On April 22, 2005 a baby was born in a hospital in Eastern Europe. For reasons unknown to us at this time, her mother was unable to care for her and this little girl was sent to an orphanage at 2 weeks of age.
This little girl was called "Maria" and spent the next 7 years of her life in her orphanage. For several years she was left in her crib for most of each day and was lucky to receive a diaper change on occasion. Feedings were not adequate for her age and her growth and development became stunted from lack of nutrition and human interaction. At around the age of 5 she was blessed with a caretaker who began feeding and interacting with her for a few hours each week. The time with her caretaker was blessed and she began to gain a little weight and start interacting with people around her. But a few hours a week is not sufficient for delayed children and while she showed improvements, they were small.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, our family began the adoption process. To read more about how that came to be, feel free to visit THIS post. "Maria's" face popped up on a blog that advocates for children in Eastern Europe and God began calling us to her.
She was prayed over for days. Counsel was sought and our close friends and family prayed over her and her place in our family. And we mailed off paperwork to put her on hold. The adoption process began in full swing as we quickly tried to get everything done. We did not want her to wait any longer than necessary. She needed better food, more interaction, and lots of love.
As the process moved on "Maria's" orphanage came under a new director. A new director who cares for the kids. "Maria" was hospitalized and started receiving better food and some therapy. Her caretaker began to work with her more and she started making more improvements. She still has a long way to go, however.
In March "Maria" met her forever family for the first time. We were able to spend about 3.5 hours each day with her for a week. We saw her blossom before our eyes. Tears were shed as we witnessed the unbelievable joy she had even amidst some very unfortunate circumstances. Tears were also shed as we saw the damage 7 years in a crib can do to a person. We connected with her and fell even more in love with her despite her "baggage". It was at this point that this little girl went from "Maria" to "Maia" in our hearts.
And now we wait for the day when we can bring her home and REALLY watch her come alive as part of a family.
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