The Weeks Family goes to Ukraine

A House Reunited

2009-06-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hello All from our Very Full Home.

We are pleased to announce that the sister changed her mind. Last week, Bill traveled back to the region in Ukraine and brought her back home to us. We have been spending this week all getting to know each other, as well as going to doctors & dentists. Our new son has started attending afternoon Kindergarten to get acclimated to school in America. He's learning about "cubbies" and sharing, and sitting "criss-cross applesauce." Hopefully, he'll be ready for a full day of school in the Fall. We are trying to find a good summer program to help them learn English. We are also using videotapes, audiotapes, books and computers to help us communicate & learn in the meantime. Thank you all for your prayers and support throughout this process. We end one process and now begin the much more important journey. God is good and we thank Him for all of our many blessings. Posted by "7 Cal Weeks"

WE ARE HOME

2009-05-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

This will be very brief as life is racing along here back in California. We must apologize to you faithful followers for the long delay in posting since our last entry. We arrived home late Thursday May 14th with our new son, Sasha (Alex). Our new daughter has had a difficult time leaving all that is familiar to her in Ukraine and we have given her some more time to think about coming, with the promise that we will return and bring her home anytime she changes her mind. Her United States Visa must be used within six months or it expires. The transition here is challenging and joyous. After about 5 days we all made the time zone/jet lag transition. Lots of medical tests have been done, the physical is complete and he is good to register for school for the first time in his 7 and a half year old life. He weighs exactly the same (33 pounds!) as he did when he spent time with us in July, 2008. But he is finally starting to eat...praise God! We praise God for all that has happened that is good. We have learned much from new friends, from old friends and from our immediate and extended family. We are very grateful for the love and support you have extended over these last challenging months. We will continue to update the blog but probably not as frequently. Again sorry for the long delay in getting this posted. Blessings to you all.

Home is Where the Heart Is

2009-05-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

May 12, 13, 14
It has been awhile as we were away from the internet. Will today (actually tomorrow) be the day? Will we finally get the passports? We have seen a faxed version and they are supposed to be on a train to Kiev from Chernivitsi. Bill and our driver Sasha (Crazy) will leave our hotel at 5:15 tomorrow morning to meet the train and hopefully get the passports. We will then race around Kiev trying to complete paperwork at the medical center and embassy in time to be at the airport by 11 AM. If we can't make that flight we will have to pay some heavy change fees and wait until Friday. We have learned to plan and then expect to change plans so it would be great to finish and leave Thursday but...well you get the idea. Some very big additional news to share on our first blog outside Ukraine. You will just have to wait.

Monday we tried to fill our day with activities. We washed the car in the morning. Of course once the eight of us piled in, it was pretty messy again from kids' feet on the seats. Then it rained off an on all day so ...Murphy's car wash laws work here as well. Then we went out shopping and afterwards found a nice Italian place to eat. We had spaghetti and pizza-pretty tasty-but still not home. Then we enjoyed a boat ride on a small river. Finally, we returned home to prepare a Shishkabob/barbecue/birthday dinner for our host mom, Luba. Bill and I have taken to humming "One Day More" from Les Miserables to each other (very appropriate don't you think). Our late dinner party was outside and lit by candlelight. Then the rain came so in this country setting the food had to be moved inside and the clothes taken off the laundry line. Somewhat abrupt end to a nice evening.

Tuesday-packed up and headed back to Kiev as the holidays are finally over and we cold get back to business. Our patience and cash are getting thin. Negative vibes from the newest daughter have not helped. She seems nostalgic for the "good old days" in her region. Who knows what will come of this? Our new kids are getting used to one another. They love one another but also can argue and be impatient. They have spent very little time together the last two years. They still have their dream of a perfect family- and, if you know us, that dream cannot come true. This sounds pretty negative so lets be clear.

Hope comes from our faith, not our circumstances. Jesus remains in charge, even in a place such as this and circumstances as we have described. We need to keep our eye on the vision of success: boarding the plane home and completing this part of the journey. As a friend recently reminded us the word of the month is ENDURE.

For those reading this at Bill's work place, the City of Angels, please do not take his office or move his desk just yet. He actually does plan to return to work. And soon!

The Mother of all Adventures

2009-05-10T11:31:00.001-07:00

May 9th & May 10th Mother’s Day

Saturday - We decided that we didn’t want to stay any longer in Kiev. We were only sitting there just trying to think of things to do. When we heard from our facilitator that the passports were not going to be issued this week at all – we really were disappointed. Even depressed. We decided we needed to make a change. Our new Angel, Linda, gave us a few options: Stay with one of her friends in Kiev, or stay with a family in the country. We opted for the second. So we packed up and got in the car and drove a few hours north to a little town called Cherniga. (I’m sure that’s not how you spell it.) Linda & our new driver, “Crazy” and Linda’s good friend Alonya are our new travel companions. We arrived and the family was so welcoming (remember we are now a group of seven.) Mom, Luba, was worried that her house wouldn’t be good enough for Americans. We assured her that her home was great and that we were the ones currently homeless. The couple have two kids almost the same ages as our two here. We also descended on them on a holiday weekend. They were getting ready to have a barbecue with their friends (they call it Shish-ka-bob) So we made ourselves scarce. We explored the town, went to McDonalds for lunch, and went to a small amusement park. Then we went to a grocery store for provisions and later in the evening we saw the new X-Men Wolverine movie. Thank goodness it was an action movie, because it was all in Russian. We did have to cover our little guy’s eyes at a few of the more violent parts. All in all, we enjoyed it. When we got back to the house, we decided to have an early evening and put the kids to bed. Unfortunately, everyone else was staying up late. So Bill & I and our kids went upstairs and relaxed.
Sunday - Because we went to bed early, we were also all up early. Bill took S out for a bike ride so the rest of the family & friends could sleep in. After a slow start, we all went out to town. Our first stop was the hair salon to get the kids haircuts. Next we went to a small Mall and we did a lot of window shopping. Eventually we bought a few housewarming/birthday gifts for Luba. We didn’t want to go to McDonalds again, so we found a little café and had a nice meal. Our little guy is having a hard time adjusting to our new surroundings. We are all trying to be patient with him, but it is difficult. Tonight we were all supposed to go to the Circus in town, but S was not happy about changing his clothes. He ended up staying home with Rebecca, while the rest went on ahead. When they got back we went to a lovely restaurant with WIFI – our lifeline to back home. We are planning on returning to Kiev in a day or so to complete this process at the US Embassy. Everyone wants the ”Magic Passports” before they will authorize anything. Then we will be coming home as fast as we can.

WAITING AND HOPING AND WAITING SOME MORE

2009-05-08T05:13:00.000-07:00

May 8th

Well we are frustrated today since we did not get the kids' new Ukrainian passports issued this week. We have been waiting all week with "baited breath" but none were issued. The thought of having to wait here until tuesday now with nothing to do is excruciating to us. Unfortunately, this is another Holiday weekend and so no business will be conducted on Monday. We were so hoping to be finished with this process today!!!!! The thought of boarding a plane today and seeing our Brea kids Friday night had kept us going over the last several days.

We are just sitting on ready. One of our Ukraine angels has found us a home outside the City with a friend since there is no reason for us to be in expensive Kiev for the next 4 days. We think a less urban crowded environment will be better for the kids to burn some energy.

Yesterday, we spent the morning at the Medical Center - getting the kids checked out. S was all up to date with his medical, but T was not. She had to have two vaccinations and a blood test. She was not happy about that - but she was very brave and cooperated. We took them to McDonalds again for a lunch treat. When we didn't ge the passports yesterday, we soothed ourselves by going to an arcade and then watching a 4D Movie. For dinner we discovered the Arizona Barbecue restaurant and had great food for an outrageous price.

We made our third visit to the United States Consulate in as many days, completing paperwork, getting our questions answered and enjoying a few moments on the sovereign territory of the United States of America. The Embassy staff could not be more friendly or helpful. It is amazing how comforting it is to be inside that building. We understand a little better each day why there are hundreds of people lined up outside the US Embassy hoping for a chance to come to the United States. Our adoption faciliators have all but abandoned us now and we actually feel a combination of anger and relief.

Our Kiev Angels are: Linda, a 22 year old former orphan, with excellent language skills, who has really become a part of our household, facilitating communication with the kids and smoothing out all of our contacts with the local population. Her friend, "Crazy", is acting as a driver, tour guide, baby sitter, & junior translator. Most importantly, they are believers who have become our friends and prayer partners. We praise God for them and a number of other folks who have simply extended themselves for us and the kids. While the process and bureaucracy is beyond frustrating, the light of Christ is shining brightly in this rather dark place.

We had the most American pizza to date today. It even had a tomato-based Pizza sauce on it! The place is called Pizza Celentano if anyone is in the area anytime soon.

Romans 5:3"...we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy spirit, whom He has given us."

