Calgon, take me away

I was not able to blog yesterday, because I was exhausted!!

However, after obtaining our passport quickly (by 10am) and requiring one trip to the passport office and 3 trips to the US Embassy with 3 excited, non-english speaking children, I received the needed 3 passports and visas by 2pm. Our day really started at 7:30am when Sasha picked us and our luggage up from the apartment in Billa Tserka. Then, on to the orphanage where I was able to sign the 3 children out, they said their good-bye's quickly, and we were on our way in Sasha's car to Kiev. Kolby gets car sick, so I was prepared with medication, which he took before leaving the orphanage, and plastic bags. Thankfully, we arrived without needing those.

By the time that we had completed our errands, we were all tired, wired, and hungry!!! Not a very good combination!!! There is a pizza parlor just up the street, so we ate a late lunch there.

It took about 2 hours to get luggage organized, kids "scrubbed", and in clean clothes for the night. Last night, for supper, I had mashed potatoes, sausage, and cheese. Keri Jo spent time with me writing the alphabet while the others watched a movie. I have found that she likes to spend time alone with me, and Kolby likes to help in the kitchen. Elijah likes to color and draw.

It took a little time last night for everyone to settle down for sleep, but finally all was quiet at about 10pm. I wanted to spend a few minutes alone before going to sleep, but I was too tired!!!

This morning, we were able to sleep until about 7:30, which was wonderful!!! After the kids found out that they can't eat chips, cookies, and ramen noodles for breakfast, they were able to stay calm until I had had a cup of coffee and cooked breakfast. We don't have a table in our apartment (which is very nice and clean), so we have a picnic on a sheet in the kitchen for every meal. I was able to take a wonderful, hot bath, put on make-up, and have just spent much-needed time while Kolby is listening to a Christian CD and singing loudly; the rest of the kids colored quietly.

We only have about 28 more hours here before we leave for the airport, and I think I will make it; physically and emotionally!!!

I will try to blog again in the morning before we leave for the airport!!

Thank you all so much for your prayers, thoughts, and for following with us through this incredible God-led journey,

Kim

Talk about "Babushkas"

This week has proved to be a whirlwind, just as I expected and wanted. Monday we got behind because of the "holiday", Tuesday we had a couple of things here to do in the village, and today was an early start driving to Kiev (yes, all 6 of us + facilitator in his Volkswagon Skoda). Seatbelts here are optional, like most every other rule so it did not matter that there were 5 people sitting in the back seat. We were able to run from one place to another with a total of about 5 stops, including the notary, passport office, medical exam, photo place, etc. The kids are so ready to be out of the orphanage and they thought that today they were being picked up for good. Tomorrow will be a day of waiting for us, but behind the scenes, several things will have to come together in order for us to get the passport and apply for the visa at the US Embassy on Friday afternoon. Friday morning, Sasha will pick us up with the 3 kids from the orphanage and we will go to Kiev until we come home. Friday afternoon, we will hopefully receive our passports and go to the US Embassy. If we do not get them on Friday, we can not leave until next week. I feel confident that we will have them come Friday afternoon. We will begin packing our apartment tomorrow and Sasha will find us another one in Kiev to stay from Friday until Sunday. The kids will come and stay with us in Kiev.

Can you believe it??? Only 4 days left!!!!

Of course, on our ride to and from Kiev, Sasha and I talked a lot. One question that I had for him was about the head scarves that the older women wear here in Billa Tserka. Sometimes, we see entire marchutka's (buses) full of older women wearing their scarves. They are the hardest working people that I have ever seen. Many are "sweeping" leaves with their brooms and dustpans, some are carrying heavy satchels or bags, many are stooped over and one can see that they have worked the same way their entire lives. They are known as "Babushkas", or grandmothers. I don't know if they all have grandchildren, so I think of them as the elderly women. Since I see nobody here with grey hair, except those with the scarves, I asked Sasha, "Is there a certain age when you have to start wearing the head scarf, or is it when your hair turns a certain color?" For example, should I wear one?? His answer was that it is an old-world style. At one time, all girls and women wore them, but now most do not except for the older women. This is especially true of the "willages", but not the cities (Sasha and others pronounce the "v" as a "w"). I am part of this "babushka" club since, I have a 2yr old granddaughter, as are some of my friends. Congratulations to my sister, Kelly, who will join this club in April when her oldest son and his wife are expecting their first baby!! Kelly, I'll bring you something to cover your head with!!!

We will have to go to the market in the morning to get the kids an outfit to wear in Kiev and on the airplane. Katie said that she can't wait to get the kids to the apartment to "scrub" them. I feel the same way. It just makes you feel better to get a hot shower/bath and put on clean pajamas before going to bed. The good night kiss and hug is just the icing on the cake. They have so many things to learn about, such as this. Many good things that you can't put a price tag on or measure in any way!!

Blessings,

Kim

10 Day Wait is Over!!!!

Today, our facilitator, Andrew (works with Sasha) was able to pick up the inspector from Child's Services and go to the courthouse to obtain our court decree. We have been waiting for the last 10 days to obtain this. Nothing else could happen until this mandatory 10 day wait was complete and we had the court decree. This decree states that we are the parents of the 3 children and changes their names to their new American names. Andrew also went to the orphanage and picked up the old birth certificates. We had to have these to get the new birth certificates. Andrew picked Katie, Kevin, and I up from the apartment to get the new birth certificates (since I am the Mom, I had to be there). Guess what??? It is a holiday of some kind for the birth certificate department, so we were not able to do this today. Tomorrow, we will try again. We also plan to take the kids to Kiev to apply for the passport. This should be a fun field trip and will get the kids out of the orphanage. When we got back to the apartment, we had our devotion/prayer time. Katie prayed, "Lord, don't let the new kids drive Mom nuts tomorrow as we go to Kiev." I hope that you will all be in prayer for the same!!!

