Coming Home!!!

Birth certificate? Check. Passport? Check. Visa? Check. Everything we need to make the trip home tomorrow is now in our hands. Hallelujah! The long and short of the story is that despite some quirky, yet significant last minute obstacles, our "steps were not hampered." It is almost unreal--it hasn't quite hit us honestly--how God once again displayed His faithfulness in this process. He is indeed God! Such confirmation. Much more to share when we return. (By the way, Max was a trooper today--and special thanks to our in-country coordinator George and Jeff's dad. Couldn't have done it without them!)

Our flight out of Budapest is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. tomorrow, so one more swim in the pool before we pack everything up and head for America. We've been telling Max all day about this--can't imagine what's he's thinking. It's going to be a LONG day. (Home in Indy at 12:15 a.m. Thursday.) We so appreciate your prayers and love to you all!

Budapest

We've arrived! It's been a good-but full-last 48 hours or so. Friday a.m. we made the 2+ hour trek to Mateszalka, Max's home region, to obtain the birth certificate. Maximilian Janos Unruh is now official! (Some time in the past few days Max has picked up on the "Unruh" and has started using it--super cute. Today he said, "Mommy Unruh, Daddy Unruh, Jana Max Unruh.") The whole process took about an hour--very efficient, no pomp and circumstance.

We arrived back in our "home town" in time for Jeff to meet his dad walking from the train station. We both burst into tears when we saw him. He has been a tremendous help with Max and a moral support for Max's parents. The tootsie-pops he brought were an instant hit!

Yesterday passed by quickly, as we packed the things in the apartment, showed Granddad around town, and Jeff and Angie had their first outing without a three-year-old by their side in over a month. It was a cold and dreary day, making it all the easier to say good-bye to Hajduszoboszlo.

This morning we left for Budapest at 8:00 sharp, all bags packed and in the van. Max seemed excited and kept saying, "Budapest, Budapest." Around 11:00 this morning, we checked into our hotel, very close to the Danube. Thankfully, there is a playground close by and a pool in the hotel. We hope to explore the city a little more in the next couple of days, especially because our room is small and does not provide a lot space for an active little guy to play. Fortunately, he went down for his nap, and we're typing this right next to him as he is sleeping on his bed.

We're very thankful to be on this last part of our journey. We continue to appreciate your prayers! Tomorrow we go to get his passport and on Tuesday his visa to the States. Please pray that all of this can be done without any glitches in the process. God continues to provide exactly what we need daily. In just a few days, we get to introduce our little guy to you--we can't wait!!!

Day 29

Today marks the 29th day we have had Max in our care. We sat last night making a list of all the ways he has grown and progressed since Day 1--a terrific exercise in perspective, especially for 2 people with perfectionist tendencies! Some days still feel like a rollercoaster ride, but "two steps forward and one step back" is a more apt description. Tomorrow we officially become Max's parents--surreal! We continue to be both excited and scared! (This is probably healthy :))

Some of you have asked about providing meals for us once we arrive back in Indy. How could we refuse?! Our dear friend Lisa Miller is organizing this effort and asked us to post the link below if you are interested. Thanks so much!

http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=VZPH2843

Final Days

Dear family and friends,

As we anticipate the end of our time here in Hungary, we want to thank you for your faithful prayers and words of encouragement. God has used them to sustain us over these past 5 weeks. The next few days are of great import in finishing the process and getting home.

Friday--we travel to Mateszalka to gain official custody of Max and obtain his birth certificate. Please pray for the 4 hour round trip and no glitches in paperwork.

Jeff's dad is also expected to arrive here in Hajduszobloszo that afternoon. Please pray for his safety and smoothness in travel.

Sunday--we leave for Budapest. Please pray for ease in packing everything up and this first of several transitions for Max.

Monday--first thing in the morning we go to apply for Max's passport. That afternoon he has an appointment with a doctor for a required report. Please pray again for no glitches in paperwork and peace for Max as he is examined.

Tuesday--in the afternoon we have to get a visa for Max to travel. This is the wild card in terms of timing. Hard to guarantee. Please pray that we will be able to obtain it either that afternoon or first thing Wednesday a.m.

