Sept. 26th

With the date actually within view, we contacted Golden Rule Travel to find out about flights to and from. We have been quoted good rates with free date changes and upfront refundable fees and exchanges. This company was recommended to us by another couple who adopted Internationally. We're so glad they did. Unfortunately for us, we did not expect them to responded so quickly. By the time we called them to lock in the flights, they had closed for the day (half days on Saturday). We'll lock the flights in on Monday.

John and I feel a bit overwhelmed at the magnitude of all that will need to be accomplished in the next 18 days before we leave. Can you believe it???!!!?? 18 DAYS! That is a mighty thing indeed. It has taken us 9 months to get to this point, 10 months by the time we leave for Ukraine. We can't believe the day is almost here when we get to meet our daughters in person. It feels very much like a pregnancy. What will they be like? Will they be feisty and wild? or very sweet and kind? Will they be quiet and calm? or love commotion and loud noises? Every child is different, special and unique in the way God made them. Our daughters will bring with them 14-16 years of life experiences that has helped make them who they are. They are survivors we know for sure. They intend on living, thriving and making a life for themselves. We are so honored to be chosen to be their parents and help guide them the rest of their lives. We are excited for their future and our future together.

God bless you and yours,

Jenn & John

Sept. 23rd

Last night some women and young ladies came to our house to see Ola and Vala's beds, snack on cookies & iced tea (yum!), and spending time chatting. The evening closed with everyone joining in prayer for Ola, Vala, our family, those who will be managing our family and business while we are gone, and everyone & everything involved with the remainder of this adoption process! It was a sweet time that meant so much to John & I. Thank you. You are a blessing to me and definitely my sisters in Christ. Thank you for going through this with us.

Many blessings to you and yours,

Jenn

INVITATION is finally here!

Our Invitation is finally here!

We have an appointment with SDA 12 noon Thursday October 15th! WOW!

We can hardly believe it! The day of meeting the girls is almost here! We will need to leave probably the 13th to allow for travel time and to get there a day ahead to take care of business with Sergiy.

Sergiy has told us we will probably get clearance to meet with only one girl at a time. This means we'll have to meet at SDA, get clearance for one girl, travel to Makeevka, meet her and spend perhaps 2 weeks with her. THEN we'll have to travel back to SDA, get the other clearance, go back to Makeevka, etc. That would be positively horrible! Can you imagine how the girl we did not get clearance to see would feel? We're in the orphanage but can not see her????!!?? They have waited just as long to meet us, as we have them. That seems horribly cruel. Sergiy will try his best to get both clearances at the same time. But because they are not related, this is the way they do things in Ukraine. Ugh!

Please pray things go smoothly as we transition to leave. Pray for our children we leave here in the States. Pray for our business that it too will run smoothly while we are gone. Pray for Sue & her family, who will be caring for our home & daughters while we are gone (her family will be doing without her for the entire time we are in Ukraine!). Pray for our ministries in our absence (we love them and will miss all those we work with!). Pray for Sergiy and his family. And of course, please pray for Ola and Vala - they are meeting strangers they are planning, with great faith, to spend the rest of their lives with! How terribly frightened they must be! They are told how to act and what to say and not to say. We actually will meet the "real" girls a couple of weeks after we get home. Pray the trust us and will learn to rely on us as parents and guardians. We're sure they have had very few they can trust in many, many years.

We are excited about the future days and weeks! Thanks for following along!

God bless you and yours,

John & Jenn

Sept. 22nd

GREAT NEWS! We have received information that we have been APPROVED as prospective adoptive parents in Ukraine! We also will be receiving our official invitation which will be for somewhere in the middle of October. We will have an accurate date in the next day or two.

Thanks for praying everyone - the day is getting closer! We will be sending a card to Ola and Vala telling them we are thinking of them and praying for them. Sergiy will translate them for the girls and forward them on to them.

Wishing you a blessed day,

John & Jenn

Sept. 16th

OUR DOCUMENTS WERE ACCEPTED! Praise God!

Sergiy e-mailed us that they accepted our medical documents. He will go back next week to see if they need more work done or if they will be extending us an invitation. We will be going soon!

To say we are excited, is an understatement!

Love you to all! Jenn & John