Monday, January 22
We made it home!! It is so wonderful to finally be back. The trip went pretty well, actually. Alex stayed occupied mostly by eating, sleeping, and when he got tired of us we had really great people around us that talked to him and entertained him for a few hours also! The flight to New York was 10 hours, and then we caught a 3 hours flight to Atlanta. Alex slept that whole flight to Atlanta. We did have one hurried moment as our flight to New York was over an hour late, and we had to go through immigration and customs and then catch our other flight. The immigration people let us go to the front of the line since we were American citizens and got us through really fast. Then we ran the rest of the way to the plane, and made it!! We got in at about 10:00 pm to Atlanta.
Yesterday Alex spent the morning investigating the house and taking a long bath. He loves taking baths. In the afternoon Kim's family came over and brought home our dog, Maggie, and some toys. Alex really wore himself out, and fell asleep a few minutes after they left. His meeting with Maggie was okay. He had said he liked dogs, but I'm sure he wasn't expecting such a big one. He was a little scared of her, which made her wary of him, but we have just been slowly letting them get used to being around each other. They already are much better today.
Today we introduced him to Walmart. I'm not sure what he thought about it, he just stayed in the buggy and helped us put everything in it. We rode around in the car running errands, and he likes car rides. His english is coming along much quicker just in the last few days. I think he is realizing he is the only one speaking Russian now. We are having fun with him, but he goes nonstop all day. We are really thankful that he sleeps so well at night- and for so long. It gives us a chance to unpack and think for a minute. Welcome to our new life!
Chris is off from work this week which is great. We really haven't had much time just the 3 of us, since even last week in Ukraine we always had our translator with us. We are looking forward to continuing to bond as a family.
I will try to continue updating this blog with pictures of Alex, etc...
Thanks again for everyone's support and prayers. We are looking forward to everyone getting to meet Alex!!
Monday, January 22, 2007
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Thursday, January 18
It has been a lot of fun doing this blog. It was all Kim's idea, but I've really enjoyed it because it has allowed us to keep in touch with everyone back home. Not only have we chronicled our journey in Ukraine, but we have received lots of encouragement from all of you. Did you ever try to figure out who was writing each blog? Kim probably typed 55% and Chris typed 45%, but it would have been hard to figure out who typed each one because we normally added to each other's blog. For example, Kim would add some emotional statements to my blog. She is out right now walking Alex around because he was getting bored with the computer.
We were able to get Alex from the orphanage on Tuesday afternoon, but as this entire trip has gone, our plans changed about every hour since our last blog. We had to go to another town to get the birth certificate. They were closed on Monday. The passport guy took longer than expected. The passport office was closed on Wednesday. Long story short - we missed our train on Tuesday, and we are still in Lugansk. Fortunately, we just got Alex's passport, so now we are good to make our train today! We will have to rush our time in Kiev when we arrive in the morning, but I think we will still be able to make our flight on Saturday!
Before I hand off the blog to Kim (who is now back because Alex wants me to carry him around), I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Shaw Industries for helping support our trip finacially and to Kip Allen for letting me take so much time off from work. Thanks so much!
This is Kim now, Alex is wanting to be carried around all the time, which is good, except my back can only handle so much. He has already put on some weight just since we have been here bringing him food! It is so great to have him with us. We were a little nervous about him having a hard time leaving the orphanage because he is so structuree and organized, and we knew change might be hard. We also didn't know if he had any idea what was happening/going to happen to him. Monday, though, we spent some time talking to and interviewing his teacher on our camcorder about his life in the orphanage. She said he had told her he was going on a train and a plane with his mama and papa and that he was very excited. In fact, when we did go to pick him up Tuesday he about ran out the door. He was also very excited to ride in the car (machina). If he even hears the word machina he starts getting ready to go for a car ride. Everything is so exciting to him, and that is so fun for us.
His first night with us went well - he did have a few times he cried and talked about going back to his class (orphanage), but only that first night. He also has a cold and is not sleeping well, and so with all three of us in a small bed we all aren't sleeping well. Hopefully he will get better soon. We have really had a great time with him, though. We know so far he has a trait from both of us. He is extremely organized and likes everything in its place- which everyone knows is Chris. He also can not get enough to drink- he wants to drink water and juice all the time, and he has that in common with me. We can't wait until he learns more english so we can communicate better. He talks all the time. We can't wait to get home! Hopefully it will all work out so we can leave Saturday. We have Alex and that is the important thing, but I'm sure everyone understands how ready we are to be back home!
Humorous thoughts for the day:
This entire time in Lugansk the blog site has been showing up in German. We are in a city where everyone speaks Russian, and we speak English, and for some reason we cannot change the blog site from German. We can still type in English, but all the things to click on are in German, and so is the spellcheck. We can't wait to get back to where things are normal....
