Welcome to my new blog! I want to take a moment to introduce myself and the purpose for this blog.

My name is Marina,I am twenty years old and I am an adopted child. I was born in a little village down in the southwestern part of Russia. My story is very similar to many kids who have been adopted out of Russia. Alcohol,abuse,hunger and neglect was very common in my early life. I was placed in an orphanage at age five with my older sister and by age seven I was adopted. Like every adopted child,I had to lose something in order to be given a new family. I lost my siblings,my birth mother, my language and heritage.

With that being said,this blog isn't about feeling sorry for ourselves,or complaining that we had it tougher then other kids. I want to encourage and lift up my fellow adoptees. I want us to be honest about our joys and sorrows. I want to create a place where you can voice your thoughts and struggles, where you can say..wait you too,I never knew others felt like this!

Throughout every blog you will notice that I talk about God's presence in my story and my life. I could not have come this far in my journey to healing and wholeness if God had not carried me almost every step of the way.

As an adopted child, I know that we come with many wounds,questions and a level of pain that sometimes we cant even express. I want to tell you that honestly I believe that if you want to truly begin the journey to wholeness,that God will have to be part of the process. We carry wounds that only the hands of a loving God can heal and restore. It will take time,because God doesn't push us further then we are willing to go with Him. He loves us as we are right now,but loves us too much to leave us that way.
That is what encourages me every day,because I know whatever issues I am struggling with still today, it is because God is in the process of restoring,redeeming and refining. Is it painful...yes..Do I want to quit..yes...Do I have pity parties still..yes...Do I still ask God why me...yes...Do I still fall apart and cry...yes.

But at the end of the day I have to remind myself that God loves me as I am in that moment,He will love me tomorrow and the next day. He will still listen when I am complaining about how hard it is,He will understand better then any counselor or friend.

So I invite you on this journey with me,I think of it as a journey to the heart of God.
I want us to have fun together,to be honest and real with one another,so that at the end of the day we are one step closer.