Actually, the kids are settling in with our visits and can't wait to come to America. We are trying to teach some English and a few polite phrases, such as "Thank You" and "May I have...". It is just hard to get into too much of this with them still being at the orphanage, and all the other kids around. Most of the other kids in their group also love attention. They love for me to get out the multiplication flash cards or the English/Russian teaching book that I have. I have determined that neither of the 2 youngest kids (Eli and Keri Jo) can read or do much math, although Keri Jo seems to be very willing and smart. I can't get Eli to sit down for more than about 5 seconds!!! I have determined the following: Eli loves Kevin and sports, but doesn't like to be touched very much, Keri Jo loves praise and I see fast behavioral changes when I praise her, and Kolby might be a Mama's boy. I don't know if any of them can ride a bicycle, but it should not take long for them to learn.

This time that we have had waiting has been very beneficial for all of us: we have learned so much about them, and they have learned some about us.

Our devotion today was Psalm 27:14:

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord".

I must say that that is extremely hard to do most of the times. It is much easier to do SOMETHING than to do NOTHING!!!!

One week from today, God willing, we should all be home. YIPPEE!!!!!!

Love you all,

Kim

The Kids speak, again

I like to give the kids an opportunity to tell what is on their minds and from their points of view. Here are their thoughts and "Hello's" (unedited except for a little spelling help).

Kevin says:

One night, we were doing our schoolwork and we heard a noise. I thought some car had crashed into the trash can, but it wasn't. Then Mom said, "It sounds like a crash." Then we looked out the window and saw that the car had crashed into the marchutka (bus). Then we wondered if a police or fire truck would come, but they didn't.

The electricity went off twice in our apartment, but the good thing about it was that we brought some flashlights.

I can't wait until we come home because I can take my brothers to church with me. I would like to say, "Hello," everybody, especially Papa.

Hello, Grandmother, I can't wait until all 5 of us spend the night and I guess you are ready for all of us!!!! Yesterday, we walked to the orphanage and there were 3 big dogs. I guess you would have a stick and PaPa would have a rolled-up newspaper to whack them with!!

The cool thing about Ukraine is that now it is winter, but they still have flowers blooming. They also paint their houses weird colors, like pink, bright blue, and green. Their fences might be half pink and half green.

Our devotion today was about how to get to Heaven. Our Bible verse was John 14:6, "Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

GOOD BYE!!!

Katie says:

I really enjoy having new brothers and sister, and their names are Kolby, Elijah, and Keri Jo. I thank God that He gave me a sister to play with because we have a lot of boy cousins. Keri Jo and I play together sometimes. She will get on my shoulders and I will carry her a long way. They just cannot wait until they come with us, and I cannot wait until we get to our own home. There is nothing like the smell of HOME, SWEET, HOME.

As we walk every day to the orphanage, we see small houses. Every house has a fence around it and at least one dog in their yard that barks at us. I wonder why everyone's yard is fenced!!!

Yesterday, we went to the orphanage to see the kids again. It was a good thing that we got to spend time with just the 3 of them. A girl called to Keri Jo and wanted for Mom to get her an ice cream. Mom said, "No," because she had already made their own bags of treats. Keri Jo started to be mad, and then Kolby got mad. So, we went home.

Here is my letter to my Papa Baba,

Dear Pa,

I miss you so much. I can not wait to see you again. When we get back to America, I will run to you. I can not wait to get back to our routine with the new kids. Pa, I can not wait until you pick me up in your arms again. Pa, I want to hear your voice calling me, "It is time to get ready for church." At least I can hear your voice every night before we go to bed. I will give you a lot of hugs and kisses.

With all of my love,

Katie

What's that smell????

Yesterday, Kolby asked if we could bring things for a party with his groupa. I thought that would be a great idea and I had gotten cookies at the grocery store yesterday. I needed chips and juice, so I sent Kevin to our little store just behind our building. After about 10 minutes, Kevin arrived with all the necessary things for the party. He said, "Mom, that man on the elevator smelled like poop." About another 30 seconds later, I got a whiff of something and said, "Kevin, you smell like poop- did you poop in your pants??" Guess what Kevin had tracked all over the apartment from the bottom of his shoe???? (We have several dogs around here). All over the linoleum (not a big deal to clean), and all over the rug in the kitchen (a much bigger deal to clean). So, for the next 45 minutes, he got to practice cleaning floors. Anyway, it is really funny now that he thought that the smell came from someone else. I wonder what that man on the elevator thought of Kevin!!

We went to the orphanage this afternoon and took treats for the girl's groupa and the boy's groupa (about 10-12 kids in each one). Thankfully, I had given all treats to the teachers to pass out. The boys room was chaos with hands and mouths everywhere (you would have thought that there were 100 boys). The girls sat down right away to receive their treats. They all enjoyed it. We didn't stay too long tonight, but will be there earlier tomorrow (we can visit earlier on the weekends).

