WE are home!

Posted on 13. October 2011 by Wende

Yes, WE says it all.  WE are home. 

Sorry for the lack of updates. The place we stayed says “wi-fi in every room.” Well, that was not to be the case and updating even our family at home was nearly impossible.  

Let me start at the beginning of our week. There are major parts I’d like to forget, but much I want to chronicle to remember. 

David and I left Atlanta at 5pm Tuesday afternoon. After an 8 hour flight to Amsterdam we arrived early morning to a 6 hour layover before our flight to Riga. Atlanta would not issue our next boarding passes for some reason for the next flight and Amsterdam is not the “usual” airport. The people at the desks to issue new boarding passes do not even come until 2 hours before flight times. We have a long wait in chairs and then had to go back through security again since we had to come out to get our boarding passes. (Later we were to figure out what a transfer station was and find also there is LOTS of shopping, but we sat for almost 6 hours not knowing this.)

We arrived in Riga at 5pm local time on Wednesday. We easily found a taxi and headed to the place we were staying. It’s best to compare it to a Bed & Breakfast. We had our own room, very tiny, with our own shower and toilet (paid extra for this luxury) and the room had a TV sitting on a dresser, 1 chair, a twin bed & a double bed. All we needed for 3 nights. We paid less for this room for 3 nights than we did for 1 night on the return trip in Amsterdam!

Once we arrived David crashed and I set out to find a Maxima (grocery store) to get some basics, cheese, fruit, bread, water.  After about 24 hours of no sleep we both slept a solid 15 hours and it was 12:30pm Latvia time when we awoke.

We tried to connect with friends in Riga for their adoption trip, but we had no internet to do so. Apparently the day before we arrived a new system was put into place so each room had a passcode for wi-fi. The night we arrived they were “out” of pass codes. The next morning, we got a passcode, but it worked for about 15 minutes and then the internet went down. Wednesday night, while we had no wifi, we somehow were able to connect to the internet wi-fi somewhere close and sent a message home via Skype to let them know we arrived. I think it was the Lord letting us allow family at home to not worry since it was the only time we were there for 3 days we even saw this particular wi-fi connection!

By Thursday afternoon we had made plans to have dinner & visit with David’s former foster mom. I was still very sick, running a fever too, but we took the bus for 30 minutes to visit. After a wonderful visit and getting some much wanted Russian recipes, we headed home on a shuttle bus which left us walking in the dark for about 15 minutes from drop off point. Did I mention Latvia is COLD after dark in October and David had only a short sleeve shirt on? It was hilarious seeing him and his foster mom argue as she was insisting he take a coat with him and he was saying “thank you no, I am fine.” It was all in Russian, but I got the gist. She was firm, but so was he. I kept thinking we have no room for one more thing in our carry on.

We woke up in time Friday morning for breakfast before we were picked up at 11am for court. I was wide awake before the first of 3 alarm clocks went off.  Sleepy “man child” had to be dragged out of bed with 30 minutes to go.

Court was 90 minutes away. I got to see some beautiful Latvian country side I had not seen before. On the way our attorney briefed us on what to expect. The one thing I did not expect was that David was not to be allowed in the courtroom during this except while he spoke to the judge and when they read the ruling.

In respect to our son, I will not go into details of the court hearing, except to say it was very emotional for all involved and hearing stories from as far back as the year before he was even born was heart wrenching. The judge was wonderful, but wanted to be sure “we were sure, we were sure,” we wanted him. Well, YES, we have spent 15 months working towards this YES! We are sure, we know it will be hard (it is) and yes, we know he’s almost 15 but we’d no sooner give up on him than any of our children.

David was brought in to answer questions from the judge, and then told to leave again.  I think he was more nervous being outside the courtroom in the hallway for an hour having no idea what was happening than I was inside hearing what was going on.  

We had brought a large scrapbook of many photos of all the time we have spent with him in the last 15 months. The judge, prosecutor, social work, attorney and orphan court director all look at each photo and asked many questions. I think this help solidify that he was “bonding” and adjusting to family life.

After about 45 minutes of questions, the judge left for deliberation after each of the 5 people there gave their final “summary” of if they believed this adoption was in the best interest of David. And then we waited, and he was allowed to come sit with us. 15 minutes later the judge returned and we all stood. (By this time I am about ready to pass out from being sick and nervous and an emotional wreck hearing all I just heard.)  The judge starts to read her decree with all the legal stuff first and all I can think of is “yes or no, please just say yes or no.”  FINALLY the magical words we have waited 15 months to hear were said. “Yes, the adoption is approved.”  

We headed back to Riga and on the way learned that the hurdles are not done yet. We have tentative plans to go back for the final immigration hearing and new passports, & birth certificate the last week of November, BUT (always a but in this process) it seems there is a paper missing. This paper “may” not be produced until next year in the courts when our documents are already expired. UGH! Our attorney is going to go to the Embassy next week and see if there is anything except this paper that will “work.” If not our 3rd and final trip will probably not be until next year. No, it’s not the end of the world. the adoption is final and he is ours, it only holds up his American Citizenship.  (and getting his permit after his birthday in December…..)

After a wonderful dinner with a friend who has know David since he was little, we left Latvia Saturday morning. After a 19 hour layover staying in a hotel room in Amsterdam that had see through “capsules” for the toilet & shower and we had to leave the room while the other was using the bathroom, we arrived home Sunday, still sick, but home.

The entire time we were gone was an emotional mess. I have had a few days reflection and all I can think is between sickness, travel, emotions and fear, we had a difficult trip and it was only with the Lord’s mercy and love we made it through. Can you imagine being almost 15 years old and leaving everything you have ever known for a whole new life? Can you image not being sure, even when you’ve been told over & over YES we love you, if you are loved? That you believe you are risking your life in saying “yes.” Well, that is the emotions we experienced in our 5 days together.  But moments after entering the car at the airport to go home, our son was back home and all the stress of the last 5 days literally evaporated in front of my eyes.

He is ours…. David William Neundorfer.. “born” 1:40pm, October 7th, 2011,  5’5” long and 117 pounds.

We are blessed to be home!

 

 

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