Wednesday--flight leaves from Budapest at 1:30 p.m. Arrives in London 3:30 p.m. Leaves for Chicago @ 5:30 p.m. Arrives in Chicago @ 10:30 p.m. Leaves for Indy at 11:30 p.m. Arrives in Indy @ 12:25 p.m. (6 hour time difference between here and Indy). Jeff's dad is with us through Chicago. Please pray for safety and timeliness in travel as well as for Max and us with this marathon travel day.

Thanks again to all of you. We're hanging on to this verse sent to us today by our friend Kathryn:

"When you walk, your steps will not be hampered . . ." Proverb 4:12

Love to you all!

J & A

An Outing

For a change of pace, we decided to visit the big city, Budapest, yesterday. Our destination was a big mall, just outside of Buda--the city is divided by the Danube River into Buda and Pest. Through our agency, we hired a driver to drive the 2 3/4 hour there. Max did really well driving there, as he was mesmerized first by the scenery (tractors in fields, trucks on the highway, etc.) and later by the busyness of the city. We spent four hours at the mall, very similar to Castleton Square Mall, with a smallish aquarium attached. Carting a three-year-old around was daunting, a new experience for these fledgling parents. What a new vantage point we now have! Around every corner seemed to lurk another "mine field," aka. window displays, coin-operated motorized rides, elevators, escalators. Overall, Max did pretty well, and the stroller soon became our friend. Mom and Dad were excited to go to McDonald's in the food court(I think we both have reached a new low in that statement), but Max was too captivated by all that was going on to notice his Chicken nuggets or fries. Just a side note, not all McDonald's burgers are created equally--Hungarians often use a combo of pork and beef in their burgers. We also ventured into the aquarium. The highlights there were the stingrays, the shark tank, and the ice cream. We strategically planned the last hour to buy some necessities at H & M and TESCO. On the journey home, Max slept for 20 minutes, and by the last hour we were all ready to be home. All in all, he did amazingly well and his mom and dad learned some new tips as well. It was nice to be out of town and see new scenery, but we so appreciated the routine that we have established as we've been in Hajduszoboszlo. Having said that, however, our routine changed a little today because temps dropped by 20 degrees, making jackets and closed-toe shoes necessary. All of a sudden, it feels like a ghost town here without spa-goers/people out of doors. Did we already say we're counting the days? :)

Jeremiah 31:25--"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint."

What's in a Name?

As many of you know, the name on our son's official birth certificate (which, by the way, will say that he was born in Carmel, Indiana--how weird is that?!)will read Maximilian Janos Unruh. Here in Hungary he's actually known as Jana (pronounced yah-na). That's what we called him while we were visiting him in his foster home. Since then we've been addressing him as Jana-Max. It's funny to hear him repeat it back to us--sounds like Jana-Maks. Next week we plan to start dropping the Jana and just going with Max, so by the time you meet him, we think he'll understand that you are talking to him when you call him Max.

Speaking of names, the town we are calling home is Hajduszoboszlo, a name we are still practicing to pronounce. So, what is it like? Apparently it's the vacaction destination of many Hungarians and surrounding countries--Romanians, Slovakians, and Germans. Hearing English is rare; we can count on one hand the number of times we've heard English. It's famous for its thermal baths, and it began growing as a resort destination in the 20's. Think of a cross of a little beach town, minus the ocean, and a big waterpark. Interestingly enough, the waterpark boasts iodine baths, which are supposed to be good for one's health; these baths are a brownish/reddish color (no, it doesn't stain the skin) and are actually quite relaxing. As the season is turning, the outdoor activities are closing, but we hope to try the indoor pool next week. Many of the houses have red-tiled roofs, stucco exteriors, and are very charming. We've enjoyed walking many of the streets and feel like we have a good grasp of the area. It's known for having good weather during the warmer months. How thankul we are for 28 days in a row of sunny weather!

Stats and Scriptures

For those of you who like numbers, this is the low-down of our day:

10.5--average number of hours Max sleeps/night

90--average number of minutes he naps

2--daily trips to the playground

4--average number of walks

5-4-3-2-1--our signal using fingers that it's time to transition; also the number he can count to in English

1--daily trip to grocery store (Whoever invented the grocery cart with a kid-sized car attached--Thank you!)

