We Met a little Doll Today, Olivia Ann

Today we met Olivia Ann Polina.  We ate breakfast at the hotel and then went to the market for snacks for lunch. Then we were on our way to the orphanage. It was a short drive thankfully. Riding in the car in Russia is my least favorite activity. It seems to me that it is a life risking event each trip. I am quiet sure that Ronnie Paulk would not have let us sign up for Life Insurance from him if he knew we would be taking such risks in the future.

We soon arrived at the orphanage. This facility in Syzran does not compare to the the facility in Toyliatti where John Mark is being cared for. The grounds are unkept and things look run down and old.
We went in and met the doctor and she began to explain almost immediately about Olivia Ann Polina to Sasha our interpreter. She wanted us to pay special attention to her right hand and to her walk. Of course we had not seen her yet so we were a little puzzled by this speech. Suddnely out of no where a care giver appeared in the door with a beautiful little girl in a cute pink little dress. She was shy as expected but not as shy as John Mark. She only took a few seconds before she gladly came to sit in my arms. She was still a little concerned so the head doctor gave her some cookies and we saw the first real smile. She took one cookie for each hand and she was fine from then on. Like John Mark she kept a close eye on Greg for a few minutes but warmed up quickly to him too.

We played with her for about two hours. She loved the look and feel book about the baby animals. She enjoyed reaching and popping bubbles and is very ticklish. She really enjoyed the musical toy we brought with us. She listened to the songs over and over. It plays seven classical songs and she kept pressing the button each time one would end to hear the next.  After a little while we went outside to walk around. She really enjoyed walking but wants you to hold her hand most of the time. She enjoyed playing with the peek-a-boo book and playing kiss-the-baby with all the babies in the book.
 
She is left handed and uses her right hand very little. She can use it to hold things and pick up things but really prefers to use the left hand for everything. She drags her right foot a little too, very slightly. The doctor says that she is progressing with the use of her hand and does not feel that it or her right leg are real issues. The doctor here thinks that with a little physical therapy she will get better and grow completely out of it. She was very premature at birth and that is the probable cause of these issues. Greg and I would ask that you pray for Olivia Ann and these concerns with her right hand and right leg. Pray that she will gain strength in the right side and she will be physically strong. At 12 months old she did not use her right hand at all and the doctor says she is making major improvements and is convinced with more care she will be fine.

Olivia Ann Polina is so very sweet and is not very shy at all. Her smile lights up the room and I am sure that smile has her wrapped around Greg's finger already. She is as lite as a feather compared to John Mark. She has a head full of dark hair and is darker complected than the other children we saw there, she is beautiful as you can see from the pictures. We were allowed to go to her room and see where she plays and sleeps. I was allowed to help her eat her lunch. When she noticed everyone watching her she put on a little show while eating. She really enjoyed all the attention and was not very hungry since she had had several cookies in the room earlier with us. Yes, I guess we are spoiling her already.

After helping her with lunch we left her for her nap. At that time we spoke to the social worker for the orphanage and the doctor of the orphanage.  Olivia Ann like John Mark, has been in a orphanage all her life. The doctor told us more about her right hand and leg and assured us she thinks she is progressing nicely and will grow out of the difficulty she is having with the right side with physical therapy.

The care giver brought Olivia Ann back after her nap and we played in the floor with her for a while. This orphanage does not have a room for us to play in so we played in the hallway on a mat. This orphanage does have air-conditioning unlike John Mark's so you might notice we are not nearly as sweaty in pictures with Olivia Ann. Of course, I doubt anyone is looking at me or Greg in the photos. Olivia Ann bopped her head to the music and seemed to enjoy just sitting with us in the floor. We played with the books more in the afternoon and the other toys we had brought. The bubbles were a big hit with her. She tried to pop as many as she could.

When it was time to leave Greg and I were both a mess of tears. Olivia Ann did not want to go to the care giver. She kept hugging me and shaking her head no at the care giver. Of course this made the tears flow even more. She did seem to immediately attach to me in an amazing way. I know it was God's handy work and the answers to so many or your prayers for all of us. She hugged and hugged my neck but finally I handed her off through all the tears. I must admit driving away from that orphanage might be the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I felt like I could hardly breath. Greg and I both just sat quietly in the car and cried as we pulled away. It is hard to describe the heart ache that we felt. She is so precious and a perfect gift from God and to have to leave her behind so far way is a terrible feeling to deal with. I know in my head that God is watching over her and she will be there waiting when we finally get a court date to return but my heart has a hard time catching up to my brain sometimes. Of course we have no idea when we will return and that is not comforting either.

Please pray for us as we will have to repeat leaving again tomorrow when we leave John Mark again. We will be going to the orphanage about the time most of you are just getting to sleep Saturday night. Please pray as you go to bed that we will survive the leaving once again. Thanks again for all you prayers.