On our walk home each night, the highlight is whether the local dentist office is working. As we get close to the office and walk under the tree, the question from the kids is, "Are the blinds open??" It is so funny, because it is dark out and sitting in the window every night is a patient with their mouth open. The dentist and his assistant both have blue masks on their faces and are busy working in the mouth. Sometimes, we just stand there and watch. I wonder if the patient knows that anyone who walks by can see them and what is going on? I am glad to know that there is a local dentist, because I have terrible teeth, and just might need one at any time. However, if I am the patient, I will have to ask the dentist to close the blinds. Tonight is Friday night, and we have learned that the dentist closes early on Friday. So, no sights to see tonight.

After talking to Sasha this morning, we will not plan on taking the kids with us until the last day. We have lots of paperwork, etc. next week to do and it would be harder taking 3 more kids with us (7 people in one car is very crowded!!!). Plus, I think they would be very bored here in the apartment while Kevin and Katie do school. We also were wondering where everyone would sleep in the apartment, so I think this plan will be better. The newest kids will stay in their school, except on days that we need for them to be with us (when we do medical exam, etc). I am ready, though, not to have to go to the orphanage and they are so ready to leave there. I can certainly feel that we are in the home-stretch!!

For those of you wondering, yes, it feels like we have been gone a month (it will be a month on Sunday). However, it really does not seem to be as long as last time. My days are a little more occupied and there are people here to talk to. The one really good thing that we did is to bring the portable DVD player and English movies. So, the kids and I try to have movie night each night (after school and baths are completed). I love it because that means another day down. We are down to our final 9-10 days and next week should be very busy.

Blessings,

Kim

The "magazine"

All of you that have been to Ukraine know that a "magazine" is a store. It can be any kind of store. In certain places, every few hundred yards is a doorway that you can enter to buy cheese, bread, candies, chips, etc. And, of course, alcohol. These are different than our run-of-the mill mini markets because most of these are tiny. They barely hold more than 3-4 people in them, but of course we are in Ukraine, so they will hold 7-8 uncomfortably!!! These are one of the things that I happen to love about Ukraine. No matter where you are, you are only a few steps away from a "magazine". In fact, there is one right across the street from the orphanage. So, as we were leaving from there today, we took the kids there (unofficially) to get an ice cream and Hubba Bubba (pronounced here as Hooba Booba). Kolby did not want ice cream and opted for a package that looked kind of like a Little Debbie cake on the outside. He opened it and offered me a bite. It was ground up sunflower seeds (shell and all), but was sweeter. It looked like the suet that I hang on the trees for the woodpeckers. It is probably not something that I will want to try again, but he really enjoyed it. The lady at this store is so nice and says that we have a "grande family", meaning large family. She knows that we are there adopting, and is most helpful in assisting the kids stay within a budget (we won't break the bank with ice cream as most of it only costs 15-25 cents each.)

Tonight, after we got back home to our apartment, a thin sliver of a moon seemed to be hanging just beyond our balcony; almost like it was hanging from the sky on a string. I was reminded of Psalms 8:3-4:

"When I consider your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

the son of man that you care for him?"

I cannot even begin to know how much I am loved by God!!! I don't know why, just that He does. I guess that is the definition of grace!!!

Good night,

Kim

Flights arranged

After about 6 straight hours today working with Delta and KLM airlines, and simultaneously searching on the internet, we all have a flight home on the same flight. Hoorah!!! On second thought, maybe I would like to have one ticket on a different flight (MY ticket). We were hoping to be able to leave on Sat, 10/31 to be home on 11/1, but within a few hours all seats were taken. One quote leaving on 10/31 and being home the same day was $6000.00. No, I am not kidding. I would like to know if this is for a berth? Maybe a nice king-size bed with turn-down service and a mint on the pillow comes with that price!! Or maybe this price is for an all expense paid, seven-day fun-filled vacation to see Mickey!! That would be great, it is my favorite place to go, and we would love to take the kids there soon. But no, this price would be for the same seat as everyone else in coach class (seat barely reclines and lucky to get a pack of peanuts). Does Delta know how much money that is for 6 tickets??? Bobby could have a nice, new truck or his family can get home. That is a hard choice. Anyway, we were able to find much more reasonable seats. Where is everyone trying to get to in the USA??? I can't believe that everyone is trying to get to the US to observe Halloween!!! The kids had hoped to be home by Halloween, but they are thankful that we have a firm date to come home. We will leave on 11/1, spend the night in Amsterdam, and arrive home on 11/2 pm. There are a couple of hotels in the Amsterdam airport, so Bobby is checking to see if we can get a room there for that night.

Katie, in particular, really misses home and her friends. My experience is that girls are so much more emotionally attached to "home", wherever that is. Even when we go on camping trips and are all together, she misses home.

Katie and Kevin, both, have been invaluable on this trip. It is so nice this time in Ukraine that I have someone that also speaks English. They have re-learned Ukrainian very quickly and are able to translate for me with the kids, when we go shopping, etc. They also are so good with the younger children. Kevin is the most patient and kind with all the children. Sometimes they see bad behaviors from the orphans and say, "I used to act like that." This has been the best experience for them in many ways.

Today's devotion was about the good samaritan and loving people that we don't know or that are unloveable. The kids see "unloveable", "mean", "angry" children every day at the orphanage. But, we can show them all the love that comes from God. How many of these children ever see that?? How many of them NEVER see that kind of love???

We know that you all pray for us daily and thank you for them as we continue to wait.

