Surgery

Alexander's surgery went well. It was a bit frustrating because it seems it is impossible for the medical community to tell you something and then follow through with what they said. When the anesthesiologist came by, he explained that Alexander would be given a mild sedative to make him groggy, then they would wheel him back to the operating room and then they would give him gas that would make him sleep. He never got the sedative and was terrified when they came to take him to the operating room. Due to the long wait he had already gotten scared because he did not understand what was going on. I truly believe he thought we were abandoning him. Those of you that have adopted know the routine of when you pick your child up from the orphanage - you strip all the clothes off them and then you put your clothes on them. Well, at the hospital, we had to strip him down and put the hospital gown on him. When they called us back to the recovery room after the surgery, we waited for him to open his eyes. When he saw we were there, he laid his head back down and rested a little more.

He returns for a post-op check up next week and then about two weeks later, we start therapy with the implant. Thanks for your prayers!

- Tony B.

Surgery Day

At the hospital right now for Alexander's cochlear implant surgery.

Christmas Eve Prayer

Here in the US, it is Christmas Eve and most of us, particularly in the south, are enjoying some warm weather. While you are running around today getting those final presents or food for your Christmas meal, say a prayer for the fatherless in Russia. Right now, with a wind chill, it is -20 degrees Fahrenheit in SE Siberia - and that is in the warmer city areas on the southern coast. In the higher elevations, it is much colder. Pray that these children will stay warm no matter where they lay their head to sleep.

It is almost 6AM in Vladivostok right now, the time when most of us start to think of breakfast. For some in SE Siberia, breakfast is a luxury. As you pray, pray the Father will provide for them today and give them something warm to drink and nourishing to their body.

It is not my intention to bring you down on such a joyful day of celebration, I just ask that as you celebrate, pray for the most vulnerable - the fatherless.


Merry Christmas!!

October Trip

Below are some photos from my October trip to Primorsky Krai. For the teens in the detention center, I did not post any photos that showed many faces:



Day #1
Went to Hope for Life Home #1. It started snowing as soon as we pulled off the main road. House parents are great and our home assistant is very sweet. She helps with the kids and the cooking. They prepared lunch for us which included a salad with beets, berries and other items finely chopped. A little sweet, but very good! In addition to the salad, we had crackers, cheese and sausage. After lunch, I helped the house dad disconnect the outside water lines to prevent them from freezing.

Went to bed hearing Mig jets scream across the sky...

Day #2
Got up early and we drove to Spassk to meet with the parents and kids in Hope for Life Home #2. Beautiful drive in the country! We stopped in Usseryisk to visit the orphanage where Polina, Dima and Nastya stayed. In the lobby I found new postings on the wall with some pictures that included my kids! I looked at one photo and said, "That's my Polina." She was in a dance costume, but I knew it was her. I then looked at another photo and noticed Natsya and Dima. We arrived in Spassk and I met the house parents of Home #2. I learned Misha had just arrived at home following a two week stay in the local hospital due to a heart attack. He and his wife were incredibly sweet and genuinely loving. We have been working for several months to purchase a new home for them, but the process has been very difficult. We went to church that evening and I was asked to speak. We took some clothes for the kids and one of the children was so happy she tried on about 8 outfuits and modeled for us. I got pretty nervous, but the Lord got me through it! I met a 19 year old orphan named Christina that was very sweet. She has had a difficult life and appears to still suffer some attachment issues. She is currently enrolled at the technical training center and is living in a dormitory. We spent the night at a local hotel. TINY bed that was hard as a rock. No heat because the government has decided it isn't cold enough yet. It was below 32...

Day #3
We drove to Pokrovka and I met with Polina, Dima and Nastya's Aunt Tatiana and cousin Vladik. We had a great visit that I truly enjoyed and I wish we could have spent more time with them. I hugged Vladik and told him I was his fat uncle from the United States. He laughed. Had lunch with them. Tatiana had prepared borscht and it was the best I had ever had! We left and drove for a few hours to a detention center and orphanage. Spent some time with the children - young and old alike. We left some toiletries and gifts for the kids.