6--the number of times we've been on the local "train" that gives a tour of town

10--number of minutes Max watches Curious George, Harry the Dirty Dog, Pooh, or Thomas the Train

On a more serious note, here are some scriptures that have been particularly meaningful to us in the last few days:

Psalm 13:5
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

John 1:12-13
Yet to all who recieved Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

James 1:19b-20
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry because our anger does not produce the righteous life that God desires.

Lamentations 3:22-24
Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail; they are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for Him."

Thanks to all of you who have been following our blog and responding in various ways. It feels a little self-indulgent at times. We can't wait to catch up with you when we return. In the meantime, we love hearing about your news!

Countdown

In our last entry, we mentioned we are in our final countdown. This is something we'd love for you to be praying about even now as we anticipate our last days here in Hungary. We will receive official custody of Max on Friday, October 14. My dad arrives in Hajduszoboszlo that afternoon. We'll spend Saturday here and leave for Budapest on Sunday the 16th. On Monday and Tuesday we will be working on the necessary legal paperwork to get Max's birth certificate and passport completed. We are due to fly out at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday the 19th. Please pray that each document can be processed and in our hands so that we can leave on time. We are so ready to come home as we have things awaiting us and getting our flights changed at that last minute could be really difficult.

We continue to thank God for the amazing weather we've had here--24 days of sunshine in a row--and the bonding that is happening with Max. He seems more and more settled and more and more responsive to us--particularly when we need to say "no." Susannah and Marta's visit was such a boost; it was hard to see them go. Your prayers and words of encouragement as well as what God has been showing us through His word remind us of His faithful presence here.

A Reprieve

The last few days with my dear friend have been such a gift! Besides being able to catch up and meet her precious little girl (Sus was my freshman roommate and one of my closest friends throughout college--we pledged KKG together), she has brought a much needed perspective on our dynamic with Max, a chance to laugh often AND speak English, a nice change of pace, and some face-to-face encouragement. Marta has been a good buddy for Max, in a big brother/little sister way.

Kudos to both Max and Marta! We ate at a nicer restaurant last night and had to wait some minutes before bread was brought. All in all, they were golden for 45 minutes! All three of the adults were a little in awe and thankful...

We had our 1/2 way check-in with our social worker here, her bosses, and our translator this morning. The general consensus was positive on both sides: They will make a recommendation for us to adopt Max on Oct. 14 in Mateszalka, the town near Max's village, and we said, "He's our boy." So, two more weeks to go--thanks for praying us through each step (literally).

48 Hours

Here are some highlights of the last 48 hours with our son (in no particular order):

1) Watching him laugh hysterically as he filled some cheap sand toys we bought with tiny pasta and scatter them all over the floor of our apartment

2) Listening to him "sing" "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" with us as we take our nightly post-dinner stroll

3) Renting bikes and riding to the edge of town to pick up some groceries at the TESCO (European version of Wal-Mart)

4) Repeating phrases from U2's "All That You Can't Leave Behind" while "helping" mommy wash dishes (Shout out to the Miller family! :)

5) Seeing him interact with kids of all ages including Angie's friend's one-and-a-half year-old daughter Marta, sharing his cars and food with her

Susannah and Marta arrived this evening. Hooray! How incredible it is to have a conversation with another adult entirely in English! Seriously, the timing of this visit is perfect and will help sustain us through the rest of our time here.

As we listened to our pastor Dave's sermon from James 1 on-line last night, we couldn't help but pause at the phrase "every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above." We have received so many gifts from Him directly and through His people. Wish we had time to share them all with you--we are keeping a list!

Testing and Trusting

It's been reassuring to hear from so many of you that Max sounds like a typical 3year-old--favorite word is "no" (or "nem" in our case), patience comes in small doses, and tantrums come randomly and for no apparent reason! It feels good to know we are not alone! There have been some truly encouraging moments and observations in the last couple of days, too. Max is starting to put together a couple of 2 word phrases ("wash hand" and "brush teeth," for example) and his English vocabulary is expanding quickly. He's been listening and obeying a little better-- a good sign of trust. He did very well at a cafeteria-type restaurant we tried for lunch today (first time to eat out!). And we've seen him interact with other kids at a couple of the playgrounds we frequent here in town. He's enthralled watching them, and when he engages, is helpful, shares well, and plays very nicely. We've been seriously impressed! He is definitely a social boy and will love playing with his cousins and friends from church!

