On Saturday we drove 3 hours to Plovdiv to bring Joshua home. We meaning myself, Madeline and Marty (our driver) and Eva our translator. Stephanie and my daughter Nideya remained behind at the hotel because the car was not big enough. The ride was beautiful. It was beautiful when I was here in March but now it was especially beautiful being that the trees and fields were green.
When we arrived to his village, it began to really hit me. I was coming to get my son. He was to be no longer an orphan. We saw some of the other orphans playing outside and they were unaware that we were even there since they were on the other side of the house. We rang the door bell and were greeted by a nanny who was wearing all white and she and our translator exchanged a few words then she looked at me and smiled. She asked me something in Bulgarian and I just smiled and looked at the translator. "She is asking if you have missed Rossen". Oh yes, I nodded and smiled and she seemed very satisfied. When we reached upstairs and walked into the directors office, it really hit me.
The scene was so moving. Joshua Rossen was sitting back on the couch with his little legs dangling off the couch with his hands crossed "waiting" so well behaved while the director sat across in a desk with a mountain of papers. She was writing something or sorting some of them when we arrived and she stood up and greeted us. She had come in on Saturday to release him from the orphanage. This was very kind of her because most directors would not do this and make the family and child wait until a weekday. I appreciated that she came in. She asked me if I wanted to get him dressed or did I want one the nanny to do it and I said I would. I then folded his old orphanage clothes and handed it to the nanny. It was very old yellow worn clothes but I knew for sure it would be used on another child. I then signed 2 papers and received a hand shake. The translator and her reviewed some papers and my passport numbers to make sure the file was correct and I was then handed an old small photo album with pictures of Joshua that had been taken during his life in the orphanage. His orphanage had made it a point to take a picture every year on his birthday. He did have a cake during his brithdays. How sweet is that.
Joshua is a very calm easy child and he has done well so far. He just does not know how to hold a cup or feed himself at all, He is 7 years old and looks more like a 3 1/2 year old he is fitting into 24 month clothes perfectly. He grinds his teeth and rocks but he also sleeps all night and will come easily wherever I am sitting to sit on my lap. Thank you Father for adopting me and allowing me to adopt Joshua Rossen. thank you for taking care of him all these years and not letting him be forgotten. Thank you for everyone who has donated and prayed and sent beautiful messages helping us to make Joshua an "orphan no more".