Journal entry (Chris) 1/9/07
I've got time on my hands so I'd like to reflect on how I've grown spiritually this month in Ukraine. The first thing that comes to mind is how big God is. I've not been through that many trials in my life, but reflecting back on this one, I just have this feeling that God is so BIG- so much bigger than me and my experience here and this adoption. I have this sense that God is in complete control much more so than I've felt in the past. I have gone through some things that were contrary to what I would choose, or how I think things should have gone, and I don't think I will ever understand exactly why Kim and I had to go through it all. I feel like Job (one of the best books ever written) asking God why He had to go through his trial and God didn't answer him either. God only answered Job with other questions, like "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?" and "Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn it's place?" as if to say, "You can't even begin to get your hands around understanding me; I'm that big." And even though I don't know why we've gone through some of the things we have gone through, I do feel much closer to Him (I'm sure one reason for going through them). I have such a peace that He is in control. I can't put it into words, but God seems closer to me (than in the humdrum life back home).
One understanding of God that I've long struggled with is asking God for help. We did this constantly on this trip. Does it help to keep repeating the same prayer request over and over?Does it help to request it at all? A lot of our requests were not answered the way we prayed. So maybe our requests were not in line with what was best for us. All I know is it forced us to go to Him and depend on Him. He likes to work in places only He can help. We were powerless most of this trip. Maybe that's why I feel so close to Him. It is also interesting to me that I'm going through this trial where so many things have gone wrong and prayers "unanswered," and yet I feel clos to God and have a stronger sense of who He is than I did before. I don't think He is giving me the answers as much as letting me wrestle with the questions, and in doing this He is bringing me into a stronger relationship with Him. He's so BIG that I don't think I could comprehend all the answeres anyway. This is just something that comes to mind when I think about my experiences over the last 30 days.
It has been a lot of fun doing this blog. It was all Kim's idea, but I've really enjoyed it because it has allowed us to keep in touch with everyone back home. Not only have we chronicled our journey in Ukraine, but we have received lots of encouragement from all of you. Did you ever try to figure out who was writing each blog? Kim probably typed 55% and Chris typed 45%, but it would have been hard to figure out who typed each one because we normally added to each other's blog. For example, Kim would add some emotional statements to my blog. She is out right now walking Alex around because he was getting bored with the computer.
We were able to get Alex from the orphanage on Tuesday afternoon, but as this entire trip has gone, our plans changed about every hour since our last blog. We had to go to another town to get the birth certificate. They were closed on Monday. The passport guy took longer than expected. The passport office was closed on Wednesday. Long story short - we missed our train on Tuesday, and we are still in Lugansk. Fortunately, we just got Alex's passport, so now we are good to make our train today! We will have to rush our time in Kiev when we arrive in the morning, but I think we will still be able to make our flight on Saturday!
Before I hand off the blog to Kim (who is now back because Alex wants me to carry him around), I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Shaw Industries for helping support our trip finacially and to Kip Allen for letting me take so much time off from work. Thanks so much!
This is Kim now, Alex is wanting to be carried around all the time, which is good, except my back can only handle so much. He has already put on some weight just since we have been here bringing him food! It is so great to have him with us. We were a little nervous about him having a hard time leaving the orphanage because he is so structuree and organized, and we knew change might be hard. We also didn't know if he had any idea what was happening/going to happen to him. Monday, though, we spent some time talking to and interviewing his teacher on our camcorder about his life in the orphanage. She said he had told her he was going on a train and a plane with his mama and papa and that he was very excited. In fact, when we did go to pick him up Tuesday he about ran out the door. He was also very excited to ride in the car (machina). If he even hears the word machina he starts getting ready to go for a car ride. Everything is so exciting to him, and that is so fun for us.
His first night with us went well - he did have a few times he cried and talked about going back to his class (orphanage), but only that first night. He also has a cold and is not sleeping well, and so with all three of us in a small bed we all aren't sleeping well. Hopefully he will get better soon. We have really had a great time with him, though. We know so far he has a trait from both of us. He is extremely organized and likes everything in its place- which everyone knows is Chris. He also can not get enough to drink- he wants to drink water and juice all the time, and he has that in common with me. We can't wait until he learns more english so we can communicate better. He talks all the time. We can't wait to get home! Hopefully it will all work out so we can leave Saturday. We have Alex and that is the important thing, but I'm sure everyone understands how ready we are to be back home!
Humorous thoughts for the day:
This entire time in Lugansk the blog site has been showing up in German. We are in a city where everyone speaks Russian, and we speak English, and for some reason we cannot change the blog site from German. We can still type in English, but all the things to click on are in German, and so is the spellcheck. We can't wait to get back to where things are normal....
