School Program

Masha

Yulia

Today we were able to attend the girls school program. We thought that we were leaving early enough, but the line at the bus stop meant we didn't get aboard until the third bus. Then traffic was very heavy and the normally 40 minute trip took over an hour. The program was to begin at 4:00 pm and we arrived at 4:40 pm. As we walked in, our friend Julia said, "You are just in time, the show is about to begin." Praise the Lord. Due to heavy traffic for everyone, probably mainly for the VIPs that attended, the program start had been delayed for an hour, so Mom and Dad were able to see their new daughters perform. The Director of the orphanage came up to us after the show and said that she was glad to see us and did we enjoy seeing our children perform. We said yes and thanked her.

After the show, we all walked to Pan Pizza for some supper, only to find that the entire restaurant had been reserved for a private party. Decisions, decisions. Where so we go to eat? We decided on the food court at the market. It was quite a distance so we got a taxi. Not the formal kind, but the more like hitchhiking kind. There were seven of us, Gail, Steve, Julia, Betsy and the girls, Yulia, Masha and Vera. That meant we needed two "taxis". You signal for a car and when they stop, you tell them where you want to go and if they are willing to take you there, they tell you the price and off you go. The foods court was very busy, but we finally got two tables. Then we did a little shopping for things like serving dishes, salt and pepper shaker, camera batteries, etc. Then the girls headed back to the orphanage and Julia got us a "taxi" back to the city center. It cost 30 grivna (That is 6 dollars.) and only took about 20 minutes.

Here are some photos. Of course these first two are our favorites, but all the kids did a great job.

Incredibly Blessed

This has been an amazing weekend. OK, weekends don't usually last from Friday through Tuesday, but this one has. The shopping trip, the time with the kids doing jigsaw puzzles or just kidding around, it all was indescribable. As I watched the kids interact with each other and with us, I was overwhelmed by the incredible blessing that God has chosen to bestow on us. Experiencing this adoption journey is totally something else. We are so glad that we found out about Igor's availability this past summer, so that we had time to complete a revised home study approving us for adopting three children.

Court was scheduled for 3:00 pm today (Odessa time). At 2:51, the taxi driver pulled over to the side of the road and took out a map. We definitely did not take this as a good sign. Driving on the trolley tracks to get around a traffic jam is definitely an interesting experience. Gail told the kids to forget how people drive in Ukraine.We arrived at the court building at 3:03 and waited nearly 30 minutes to be called into court. Thankfully, our judge was not on time. We were told that they never are. The room was quite full with two persons from Ilichovsk, two from the orphanage, one from Odessa administration, Oles, our facilitator and the five of us. There were also four persons from the court, including the judge. With 15 people and 13 chairs, Yulia and Masha were standing for the entire 30 minutes of court. When Gail was describing how we decided to adopt three children, that we began by deciding to adopt Masha, but didn't want her to be alone, so we decided to also adopt Yulia, then found out that Igor was available and wanted to keep brother and sister together so we decided to adopt all three, the judge and other court members were all smiling and he asked if Masha had any more friends.

So, now we have three more children. More waiting for paperwork, so we can send copies to USCIS in Omaha and apply for their Ukraine passports. We should be home in another month, maybe a little sooner. We opened gifts and Masha has already worn out one set of batteries in her digital camera. The other two have each taken a few pictures. We enjoyed having dinner with Lisa and Betsy at their apartment, going Christmas caroling and watching the movie "Happy Feet" in Russian, with English subtitles. It is already December 26 here, but we realize that we have just experienced a wonderful and totally unique Christmas Day that will forever make the day even more special than it already was. Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas

"For God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

We hope that this Christmas season finds you and your loved ones well. In this time of the hustle and bustle of everything that has become "connected" with Christmas, we must keep our focus on the reason for Christmas. God gave the world a gift on that first Christmas, a gift that we often ignore or take for granted. He gave us the opportunity to spend eternity in His perfect presence. Only the perfect is allowed in His presence. I know that the only way for me to attain perfection is through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. As we have spent this Christmas season here in Ukraine, it has provided a new perspective. We haven't watched much television, so the ever present ads are not there. The primary focus of celebration here is for the new year. Christmas is celebrated on January 7 in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, so that time of celebration will be after the new year festivities. Little things, simple things, seem to be more special than before. Walking to the grocery store, not having a hundred brands of every product, but having everything we need. "Things" are important to people here, just as they are in the US. There are just fewer "things" available. To see the delight on a person's face when they receive a gift that we might consider insignificant, gives me pause to remember that it isn't the "things" that are important, but the people, the friends, the relationships. These are also of the most importance to Jesus. He and the disciples traveled without "things". They cared about, and ministered to people - usually people who were considered outcasts, socially challenged. The "good" people thought they had it all together, all figured out, so they didn't need what Jesus was offering. It is easy for us to think that we too have it all figured out. We are constantly told that we can do-it-ourselves, it is owed to us, what "we" want is really all that matters.All of the distractions, all of the propaganda can only serve to lead us away from the narrow path that leads to Christ and eternal life. Don't let the world distract you from what is really important, the only thing that matters for eternity. Place your trust and faith in Jesus Christ - the only way to true peace and joy, the only way to life eternal in the presence of a mighty and loving God.