A House Divided.....for a day

2009-05-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

May 4th - 6th

On Monday we hired a driver, and took the kids to the famous monastery. The place is over 1,000 years old and it is a sprawling complex. We walked around and around and even saw many mummys of famous priests. There were many people praying over them and touching & Kissing their caskets!!! The belief is that one of these, a dead doctor/priest in particular will still heal you if you do this. ????? We also discovered that all the women who visit there have to have their heads covered and they need to wear a skirt/dress. We had to buy scarves and rent skirts for T & Rebecca. We called ourselves "Babushkas" and had a good laugh. Next we went to a restaurant and had some pizza. It was closer to U.S. pizza, but not quite like Domino's. Then we got tickets and went to the Circus. We had front row seats. We saw all the usual acts & clowns, plus singers & dancers. After the intermission, we saw the tigers & lions. They were cooperating with the female liontamer, but they were not happy about it. Our only security was a net between the audience & the animals & a man with a firehose. I later realized how unsafe this whole thing really was.

Yesterday Rebecca spent the day with T in Odessa, and Bill took care of S in town.

R & T's adventure started at 2:00AM, when a driver & a translator picked them up and drove to Odessa. There is a relative living there that T wanted to say Goodbye to before she left for the U.S. So off we went for a 5 hour car ride. We spent most of the morning waiting and finally around 2:00pm T got to see the relative. Afterwards, we stopped for an early dinner and then headed back to Kiev. It was hard for T to do this today, and now she is having regrets and worries. Please pray for her and for us as we deal with monumental changes. As the plane ride gets closer, we get more happy and she gets more sad. (I wish she were more excited.)

Meanwhile, Bill & S had a play-day. They walked all over. They went to the playground near the president's admn. building (their regular daily hangout) and then they went to the U.S. Embassy to get info we'll need in the next few days. They also found a upscale bakery and bought some great bread -and brought it home. Then they heated up the leftover Borsht for their dinner (There is nothing like leftover Borsht! LOL) and finally S had an extra long bath (He likes to think he's in a swimming pool) I think cleaning up the bathroom was a challenge! Bill got him to sleep just before R & T got home. (Thanks Bill - Momma dodged a bullet!) We debriefed and all went to bed early. Everyone was exhausted.

Wednesday - we had a slow morning. Everyone was tired from the day before. We finally got out of the Apt. around noon and we went to a photo place for more passport photos (we needed bigger ones than the ones we already have) then we dropped off the photos at the U.S. Embassy, then off to McDonalds for Happy Meals & shakes. We came home and later we went on a boatride on the Knee-pro river. (That's how they pronounced it)

I think we are "Better Together" here in the capitol city. We need each other's strengths and shoulders as we navigate these unfamiliar waters. We did not get the finished passports today from the region - maybe tomorrow.

"Getting to Know you, Getting to Know all About You..."

2009-05-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

May 3, 2009

Today we attempted to go to church with the new kids. We found a Lutheran Church across the street from our apt. That is the good news. The bad news – the service was in German & Russian. Well, at least the kids could understand half of what was going on. We said Alleluia and Amen, but the rest was a guess. I think the kids heard some things that they never heard before. They were respectful and attentive – we couldn’t have asked for more.
Afterwards, we took a long walk and explored more of the capitol. We went up a hill to the Arch and overlooked the river. Parts of this City real are quite bautiful but we had never been able to see any of them in the past because of the extreme cold (and they were buried under ice and snow!) There were a few rides set up and we went on the bumper cars and a whirly-gig thing. Then we walked through a park and past the president’s house & maybe the supreme courthouse? We didn’t have a guide or a translator with us. We just winged it. Remember, today is a holiday, and a Sunday, so no help was forthcoming from our facilitators. Then for dinner, we found the TGI Friday in town. It was so great to read about familiar foods on the menu. My mouth was watering just reading about real fajitas and burgers, and milkshakes. Typically, the kids both had chicken fingers and fries. They are fitting in already!
We are all tired from our long walk today, and we are having a quiet evening playing cards (instead of hearts/spades/clubs/diamonds – we have Cherva/Beeka/Glist/Boobna) We taught them how to play “Crazy 8’s” and they like it - as long as we speak Russian.
Thanks to you all for your suggestions on places to see here. We will need to go exploring again somewhere tomorrow. All in all, the four of us are getting along pretty well with a phrasebook and a lot of pantomime. The kids are 10 years apart in age and we have to keep thinking of different things for each of them to do. We have “skyped” with our US kids and shown our new kids our home and pets. They think it all looks “Dobray” (Good).

We are trying hard to get our facilitators to understand we want to move this process forward quickly and get home (as in this week!). For those familiar with the cultural concept of "manana," it seems in an odd way part of Ukraine culture as well. We are hoping that hearing us complain about our need to get home becomes more motivating than the cultural pull of just waiting to see what tomorrow brings. Planning is not really done here.

Happy Communist Day

2009-05-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

May Day! May Day!

May 1 is a big international Labor Day holiday here. It is so big that they have made it a 4 day weekend this year. We have been spending the weekend so far getting to know each other as best as we can even though we do not speak each other's languages.

Thursday night we got on the train at 7:00pm. Several of T's friends came to the station to see her off. They were all excited and scared and sad at the same time. We also traveled with two facilitators. I think they helped to ease some of the fears that were very evident. S remembered the train ride from the summer. He was just bouncing like Tigger the tiger. We spent the night on the train traveling to Kiev. We arrived yesterday morning and were met by our Kiev facilitator. We had several hours to wait for our apt. so he took us to the Zoo in town. Unfortunately, the weather was cold and drizzly and we were not enjoying it the way we could have. Then he took us to our apertment and helped us get settled. We unpacked and went to a small food store for supplies.

Later when we were hungry for dinner, Bill & I and S went exploring. T wanted to stay in. The three of us went to a restaurant and enjoyed all the sights and sounds of a big city on holiday. Streets were blocked to cars and a stage was set us for a concert. There were people everywhere, and later fireworks. It was a little too stimulating for S, so we came home and had a quiet evening.

Today we had a homemade breakfast together - the first one. After getting the computer set up, we then went out exploring and bought some more provisions. This afternoon, Bill took S to the famous Botanical Gardens, while Rebecca stayed home with T and learned how to make the famous soup called Borsht. We all had the soup for dinner and got along great. Another quiet evening for us.

We can't wait to introduce you to our newest son and daughter. It is wonderful to have five children and it is high time we all got under one roof and stayed there. Once these holidays are over, it will be time to wrap this process up and get the US Embassy to work issuing visas for these children. We are so READY to be back in the United States to stay!!! We finally found the "TGI Friday's" the other families have been talking about. (That and the US Embassy will have to suffice for familiarity this week.)

We are planning on going to church tomorrow and we'd like to explore the city more. We are so happy to be in Kiev when it is sunny. All the other times it was ice cold and snowing. We'd like to go to the famous Monastery sometime. It is supposed to be a little creepy with mummys. If you know of any other "Must Sees" here, let us know. We still have a few more days to wait through. Neither of these kids has spent any time here, so we are seeing it all for the first time.

"We walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

O HAPPY DAY!

2009-04-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

April 29th

What a whirlwind few days we’ve had! Our first good news came on Monday night. We were told that no one came forward to contest our adoption! Yeah! We are really allowed to move forward quickly now. Even though we technically adopted sucessfully mid-month, this process is never really complete until the plane is taking off from the runway and your new kids are with you belted in the seat. We are trying to be happy, but not unrealistic either.

Yesterday was a full day of finding & completing documents, getting passport photos taken and travelling around to many offices trying to get answers to questions regarding the children’s histories, and how to deal with property issues. We also were asked by our new daughter to consider taking her to visit her biological mother to say goodbye before she left for the U.S. We are giving this request deep thought and prayer.

This morning started at 9:00am - and without any breaks – ended at 6:00pm. We criss-crossed three cities doing paperwork and getting final, Final, FINAL signatures from all the officials and school personnel that were necessary. I can happily say that the children are mostly, almost, completely our children. How’s that for a definitive decree. We thought that we would finish up everything in the region today, but we have one unexpected snag to clear up tomorrow and then we can finally submit their passport applications. As it turns out, our new daughter (and us too) has to “jump through extra hoops” because of her age.

We were also able to finally take our son out of his orphanage today for good! He was so excited. He was in constant motion until he finally crashed asleep in our hotel room @9:30pm. His sister was getting so annoyed with him. Just like all siblings! We were able to be more natural with each other today too. This was the first time our daughter could see us interact with her brother outside the orphanage, and she was happy to see how much we cared for him. She started to really understand why we wanted to adopt him and I hope she yearned for more of that love & affection for herself. We want so much to have that kind of a relationship with her soon. We are willing to take the time to build this with her.

Tomorrow we are also hoping to leave this region and travel with our new kids. This is a 4-Day Holiday weekend in Ukraine and we would like to enjoy our time together. Otherwise, we will just have to wait here for a week for their passports. We are hoping to take a train to the capitol and enjoy the sights there. We’ll write more and let you know where we end up.
We also wanted to ask you to say a prayer for the other adopting RDFC family that’s here. They had an unfavorable court date with their judge today. We know that this adoption is not over for them, but this major setback is hard to take. They have been living here for several months with little to show for it.

Pray for energy and good health for Weeks in Ukraine and Weeks in Brea. This is a challenging time and attacks are under way to keep these kids from the love and freedom that is coming to them. May His will be done and may the name Jesus be glorified in all that is thought and said and done. Amen.

