Brentwood couple headed to Siberia on Monday to meet three daughters

A year ago Brentwood's Alan and Kim Clark took a trip to Siberia to visit an orphanage where they planned to adopt three sisters through an independent adoption (agencies wouldn't handle the case since it involved older children.) But the independent adoption kept getting delayed by rounds of paperwork and then a treaty between the U.S. and Russia.

A couple of months ago, however, they received a follow-up call from an agency, and here's the latest update on one of our Adoption Angels families. (Alan is a pastor at Brentwood Church of the Nazarene, and Kim was the longtime choral teacher at Brentwood High School.)

By ALAN CLARK
Special to Brentwood Home Page

After 16 months of praying and waiting we finally received a referral last Friday at 3:30 p.m. It was the classic story of the couple who had everything ready to go to the hospital until the contractions started and everything went haywire.

I saw an email from European Adoption Consultants and knew that it was the referral for our children.  I forgot how to open email.  When I opened the email and saw pictures of our girls and information about our upcoming trip I forgot how to use my cell phone.  I just bought a new iphone and I couldn't remember Kim's number.  I couldn't remember where I had stored her information so I pulled up an old fashioned keyboard and with shaking hands I figured it out.

Kim answered and I asked if she had seen the email from EAC.  She obviously had not because at this point she was still calm and collected.  When she opened the email the phone went silent for a few minutes.  We both stopped talking and just sat stunned.

We had spent 16 months trying to do everything that we could to receive a referral through an independent adoption but every door was closed.  We had even traveled to the region and visited the orphanage.  Our children were in the other room but we could not meet them.

We had prayed for 491 days and nothing happened.  At 3:30 on Friday afternoon the 492nd prayer was answered, although the prayer was probably answered 491 days ago.

Kim and I travel to Chita Russia on Monday morning.   We arrive in Siberia on Wednesday, January 25th, and we have an appointment to meet our family that afternoon. The orphanage will have our 3 young ladies ready to meet us and we look forward to learning all about their personalities and the things that make them laugh.  We will have to make a total of 3 trips to the region before we can bring them home but we are determined to do what it takes.

Our home has been remodeled and redecorated to accommodate three children.  We decided to start acting like this was going to happen and even started parking in "Expectant Mother's Parking" places.

There are three Disney Princess dolls, some games, and a small guitar waiting their arrival.  If they arrive before Easter there will be three Easter dresses.

We will keep you in touch and send more messages as we go through this process.  Our church, Brentwood Church of the Nazarene, has carried us through this time and we cannot wait for our girls to meet the extended family that has prayed for them for 492 days.  I will post a blog on brentnaz.org if anyone wants to follow us while we are in Siberia.