Busy Day

We left Odessa at 6:00 pm Wednesday evening. We were scheduled to leave at 5:30, but the tearful goodbyes took a little longer than planned. Masha’s aunt and Yulia’s boyfriend and friends Vera and Vova were all there. It was good to have that many hands to get all the luggage to the van in one trip. Speaking of the van. It was our own private matchutka (sp?). For those of you who haven’t visited Ukraine, those are the little busses that will take you anywhere in Odessa for the equivalent of 25 cents. On January 24, the fare increased to 35 cents. This was a new Mercedes vehicle with about 20 seats. A row of two seats on one side of the aisle and a row of single seats on the other side. And I could stand up in it without bending over. About an hour out of Odessa the driver stopped at a roadside market. We bought some kind of large chicken wraps to eat and something to drink for five of us for under $20. The kids needed a restroom break, so the driver handed them one of those flashlights that you squeeze the handle a few times to store up power for the light. They headed off into the dark behind the market. I could just make out the outline of a small white building in the dark and fog. When the journey resumed, the driver let the kids pick from some videos and he put it on the 19 inch TV mounted from the ceiling. We reclined the seats and watched Russian Comedy Club segments. I guess that they were pretty funny. Then we watched a movie that ended just as we got to Kiev. The weather was fairly cold and we drove in mist and fog for some of the way. The road was often wet but didn’t to be icy. We arrived in Kiev at about 11:30 pm and after a few phone calls to the apartment manager, we found the place and a guy came to let us in. Tami, you think your tunnel and courtyard were dark. We drove through the tunnel which was barely wider than the van into a courtyard. Then we walked another 100 feet or so through another curved tunnel with no lights into another courtyard. Then up three floors (six flights of steps) to the apartment with suitcases for five people and two months worth of stuff. I went to update the blog, but the internet connection wanted a password and ID. We were all tired, so we settled in and went to bed.
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Our driver, Alexi, picked us up at about 9:30 am and took us to the Embassy. We filled out three different forms (three sets of each) and, after a few questions about what to fill in where, the forms were complete and the kids had all been fingerprinted. We met a couple from Utah who were adopting a girl of about 10 or 11. They said that they had been in Ukraine for 22 days. I can’t even remember back to when we had been here for 22 days. I think today is 56 or 57. We headed off to get the medical exams. It was 11:30 am and Alexi said that they stopped drawing blood for the blood tests at noon. It wasn’t far, but it took about 35 minutes to get there. The traffic was terrible and nearly motionless. I know that at one point it took 20 minutes to go a half a mile. Alexi called the lab and they were waiting for the kids when we got there and took the blood samples right away. After x-rays, seeing the doctor, lunch in the lunchroom, several rounds of waiting, one shot for Masha and two for Igor, everything finished at about 3:00 pm. Since results are typically given out after 3:00, we waited about 20 minutes more and left with the results.
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We needed groceries. Alexi had pointed out a store three or four blocks from the apartment. Masha, Igor and I made the food run, but when we got there the store was closed, as in out of business. I sure am glad that the kids asked to go with me, because Masha must have asked six different people where a grocery store was. After forays into a couple of shops with only pop, juice and candy, we finally found a store under a large shopping plaza. Not wanting to go back soon, we purchased five bags of items and a large six liter bottle of water. Then it was back to the apartment. I think the walk back was close to a mile. The bags were getting pretty heavy by the time we got back. And these were the kids who had shots in their arms earlier in the afternoon. The dinner of spaghetti, Masha’s vegetable salad, corn and bread was delicious. Then it was an evening of doing laundry, watching a soccer game on TV and relaxing. Did I mention that the hot water stopped this afternoon? It’s midnight and still only cold. A guy did come and get the internet going at about 11:00 pm. We are to limit the usage, because I guess that they pay by the amount of bandwidth used. After having unlimited internet at home and at Odessa Executive Suites, we are a little spoiled. I am typing this in Word and will paste it into the blog. Well I better close and get some sleep. Today is our grandson, Wyatt’s first birthday. We were supposed to be in Oklahoma on Saturday for the party. Gail has the alarm set for 2:45 am so she can talk to him on Skype.
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We have an appointment at the Embassy tomorrow at 10:00 am. If there were no problems with the fingerprint check, I think that we should have the visas tomorrow. Then fly home on Sunday. We wanted Saturday, but the last time we checked it would cost an additional $900.
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This week has been an emotional rollercoaster for the kids. Being biological siblings, Masha and Igor have each other. Yulia fits in well, but at times I think that she feels quite alone. And having to leave your best friend and your boy friend, doesn’t make it any easier. Keep the kids and their adjustment in your prayers.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have the passport. We have a van picking us up at 5:30pm (45 minutes from now) to take us to Kiev. We have a driver to take us to the Embassy tomorrow morning. The Embassy has scanned copies of the kids passports and has already entered them into the system. We might actually be on that plane Sunday morning.

