found a book whose title was "Lilija"! Of course she had to have it (this book became the first one that I have ever seen her actually read and finish!). I enjoyed myself at the organ concert, dad and Lilia tolerated it well. That cathedral is beautiful and the organ pipes are massive! It was beautiful to here the choirs singing and the organ playing. I'm glad that we experienced it. As you've heard me say again and again, God is always working behind the scenes. This evening was no exception. As we were standing in the lobby waiting to be admitted into the cathedral, a woman who was sitting beside us on a bench leaned over to me and said, "Are you from America?" We said, "YES!" It was so good to meet someone American. We began to talk and found out that she is from Pennsylvania too and she was there on her third trip for the adoption of her son! Amazing! We have met so many people throughout this process and it is so nice to have these common bonds that tie us together in inexplicable ways. It is an encouragement from God himself each time that I meet someone new, like He is saying "you are not alone in this".
Saturday, December 3
I loved Saturday!!!! This day was one of the best we had during our stay in Latvia. We had decided at court on Wednesday that we would go to Ziemeli to pick up Lilia's monthly "allowance". This would also be a great oppotunity for Lilia to see the rest of her friends who hadn't been there on Monday and say goodbye to her best friend Glorija. We were all very happy to be going, Lilia more than us, as was obvious by her constant singing and dancing all morning! It's difficult to put into words how it makes you feel to spend time in the place where your daughter has grown up for the past 5 years, where she has developed friendships and relationships, where she has slept and eaten and played. It is a place that brings great joy and at the same time great sadness. With every good memory there is also a bad one. We can tell that Lilia has been loved and cared for while she has been here, but it doesn't change the fact that it is an institution or that the things that brought her here have left scars on her heart. That being said, we so enjoyed our time with these children. I could stay and play with them all day! The looks on their faces when they hear us speak and realize that we are from America is priceless! The camera is a source of endless entertainment and joy as they each want to have their picture taken and of course see it! We were blessed to be able to meet little Elvis who will be hosted here in PA by another family this Christmas. This little ball of energy so enjoyed our visit. He loved the camera, hugs, and roughhousing. I could just see how much he needs the love and guidance of a family and I am so glad to know that he will soon have that opportunity.
We left Ziemeli and headed over to visit at Inese's apartment. What a pleasure to finally be able to spend time with this precious woman who has meant so much to us over this past 10 months! She has loved Lilia and encouraged us from the very beginning. Once again, it is just amazing how God puts the perfect people into our lives just when we need them. We spent hours just talking and visiting with our dear friend and her beautiful foster children and it was an amazingly blessed afternoon. We decided that we should head back to Old Town so we hopped on the tram and headed off. After just a few stops, two young girls hopped on and Lilia got very excited. Here these two girls were friends of hers and they all sat together and chatted the entire trip. We ended up inviting them to join us for some McDonalds for dinner and they eagerly accepted! As we sat down to eat, we soon discovered that young Victorija had only been to McDonald's one other time in her 9 years of life! She was so excited to be able to eat there and I was once again reminded of how spoiled I am. My children have eaten at McDonalds and other fast food restaurants so often they think it's just a part of life. We don't realize just how blessed we are. Those girls enjoyed every single bite of that hamburger and french fries and they thanked us with such sincerity. I wish they knew just how thankful we were to have had the honor of sharing in this meal with them! I wish they knew that God used them to teach me yet another lesson in life about being thankful, about counting my blessings and about giving of myself every opportunity that I get! We returned to our apartment that night with so much joy in our hearts!
