Zoya’s Journey – A Bulgarian Adoption Story

blessed

 Zoya’s Journey” tells the story of one family’s adoption from Bulgaria. A little over a year after they began their adoption process, two loving parents found their daughter, Zoya, on Bulgaria’s Waiting Child listing. And so their adventure began!…

If you’re interested in learning more about Children of All Nations’ Bulgaria Waiting Child adoption program, visit our Bulgaria webpage or contact our adoption specialists today!

Resources

– Learn More About Bulgaria Adoption
– Contact a Bulgaria Adoption Specialist

– Visit the Waiting Child Photo Listing

November 6, 2013 – The Journey Continues!!

First off, I would like to THANK everyone for all their thoughts and prayers through this wonderful journey!! Amy and I started this process over 14 months ago and God has blessed us all the way through the journey!!

Here is a little history of our journey:  For many years Amy and I have wanted to adopt once our two boys, Stephen and Coen, were a little older.  We have heard the call that we are to provide a home for orphaned children.  We contemplated domestic and international adoption, and then after I went on two trips to India, I saw the need.  After prayer, God led us to adopt from Bulgaria.  Amy and I decided that we would like to adopt a child(ren) between the age of three years old and younger than Coen.  We would also consider adopting a sibling group.  In February, we received the “Waiting Child” list from our adoption agency (Children of All Nations – CAN).  The Waiting Child is a list of children that are either a sibling group, getting close to ageing out of adoption, and/or have special needs.  We reviewed the list and it only contained two Bulgarian profiles.  The first was for three great looking brothers, but two of them were older than our boys and we wanted Stephen and Coen to be the older siblings.  The second profile was for an almost 9 year old girl.  We read through her profile and as we read we started to feel that indescribable feeling like she is the one.  She had been in the orphanages since she was very young and is socially behind.  We continued to review all we could and that is when Amy said the words I will never forget….”Sounds like she needs a teacher for a Mommy!”  That is when it felt right! 

Thursday, November 7, 2013 – Packed…(I hope)

Amy and I stayed up past 1 am getting things packed.  Not only did we need to make sure we are all set to go and have all we need, we needed to ensure the boys are packed to stay with grandparents.  To add to the headache, Coen has a science project due before our return so we needed to help him finish his science board.

Today, I have been finishing up the packing and running errands.  I finally found some small gifts to give to the care givers at the orphanage.  That took the bulk of my morning as I drove from store to store to gift shop to gift shop and no luck.  Then right when I was about to give up, I thought “what about the Living Desert Zoo gift shop?!”  So I gave it a shot and found what I was looking for!

We already bought the other 14 children in the orphanage something small, like glow in the dark bracelets, coloring books and colors.  We also bought friendship bracelets for them to make.

As soon as Amy gets done teaching today, we will get the boys delivered to Mamaw and Papaw’s house and we will start our long drive to Dallas.

Amy needs extra prayer as she is sick (sore throat, achy, headache…..).  She did make it to the doctor yesterday and was able to get antibiotics.  We have also loaded up with Emergen-C and Airbourne.

Not sure if I will get a chance to update until getting to Bulgaria Saturday afternoon.  The time difference is nine hours so timing will be off as well.

God Bless!!

Sunday, November 10, 2013 – Sofia Site Seeing

SSISToday was a great day! First off, our travels were as smooth as could be!  Thanks for all the prayers for safe and uneventful travels.  Every flight left on time and our luggage was some of the first on the carousel.  Then Bulgarian customs was non-existent as we only had to state why we were here, got our stamp, and on out the door we went.  Right outside the door was our interpreters Ivan and driver Martin were there to greet us.

Since we arrived in Sofia on Saturday and we cannot go meet “Z’ until Monday, Ivan and Martin asked if they could take us to the Rila Monestary near Sofia.  We said yes and I am so glad we did!!  Both Ivan and Martin are super nice and are somewhat Bulgarian historians.  It was gorgeous!!  It is in the mountains so we got to see the fall colors and beautiful scenery.  The monestary was unbelievable!!  Bulgaria is so rich in history!  It was so hard to fathom some of the articles in the museum with dates in the first century (of course the history of Bulgaria, or the territory has BC history).  The monastery temple itself was just amazing.  Every square inch is painted, inside and out!  The details are beautiful!!