Journal entry (Chris) 1/9/07
I've got time on my hands so I'd like to reflect on how I've grown spiritually this month in Ukraine. The first thing that comes to mind is how big God is. I've not been through that many trials in my life, but reflecting back on this one, I just have this feeling that God is so BIG- so much bigger than me and my experience here and this adoption. I have this sense that God is in complete control much more so than I've felt in the past. I have gone through some things that were contrary to what I would choose, or how I think things should have gone, and I don't think I will ever understand exactly why Kim and I had to go through it all. I feel like Job (one of the best books ever written) asking God why He had to go through his trial and God didn't answer him either. God only answered Job with other questions, like "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?" and "Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn it's place?" as if to say, "You can't even begin to get your hands around understanding me; I'm that big." And even though I don't know why we've gone through some of the things we have gone through, I do feel much closer to Him (I'm sure one reason for going through them). I have such a peace that He is in control. I can't put it into words, but God seems closer to me (than in the humdrum life back home).
One understanding of God that I've long struggled with is asking God for help. We did this constantly on this trip. Does it help to keep repeating the same prayer request over and over?Does it help to request it at all? A lot of our requests were not answered the way we prayed. So maybe our requests were not in line with what was best for us. All I know is it forced us to go to Him and depend on Him. He likes to work in places only He can help. We were powerless most of this trip. Maybe that's why I feel so close to Him. It is also interesting to me that I'm going through this trial where so many things have gone wrong and prayers "unanswered," and yet I feel clos to God and have a stronger sense of who He is than I did before. I don't think He is giving me the answers as much as letting me wrestle with the questions, and in doing this He is bringing me into a stronger relationship with Him. He's so BIG that I don't think I could comprehend all the answeres anyway. This is just something that comes to mind when I think about my experiences over the last 30 days.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Sunday, January 14th
We have been here 30 days and we are so ready to get home! We miss America so much, and of course our family and friends, our dog Maggie, and our food selection. We would really love some chips and salsa right now. This truly does make us appreciate all the comforts we have in America.
We are ready to have Alex with us, too. The little visits with him each day are starting to get a little boring for him, we think. We have had the same 2 toys this whole time so they were interesting for a little while. Now he enjoys the food we bring and some playing and hugging, but honestly what else can he do stuck in a room with two grownups that don't even speak his language. Also, a big part of the attachment process will begin when we are the ones that care for his needs, and that isn't so yet. It wil be so fun to have him with us experiencing everything - the train ride back to Kiev, etc.. His whole world has consisted of four rooms in the orphanage so we can't wait to show and share more with him.
Humorous thought of the day: The water situation is interesting. The city apparently just decides to turn the water off for hours at various points during the day and every night at midnight. We are fortunate to at least have hot water, though, as many apartments apparently do not. At times, the water pipes groan and make so much noise it sounds like they are going to explode. The noise has even woke us up at night. Also, Ukraine has for the most part coarse, brown toilet paper everywhere. We have found some that is softer and nicer, but it is also scented. Very, very strongly scented of flowers, etc.. It is kindof strange.
Journal entry (Kim) 12/29/06
"Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perserverance must finish it's work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". James 1:24
This verse seems so true. Although we face trials and tests to our faith- we are developing our character. We are becoming more mature in our faith and into who God wants us to be. Also, I believe we will be blessed for it- if not in this life, certainly in the next. I already feel greatly blessed, though, as we have a good life and now we have Alex!
I have been thinking more about the hardships in this adoption and in general as everyone goes through them. Some people think (and I've heard it taught) that the Christian life is a wonderful, happy life. It truly is wonderful in the sense that we are God's, we have a purpose in life, etc.. but not necessarily wonderful in the earthly sense or without troubles. It really seems like God works best through troubles and hardships. Most obvious to me is how He chose to redeem mankind. He required a sacrifice of great price- His own son. That certainly wouldn't be the easy way to do it! There are a lot of trials and suffering in the Bible for Israel and for the early church. I know God has a lot of purpose in them. The hardships in Ukraine have certainly made me appreciate all we have been given in America, and the hardships in getting Alex certainly make me appreciate becoming a parent.
We have been here 30 days and we are so ready to get home! We miss America so much, and of course our family and friends, our dog Maggie, and our food selection. We would really love some chips and salsa right now. This truly does make us appreciate all the comforts we have in America.
We are ready to have Alex with us, too. The little visits with him each day are starting to get a little boring for him, we think. We have had the same 2 toys this whole time so they were interesting for a little while. Now he enjoys the food we bring and some playing and hugging, but honestly what else can he do stuck in a room with two grownups that don't even speak his language. Also, a big part of the attachment process will begin when we are the ones that care for his needs, and that isn't so yet. It wil be so fun to have him with us experiencing everything - the train ride back to Kiev, etc.. His whole world has consisted of four rooms in the orphanage so we can't wait to show and share more with him.
Humorous thought of the day: The water situation is interesting. The city apparently just decides to turn the water off for hours at various points during the day and every night at midnight. We are fortunate to at least have hot water, though, as many apartments apparently do not. At times, the water pipes groan and make so much noise it sounds like they are going to explode. The noise has even woke us up at night. Also, Ukraine has for the most part coarse, brown toilet paper everywhere. We have found some that is softer and nicer, but it is also scented. Very, very strongly scented of flowers, etc.. It is kindof strange.
