Farewell Penza

We leave today for Moscow, riding the train all night and arriving in Moscow on Wednesday morning (remember, it is +11 hours here vis-à-vis California). We are all ready to go!

Today is mostly packing. It is amazing how Unpacked you can get in a week and a half. Thankfully, because we left a lot of clothes at the orphanage and have given a lot of gifts that we brought with us, there should be a lot more room in our suitcases! We have to pick up the x-rays and the international passports before we leave, because as soon as we arrive in Moscow, we will be taken immediately to the medical exams for the kids (for the American visas). Then on Thursday we will go to the US embassy to finalize their passage to America. Friday and Saturday are down days (hedges against any complications) then we’re off to America on Sunday!

As our time here in Russia draws to a close and we look forward to beginning our new lives at home, we are a family with mixed emotions. Everyone is excited about what God has done in bringing this thing about! And we are all looking forward to being home, meeting family and friends and being a family. But Jessica and Sam have mixed emotions about leaving Russia (Jessica has asked several times if she can come back for visits). As orphans, they already lack a solid anchor in their lives. Leaving everything they know and have come to rely on is probably the most difficult thing they have ever done since their mother was killed. But we pray with them every night, and we reassure them with looks, touches and hugs as often as we can. Soon, words will also be helpful. But for now, we are trusting God to convey our love in ways that are far deeper than mere words.

I won’t be able to post another entry on this blog until Wednesday night (Wednesday morning, US time) because we will not have internet access. I’ll try to post some more pictures, too.

Blessings to all our family and friends. We feel your prayers!

The Haworth Five