Monday, November 11, 2013 – Our Meeting with ‘Z’

Today, November 11 (Veterans Day), was a glorious day and will be remembered by Amy and I forever!!  Once again, thank you everyone that has prayed for our journey and for “Z.”  Amy and I had nervous anxiety going into today.  Before leaving for Gavril Genova, the AMOR agents Moya and Ivan let us know that Z was excited about the meeting, but we still had some nervous feelings, but we also knew God was blessing this adoption (but we are human and let our own emotions get in the way).  We got to the orphanage and met the head master and “Z’s” social worker.  After answering some questions, “Z” was brought to the room.

There are no words that can describe how awesome it was.  For me, it ranked up there with marrying Amy, and the birth of our two sons!  It was glorious!!

The day was awesome!  After a very pleasant tour of the monastery and gaining more knowledge of the rich history, we headed into the village and met the director of social services as she wanted to meet us.  We also got to meet the owners of “The Guest House,” a hotel, restaurant and place where they make and trade carpets (rugs).  After touring a museum nearby, we went and were hosted in their restaurant.  To say the least, Amy and I have been treated with royalty the entire time here.  We had the most pleasant lunch.  The food was great and the company was awesome!  The director of social services said that “Z” is very fortunate!  Illia Dimitrov, the owner of the Guest House was an awesome host and fed us good.  But that is not all; it just kept getting better and better! Illia, then asked if Amy would like to see how the carpet’s are made.  So we went into the next room and Amy received a quick lesson and was then asked to sit down and give it a try.  Amy learned that it is a tough job!!  But, wait there is more…….Illia then pulled out a very small rug (see photo) and started to explain the meaning of the design.  He said that it represents a Wing.  The wing is to provide protection (like a bird protects its young.  It also depicts a cross when looked at a different angle – I have pictures on my phone that depict it better).  He then proceeded to hand it to Amy and said he would be honored for us to have this rug!  He too was blessing our adoption of “Z!”  Not sure if it is custom here in Bulgaria, but I gave him a big hug!!  We will cherish this rug forever!!

Our trip to Bulgaria has been such a blessing!!  “Z” is a true gift from God and we are so proud to be able to be her Mommo and Daddy!!  I cannot wait for the rest of our family and friends to see our little spark plug of a daughter!! She is amazing!  And by the way….She rules the moment and is very strong willed!  I have also figured out why I hear “daughters have their fathers wrapped around their fingers.”  That is for sure! “Z” has me whipped already!!  Funny story about our drive back to the orphanage:  Her social worker, Sonia, was teasing her with the bear we bought her saying it was hers and not “Z’s” and they were having fun with the gag.  “Z” then said, “that is ok, Daddy will get me another one.”  Yep, I am pretty sure I would as she has already won my heart.  On that note, watch out boys, she is a Daddy’s girl and I will protect her how ever I can!!!!  Don’t get me wrong though, she is a Mommo’s girl too!  I love to watch Amy and “Z” together!  It is so cool to watch Amy and her walk, holding hands.  Amy is so good with her! There is already a special bond between them!!

Tomorrow will bring another day with “Z” but until then, Obicham te, “Z”!!!!!![/su_expand]

Wednesday, November 13, 2013 – Day 3 with ‘Z’

D3Today was our third day to spend with “Z.”  Again, “Z” was very excited to see us when we arrived at the orphanage.  We looked into all our options on how to spend the day and decided not to do so much of the tourist stuff (though we have enjoyed doing that with “Z”).  We started the day by just staying at the orphanage and played a game similar to the board game, Sorry.  During the game we are trying to work with her on her counting and we can see she does pretty good as long as she/we stay focused.  It is also helping Amy and I learn basic Bulgarian such as counting (though Amy is always correcting me).  After playing the game we broke out the friendship bracelet supplies to teach her how to make one.  Thank you Mamaw for buying these as they were a hit with “Z” and look like they will be for the rest of the children as well.  “Z” made multiple braclets and gave one to her caregiver, Sonia.  “Z” also wore about three or four of them throughout the day.  But I sure do love the one she made for me (see photo below).  Pretty sure I willl be wearing mine for a long time!