Blessings,

Kim

Trying to work out flights

Thank goodness I am able to blog again. Our facilitator, Sasha, was able to loan me a computer. All of the writing in in Russian, except for what I type, but I am figuring it out. All 5 kids are doing great. The 3 new ones can't wait to leave the orphanage. I can't wait for them to leave. It is difficult seeing the other orphans that will not be leaving, and their survival tactics. Katie and Kevin do school in the morning and we are able to see the kids for about 1-1 1/2 hours in the afternoon. I try to take a treat each day. They crave anything with taste (chocolate, chips, sausage, cheese, etc). To begin with, we would just take a large bag with everything in it. However, I was being mauled by all the hands trying to grab the food. So, now I have a ziplock bag for each of my 3 children with their treats, and I take extra for the other orphans. The kids have gotten used to this, and behaviors are much better.

It looks almost impossible for us to come home on the 29th, so I am already trying to get new flights for all of us. We are flying on NWA (now owned by Delta) and their closest hub is Amsterdam. I am not sure where all of these Ukrainians are going, but all of the morning flights are full!!! This means that I could have an overnight layover in Amsterdam with FIVE children. I am not so worried about Katie and Kevin, because they have learned good behavior, patience, and consequences. Kolby, Keri Jo, and Elijah have not learned these things yet, and I really don't want them to find out in the airport!!! If we do not have the overnight layover, the tickets get really expensive. We know that God is working on something good for us, and there is a purpose for whatever flight we get on.

Thanks to all of our friends, family, and church family at Liberty Baptist Church for the prayers and comments and well-wishes. Every morning that comes, I know that we are one day closer to being home.

We really miss Bobby being here!!! He is the most amazing husband and father and does so much for each of us. I am glad, though, that he is safely home and back to work where he can stay busy. I am sure that if he is ever hungry and needing a home-cooked meal, my wonderful mom will be happy to feed him.

Love to you all,

Kim

I am back

I just wanted to let people know that I am back home and Kim and the kids are still in Ukraine. While at this point Kim does not have internet access but I will continue to update every one on what is going on. Kim still needs to hear from you so please continue to comment.

Now thta the court phase is complete ther is a 10 day waiting period befor we can begin the final push to bring everyone home. This process will start October 26 and with God's help will only take about 3 or 4 days.

Please pray for Kim and the kids while we are apart. While we would still love to get them home on the 29th. it looks like it will be the 31st.

Bobby

Mother of 7

I never set out in life to have a big family. In fact, I can honestly say that I was never very good at motherhood with my oldest 2 children. Ever since becoming a teenager, I did things “my way”. God has a way of letting you make your own choices. As a divorcee and mother of a wayward son, who continues to make poor choices in his own life, I felt as a complete failure as a mother. Satan has a way of making you feel that way. After both of my children were grown, Bobby and I thought we were home-free. Our kids were grown and independent. We were going to enjoy life the way we wanted to. Our money was ours, our time was ours, our TV and things were ALL OURS!! We lived like that for about 2 years when we both gave our entire life to God. I didn’t know what that whould look like. I just knew that life had more to offer than what we, ourselves, could bring to it. I also had heard people say things like, “God told me this”, or “God led me to do that”, or “God opened this door or closed that door”. Well, I felt that I must be deaf because God didn’t talk to me. Maybe God didn’t think or care about me at all. Now I know that He was just waiting for me to be tired of messing up my own life.
All I can say is that the day I told God to take my life, He began to work in my life, our lives. This little, tiny thought of having more children in my life began to become something that I could no longer ignore. Bobby began to experience the same thoughts and we discussed it. I now know what it means to be “called” by God to do something. I don’t know why He called me. I am totally inept. I told God that someone else could do a much better job than I could… why don’t you choose that “PTA” mother over there. You know the type…the perfect mother of 2.5 children; always at the school, at PTA meetings, the class roommother baking cupcakes, on all the field trips, and when poor Johnny (now 16 yo) falls and scrapes his knee, she would pick him up and lug him home on her back in order to apply antibacterial ointment and a snoopy bandaid.
I love the PTA mothers because they do all the things that I never wanted to!!
But, God made it very apparent to me that I only need to trust Him. There is a saying that comes to my mind all the time: God does not call those who are equipped, but He equips those that He calls. This fits me to a “T”.

2 years ago, we adopted Kevin and Katie. In many respects, it has been the most challenging experience of my life. But in every situation, every time that I have asked for wisdom in dealing with a situation, He has granted that. There is no way that I could be a successful mother to kids that are half-grown with their own thoughts and ideas, and that come with their own baggage from life without God granting wisdom, grace, love, and somehow working out the things that I still do wrong as a parent. In fact, I am one of the most impatient, perfectionist, control-freaks you will ever meet. I want control of everything. Well, guess what? In adoption and raising adopted children, I have had to turn over my control to God. He has blessed in a mighty way!!! The blessings that I have received from being obedient are astounding!!! These kids have flourished and blossomed in a way that I never thought possible.

So, we are again following God in adoption. When I first felt this calling again, my questions became, “God, have you see the color of my hair lately-it is silver”, “God, have you seen our bank account lately and have you heard about the economy lately-financially we aren’t prepared for this.” But I have experienced the blessings that come with obedience. I am coming home with three more children. I am a little nervous, because as I think back to when my first 2 came home, and the issues that I faced then, I can’t remember what worked. What made them bond? How did I get them to do what I asked them to do? Etc…. I can see that I will be where God wants me to be: in His presence, asking for His wisdom. We don’t know what kind of challenges that we will have, but we could be bringing home the future President of the US, or the next Billy Graham. Or we could be bringing home a future mother who shows her own children to the Lord in a way that might not have been possible in Ukraine. What a blessing for us!!!