God Bless and Merry Christmas

Steve, Gail, Igor, Yulia and Masha

Holiday Decorations

Here in Odessa, the holiday decorations are going up. Each day there are more. The big celebration here is for New Years Eve on December 31. Christmas follows on January 7. When we first arrived, we walked by City Hall and Primorskiy Boulevard which are both very scenic areas, but when we walked there again last night, the transformation was amazing. The building and the trees were covered with colorful lights providing a winter wonderland. As we walk around this city, the contrasts are striking, much as the dramatic difference made by the lights. There are beautiful buildings, well maintained and bustling with the activity of well dressed, apparently affluent people. There are also many buildings that are worn and dreary looking, obviously in need of maintenance. There are also many buildings, especially near the city center area, that are undergoing various degrees of renovation. Everywhere you see people, well dressed as for a night on the town. There are also those who obviously struggle to survive. The economy has improved over the last few years, but remnants of the Soviet era are still very evident. You see small children with their parents, groups of teenagers, business people, elderly people, wedding parties going to the popular spots for photos. Some people seem happy, but many never seem to smile, whether due to a bad day or a hard life, we will never know. One thing that strikes me is that whenever we visit the orphanage, the kids smile and greet us. They seem to be happy. Knowing that they have had difficult lives, at best, it illustrates that we can determine what our attitudes will be, what type of an image we present to others. We can choose how we feel, how we react to situations, how we respond to others. I have decided that, whenever I have a down day, I will try to remember these kids and the way they seem to try to make the best of things. I know that we aren't seeing them all the time, but it still gives me hope. What better time of year for hope than at Christmas.

Shopping at Prevost

Today was an interesting experience. We experienced a shopping trip to the Prevost Marketplace. This huge area consists of outdoor stalls and a large covered area with row after row of stalls, each about 5 feet by 8 feet. Boots, jeans, coats, shoes, sweaters, undergarments, etc., it is all there. The aisles are about 4 or 5 feet wide and often have 3 or 4 people trying to pass through them at the same time. Items are displayed on racks or hanging from the sides of the stalls. Some are so full that there is no room for the salesperson. How do you know if a pair of jeans is the right size? You try them on. We each took our turn assisting the merchant hold up a lightweight blanket while the girls tried on the jeans. Purchases are made - not a receipt in sight. I guess if you have your merchandise in a bag, that means that it is paid for. There were even a few stalls with electronics or cell phone accessories, but this area was mostly clothing. We were purchasing new outfits for court on Tuesday. It was a fun time.

Walking back from the market, Gail and I followed along behind the kids. The brother-sister banter looked the same as you would see anywhere. At times, we just shook our heads, because we didn't have a clue about what they were saying. We really need to learn a little more Russian. There is no telling what three teenagers could be planning. Things will definitely be interesting around the Haug household.

Gail, Igor, Masha, Yulia, Steve

Here is the first photo of the five of us together. It was this morning and the kids were still in their pajamas. We will get something more "formal" on Tuesday.

A Day Spent With Friends

Wednesday was a good day. In the morning, Steve talked with his brother and one sister on Skype. It was good to have the chance to talk with them. After lunch, Sonja graciously gave us a walking tour of some of the interesting places around downtown Odessa. We met her at the Vineyard Church, here in Odessa. She is a lifetime resident of the city and offered that unique perspective. Lisa had arranged for the tour for Betsy, Gail and me.

I think that there are many stories about the Mother-in-law Bridge, but the one Sonja told us was that the Governor built it over this deep ravine so that it would be easier for his mother-in- law to return home and she would not have to spend the night when she came to visit.

After the tour, we returned to Lisa and Betsy's apartment where Lisa made us a delicious soup for lunch. We spent some time visiting before we walked to the Vineyard Church for worship. We enjoy the praise songs and were able to remember the English words to some and to attempt the Russian words for others. We were blessed to worship with fellow believers from Ukraine and Sweden. The message was presented by Sergey Yaravoy and translated by his wife Julia. Sergey and Julia have a ministry, Youth of Ukraine that ministers to street kids and kids in the orphanages. Please check out their website at http://www.YouthOfUkraine.org

After worship we went to Pan Pizza with Julia and Sergey for a wonderful time of fellowship, sharing and food. God is using this young couple in wonderful ways to touch the lives of many children. Also, Julia is the teacher that we have had giving English lessons to our girls and other kids in the orphanage.

Oh, I almost forgot. (Yeah right.) Our adoption hearing is at 3:00 pm Tuesday December 25 - that is 7:00 am Christmas morning for those of you in the central time zone. What a special Christmas this will be.

Thank you for all your prayers, they are felt and appreciated - and don't stop praying.

The Paperwork Saga Continues

Our updated home study arrived at the Embassy in Kiev on Monday. Now they know that we are approved for three children. The USCIS office in Omaha really gave an extra effort in expediting the process and we appreciate that. If only things here were moving that fast. After days of travel to Illichevsk and providing them with templates for forms and offers of assistance with the paperwork, Oles, our facilitator, said that the administration office there finally did use the template for the Conclusion for Adoption form. Then when he took it to the court, the judge said that he wasn't scheduling any hearings until next month. That wasn't exactly what we wanted to hear. So, Oles made some calls and now the hearings will be combined in Odessa. The Odessa judge is unavailable this week, so it looks like our adoption hearing will be next Monday or Tuesday. I know that Tuesday is Christmas day, but in Ukraine, Christmas is celebrated under the Eastern Orthodox tradition using the Julian calendar version of December 25, which is January 7. All of that just to say that, here, December 25 is just another business day. We think that it would be very special to have the adoption take place on Christmas Day. What a special gift that will be for all of us. Christmas Eve day would be special as well.

On December 27, the girls will be in a program at the orphanage. They will have singing and dancing parts. We are looking forward to that. Dad plans to take a lot of photos.

The other two families have returned to the US until January 9, when they will return to continue with the process of applying for passports for the kids. These are Ukraine passports, since the kids are still Ukraine citizens until they reach US soil. They will also then apply at the US Embassy for the visas that the kids will need to enter the US. We will also be doing this at that time as well as sending adoption documentation to USCIS in Omaha for approval of the I-600 forms for the kids, which declares that they are our dependents. These forms must be approved before the Embassy will issue them the needed visas.

We plan to attend at least one performance at the Odessa Opera Theater. It is said to be one of the most beautiful in the world. Here is a link to more information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odessa_Opera_Theater

Gail's arm is improving. She is able to move it more each day. The inside of the upper arm is one large bruise from the shoulder, half way to the elbow, so it is no wonder that it has been painful. Wednesday, we will be having a tour of some of the sights of Odessa. It is truly a wonderful, beautiful city.