Thursday, November 14, 2013 – Day 4 with ‘Z’

D4Today was our fourth with “Z” and as with our previous days, we are gaining more insight with her.  We went to another monastery today, the Klisurski Monastery of St. Cyril and St. Methodius.  On the way to the monastery we had to pass through Berkovitsa, the birthplace for “Z.”  When asked if “Z” was ok with going through her birthplace, she was somewhat reluctant as she pretty much stated she does not care about Berkovitsa because that is where her biological mother lives.  But she agreed to go since Mommo and Daddy were with her.  “Z” asked if I could pick her up and hold her and I did so the entire time before leaving for the monastery.  I may have pinched a nerve in my neck sleeping last night, but there is no way I am going to deny my precious daughter!  I held her tight!.  We all jumped in the vehicle and headed towards Berkovitsa and the monastery.  The entire way, she held our hands.

At the monastery, we toured the courtyard and made our way to the temple.  As with all the monasteries we visited, they sell items to raise funds.  We asked Ivan what we should get “Z” as we felt like we should get her something from the monastery near her birthplace.  So Ivan asked the nun what she felt would be a nice gift.  She asked her name and we told her and she stated that her name means “To Live,” in which she said….”like the resurrection.”  That sent chills down my spine.  “Z” was not inclined to be near the place she was born as she was abandoned (death) but now God has brought her with Amy and I to give her a new life.  How cool is that!!  God Is Good!!

Friday, November 15, 2013 – Day 5 with ‘Z’

 

I decided to post about our last visit with “Z.”

We arrived at the orphanage around 10 am and we did our usual go through the photo album.  I love how she opens to the first page and gives the picture of Amy and I a kiss.  She says Mommo, and gives Amy’s picture a kiss, then says Daddy, and then kisses my picture.  It is so cute!  We are also glad that each page is protected with a plastic sleeve as some of the pictures would have kiss marks all over them.  She also likes to pull out the origami heart Stephen made for her that says he loves her.  She holds it to her cheek and says “Aaahhh!”

We then played our usual games, Sorry and Memory.

There were two different counselors at the orphanage today and they were very nice.  They gave us their blessings and one said they will pray that our process will be swift and that we will be re-united with Z fast.

Then 11:20am arrived and it was time to start saying goodbye.  You could tell “Z” was more somber, but as I mentioned yesterday, she has been in the orphanage all her life (9 years) and she knows the routine.  She grabbed our hands as we walked to the door.  I then picked her up and held her.  She gave Amy and I our kisses, we told each other we loved each other, and we gave her our promise we will return as soon as we could to take her home!  I held Z as long as I could…..until they said it was time to go!  We walked towards the car, turned back and gave our final waves goodbye………and drove off towards Sofia.  Amy and I stayed strong, but I can tell you we were missing her before we got a block away!  Sure wish we could hold her for a little longer!!

Sunday, November 17, 2013 – Time to come home.

We have had a wonderful trip! God truly blessed us with a beautiful daughter!  It is now time to head home. We miss Stephen and Coen so much and can’t wait to see them!

On our trip we met and gained a daughter.  We also gained friends. Ivan (pronounced Eevon) was such a great guide and Bulgarian host! He was and is instrumental in our adoption process. Ivan has become family. Below is a picture of Ivan and his girl friend at dinner last night.

Please pray for smooth and safe travels. We have a very fast connection in London and we just found out one ticket is standby (girl at counter acted like it should be no big deal). We should be home Monday afternoon.

God Bless you all!