4th Times A Charm?

2009-04-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

April 26, 2009

Hello from Munchen (Munich) Germany. We left Saturday night and flew here, but we had to stay overnight to wait for our next flight. We were introduced to a lovely hotel called, the Achat, in the town of Friesing, just outside of the city. We enjoyed a rural setting with a quaint town surrounded by family farms. Just beautiful! (See photos). Also we learned that the Munich airport, just six years old, is considered one of the most technologically advanced and service-oriented in Europe. It is a sight to behold, squeaky clean, efficient and the most friendly people you could imagine. It feels as though you are very quickly moved everywhere around this airport, yes even security! It was designed by a famous architect, a German American from Chicago (name escapes us) and includes an all weather Beer garden. Too bad we don’t drink beer!

We are now waiting to board our flight to Lviv, Ukraine. This is the same flight we booked on our last trip here. (see April entry) We will have a short flight in a small plane and land in a small airport. Then our friends will pick us up and drive us to the region, about a five hour drive at speeds of about 45 miles per hour. Hopefully while we are travelling, our facilitator will be picking up our FINAL approved court decree from the judge. Please say a prayer that there have not been any “developments” since our last court date. (We are a little nervous about any relatives or friends that may have surfaced to contest the adoption.)

We are anticipating running around a lot tomorrow getting documents and submitting applications for visas & passports. We are so excited to finally tell the kids that, “Yes, today is the day!” and “Pack your things!” and “Let’s Go to the U.S.!”

We talked to our little guy (our new SON) on the phone before we left and he was so excited. He wanted to start packing immediately (It was last Saturday morning) He wants to bring everything we’ve ever given to him. I hope not! We only have 1 suitcase for him, and that is filled already with a few clothes & toys & books to keep him happy on the long flights home. Our new Daughter will have lots of mementos from friends & family I’m sure. She has two unfilled suitcases. I hope we don’t have to ship too much.

The Swine Flu news story is all over the wires in Germany. I hope our sniffles don’t get us quarantined! According to the European TV news stories they do not seem to be making much distinction between travelers from the United States and those from Mexico. Please Pray for our continued good health and that we do not get the kids sick either.

Can it be that we are finally coming up to the finish line of this first journey? Well of course not; the end of the “process” is just the beginning of the family journey for the seven of us together. We spent last week trying to get beds ready and clothes washed. Our journey is really a marathon and we are only in the first few miles. As Paul said in Hebrews 12, "...let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..."

Photos of London & D.C.

2009-04-18T09:12:00.001-07:00

almost home

2009-04-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

April 17th I think

We are waiting in the Dulles airport in Washington D.C for the final leg of this journey. We enjoyed our stay in London yesterday. What a nice treat. We boarded the "Tube," went to Picadilly Circus, ate fish & chips and saw Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre. All British - all day. Bill is now waxing poetic with a British accent.

Today we had a leisurly morning at the hotel and then flew to DC. Since we had a long layover, we decided to keep the adventure going. We got in a taxi and headed off to the National Air Space Museum Annex (Udvar-Hazy) It is a branch of the Smithsonian. We saw lots of planes & the space shuttle. Worth the trip!

We expect to arrive late tonight. Hope to see you all soon. We are planning on spending the next days preparing our home and our hearts to welcome the kids. We would welcome your prayers and advice to make the acclimation process go smoothly. We realize that it is a process and it will take a long time. PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a difference a day makes....24 little hours (or so the song goes)

2009-04-15T04:31:00.000-07:00

Well we hoped and prayed that leaving at sunrise on Easter morning would be symbolic of New Life for two special children. Some 26 hours later we blew into the region on Monday night and went to court the next day, on Tuesday. We only had a 30 minute session in the judge's chambers; The judge and two jurors asked some general questions about our approach to parenting, any history of substance abuse, our biological childrens' feelings about the adoption, how we came to be interested in adopting these two particular children, and if this was indeed our "final answer." Before we knew it he was reading his positive decision into the record. Hooray! We even had T there and she said she wanted to be adopted! Wow. PRAISE GOD!!

Afterwards we went to the notary to do more paperwork and then we all went to see our little guy to tell him the good news. His response, "OK let's go." Unfortunately the Ukraine and U.S. governments are not ready for us to take them home yet. We still have to wait out this 10 day mandatory waiting period. This is the time when anyone can object. If all goes well, we will return to finalize the final paperwork later this month. This is a long process in case you haven't noticed.

We celebrated our positive verdict with our new friends at dinner, and then we took an overnight train back to Lviv. This morning, we flew out of Ukraine and boarded a new, hip, airline named, Wizz, and landed in London. (Note the photo of a somewhat fatigued and familiar passenger deplaning.) The only thing we are not getting accomplished on this trip is getting any sleep. We decided we needed a little R & R so we are staying the night in a hotel near Heathrow airport. Hopefully we will have a nice dinner & see a famous London show! We don't really know what time it is anymore. We have crisscrossed so many time zones in the past 4 days. We just sleep whenever & wherever we are when we are tired. (I hope we can stay awake tonight.) London feels like a wonderful dream. We can read all the signs & we can understand the people.

Tomorrow we will board a few more planes and if all goes as planned, return home in the afternoon.

James 5: 10-12 'Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

We know that God's hand has been in everything we do. We hope you continue to pray for us and these new Weeks children. We will need help in overcoming their apprehensions and fears in the coming days, months and years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lets go to court

2009-04-13T10:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update to let you know we arrived safely at our hotel in Chernivitsi. This place is growing in value, now we know they have a great reasonable breakfast buffet and free wireless wifi! Make a note future travelers of the Magnum Lux Hotel. A short walk from City Hall. We are bushed but grateful that all the connections, baggage, weather, passport checks could not have gone better. This time we flew in Lviv (see small but very comfortable Lufthansa jet in photo) and had our dear friend Vitalik and his pal Igor make the 5 hour trip to pick us up. Five hours in a car beats 15 on the train from Kiev any day. We made contact with our facilitator who is on that train right now. She tells us that T has been prepared for court, that all arrangements have been made and we are ready to go Tuesday at 10 (pray at midnight Monday please!). T will have to appear in court and S will not, presumably because of age. Tonight we saw the other family for literally about 5 minutes as we barely arrived at their apt in time to give them a care package we brought, pick up our suitcases we had left (with our court clothes), hug and say goodbye. They are on the train to Kiev tonight to put some of the kids on a plane back home. They will not be back til Wednesday, by which time we may be gone from the region if all goes well. But to all who sent things for children and the family, all will be delivered before we leave. Thats it for now. We have to get a bite to eat and get to bed so we have some rest before court. Big update coming tomorrow. Please pray for God's will and for us to embrace Luke 12:22 (Do Not Worry). Blessings to each reader

Parties, Planes, Trains & Automobiles

2009-04-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

Rebecca at T's birthday party with friends and familySunset from train On the street where we lived

April 3

Hello from home once again. We have spent the last 2 days travelling on a train, car, and two planes to get here. We are trying to get back on this time zone, but it is not easy. It took us a week to get used to Ukraine time.

We did get a court date before we left, and we will be returning mid month. Our kids at home are glad to see us. And we are happy to see them and to be sleeping in our own bed. Nothing makes you appreciate what you have more than being without it.

We will be spending the next week making more preparations at home. We need to reconfigure the house to accommodate the new kids. Please pray for us as we are making decisions and predictions on how all our lives will be structured so we can live in harmony with each other. The Serenity Prayer comes to mind...

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

We have been reflecting on our last visit, and we know that there are a lot of forces still at work in the region. There are heavenly ones as well as evil ones. Please continue to pray for us as we get ready to return next week. Our situation is moving forward, but it is always a fragile and delicate process that can unravel easily. We know our road ahead is rough, but we think often of Daniel, or Shadrach, Mechach & Abednigo.... our plan is in place, and we are relying on God to see us through. If all goes as planned, we will be finished with our goals by the end of the month.

Just as on our last trip, your thoughts & prayers have sustained us, and kept us healthy and focused. Thank you, thank you for all your love and support.

We're on Midway Island

2009-03-31T13:28:00.000-07:00

March 31

Hello from Ukraine. We are inching closer to the midway point. We made some progress this week and we are waiting for our judge to issue a court date - hopefully he will tell us tomorrow. Yesterday was a mixture of visiting the kids and gathering documents. I sound like a broken record. There is just not a streamlined process over here. Every time we think we can check something off the list, there is another paper required, or a change has to be made, or a stamp/signature is missing. (Sort of a "2 steps forward, 1 step back" kind of place.). What a delight to take a "vacation" from our work here last night for a 3 hour dinner with the other family here right now working on an adoption. To speak only English, to confirm that we are experiencing the same challenges and that we are not, in fact, crazy was very encouraging. It is the process that is crazy. We were blessed by their good fellowship and generous spirit.

Tonight we had a little celebration at the "aunt's" apartment. She and T hosted us royally. We also met some of T's girlfriends. It was nice to see T so confident and lady-like. They worked most of the day preparing various Ukrainian dishes and they had lots of different breads and salads too. They even had dessert. These people are not wealthy, but they went all out tonight. We had good conversation and took some pictures. We even got to see an old photo of T when she was a baby. Too Cute!