Weekend

Igor, Masha, Vera and Yulia at the computer.

Sorry we didn't update this weekend. It was a busy weekend, Masha, Yulia and their friend Vera came to the apartment Friday evening. Igor came on Saturday afternoon. We spent time talking, eating, on the computer, watching a movie and going to church on Sunday. Sunday afternoon we went to the mall. We bought a sweater for Igor and gave up on finding boots for the girls. The boots we saw in the mall were of the fashion variety when we were more interested in the warm and dry variety. Judging from the icy sidewalks, we also need the good traction variety. Masha said that she knows a shopping area that would have a better selection. We will shop there next weekend when they come. All of the kids know some English, but Masha is our interpreter when the others don't understand. Occasionally, Masha doesn't understand something or quite how to say something, but we always get it figured out. On Sunday she asked Steve, when would be the time when she tells them that, Yes, she does want to be adopted by us. Hopefully we will find out today when our court hearing will be and if we will need to have two hearings or if they can be combined into one hearing. One or two, we would just like to have them, so things will be official, pending the waiting period. It still looks like the waiting period will extend into the holiday time here. That will mean that the next step for applying for passports and sending documents to USCIS in Omaha will not take place until about January 8. The girls are rehearsing for a program at the orphanage on December 27 when they will be singing and dancing. They are already looking forward to Steve taking a lot of photos and some video. We are also looking forward to it.

Yulia and Igor helping Gail with a Russian Lesson

On Saturday evening, Yulia was trying to help us learn Russian. She was going through one of the books we had and kept telling us that it was easy. Could have fooled me. So, we logged on to the Rosetta Stone website, where we have subscribed to six months access to the Russian language lessons. One of the exercises pronounces words or phrases, has you pronounce them back into the microphone then gives sound effects to let you know if you were correct or not. On one phrase, Steve must have tried 20 times before everything was correct. This produced giggles, laughter and a lot of help from all the kids.

It was a great weekend with some great kids. We are truly blessed with great kids (this includes sons-in-law Matt and Corey) and fantastic grand kids in the US and great kids in Ukraine.

Please keep Gail in your prayers. Last evening, she slipped on the icy sidewalk, fell and injured her right elbow and shoulder. It is somewhat better today, but it is extremely painful and very difficult to move her arm.

Sights, Snow, Food and Friends

We took a guided tour of Odessa today. We went with another adoption family from Michigan. It was interesting to see points of interest in Odessa and have the history behind them explained. The sun also came out for a few minutes and we saw a few patches of blue sky, just long enough to get a photo. We toured several churches and some of the 2000 kilometers of catacombs under the city. These were formed when Odessa was built, as the limestone was mined and used for the buildings of the city. There were no forests for lumber, so limestone was the cheapest and fastest way to build the city. During World War II, the Resistance used these catacombs to hide and as a base of operations for 2 - 3 years. Much of the time they lived with no light. The thousands of entrances to these tunnels have been closed, because of the danger of getting lost if you enter them.

The tunnels included sleeping areas, work areas, kitchen and hospital facilities. The only time they would come out were for night raids on the German army. They held out much longer than other European countries.

When we returned, we talked to Oles, who had spent another day in Illichevsk getting Igor's paperwork in order. We also talked to Julia B., who has been teaching the girls English, and she made arrangements for the girls to stay with us for the weekend. She brought Yulia, Masha and their friend Vera to the apartment. We made plans to go out to dinner/supper and to have Oles meet us there. By this time it was snowing and making the streets and sidewalks a bit slippery. As we were getting ready to order, Lisa, Michelle's roommate called to say that she and Betsy were going out to eat and would we like to join them. We told them where we were and they said that was where they were going, so they joined us at Steakhouse Meat & Wine with the cow statue out front. http://www.steak.od.ua/english.php We ended up with nine of us in the group and had a good meal and wonderful conversation. Isn't it great how God can arrange meal plans so we could all be together? As we left the restaurant, we met two more Americans, one from Texas and the other from Florida. Small world.

Tomorrow the girls will help with the blog, so no telling what you will get.

A Pretty Good Day

Today our facilitator spent most of the day with the court for Igor. We haven't had a chance to hear all the details yet, but he sounded really tired on the phone. We will find out more in the morning. The adoption agency sent our home study update to USCIS and they have forwarded it and asked that it be expedited. I'm sure that it will be at the Embassy in Kiev in plenty of time. It looks like our 10 day waiting period will probably be closer to 20 because of the holiday. O well, I guess that I didn't need three more tax deductions this year anyway.

We found a store today to buy a pitcher for ice tea (since I drink that all year) and more dish towels, etc. We also got the phone card and I got in about three more hours of work for my job.

The best part of the day was visiting the girls late in the afternoon. Our facilitator arranged a cab for the trip to the orphanage, since he was still dealing with the court in Illichevsk. He had told us that we would be able to visit the girls, but that they would not be able to leave the orphanage grounds. We were pleasantly surprised when we got there and the social worker had Yulia write a permission letter for us to sign. We couldn't read what it said, but once we signed it, they said that we had to have them back by 8 pm, so we were able to take the girls out of the orphanage to supper. We walked to a large store, kind of like a Super Target, that had a food court. We had pizza for dinner and did a little shopping. On the way there, Yulia was cold, so I gave her my gloves and scarf to wear. After dinner we got her a new pair of gloves and they selected a Ukrainian cook book to take home. They will have to help with that cooking, since the book is in Russian. We picked up a few other things, like scotch tape and sticky notes and some candy bars for the girls to take back for themselves and a friend. We have also been told that they don't seem to sell washcloths in Ukraine. They have hand towels and bath towels, but no washcloths. After walking back to the orphanage, they walked us to the bus stop so that we would know where to catch bus number 133 back to the apartment. Once you know where to get on, you ride from one end of the route to the other. You know when you are at the end of the route, because the driver stops the bus and shuts off the engine. I wish that the bus had economy plus seating like United Airlines. I would definitely pay extra for some leg room. The seats are so close that it is nearly impossible for me to get my legs into the space in front of the seat. But, I guess for 25 cents it isn't too bad.