 

Friday, November 22, 2013 – The Little Things……

 

Amy and I were so glad to get home and see Stephen and Coen as we missed them so much and they are our pride and joys and we LOVE them with our whole heart!  It was nice to walk in and get giant hugs from both of them!  Again, we thank our parents for watching them while we were gone.It has now been a week since we last saw “Z” and it has been tough without her.    Since being home, we have shared additional stories with our family about our time in Bulgaria.  I can tell you…Amy and I keep remembering our time with “Z” and it is the little things that we miss.We miss………………..

when she would reach out to hold our hands
when she would roll her eyes, tilt her head and then shake her head with a sassy attitude
when she would kiss our cheek
soup……her favorite food was soup.  Now every time we see a bowl of soup or a can of soup, I can hear her say “soupa”
Orange juice……she would drink a bottle of Cappy orange juice with every meal (Cappy, is Minute Maid).
Her infectious smile!
Her contagious laugh!
Her hugs!
Her never ending jabber box…….And remember, we were told she did not speak much at all, but when we showed up, she could not stop.  God Is Good!!

Saturday, February 8, 2014 – Adoption Update

Well it has been quite some time since I last posted to the blog.  For the most part, it is because Amy and I have been in wait mode.  However, the process has been in motion since we returned from Bulgaria back in November.As soon as we returned from Bulgaria, Amy and I completed the I-800 application.  This process was estimated to take 30 days, and almost to the date, we received the I-800 approval in the mail around Christmas time.  Then the National Visa Center (NVC) letter came in the mail about 10 days later.  We now had all the information necessary to complete the visa application (DS-260).  The DS-260 was then submitted and within a week we received notification from Children of All Nations, our adoption agency, that the US Embassy in Bulgaria received all our documents.  The next step was for our Bulgarian representative, AMOR, to make an appointment with the embassy for an interview on our behalf.  AMOR was successful at scheduling an interview quickly and afterwards, heard the interview went well.  The very next day, the embassy provided to AMOR our article 5 letter.  The AMOR then took our file, including the article 5 letter and had it translated and legalized.  On January 30th or 31st, the AMOR submitted our documentation to the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice.That brings us to today….As of now, we are waiting for the judge to make a final ruling on our adoption!  This process generally takes one month, but it is dependent on the judge and his/her schedule.  So it could be sooner, or it could be longer.  The most important thing is that it is in God’s hands and we are nearing the end of our wait!We sure miss “Z”!!  We cannot wait to hold her again and bring her home to her forever family!!  I look at her picture(s) daily and am so excited to squeeze her in my arms and hold her tight!!  Obicham Te “Z”!!!

Saturday, March 8, 2014 – Loving and Missing our Z

 

It has been 16 weeks since we last saw “Z” and we sure miss her!  The adoption can seem like an endless process, but we know the adoption is in God’s hands and He has His perfect plan.  In our last blog post, I shared that our file was given to the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice on January 31st to review our adoption.  This process takes approximately 30 days.  What we did not realize at the time is that after the Judge reviews the file and turns it to the court, it may take a couple of weeks to set a court date and that date may be 4 to 6 weeks later than that.  Again though, the adoption is in God’s hand and He knew Amy is completing her Masters in Education and completing her dossier.  Therefore, God is allowing her to focus on her studies before our next trip.  Amy should have her dossier submitted and Masters completed by the end of March.  She will be so relieved to have this behind her!!  Based on time lines, there is the possibility our court date will be set around Easter.  While, we do not have a court date, nor know if Easter will be the approximate date, but I received chills when I looked at the calendar and saw Easter.  If you remember, or have read past blogs, our fourth day with Z, we toured the Klisurski Monastery of St. Cyril and St. Methodius.  While there, we wanted to get a small present for Z as this monastery was near her birth place of Berkovitsa.  When we asked what would be a nice gift from the monastery, the nun stated that Z’s name represented “To Live,” like the resurrection.  How cool is that!

Our precious Z turned 10 on March 6.  We hope she had a blessed birthday!!  On her birthday, the Judge turned our file (Agreement to adopt Z) over to the courts.  Now we just wait the week or two to get a court date.  Once we have the date, we can plan our travel!!  YAYYYYYYYYY!!

Sunday, April 13, 2014 – It Is Time!LOVE

First, I am sorry for the delay in updating our blog.  We have been waiting for final approvals and confirmations.  Now, Amy, myself and the boys can say…”It is time!”

