From Ukraine with Snow Flurries

It was another chilly chilly day here in Kiev. (bring hats and slippers- warm clothes will serve you well outside AND inside) It was the day of our first meeting with the SDA (State Department of Adoption). Bill, Rebecca, and Casey along with our adoption agency host went to this meeting in hopes of learning more about our little guy and receiving a referral to move onto the next step of this adoption process. We met in a small office with the adoption official and showed her the pictures we took of our little man in the summer when he stayed with us. She seemed impressed with our observations of him, and of our knowledge of his medical conditions and the progress he’s made in the last few months. She told us a little more about his family and his past, but she only had general information. We understand that we can find out more detailed information from the orphanage where he lives. We had a successful meeting and we hope to get our referal to visit him tomorrow afternoon. After we get that piece of paper we plan to board a train for a 12 hour train ride to the region where our child is. There we hope to spend time with him in the coming days and also take the next steps toward growing our family.

It seems like everyone here smokes. It's like we can't get away from the smell. That will be one of the things we really appreciate about home- less cigarette smoke!

Tonight we ventured out and ate our first Ukrainian meal here. There is a nice-looking hotel at the end of our block and we went to the restaurant there. Most of us ate what we ordered. Thank goodness the menu had English words. Even with the familiar language, we still ordered some…interesting dishes. It really was good, though, to get out of our apartment and experience a little more of Kiev. We ask for prayers specifically for the process we are entering into. The news we’ve received from some of the families that have gone before us to the other region is not as we would have hoped for them and their child. This makes us anxious and very nervous since our situation is so similar to theirs. We, of course, pray for God’s will to be done here; we just hope and think that for this process to move along smoothly and quickly would be in line with that. We pray for wellness, safety, and strength for our family and the other three families here that we know from home. We are all sleep-deprived and the jet lag is hitting us pretty hard. We love to hear from you and your prayers are a great comfort to us. You are our prayers warriors and we need you now, very much!

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. -Colossians 1:17

This is what we know to be true. We must have the faith and hope to believe this and allow God to work in His pure and perfect way. We love you; and we thank God for you!


The WOMEN'S toilet at the opera house. Thank goodness we haven't actually had to use this kind...yet



















The Opera House...BEAUTIFUL!
















A war monument outside our window




















Checking coats...something we don't have to do at home.














Literally the size of the elevator in our building. Trust me, my flash makes this look way lighter, less scary than it is. Most of us prefer to take the five flights of stairs.