It was great to spend time with the girls. We really didn't have problems with communication. Yulia understands a lot, and if she didn't, Masha would explain it to her. Masha seems to understand almost everything and can speak very well most of the time. They seem to be getting more comfortable with us. We think that they will be allowed to spend the weekend with us, but we will check on it tomorrow.

Wednesday

Wednesday provided a couple of delays. The Inspector in Odessa did not complete the Conclusion for Adoption for Masha and Yulia. It will be ready on Thursday. The judge in Illichevsk was not available when our facilitator, Oles, arrived for the appointment, so he must return there today. Oles said that it does not appear likely that we will get a court date on Monday, which probably means that we will not get the final adoption papers before January 8, at which time, we would still have to apply for passports and send the documentation to USCIS in Omaha for approval of the I-600 forms for the kids. That would probably mean that we wouldn't be bringing the kids home until late January. Even though we realized that this was a distinct possibility, it still is a little disappointing. Pray that everything works and that there are no major hurdles. We were also told that the US Embassy in Kiev only has us as being approved for two children. The paperwork was sent to them in May, before we had our home study updated for three. Our dossier has the updated paperwork, so it is a matter of the adoption agency sending the update to USCIS so USCIS can notify the Embassy that we are approved for three. I also have a scanned copy of the completed, notarized, apostiled form on my flash drive that I can email to the Embassy. This isn't critical, since it doesn't come into play until the end of the process, when we attempt to get visas to bring the kids to the US. We are glad that it came to light early so there is plenty of time to address the issue.

We attended worship at the local Vineyard Church which we attended when we visited in May. It was good to see familiar faces. We went with Michelle's roommate, Lisa, and her visitor Betsy.

Wednesday, I spent some time upgrading the computer in the apartment. I added service pack 2 for Windows XP and loaded anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a firewall program. I also set it up so that another adopting family in the apartment next door can log on to the secured wireless network that we set up.

We plan to visit the girls at the orphanage Thursday and take them out for pizza. Hopefully, they will be able to spend the weekend with us at the apartment. We still need to work out the logistics for having Igor visit.

Well, I need to get a phone card, before the cell phone minutes run out, so I will sign-off for now.

Tuesday

Tuesday we went back to Igor's school, in the city of Illichevsk, for the meeting. We spent a lot of time in a room with ourselves, our facilitator, Igor and for women from the school. We were asked a question one time and then sat there while the discussion went on for 30 or 40 minutes. They asked Igor several questions. Those of you who haven't been through this international adoption process haven't experienced the feeling of not having a clue what they are talking about or if they are talking about you. Afterwards, our facilitator said that 90% of the conversation had nothing to do with us or our case. We think that this may have been the first time that they have had one of their students adopted from that school. They were asking our facilitator questions about adoptions in general and about other topics. They were also telling him about other kids they knew, etc. Strange feeling, but we knew that there would be sessions like this. Paperwork was prepared for Igor, much of it by the orphanage where he was before going to the technical school. We were told that the Director at the school needed to sign the paperwork, but he was gone for several days. We came back to Odessa, but the facilitator stayed to talk to the court judge for that area about combining the court hearings for all three children. He discovered that the judge was out of town. The facilitator located the school director in Odessa and made an appointment with him for Wednesday morning, in Odessa to get the papers signed. He also made an appointment to return to Illichevsk Wednesday afternoon to speak with the judge. We are hoping to get a court appointment for December 17. This would let the 10 day wait be over on December 27, which is just before the Ukraine holiday which is from December 28 through January 7. During that time, all government offices are closed. We would like to be able to apply for the passports on the 27th and also send the adoption documentation to USCIS in Omaha so they can be processing the I-600 approvals during that waiting time.

Pray that the timing would work to make the best advantage of the holiday time.

History In The Making

Today was an interesting day - and long. We went to see the Inspector (social worker) for the orphanages in Odessa. We stood in the hallway for over two hours, while our facilitator went from office to office to copy center to office. We never did meet or talk with any official in this office. In the end, we did get a letter allowing us to visit the orphanage and visit the girls.

We then went to the orphanage and, after talking with the psychologist and director, we spent almost two hours with the girls, getting reacquainted and being impressed with how much English Yulia has learned since we last saw her. She was very willing to try communicating with us and did a very good job. We can tell that Mashsa is very knowledgeable with English and can understand virtually everything that is being said. She still does not use much of it for speaking.

Then we went to a neighboring city where Igor is attending technical school. We met him for the first time and got to visit with him a little. We met with an administrator for that area, who was concerned that he already was well on his way to completing his education and having a good job. She asked why we would want to take him to the US where he would have to go back to high school and then to college. We must go back there Tuesday morning (45 minute drive each way) to meet with the administrator, some teachers from the school, the social worker from the orphanage and Igor. After that our facilitator will talk to that local judge to attempt to get Igor's adoption hearing combined with the one in Odessa for the girls. It will be another long day.

Then we returned to the orphanage and visited with the girls some more while the facilitator and social worker completed more paperwork. After a fast cab ride back to the apartment, we went out to eat (first time since a light breakfast), went to the grocery store and back to the apartment.

I am ready to get some sleep as we will start earlier tomorrow.

O yes. The making history part. While we were waiting in the hallway this morning at the Inspector's office, she walked buy us several times going to and from other offices. The last time she went buy, she dropped a coin, 10 kopecks. I think that it equals about two cents. I picked it up after she had gone into her office and asked our facilitator if I should take it in to her. He said not to bother her about it. I still have that coin. I think that probably makes us the first adopting family in the history of the Ukraine to actually GET money from a government official.