We are doing well--as long as we continue to remind ourselves "one day at a time." Right now the monotony of everyday life in a place that is not "home" is taking its toll a bit. Fortunately, we have something very special to look forward to this week! Angie's college friend Susannah and her daugther Marta who now live in Macedonia are coming to visit us on Tuesday for a few days! We can't wait!

P.S. Max seems to be doing just fine after his tumble the other day--a scraped shoulder seems to be the lingering effect. We are so grateful!

Oh, Crash--Part 2!

Yesterday afternoon was our initiation into the world of scary and helpless parenting moments. After an enjoyable second time at the waterpark, Max wasn't looking where he was going and took a hard tumble, scraping his shoulder and bumping his head. Needless-to-say, he was scared and upset! We took him to the first aid on-site where a medic checked him out--this scared him some more--but helped reassure us. After a couple of phone calls to our contacts here, we decided collectively to keep a watch on him through the night. This morning he seemed back to his old self. A lot of details skipped...but once again God met our needs in the right ways and time.

As an aside, we realize that Max's and our frustration at times is the language barrier. Any adoption experiences out there that could speak into this?

We also wanted to share the time-line for the rest of our time here in Hungary. Our 30-day bonding period ends on Oct. 14 when we get official custody. Sunday the 16th we travel to Budapest and on Monday and Tuesday sign all the paperwork, birth certificates, passports, etc. for Max. Our flight out is Wednesday, Oct. 19th. and our anticipated return is 12:25a.m. (6:25 Hungarian time) on the 20th. It will be one long day, but Jeff's dad Dave will be helping us on the return flights....How we anticipate that day!

P. S. For those of you who have tried to post but have not been able to, somebody recommended hitting "preview" and then "post comment."

Oh, Crash!

One of the first words Max picked up with us was "crash"--from playing with Matchbox cars. Somewhere along the way he added the word "oh" before it. He repeats it several times throughout the day--most of the time it makes sense in context--like when we are walking and go over bumps in the stroller. Speaking of bumps and crashes, we feel like we're hitting a few right now. Some of this is basic 3 year-old stuff; some of it is transition and grieving a lost life. We understand this is part of the process; nonetheless, it is wearing on us. As we mentioned before, Max comes from a very little village where he had free reign of the place; everyone knew him and he knew everyone--a far cry from the little resort city and apartment we are staying in where he/we know no one. He does much better outside than in. He has pretty much stopped playing inside altogether and simply waits for the next time to go outside (which has been 2x the amount of time we've spent indoors)--occasionally with patience, but more frequently with meltdowns. We could really use your prayers for wisdom and discernment on how to approach this as well as for Max that God would calm his heart and mind. Fortunately, God gives us some "breathers" and some really sweet moments together in the midst. Thanks everyone for listening and praying.

Waterpark

One of the words that Max is recognizing right now in his First Words book is fish; it's very appropriate because he loves to swim and do anything in water, including washing his hands multiple times a day (actually, we have limit his time in the sink)! We discovered how much he loves to swim today at the waterpark in the town where we're living. It was a hit! There was a cool water pool with a huge pirate's ship and another one with iodine in it that was fed by hot springs that are common here in Hungary. We also witnessed once again how friendly he is as he shared with other kids and talked freely with other adults (How we wish we knew what he is saying--it's both endearing to watch and a little nerve-wracking!) Eating and potty are still inconsistent, but we guess that's par for the course right now. Another favorite object is the umbrella stroller we brought with us. Max either pushes it, letting us know that our aid is not neeeded, or contentedly rides in it for hours (literally). We take a walk every night before bed and usually another one during the day. Daily grocery trips are also part of our walks.

Your continued prayers, encouragement, scriptures, and comments on the blog and via e-mail echo and inspire what we have asked God for--it's incredible!

Date Night

Overall, a positive day. Walked with Max (strolling most it) for over 3 hours at different times. He loves being outside. Melting down around meals and during "transitions." Can I get an AMEN?! So, we're going to keep it short tonight. Date Night here in Hungary for the Unruhs! We're going to watch a FAMILY TIES episode on a dvd we brought and drink some seltzer water while Max sleeps. :) WE MISS YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Broken trash bags, melt-downs, and bed, bath, and beyond?