Yes we are challenged on this rollercoaster ride and it can be maddening at times but then there are moments when a child grabs your hand, yells your name in delight or simple receives a bouquet of flowers for the second time in their many years of life and they are incredibly joyful. As with our visit in December, we are reliant on your prayers. We feel them and are grateful. There have been some saints that have come alongside us in an incredibly gracious way. I think of the young Ukrainian couple who have very little materially but are rich in faith and full of life and joy. She has acted as a pinch hitting translator for us and as and English teacher for one of our kids. They have put up with constant schedule changes and they know us only from one chance meeting at a church service. We will never forget their kindness and generosity.

We moved a few days ago from an apartment to a hotel to save money ($50 a night instead of $90 made sense). What we didn't expect was an upgrade in quality. A real shower with real heat and a jacuzzi tub; a full breakfast for about $3 made this decision a real positive for the week. This is one of those things you can only find out after having been on the ground here for a few weeks. We stumbled into this unmarked hotel near our apartment, looked at the room and took a chance. Bill's back loves to the end the day with the spa jets!

Tomorrow we should complete all the business that can be done before a court date is established. We hope to sign some papers and hop on the train for the 15 hour ride back to Kiev before 18 hours of flying time. We are desperate to see our kids (and we hate to leave our kids here). If all goes well we will be in LA by Thursday night. And if all goes well we will be back here for court a week or two later for a very short turnaround trip to make the court appearance. If you have any free airline miles.....

Too tired to write more. We are grateful for the progress and for all the support we receive.

Psalm 91 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Good Vibrations

2009-03-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

March 29th

Hello and hope you all are having fun at the pool/beach/whatever. We have been enjoying a balmy 50 degrees here the last few days. We almost didn't need our coats for a few hours. We have been spending time with T & S alot this weekend. Friday was a busy day getting all of T's medical forms completed. In the evening we went to S's orphanage and Skyped with some folks back home. Saturday was a full day. We started out at S's orphanage then went out to the Bazaar to do some shopping. We walked around & around looking at clothes. T & Rebecca held hands most of the way. This was initiated by T and it was the first time anything like that has happened. Next we ate pizza for lunch with T. & then T finally had her English lesson. She had a good first try. Later we tried to see a movie but we got the times wrong. (It is hard to read anything here) We went out for dessert with T and her Engligh teacher & her husband instead. Hopefully T is getting exposed to a better side of life with us. We think she likes it too. Sunday we went to see S again. This time we brought our computer and went on Google Earth. We showed T & S their cities here in Ukraine and then we "flew" over to the U.S. and showed them our home and their future schools, etc. It was pretty facinating. This afternoon we took T to the cinema. It was a Russian Teen movie. We didn't understand a word but the teenage angst was easy to get. The subtitles were of no use - they were in Ukrainian! Afterwards, T suggested that we go out to the amusement park, just the 3 of us - without a translator. We agreed and we were able to communicate enough to have a pleasant evening. We taught each other words, went on rides, and ate dinner at a restaurant. We feel that we have been making a good connection with T! More hand holding took place at the park. I hope we made some good memories and laid a good foundation.

Proverbs 22:6 "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Anyone good with a Crystal Ball?

2009-03-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

March 24
We have been tardy in writing to all of you. Since we last wrote on this blog we have been spending many hours with our Ukrainian kids, as well as filling out documents, traveling in taxis, and going to meetings. Think of this time here as a business trip, and not a vacation.

Sunday we saw our little guy in the morning, and then later in the evening, we attended a Ukrainian church service. The Barkers were also there and set up a sound system for a translator to tell us what was said. (Thank you Jane & Richard) We could not understand everything, but it still felt good to be in church and worship and pray with other believers. We will do it again this Sunday. After that service, we met with a woman who is willing to teach our “girl” some basic English. We are thrilled to get her started this week.

Monday we met with the assistant inspector and also her boss, the director of Child’s Services. Our girl was also there. She told them all that she wants to come to America and make something of herself. We hope that this is true. Later we returned to the Asst.’s office and our girl wrote out a statement telling how she wants to be adopted by us and she wants to go to America. We need the approval of so many people in this city and in the city where our little guy is living. Double paperwork is becoming normal & necessary. We also found out that our girl does not attend school regularly. The Director told her that she needs to go to school or he won’t let her go to America.

Tuesday was a frustrating day of meetings and cancelled meetings – not a very productive day. We did end our day with a nice dessert with a translator friend of ours who has come with the orphans to the U.S. several times. We enjoyed catching up with her, and telling about our adoption process.

Wednesday morning we woke up to a snow storm. Just the day before our taxi driver was declaring that “Spring is here.” (So much for that!) Also that morning, our girl got her Ukrainian Passport. Here it has the same meaning as a U.S. teenager getting their driver’s license. She was so happy. She was also supposed to go to get a physical as required by adoption law. The timing was not right, and so she plans on going on Thurs. Later in the afternoon, we went to our girl’s school - College #8 - to get paperwork, but we ended up having an impromptu meeting with the Assistant Director of the College. He was so kind and talked with us and insisted on sharing the gifts we had given him. In addition to the chocolates and cognac we had given him, he added Ukrainian cookies, coffee and tea. It sure was different literally toasting and drinking cognac in the middle of the afternoon at school with the faculty!!! He really was insistent. We left there warmed by his hospitality (and of course the cognac). We planned on meeting our girl in the evening at 6:00 for her first English lesson, but she cancelled on us at the last minute. It turns out that teens like to celebrate here when they get their passport, and she went out with her friends.

Thursday was disappointing because our girl did not go to the physical. We tried to meet up with her, but she was not at home. Instead, we were able to talk to her “Aunt” who she lives with. We took the Aunt out to breakfast, and with the help of our translator, we learned a lot more about our girl’s present and past. (The good, the bad and the ordinary.) We feel strongly that we need to know as much as possible about our kids, so we can do our best to help them. Later on we visited our little guy and played games with him and with another little girl who will be adopted later by another family. Our little guy signed a paper telling the orphanage director that he also wants to be adopted by us. Then we did more filing of paperwork in his city. Finally at 4:00pm, after waiting three days, we were invited to talk with the Assistant Mayor, and the Asst. Inspector. We had a pleasant and brief chat with them. The Asst. Mayor knew of us and our attempt to adopt back in Dec. She seemed cautiously optimistic about our adopting the older sister. I guess we passed, because she wished us luck and was kind to us. We ate dinner at our favorite restaurant, Reflections.

If all goes well, the paperwork should be completed and in Kiev for approval by the State Department of Adoptions (SDA) by Monday. So far the process is moving steadily forward for both children. We need more time with the children, particularly the older girl, in order to build relationships and better understand what motivates her and to know what her goals are for the future. Please pray for these children and for clarity about God’s will for each of them in this process. As we learn more of the unsavory details of these children’s very sad histories it is tempting to make quick and easy black and white judgments. We need to resist these hasty judgments as we never have the complete perspective.

Matthew 7: 1-5 “Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye”, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

A Cold Spring Morning Surprise

2009-03-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

As is often the case here, things changed without any notice, but sometimes they change for the better. Today was one of those days. As we noted in an earlier post, we had been told we would not be able to see our little guy's sister (lets call her T) until Monday. Unbeknownst to us, she expressed an interest in seeing us and her brother (lets call him S) today despite being ill. So we piled into our taxi and headed to T's aunt's apartment to see her for the first time since December. She was very shy at first but smiled and greeted us. We drove the 30 or so minutes to the orphanage where T and S hugged and clearly shared some genuine affection for one another. We shared some photos from the family's visit to the orphanage last December, played a bit with S and some other children, but too soon it was time to go. We stopped for lunch on the way back, shared some stories with one another about travel, different cultures, languages and enjoyed pancakes, coffee and hot melted chocolate together. T and Bill discovered that they know about the same number of words in one another's languages (between one and three). When we returned to T's aunt's home to drop T off, she gave us both warm hugs. she expressed (through our interpreter) her apologies for the way our December visit had gone (when T was under the supervision of the shelter director). It was a delightul surprise and a good first encounter. We hope and pray we can build upon this interaction.

Before we left the U.S., we had a conversation with another family that has been over here. We agreed the trip would not "fail" because of a lack of prayer. We believe there are literally hundreds of people praying for God's will for these children during this trip. What we can tell you, dear friends and family, is that these first 72 hours feel very different from our first trip. For example we were in-and-out of Kiev with everything accomplished in 8 hours. (last trip was almost 72 hours.) We felt alone and unsupported last trip: as a simple example, this trip we had three people just helping us to buy groceries! Please continue your prayers as we are grateful to God for His provision so far, and we pray that our actions would be pleasing to Him, that His will would be done and that any success or glory that results from this trip would be given to Him and Him alone. Our interest is in being obedient regardless of whether the outcome of that obedience is one we can understand fully now.

