I hope you have all had a beautiful weekend. Ours has been busy, but blessed. We got snow today. LOTS of it. The joys of living in the mountains.
Just a quick post to answer some of the questions I have been getting about our precious new daughter. Please forgive me for not answering you all personally–I am absolutely inundated with e-mails and it is impossible to answer them all individually. I’m so sorry.
We are so grateful for your heartfelt concern and the love that so many of you have expressed for Hasya. You guys are amazing. To know that many people are praying for our beautiful daughter on the other side of the world is very comforting, and we really do appreciate it. Thank you for being a community of people that cares deeply. How blessed we are to have you all in our lives!
Many, many of you have written to ask me about this picture.
Is she wet?
Is she lying in her own urine?
The answer is yes, she most probably is.
Sadly, the place where Hasya lives is beyond awful. The children who live there get their diapers changed once a day. They literally lie in their own waste for hours and hours. It is the only life they know. It is so heartbreaking.
I will begin to share more about her orphanage in the days to come. This orphanage needs so much help, friends. And there ARE ways to get involved!
How do you pronounce Hasya?
“HA–zee–uh”
The first syllable–HA–has a short “a” sound as in “hat.” Emphasis is on this syllable.
How old is this picture?
It is the most recent one we have–taken just a few days ago.
When will you travel?
We are working hard on getting all the paperwork done. Last week we received back a police clearance which we were told would take 8-12 weeks. It took three weeks! Our home study visits are all done and our social worker is busy writing up our home study. She has been such a huge blessing. We’ve made a good start on gathering our dossier paperwork too.
If all goes well, I should be able to make the first trip this summer, Lord willing.
Have you heard how she is doing?
Last week we received Hasya’s full medical report. Goodness! It broke our hearts. She gained a tiny bit of weight while in the hospital a few weeks ago (hallelujah!). Other than that, we don’t know anything new.
We are trying to hire a caretaker to give Hasya one-on-one attention and FOOD until we can get there. Gosh, just someone to take her out of the crib, feed her properly, and change her diaper regularly would be such a huge blessing. Hopefully soon all the details will be worked out and she will have someone there to help her.
Does Hasya have Down syndrome?
No, she doesn’t. According to her medicals she has cerebral palsy, marasmus (emaciation), microcephalus (a small brain), muscle atrophy, contracted joints, cortical atrophy (brain disintegration), strabismus, and weakened breathing. They state that, “Her skin is pale, fatty tissue is missing, and the body is with an unpleasant smell.” Oh, my heart! Poor little darling.
From what else we have been told–she cannot sit up, only one arm can move all the way, and her little body is extremely stiff. She can tolerate being held for very short periods of time before becoming fussy. She is solely fed from a bottle.
Hasya has been written off as having zero worth or value her entire life! She has been completely let down by those who were meant to care for her. They fed her enough to keep her breathing…and that’s IT!
BUT! The day is coming soon………
How do your other children feel about adopting another sister who has special needs?
They are thrilled. They get it!
I think I will share about our children and how they have embraced the call to grow our family through special-needs adoption as a post of its own. How exceedingly blessed we are with these whom the Father has given us!
Will you travel alone again?
Yes, I will.
Are you nervous about bringing home such a frail child? Are you afraid about what her future may look like?
Nope! Not at all. We believe that when God calls us, He equips us with EVERYTHING we need to do the job…with excellence. Does that mean it will be easy? Heck, no! We know we have a very challenging road ahead of us. But we’re excited. Hard times grow us in every way–they make us stronger and show us what truly matters in this life. We are so excited to bring Hasya home. What a beautiful addition she will be to our family!
Do you think her age is accurate?
Yes, it is. Unlike China, where babies are abandoned and the children get a made-up birth date, eastern European countries are different. Parents there have to relinquish their parental rights, so all birth information is usually accurate.
Hasya is definitely 14 years old.
Will Hasya go into the hospital as soon as you bring her home?
Yes. Absolutely! We will more than likely go straight from the airplane to the hospital.
Do you need to make two trips to Bulgaria?
Yes.
Are there any other children from her orphanage who are available for adoption?
Yes, there are! I will share soon.
How can we pray for your family and Hasya?
We appreciate your prayers so, so much!
~~~ Most importantly, please pray for Hasya’s health–that NOTHING would go wrong until we can get there. Pray that the Lord would sustain her and breathe health into her frail body. So many children have passed away in this orphanage recently–simply because they cannot live in the horrendous conditions. Please pray that she would remain strong enough to hold on.
~~~ A lot has been done recently to get high-calorie formula into this orphanage. Please pray that they would actually FEED her–that the orphanage staff would follow through with the instructions they have been given from the hospital.
~~~ For speedy paperwork and no delays whatsoever.
~~~ For FAVOR with every person who has to approve our paperwork as it goes through the normal adoption process.
~~~ That we would be able to get a caretaker for Hasya really soon.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. Your prayers mean the world to my family. Thank you for your outpouring of love and support.
Blessing the name of the LORD!
