Ian's Book

All glory to god for putting this special task into the hands of HF, Anna's mommy. Words can never be enough. We hope to leave this book with Ian when we are forced to leave him at the orphanage after our first trip. We don't want him to think we just left him and that we are not coming back.

What is Ian doing right now?

From the orphanage director:

For summer time the orphanage is closed and children go to the country to a summer "datcha" - kind of a summer camp but with better facilities (heating, running water, toilets), which is located in the woods on the Bay of Finland shore. So, they have a wonderful opportunity to spend summer months in the fresh air and be exposed to the nature.

This year they are going there on June 9 and will come back at the very end of August.

Bay of Finland

He's on his way back from summer "camp." Camp, however, is not at all like we think of camp. It is not for fun. It is not something children can choose to do. It is not summer camp like we see in the movies here in the US or that we send our own children off to. It is moving orphaned children from one spot to another. Ian still has no mom or dad or brother to go home to after "camp," and there was no glorious send off. I just remember, the word "camp" has meant a lot of very different things to millions of people in our worlds history.

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On a lighter note, Ian's little brother Ari, went to what we think of as a camp for kids, although not on the Bay of Finland - he went to our hometown Racine Zoo adventure camp for 3 year olds! He got to spend time with the wild zoo animals and make arts and crafts. He had a blast, the zoo is right along the shores of Lake Michigan, which was a beautiful and truly godly sight to see each morning when I dropped him off.

The Racine shoreline, where Ian will spend parts of his summers.

Ari's sporting the red Nike hat
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I went to summer camp too (the good kind of camp, where you choose to go and your family sends you off and mails you stuff and gives you cash to buy candy and junk food, and then comes back for you when camp is over), every year for many years when I was old enough to "sleep away."

Gretchen at Camp Anokijig circa 1979

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Finally, I was in my hometown of Racine, WI visiting family on the day I received news that I was qualified to adopt Ian. That same week, I sent my goddaughter Morgan off to the same sleep away camp that I attended as a kid, Camp Anokijig. It was cool to be there to bid her farewell.I can totally see Ari and Ian going off to Camp Anokijig together in about 5 years!

5,10,15,20,25,30....700!

So, we recently pulled out the Schoolhouse Rock DVD to play in the truck for Ari on the rides to and from school. Ari generally ignores most television and movies but for some reason, he is GLUED to this old school grammar rock stuff! We sing the songs too, which probably helps. We're geeks I know, we both love Schoolhouse Rock.

Anyway, the song about counting by 5's is a family favorite and since Ari has begun to count, it's way appropriate.

Today, I'm amazed to report, our adoption fund has grown by 10, 15, 700!...all in the space of a few hours because of one person and her action of an email. It comes now to me as simply no surprise that the connection to this person and my family is crazy! shall I? Yes, I think I shall:

First, her name is ROSE: The origin of the name ROSE has several meanings but generally, it symbolizes the Rose shrub. Roses are a universal symbol of LOVE. We LOVED my great Aunt Rose, and we LOVE what a new ROSE is doing for Ian (see next);


Second, she lives in Tarpon Springs, Florida: My great aunt ROSE, lived in New Port Richey Florida, which is why I have been to TARPON SPRINGS, many, many times (as evidenced by the annual family picture taken in front of Hella's Greek restaurant where we all scream "OPA" as the saganaki is lit a flame!. My great Aunt ROSE wished to live to see Ari, but she didn't make it, she died in New Port Richey after having lived more than 90 years (see next);


Third, we are at 2%: Because of ROSE's email to people we don't know and will likely never even meet, and because of ROSE's single largest donation we have received for Ian to date, today we moved from 1 percent to 2 percent on our $25K goal to save Ian!!!!


We have no words for ROSE (uh, well, except those ones above and the ones from our thank you letter), we just know that God moves and works in very mysterious and wonderful ways to connect people who were always meant to be connected, in one or two or three ways!

Oh happy day.