Day #4
Visited another detention center in Vladivostok. So sad to see the kids here. The guards were pleasant, but did not leave the room. I really do not think the kids were dangerous. We worked a craft with them and gave them some toiletries, gloves and small gifts.

Day #5
Drove to a small village and met with a young woman (21) that used to live on the streets in Vladivostok. Nice young girl - mother of two little boys. She works delivering mail in her village. She accompanied us to an orphanage we planned to visit. Unfortunately, the kids were under quarantine due to chicken pox.

Day #6
Went to church that night to attend the youth meeting in Vladivostok. The church facilities are so small that the adults and teens can not attend at the same time. There were 35-40 teens there and it was great. Their energy for worship and their true sincerity impressed me. And they were dressed to the hilt!

Day #7
Returned to Home #1 for church. Spent some time with the kids playing with them. Helped the parents unload have a metric ton of potatoes for the winter. Ate lunch with them and it was delicious - pelmini, tomato and cucumber salad and crab salad.

Day #8
Drove back to the small village referenced in Day #5 to the home of the young mother I spoke about. We took her a used refrigerator (she did not have one)and she was so excited (we take so much for granted)! We worked in her kitchen for many hours trying to install paneling. Unfortunately, we did not finish. For tools I had a broken hack, a home made knife and another saw blade. Try cutting a hole for an outlet with those tools! A worker was going to be hired to finish the job for us. As we were leaving,she reached over to shake my hand. I laughed and hugged her and she smiled.

I wish I could have spent more time there. So much work to do...

Overdue Update

Can't believe it has been two months since the last post, but things have been busy. The kids are all engaged in school and extracurricular activities and I just returned from SE Siberia. So below is an update on everyone:

Jeremy:
Jeremy is plugging away at college and is having a much better semester and seems to be having a great time. Last semester he joined the university's IEEE chapter, but he was a bit disappointed because they really did not engage him. All the projects were taken over and no one seem to need his help. This semester he is working with a a different group and I am not sure of their name. Anyway, they are building a cube satellite and he is working on the transceivers. He is one of three amateur radio operators in the group and so this right up his alley. They were supposed to test some of the electronics using a weather balloon last weekend, but the weather spoiled that opportunity. We all miss him and may have to make a trip there if he does not come home soon!

Christina:
Christina is busy with home school and starting her own web business. She is a fantastic photographer and artist. In addition to caring for her horses, she volunteers one day per week at the local animal shelter. She takes photographs of the cats/kittens for posting on a web site for people searching for pets. She created a 2012 Calendar for the local shelter to sell to raise money. She is managing her illness very well and has good days and bad days. At least three days per week, she treats us to a meal she has cooked which is awesome! Below is a link to her web site:
http://musehorse.storenvy.com/

Sarah:
Sarah is doing great but still hates math . . . and science. She is progressing well and is very busy with dance right now. She loves dancing and acting and had the opportunity to participate in two plays this past summer. I love to watch her dance and act. She has turned into a graceful young woman. To many she is shy and so they are very surprised when they see her acting and playing very vocal parts. She is great helping around the house and with her younger siblings.

Polina:
Polina, like her older sister, loves dancing and acting. She is often seen twirling around the house. She has grown a bushel in the last twelve months getting much taller. she loves to help feed the horses and is our social butterfly. She enjoys visiting with her friends prior to dance practice and church.

Dima & Nastya:
These two are the source of a lot of noise in the home - cackling, yelling, and such. Nastya is taking dance like her sisters and enjoys singing in the church children's choir. Dima is big brother to Alexander and enjoys roughhousing with him. They are great kids and are often side by side in anything going on. Dima and Nastya have improved so much in their school work. Both are very good in math and are progressing with their reading skills.

Alexander:
Alexander has been home almost 8 months now and is doing well. He still does not like bed time and will fuss when told to go to bed. Some nights are better than others and that makes it hard when we are exhausted. He has been to more doctors appointments than I can count on two hands. To sum it up, he can hear certain frequencies and noise levels. He is currently wearing hearing aids and gets excited when he hears something new. The doctors are still leaning heavily toward a cochlear implant. He goes to speech therapy every Wednesday in a nearby town about 60 miles away.

