Rennas On The Road

My host sister Liza was only 5 when we first met. Today she is a beautiful, bright 22-year old, much like I was when I first arrived in Ukraine 17 years ago. Read my full story »

Now, with a family of my own and plenty of room to spare, we are welcoming Liza into our home, here in America. She arrives on September 14. Given recent events, I pray every day that she stays safe until that time. #StandwithUkraine

We are using the next few months to prepare for her arrival—renovating our home to give her a space of her own, researching things like medical insurance, a driver's license, and employment options. Nothing is easy and, in this economy, nothing is cheap. But we're excited to share our life and culture with Liza the same way her family did for me so many years ago.

And just like that…we are a family of 5 🥰

Working on painting this antique bed frame for Liza’s room. Amazing what a coat of paint will do to transform a piece of furniture!

A few people have asked me if there’s anything we need for Liza’s arrival. I put together an Amazon wish list—any help is greatly appreciated.

Scarlett is so excited for Liza to get here…we all are. It will change daily life for a bit, but we can’t wait to share everything with her.

Started framing the door and threw up a coat of primer today. Hoping to get some colored paint up before the weekend’s over.

On to the ceiling. A paint spray gun (and the hubby) made this magic happen. All white to clean it up. The walls will be a light purple—Liza’s favorite color. 💜

We’re spending this weekend framing and dry walling a new room for Liza. Want to make sure she has her own private space to retreat to. Even have the big kid helping. 😊

That day I first landed in Ukraine is so clear in my mind, as if it were yesterday—feeling sick to my stomach at the thought of being so alone in a place where I knew nothing and no one. I did not speak the language, nor did I understand why these people would invite me, a complete stranger, into their lives. But with my rose colored glasses and a naive passion for changing the world I exited the bus with my oversized luggage dragging behind me on that dirt road, looking more like a Westerner than I would have liked and feeling like I might cut and run at any moment.

A young man and woman approached me just then, and these beautiful people picked up my bags. They welcomed me into their home that day—a complete stranger, awkward and scared. Little did I know, three months later when time came to move on, it would be like ripping out a piece of my heart. They became my family, along with their little girl, baba and diduce. Without words, we bonded at first through hand gestures and facial expressions, and a whole lot of laughing. As I began to learn the language, we shared the more intimate details of our real lives, recognizing more and more just how much we had in common.

This experience—these people—changed my life. And now I feel helpless, unable to change theirs. Ukraine is a beautiful country, filled with beautiful people. They are mothers and fathers wanting nothing more than to raise happy, healthy families. It pains me to know they are now living in fear; that a quest for power and dominance can lay claim to so many innocent lives without real repercussions. I know this is not the first time and it will not be the last, but I am sad and will remain sad for these warm, kind-hearted people who deserve every chance to be happy.