Bring Anya Home

Here are some very cool stories about divine intervention and adoption... I love stories like this- for us, those who believe in God and divine intervention, it is what keeps our Faith that God is in the middle of our process. It is also things like this that make our family and friends who aren’t so in-tune with divine intervention, think we are crazy!

On our trip to Russia about a month ago – we were to be met at the airport upon our arrival. The person who was meeting us was not someone we had ever met before. Of course when we got into the tiny airport, got our luggage – several taxi drivers were all over us wanting to give us a ride. We “Ya nee pa-nee-mai-ooo”ed our way out of that for over an hour. An hour and ½ into our wait, there was still no sign of anyone coming to pick us up. We would have taken one of the taxis, but we didn’t know where we were going. We realize that we have contact information for one of the coordinators in Russia who is helping us with the adoption – we get the number and look for a phone. Well, there are no pay phones at this airport. So we stand and wait some more… One particularly nice taxi driver seemed to be following us around. He spoke a little English, which was of some comfort when we were looking for the invisible pay phone. He brought over to us some people who worked at the airport to help us. They did not speak English either. After a brief conversation, they walked away. No help at all.

Over 2 hours, and several panic attacks later - this nice taxi driver offered to allow us to use his cell phone. We were able to get a hold of someone to come and pick us up! I hung up the phone, handed it back to the taxi driver and turned to tell my husband that I was able to get a hold of someone. As I turned back around to thank the taxi driver – he was gone. My DH (dear husband) went outside to look for him, to offer some money for allowing us to make a call on his phone, and he was gone and his car was gone. How a human could disappear THAT fast is beyond me.

Our coordinator did arrive – about 45minutes later. He had called back the number we called him from (the taxi driver’s cell) and the number was not in service. This is just one story in a long line of things that have happened to us on this adoption journey. It is amazing to us how God is taking a life-event like adoption, and continually testing our Faith and growing our Faith at the same time.


FROM AN ADOPTIVE MOM – ALLISON (taken from the FRUA chat board)

Hey everyone- I think some of you have heard the story by now about how difficult it was to get our VISAs & passports so we could get to Russia for trip one on the adoption of our little girl. For anyone that hasn't heard it, our trip was cancelled twice all in the same weekend due to Russian Consulate errors & FedEx errors right down to the wire. Our trip was scheduled for Sunday April 23 (7am) to fly out to Moscow, via Georgia. When the trip was finally back on, we went to bed Saturday night with FedEx telling us the VISA & passport package would be on our doorstep at 1am Sunday morning. A special package delivery with a "special" tracking number. Package never came. Flight was delayed. Then the flight came in & our package wasn't on it. We were up at 3am, so we could leave our house at 4am to leave for SeaTac, but with no package. I was calling FedEx trying to figure out what to do. They said nothing could be done because our package wasn't on the plane, even though it was "on" the plane when it left Chicago. No one would be looking for our package until 1-1:30pm Sunday afternoon in the SeaTac office when they reopened for the next FedEx flight. With much pleading in my nicest tone & explaining the situation over & over to FedEx dispatch, FedEx said a lady named Lydia in Seattle FedEx volunteered to go look for our package if we wanted to head for the airport. So we did. Lydia called us at 4:45am to say she was looking. At 5am she called to say she found it. She told us she was wearing a white shirt, blue jeans, & she's 5' tall. Where would she like us to meet? We told her & she met us at 5:25am at the Delta check-in. She brought us a yellow package with our necessary documents. I thought it odd it wasn't a FedEx package. She said they must have packaged it differently so it would stand out & they wouldn't lose it (something like that). We were chuckling over this because our package was of course, lost. She would forever be our angel for rolling out of bed & doing this on her own time! Well, now that things have settled down, I wanted to call FedEx & have her work & efforts noticed. I've spent portions of the last two days hunting her down. I told corporate FedEx that because of Lydia, we were able to get in & out of Russia, sign our adoption paperwork and have it all in within one day of Russia suspending international adoption. Because of Lydia, our adoption is possible. FedEx has no record of her!!!! SeaTac airport has no record of her!!! There is no FedEx employee named Lydia. Everyone is astonished at hearing this story. Multiple employees I've called at corporate FedEx said they of course want to hear such wonderful stories about their employees and they are so grateful I'm calling. They want to hear all about this type of thing, especially for an adoption. But they've had me on hold several times and called me back multiple times by multiple people telling me they have no record of such an employee. They are dumbfounded as to how such person could have gotten into FedEx to get us our package. I asked a FedEx lady today on the phone "do you believe in angels?" She said she got goosebumps all over. So now the management for Sunday April 23 FedEx at SeaTac airport is on this, as well as SeaTac airport management & security. They want to know how this could have happened. I'm wondering if the next thing they tell me is that my yellow package "didn't exist". I'm quite organized & still have my tracking number. They'll probably tell me my tracking number doesn't exist. I was told on April 23 four times that her name is Lydia. FedEx dispatch said her name is Lydia, then I talked to her twice.... each time she said her name is Lydia, and when she came with the documents she told Francis her name is Lydia. There's no mistake there. The only other employee with a name close to that is a "Lillian" and she wasn't there that day. Believe in angels? -Alison (Here's an update) I've still been looking for Lydia today. I talked to FedEx twice. They called me back the second time to tell me that a "Lori" logged into the FedEx system April 23 and said Francis was the recipient of our package. "Lori" signed in as an employee of United Air. Now, at United Air we're trying to figure out who Lori is. Is Lori "Lydia"? Is Lori someone who just recorded the info? Still unanswered questions. United Air asked around today and their 2 Lori's don't fit the description of our story. We still can't seem to find the actual person who gave us our package!!!!! United Air is looking and will call me back. I told them I just want to thank whoever gave me the package. I want to send them a picture of us & our little girl. FedEx has has no record of a Lydia still and neither does SeaTac airport. FedEx does however want to know how Lori logged into their system & (how someone) got our package out of FedEx cargo. -Alison (Another update) And my first call from FedEx today was to inform me that my tracking number is NOT a tracking number. I'm not surprised. They said the number I claim to be a tracking number is a "workorder/joborder". The wonders never cease. An adopting acquaintance of mine sent me the bible verse today: Exodus 23:20 "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared." Wow. What a blessing!!! For certain, FedEx, SeaTac airport, my family, and now many many friends, family members, and acquaintances, want to know who or what are Lori and Lydia? FedEx thinks this is just FABULOUS!! They do find it disconcerning though that someone got in their cargo area to get my package. They want to know how that happened. Angels. Have a great night. -Alison