After an early bedtime last night, Viktorija woke up with a tummy ache around 11:00pm. Thank goodness for the Pepto Bismal tablets I brought! That seemed to be all she needed...thankfully! I think she ate something that didn't agree with her. She seemed to sleep well after that, but she was up early this morning. She's acting and eating fine.
We had just finished with school work when we received a phone call from Maria (foster mom). She asked us to come down to the lobby. She had pictures that Viktorija's foster brother, Dima, had drawn for each of us. He is quite the artist, I'll say. It was so thougthful. And, for Maria to drive the 30 minutes to deliver them to us, was proof that she wanted to see us one more time. She still wasn't feeling great, but she stayed and talked with us for about 20 minutes. With Viktorija translating, she told us that she knows God meant for the 3 of us to be a family. She said she didn't realize how much she would love Mike and I, and that she considers us family. She wants us to keep in touch, and would love to entertain Mike and Viktorija on their next trip to Latvia. There were tears shed and many long hugs between all of us. I told her that we love her and that we feel so blessed and thankful that she took care of Viktorija for us. Maria told Viktorija she will miss her, but she is so happy that she now has a real family that loves her. I have been amazed at how much I care for this special lady and her famliy. This experience in itself has made this a trip to remember.
We ventured out for our final bowling outing as a family today. Viktorija had a great game. I can see her gain confidence as she learns new things. I feel so happy for her when she accomplishes a goal. I can see the glow on her face immediately:-)
Today we started to focus on manners (ie: yes maam, yes sir, etc). I was a bit worried she would clam up on me. She tends to take correction as an insult. She handled our session well. The people here don't even look you in the eye, and they don't watch where they're going. So, if you're not careful, you can get run over. I'm trying to teach Viktorija what it is to be polite and respectful of everyone's feelings. This shouldn't be hard since she really is a sweet girl.
She has now learned two Bible verses:-) She's also pretty proud of that! Learning new words and then memorizing a verse is quite a feat. I've learned a few Latvian words and feel pretty good about that. But, what she has learned since last Summer amazes me.
She read the a letter to me today that she has written for her the foster mom she was with prior to Maria (for 7 yrs). This has been something she has been working with the psychologist on. Her 7-yr mom, as I will refer to her, wants Viktorija back and doesn't want her to be adopted by an American family. The courts took Viktorija away from her for a reason. They don't want Viktorija to have contact with her. Although, they did give her permission to write a letter to her, to be delivered by the psychologist AFTER Vikorija has left Latvia. The letter Viktorija wrote was kind and to the point. She thanked her 7-yr mom for taking care of her, but she wants her to understand that she is happy now that she has a family that loves her and can take care of her. Viktorija said that maybe someday when she is much older they will see each other again if she ever returns to Latvia to visit. Viktorija has worked through many things with the psychologist, and for that I'm very grateful. It seems the court here tries to do what is truly best for the children. I have really liked the judge and the social workers very much. I'm thankful for a better outcome than I ever expected. Tomorrow we will meet the psychologist to deliver the letter. Another hurdle complete....
6 more nights in Latvia.....Praise the Lord!!
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