So, when is there a Hefty bag when you need one? Somehow the trash bag broke and everything went all over the floor, dinner was not quite done, and our little guy was melting down. I guess this is Parenting 101? The culmination of the last few days has now set in for Max; it was a hard day. We can't imagine how a three-year-old processes what he has just been through. It was off-set, however, by the very sweet bath time. He loved playing with some bath toys in our make-shift shower/tub and cuddling on his daddy's lap. Thankfully, as well, he walked by himself to bed, got in, and fell asleep within a few minutes...pretty cute.

Can I just brag on my wife for a moment? She was AMAZING with Max tonight--such a comfort to our son in the midst of it all. Of course, I'm sure this is not hard for most of you to imagine. :)

P.S. We heard some of you have been unable to post on our blog. Thanks for your e-mails and facebook message. We wish we could do something to change that. Checked our settings again tonight, but couldn't find anything. But we're about as technically illiterate as they come. Any help out there?!

SURVIVOR Adoption

First of all, a few things to thank God for today:

1) Our health (although Max came with a bit of a cold--fortunately, we do have some meds for him)

2) Gorgeous weather--10 days in a row! (Being outside is huge!

3) Our Hungarian--aka NO English translation--cell phone was out of service for 24 hours (great story but too long for here), but was, dare we say it, miraculouly restored today.

So many great things about the adoption process/people--our coordinators, our agency, etc.-- here in Hungary, but 30 days living in a foreign country with almost no English spoken around us in a small apartment with an active 3 year old and none of our family or community here with us does remind us of the tv show SURVIVOR.

Two awesome things about today with Max. He's atarting to pick up several English words (boy, baby, yes, foot, and crash) and will probably be bi-lingual at least for a short time in the near future. We think he's going to be a real chatterbox in his new language! And he took his first nap with us. We "imitated" how to do it--and after a few tears, he fell asleep sitting up against Angie. So cute! Bath was rough tonight, but he crawled right into bed. Poor guy is exhausted. Mommy and Daddy need some sleep now, so thanks to you all for reading, praying, posting, and loving us so well over the miles.

It's 8:45 p.m. here in Hungary on Thursday, and as we write, our little guy is asleep in the next room. He fell asleep about an hour ago--exhausted (no nap either day). Pretty much the same story last night, although it took a bit longer and some newly acquired parental creativity! But we get ahead of ourselves . . .

So hard to put the last 2 days into words, and we're both English majors. :) Overall, it's been an unbelievable transition so far. Here's the quick hour by hour:

Wednesday
7 a.m. Leave apartment for Mateszalks, drive 2 hours
9-11 a.m. Hungarian immigration paperwork
11-11:30 Drive to Max's foster home
11:30 to 12:45 Lunch, gather a few of Max's things, quick goodbyes
12:45 to 4:30 Travel "home" with sidetrip to to photos for Max's passport
4:30-7:15 Settle in, dinner, playground, shower, bed
7:15-8:15 "Sleep" alongside Max
8:15-10 Regroup, thank God, pack some things for Thursday, go to bed

Thursday
5:45 Up and get ready
6:15 Wake Max up
6:45-10 Drive to Budapest
10-11:15 Appointment with American Consulate
11:15-12 Lunch, check out hotel for end of trip
12=3:45 Return trip home
3:44-7:30 Jeff takes Max to playground to give Ang some time, Ang plays with Max so Jeff can run, Dinner, walk and ice cream, shower, bed for Max (after just a few tears)
7:30 to now Check in with each other and check e-mail

Hopefully, this gives you a bit of the picture of the last 2 days. It's been non-stop. Max is a TROOPER. He's hung in there through everything--all that time in the car, and he's only been half an hour from his home before in this life. Totally engaged. No tears. He's responding to us, calling us mommy and daddy already. There's definitely a connection between the 3 of us. And he's super cute--but VERY active. We're exhausted. How do you all who are parents do this, seriously? God has been so good to us through it all. We feel incredibly blessed. But it's hard doing this on our own. One day at time.

I think we'll say this every post because we mean it with all our hearts--THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORDS AND PRAYERS!