Today in court, the judge granted us the 3 children that we have petitioned for and we are joyfully making this announcement.

We are now the proud parents of Kolby Ricks Kemp, age 10; Keri Jo Kemp, age 8; and Elijah Richard Kemp, age 7.

Court tomorrow

Court is scheduled for tomorrow morning. We are all excited about that. At the same time, we are sad that Bobby will be leaving directly after that to go by the US Embassy in Kiev to sign paperwork and will be catching a flight tomorrow evening from Kiev to come home. After court there will be a 10 day waiting period that is required, so we will wait again. Bobby will be taking the computer home with him, so today and tomorrow will be my last blogs. All others will come through him.

The weather here has been absolutely wonderful here. So far we have only needed a long-sleeve t-shirt and a light jacket. However, every baby that we we have seen on the street has been bundled up like we were about to have 2 feet of snow. They have on snow suits, toboggans, mittens, and if they are an infant in a stroller, they are covered up with a blanket. If they are a toddler, they waddle about like penguins. Some of these days, we have only had a short-sleeve shirt on!!! I asked Sasha why these babies are so wrapped up. His response is, "It is better to be too hot than too cold. Cold bones break easily." I have no doubt that last year, during the cold season, there were no broken bones in all of Ukraine to children age 5 or under due to a fall or accident!!!

The other day we awoke to a thunderstorm. It was so different than what we are used to: the lightening was quick, almost like a flash from a strobe light and the thunder sounded like we were at the bowling alley (the ball was rolling down the lane and then the striking of the pins).
The kids had told us that there weren't thunderstorms in Ukraine. Either they had forgotten or "global warming" has increased the hot air that comes this way (and I don't think that is the case). This morning we awoke to much colder temperatures. We could use a little heat in our apartment, but the city has not turned it on yet. It is difficult for my mind to understand how the entire city will have heat on the same day. I hear that it will be some time in the next day or 2. I am certainly not complaining, because we could not ask for better weather, or to be in a better city. It really is very nice here and some of the tree-lined streets that we walk down remind me of a colleg town. Maybe even Montevallo.

Today we went to the grocery store so that I could re-stock before Bobby leaves. We are able to get the best bread here, and I don't mind trying almost anything. Much of the bread is stuffed with different things. The best that we have had has been stuffed with cherries and another with apples/raisins. So, I bought 2 different kinds of bread (Sasha was not with us, so we didn't know enough to understand the Russian writing). I cut into the first one; apples/raisins and very good. I cut into the 2nd loaf; cabbage!! Bobby just about got sick, but Katie, Kevin and I loved it. I hope I can find it again!! Other food that is good: most of the sausages, smoked ham, and cheese. One thing that we are able to find is Lay's chips. I just don't understand why we can't get the bacon-flavored kind at home. We all love it!! Don't the upper management of Lay's know how much Americans love bacon??? It could be a #1 seller.

I will go for now. It is almost time to go to the orphanage. I will blog again right after court tomorrow and will be able to share pictures at that time.

Waiting for Court (Thursday)

We are just waiting for our court date on Thursday. During the week, we are only able to visit with the children from 5:00-6:15pm as the boys are in school until then. So, we have gotten in the habit of staying up later than normal to watch a movie (thank goodness for the DVD player and English movies) and waking up later than normal. Our days are filled with school for Kevin and Katie, washing clothes, cooking, etc. We have been able to establish somewhat of a routine.

Bobby will be leaving from Ukraine on Thursday night, spending the night in the Amsterdam airport and arriving in B’ham on Friday night at 8:30. The rest of us ask that you pray that we will be able to come home on Oct. 29. Right now, that doesn’t seem possible, but God is in control…

We can’t show a pic yet, but we would like to tell a little about each new child…

The oldest boy is V. He is quiet, not very athletic, doesn’t like to take a serious picture. He has a huge cowl lick near his forhead. He loves affection and very much wants to come to America to be a part of the family. He is a little small for his age (10 yo), like many orphans. and loves the treats that we bring them to eat every day. He especially loves chips. He is looking forward to court on Thursday so that he doesn’t have to go to school.

The middle child is girl, V. She is 8 yo, smiles a lot, has a lot of friends. She is fluent in Ukrainian, Italian, and Spanish, so English should not be a problem for her to learn. There is an Italian family here adopting 2 boys and she has even interpreted for them on occasion. She is “sneaky smart” and I think that she probably knows a lot more about what we are saying than she appears. She copies a lot of words and phrases that we say already. I think that she will really like doing “girlie” things with Katie when she gets home. She also has a cowl lick, like boy V. She loves affection and riding on her Papa’s back. Her favorite treat, so far, is chocolate.

The youngest child is boy, E. He is 7 yo and wide open!!! He runs everywhere, is very athletic, loves soccer, and has a very short attention span (sound like a boy to you??) He is also very small for his age and looks a lot like Bobby at this age. He likes to kick the soccer ball with his mama and big brother, Kevin. He is quick to smile, but quick to take up for himself or to kick someone that has done him wrong, and then run and hide. He also loves the treats that we bring, especially mevina (ramen noodles) and sweets. He is quick to give hugs and kisses when we leave.