Well, that's about it. I just returned from Russia where I had the opportunity to visit many, many orphans from a couple months old to teenagers. Some of their stories would rip your heart out, but their smiles are infectious! I'll try to post more about that later.

God Bless -

A New School Year

This past week started a new school year - Jeremy back at college and home school starting for the others. College dorms have changed a lot in 24 years. Dorms are coed and fast food chains are right next door on campus. I traveled to Huntsville Saturday to take Jeremy some books and clothes that were left behind and spent a little time with him before going back home. In four weeks he will be 21. A grown man but oh so much to learn. His head and heart is in a better place than mine was 37 years ago, but he is just as bullheaded as I was at his age. He will be be fine though.

The other six kids are doing fine and have reluctantly started school. Christina technically never stopped, she just cut back a little. She is doing much better than she was one year ago. She is an amazing cook and lately has cooked about one meal a day for the family. She has good days and bad days, but fortunately the good days outweigh the bad. She is so talented and is our go-to photographer and proof reader.

Sarah and Polina were in two plays this summer which kept them (and Dawn) busy going back and forth to rehearsals. They too are growing up and turning into young women. It is funny to watch them perform. Sarah absolutely loves theater and enjoys playing different roles. I am very proud of her and all she has accomplished. Polina loves acting, but her first love seems to be ballet. She will flitter around the house twirling and such. Her birth mom would be proud of her and the young woman she has turned into. I try to share her accomplishments with her aunt in Pokrovka by sending photos and e-mails. She is a good woman and I try as best as I can to maintain contact with her.

Nastya and Dima are still loud and are typical 7 & 8 year old kids. They have a lot of energy, they fuss with each other and get into trouble. It has been three years since they got home and Nastya still acts motherly toward Dima even though she is the younger one. Dima is adapting to having a younger brother - slowly. He is still learning he has to share, but he is enjoying have a little brother to rough house with and to share a room with.

Alexander had an appointment with a surgeon at Emery in Atlanta last week. Unlike other doctors, he seemed to genuinely concerned about what was/is best for Alexander. He wants to have an MRI and another audiogram completed before he makes a final decision. Right now he is leaning toward NOT doing a cochlear implant because of Alexander's age. Overall, Alexander is adjusting well. Once again, there are good days and bad days. He loves playing with his siblings. Although he has gotten much better, he sometimes lashes out at Nastya with a punch. Although he is small, those little fist pack a lot of power. Dawn is working on teaching him qued speech and some ESL. He is a quick learner and just blows me away at times.

This fall I will be traveling to southeast Siberia to complete some missions work with orphans. I have a busy itinerary and hope to be able to share some photos when I return. The past month I have been stopping by churches to leave reference material on the ministry in hopes of getting some financial support. Due to the economy, this has been pretty tough. Times are hard on churches and I understand their reluctance to inviting someone in asking for financial assistance. I try to explain that everything I raise goes toward orphan support/relief. Some are polite and explain that they are booked right now and that I should call back in 2012. Right now I am financing all the expense of what we do. That tab is pretty high, but God is good and He provides all that we need. In about six weeks, I will be contacting churches to see if they will collect a Love Offering to go towards purchasing Christmas presents for kids at the orphanages. I set a goal in May to raise $10,000 and I am not going to reduce it. These children are precious to the Lord and I know He will provide for them.

God Bless -

Ministry Update - Getting Ready

The past three weeks have been busy with us trying to get "stuff" organized for our work with OTAN; prayer cards ordered, business cards ordered, brochures ordered and last but not least - a new laptop ordered for use when visiting churches. And as of this afternoon - plane tickets ordered for the October trip. We are excited and looking forward to helping orphans in southeast Siberia. The biggest hurdle I see so far is trying to get my Christian brothers and sisters to understand WE (as in all of us) are biblically obligated to help the orphans in their distress. Some see it as a Russian problem and not "our" problem. Dawn and I have to knock down those invisible boundaries and let them see these kids as we see them. Kids, who through no fault of their own, have no one to tend to their hurts - both emotional and physical. The Hope for Life homes not only provide a loving, Christian home to orphans, but they also help teach young couples what a family is like and how to parent. Right now, we are small, but with God's help we will grow. Please take a moment to click on the link below to learn more.