Oswald Chambers' devotions are often so helpful we offer his recent entry here in its entirety as an encouragement to all.
Abraham's Life of Faith

"He went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8). In the Old Testament, a person's relationship with God was seen by the degree of separation in that person's life. This separation is exhibited in the life of Abraham by his separation from his country and his family. When we think of separation today, we do not mean to be literally separated from those family members who do not have a personal relationship with God, but to be separated mentally and morally from their viewpoints. This is what Jesus was referring to in Luke 14:26.
Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading. It is literally a life of faith, not of understanding and reason-a life of knowing Him who calls us to go. Faith is rooted in the knowledge of a Person, and one of the bigger traps we fall into is the belief that if we have faith, God will surely lead us to success in this world.
The final stage in the life of faith is the attainment of character, and we encounter many changes in the process. We feel the presence of God around us when we pray, yet we are only momentarily changed. We tend to keep going back to our everyday ways and the glory vanishes. A life of faith is not a life of one glorious mountaintop experience after another, like soaring on eagles' wings, but is a life of day in and day out consistency; a life of walking without fainting (see Isaiah 40:31). It is not even a question of the holiness of sanctification, but of something which comes much farther down the road. It is a faith that has been tried and proved and has withstood the test. Abraham is not a type or an example of the holiness of sanctification, but a type of the life of faith- a faith, tested and true, built on the true God. "Abraham believed God..." (Romans 4:3).

May it be so with each of us.

We're Back!!!

2009-03-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

March 19, 2009

WE’RE BACK!!! Can you believe it? We didn’t think this would happen for a long while. Konstantine, our adoption facilitator, worked his magic once again and he got us a “continuance.” That means we are starting over – as if December didn’t happen (We think) We, Bill & Rebecca only, got on a plane early Wednesday morning out of LAX and flew to NY. Then we got on another flight and landed in Kiev Thursday morning. Boy how time flies. We are grateful for smooth travel, all our luggage is here, Bill’s back is doing ok after the long flights, easy customs experience, quick contact with our driver at the airport and it is probably 15 degrees warmer than our last arrival (today it is in the high 30’s we think).

We are hoping to get in & out of the State Department of Adoptions (SDA) today, Thursday the 19th, and head to the region on the train tonight. This may or may not happen. The SDA could take an hour or a day to provide us the referral paperwork we need and even if we get it today, train tickets are hard to come by, so we will know tonight. Most likely we will need to spend the night in Kiev. Many of you are wondering what has happened to us over the last 2 months. Well here is the condensed version:

We returned to the states at the end of Dec. ’08 without any success of adoption. It was a sad time for our family. Bill worked diligently trying to get our little guy here on a medical visa, but that also was not progressing. We continued to look at every option we could, and prayed constantly for guidance and understanding. Then, about 3 weeks ago, one of the facilitators in the region was finally able to talk to our little guy’s sister – alone. After they talked, the sister changed her mind and she decided she would consider coming to the U.S. with her brother. We were surprised, shocked, concerned, elated and felt the full range of these emotions simultaneously. We got on the phone and talked to all parties involved and decided to give her a chance. We spoke to her and we felt that she was sincere. We decided to step out in faith and invite her to consent to being adopted by us. She accepted and we started the formal paperwork to make that happen. And here we are...back in Ukraine, back in Kiev at O’Brien’s Irish Pub, listening to Motown, classic rock and eating fish and chips and steak. (If only we were here two days ago for the biggest Irish party in town!!)

Flash forward:
Now we are writing on Friday Night at 10:30p.m. Chernitvsi time. (1:30p.m. L.A time -9 hour time difference) We were able to get in & out of the SDA yesterday afternoon, and also get a room on the train. We travelled all night and arrived here in the region at 9:30am. We were met by our facilitator, and a taxi whisked us to our apartment. It is comfortable and and they gave us one hour to clean up before they took us to our appointment at the inspector’s office. There we had to formally ask permission to go and see the kids. We were successfully approved and made our first supervised visit to the Child’s House orphanage. While there we got to see our little guy and get reacquainted, as well as give hugs to an older girl at the orphanage that another family hopes to adopt. We wanted to also see the sister later on, but she is in another area and we need to get permission from a different inspector. Unfortunately, both the 2nd inspector and the sister are sick. We’ll have to wait to see them till Monday but she is aware we are in town. We returned to town, purchased a wireless modem and some local internet time, groceries and made our first video skype call with the kids. Thanks to all of you (you know who you are) who supported us in understanding this technology which lets us stay in touch with the three kids back home. It is wonderful! To round out our day, we had a nice dinner with the Barkers at the German restaurant called, Haus, here in town. It was great to see all of them (7 in all) and see familiar faces and talk about our common experiences. They are also in the process of adopting 3 boys. Successfully approved and made our first supervised visit to the young child’s orphanage. The first day of Spring in Chernivitsi included rain, snow and freezing rain and even a little sun!! We are going to fall over asleep now. Travelling is exciting and exhausting.

Train

TaxiApartment
Bill and Rebecca

Home Alone

2008-12-30T20:25:00.000-08:00

Well, we arrived home safely on Saturday Night, grateful for two weeks of safe travel and good health. Bill's brother, Doug, and Nephew & Niece, Geoff & Andrea, graciously picked us up at LAX. What a gift to see our family at the airport!! We had been awake for more than 48 hours with only some intermittent napping on the 12 hour plane ride. We were exhausted and we all went to bed. Sunday was also a blurr as we did some laundry and slept most of the day.

Monday Bill actually went back to work and the rest of us tried to put the house in order along with more napping. We all anxiously waited for Tuesday to get here. Also we had another unexpected loss today. One of our cats, Rocky, became critically ill, and after a 17 hour battle with no improvement, we had to have him euthanized. He was only 2 years old and he was Rachel's favorite. It was a sad time for us on top of all the other emotions from our trip.

Tuesday is the day of the final vote, at the regional council in Chernivtsi, on our request to legally separate the siblings. We waited all day, and in the afternoon we got the word that they voted 7 to 4 not to approve our request to legally separate our little guy and his sister. We were told that the 16 year old sister's opinion regarding what is best is carrying more weight than our guy's orphanage director (his legal guardian). What is wrong with all these adults? We don't understand why his legal guardian would not be consulted regarding her opinion as to what is best for him? We are not completely surprised, but we are extremely disappointed. We are now looking into getting a medical visa for him. Our facilitators in the Ukraine will continue to try to establish a trust relationship with the sister in an effort to educate her about adoption, life in the United States and our family's hope for her brother. We are not sure why this is happening, but we know there is a reason. We know we do not see all that is happening here and we rely on our faith during this difficult time. We covet your prayers for peace and comfort. We are not defeated, but we acknowledge this as a set-back.

'Though He slay me I will hope in Him.' -Job 13:15

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower;

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain.

Sleepless in Europe

2008-12-27T04:16:00.000-08:00

Leaving Ukraine

Friday the 26th and Saturday the 27th (a blur).

I write this at 36,000 feet somewhere over Germany headed back to LA by way of Munich, following a 10 hour cross country van ride over snowy, winding 2 lane roads to get to Kiev. We will have a 6 hour layover in Munich, which would be enough time to do some exploring if we can find just a little more energy but let’s back up.

Friday morning Rebecca and Bill had a direct conversation with our guy’s sister. She communicated very clearly that she neither wanted to come to America nor would she allow her brother to come to America. We communicated that we felt her intransigence was a direct threat to her brother’s long term survival. Rebecca shared the story of Solomon deciding which mother was the true mother of a disputed baby, hoping that perhaps the sister would comprehend the concept of putting her brother’s medical needs first. This was another hallway conversation under close supervision by a shelter manager, who had no reluctance at interjecting himself into the conversation, most frequently expressing that the brother could receive whatever care he needed in Ukraine. Not helpful (or true). This was clearly our last meeting with the sister and it did not go well.

We left there pretty depressed and frustrated and headed down to the orphanage to say our goodbyes as it did not appear there was any business left for us to do. The local town officials will make a decision on December 30th in response to our formal request to legally separate the two siblings; however we know that most officials are very much opposed to such separations and some are opposed to adoptions by anyone other than Ukrainians so this is an uphill battle. We arrived at the orphanage in time to enjoy another musical and dress up Christmas party, which was a lot of fun. The children were very excited and we had a chance to visit with several of the kids who visited the United States earlier this year. Lots of photos to share with their host families. The time arrived and we explained to our guy that we had to go home, that we had hoped to take him with us this trip but there was still “paperwork” to complete before he could live with us forever. He took it in stride and we told him we would see him again soon. In a heavy snow squall we walked down the long driveway through the woods, boarded our van and headed back to our apartment to pack up.

As seems to frequently be the case in this process, once it seemed over, it was not. Our facilitator in Kiev called while we were still in the van returning to our apartment and gave us some encouraging news about next week’s meeting. After several phone conversations both with Kiev and stateside adoption experts, we feel we have a fighting chance to separate the siblings and then proceed with the adoption after all (we have no guarantees, but this could be our miracle). Can you say traveling to Ukraine in frigid January? It’s possible…..

We will work stateside on the medical visa paperwork. We hurried back to our apartment, packed everything and met our driver at 5 pm to begin the 10 hour ride to the Kiev airport. We arrived at 3:30 AM and took off about 7 am, exhausted but hopeful.

