Smooth Sailing

Yesterday, we made it to Novaya Vodalaga after driving all night. We left at 2:15 in the morning and we arrived here at 9:30 a.m. Our first stop was to the "inspector's" office, where we got permission to go to the orphanage. That took about an hour or so and then we drove down the street to her school. When we arrived the kids outside asked who we were there for and immediately went to get Marina. She met us in the lobby of the school and she looked just beautiful! A true site for sore eyes! It felt like it had taken us so long to get there and with no sleep . . . seeing her made it all worth it!! We asked if she was surprised to see us and she said she was, but later the lawyer we were with said he met with Marina last month after she returned home from the States and she told him her "American parents" were coming to get her in the begining of October. We still don't know if this was a good guess on her part or if she overheard me on the phone while she was with us this summer or what, but she was expecting us :) Anyway, we spent a few hours with her and she showed us all around her school and we took a lot of pictures. The orphanage was very clean, but very poor and probably over 100 years old from the looks of things. There are apple trees out back and the kids were snacking on the appless. Some were playing basketball and others just milling around. I guess the others were in class. We saw some other children that have been to St. Louis and they were all smiles when they saw us and gave us big hugs. It has been very emotional for us to see these children and know that they must be glad for Marina, but longing for someone to come for them too. Marina told us one of her friends just left two weeks ago and was adopted by a family in Italy. She asked if other families were coming for the other kids hosted in MO, which we were expecting they would ask, and we said we didn't know. It's hard when they are asking if someone will be coming or not! Olga seemed very happy and had on her cross necklace that she got in the States. The kids all looked clean and their clothes were nice and new looking - for the most part. Then we saw Natasha that stayed in Columbia IL this summer and she looked very happy as well. (By the way, would someone email the Kern's and give them this blog address - I don't think I did and I think they may want to read this) Natasha hung out with us and Marina quite a bit yesterday. Marina seems to understand English better than Natasha and so she would translate what we were saying to Natasha for us. We also met other friends of Marina's, but mostly they just left us alone with Marina. While we visited our driver and translator went to find us a place to stay, and glory to God, they found us a house with many bedrooms and bathrooms with running water and REAL toilets AND internet connection as well!!! (In Ukraine, around here, they don't have toilets - its a hole in the floor that you stand over - I know that's probably more detail than you want, but it is the reason we feel blessed to be staying where we are. Also, they never have toilet paper and you better make sure you have kleenex or napkins or better yet, CHARMIN with you before you go use the "toilet") It's a father and daughter who we are staying with here, and there are 12 rooms. It must be the biggest house in this village! Supposedly there is another American and translator coming to stay today. We haven't seen them yet, but it is only 11am. now.

Yesterday while we visited with Marina, our translator went and met with the judge already and got our court date for next week - Tuesday or Wednesday - I can't remember. Anyway, he said there is a good chance that they will waive our 10 waiting period and we could be back in Kiev by the end of next week! We do have to go to the village where Marina was born to get her birth certificate changed, etc. and that is about 130 miles from here, but once that is done we will travel back to Kiev and then we go to the US Embassy for more paperwork and her medical exam to clear her for travel. That takes another 3 days to complete, so if the 10 day waiting period is waived for us, we could be home MUCH sooner than we expected to - Praise God for that!!!

Yesterday, we talked to the girls and Hannah seemed fine, but poor Georgie cried and could barely speak. She said she was sad and missed us and then I broke down and could no longer speak either. James had to talk to her at that point, and even writing about it makes me teary :( Ben and Jenn said she had been just fine until yesterday morning when she seemed to wake up missing us. God willing we will be home much sooner. Please pray for favor and grace and I believe we will be back early. The facilitator we used is VERY good at moving things along and waists no time. He has a lot of political pull in this region and we can see it CLEARLY. Everyone so far is rushing around to complete paperwork and is very FOR our adoption. They want to see it happen - that is obvious. (Constantine just walked in with a bucket of wild mushrooms he just picked for our lunch and dinner - yummmm)

We had a great dinner last night! We ate pork that was breaded and pan fried, mashed potatoess, homemade slaw, fresh juice, sauted mushrooms, pickeled herring, and of course Vodka shots :) The daugter who lives here named Olga (of course- hahaha! It's a very common name here) is a great cook and she will cook for us lunch and dinner each day along with our lodging for $50 a day!! This is wonderful since this village does not even have a full grocery store. All they have is a little store - somewhat like a convience store, but there isn't much food. I don't even think there are any restaurants here. Mostly people around here grow their own food and raise their own meat. Everything is farm fresh and DEEEEELICIOUS! This morning when the sun was coming up and I was studying . . . I still haven't made the time chage correctly, I could hear roosters crowing and rain falling. As we drive down the gravel roads between houses, there are cows and goats tied out in their yards, and chickens and geese running loose all over the place. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that our house is down at the bottom of a big hill from Marina's orphanage, so we can walk up hill each day around 2p.m. to go see her and stay until around 5ish - maybe till 7 they said, and then walk home. This is also a huge blessing since our driver and translator will be leaving us this afternoon and won't return until next week for court.

It is fairly cool here - I guess around 60F. I'm glad we brought layers of clothes, because it's cold in the morning then by afternoon in the sun it's nice - about 70F and then it can change in an hour and be cold again. In fact Marina was dressed in a fleece top and then changed and two hours later had to go change again back into her fleece top.

This morning we had an appointment with the director of the orphanage and he is very glad we are willing to adopt Marina especially with her medical problems. He said he wanted to "lay the cards on the table" and let us know she needs her surgery within the next 6 months. He also said if she isn't adopted, with the way things are here in their government, she will not survive for very long. He said we are her only hope of a future and that we "have big hearts" to take such a sick girl into our family. We'll see what the doctors in the US have to say about her health. I do believe she has some medical problems, but I am not worried about her health and I believe we will be able to get the care she needs to correct her problems. I think they are seen as much bigger problems here, with their lack of good medical care. Anyway, after that they went and got Marina and asked her is she wanted to be adopted by us and if she was pressured or scared into saying "yes" by anyone, and she told them no, that no one had pressured her and that she did want to be our daughter. Then they explained to her that this meant she would leave Ukraine forever and have a new name, and she was fighting back the tears as she told them she understood everything. It must be so moving and emotional for her to realize her dream is finally becoming a reality! Again, I feel very emotional writting this. We are going to need time when we return to get back on schedule and to recooperate from the emotional toll this is taking. It has been a wonderful experience though, don't think otherwise! So, she had to write out a statement saying that she wished to be our daughter and then she went back to class and we left and came back home for a while. They are processing paperwork with our translator and he will return later. At 2 p.m. we will go back to visit her and she will be done with class by then. Today some of the childen are putting on a concert for their teachers and Olga and Natasha are part of that. We listened to them reheasing this morning.

Well, I can smell wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen and we will be eating lunch in another hour. Oh yeah, with our dinner last night we ate "Borch" which is beet soup and it was very good!! James even ate it and he says he "hates" beets - hahahaha! He's learning something new about himself - beets are pretty good :) Then Olga asked us today if we like fish . . .again something James refuses to eat at home and his response to her was . . . "not so much, but I'm willing to try anything". At home this would never come out of his mouth!! Maybe he thinks Olga is kinda cute and doesn't want to hurt her feelings - hahahaha!!

Okay, more later and we WILL BE POSTING PICTURES so check back:)

PS Spell check doesn't work here because I am typing in English, so please forgive any mistakes I've made.