http://www.hflhomes.com/

God Bless -

Three Years

Today we celebrated that on May 19, 2008, God (and a Russian judge) granted us permission to become parents of Polina, Dima and Nastya. I give God the credit because lets be honest, there is no way it would have happened without Him! First of all, He had to touch the heart of young, naive Christian man (Dawn was hard, but not as hard as I was). I tried to ignore Him and then when I started to listen, I thought I would do things MY way. Don't do that - it doesn't work. Here we were, a five person family living on a income of less than $90,000 in a small three bedroom home. Secondly, we had never had a lot of money just laying around and got by because God provided. Now we were facing expenses of over $50,000. Oh yeah, let me add my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer and Dawn's SUV caught fire and burned up in the middle of it all.

Mom is home now with our Heavenly Father and her mom - looking down on us all. I think she would be pleased with the way things have turned out. Dawn has a big honking, gas guzzling 1999 Suburban 4x4 that we were able to pay cash for. Not fancy, but it runs and hauls 8 people around. As for us, we are doing good. There have been many, many ups and downs. I don't think we have ever written much about the "downs" because you know, with God's help, we got through it all. He died on the cross for my sins and all He asked of me was to be a father to four children without an earthly father. I think I got the easy part no matter what tomorrow brings.

To Polina, Dima and Nastya, thanks for letting me be your dad. I am not perfect and I know I have made mistakes, but never, ever doubt what you mean to me and your mom. No matter what some may say, you are my real kids and I am your real dad.

To Jeremy, Christina and Sarah - this was a big change for our family and I am sure it has been hard on you. You sacrificed a lot and had very little say so in matters. I hope we did our job in explaining why we did what we did and you understood. Thanks for all you have done to help us.

God Bless -

Tony B.

Our Prayer Card Photo

God's New Plan for Us - Explained

Recently I shared with you the tug Dawn and I have on our hearts for the children and people of Russia. This has been something on-going since our first trip in December 2007 and it has just grown and gotten stronger. So, it is not something we are just jumping into. In fact, three years ago I had a business contact that became a dear friend. Butch kidded with me that he wouldn't be surprised if our next step was to be missionaries to Russia. I laughed it off because even then I did not think it would go this far. This gentleman retired in 2009 due to health reasons and I need to call him and let him know he was right.

Moving to Russia is not easy. Immigration laws make a permanent stay darn near impossible. For that reason, Dawn and I started looking at other opportunities. We spoke with our friend Jeff Ballard who works with orphans in southeastern Siberia. Jeff shared his heart for the orphans and people of Siberia - and then he made us an offer. His offer was to assist him and his family with the homes they had established for orphans. I say "homes' - currently there is only one home, but there are plans for a second home. I had planned to visit the current home in 2008 when we were in Russia for court but due to an illness, I was unable to do so. However, since that trip, we have raised money at church each Christmas for those children and for children in the orphanages they visit.

Dawn and I prayed over the matter and I later sent Jeff a note accepting his offer. We applied to Jeff's mission agency and had an interview with them the last week in April. They called us back in the day following the interview and informed us the board had accepted us. One of the happiest days of my life.

Now for the Q&A.

You have a full time job, are you quitting?
No. Since I can not move to Russia, I will continue my job as long as it is available. This will provide income and insurance.

You say you're missionaries now, but you are not moving and you are working a full time job. What are you going to do?
We will visit churches here in the states to raise money for the homes. For now, we will travel to Russia twice per year - once in the spring and once in the fall. Due to expenses (travel is very expensive), Dawn and I plan on rotating on the trips. I'll make one trip and she will make the other. In Russia, we will spend time with the home(s) and working with the locals in their ministry efforts.

Are you going on deputation (raise money for personal support)?
No, not at this time. As long as I have a full time job, I will not visit churches to raise money for personal support. My desire is to devote 100% of my visits to raising support for the homes in Russia. We will absorb the expenses of the work for as long as we can.

This is long, so I will stop here. I just wanted everyone to know what our plans are. We are excited and probably even a little scared. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Family Update

A lot has taken place over the past three weeks so I will try and cover everything!