Yesterday when we arrived at the orphanage, we were summoned to the director’s office (like going to see the principal). Kevin was able to interpret for us, as Sasha is not usually with us except when we need to do business. The director told us that she had received numerous phone calls that day from the Italian family that had hosted girl V and would be coming to the orphanage to talk to girl V about her adoption (I am not sure how they found out about this adoption. Maybe the Italian family that is adopting now knows them). After our meeting with the Director, we walked outside and an Italian man with his interpreter was there. We met him and he talked with girl V. He wanted to know if she really wants to go to America to be adopted. What a terrible place for an 8yo to be in!!!! However, she did tell the man that she does want to go to America and wants for us to be her Mama and Papa. The man asked for our phone #, but his interpreter told him to let her go and forget Italy. She has a family now. Evidently, he and his wife wanted to adopt girl V, but not her brothers. The man gave girl V a hug, shook our hands, took a picture of us with all the kids. We were in this same situation with Katie before we adopted her. In fact, we even received phone calls in America from the Italian couple that wanted to adopt her. It is amazing to me that these children have to make these kinds of choices, especially at their age. We have been praying for their hearts and minds for a long time, long before we met them. God continues to be good and in control!!!

P.S. Mother or Shelley, Bobby will need his truck taken and left at the airport or a ride home on Friday night.

P.S.S. We are attaching a few random pictures.

To Market To Market...

The children’s rhyme says, “to market, to market, to buy a fat pig…”
Well, we didn’t find a fat pig, but we did find lots of other things at the outdoor market yesterday. We were able to find a broom, an iron, apples, bananas, soccer ball and pump, cookies, gum, milk, butter, tomatoes, bread, coffee, etc (see on picture), all for about $27.00. The market is a great place to buy whatever you want. You just go from vendor to vendor. Unfortunately, it closes at about 2pm and we didn’t get there until about 1pm. At closing time, all manikins are stripped, and all clothes/items are put in large boxes or bags in just a matter of minutes. We are able to walk there, but can ride the marshutka (bus) if we want.

We also went to a great restaurant to eat. There are a lot of log cabins built that we thought were to rent to sleep in (like at some campgrounds). However, the cabins were to rent to eat in them. They were complete with fireplace and heater, if needed. We had so much fun and would love to go back again. The food was great!!! By the way, the rent is 100 rph (about $12.00).

Later in the afternoon, we went to the orphanage and played soccer with our kids as well as all others that were outside. Little E. and Bobby got their legs twisted together and Bobby fell on his left wrist. It looked ok and so we kept on playing. This morning when we woke up, Bobby’s wrist and hand was swollen, so we called Sasha about where to take him to have it X-rayed. There is a local hospital here that we had seen on our way back from the market. However, we didn’t know what the reputation of the hospital was. Sasha is adept at about everything, so in about 15 minutes, a car was at our door to take us to a kind of clinic. There was no line and no waiting, so the entire visit to the clinic took only about 15 minutes. The good news…no broken bones, just a sprain. After an ace wrap and a few toradol, we were on our way.

We found out yesterday that our court will not be held until next Thursday, 10/15. This means that Bobby will probably be coming home soon after that. The kids and I will stay here for about 2 weeks by ourselves. We had to do this last time, and were hoping to avoid it this time, but we think it is the best option. Our flights are scheduled for 10/29, but it is doubtful that we will make that. We will just have to see.

Kevin and Katie want to say Hello to all of their cousins. Justin and Sammy, we can’t wait until our first camping trip. Sammy, you have met your match with one of our boys!!!!

We love you all and thank you for your continued prayers!!

The Kid's Speak Today

I decided to give the kids a chance to tell about our adventure in their words, so here they are:

KEVIN:
Hello everybody,
There is a river across the street from our apartment. One morning we woke up and went to the kitchen. When we got there, I saw a man swimming in the river and it was only about 50 degrees. The man that I saw had on bikini underwear. I remember that when I lived here, that is what we wore. When we went to the orphanage to play, my little brother, E. got mad because Mom told him to pick up the trash that he had made. Mom took his ball away and he could not play with it for the rest of our visit.
Today, I learned from our devotion that God gives us faith and He increases our faith and He works in us for all of our lives.
Our apartment has an oven that has no temperature control and you have to light it with matches. Ukraine makes some of the best bread and cheese.
We are having a good exercise when we go to the orphanage and come back (we walk 20 minutes each way).
I am having a good time here, but can’t wait to come home. I hope it will be Oct. 29 or before.
Hey DJ: It is Kevin. I have learned enough Russian to talk to you when I come back. How is everything with soccer? I can’t wait until I come back to play at your house and mine. I hope you will come to the airport to meet us. Good-bye, my friend, and let us hear from you!!

KATIE:
This is my adventure.
Hello everybody,
I am in Ukraine. There are many churches here that are so beautiful. One day when we went to pick up the inspector, I saw a lady in her high-heels sweeping the leaves with a broom and picking them up in a dustpan. She was sweeping every leaf, but the wind was blowing leaves off the tree faster than she could sweep.
Today, we read Ephesians 3: 14- 4:3 and about how we don’t know how much God loves us or does for us. Because He lives in us, we shine for him.
The kids really like for us to bring samanchki (black, unsalted sunflower seeds), pechania (cookies), and confethi (candy) to the orphanage for them.
Hey Marie, I just can not wait until we get home with the kids. I know that you will like them.
Mrs. Laura, please tell everyone hello for me and that I miss you all!!!!