Day of Rest

We went to church this morning with Michelle's roommate Lisa. The service was in Russian, except for the guest speaker, an American missionary support person, who was there for the installation of a new pastor for the congregation. Sasha, a young Ukranian man, had been mentored for five years by the pastor who's place he is taking. It was a blessing to see how these small churches are growing here. Even though the praise songs were in Russian, and we couldn't read the words from the screen, we could sing or hum along, knowing that we were all praising the same Lord and Saviour. We got so that we could sing some of the words by listening to them being sung, and use them the next time through the chorus. It was a good time of fellowship since several in the small congregation spoke English very well.

This evening, we went to church with Michelle in a house church for a group of American missionaries. It was good to worship and sing and fellowship in English. We also enjoyed the ice cream and cake as we celebrated the birthday of one of the women there.

There are two other American couples, here to adopt, that are staying in the same apartment complex. We met one of the couples at our appointment in Kiev on Friday, but haven't met either couple here in Odessa yet.

Tomorrow will be a busy day. We will meet with the head inspector (social worker) for the orphanages in Odessa. From her, we should get a letter allowing us to visit the orphanage and visit the girls. She will also be preparing a document telling the SDA (State Department of Adoptions) that the best interests of the children would be served, by having us adopt them. A copy of this document (Conclusion for Adoption) will also be taken to the adoption court judge to be used as part of the official adoption hearing. We will also visit a notary to complete a "Petition to Adopt" form, copies of which will go to the Inspector and the SDA. After our referral to, and meeting with the Director of the orphanage, she will prepare copies of the girls information packets for the SDA and for the Court. The girls will each be required to prepare a handwritten letter saying that they want to be adopted by us. These will be included with their documentation packet from the orphanage. Since Igor is in a different city, we may be required to prepare for a second court hearing in that city. Oles, our facilitator, will talk to the judge in that city to try to get permission to include Igor in the same adoption hearing as the girls, in Odessa. This would save quite a bit of time and effort, but is entirely at the discretion of the judge in the other city.

Hopefully this part of the process will be completed/arranged for by Wednesday. It will be a very busy two days. I will try to do a new posting each day through this.

Enough boring details for one day. It is 1:12 am and we will be meeting Oles at 8:30 am, so we better get some sleep.

God bless and keep praying.

Saturday

We really didn't do much today. Since Michelle took us grocery shopping last night, we were set for the basics. Steve got the wireless network set up and encrypted, but still needs to get the printer connected to the print server. He also discovered that he had forgotten to redo his password for work and it expired, so he had to call the support desk in Omaha. They reset the same password for another 45 days. It would be really nice if we would be coming home by then. Steve even spent 3 or 4 hours going through work emails and doing some research needed for updating some work information.

I guess that I should mention that we found out that the extra traffic control yesterday, wasn't for us after all. The President of Ukraine was in town, so I guess that it was for him.

Gail cooked supper tonight and we invited our adoption facilitator, Oles, to join us. He seemed to enjoy the company as did we. After supper, we all went to Michelle and Lisa's apartment and watched the Chronicles of Narnia movie. They have a guest who is working with Lisa for 6 weeks to learn more about infant massage therapy. We also met their new roommate.

It is now 2:24 am here, so I suppose we should get some sleep. We are meeting Lisa at 9:50 am for church. Oles will meet with one of the administrators at the orphanage, tomorrow, to make arrangements for our visit there on Monday, and to get more information on how we contact Igor, since he is no longer at the orphanage, but at a technical school a 45 minute bus ride away. Oles said that Monday will be a "crazy" day and Tuesday will be "crazy" also, but not so much. Then, it sounds like we may have a few slower days. Maybe a quite a few, depending on what forms, documents, etc. we do or do not have to track down.

Back to Real Time

We are back to posting "live". Another interesting day. It started at 3:30 am when the alarm on the cell phone went off. We didn't think that we had planned to get up that early. The message on the phone said something about Jeri.

Our appointment was at 10:00 am and lasted about 5 minutes. The woman showed us the three files and asked if these were "our" kids. At least that is how Dima translated it. Since it was in Russian, we couldn't read anything, but we recognized Yulia's photo immediately. The other two, we had to examine very closely since the photos were at least 10 years old. Masha's photo looked like the first video that we saw of her when she was 6 or 7, but I don't think we would have recognized Igor. At least we hope that all three turn out to be the three we planned for. Two other families were there at the same time, one from Michigan and one from Ohio. We will see the Michigan folks in Odessa, but we don't know what region the other couple will be in. We don't have our appointment in Odessa until Monday, and can't see the girls until then. Our facilitator/translator Oles said that we may be able to travel to Igor's school on Sunday to meet him. We will find out more about that tomorrow. It is sad that Masha and Igor had to wait so long to be adopted, but we feel blessed and thankful that God has kept them safe for us for all this time.

We met Oleg after the appointment. He and Dima both seem to really care deeply about these children. Oleg asked us to take photos at the intenot so we can show other people in America all these kids who need families. From our trip in May, to Internot 4, we already have met many of these great kids, but three is our limit, even though we would love to take a couple dozen more home with us.

Oleg, Steve, Gail , Dima

Oleg and Dima thought that it was very cold, but the folks from Michigan and Nebraska thought it felt about like home.

After the appointment, we got into the VW minivan and headed for Odessa. It took nearly an hour to get out of Kiev. We just sat back and enjoyed the ride - yeah, we enjoyed the ride. We were thankful that we didn't have to drive. Gail said that she was glad that our kids would learn to drive in Omaha instead of Ukraine. We noticed that wherever there were three lanes on the road, there were usually at least four rows of cars in those three lanes. Some of the intersections were literally free-for-alls. Whoever could edge in wherever, first, got to go first. As chaotic as it seemed, we didn't see any accidents. Our driver was a good driver, often letting others in line ahead of us. Once on the open highway, we were often passed by drivers that must have been going 100 mph. As we neared Odessa, we passed a line of trucks, probably a half mile long and 2 to 4 trucks wide stopped along the highway. A couple of miles later, the same thing on the other side of the highway and in Odessa there were police directing traffic at many intersections. Steve asked what was up with all the trucks. Oles said that they had probably were being stopped to keep the highway open for someone important, to which Steve replied, "Would that be us?"

