Day 4 - Goodbye

Today is Thursday and was the last day to visit the orphanage. We fly out tomorrow to Moscow, and spend the night there before going on home (to Atlanta, then Birmingham and then about a 2-hour drive). We said goodbye to the children, and our interpreter explained that we were going away and coming back later on for them. Big Sister, she said understood. She (Big Sister) also talked about her biological mother and apparently remembers a lot and understands how they ended up in the orphanage to a large degree. The younger two still remember the name of a pet dog they had. They all have been learning the names of the children at home, and point to their pictures. The older girl told our interpreter that she is already learning English. We would have liked to get a bit more information and also spend more time with them. We are hoping it will not be as long as we are being warned that it could take before the next trip to bring them home. We are looking forward to being home, though. There is a lot to do to fill up the time before the next trip, so we will be busy. Also, it is a comfort to know that they are in a place where they are cared for so well, even though the resources are very slim there.