Observations

We are sorry it has been a couple of days since our last update. We have been rushing around getting everything in order. The most important news is that all three children said they would like to be adopted by us without any hesitation. This meant getting all the paperwork from the orphanage Director, which had to be redone because she had signed them in the wrong place, and take them to the inspector so she can write the letter of approval for the adoption which must go to Kiev to the SDA for approval. At this point we should get the letter from SDA Friday which will allow us to have court on Monday. Apart from that news we don’t have too much to add about the kids at this point. We can visit from 5:00pm to 6:15pm each day during school days because it is the only time that all kids are together.

Since there is really nothing new, I thought I would write about other things or oddities:

When we were in Kiev, everyone carried plastic bags, like a WalMart bag or a Gap bag, or a Banana Republic bag. Men and women carried these. I asked Sasha what everyone carried in them. He said, “Just stuff. You know, if you go in and buy something you put it in your bag.” I wonder if these bags are a status symbol. Does a yellow bag mean that you are more important than a white one? Or does one with letters on it mean that you have more money?? If I carry a bag, it is usually a purse or a canvas bag, etc. that is longer lasting than a plastic bag. I wonder why they don’t get one of those? Do they make them? By the way, you do have to pay for plastic bags here. If you go to the grocery store with no bag, you will be charged for one to put your “stuff” in. So, we came prepared and brought 2 very large tote bags just for the occasion.

If you find that you need to move bigger “stuff”, like furniture, for example, you must invent something, because there are no pick-up trucks here that we have seen. It is also extremely rare to see an SUV. Most everyone that owns a car has a small, European type car. So, how can you move your things? If you can get your hands on a small trailer, you can attach it to your small European car. You are really fortunate if you have a tractor, because you can attach an even larger trailer to it. We have found that the tractor is the best way to pick up trash. If you don’t have either of these, you will probably have to tie your furniture to the top of your car. I wonder how you could move your refrigerator or a piano. I am sure that it is done, for Ukrainians are very inventive!!!

P.S.: For those who are interested in seeing where we are you can go to goggle earth and type in “Bila Tserkva, Ukraine”

Our apartment is at:

49º47’02.40” N
30º 07’38.47” E

The orphanage where we walk to every day is at:

49º 46’48.18” N
30º 08’59.69” E

Sunday in Ukraine

Today is Sunday and we miss being with our friends in church. It is very sad that we are surrounded by many beautiful churches full of everything this place has to offer except God. As I watched people go in and out of the church across the street this morning I realized how lucky I am to live in a place where Christians gather on a regular basis to worship God and thank him for the Gift of his son Jesus. While I know we are here doing God’s work I do miss being in church with our friends. Well enough about that.

Today started with the first hot breakfast we have had (since we did not have any matches to light the stove until last night). Kim cooked homemade biscuits, scrambled eggs with cheese, ground pork patties (we thought it was sausage but it had no spices in it at all). Cooking for the first few times is always an adventure until you get use to the stove and oven. After breakfast we washed up some clothes and hug them out to dry. Then it was off to see the kids with the new soccer balls and bead jewelry set we bought at the outdoor market yesterday. When we got the orphanage the kids were scattered all around. On Sundays they have very little to do so the kids are all over the place playing and doing who knows what. Once we found our kids we went outside to the soccer field so the kids could play with their new balls. It did not take long for word to spread and in a few minutes we were covered with kids who wanted to play with real soccer balls. All three kids loved the fact we came and brought gifts. They are opening up more every day and seem to look forward to our visits. Some of the bigger kids would take EJ’s ball from him and I would have to go over and let them know they had to share. EJ seemed to like the fact that I took up for him even though he can take care of himself. Sometimes I would watch him as the older kids would play with his ball he would just stand around with his hands in his pocket waiting like a snake in the grass. Then all of the sudden the ball would get loose and he would pounce on it and take it back. I realized that all these kids have to be tough and learn their way to survive in the orphanage environments.

Tomorrow we will start the real process we have been waiting for. The first thing that has to be done is the local SDA Inspector has to hear the kids say that they want to be adopted by us. This weekend was the time we needed to spend with the kids so they would be comfortable with us so they would say they wanted to go with us. I think and pray that they now have no doubts about coming with us. When the inspector hears that tomorrow she will prepare the paper work that Sasha will pick up on Wednesday and take to the SDA in Kiev. If all this goes according to plan we will have court next Monday, but this is Ukraine and plans change by the minute.

Well it is dinner time here and Kevin is in the kitchen making something to eat so I will go for now. Please pray for our court to be as soon as possible. If we don’t have court by the first of next week I will run out of vacation and either have to return home early alone or take time off without pay.

Thank you for all you prayers, I assure you they are felt.

Bobby

Days 2 and 3 with kids

Yesterday we went back to the orphanage and visited with the kids for a couple of hours. It was a great visit with no hesitation from them. At the end of our first visit, the oldest boy, V., asked Sasha which of his siblings that we were there to adopt. He was so excited when he was told that we were there for all 3.
All 3 are already calling us Mama and Papa. Katie and Kevin are loving our visits and are beginning to bond with the newest 3. Yesterday, we were invited by the orphanage director to a "concert/program" put on by some of the orphans. It was wonderful with playing of trumpets, drums, tubas, accordians, and an instrument that we have never seen. At the end the director introduced us and explained our visit.

After our visit, another drive back to Kiev with our rapid-driving Sasha to take care of paperwork. After a late night visit to the grocery store "magazine" in Russian, we were able to unpack and settle in to our new apartment.