We made it to the apartment and got unpacked. Michelle came over and took us grocery shopping, so now we have food to eat and water to drink. Steve got the router set-up so we can use more than one computer at a time. Tomorrow the printer will get set-up on the network, so we can use that. He will also check in to his work and catch-up on a few things.

December 6 – Another Short Day

Apparently God thought we either needed more adjustment to the time change or that we just needed to catch-up on our rest. I didn’t get up until 1 pm. Gail had gotten up a couple of hours earlier to eat breakfast and read. She discovered that the milk that we had gotten the night before wasn’t ordinary milk. It was more like a mixture of milk, yogurt and sour cream. I guess a few more language lessons are in order.

We were notified that our appointment is at 10 am tomorrow. That’s 2 am for those of you in the central time zone. After the appointment, we will leave by van, with our facilitator, for Odessa. We should arrive in Odessa about 5:30 pm. We called the Odessa Suites and made arrangements to check in a day earlier than planned. Our next appointment will be in Odessa on Monday. Then we can officially go to the orphanage to “meet” the girls and start the period of getting to know the kids. It will be nice to get to Odessa and get settled in at the apartment, so we can get connected to the internet and our Skype phone service.

This evening, we went to a restaurant called “The Wall” they were apparently named for a 1990 Pink Floyd concert at the Berlin Wall. The big screen was showing Pink Floyd videos while we ate. We don’t speak Russian, but they had a menu in English and one of the waitresses spoke a little English, so we got along fine. After we got back to the apartment, we were watching the Kiev news, even though we couldn’t understand anything that was said, when we saw video of Omaha police cars and the Von Maur at the Westroads Mall. With all the police and FBI in the video, we knew it was not good. We called our son to find out what happened. It is so sad, that young people everywhere in the world feel that things are so hopeless and their lives are so worthless that they can think that doing something this terrible will give their lives meaning. We are praying for this young man’s family and for all youth who feel the way that this young man felt. Pray that their lives will be touched by the Holy Spirit.

December 5 – The Lost Day

I know that we had the day of December 5, but it seems like a lot of it is missing since we “lost” 8 hours during the trip. We arrived in Frankfurt a half an hour behind schedule. After a little breakfast and more waiting, we proceeded to the boarding area, where Gail’s shoes set off the metal detector, and Steve was asked to open the carry-on bag with the computer printer in it. That only delayed things for a minute or so then we settled in to wait for boarding. True to form, we had another delay. The plane was delayed in it’s arrival to Frankfurt. While we waited in the boarding area, we overheard a woman mention the word adoption to someone else. We also noticed that she also had a laminated card for learning Russian letters, words and phrases, just like the one Steve had left in the seatback pocket on the last flight. We began talking with her, and she was flying to Ukraine to meet her daughter and new teenage granddaughter who was being adopted. Her daughter has been in Ukraine since November 11. They were in another region of Ukraine, so we won’t see them in Odessa.

After arriving in Kiev, we were driven to our apartment and shown the locations of the restaurant and grocery store. We also got a sim card and some minutes for our cell phone, so we can once again communicate with the outside world. We went shopping for a few food items and fixed a light supper. Gail went to bed and Steve made some phone calls to let our mothers, children and a few others that we had arrived safely. Now I need to figure out how to get the phone to tell me how much credit I have left on the phone after those calls. Our friend, Michelle, was going to try to post to our blog so everyone would know that we had arrived safely, since it will be Saturday before we get a chance to do that. By now it is about 2 pm central time and 10 pm Ukraine time and time to get some sleep.

December 4 – We Are Really Doing This

These next three blog postings were written while we did not have internet access. We got to Odessa Friday afternoon. We opted for a car and driver instead of the 10 hour train ride. We are now unpacked and settled into our apartment in the Odessa Executive Suites. If you are in the neighborhood in the next couple of months, stop in and see us.

December 4
We left today – after more than a year of anticipating this day, the feeling is “We are really doing this.” Not a sense of fear and trembling, but a sense of awe and wonder of the journey that God has us on.

Today’s lesson must have been patience. It started in Omaha as we sat on the plane for an hour while they changed one of the fuel filters. It probably wasn’t a part that was in stock at the local Auto Zone store. The pilot must have been speeding on the way to Chicago, since we arrived only a half an hour late.

In Chicago, we had a sandwich for lunch and boarded the plane for Frankfurt, Germany. Just before departure, the pilot announced that one of the bathrooms was out of order and was being repaired. After a half an hour wait, we were on our way.

It is about 7 pm central time, but it feels more like it is after midnight. The plane is dark except for a few reading lights. I have already watched a movie, had dinner and a nap. Maybe it feels so late because the last few nights have averaged 3-4 hours of sleep, but I think that God is already helping to adjust us to Odessa time.

I glance at the video screen in the headrest of the seat in front of me and see that we are over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland. We are traveling at 736 miles per hour at an altitude of 37,000 feet. It is a little nippy outside with a temperature of – 74 degrees Fahrenheit. We are 3 hours 51 minutes into this flight with 3 hours 51 minutes to go.

I don’t know why I sometimes think of things in the context of song titles, but right now I have this “Peaceful, Easy Feeling”. I know that it comes from the fact that God is in control and many people in Omaha and many other places in the world are praying for us and for this adoption adventure. We can really feel the love and the prayers and we feel God’s presence. We feel humbled, inadequate, excited and full of anticipation of everything that He has in store for us.

PS: The upgrade to Economy Plus on United, which gives an extra 5 inches of legroom
was well worth the $89 on the Chicago – Frankfurt flight.

Arrived in Kiev

Steve and Gail wanted to let everyone know that they arrived in Kiev today with no problems. They are looking forward to their SDA appointment on Friday and hope to be in Odessa on Saturday. Please pray that their adoption process would go smoothly and quickly.