This has been a truly amazing experience, pushing all five of us at different times and in different ways to the limits of our physical, emotional and spiritual abilities. Was it a waste of time and money? Not for one second. We don’t know if we will successfully adopt or not but we learned a lot about another people, another culture, we helped some kids at an orphanage and we learned a lot about ourselves and our faith. God is good. God cares for all children, even in a place that seems to have institutions that are hostile to their best interests. There are people willing to give so much of themselves to make a difference in the lives of kids who have no one and have nothing. Our hearts are full; we have done all we can do here right now, so we wait upon the Lord with joy and confidence.

'Not that I have already obtained all this or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me Heavenward in Christ Jesus.' Philippians 3:12-14

Nice group shot, American families have Christmas Eve dinner together- a Joyous time for all.

Patrick and Bill trudging through the snow back to the van after saying "see you later" to our little man.

Rachel and Casey in Munich airport- no sleep for 36 hours.

An encouraging sign at Kiev Airport- sums up our visit pretty well.

The Ukrainian (dis)Connection

2008-12-25T10:10:00.001-08:00

Tuesday

We planned to spend time with our guy and later on with his sister, but as usual – things changed. Bill & Rebecca spent most of the day in the taxi/van waiting as our interpreter played courier and hand-delivered documents all over. We did get to talk with the orphanage director a little. She told us that her meeting with the sister did not go well and that she was sorry. Our little guy was also at that meeting, and she told us that he is now feeling more connected to his sister than ever before. We were advised to try to meet with the sister to counter the last meeting. We did plan to spend a lot of time with her this evening, but when we got to her shelter, we were told we could only spend five minutes with her under strict supervision by the staff. We got to see her literally for 5 min. Whether she absorbed what we said or not under those circumstances we don’t know but we did make very clear that the sister’s brother (our guy) has serious medical issues which need treatment in western hospitals and that we wanted to help to make that happen whether or not we were able to complete the adoption. It did not feel like a lot of progress was made there! Tomorrow we will try again but the local officials have said we cannot talk to her without a local official observing; our facilitator said the local officials who must be present to observe are hard to find and get to a meeting place (this feels like another intentional roadblock on the part of the local folks) so once again it is out of our control. The concept of scheduling an appointment does not seem to be part of the local officials’ vocabulary.

We have been discussing our options and trying to deal with negative forces. Tomorrow we are hoping for positive news from the Inspector’s meeting. They will be looking at our request and comparing recommendations from various interested parties. We, however, are not allowed to be present. What is up with this crazy place!?! (Aren’t we the most interested?) Obviously we need prayers for patience and fortitude. It seems we are coming to the end of the road for any remaining options here in town to influence events. The people in town who know us and know our guy see that this is an obvious decision but the decision makers do not seem to want to spend the time to learn anything about our history together last summer, his medical condition or the appropriateness of our family. We will continue to work on the adoption and possibly a medical visa in the event the adoption does not happen. We trust the Lord with all of this. Tomorrow, Christmas Eve, we are committed to spending all morning at the orphanage distributing gifts and hanging out with our guy and his friends and are absolutely not going to let the negative administrative adoption process impose on that part of our day. It is snowing pretty heavily tonight and is expected to do so for the next few days. Looks like a white Christmas!! Forgot our Flexible Flyers!!!

White Christmas Eve and White Christmas Day (Yes it was snowing).

Christmas Eve started out early for us and quite nice too as we finished our now traditional ham and egg breakfast and boarded our taxi/van to head to the orphanage. We had asked to stop at a toy store on the way so we could pick up some toys both for our guy and the orphanage children to share. To our surprise, we stopped at a place that very closely resembles COSTCO or SAM’s CLUB. This was both good and bad news: they had everything we could have hoped to buy and they had everything we could have hoped to buy. Conveniently you could change currency right on premises (we did so). It was a lot of fun and even more so when we got to play a little bit of Santa (and played hotwheels cars) later at the orphanage. When Rebecca said, “my heart is full” on the way back, I think she spoke for all of us. While we envisioned this trip as a mission trip, there has been far more waiting around for paperwork than actually doing. This morning was a very welcome way to feel that we were tangibly helping all the children at the orphanage to enjoy some fun. We hurried “home” and met a friend for some quick boot shopping for the girls as every woman here wears long and presumably warm boots. No luck on our first try.

Rebecca and Bill left the kids to browse as they headed to another meeting with our guy’s sister to try to learn something about her background, explain what life in America would be like and have a real dialogue (our first two visits were very short and very closely monitored by local officials). Once again, we met under the close watch of three officials and were told time was up after no more than 30 minutes. This was the most substantive talk so far but still so difficult meeting in crowded hallway with constant interruptions by visitors and staff, every word trying to be translated and cell phones interrupting the dialogue continually. We left with the impression that the sister remains very unrealistic about what life would be like in America. We did our best to communicate the truth in love but the circumstances do not seem to be in our favor here.

Later we met most of the other families at our favorite local restaurant and then attended a Catholic Christmas Eve Service (in Polish we think). The Church was very cold (we could see our breath) with standing room only but it was beautifully decorated with holiday lights and wonderful incense. Communion really does not need translation nor do favorite Christmas Hymns. After that we walked through heavy wind and snow with the Maggi family for dessert and concluded our time together near midnight with a few Christmas Carols. What we lacked in energy and quality we made up for in spirit. I am sure the locals were quite confused by the whole thing.

Christmas Day dawned snowing, cold and windy. We again headed to the orphanage in the AM but our facilitator, who was with us, needed to stop and file some notarized forms related to the adoption process. As always here, these processes took more time than you would ever expect and we arrived at the orphanage just after noon. The director met with us and agreed to keep our guy awake during the normal nap time so he could help us to identify which gifts we had brought would be best suited to which children. There was also more good play time. We also were able to obtain some needed documents and input from the orphanage director related to our effort to continue to work on a medical visa for our guy. We are working on this front as well as the adoption front because we want to try to get him the medical care he needs even if the adoption does not happen.

The day was supposed to end with another meeting with the sister but……after we arrived, the Director of the shelter facility denied us the visit even though the local government official had officially approved our visit with her just the day before. All five of us were geared up emotionally for a big meeting (this would be her first meeting with our three children). We all left frustrated and angry and wondering where we could find the Christmas Spirit. A couple of hours later, Christmas night around 6, our facilitator called and said we could try again as they would now let us visit. Our fun meter had already pegged for the day at that point and we declined any further meetings today. As I write we are collectively trying to rest, decompress from the day’s (and week’s) stress and find the energy to meet the other families for Christmas Dinner (and Wifi for the blog).

We have been earnestly praying for clarity regarding direction. It seems our options are limited to adopting two (one of whom is an almost 17 year old girl who we do not know at all) or adopting none. It seems that the local government is trying to compel us to adopt two on the one hand but on the other hand they seem to be doing everything possible to keep us from spending time with the sister. Today our guy said he wants to come to America with us forever but only if that is with his sister (who he has seen twice in the last 12 months+). Right now we do not see how we could appropriately care for two children with extremely demanding special needs at the same time. We feel we could do either one but not both at the same time. Both would suffer (along with our biological children) from a lack of necessary attention and care as they tried to integrate into a new culture.

So maybe we are sharing too much with you as we write this but it is helpful to process the information. We remain open and in prayer but you see where we are and now you know how to pray as well.

Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart, commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn and the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. –Psalm 37: 4-6

Anger Management

2008-12-23T09:55:00.001-08:00

Step by Step Family Matters

Just after we finished writing this last blog at the Japanese restaurant, our wifi was discontinued. We saw on the news that some cables were cut (possibly by an earthquake or something else) under the Mediterranean Sea that may have interrupted internet service to Asia, Europe and some of Africa??? We have no idea what that’s about, but we will try to post it again tomorrow.

Early Sunday morning Casey and Rebecca were awakened by the sounds of hard rainfall and loud meowing. We knew our little adopted kitten, Sneakers, had to be very cold and wet, so we let him into our apartment! We knew Bill would not be thrilled with this decision, but he was so cute and it was wet and cold outside- we just had to.
Sneakers playing outside our apartment. I'm starting to think that Rebecca and Rachel will try to smuggle him back to the States.

He played in our living room and found some plastic bags that he liked to jump on. We found out that, like our other cats, he likes bread and cheerios!

Later that day we discussed our options regarding the sister. Then we ate breakfast and we decided we needed to have some church. We gathered our family and sang and prayed and shared meaningful scriptures. We had a communion meal of sorts and I think we all felt unity in our LORD once again.

At 12:30 Bill and Rebecca along with our adoption agency representative from Kiev (and a translator) piled into our van/taxi and we went to see our little guy to talk with him about his sister. We were not surprised that the Kiev rep. gave lots of instructions to our new unofficial translator on what he could and could not say and translate between us. As she clearly put it, “you are from an open society and this is a closed society; do not be offended.” It is frustrating not to be able to be in control of our communications with everyone around us. It makes the ‘Freedom of Speech’ and the concept of ‘Due Process’ seem all the more precious. Having zero control and virtually zero influence on this process is an incredible lesson on patience. As Americans we are so used to being in control of our environment and being able to influence circumstances for change. We are absolutely not in control of anything here AND God is absolutely in charge. He is sovereign; He is perfect; He is omniscient; whatever happens here we accept our LORD will use it for good. It is a lesson we are starting to learn in a brand new way.