Still Waiting...

Well the passport has been located. It is with Tami's in the wrong city. Apparently a group of them were sent there in error. They will probably arrive in Odessa tomorrow (Thursday). It would seem that since there are at least several in the wrong place, that they could just drive them to Odessa. But that is logical, so there is virtually no chance of that. Indications are that they will be sent back to Kiev to be sent out again. I guess that they want to see where the mail clerk will send them next.

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The Embassy received the passport scans for Igor and Masha and the information for Yulia and already have them entered into the system. We had the ID photos taken this morning and Dima, from Oleg's adoption team will have the police reports for the Embassy later today. So, the visa processing has begun without us. Maybe we will just have them meet us at the airport with the visas on the way home. I don't think that it will be that fast, but they are doing everything possible to try to get us finished by Friday. I thought about trying to get ink and paper and fingerprinting the kids myself and sending an scan of them to the embassy, so that they can start that also. I think that I will scan and email Yulia's passport as soon as I get it, before we start the five hour trip to Kiev. They can start processing it sooner that way.

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Well, I guess I better make a grocery run. We are only buying enough for the next one or two meals at a time. Everything is packed. We just dig out what we need, when we need it. Literally living out of a suitcase.

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Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter. You never can tell what the next twist or turn will be.

Groundhog Day

Can anyone tell me when they moved Groundhog Day to January?? We seem to be stuck in that never ending scenario where the day keeps repeating itself. Masha and I were talking about Yulia's passport. When it didn't arrive again today, she asked when will it come. I told her that they said that it should be here tomorrow. She said," Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow." She got it. That is exactly how I feel. I'm sure that those of you who have been here and done this know what I mean. Tami told me that Elle's passport was sent to the wrong town and won't be here for two more days. I know how agonizing that is. We don't think that ours went there also, so we are still hoping for tomorrow.

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Silly me. After two months you would think that I would know not to assume that ANYTHING here will be done in any type of semi-reasonable time-frame. You know that great apartment in Kiev that I mentioned in yesterday's blog? Well, we are paying for staying there tonight while we are still here in Odessa. That jacuzzi sure would have felt good. Well, I won't be sending them any more non-refundable deposits. When we have the passport and a van to take us to Kiev, I will call them and reserve an apartment.

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I called the Embassy in Kiev to see if there was any part of the visa process that they can begin before we get there with the passports. They asked me to fax copies of Igor's and Masha's passports and Yulia's birth and name information and they would try to get things started tomorrow. I went to the office here at Odessa Executive Suites and they scanned the documents to PDF files, so that I can email them instead of faxing. When I opened the PDF file of the translation of Yulia's birth certificate, the one that went to USCIS in Omaha, the birthday was wrong! Instead of December 1, 1990, it said January 12, 1990. That would make her 18 and cause a whole other set of issues. I don't think that I had a heartbeat while I searched for the PDF of the original birth certificate and saw that it had the correct date. Here, dates are arranged by "day", "month", "year", so Yulia's 01 12 1990 was translated as January 12, 1990. I quickly checked the other two certificates and translations and they were all OK. We are having a new translation made. I called USCIS in Omaha to explain. I hope they understood the voice mail. I just want to be certain that everyone's records agree so there is no confusion later on. I can tell you that I was having visions of another month of getting a new birth certificate, ID number, domestic passport, etc.before we could get the passport that we need. I guess I get the message. No matter what we think, it could always be worse.

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We really appreciate the extra effort being expended by the Embassy and the great job by USCIS in Omaha. I hope that the Embassy is able to get Tami the visa that she needs in one day, so she can finish this week. If they start on our processing tomorrow, we also might make our Sunday morning flight. And I thought the next adventure might be getting settled in at home in Omaha.

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If I have a chance to blog tomorrow, it may not be a good sign, but we should have internet in Kiev, so I will continue from there.

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PS. Only five teenagers for dinner tonight. We got carry-out from Pizza City and Masha made one of her vegetable salads. Add dried fish and banana juice and it was quite a meal.