14 Hours

Only 14 hours until we leave. A lot of arrangements have been made to have some painting, carpeting and bathroom re-decorating done while we are gone. These are things I planned to do, but did not get done. The bedrooms won't be done, because we want the kids to help pick out furniture and to decorate their rooms. We just thank God for children, friends and neighbors who are helping. It is really amazing how people respond when they find out we are going to Ukraine to adopt. We wanted the carpet installed on December 28, when our daughter is here to paint. The installer said that they don't schedule an exact day to install a particular job, but after visiting with the owner about the adoption, he said that they would do it on the day requested. It seems that even those people that wouldn't consider adopting, still think that it is great and are very supportive. It has to be a "God thing", but then isn't everything a "God thing" if we just think about it. But,the garage is clean, except for the furniture from the family room that will be there until the carpet is installed. Even the neighbors were amazed that our garage really does have a floor. I think that the car feels a little strange being "inside". Better finish packing and weighing suitcases, to see if everything will fit. It may be a few days before we get to post again. We should get to our apartment in Odessa on Saturday and get connected to the internet.

Keep us in prayer as we begin this next stage of our great adventure. God bless.

5 Days

We leave in five days - only five. I know that we will be forgetting something. I just hope that isn't anything important. We can probably get most things that we need in Ukraine and our dossier should have the necessary documents. Most of the stuff at home is done. It is amazing how much unnecessary stuff has accumulated that probably should have been thrown out years ago. Well. most of it is gone. Omaha will probably need a new landfill after the last three weeks. Sleep has been in short supply as we stretch the days to get more things done. If I sleep all the way from Chicago to Kiev, it will about three nights of sleep based on the past few nights.

Well this needs to be short, so I can get more things done.

Ready or Not

We are continuing to prepare things at home for our departure. It seems that, no matter how much we get done, the amount left to do still seems overwhelming. We have been sorting through boxes in the garage that haven't been unpacked since we moved here years ago. It is about time we got rid of a lot of this stuff. We have also been purging things that belong to our grown kids. We need to make room for all the stuff associated with three new teenagers, so we're sure that any space that we empty will fill rapidly once we return home. We web-cammed today and the girls seem excited and a little nervous - kind of like we are. Two weeks from today we will have our appointment - wow. After over a year of anticipating that day, it doesn't seem possible that the time is here. We have our airline tickets, our apartment arranged for in Odessa and arrangements are being made for an apartment in Kiev.

Well, better get back to work. It seems that no progress is being made while I sit here typing. At this Thanksgiving time, we can't help but marvel at the many ways we have been blessed - wonderful children and sons-in-law and the cutest, smartest grandchildren in the world. We also marvel at the fact that God is now trusting us with three precious teenagers to become part of our family. Please continue to pray that we will be the parents that these kids need and that we provide them with the love and support to help them become secure, confident, successful Christian adults.

But That Doesn't Give Us Much Time

The news we have been waiting for has arrived. We have our appointment date - December 7! (Check out the countdown at the bottom of this blog.) We have been ready for this for a long time, but when it finally arrives, we discover that there are a lot of things we still need to get done around the house even if "WE" are ready. We leave Omaha at 10:55 am on Tuesday December 4 and fly to Chicago-two hour layover, Frankfurt, Germany-four hour layover, and arrive in Kiev at 1:05 pm on Wednesday December 5. (Remember the eight hour time difference.) Yes, this is a day earlier than we have to be there, but we want to allow for travel delays, recovery from jet lag, etc. and have an opportunity to see some of Kiev. Now it is time to really get serious about what we plan to take with us. Make sure we don't miss anything. Get the phone and plug adapters from Jeri and Charles, make sure the camera, batteries, charger, memory cards, etc. are packed. Christmas presents for the kids, both in the US and Ukraine need to be taken or taken care of. Oh yes, we better pack the clothes - nice warm winter clothes. Well we better post this and get back to getting ready. I guess a few 30 hour days might do it.

Waiting

We continue to wait for our appointment date. Our facilitator has said that SDA has said it will be in December. We are praying that it will be in early December, but God knows the best timing. One of the girls we plan to adopt asked in an email, "Why is it taking so long?" We wonder why it is taking so long to find out the appointment date, but we know why it has taken nearly a year to get to this point. When we began the process, we discovered that one of the girls had been in the orphanage for over three years, but she had never been put on the adoption registry. She won't be available for international adoption until the last week of November, so we wait. We are ready to go. That doesn't mean that everything at home is ready, but we will get done what we can and the rest will wait until we return. We can have some "family bonding" projects. We want the kids to have a say in the decorating of their rooms, so we haven't finished them. We are getting things ready to go and deciding what to take. Whenever we go, we will be thankful for God's timing, guidance and protection.

Division of Labor

We knew from the start that the adoption process would involve a lot of paperwork. We were right. From reading other adoption blogs, we know that we can expect a lot more paperwork when we get to Ukraine. And with three children, it will be even more. Then, since our I-600s were filed at USCIS in Omaha, the adoption paperwork will have to be sent back to Omaha for the completion of the I-600s while we wait in Ukraine for the approval so that the State Department can issue visas for the children.

This adoption process involves a lot of time, a lot of paperwork and a lot of patience. Steve has been doing most of the paperwork and making most of the arrangements. Gail said that this was only fair. She had all the labor for the first three children, so now it is Steve's turn.