We arrived at the orphanage and we were told that our guy was napping. Apparently, all of the children rest for 2 hours each afternoon. The orphanage workers woke him up and brought him to us. We had a little bit of play time while most of the adults talked to give him some time to wake up. Once he was alert and could pay some attention, we directly relayed to our little guy our intentions to adopt him. We were able to tell him that we would be talking again with his sister and that we have no control of the process or the amount of time it could take for him to officially become a part of our family.

The Kiev Representative asked him if he would rather stay in Ukraine and live with his sister or live with our family. He said that he wanted to go with us and that he would not stay with the sister.

We wanted to try to understand the relationship he has with his sister. The impression we got was that they are not very close. All in all it was a fairly short time of playing mixed with talking about some serious stuff. We are still trying to build back the sort of relationship that we had with him this past summer; kids spell ‘Love’ with ‘Time’. We were also told that we would not be allowed to take him off orphanage grounds again because there is a law prohibiting such visits. We were only able to take him out for dessert that one time because it was a holiday.

When Bill and Rebecca returned from the orphanage the whole family along with our Kiev Representative went to a nice restaurant called Reflection. It had rained earlier in the day, but by the time we were ready for our walk to the restaurant it had cleared and we actually had a very nice, not too cold, late afternoon walk. It was the most western meal we’ve had since arriving in Ukraine. They even had fajitas on the menu, but we’re not sure what it would have looked like; no one had the guts to order that. That’s probably the best bet for our Christmas dinner if we spend Christmas in Chernitvsi (no wifi access, though- bummer!). Later we found out it is one of the five best restaurants in the whole country (at least according to our guide book).

At the end of our meal our Kiev Representative left because she was tired; but we were joined by the translator who came to the States with both cultural camps and another family here, the Darnborough Family! We had a good, informative, fun time of talking and fellowshipping with them. PS, the desserts at Reflections are not to be missed!

On the way back to our apartment, our translator friend guided us to the city center square to the New Year’s Tree. It’s several stories high and was decorated like we would decorate a Christmas tree with lots of lights. It’s very beautiful and it gave us some Christmas Spirit in this country that celebrates Christmas in a way that is quite different from what we normally experience. As we continued our walk home we stopped in at the Japanese restaurant again for some ‘tea’ (read wifi) so we could check emails and post the latest blog.

These photos were taken within seconds of each other. This is usually how we look when we're at the Japanese restaurant.We had a quiet evening thinking about our upcoming ‘charge’ into the Adoption minefield the next morning.

Monday dawned sunny and relatively ‘warm’. As I write this Monday has just dawned in California but we have wrapped up our dinner and it is dark here. For the third day in a row, we enjoyed eggs, ham, bread and coffee at our apartment. One of the other families encouraged us to work hard to have a hardy breakfast because, with the uncertainty of the adoption daily schedule of events, you never know when or if you will get another meal.

It was a quiet day waiting for a meeting with the sister that never materialized. We walked to the grocery store to get fruit for our little guy and his sister, and later to the famous university here where we admired some very Russian looking architecture (apparently most of the buildings were built over 100 years ago for the Orthodox Church leaders). We learned tonight that our guy’s orphanage director has requested a meeting with our guy and his sister together in order to move things forward. We are hopeful and again this is all out of our control (sense a theme?). Our facilitators think we may have a good sense of which way things will go by the end of the day Wednesday, Christmas Eve.

As we had our family church service yesterday and shared scripture and prayer, we reminded one another of the need to pray continuously. We have so much to be thankful for over the last 10 days. We have experienced kindness by many, mild weather for this part of the world, support in the orphanage community for what we are trying to accomplish, wonderful fellowship with the other families that are here working on their adoptions but most of all, we have experienced such tremendous prayer support and messages from all of you back home!!! We will never be able to express to you how important you have been or how many times we think you have made a key difference for us. We continue to think about what God is doing here, and maybe we will never fully understand; but He has blessed us richly already in so many ways during our time here.

Some of the family playing at the younger orphanage where we got to spend good quality time with 4 of the children we met in the summer.

Another view of Chernivtsy. We think it looks like a movie set. We understand that the whole city was recently repainted for the City's 600 birthday.Using the wifi at the Greek restaurant- the only other place we can get online in this city.

Saint Nicolai is Coming to Town

2008-12-21T09:26:00.000-08:00

Friday morning we got up early and watched the children at the orphanage put on a musical program for Saint Nicholas Day. We saw most of the younger children that we met during the cultural camp this past summer. They sang and danced and recited stories about this patron saint of children that we know as Santa Claus. It was a joyous morning and the children were all very excited. This is a day when people give gifts to children. The orphanage director, local officials, honored guests, and some parents were in attendance. We took lots of pictures and videos and we will share those when we return to the States.

After the program we stayed and spent some time with our little guy for a little while and gave him some gifts. We then got to take him out to a local café for some dessert. Unexpectedly, another young girl asked to come along; so our family, our adoption liaison, our child, along with a chaperone from the orphanage and also this other young girl went out after the presentation. It was a good time. At this lunch our little man was officially told for the first time that we are here to adopt him. He was very positive about that and seemed to understand that this is a process that will take some time. We are happy that he is so happy about this possibility. Too soon it was time to say goodbye and we went back to our apartment where we ended up having a quiet afternoon (some of us napped). We went out for Japanese food for dinner where we found the second place in town to have wifi. We will probably be eating a lot of Japanese food in the foreseeable future.

We are still waiting for any kind of positive feedback from local officials. No one seems to be receiving any positive news at this time. The courts in this region may now officially be closed for the rest of this month which affects all of the families here in various ways, although there is still a lot of work that can be done before it is time for court. We are now looking into other avenues to move this process along.

We are still trying to negotiate with the sister and various other third parties and we anxiously await the outcomes of these meetings. We finally discovered a single English channel on our 300 channel TV. Most of them are Italian. Figure that one out.

Saturday morning we had a relaxing morning, sleeping in late and our first homemade breakfast in our apartment since we got to Ukraine. While we waited to hear if we had permission to see our little man today we went to the market for the essentials. It was obvious that we are foreigners when comparing our full shopping cart to the nearly empty baskets that the locals had. We didn’t really know what we were buying, but we think we’ll be able to eat some of what we bought.

We tripped a breaker when we tried to use an American hairdryer. Note to families who will come in the future, do not bring American hairdryers- the voltage is too high.

We were able to go to the orphanage late in the afternoon, and discovered that we couldn’t take any of the children off grounds like we wanted because the director was not there to give us permission. We played in the children’s gymnasium and invited the other children that we met in the summer at the cultural camp. The four of them and the five of us played ball, hoola-hooped, ran their small obstacle course, and climbed the rope wall. It was a great hour and gave them some gifts and candy before we told them we would be back to see them again tomorrow. It was a really good time to connect with those children.

When we got back from the orphanage, we learned that there was a meeting with the sister and the adoption agency facilitators and, at the request of the sister; we will probably meet with her again to discuss some of our concerns. Obviously weekends are a little less exciting because business hours are unpredictable and even more this weekend because it’s a holiday, but we still find ways to keep busy.

Tonight, we find ourselves back at the Japanese restaurant so we can post this blog and check email. We don’t even know the name of this restaurant; we just know it by the logo and the wifi sticker on the door. The teriyaki chicken and grilled salmon are quite good though.

We took lots of pictures today and yesterday, but most are of the children at the orphanage so we can’t post them!

Worry and anxiety come easy here but we are focusing on faith to overcome our anxiety. We saw the sun for the first time in a week today and it was a little warmer and dry (prior to this it seemed every day was heavy fog, mist, rain or light snow).

Luke 12:22 can be summarized as DO NOT WORRY. That is our hope and our prayer.

This is the view from the front door of our apartment:

These are the cobblestone streets we drive on (slippery and bumpy- old looking)

This is our taxi- we have no idea why we haven't crashed about a thousand times- but we are all alive and well. It's a 12 seater mercedes benz with a cracked windshied and rope holding the back door closed. The driver is a sweet Ukrainian man.

It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad Chernivtsi

2008-12-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, while we waited for our meeting with the SDA our family spent some more time exploring Victory Square in Kiev. Rachel, Casey, and Rebecca noticed that almost every woman in Kiev wore high heeled black boots and long chic black coats. We didn’t exactly fit in.

When it was time, our drivers took us to the SDA (State Department of Adoption) to get our referral to see our little guy. In addition, we received a referral to see his older sister because of a Ukrainian government policy that siblings should be adopted together. They insisted on this obligation to see both children with the intent to adopt. Once we had these valuable pieces of paper we headed for the train station in Kiev. The traffic was crazy busy, but we made the train with a bit of time to spare. In order to get there our driver had to drive on the wrong side of the road, through gridlock traffic, on and sidewalks all while he talked on multiple cell phones and ignored his collision avoidance warning alarms.