On March 28th, Amy and I received the Bulgarian court’s approval to adopt Z (Soon, we will be able to use her name).  After approval, we only had to wait a week for the approval to be officially filed into the system.  The next steps have been to prepare our trip to Sofia to finalize the adoption.  With Easter and other Bulgarian holidays, we had to wait until May to travel.

I am so happy to say we have bought our airline tickets to leave the States on May 6th, and get to Sofia on May 7th.  We then will go get Z from the orphanage and she will be with us the rest of our lives!!!!!!  That is just so amazing to say!!

We must be in Sofia for ten days to complete all the necessary steps to finalize the adoption and the steps to allow her into the US.  While I am not sure of all we have to do, we are confident our agency in Bulgaria will guide us all the way.  We have also rented a two bedroom apartment in Sofia for our time there.  We cannot wait to start bonding and being the loving and caring parents Z has always deserved!

Thursday, May 8, 2014 – The Start of A New Chapter

Start of a newMay 6, 2014 seemed like it would never get here, and then the next thing we knew, it was upon us and we had to get prepared for the next step in our journey.  We got the boys over to my parents late on the 5th and then we went home to finalize our preparations.  I do thank God for the wake up call the next morning as we needed to leave town early and I apparently turned the alarm off instead of getting up when we originally planned.  However, we did get on the road on time…..at 3:45am.  Our drive to Dallas was smooth (Amy got some rest and I managed to stay awake the whole way).  25 hours after jumping in the car, we were at the Sofia airport picking up our luggage.  Besides the happiness to see all our luggage arrive with us, it was so awesome to have to bring additional luggage; A suitcase with Zoya’s clothes and toys.  We then met up with our translator, Ivan, and our driver, Dimo, and headed to our rented apartment.  After settling in, Amy and I took advantage of some quiet time and caught up on some necessary rest!!

…..That leads us to the next chapter of our lives!!

Thursday, May 8:  Ivan and Dimo picked us up from our apartment at 7:30am and we headed to the village of Gavril Genovo.  After our 2 1/2 hour drive, we made the familiar turn down the road to Zoya’s orphanage.  The butterflies really started to hit Amy and I as we headed through the gate and towards the door.  That is when we see Zoya in the front window and we could see her familiar smile!!  The door opened and out came Zoya…….A big hug erased all the butterflies!  We finally have Zoya in our arms again!!

Sunday, May 11, 2014 – The Learning Curve!

learning

Amy and I are now finishing our 4th day being Zoya’s parents and while it has been a very blessed time, both Zoya and us have had a some adjusting to do.  First, there is the language barrier.  Amy has been doing a fairly good job retaining some words and phrases to help in communicating.  I have been limited to a few words here and there, and Zoya just laughs at my attempts.  Something else…Just as I had to learn in India, head nodding is opposite of what us Americans understand.  Up and Down means “No,” and side to side means “Yes.”  Again, Zoya laughs at my attempts to understand this difference.
Each day Zoya is learning more and more of what she can get away with, but the testing is continuous.  When we must get onto her, she just laughs at us until she realizes the seriousness of our tone and face.  All in all, I think we are being effective in teaching her that we are in charge as parents.

Friday, May 16, 2014 – It Is Final!

finalOn May 15, Amy and I went to the US Embassy in Sofia for our Interview to get Zoya’s Visa to enter the U.S. approved.  As soon as the interview was complete, we were told her visa would be ready the next day.  As of abo

ut 4pm Sofia time, May 16, Zoya’s passport included her Visa and was picked up at the US Embassy.  About an hour later we met up with Maya, our Bulgarian adoption representative, who had Zoya’s passport and we had a celebretory dinner.  At the dinner, we received all the final documents regarding Zoya!  Our adoption is complete!  PRAISE GOD!!!!!

Monday, May 26, 2014 – Homecoming

HomecomingAmy, Zoya and I left our apartment in Sofia on May 17, at 5am (Friday, May 16, 8pm MST). Twenty-eight hours later, midnight in Carlsbad, we arrived at our house, Zoya’s forever home!