More Than We Can Ask Or Imagine

When we began this adoption journey a year ago, we thought we would do the necessary paperwork, go to Ukraine and return home with two new daughters. Needless to say, we knew it would try our patience, prove frustrating and take a long time to complete. What we didn't realize was that apparently, God had more than that in mind for us. It has been a year, our dossier has been submitted and we are waiting for our appointment. But, the last year has also brought other changes to our routine. Even though there have been about 12 children from Ukraine adopted in the Omaha area, we were some of the first to attempt to adopt children that would be over 16 by the time of the adoption. This meant that some of the paperwork that is normally submitted to the US Embassy in Kyiv after the adoption, instead had to be submitted to the USCIS office in Omaha, before the 16th birthday. After much research and after asking many questions (and occasionally even getting an answer) we have made it to this point. During this process, the number of children we are planning to adopt has changed to three. This has resulted in having our home study amended and some additional paperwork. As we have progressed through the process, we have been getting questions from other families who want to adopt children that are "aging out". It is a little overwhelming to think that we can be of assistance to others, even when we have not yet completed the process ourselves. Steve's first comment was,"Why are we giving you advice, we don't have any kids yet, so we don't know if we are doing it right." So far, we have had nearly one request a month for information on adoption. When we came to the crossroads in September 2006 and decided to follow the call to adopt, little did we know that God would put on our hearts a love and concern for not only the children that we will adopt, but for all the orphans in Ukraine. He has shown us a way that we can make a difference in the lives of people that we don't even know, in the US and in Ukraine. We have met so many fantastic people, both here and in Ukraine that have a love for these kids and are working to provide a future for them, the ones who are adopted and the ones who are not. Check out www.YouthOfUkraine.org for other ways that people are helping these kids.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20

Dossier Submitted

Our dossier was submitted to SDA today. Oleg says he hopes that we will get a December or January appointment. Pray for December. We are anxious to get to Ukraine to continue the process.

For those of you who read this and would like to help the orphans of Ukraine, but don't feel called to adopt, there are other ways that you can help. One of our favorites is Youth of Ukraine. This ministry involves Julia and Sergey Yarovoy, a Ukrainian couple who have a heart for these orphans. Their mission is:

"The ministry for the children from the orphanages and broken homes. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

The main goal of our ministry is to introduce children and teenagers from the orphanages and broken homes to know the Lord Jesus Christ. To tell them that He died on the cross for their sins and that they can have personal relationship with God the Father Who loves them and cares for them.

We are working on achieving this goal by fulfilling three main needs of these children.
Spiritual
1. Having Bible studies.
2. Providing a Bible or a New Testament for every kid who doesn’t have one.
Social
1. Building friendships with them and having discipleship relationship with them.
2. Organizing seminars on such topics as addictions, relationship with the opposite sex

and other essential issues.
3. Organizing sport and musical events and also summer Christian camps.
Material
1. Medicines, clothes, school supplies, toys and so on.
2. Finances for studies.

We think that orphans are not only those children who don’t have parents but also those who don’t get love and care from their families (their parents might be addicts or just emotionally distant and inattentive to them). That is why it is our hope and prayer that through our ministry God will fulfill their needs as well.

To change lives of the teenagers is possible by changing mentality of their parents. One of our long-term goals is to work with their parents and supervisors."

We met Julia and Sergey when we were in Odessa in May. They are truly making a difference in the lives of these children. Please check out their website at: www.youthofukraine.org

The Crossroads

At our church, we talk about the crossroads. A crossroads is a place in life when God presents you with a situation that requires a choice. You can choose to continue life as it has been (sometimes known as being in a rut) or you can choose to make a change, which could potentially change your life in a profound way. It can also be explained as choosing to live your Christian life via the tourist route or via the adventure route.

That Sunday in September 2006 was definitely a crossroads point in our lives. We both felt the call to make a change and move toward the adoption of teenagers from Ukraine. With our children grown, and at an age when many people are retiring or at least thinking about retiring, we chose to get out of the rut and embark on the adventure route of international adoption.

People have asked us why we decided to adopt teenagers and not young children. Steve's first response was "I don't want to be 80 years old when they get to college." Our age was a consideration, but we also enjoyed the years when our three children were teenagers. There was only 3 1/2 years spread in their ages, so they were all in high school together for one year and all in college at the same time. I guess we thought that if we survived it once, we could again.

About Us

The past year has brought a wide range of experiences. In January, our third grandchild, Wyatt, was born. A week later, Steve's Dad passed away. In August, Gail's Dad passed away. We are very excited about having new children in the house, but it is sad that they will not get to meet two wonderful Grandpas. They will be welcomed by two fantastic Grandmas as well as three siblings, a niece, two nephews a lot of aunts, uncles and cousins.

We plan to adopt older teenagers. We enjoyed the time when our three children were high school age and we continue to work with teens through the Chrysalis program. (See list of Interesting Websites.) We provide training and support for Chrysalis groups in a 10 state area. We are planning on a lot of family time with homework, travel, sight-seeing and fun. Since there are already at least 12 children from Odessa that have been adopted in Omaha during the last three years or so, they will probably already have friends here. There are several more Omaha area families in various stages of the adoption process for children from Odessa. Our friends, the Robersons are in Odessa now, so keep them in your prayers.

Our dossier has been sent to Ukraine and we are waiting for our appointment date. We are hoping to complete the process by the end of the year, but at this point only God knows the timing. It will be nice to have a date to plan for.

What's in a Name?

The name of this blog is "Chosen". Why "Chosen"? We had a lot of ideas and suggestions. Some thought that it should be "Old Enough to Know Better", "Say What?" or "Deja Vu All Over Again". But, we really feel that this path was "chosen" for us. We also are certain that God has "chosen" just the right children for us to adopt. We are convinced that the journey will only be successful if it is of God. On our own, we probably would not have embarked on this adventure - might not have even thought of it. Please keep us in your prayers. Pray that we will keep our eyes on Jesus and follow His leading.

What Happened??

We were enjoying life. Our kids are grown. We have three beautiful grandchildren. We were even thinking about retirement. Then the second week in September 2006 came along. Steve was preparing the slides for the Sunday worship and previewed a video clip for a guest speaker. He noticed a cute little girl in an orphanage in Ukraine and commented about her to Gail. The next day, a young woman spoke about her ministry to orphans in Ukraine. When she spoke about adoption, Steve commented to son Geoff that "Your Mom is going to want to do this, but I don't know if I'm there yet." After the service, Gail came back to the sound booth and said, "Are we going to get one or two?" Thus began an adventure that could only have been orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.