How This Is All Possible

Last Saturday BoyOne was baptized. It was a great day. So many of his friends and family came to support him. This was important to him and made a big impact, as I don't think that he's ever known that kind of love before. Thanks to all of you for supporting him in the different ways that you do. We love and appreciate you so much.

The morning was great/crazy trying to get everyone out the door. BoyOne had gone camping with his scout group the night before and made it home in time to shower and get ready. He was bugged that I made him shower before being baptized. I guess he thought a dunk in the water would do the job. haha.

To start the program, we had our translator give the opening prayer in Russian. We really wanted BoyOne to understand what was being said and to feel the Spirit. We felt that this would help with both of those things and we were right. Our translator is awesome and we are infinitely grateful to him for the time he has taken to come and be with our crazy family while BoyOne was taught about the gospel of Jesus Christ. His influence and example to BoyOne is priceless. He sat by BoyOne the rest of the time to translate everything that was said.

Two of BoyOne's closest friends spoke during the program part of the baptism. These fourteen year old boys have made an enormous positive impact on our son and we are so grateful for them. They prepared their talks themselves and delivered them so well. Now I know at least one reason why we were supposed to move here.

At One and Two's baptisms, the girls all sang a song together and thus a tradition was born. So, at this baptism, the girls were prepared to sing this song once again. We sing this particular song all. the. time. It's a favorite for on the way to church or school, before bed and while doing hair. They know the words in their sleep. When it was time for the song, the girls came from all parts of the chapel we were in, they were each sitting with different friends or family members. One, Two, and Three were up front and waiting for Four. When she finally came up to the front, she came running down the isle, barefoot, hair streaming behind her. She climbed up on the stool that was in front of the microphone, grabbed onto the handle, and caught her breath, which meant we all got to hear her heavy breathing. It was funny. We also were able to hear Three try to shush her. During the song, the older three somehow managed to forget the words to this song, but Four pressed on. Classic.

We baptize by immersion and when Huz baptized him, BoyOne's knee popped up out of the water, so he was baptized again. BoyTwo thought this a fabulous event and gave a shout out to Huz. "Three, Papi!! Three!!" Afterwards, while still in the water, Huz hugged BoyOne, who then tried to splash water on him and get him wet. haha again.

Originally we had planned for Huz's father to give the closing prayer, however, BoyOne surprised us all by wanting to give the prayer himself. I'm sure it was a difficult thing for him to do, there were so many people in attendance and he is fairly new to the whole prayer thing anyhow. His prayer was beautiful though, and heartfelt. We are so proud of him. As I said in the post prior, he continues to surprise us.

The baptism was followed by a late lunch back at our house which, according to BoyOne, was "a big good job." Again, he's never had so many people care so much about him and his personal welfare. Ever. Plus, he likes food.

He finished his day by snowboarding with his friends. And watching a scary movie.

"Today big good job."

Speaking of scary things, both boys have been very 'scary' lately. That's what they call being scared. They believe in ghosts and witchcraft and zombies and tell us all the time about their Ukraine experiences involving these things. Generally speaking, Ukrainians tend to be a superstitious people, so you can imagine the attention these things are given. It's both saddening and maddening to hear these stories.

Speaking of stories, we have been hearing so many from both boys about their pasts. My natural instinct as both a human being and their mother is to want to be able to say something or do something to try to make things better or to make them go away, but the reality is that these things happened and it is a very real, raw part of their lives. A part that I wish we could just delete or make go away. As I think about these things and try to figure out what I can do to make it all better, I know that I cannot do anything. That's a little discouraging knowing you can't just fix something. It's also a little scary not knowing how these things will affect the rest of their lives. As I ponder, I realize that I DO know the answer to making all of this better. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I had the opportunity to bear my testimony in church the day after the baptism. I hadn't planned on doing so, but as I sat there, I was overwhelmed with the knowledge that the atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ, can remedy the broken things in this world. Not only can He help, He wants to help, it is the sole reason He came to earth. To look at where we are right now, versus oh, say, mid-September, is nothing short of a miracle. Go back and read. You'll agree. The entire process of getting the boys here, having them here, and watching how their temporal and spiritual lives have changed and continue to change is miraculous. And it is not anything that we have done. The only way that any of this was made possible is through a very loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They are the reason we chose to adopt. They are the reason we were able to adopt. They are the reason we were able to get through the adoption, the reason that it actually and finally happened. Because of Them, the boys are grateful for snowmen, mandarin oranges and being safe while they sleep. Because of Them they have a reason to believe that they have worth as human beings. They make it all possible. Not for one second do I believe any of this could have happened without Them. Not for one second.

And if all of that wasn't enough to convince you, BoyOne, of his own accord, chose to share his testimony in church also. He did so in his native tongue. Although the words he spoke were only partially understood by me and one other woman in the congregation, the Spirit that was present was felt and understood by all. Him standing there, testifying of Jesus Christ, having a family, feeling the Spirit, and then sharing it, that my friends, is the very essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.