We were due to the orphanage this morning and were able to walk there from our apt. It is only about a 20 minute walk and the kids were excited to see us again. The boys have bunk beds in their bedroom and I am not sure that that was ever a good decision to put those in a bedroom housing 12 boys!!! The teacher left for about 30 minutes to "drink coffee" and you can only imagine what their room looked like by the time she returned. The mattresses were off the beds, tents were made between the beds, and boys were high-flying off the tops of the beds!! Whew, I was exhaused watching the teacher. She is really so very sweet, and really loves all the kids. She soon had everyone outside and Kevin enjoyed playing soccer with a bunch of the orphanage boys. It was hilarious to see that our 7 year old was the goalie (he is about the size of a 5 year old). The oldest 2 listened to Katie's Hannah Montana CD. It was a fun visit.

We decided to go to an outdoor market that we had seen when driving around the city. We thought it was fairly close, but I think we ended up walking about 2 1/2 to 3 miles. Although we enjoyed some of the exercise, it was good when we finally got home. We were able to find a shower curtain rod (which is already broken), shower curtain, and soccer balls since the kids were playing soccer with a basketball. The outdoor market is wonderful and you can buy just about anything!!! We had bought some pereshky (small bread/rolls filled with potatoes, meat, or cabbage) in Kiev from a babushka selling them in Kiev and we found more of them today, although they were not as good as the ones in Kiev. We will take them to the orphanage tomorrow when we go back.

The view outside our window is much better than the last time we adopted, so we are attaching some pictures of the city and the view outside our window. We would love to let you all see pictures of the kids, but will not be able to do that until after court.

Meeting the Kids

As you can see from our last pictures, the leaves have begun to fall here and the weather has been beautiful for the last 2 days. We were not able to connect to the internet yesterday, so we have 2 blogs today.

Today has been a very long day of waiting outside of the inspector's office (4+ hours) in Bili Tserkva (which means "white church" and there is one in town). We had to stop and pick her up to go to the orphanage for the first time. Finally, at 4pm we left with the inspector in our car to go see the kids for the first time. The orphanage is very small with only about 50 kids. We met with the orphanage director for a few minutes as she sent for the kids to come to her office. The youngest 2 came in and could not take their eyes off of us (out of curiosity). Immediately the director explained who we were and why we were there. The girl seemed excited, the little boy was scared and began to cry. She told them to come outside and play. We had a flat soccer ball to play with, but it did not take long for them to begin to enjoy being with us. After a while the oldest boy came to play and he joined right in. It is easy to tell that they crave a male role model, but had little to do with me. (This is the opposite of the experience that we had with Katie). It took all of about 10 minutes for all other children and teachers to find out that "Americanski's" were in the play yard and everyone came to see us. We only had about 1 hour to visit with the kids, but at the end of that time we got the thumbs up from all 3. We will be able to visit with them tomorrow and will leave early in the am to do a little shopping first. It was easy to see that these 3 are going to keep me extremely busy and the little boy, E., is a live wire and it is apparent that he is not afraid of anything or anyone!! They are all the cutest kids.

Sasha was also able to find an affordable, nice apartment for us close to the orphanage. Thankfully, we got to and from the orphanage safely with Sasha driving. Those who have ever ridden with him know that the tires touch the pavement only a couple of times per mile!! The driving is something you would have to experience. One-way streets are optional, speed limits are optional, park anywhere you can including the sidewalk, and if you can fit 5 lanes of cars in between 3 white lanes, they do so.

After our visit and drive back to Kiev, we went to The Double Coffee for a late dinner (everyone knows I'll drink coffee just about any time). Katie and Kevin both ordered a "cheese hamburger". When it came to the table, Kevin said, "It is chicken". It looked like chicken on a big bun with lettuce and tomatoes. He took one bite of it and we found that it was a huge piece of fried cheese on a hamburger bun, but no hamburger meat!!! It was very good.

Well, we are about to go to bed because we have a very busy day tomorrow.

We miss you all!!!!

Last night we were still on US time so at 10:00 pm we were wide awake.
We spent time all snuggled up on the couch talking about the new kids and some of the things Kevin and Katie might expect from their new siblings (as if we knew). We talked a lot about the time Mom will have to spend with the kids to develop a connection and teach the basic skills needed to be a part of our family in America. We finally went to bed about midnight. I think Kim and I spent most of the night asking all the questions:

What do the look like now? The pictures we have seen are old and everyone has a shaved head. That is how the process them when they come into the system.

What are their personalities?
Will they like us?
Will they like having more siblings?
Will they even want to be a part of our family?

Well, enough about that. God has made His decisions for us and tomorrow we will find out if we understood what He was telling us.

We woke up this morning around 9:00 and ate breakfast: bread, cheese, hotdogs, and apples; oh, I forgot ketchup. Kevin loves the ketchup you get here and he eats it on everything. After that we began school for the kids. With all the excitement it is hard for them to concentrate, but they are trying. As I write this Kevin is beside me finishing his work for today at 8:00 pm.

At about 2:00 pm we went out for a walk. There is a park up the street that is around St. Michaels Church. That helped us kill time until Sasha picked us up at 4:30 pm to go and get our official referral that we need to go and visit the orphanage to see the kids. This makes it official that we will leave here tomorrow morning around 9:00 to make the one hour drive to Bili Tserkva to meet our kids (hopefully). I say “hopefully” because the kids could choose not to come with us and we would then have to find another set of kids, but we won’t think about that. God is Good All the Time.

Today’s devotion: Matthew 6:25-34: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them…”
God continues to tell us in His word not to worry. At this time we are not doubting one bit that we should be here, in this place and at this time!! God bless.