Journal entry (Kim) 12/29/06
"Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perserverance must finish it's work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". James 1:24
This verse seems so true. Although we face trials and tests to our faith- we are developing our character. We are becoming more mature in our faith and into who God wants us to be. Also, I believe we will be blessed for it- if not in this life, certainly in the next. I already feel greatly blessed, though, as we have a good life and now we have Alex!
I have been thinking more about the hardships in this adoption and in general as everyone goes through them. Some people think (and I've heard it taught) that the Christian life is a wonderful, happy life. It truly is wonderful in the sense that we are God's, we have a purpose in life, etc.. but not necessarily wonderful in the earthly sense or without troubles. It really seems like God works best through troubles and hardships. Most obvious to me is how He chose to redeem mankind. He required a sacrifice of great price- His own son. That certainly wouldn't be the easy way to do it! There are a lot of trials and suffering in the Bible for Israel and for the early church. I know God has a lot of purpose in them. The hardships in Ukraine have certainly made me appreciate all we have been given in America, and the hardships in getting Alex certainly make me appreciate becoming a parent.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Friday, January 12
We have had a good day visiting with Alex - they had another performance today (he was back in his bunny outfit again), and we tried on some more clothes. Alex was much more receptive to trying them on today. We first started putting the clothes on us, and then he wanted them on him... He fell for that one didn't he.
This is a nice orphanage. They have performances all the time. We have seen Pappa Frost about six times now. Some of the kids have something they will go in front of everyone and recite, and then Pappa Frost will give them a present. They come back to their seat happy, and all the other kids just miss out. Then they are all given a bag of fruit or candy at the end (donated from someone in the community). Who knows how long these New Year's plays will go on?
The market we've been buying Alex's clothes from is a large area with lots and lots of little booths where women have one or two types of things for sale ranging from winter hats to high-heeled boots (very popular here) to curtains to chickens to produce. This is where you can get the best deals on clothing for children. Sorry, Laura, I know you're dissappointed, but we have not haggled with them any. The difference it would make in dollars is very small.
Humorous comment for the day - There is someone who has our cell phone number who keeps calling us. They don't speak English and don't seem to understand that they have the wrong number, even though Igor has told them in Russian. At random times during the day and night, we will get a phone call and answer it only to find out that it is these same people trying to reach someone named Nicholai. Sometimes they have called when we are in the middle of meeting with officials and other important people. Once we hang up on them, they keep calling back so we end up having to turn our phone off. As I say often, "that's so annoying."
Journal entry (Chris) 12-27-06
We are now at the point where we know Alex is the one for us to adopt as our son. We are trying to speed the process up so that we can get the court hearing before the holidays begin because if we don't, it will extend our stay in Ukraine by about 10 days. Everything we try to do hits some sort of roadblock. We spend hours waiting inside taxis on Igor to convince someone to help us. Even the taxi rides make you feel like you have no control and that your life is in God's hands. The seatbelts don't even work and they drive very recklessly. We've gone with Igor to talk with the adoption director, inspector, notary, and court clerks and judges. It seems that in everything we do and everything we attempt, we have no control over the situation. I've never felt this powerless before in my life. Someone may say they are going to do something, and we are counting on them to do it, and then they don't do it, and we have to scramble to get it done. We have spent so much time praying "Lord, please just help us out of this bind we're in." We can do nothing; we are so dependent on God.
Romans 8:28 - 8:39 (cliff notes version)
God will work out his perfect will for those who love him. He who gave up his son for us, will he not graciously give us all things? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine....? Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
We have had a good day visiting with Alex - they had another performance today (he was back in his bunny outfit again), and we tried on some more clothes. Alex was much more receptive to trying them on today. We first started putting the clothes on us, and then he wanted them on him... He fell for that one didn't he.
This is a nice orphanage. They have performances all the time. We have seen Pappa Frost about six times now. Some of the kids have something they will go in front of everyone and recite, and then Pappa Frost will give them a present. They come back to their seat happy, and all the other kids just miss out. Then they are all given a bag of fruit or candy at the end (donated from someone in the community). Who knows how long these New Year's plays will go on?
The market we've been buying Alex's clothes from is a large area with lots and lots of little booths where women have one or two types of things for sale ranging from winter hats to high-heeled boots (very popular here) to curtains to chickens to produce. This is where you can get the best deals on clothing for children. Sorry, Laura, I know you're dissappointed, but we have not haggled with them any. The difference it would make in dollars is very small.
Humorous comment for the day - There is someone who has our cell phone number who keeps calling us. They don't speak English and don't seem to understand that they have the wrong number, even though Igor has told them in Russian. At random times during the day and night, we will get a phone call and answer it only to find out that it is these same people trying to reach someone named Nicholai. Sometimes they have called when we are in the middle of meeting with officials and other important people. Once we hang up on them, they keep calling back so we end up having to turn our phone off. As I say often, "that's so annoying."
