My Lidia

My favorite sport is gymnastics. My favorite competitor was Nadia Comaneci.  She dazzled me during the 1976 Olympics. Soon after, I started gymnastics. After practice and before bed every night, I would pray for Nadia. I asked God for 3 specific things. The first was that Nadia be able to come to live in America. The second one was that I get a chance to go visit Romania and the third was to be friends with Nadia.



In 1989, the president of Romania, Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife were assassinated. During the fall of communism and the chaos that followed, Nadia was able to come to America and was granted amnesty. Prayer number one was answered.

     

Long after I had grown up and married, I met a Romanian child. We met at a laboratory where I had to draw her blood for some test. I talked to her gently and reassured her that the needle stick would be quick. Her father informed me that she did not speak English. He had just adopted her out of an orphanage. “Wow”, I said, “I have dreamed of going to Romania my whole life.



The man then told me he was pastor of a small church in Newton, Georgia. He told me that his new daughter, Naurica, was going to be dedicated on the next Sunday. I decided to go to that service. I enjoyed the service and Pastor Bob’s style of teaching. I decided to continue to go to this church.



One Sunday, I had been going to the church for about four months, Bob announced a meeting for the next group going to Romania. I was excited and asked him if anyone could come or is church membership required. He replied, “Everyone is welcome”. So I signed up. Prayer number two was being answered.



During the trip to Romania we visited the orphanages. The first orphanage we visited was a cinderblock building. It was gray and dismal looking from the outside. However, when our bus doors opened and we stepped out, we were bombarded with children wanting to greet and meet us. One child in particular grabbed my left arm while another child grabbed my right. I thought, this is going to be great and the three of us skipped up to the orphanage doors.



Immediately after going through the doors, we Americans were led into an office and all the children were shooed away.  The orphanage director talked to us about some of the issues they faced and how we might help them. A plan was set in motion to help.



When we were released from the office, I was surprised to find, ‘my girl’ ready and waiting. She grabbed my arm again. When another child tried to come to me too, she held up her hand as to block that child. As far as she was concerned, I was her person and she did not want to share.



We were taken into a large room where there were tables and chairs and most of the children were waiting. We passed out candy and small toys as well as toothbrushes and toothpaste. Then we were taken on a short tour of the orphanage grounds. But ‘my girl’ wanted to take me on a personal private tour so I went with her. I saw classrooms lining a long hallway. As we headed to the children’s bedrooms, we were stopped by an orphanage worker and there was a large pile of wet cement blocking the hall. I wondered what was behind there that was so important that we were blocked from seeing.



Anyway, as we went up the stairway to rejoin my group, I stopped and looked at ‘my girl’ and asked her name. She did not understand so I pointed to myself and said, “Carol”.  She likewise pointed to herself and said, “Lidia”. I just stood there and looked at her tiny malnourished body with her hair sticking straight up in a pony tail on the top of her head and a giant smile on her face. I hugged her and I could feel her backbones sticking out and her tiny frame so small and fragile. God told me right then and there that she was going to be my child. He told me that I needed her as much as she needed me. I told her, “te iubesk”, which means ‘I love you’ in Romanian. She replied with, “I love you” in English. I could not believe it. She loved me? And how could she have known how to say so as she knew no English.



I immediately went to Pastor Bob and asked him how to start adoption proceedings. He said, “No, you don't want to go there!”



“Yes, I believe I do”.



“No you don't, it is a long hard road”.



“Just tell me how to start”.

So reluctantly, he said to get her name, age and address from the orphanage director.



I only got to spend a few more minutes with Lidia before we had to board our bus and move on. I hated leaving her there, but believed that one day I would take her home with me. Sadly, I did not get a chance to see her again before we flew back to America.





Once home, I knew I had to convince my husband to go along with the adoption. We had a two year old son already and I wasn’t sure my husband would go along with adopting a child.



I described her as best as I could and told him that I wanted her more than anything. So I asked him point blank, “Will you adopt this child with me?”



He thought for a few minutes then said, “I Don’t mind welcoming another child into our home, but frankly, I Don’t think we can afford to adopt her”.



Then I said, “I believe that God wants us to adopt her so, if I guarantee you that God will supply every dime we need to adopt her, will you go through with it?”



“Yes”



I was so excited; my heart was flipping in my chest. I couldn’t believe it. He said, “Yes”. So I began praying and planning. I prayed every day. I asked God if He really wanted me to adopt her. I prayed every single day for a year.



Then one day I was at a camp for the deaf learning sign language. The camp was Christian based and a minister spoke to us each morning. During a break, I decided to ask him a question that had been troubling me for awhile. I asked him, “How does a person know if God wants something to happen or if the person wants it so badly they just think God wants it.” His reply was simple but true enough. He said, “Pray for this thing every day and wait. Eventually, God will allow it to happen or you will lose interest. Then you’ll have your answer.”



So I kept praying for Lidia and the adoption. I wrote letters to everyone I knew that had money and could help me. I researched places that help with things like that. Our church helped out tremendously. They Donated items for a yard sale and some would just hand me cash and say, “This is for Lidia”.



When a year had passed, our church decided to do another mission trip to Romania. I wanted to go, but how do I finance the trip. Funny, but about the time the medical clinic where I worked decided to have after hours care and I was able to volunteer to work Saturday mornings. This little bit of extra pay would allow me to pay for my trip to Romania.



As I continued fundraising, the church had provided about $6,000 through the yard sales and Donations I kept writing letters to people and organizations. I still prayed everyday and waited.



