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.