Journal entry (Chris) 12-27-06
We are now at the point where we know Alex is the one for us to adopt as our son. We are trying to speed the process up so that we can get the court hearing before the holidays begin because if we don't, it will extend our stay in Ukraine by about 10 days. Everything we try to do hits some sort of roadblock. We spend hours waiting inside taxis on Igor to convince someone to help us. Even the taxi rides make you feel like you have no control and that your life is in God's hands. The seatbelts don't even work and they drive very recklessly. We've gone with Igor to talk with the adoption director, inspector, notary, and court clerks and judges. It seems that in everything we do and everything we attempt, we have no control over the situation. I've never felt this powerless before in my life. Someone may say they are going to do something, and we are counting on them to do it, and then they don't do it, and we have to scramble to get it done. We have spent so much time praying "Lord, please just help us out of this bind we're in." We can do nothing; we are so dependent on God.
Romans 8:28 - 8:39 (cliff notes version)
God will work out his perfect will for those who love him. He who gave up his son for us, will he not graciously give us all things? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine....? Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Thursday, Jan 11th
We have been here 28 days! We are so glad to be on the home stretch and almost back in the U.S. We have been trying to buy Alex some clothes this week. It has been pretty difficult. There are not too many places to choose from, and it was very difficult to get Alex to try on his new clothes- he was not happy about it at all. After we had made him try them on, he was so mad at us he just wanted to go back to his room. Igor translates what Alex says when he gets mad as "I am offended". It is funny to think of him being ''offended'' when he doesn't get his way. The clothes and shoes ended up being too small, though, so we had to go back out and look some more. We bought a few things yesterday, and they are on the big side, but oh well... He will at least have something to wear out of the orphanage. It's harder than you think to have to buy clothes for someone just from their measurements (that we attempted to do with a metric tape measure).
Humorous comment for the day - We've been in Lugansk now for 20 days and we have decided that they really love their fireworks here. At random times each night for every night since we have been here, fireworks displays have erupted just outside our apartment window and at various spots around the city.
Journal entry - Kim - 12/22 (After missing our flight to Lugansk, and Chris being so sick)
The adventure continues, and not always so easily. Or actually definitely not so easily. I have been realizing that God doesn't intend for this process to be easy.
I know when the desire to adopt was first in our hearts, we were struck by how symbolic it was of what God did for us. He adopted us into His family and made us His children. He chose us to be His, not based on anything we had done, and has given us a home in heaven. I didn't think about at that time the cost our adoption came at. Jesus paid a great price for us to be adopted.
All we have gone through is very small in comparison. It reminds me of what He has done for us, and makes me even more appreciative and thankful to Him for it.
"There is a cost to adopting children; Jesus paid an enormous price - more than we can comprehend- in absorbing our sin so we could be redeemed and adopted. Our family's payment of money and time, waiting and heartache pales in comparison. But in that pale glimmer we have a glimpse of God's devotion''. (Quote from my favorite book on adoption ''Carried Safely Home'').
We have been here 28 days! We are so glad to be on the home stretch and almost back in the U.S. We have been trying to buy Alex some clothes this week. It has been pretty difficult. There are not too many places to choose from, and it was very difficult to get Alex to try on his new clothes- he was not happy about it at all. After we had made him try them on, he was so mad at us he just wanted to go back to his room. Igor translates what Alex says when he gets mad as "I am offended". It is funny to think of him being ''offended'' when he doesn't get his way. The clothes and shoes ended up being too small, though, so we had to go back out and look some more. We bought a few things yesterday, and they are on the big side, but oh well... He will at least have something to wear out of the orphanage. It's harder than you think to have to buy clothes for someone just from their measurements (that we attempted to do with a metric tape measure).
Humorous comment for the day - We've been in Lugansk now for 20 days and we have decided that they really love their fireworks here. At random times each night for every night since we have been here, fireworks displays have erupted just outside our apartment window and at various spots around the city.
Journal entry - Kim - 12/22 (After missing our flight to Lugansk, and Chris being so sick)
The adventure continues, and not always so easily. Or actually definitely not so easily. I have been realizing that God doesn't intend for this process to be easy.
I know when the desire to adopt was first in our hearts, we were struck by how symbolic it was of what God did for us. He adopted us into His family and made us His children. He chose us to be His, not based on anything we had done, and has given us a home in heaven. I didn't think about at that time the cost our adoption came at. Jesus paid a great price for us to be adopted.
All we have gone through is very small in comparison. It reminds me of what He has done for us, and makes me even more appreciative and thankful to Him for it.
"There is a cost to adopting children; Jesus paid an enormous price - more than we can comprehend- in absorbing our sin so we could be redeemed and adopted. Our family's payment of money and time, waiting and heartache pales in comparison. But in that pale glimmer we have a glimpse of God's devotion''. (Quote from my favorite book on adoption ''Carried Safely Home'').