When we arrived in Romania the second time, I wanted to find Lidia. A Romanian citizen named, Cati, helped me go see Lidia. In fact, she even talked the orphanage director into letting Lidia and her friend, Lumintia, come home with us to have dinner. At the dinner table that night, I popped the question, “Lidia, would you like for me to adopt you and bring you home to America to live with me?” As Cati translated, I could see the excitement in her eyes. “Da, Da” meaning ‘Yes, Yes’, she replied and ran to me with wide open arms. Then something unexpected happened. Her friend, Luminita, cried out, “What about me? Where is a mama for me?” My heart hurt for her so I said, “I’ll try to adopt you, too”. It was a fun and happy evening. That whole week flew by way to fast.



Back in America, I decided that it was time to hire an adoption agency. Right away I hired a Romanian agency to do the paperwork on their side. But when I looked for an American agency, I ran into a big road block. Apparently, US International Adoption agencies have to promise the US government that if one of their adoptions fail, they have to find another home suitable for that child. So when the agency found out that Lidia was already 12 years old and Luminita was 13, they would not accept my case. Each agency gave the same reply. We do not handle cases for someone of that age. Why don't you want to adopt a baby or a toddler? We can help with that. They just didn’t get it. I didn’t want a baby or toddler, I only wanted Lidia and Lumintia.



So, I kept praying. I asked God to help me find an agency that would help me. God is good, all the time. One day, I got a phone call from Pastor Bob. He had convinced an adoption agency in Tennessee to take my case. I was elated!



Working with the Tennessee agency was not easy. They sent me a packet to fill out and a list of things that had to be accomplished before the adoption could go through. The list was very long and none of it was simple. I had to get something called a home study done, but since my agent was in Tennessee and I resided in Georgia, I had to hire a third agency for this study. The study is very involved. The agent has to come to inspect your home, you and everyone in the home has to be interviewed, you have to have letters of recommendation from friends, you have to get a checkup for every family member that includes blood work and X-rays, you even have to get your septic tank inspected! Then the agency comes back every month for six months after you get your child to do an updated report.



All these requirements and many more had to be accomplished. All of them cost money, too. But I continued with prayer and plowed through all the tunnels and jumped through all the hoops.



Then one day I received a call from my Romanian agent. He said, “Carol, I have some bad news for you. The girl Luminita cannot be adopted. Her parents would not sign the paperwork for her to be adopted. I did not understand why they refused to allow Liminita to be adopted; after all, they had dumped her in an orphanage and left her there. But that was it. Luminita could not be adopted.



Then the Romanian agent continued, “Now about Lidia, We are still trying to locate her mother. It seems no one knows exactly where she lives. Also, because you are trying to adopt her, she is being picked on in the orphanage. If you want to continue with the adoption, she has to be moved. She can be placed in a Christian home, but it will cost $150 each month for her care“. I agreed.



I went back to God and prayed some more. He is faithful. So far I had been able to raise $9,000 dollars for the adoption.



In December, three days before Christmas, my car was rear- ended. My son and I were both hurt but not badly. I could not believe my luck. Now I have to get a new car. So I prayed some more. “God, you know all things and I know you know that I need a car, and I need money for Lidia’s boarding and I still lack seven thousand dollars for the adoption. But, Lord, I believe you want me to have this child and you will make a way.”

Slowly, but surely the check list of tasks the American agency had given me was being completed.



Another important thing that I needed was permission from the INS to adopt. I did eventually receive permission from the INS to adopt one child. For the INS we all had to get fingerprinted and background checked. As well as our finances had to be examined by them to ensure we could afford to take care of the newly adopted child.



At the end of May, which marked 2 years since I had first met Lidia, my Romanian agent called? We have success. You must send me a ‘power of attorney’ document so I can sign the adoption paper on your behalf. Then the adoption will be complete.



Immediately plans were in motion to get Lidia. The US adoption agency volunteered to go get Lidia and bring her back (for an extra fee – of course). But I said, “No way. She is a child, not a puppy; I will go and get her myself”.



So plans for the trip were made and since the airline ticket alone was 1400.00 each, I decided to go alone and use a power of attorney for my husband's signature.



The two nights before I left America, I once again prayed to God. "Most gracious Heavenly Father you have knocked down every road block during this adoption, I believe with all my heart that you want me to have Lidia in my life. We are down to the midnight hour and I am still short 7000 dollars to pay for the adoption and for Lidia's boarding at the christian home. But, Holy, God, you specialize in the midnight hour tasks. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. Thank you, Holy Father. Amen."



The very next morning the Geico Insurance representative showed up with a check for 7000 dollars - payment for my car that had gotten rear ended the December before. God is just so amazing isn't He?



So with cash strapped to my belly, I boarded the airplane.



Traveling as a large group has its advantages as usually customs would stop one of us and just wave the rest of us own through. But this time I was alone and they wanted to search my bags. This was a problem since I had a suitcase full of pharmaceutical drugs. On all of my previous trips I would always take one suitcase for my things and the second one full of medications for the doctors I knew in Romania. Can you imagine having the flu with no Tylenol? In Romania only the few rich people could afford such luxuries. But since I worked in the medical field, I could get boxes and boxes of medication for free. All the way from simple cold medication, to medication for high blood pressure, antibiotics, and even medication for depression. But this time

Upon arrival to the airport in Bucharest, Romania, I prayed for help as I came to customs. God and his almighty love protected me during the customs search.



The week before I had left America, I had collected thousands of drugs and 55 baseball caps. I had placed all the drugs in a pillowcase, pined it shut and put all the baseball caps on top. As it turned out, the customs officer picked the drug suitcase to open, but when all the baseball caps fell into the floor, he got frustrated and looked no farther. He was cussing in Romanian while he and two other officers quickly picked up the caps and stuffed them back in the suitcase.