Oksana's Story

A new sister. I was ecstatic and every night I bounced my way to my parents bed. My blonde curls flew behind me, and my Kim Possible nightgown tangled in my legs. I slid across the hardwood floor, my fuzzy socks beneath me, all the way to my parents room. I jumped onto their tall bed, sat, and waited until my mother and father laid down beside me. I would pray, "God, please give me a sister with blonde hair and blue eyes so she can look just like me." Every night for a year and a half I prayed this prayer until finally we traveled to Russia. My parents traveled before me, and the process of picking a child began. They traveled on a blind referral, meaning they didn't know the child they would adopt before traveling. I stayed home and later learned of the hardships they went through during this period. Over the short period of time they were in Russia they saw four little girls. The first child was a little girl who had several medical issues. After consulting with the International Specialist they realized she was not a good fit for our family and declined. My father said this was one of the hardest decisions he ever made. Realizing he had the ability to give this girl hope and opportunity in the United States, opportunity she might never have, was extremely hard for him and my mom. She wasn't the only child they would have to decline due to medical issues and with a devastated heart my parents declined two more. They were scheduled to leave the region the next day, and with a heavy heart they decided to leave. They called Lena, our interpreter, who stated she would try and get one more referral for my parents before they left, but they decided even if she could not get another one they would leave the country. At 11:30 that morning my parents got a call that they had one more child they could see. They met with the pediatrician before seeing her who stated, "this little girl is good as gold," and after discussing the child's medical conditions they realized there was none to be concerned about. My parents said as soon as Oksana Stanislanova Rechkina walked in the room they knew she was the one. She had light blonde hair and big blue eyes, just like I prayed for. They did not have time to review with the International Specialist before making their decision, but decided Oksana was worth the risk. They signed the papers to agree to the adoption, and made their journey back to North Carolina. After several months of waiting for a court date, they finally received one and this time brought me along for the journey. We arrived in Russia. Our breath mingled with the chill in the air as we breathed out in relief. The trip was long, and we were happy to finally be standing on land. The ground was covered by a layer of snow, and my heart was beating fast as my six year old self listened to the thousands of voices all speaking a language I didn't know. Our trip wasn't done and soon we were back on the flight until we landed in the city where Oksana was from. Several days of paperwork and we finally got to go to the orphanage. But I didn't get to go in. The fear of sickness kept me out. I sat in the back of an unfamiliar man's car in an unfamiliar city and country. I fell asleep only to wake to a moment my mother never likes to talk about. When all the horror had passed, I finally had the chance to meet my sister. Her hair was light blonde, comparable to the snow on the ground, and her eyes were bright blue and wide. She was scared, but she was lovely. After a few weeks I had to go home due to my VISA expiring, but my dad stayed. Time passed and it was finally time to bring my sister home. I waited at the airport for their arrival, my whole family by my side, and when I saw them I was ecstatic. There in a stroller, covered by a pink blanket, sat my sister. After many tears and smiles we went home and settled into our new life. This adoption was not easy for my family. We were taught lessons of hard faith and staying strong even through the trials. At the age of six I saw God's wonderful love for His creation. He answers prayers. The Bible says to have faith like a child, which is the example my parents showed me and the example I try to follow today. In all things Christ is present. In the midst of trial when all hope is lost He has a plan. Growing up with my sister has been a trial, and I'm not going to act like it's been perfect. We have gone through many trials, but through it all I have learned hard life lessons. I have learned lessons of patience and staying strong, perseverance and faith. I have seen God work in crazy ways and know His plans are always sufficient. But this assurance takes faith, a faith the world needs, faith like a little girl in a Kim Possible nightgown.