Prayer for Tanya

Tanya turns 18 on Friday and then she can move in with us. She is very gentle and cooperative but hasn't really opened up about how she feels and thinks about living in our family. She went with us to a Christian rap concert at the Christian University on Sunday night.

She is one of five children and is the first "orphan" I've met so far who's said both her parents have actually died. I wonder if this means they were good parents before they died, and that's why she seems so different, but I don't know. It must hurt so much.

Please, please pray for all the dynamics of Tanya and Katya and I living together as three instead of two. So far I feel very left out and useless when with both of them because they are becoming fast friends and can communicate both in better and faster Russian then I can, and in a lifetime of common experiences and aquaintances. Their friendship is more important than their relationships with me in that they will live together for two years and with me only three months, but I want to be friends with both of them. Also, I can live with Katya making me feel stupid when we're alone much better than when we're with Tanya, who I like a lot and want to get close to.

At the same time, Katya is very jealous of the family because she wants a family so badly and is insecure in belonging to this one. She sat around moping when Vera spent time talking to Tanya, and she told me it's her family and she doesn't like me inviting new girls like Kristina home to meet them. Right now she's being great friends with Tanya, and Tanya likes her a lot, but Vera tells me Katya has never been able to keep a friendship. On the other hand, Vera is also afraid of them pairing off and having secrets and excluding our influence.

And while Tanya seems eager to join us, she is worried about the long commute from our home to her school, which requires both metro and bus. Pray she won't chicken out.

So, since we have a clear idea of all these things that could go wrong, I need to ask God for the vision and reality of how this can go right and be a beautiful gift to the family, to Tanya, to Katya, and to me.