We had our social worker visit for the final report to Russia on Polina, Dima and Nastya. It was . . . interesting. Nothing bad, just a new social worker. Very young, no children. Here we are, married 23 years and seven children. In the end, I felt a little insulted - but I got over it.

On April 19-20, we had severe storms roll through our area that resulted in an EF3 tornado touching down about 10 miles away and killing three family members and destroying a nearby brick church. That storm produced 30 tornadoes across the state. One week later, a massive storm system rolled through the state producing 23 known tornadoes killing 236 people. At least two EF5 tornadoes touched down. We were in Virginia when the storms hit and it wasn't until we got home that we were able to check on all extended family members. Jeremy was at school in north Alabama and we were able to get him on his cell phone about 10PM that night - then we lost contact for another 24 hours. My only comfort was that I was able to check news reports on damage and learned that there was no significant damage in his area. The storm photos and videos that have been shown in newspapers and on tv really do not give you the magnitude of the destruction. West Birmingham (Pratt City and Pleasant Grove) area just wiped out. The Christian relief efforts going on are truly amazing. Portable food kitchens are scattered throughout the area feeding workers and families. Pick-up trucks are driving through each area handing out water, cleaning supplies and tarps. Church groups are pulling in each day to volunteer. This is what the Christian family is doing. Yes, the government and Red Cross is there handing out tarps, but the Christian church family from across the south has stepped up and they far out number the government.

We returned from Virginia Sunday night and Monday morning I headed north to take fuel and clean clothes to Jeremy. The city of Huntsville had been without power since the storms hit. No power means gas stations can not pump gas. The school's kitchen was open because it was gas fired. Jeremy was fine. I returned to Huntsville yesterday to pack him up for the summer. He has to return in about 10 days for his finals, but it is good to have the whole family at home. The kids have been so excited about having him home for the summer. He is a great role model for his two brothers and I think it is great they will be able to spend some time with him.

More on our trip to Virginia tomorrow...

Easter

Today has been one of those days when I realize how blessed I am and if not for the grace of God I would be lost and condemned. This is a day of reflection for Christians around the world. I am not worthy of the sacrifice made for my sins - it is only by His grace that I am saved. He is risen!

Sunday we leave for our trip to northern Virginia for an interview with a mission agency. We are excited and maybe a tad bit nervous. I met with our pastor this morning to discuss our trip and our ministry plans. It is very refreshing to speak to folks about our plans because we really have not told many people. I even made a call to my boss and gave him notice that he might get a phone call. That was a bit strange, because I was not sure how it would be received. I explained what we were going to do and that it would not interfere with my job as I would be using vacation time to travel. I am blessed to have A LOT of vacation. I have been with the same employer for 23 years. Although they really encourage me to take my vacation, my production goals are the same as someone starting the job today. As a result, I often lose 2-3 weeks per year. My last phone call was to my customer. My customer contacts were incredibly supportive. I am very lucky to have such great contacts with this group. They are my employer's largest customer and have been for about 80 years. If they did not support what I was doing, believe me when I say I would have to find another job.

The social worker came a week ago for our final report to Russia on our first adoption. Boy they seem to be getting so young. Young, no children of her own and she is asking us about how we are raising the children. There was an occaission or two when I just wanted to laugh. She seemed quite shocked that it had been 5 whole months since their last check up.

On a final note, we had some severe weather last weekend here at home. On Wednesday, I got an e-mail from our family in Siberia (the kid's aunt in Pokrovka). She had seen a news report about the tornadoes and fatalities and was worried about us. I never would have imagined she would have heard about it. The tornado hit about 15 miles north of us and killed three people. She was relieved to hear we were all okay.

Please keep us in your prayers -

Tony & Dawn

God's Plan for Us -2011

To many, this will not be new news, but to others it will be. If you know Dawn and I even remotely, you know that the plight of the orphan is very near and dear to our hearts. While on our first trip to Vladivostok, Russia, we fell in love with the people and experienced one of those "God Things". Ever since that visit, we have felt a connection to that region and the people. Add to that the family connection we have there with three of our children. It has been nearly three years since we left and to this day I check the weather for that area.