Answered Prayers

Family and Friends--Angie commented that we are like watering pots as we read your comments on the blog. We weep--literally. And we'll say it every day just to remind you that we totally believe your prayers on behalf are being answered. Let us give you 3 quick examples.

One we hadn't even had a chance to share with you yet. Apparently our paperwork had been wired here but had not physically arrived. We found this out on Monday--we were able to send out an e-mail to contacts here and heard that it actually arrived within the past 24 hours. Would have been so hard to face delays or, worse, lost paperwork. So thankful.

Two. A shout out to Sara and the Moores at Northpoint Homeschool Co-op for covering all the bases for Angie while we are gone.

Three. Our "test" car ride with Max was in the words of one of our coordinators, "one of the best" he's seen. First trip a few tears and reluctance to get in the car seat at first. He sat with his foster mom in the back, but eventually climbed into the seat all on his own! We couldn't believe it! After another half an hour, we went out for round 2. This time--no tears and he got in the car seat on his own! No foster mom, just us and the coordinators. We drove for about 20 minutes and kept him entertained. Again, prayers answered--we were pretty nervous but sensed God with us giving a peace that cannot be explained.

We have no guarantees for tomorrow. But we will trust and take one step at a time. Can't wait to tell you all so much more in person. We love you.

P.S. We had a wonderful dinner out tonight--probably the last for quite a while--here in the town we're staying.

Day 3 in Max's village

Your posts brought tears to our eyes as we read your messages--thank you! We're hanging on to each word we read and TRULY grateful for each prayer, as they really keep us going (so mean that!). Honestly, we might be freaking out without sensing God's involvement through you and through scripture and/or devotions that have spoken directly to us--so like God.

Today was another long car ride (4+ hours round trip)to see Max. We'll be glad for those to be over! His village is nestled close to the Romanian border, picturesque but poor. Each day we've gone on a walk down his lane to a pond by which is a tiny church, built in 1327. He seems quite curious about it. We even went in yesterday before services. A couple people from the village talked highly of him to us, in Hungarian, of course, which our translator shared with us. Two older women were very dear and almost seemed to be giving a blessing on the adoption. There was a short trip to get ice cream, which was our first venture in the car together, although the foster mom was with us. Tomorrow we'll go on a longer ride in preparation for Wednesday. By the end of our time today, he was tired and ready for his nap, but not ready for us to go--a very good sign. There will be many tears on Wednesday, as we are taking him from everything he knows--a very small village in which he knows everybody and has freedom to roam, the very loving foster family, and his language. Big picture, this is the right step but anticipating that this will be hard for all us in the next few days.

Prayer Requests

Just finished watching the weekend service video opener from Grace on-line while we had dinner. Gave us a little taste of what we missed--definitely find ourselves straddling 2 worlds! We were very moved both by the stories and headlines we've been surfing on the internet. We have a new appreciation of technology and our country!

Our second day with Max was much like the first. We did some exploring outside and playing inside. We even spent about 15 minutes looking through a picture book of My First Words and beginning to work on some English. Meanwhile, we are trying to learn a few key phrases in Hungarian--can't tell you how hard this is, particularly "gy" which is some incredibly difficult combination of g, y, d, and h (we have no sound like it in English!), but it shows up in the word "vagy" which means "are you" which is absolutely necessary to know! Anyway, we caught a glimpse of Max's independent spirit, but he was also responsive, even to us. We're working hard to take charge as mommy and daddy . . . we're in the "handing over the reigns" stage in tranisitioning authority. And this is where we would ask for your prayers specifically. We have 2 more days of visiting Max in his foster care home (Monday and Tuesday). Wednesday morning we sign some official paperwork and bring him back to our place to begin the 30 day temporary custody phase. We don't assume this will be easy for any of us, but your prayers for patience, strength, wisdom, and some quick language acquisition are greatly appreciated. Anybody want to fly over to Hungary?! :)

Max Janos

Cute. Animated. Active. Friendly. Chatty. Who does this sound like? There does seem to be a family resemblance to his daddy. We left our flat at 8:30 this morning, drove 2 hours to meet our social worker, and then almost another hour to see Max. To our amazement, he was very prepared to meet us. The caseworker said that he was telling everybody in town he was going to live in America with his new mommy and daddy (and that's how we were introduced right away). We spent about 2 hours together as he showed us his toys (LOVES cars) and his neighborhood. He seems healthy and every bit the three-year-old in activity and speech. Tired tonight and definitely daunted by the days ahead. Max seemed very comfortable with us and we with him--definitely a connection. We think he's our little guy alright! Knowing that tomorrow is 9/11, we are struggling not to be in the States with you all on such a significant anniversary. Please know that we are praying with you, and again, thanks for all the encouragement on the posts--they are a life-line.