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Wednesday, Jan 10th
The end is in sight. We will head home Jan 20th...the three of us...a new family that began on Christmas Day when we told the orphanage director that we wanted to adopt Alex. It has been quite a story that began approximately 2 years ago, and now will soon enter a new chapter (no blog included).
Our blogging will probably end on Monday because Tuesday begins the 24 hour days of Alex. We are continually amazed and encouraged by the support we receive on the blog comments. So many family and friends and friends of friends actually keep up with this thing and care about what is going on in our little lives on the other side of the world. Seeing those comments from people, some of whom we never thought were reading, has encouraged us to blog more often and in more detail.
As most of you know, we are committed to following the path that we feel God is leading us on. When God said we should adopt from Ukraine, we said O.K.... Two years later, along a road full of trials and triumphs, here we are. In these last few days in Lugansk, we will try to post some journal entries telling the story of how we dealt with God on some issues we faced since we've been here. Hopefully you will be enriched and encouraged in reading them.
We'll start with a small portion of one entry...
Chris - Dec. 20th (written after being in Ukraine 7 days and turning down our first referral)
Today I read Colossians 1:9-14, which talks about Paul praying for the church asking God to give them wisdom and understanding so that they may live a life pleasing to God, that they will be strengthened with his power, and that they will have great endurance and patience. These are things we need and pray for at this time. I don't understand what God's plan is for us. He seems to only give us small glimpses of His plan at a time. I'm O.K. with the decision we made yesterday, and I look forward to finding out who we will end up adopting.
The end is in sight. We will head home Jan 20th...the three of us...a new family that began on Christmas Day when we told the orphanage director that we wanted to adopt Alex. It has been quite a story that began approximately 2 years ago, and now will soon enter a new chapter (no blog included).
Our blogging will probably end on Monday because Tuesday begins the 24 hour days of Alex. We are continually amazed and encouraged by the support we receive on the blog comments. So many family and friends and friends of friends actually keep up with this thing and care about what is going on in our little lives on the other side of the world. Seeing those comments from people, some of whom we never thought were reading, has encouraged us to blog more often and in more detail.
As most of you know, we are committed to following the path that we feel God is leading us on. When God said we should adopt from Ukraine, we said O.K.... Two years later, along a road full of trials and triumphs, here we are. In these last few days in Lugansk, we will try to post some journal entries telling the story of how we dealt with God on some issues we faced since we've been here. Hopefully you will be enriched and encouraged in reading them.
We'll start with a small portion of one entry...
Chris - Dec. 20th (written after being in Ukraine 7 days and turning down our first referral)
Today I read Colossians 1:9-14, which talks about Paul praying for the church asking God to give them wisdom and understanding so that they may live a life pleasing to God, that they will be strengthened with his power, and that they will have great endurance and patience. These are things we need and pray for at this time. I don't understand what God's plan is for us. He seems to only give us small glimpses of His plan at a time. I'm O.K. with the decision we made yesterday, and I look forward to finding out who we will end up adopting.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Monday, January 8th
We are currently on day 3 of the 10 day wait until the court decree comes into effect and we can take Alex out of the orphanage. We do not have too much to share as we have settled in to our routine. We go to the orphanage in the morning to spend a few hours with Alex. Then we will either walk to town and use the internet or eat lunch and go to the grocery store. We usually get back to the apartment around 3pm and spend the rest of the night there-playing cards, reading, watching movies, etc... (Thanks Michael and Karan for recommending bringing lots of English speaking movies and cds).
We have had a little adventure lately. We live on the main street in Lugansk and in the midde of it is the downtown area with the internet, etc.. and on the other end a little further away is the orphanage. We have started taking small buses down the main street to save on some of the walking and they only cost about $.25. We had done it a few times and felt pretty good about it until 2 days ago. This time after we got on the bus it turned off the main road. It did stop once right after it turned, but we thought from looking at the map in the bus that it would circle back around. Well, about 30 minutes later we were way out in the middle of nowhere. The bus stopped, everyone had gotten off, and the driver looked at us and started speaking in Russian to us - probably wondering why we were still on. We tried to point back and give him our street name asking him to circle back. He called someone on his phone that could speak English and told us what bus we would need to catch instead. So we rode the 30 minutes back to town and then got off and onto the right bus. We didn't mind it too much as we got to see more of the city, and we have plenty of time on our hands. The only thing the nice bus driver could tell us in English was that he is Mormon. He said the words Mormon and Salt Lake City so that is what we think he was telling us.
Last night we went out again around 9pm. We don't normally go out that late, but we needed to get in touch with our travel agent via email and were having a hard time. So on our way back we caught a bus again, and it ended up turning down that same wrong street! We couldn't believe our luck. As soon as it turned, though, we tried to get the driver to let us off. He did after several minutes of driving. We decided to just walk back. I guess we don't have the system figured out that well after all....