For every year that has passed us, the tug on our heart has grown stronger. So much so, I even looked into immigration laws for Russia. If possible, I would sell our belongings and move tomorrow. Sadly, the Russian immigration law is not as open as ours here in the United States. We have now decided to spend our annual vacation time and resources on working for orphans in the Primorsky Krai region. The last week of this month, we interview with a mission agency. If approved, we will be allowed to do just that under their umbrella.

While on our first trip to Vladivostok, we met a missionary in the lobby of the hotel. Guess what he does? Works with orphans in that region. Coincidence - I think not!! For the past three years, we have kept in close contact with him and his family and even invited them to speak at our church.

The past 12 months have been interesting to say the least. Those of you close to us know what we have been through. For those of you we don't know, let me just say that the devil, yes - Satan himself will use every tool at his disposal to stop orphans from being adopted by loving parents. Try to do more than that and the fight gets a little rougher. We have been through things I would never, ever would have imagined in my wildest nightmare. However, at my side is The King of Kings. We walked through the fire with His help and we walk forward knowing His angels are with us. To God be the glory of all we are able to accomplish in His name.

So, please pray for us as we start this new journey. We will share more info in a few weeks.

God Bless -

Tony & Dawn

P.S.
Our final interview for our last post placement for Polina, Dima and Nastya is tomorrow. It is amazing to see how they have grown!

Casting Crowns & Toby Mac Concert

Last night we went to a Christian event in Birmingham - Stadium Fest. There we got to hear some great speakers and see a couple of great artist like Kevin Derryberry, Casting Crowns and Toby Mac. We had a ball!

Two Years - 9 Months Later

What a difference two years and 9 months make...

Second Week Home

I finally figured out how to get the photos off my iPod - I e-mailed them to myself! I don't consider myself technically challenged but I have seen better instruction manuals translated from Portuguese (which can be quite amusing).

Alexander is learning about being in a family and we are learning a lot about him. Being deaf, he uses facial expressions to get his point across a lot of the time and at times he will leave you in stitches. I had to leave Monday for work in Mississippi and I did not return until this afternoon. I know he did not understand what was going on Monday when he saw me dressed and walking out with my suitcase. He waved goodbye and had a weak smile that turned to tears. I know the other three youngest had a hard time with me travelling for work. At least with them, I could call and talk over the telephone to them. I guess we will have to go with Skype video calls for him.

He is learning some ASL and his appetite has gotten much, much better. He is not as picky as he was last week. He is VERY proud of his clothes. He knows they are his and does not like to part with them - particularly his shoes. The only time he will let you take them off is when he climbs in bed. I know this is all part of his previous life and he will grow out of it.

Like any child with a past like his, he will definitely test you to see who has the strongest will. He likes buttons and switches - a lot (just like two other children used too). So he will turn every light on in the house and constantly mess with the television (volume or channels). After grabbing his hands, looking him in the eye and saying "no" (and signing), he will look up at you and slide the hand back to where the button or switch was.

The kids are doing pretty good with the transition. I know it has been difficult for all of them and I appreciate their patience. Last Saturday we took them ice skating as a treat.

Thanks for the prayers, we still have a long road to travel once we get a medical evaluation.

- Tony B.

How Great is Our God!! Home with our Son.

We arrived home about 3:30AM Sunday. It was a great reunion with the entire family - our oldest son had driven home from college. We were up until about 4:30 or 5 hugging on one another and catching up on the past week's experiences. To be in church with all of our family home was such a huge blessing! Alexander blended right in like he had been with us forever- God is awesome! He wasn't afraid or overwhelmed by six brothers and sisters loving on him, he just giggled and smiled. I was afraid of a little jealousy developing with Nastya and Dima but that really only popped up briefly yesterday afternoon.

As I stated on our last post, the trip from Atlanta to Frankfurt was horrible. I have never flown and had such a large plane tossed around for sooo long. Dawn got sick and it took a few days for her to get over it. We picked up Alexander on Wednesday and as soon as he came up the stairs and saw us, he came running. We dressed him in his new clothes and he kept point to them and nodding with a big smile. I have some pictures, but I can't seem to get them off my iPod. As soon as I get them off, I'll post them.

