Adopting Our Molly (Nina) Sept 2007
Early in 2006 we decided to get serious about adopting an older child. We had three children in college and our "nest" just didn't feel right being empty. Having adopted from Russia in 1996, we thought it would be nice to adopt a child from a different country, so we settled on Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, that same year became filled with sorrow and many problems for our extended family. Through it all, however, Alla (Kazakhstan coordinator) and Adoption Ark stayed with us during each family crisis and the ups and downs of trying to complete an international adoption. Phone calls and emails were always filled with understanding, patience and encouragement. Even when we almost chickened out shortly before we were to travel, Alla hung in there with us and patiently coaxed us back to reality. She kept insisting our child was there waiting for us.
On July 28, 2007 we flew from Atlanta to Amsterdam then on to Almaty, Kazakhstan. The trip was long, but very pleasant on KLM airlines---highly recommended. In Almaty, we met our coordinator and talked about flying on to the region we would eventually adopt from. We took a commuter plane and were met at the regional airport by our translator and driver. We liked him immediately.
… And then we found her – our Nina. She let us sit next to her and stroke her hair without appearing too uncomfortable. We took pictures and she took joy in operating the digital camera. Her eyes had a mixture of happiness and sadness in them. We hugged her goodbye and told her we'd see her the next day at summer camp. She smiled and left the room. We said our goodbyes to the staff and headed for the car. Rounding a corner we saw Nina with the other girl waving to us. All had gone well. The next day we drove about twelve miles past the outskirts of town to the summer camp. When the car pulled up, Nina was walking down the path because she knew the time we were supposed to arrive. As we got out of the car and she saw that it was us, she began to run....and she did not stop until she was in my arms, hugging me hard. It was so precious. We walked with our arms around each other as she showed us the camp. It was very dated, but neat. There was a huge above ground pool and we were able to watch our girl and many friends swim. The children all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Nina called out to "Mama and Papa" to watch her. We had a lovely time and each day of our month-long visit brought us closer and closer. We made friends with all of Nina's friends and met most of the children in her "family." We played cards and music and taught English words and learned Russian words and most of all...we laughed and laughed. The children were out-of-this-world!. What an opportunity to meet all those beautiful kids and enjoy their culture! It's something that can only be experienced there.
Days passed and soon it was time for court---a week later than expected because of the judge's vacation! (Be prepared for situations like this and stay flexible. Things usually work out fine.) Our sweetie came dressed in her "Kazakhstan blue" dress and new shoes. She was so cute. We couldn't believe how brave she was when it was her turn to answer the judges questions. I'm sure we'll never know how frightening that situation must have been for her. But, we think she knew how much we already loved her. A bond had formed between us that to this day we cannot explain. After court and a favorable decision, we stepped into the hallway. As I looked at our new daughter, I noticed she was crying....and yet she was also smiling. She hugged us strongly and our tears of joy mingled with her tears of joy and sadness at the closure of a life in Kazakhstan. We knew we still had to endure the two week waiting period as we prepared to return home. With hope, we made plans for our new daughter to be escorted to Atlanta in 4-5 weeks and headed back to Montgomery,AL.
On October 4, 2007 our baby arrived in America. The whole experience from beginning to end has been incredible. Molly Antonina (her new name) has a joy for life that captures everyone she meets. She has seen much pain in her short life, but we are here for her when she hurts. She has learned English so quickly that she is ready to go to school full-time in February. We enjoy every minute she is with us and we thank God for the great and loving gift He has given us. When we first made the decision to adopt internationally, we were asked many times why we wanted to do something like this at this particular point in our lives. Our answer was always, "We don't know. It's just something we feel called to do." Now whenever we look at our new daughter, we know exactly why. We went for her....and she came for us.
Thank you, Alla and the Staff at Adoption Ark for your great assistance. We would not have our beautiful girl without your help. Please feel free to give our names, phone numbers and email address to any parents who would like to contact us. And please encourage parents to think of the older children. They need someone to love them so desperately. God bless you all.
Mary Ann Gould