We are currently on day 3 of the 10 day wait until the court decree comes into effect and we can take Alex out of the orphanage. We do not have too much to share as we have settled in to our routine. We go to the orphanage in the morning to spend a few hours with Alex. Then we will either walk to town and use the internet or eat lunch and go to the grocery store. We usually get back to the apartment around 3pm and spend the rest of the night there-playing cards, reading, watching movies, etc... (Thanks Michael and Karan for recommending bringing lots of English speaking movies and cds).
We have had a little adventure lately. We live on the main street in Lugansk and in the midde of it is the downtown area with the internet, etc.. and on the other end a little further away is the orphanage. We have started taking small buses down the main street to save on some of the walking and they only cost about $.25. We had done it a few times and felt pretty good about it until 2 days ago. This time after we got on the bus it turned off the main road. It did stop once right after it turned, but we thought from looking at the map in the bus that it would circle back around. Well, about 30 minutes later we were way out in the middle of nowhere. The bus stopped, everyone had gotten off, and the driver looked at us and started speaking in Russian to us - probably wondering why we were still on. We tried to point back and give him our street name asking him to circle back. He called someone on his phone that could speak English and told us what bus we would need to catch instead. So we rode the 30 minutes back to town and then got off and onto the right bus. We didn't mind it too much as we got to see more of the city, and we have plenty of time on our hands. The only thing the nice bus driver could tell us in English was that he is Mormon. He said the words Mormon and Salt Lake City so that is what we think he was telling us.
Last night we went out again around 9pm. We don't normally go out that late, but we needed to get in touch with our travel agent via email and were having a hard time. So on our way back we caught a bus again, and it ended up turning down that same wrong street! We couldn't believe our luck. As soon as it turned, though, we tried to get the driver to let us off. He did after several minutes of driving. We decided to just walk back. I guess we don't have the system figured out that well after all....
Friday, January 05, 2007
Friday, January 5 Alex's adoption day!!
What a happy day!! We are now officially Alex's parents, and he is now officially Alexander Kent Snow! There were no more complications today. We had our court hearing at 3pm, and it was over by 3:30pm. The Judge asked us both questions about ourselves, our relationship with Alex, and about America. Alex was not required to be there, it was just us, our translator, the Judge, the inspector, and a representative from the orphanage in a very small courtroom. It went very well, and at the end he declared us to be Alex's parents!
So now begins the countdown to coming home with our son! The 10 day wait starts tomorrow so we are in the process of getting our tickets home for the 19th or 20th. We cannot wait. It will be so fun to show Alex this new world- he already gets so amazed by the smallest things, like today it was our umbrella.
At some point we want to blog about some of the things God has been teaching us through this trial, but today we are just soaking in the happiness of becoming parents. It is sad for the orphans that they make the adoption process so difficult, but we know that it has really made us appreciate getting to be parents... finally. We know you share the joy of today with us. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers.
What a happy day!! We are now officially Alex's parents, and he is now officially Alexander Kent Snow! There were no more complications today. We had our court hearing at 3pm, and it was over by 3:30pm. The Judge asked us both questions about ourselves, our relationship with Alex, and about America. Alex was not required to be there, it was just us, our translator, the Judge, the inspector, and a representative from the orphanage in a very small courtroom. It went very well, and at the end he declared us to be Alex's parents!
So now begins the countdown to coming home with our son! The 10 day wait starts tomorrow so we are in the process of getting our tickets home for the 19th or 20th. We cannot wait. It will be so fun to show Alex this new world- he already gets so amazed by the smallest things, like today it was our umbrella.
At some point we want to blog about some of the things God has been teaching us through this trial, but today we are just soaking in the happiness of becoming parents. It is sad for the orphans that they make the adoption process so difficult, but we know that it has really made us appreciate getting to be parents... finally. We know you share the joy of today with us. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Thursday, January 4th
Perhaps you woke up this morning wondering if Chris and Kim had gotten into any new adventures lately, and so you're checking the blog site to see what's been going on lately. You'd be correct in assuming we got into another adventure as this roller-coaster ride of emotions continues. Yesterday, we were ready to start finalizing this whole process by getting our court hearing underway. We went back to the courts and were appointed a judge, but after he reviewed the papers he said we needed to get a statement from Alex's brother, sister, and grandmother saying that we could adopt him. We were aware that Alex had a brother and sister, who are both much older (in their 20's). This was frustrating to hear for several reasons. 1. We didn't even know if we could find them in this other city where they lived. 2. We weren't sure if they would want to sign anything. 3. According to our adoption people, this was a very unusual request.
So, we headed off with Igor to Zolaton, where they were supposed to be living. There were potholes the size of cars and overground gas lines and trash in places, but we manuevered around the obstacles including finding out which of the three cities in the area with the same name that they lived in. We made it to the grandmother's house, and she talked for a while in Russian, but we didn't know what she was saying until we got back in the taxi and Igor told us. She was telling some of Alex's family's story. Unfortunately, she said she was not physically able to sign anything so we left without any documents because we were unable to find the brother and sister. We were really feeling discouraged and wondering what the judge would say, and if he would let the adoption process continue.