Now let me summarize our 28 hours of travel:  All three of us did not get a full night of sleep before our early morning rise.  Zoya was over excited and Amy and I were making sure all our bags were packed and ready to go.  Our 4am wakeup came quick.  Though Zoya should have been tired, she was up and ready to go.  She repeated over and over that we were headed to America and she would see Stephen and Coen.  When I say repeated, I mean repeated hundreds of times!!  It was so cool.  Maya and Ivan picked us up right at 5am and we headed to the Sofia airport.  The airport was packed and of course the kiosks were having issue, but after several hiccups of getting in the system, we were checked in.  Now it was time to say goodbye to Maya and Ivan.  Again, we were so ready to come home, but it is always hard to say goodbye to friends.  We then proceeded through security and passport check.  The passport check was our first time to show proof that Zoya was our adopted child.  All went well and we were so glad Maya showed us step by step process of what all the passport checks will need to see and what immigration in the states would need to process Zoya.  

Monday, September 22, 2014 – A Blessed 4 Months!!

blessedHello!! I apologize for the delay in updating the blog.  Our entire family has had a busy summer….you know; regular life and adopting a beautiful daughter and all! HAHAAll and all we have had a very busy summer.  As soon as we returned from Bulgaria, we were in full swing of baseball and did not finish the season until mid-July.  Then it was time to take some time off for a family vacation.  Then next thing we knew Amy and all three kids were back in school (Amy teaching and the kids learning).Enough with the excuse of a busy summer!  You all want to hear how Zoya is adjusting to being a Hollis.Where to start……oh yeah, from the end of the last blog.Our friends and family threw a shower for Zoya and it was a beautiful day!  It was such a pleasure to see all the love and support for Zoya’s new beginning.  She loved all the attention!  She received many gifts of toys and decorations for her room.  She would open a new gift and ask, “Ha Зоя?” (pronounced nă Zoya, and translated “for Zoya?”).  You could see the excitement in her face when we would tell her yes, it is for Zoya.  A child that pretty much had nothing of her own and had to share everything now has her own things.  She even had to share her clothes at the orphanage.  Not any more!  All this was just for her!  She is now a princess in her mind!  She was very appreciative as well, telling everyone thank you.  And I am pretty sure all those that attended received multiple hugs!  Thanks to all that came see Zoya!

Sunday, January 18, 2015 – Zoya’s Journey

ZoyaThroughout our adoption journey, I have written our blog based on our experience and time with Zoya.  Our journey has been a glorious and blessed time.  Over the past several months, we have seen so many milestones in Zoya’s life;  The many “firsts” that Zoya has been able to experience.  All the things we have taken for granted, Zoya has embraced them as if she was given the greatest treasures.  Amy and I have taken some time lately and started looking back into our files and all the paperwork that went into adoption.  Within the paperwork are Zoya’s reports from the courts and social workers.  In addition to reading, Zoya has started to open up more about her life as an orphan.  Some of her stories and depictions of growing up can just tear your heart open.  Therefore, based on some research within the court papers that include a timeline of Zoya’s different placements in social care or orphanages and Zoya’s stories, I thought it would be nice to share Zoya’s journey.  Disclaimer: I can write only what I have read and heard, I cannot depict what Zoya’s life was really like, nor have the emotional capacity to fathom what an orphan’s life is like.  On that note, here is Zoya’s journey.March 6, 2004: Zoya Meglenova Angelova is born in Berkovitsa, District of Montana, and Country of Bulgaria.  Zoya’s birth mother is known and father is unknown.June 9, 2004: Due to extreme poverty, a Social Assistance directorate is issued and Zoya is removed from her mother’s care and put into a home for medical and social care in the city of Berkovitsa.  Courts rule that Zoya’s mother is unable to care for her because of extreme poverty.December 14, 2004: After 6 months, the Social Assistance directorate ceases and Zoya is placed back with her mother due to reintegration with her biological family and filing an application and statement with social services.Zoya lives with her mother for nearly two years, however on November 14, 2006 (nearly four month shy of her 3rd birthday), Zoya is placed back into the home for medical and social care in Berkovitsa due to her mother’s inability to raise her.