The station was VERY busy and our Adoption host gave us specific instructions about how to keep our family and our luggage safe all the way to the train; we looked like a mama duck with her ducklings following all in a row with a bodyguard/driver bringing up the rear. We were quite the sight, I’m sure.

Just before we boarded the train we met our new adoption agency host and an interpreter who will be with us in Chernivsti. They are very kind and we are so thankful for them. The Train was old, the rooms were small and hot; but it had a certain charm too. We could have been on the Orient Express.

This is a picture of the hallway. Our rooms are along the wall behind Rachel.

After the bumpy fifteen hour overnight train ride to Chernivtsi we took only a few moments to settle into our apartment before we met up with the Croucher family from home. It was wonderful to see familiar faces! We also got to see a friend of ours who came with the children from Ukraine in the summer. It was great to see her too.

We then drove the forty-five minutes to the district to get permission to see our little guy. After hours of waiting for the bureaucratic process to unfold, we picked up a social worker. Finally, after five days and eight thousand miles of travel, we made our way to the orphanage.

It was wonderful to see our little boy again! When we first saw him he had just woken up from his nap and was a little sleepy; but he had no problem sitting with Patrick and looking at the photo album we brought of his trip to America. We spent some time taking turns sitting with him and he perked up as he woke up. He became the talkative, playful little boy we remembered. We also got to see one of the girls that we met in the summer from his orphanage. She joined our group and we all played cars and laughed together. Just before we left for the day he showed us his bedroom and his locker and we got to meet some more of his friends. We had to say goodbye after only an hour; the social worker had to get back to the office.

To cap off the day, we met up again with the Crouchers and another family from home, the Hegrebergs, for dinner along with our translator and guide. It was a wonderful time to share our experiences and just be together and support each other. We are all traveling a similar challenging path and it’s great to have someone who’s been there to vent to, talk with, and get encouragement from. As some families make progress, those of us a few more steps behind are encouraged and we have some hope.

This morning Bill and Rebecca had some frustrating meetings with Chernivtsi officials. While we have known for several months that the child we wish to adopt has a sister, at these meetings it became clear for the first time that the sister will play a significant role on whether or not we will be able to adopt him. She is much older but somehow still in the ‘System’; and in this region there is a decree that sibling children must be adopted together. We did not know this before we got here. We were under the impression that we would merely have some extra paperwork to do to dissolve the family relationship but that over all it would not be a big deal. It’s going to be a big deal.

Bill and Rebecca had a very short meeting with the sister; nothing was resolved and we decided to meet again later. Then the American families and our Adoption guides/translators went to the boarding school (where the older orphans live). The other families spent some time passing out snacks and bonding with their kids and received some paperwork to move their process along. We are glad for them and rejoice with them in the progress they are making. It’s wonderful to share in their joy.

While our family was at the boarding school we spoke with some of the staff who know our child’s family, including the sister. Based on the information we received from them, Bill and Rebecca do not plan to adopt the sister. We went back to meet the sister again. At this time her role in this process remains unresolved. This makes it very very difficult for us to adopt the child we wish to adopt. Our plan is to continue to talk with her until we have clarity on her intentions regarding our desire to adopt her brother.

It’s very cold here (in many ways) and the news we have gotten so far has not been encouraging or hopeful. Whenever we do get to take a step forward inevitably we take two or more steps back.

Our word for this situation since our family decided to host our little guy for the cultural camp in the summer has been “Miracle”. Every single step along the way, from deciding the host him to the medical work we got done while he was in the states, to the decision to adopt him- we have named all of these Miracles. It is so obvious to our family that God’s hand has been in this from day one. On days like today and yesterday where a lot of times (maybe even most of the time) the outlook is very bleak we do our best to remember that even here in this tiny region of Ukraine, literally, this little corner of the world, God is in charge. Even when we are not at home God hears our prayers. He knows our hearts, and he knows our desire. If it’s in His will for us to adopt this certain little boy He will make it happen.

It’s a habit of our family that before we begin a trip of any substantial length we gather around and pray in a circle. Minutes before we piled into the car to go to the airport for this trip we prayed together again. The word we used in that prayer was Miracle. We asked God for a Miracle. Since then, in our family prayers on this trip as the difficulties have become more and more apparent, we continue to ask God for a Miracle.

God is bigger than the cold, He is bigger than language barriers, He is bigger than district and regional officials who may try to stand in the way, He is bigger than a poorly written law that could keep us from bringing our little guy home.

So, please Dear Friends and Family pray for miracles to happen.

This is taking a toll on our family. We are scared and sad, and frustrated, confused, and yet, somehow still trying to be hopeful. Please pray for strength for our family too. This is no vacation and we won’t give up until we either have our new family member or there are literally no more options.

On a happier note, tomorrow morning our little guy’s orphanage is having their Saint Nicholas Day program. We were invited when we visited him yesterday and we look forward to that very much. We will take pictures and will show you when we get home.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. –Hebrews 10: 23-24

A Square near our apartment in Chernivtsi

A picture of some of our apartment in Chernivtsi and Rachel and Patrick.

Rachel and Rebecca found a kitten who lives near our apartment. They call it Sneakers

From Ukraine with Snow Flurries

2008-12-15T23:34:00.001-08:00

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.

How to Succeed in Ukraine Without Really Trying

2008-12-14T14:09:00.000-08:00

Rachel found the very best way to spend the cramped 12 hour flight to Munich;

Things we talked to local folks about:

Because of the natural gas debt, the government controls the temperatures and hot water supply to all the residences. We have pretty warm water while the temperature in the apartment is "brisk."

Most folks we run into have some basic English (thank goodness for us)

they want to know why all Americans want to be "rock stars." Answer: good question; we don't know.

Why do Americans love this sport of baseball? That we took a stab at: pastoral, relaxing, slower paced than other sports, no clock so the game can theoretically last forever and a beautiful green field. Don't know if that helped explain it or caused more confusion.

Ukrainian driver said their TV is the same as American TV, just Ukrainian actors and language (same plot, same jokes, etc).

Cold blustery day today with snow flurries but probably no colder than New England this time of year. Sunday was spent trying to catch up on lost sleep and getting to know our immediate area, learn how to exhange currency in the at the exhange in the ground floor of our building, found the local coffee shop (critical). purchasing a few groceries and odds and ends at the local market. We sort of figured out how to use the shower, a real plus for everyone!

Kiev, a city of 3 to 4 million folks reminds us all increasingly of New York City, fast paced, there always seem to be people walking around on the streets at all hours, lots of hustle, Christmas shopping, malls, etc. Sunday night, thanks to our adoption agency host, we had the opportunity to attend the Kiev Opera, "Prince Igor." A spectaular opera hall, classic eastern European architecture, could have been right out of a sound stage for Phantom of the Opera. This was a wonderful night to be surrounded by the people of Kiev in a place that did not feel like a tourist destination.

Tomorrow is the big day: first appointment with the State Department of Adoptions and then hopefully approval for the next steps, which will take place in the local region of the orphanage, a 12 hour train ride away. Need to find some playing cards and yarn for needlework. We hope to connect with the other families that are ahead of us in this process once we get to the region; hope to compare notes and share some meals together!

This is the view out of our apartment. It's the National Circus.

Our family being cold.

Getting coffee in the mall

A short video of our apartment:

Blessings to you all.

Long Day's Journey into Night

2008-12-13T17:03:00.000-08:00

We left LAX at 9:30pm on Friday; flew all night and arrived in Munich, Germany 9:30am Pacific Time but it was 5:30pm Local time. We ate breakfast on the plane about an hour before we landed, and ate dinner at the airport during our 2 hour layover. Now we are on the second leg of our journey to Kiev, Ukraine; due to land in about an hour. So far we’ve had no glitches and everything seems to be going smoothly, but we are very tired.

And the journey continued into day again it seemed. We arrived in Kiev on time and walked off the plane and down the steps into freezing temps, cleared customs easily, got our ride to our apartment, which, unfortunately was still sort of occupied. After lots of calls and confusion, we moved at 1 AM to another apartment all our own. Now at 2:30 AM we are winding down. We are safe and sound, exhausted, and ready to try to get some sleep. Tomorrow we will rest and buy some groceries and get ready for our big appt with the adoption agency Monday afternoon at 3:30. It is about 25 degrees Fahrenheit now. Brr Keep praying.

We'll post pictures soon!

Some Thoughts Before Leaving

2008-12-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Tonight our family will begin the long journey to Ukraine! We are going to Ukraine to take the next steps toward adopting a young Ukrainian boy who has become very near and very dear to our family in the last months. We look forward to moving this process along and spending some time with our little boy during the coming weeks.

We covet your thoughts and prayers as we finish preparing for this trip and while we are away. We pray for peace, patience, understanding, and for our family to remain supportive of each other during this time of so much anxiety, excitement, uncertainty, and joy. We know that while we don't know very much about what we will face during our trip, God knows what will happen, we know that He is bigger than our fears and apprehensions, and that He has a perfect plan for all of this and for all of us. We rest in that understanding.

Updates to this blog will come as we have news to share, time to write, and access to internet. We look forward to sharing this great adventure with you!

Thank you for your prayers and support.

May God Bless You and Keep You.

Love,
The Weeks Family

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. -Jeremiah 29:11