Fortunately for us, the judge said that if we got a document from the inspector saying it was O.K. to adopt Alex, then he would let it happen. Igor went out to another city and got that document today! So, now we are scheduled to have our court hearing tomorrow, Friday, at 3 p.m.
Perhaps you woke up this morning wondering if Chris and Kim had gotten into any new adventures lately, and so you're checking the blog site to see what's been going on lately. You'd be correct in assuming we got into another adventure as this roller-coaster ride of emotions continues. Yesterday, we were ready to start finalizing this whole process by getting our court hearing underway. We went back to the courts and were appointed a judge, but after he reviewed the papers he said we needed to get a statement from Alex's brother, sister, and grandmother saying that we could adopt him. We were aware that Alex had a brother and sister, who are both much older (in their 20's). This was frustrating to hear for several reasons. 1. We didn't even know if we could find them in this other city where they lived. 2. We weren't sure if they would want to sign anything. 3. According to our adoption people, this was a very unusual request.
So, we headed off with Igor to Zolaton, where they were supposed to be living. There were potholes the size of cars and overground gas lines and trash in places, but we manuevered around the obstacles including finding out which of the three cities in the area with the same name that they lived in. We made it to the grandmother's house, and she talked for a while in Russian, but we didn't know what she was saying until we got back in the taxi and Igor told us. She was telling some of Alex's family's story. Unfortunately, she said she was not physically able to sign anything so we left without any documents because we were unable to find the brother and sister. We were really feeling discouraged and wondering what the judge would say, and if he would let the adoption process continue.
Fortunately for us, the judge said that if we got a document from the inspector saying it was O.K. to adopt Alex, then he would let it happen. Igor went out to another city and got that document today! So, now we are scheduled to have our court hearing tomorrow, Friday, at 3 p.m.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Tuesday, January 2
Happy New Year! Hope everyone is doing well! We had a good day yesterday. We started it with a good visit with Sasha. He now says in English "banana", "apple", "train", and also says often "please mama or please papa" if he wants something. It's been fun to hear him! He's continuing to get more and more comfortable with us. He comes up to us more and wants to sit with us or be held. We can't wait until we can spend more time with him!
After our visit we begin the long walk back to our apartment. Along the way, although we were both tired and hungry, we decided to stop in another supermarket we had seen before and wondered what was in it. It was almost completely empty, except we heard a few people speaking English. We spoke to them and found out they are from Chattanooga, TN! They are missionaries and have been in Ukraine for about 1 year. It was great to talk to them, and they invited us to come over to their house sometime. It really felt like the meeting was arranged by God because what are the odds of us stopping in a store we had never been in before at the exact time they were in it even though they live 30 minutes away. We'll see if something more comes from it. Then we went on back to the apartment and were soon greeted by the older couple who are renting us the apartment. They had made us some Ukranian food (meat in a jello mixture, and a salad - with no lettuce). They also brought us some champagne and chocolate to celebrate the new year. It was a fun time where they shared pictures with us and we shared some with them, and the champagne was enjoyed by us all, especially the old man. All of this was in broken English and Russian since they don't know much English and we don't know much Russian. We finished off the night with Kim cooking dinner and then watching X Men 3 on our portable DVD player. What a nice day.
We are hopeful that tomorrow will be the day we get to meet with the courts and get appointed a judge, and then we are hoping the judge will hear our case in the next few days. Thanks for all your prayers.
Happy New Year! Hope everyone is doing well! We had a good day yesterday. We started it with a good visit with Sasha. He now says in English "banana", "apple", "train", and also says often "please mama or please papa" if he wants something. It's been fun to hear him! He's continuing to get more and more comfortable with us. He comes up to us more and wants to sit with us or be held. We can't wait until we can spend more time with him!
After our visit we begin the long walk back to our apartment. Along the way, although we were both tired and hungry, we decided to stop in another supermarket we had seen before and wondered what was in it. It was almost completely empty, except we heard a few people speaking English. We spoke to them and found out they are from Chattanooga, TN! They are missionaries and have been in Ukraine for about 1 year. It was great to talk to them, and they invited us to come over to their house sometime. It really felt like the meeting was arranged by God because what are the odds of us stopping in a store we had never been in before at the exact time they were in it even though they live 30 minutes away. We'll see if something more comes from it. Then we went on back to the apartment and were soon greeted by the older couple who are renting us the apartment. They had made us some Ukranian food (meat in a jello mixture, and a salad - with no lettuce). They also brought us some champagne and chocolate to celebrate the new year. It was a fun time where they shared pictures with us and we shared some with them, and the champagne was enjoyed by us all, especially the old man. All of this was in broken English and Russian since they don't know much English and we don't know much Russian. We finished off the night with Kim cooking dinner and then watching X Men 3 on our portable DVD player. What a nice day.
We are hopeful that tomorrow will be the day we get to meet with the courts and get appointed a judge, and then we are hoping the judge will hear our case in the next few days. Thanks for all your prayers.
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