After picking up Alexander we went to the passport office to pick up his passport. I was not surprised to learn that there was "a problem". There was an error on the passport but the office agreed to print a new one on the spot. With no stop for lunch (it was 1:30PM) we drove back to Moscow (3 hour trip). As soon as we got to the motel, we went next door to McDonald's. We got him a hamburger and he ate some of our fries. he did not finish off the hamburger until later that night. He was happy and content and only got upset for about 10-15 minutes at bedtime. He realized I guess that he was not going back to the detsky dom. We felt sorry for him, but due to the communication issue, we did not know what to do other that hold him and love on him. He was fine Thursday and did not cry one bit.

Thursday night I had the opportunity to read his entire file. It was very sad to read, but had all of it not happened, we would not have the opportunity to have him in our family. He is such a happy little boy and will put a smile on your face no matter how bad your day is.

The trip home was very hard. A 13 hour - yes 13 hour flight from Moscow to Dulles. The little man fell asleep the last 30 minutes of the flight. This was followed by a five hour lay over before we could fly to Atlanta and drive home. He fell asleep again just before boarding the Atlanta flight and slept until we arrived there.

He has taught us a few signs and we have been trying to introduce some new signs to him. We do believe he can hear a little bit - particularly high pitched sounds. He has perked up and dogs whining and some other noises. Soon we will schedule a doctor's appt to determine what is going on with his ears. By the way, the doctor in Russia that examined him for his visa told us that although he was four, he was the size of a small 3 year old. We knew he was small. Dr. Boris said he knew he would gain weight once we got him home. He also has a mild case of rickets that he said he would grow out of.

As soon as I get pictures off that iPod, I will post them. I just bought the thing a few days before we left. If you have any tips, I will gladly try them!

God Bless -

Tony & Dawn

In Moscow

We arrived at motel 3 hours ago. Bad flight out of Atlanta. Pick Alexander up in 6 hours.

Passport Ordered

I returned about 3AM this morning from my third trip to Russia. The purpose of the trip was to order Alexander a Russian passport. It was a VERY rushed trip with a lot of travel. I arrived in Moscow Tuesday about 6PM. I then got in the car with a driver who took me to Vladimir - we arrived about 11PM due to heavy traffic. Wednesday started about 8AM and we drove to Murom (4 hour round trip) to sign some documents because that is listed his as his birthplace. We returned to Vladimir to drop off and sign his passport documents and eat lunch. After lunch I got to visit Alexander for about an hour (it was 4 PM by now).

It was good to see him and his smile! When he entered the room, he looked around and I could only assume he was looking for Dawn. After looking around the room, he came running to me and jumped into my arms. He is a clown and loves to laugh! We played for about an hour and then it was time for me to leave and go back to Moscow. It was hard to leave him and I know he is terribly confused. Being deaf, I could not explain that I would be back in just a few days to take him home. If he spoke Russian, I could at least struggle through that to get the point across to him that I would be returning soon. Anyway, he hugged my neck and kissed me on the cheek and waved "bye" to me. Very tough to say goodbye. I arrived back in Moscow about 10PM.

Thursday morning the driver picked me up at 7AM for the long journey home. Due to some delays in Chicago, I did not arrive in Atlanta until 12AM. I then had a 2.5 hour drive ahead of me.

God has been very good and not only taken care of Alexander, but also watching over us/me while travelling. Each trip has had some small surprises but God took care of it all. I am thanful for His love and grace.

Introducing Our New Son. . .

Alexander Patrick
This was his Russian name of sorts and we just reversed it.

Well, the ten day wait is over, it is 5:30 in the afternoon in Moscow. I will pray all is well and there was no petition against the judge's decision. These are two photos from our July trip. He is such a ham! We were outside on the playground of the detsky dom playing with him when I took these photos. He would blow some bubbles and then put the wand up to his tongue, look at us and just giggle.

We got to see him Friday after court. It had been 6 months since he had seen us, which to a four year old is an eternity. He remembered us and came running! I picked him up and he gave me a big hug and then looked at Dawn and pointed and grinned some more. They had cut his hair to a style that is very common for the boys. I did not care for it, but it will grow out. I have enough LA redneck in me that I like the hair a little longer.