How many kinds of water are there?!

This has been a real dilemma for us--we keep trying different brands of water each time we go to the store. So far we've ended up with sparkling, mineral, flavored, and still (not on purpose!) We think we finally found a brand to stick with! Seriously, today we had a visit from George, our coordinator here in Hungary. He gave us some more details for the rest of our intinerary here. Tomorrow we will meet with the social worker first and then go visit Max in his foster care home for a short while. Crazy! The following days we will spend a portion of with Max. Oh, and by the way, we will be staying here in our apartment in Hajduszoboszlo--which is great, because it's safe and spacious and we won't have to move our stuff and resettle and move back again. On Tuesday or Wendesday we will go to Budapest for the day for an appointment with the American consulate there. George is very kind and no nonsense. He's working hard to move the process along. We're in good hands. We're both excited and scared about tomorrow, yet have a sense of peace in the midst. God is present.

Exploring

Szia (That's hi in Hungarian--think "see ya")! After a good night's sleep (thank you, God, and Ambien!) and a mid-morning nap, we're feeling much more rested. This afternoon we ventured into our new hometown and did some exploring. It's a kind of resort area filled with hotel/spas (aka. people walking around in terry bath robes apparently after having been pampered). We ordered at a restaurant with the help of our dictionary, some gesturing, and a helpful waiter. We also bought some groceries--it's nice b/c we can walk, getting to most of what we need, minus Tesco, which is like Walmart or Super Target. Mostly, we feel calm. There are moments of "What are we doing?" It's very humbling to be in another culture without the assurance of knowing how to communicate or know how things work...that's where we REALLY are trusting the Father to guide us! Please know you all are very often in our thoughts and prayers--how we continue to be thankful for each of you!

Arrival!

We're here! (And all 6 bags with us!) Truly an uneventful voyage, for which we are very grateful. We were met at the Budapest airport by one of our coordinators Adam who drove us to Hajduszoboszlo, the resort town we're be staying with Max for the majority of our time here. (Thought we'd actually be staying in Budapest until Saturday, but we are closer to where our meeting is and where Max lives here.) Great little apartment and cute little town, although we are going to leave the exploring until tomorrow. Adam helped us get a phone and internet hook-up as well as some groceries--we feel like we're in good hands. Ready for some food and some sleep now. The next 2 days we'll hang out here and get to know the town--and then on Saturday we have our appointment at 10 and then we're off to meet Max. Still hard to believe this is really happening. Please pray that we would get acclimated to being in a foreign country quickly enough to exert our energies towards becoming parents. We are incredibly grateful for all of you and feel your prayers and love with us.

Off we go...

The to-do list is dwindling, and within 24 hours we'll be on our way across the great pond. Wednesday morning we arrive in London and then fly into Budapest a couple hours later. We'll be staying in an apartment there for a few days until we have our official government appointment on Sat. the 10th. Thanks for all your prayers. The appointment was a huge answer. Sometime on Saturday or Sunday we'll meet our son! It's hard to believe this is really happening. These last few weeks we have felt the love and support from our incredible family and friends--thank you so much! We'll keep you posted!

Bad News, Good News

First the bad news. We will not be leaving for Hungary tomorrow. Our paperwork from immigration did not arrive in the mail. This document is necessary to prove we are indeed Jeff and Angie Unruh and that we have been given permission by the U.S. government to adopt Max. The good news is that later this afternoon we found out that the document was being mailed to us today and should arrive by Thursday or Friday. This gave us the confidence to go ahead and rebook our tickets to Budapest for next Tuesday. We have a departure date! Our next prayer is that the meeting with Hungarian government officials that kicks off our process in country can be set for next week. We will not be able to meet Max until this meeting takes place. At this point we just want to be there and ready to go whenever they contact us. So, a few more days to pack and prep.