Tomorrow

Well, we had six teens for supper. Since we had already pretty much cleaned out the refrigerator, there was nothing much to eat. The kids didn't want McDonald's, so Steve headed to the store for sausage, bread, cheese, chips, pop, crackers, etc. That was well received and every one kept visiting, looking at photos on the computer and watching a video. At about 10:00 pm, our kids walked the other three to the bus. When they got back, we talked a little about going to Kiev tomorrow (pray that it happens). I asked Yulia if she was ready to leave and she replied with a definite "yes". Masha asked if we would be in Kiev for two days and Steve said, "No, five days." That's right five days. If we get to Kiev tomorrow and go to the Embassy on Wednesday, with the older kids, we were told it takes a minimum of 24 hours for the visas. That makes it sometime Thursday morning, so a 6:30 am flight doesn't work. Friday, the flights are all full and Saturday would require $900 worth of upgrades. Not worth it for a one day savings, besides it would keep us from being gone for 60 days. Why not go for the record. It's not as soon as we had hoped, but it is a REAL date.

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We have booked a two bedroom apartment in the City Center in Kiev. It is bigger than the one we have and about three times the nightly rate. But it does have a few extras (see attached link to photos). We haven't spent any time in Kiev yet, so we plan to do some sightseeing.

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http://kievapts.com/images.asp?ID=112

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Our facilitator went back to Kiev tonight, so we get to pick-up the passport tomorrow. He will call the woman tomorrow and the kids will be the interpreters. A good family activity.

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It is time to leave Odessa. The kids are all ready. I think that they are emotionally drained. They have been saying good-bye for several days now and everyone is ready for that emotional roller coaster to end. At least in Kiev, we will be on neutral ground and spend time with just family. A week ago, Igor said that he had said his good-byes, but then he had to go back to the same town about four days in a row to do some other piece of paperwork. He said that people were going to think he wasn't really leaving. This last week has been stressful, but if all the kids involved, ours and their friends, remember this as a good experience, then it was worth every minute. Maybe God wanted to provide a few more kids with some good memories in lives that may not have many. Well our kids are watching a movie in the living room and Gail and I are in the bedroom working on the two laptop computers and talking on Skype. Yulia came and asked if she could close the door. I guess that we were being too loud. Well, we thought it was our turn.

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So it begins - life as a family. I wonder what the next adventure will be. Only God knows and He's not telling. Whatever He has in store, I'm sure it will be an exciting ride.

Signs of Things to Come

As I begin to write this, we are sitting in the apartment waiting for the last passport - Gail and I and 8 teenagers. Since it is 3:00 pm, it doesn't look likely for today. We were told that it was sent from Kiev on Saturday, but to Odessa passport office doesn't have it yet. There is no such thing as having them hold it in Kiev and picking it up there. The kids are all disappointed, since they have said their good-byes (more than once), they are emotionally drained and ready to go. The kids just left for the photo booth in the mall to take some sets of photos to share. Our apartment seems to have become the place to hang-out. It seems like each time there are 1 or 2 more. We hope that this will continue when we get to Omaha. We enjoy having the kids around and we think that most parents would like to have their kids in a safe environment instead of cruising the streets. We invited them all to come back later to watch a movie and hang out some more. We will see what happens.

Gail was sitting on the arm of the living room chair, when Vladik, Yulia's boyfriend, came and sat in the chair to have their photo taken. Then he came to have one taken with me. These are all great kids and fun to have around. Here is a photo of 7 of the 8 kids with Michelle and Julia and Sergey. Vera hadn't arrived when this photo was taken.

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

We have had more delay with Yulia's passport. The new national ID number they issued her last week was not valid when they tried to use it to apply for her international passport, so they had to correct that mistake and wait 24 hours for it to get into the system. Even expediting the passport would take until Tuesday or Wednesday. They know that we are to get the other two passports today (Saturday) so they said that they will try to have it for us on Monday.

The really good news is that USCIS in Omaha approved the I-600s yesterday and sent an expedited cable to the National Visa Center in New Hampshire and a copy to the Embassy in Kiev. Since it was after 5:00 pm in New Hampshire when she sent it, NVC will probably forward it to Kiev on Monday. She will be out of the office on Monday so she called us for the information for lines 16 through 27 and filled them in over the phone so she could complete it before she left for the day. The approval took two days from the time she received it.

So, depending on the actual timing of the passport for Yulia, we should leave for home late next week. Now we need to start getting things organized and begin packing.