Dawn had purchased some animal crackers in a store we shopped at the night before. She opened them and gave him one. Then we tried to teach him the sign for "more". He picked right up on it and as soon as he finished that one, he signed "more"! Dawn jokingly rubbed her tummy. I signed "more" and he brought me one and then rubbed my belly and laughed and laughed.

I was supposed to travel back to Russia today, but my invitation letter did not make it to the Russian embassy on Friday. As a result, they would not issue the visa. The agency is supposed to e-mail this week with new travel dates. Hopefully everything is just postponed one week. Originally, I was to travel this week to get him a passport - or at least start the process of getting him a passport. It was to be a VERY quick trip lasting only four days. We were then scheduled to travel back on February 14 to start the embassy paperwork, register him with the Russian consulate and then come home February 19. Like I said, I hope things are just postponed a week.

We will share more later this week.

We Have a New Son!

I'll be short and sweet and save the details for later. We were awarded custody of Sasha by the court on Friday morning. Had us worried for a short while that things were not going to work out (I'll share details later). After court, we went to the detsky dom and were able to see Sasha for the first time since mid July. To a four year old, that is an eternity so I wasn't sure if he would remember us or not. But he did! When he saw me, he cam and jumped in my arms and gave me a big hug and a squeeze. He pointed to Dawn and grinned real big. Made my day.

I have to return in eight days to start the paperwork to bring him home. Would not be so bad, but I leave tomorrow on a business trip that will put me out until Friday evening.

Thanks so much for all the the prayers. I do not have time now, but I want to share with you all the little bumps in the road that were suddenly solved. We were in God's hand and he took care of everything. Again, thank you very much!

God Bless -

Tony B.

P.S.

Holiday Inn - Sokolniki is #1 in my book.

Arrived in Moscow

Just wanted to drop a quick note. We arrived safely in Moscow where it is cold! Having a hard time adjusting to time difference. It is near 10 AM and I have been awake since 2:30AM. Great hotel, great staff. We went and had breakfast at the buffet this morning and that will probably cover lunch as well. We have a very busy afternoon today. Please keep us in your prayers!

A God Thing

Real quick, I have a "God Thing" to share real quick. I mentioned in my previous post that I thought my blood tests were missing results for two items - HIV and Syphilis. This morning I went to the blood lab 30 miles away and explained my situation. I'll spare you the details, but their answer was "No - it can't be done that quick and you can not do it with out doctor's orders. My doctor is closed today. They did send me down the road to a clinic. I went inside, explained the situation and they informed me they did not think they could get it done that fast either. I offered to drive to Atlanta or Birmingham if they could just do it. They made a few phone calls, came back and said yes we can do it and we will e-mail your results!

Wow! God is amazing!!

Almost Time

A couple of hiccups. I was looking at my blood tests yesterday (we have to take a copy) and I did not see results for syphilis and HIV. There is a blood lab in town and I am hoping they can run the tests for me quickly and get results to me by the end of day tomorrow. The really frustrating part is that they will duplicate the exact same test when we arrive in Moscow. I don't mind getting the tests completed - once.

Also, I have come down with a head cold. I am taking over the counter medicine in hopes it will go away.

This time next week, I hope to have good news. Please keep us in your prayers!

Progress

Airline tickets ordered, travel visas ordered and arrangements made for the children. I guess I should add that hay was purchased for the horses to help out in the event Christina does not feel like getting out to feed them.

This week, I will take our suits to the cleaners and start the process of getting "clean" money. That last task is the most frustrating part. Russian money changers do not like and will sometimes reject bills that have any markings, are too worn or have too many creases. Some parents have gone so far as to iron each bill so that it looks as good as possible. Some banks look at you like you are nuts when you hand them money and tell them it is too dirty or too worn and that you need better looking bills.

Keep us in your prayers...

GREAT NEWS!

We were notified this evening by e-mail that we have a court date!!!! Because of privacy issues, we will not share the exact date, but we will have court the end of this month and if all goes well, we will bring our little one home in February.

PLEASE, pray for our family and our little one as work quickly to prepare for court and to bring him home.

We look forward to sharing more with you soon -

Tony B.