Oct. 6th

We're feeling the crunch of all the last minute details preparing to leave. John is trying hard to finalize booking work for when we are gone - it's important to keep our business alive and our guys working too. : ) I'm packing and trying to guess what to take for the girls and what to leave behind.

We are (okay I am) getting pretty teary-eyed thinking of leaving our kids for this long. It's proving to be just as difficult as I guessed. I figured I'd wait until this weekend - I'm getting a head start being emotional.

I wonder too how Ola and Vala are feeling right now? I'm not even sure if they know we are coming. The powers in Ukraine might wait to make sure until we actually touch down in the country before they get the girls hopeful and excited.

It's all in God's hands and I'm so glad it is.

Jenn

Oct. 3rd

Thought I'd put another post before we get too busy....

Our plane tickets are purchased and we have been busy starting to collect and pack what we'll bring. We bought matching backpacks for the girls on the return trip. Teenage girls do not relish matching their sister's but the ease of spotting them in a crowded airport is priceless and goes beyond fashion sense. We needed a pack durable to withstand the trip, lightweight enough to constantly carry for four or more days, and plentiful pockets for organizing books, toothbrushes, snacks and the like, and to be affordable. Thank goodness for back-to-school sales!

One does not realize how hard it is to predict the unpredictable...... how much stuff will they have to bring back?? Will they only have a favorite sweater? Or have they been given 5 large stuffed animals they just can not live without? How can you even prepare to bring two teenaged girls and their things home when you have never met and are from different cultures? How can we convince them to leave most of "their" clothing behind, as we have some here for them? (the clothes are shared in the orphanage and we would much rather leave what's there for the other children). So we bring backpacks and a duffel bag for the girls and hope for the best.

I can not help but wonder at their feelings presently..... are they excited? worried? anxious? hopeful or wishing it just wouldn't happen? The possibility they have been forgotten or rejected is very real - either by distant family, Ukrainians or foreigners. During this summer we were told the girls thought we would not come for them, that we had changed our mind. I could not fathom this! All this effort to just give up at the hard spot? I was told that it happens commonly. How discouraging and utterly depressing for them! It's like being picked last for the team, but then never to be picked at all! Left standing on the sideline while every one else plays the game of life and leaves them there! It breaks our hearts!

When we finally get to see them, the urge to scoop them up with hugs and kisses will be so strong. We have already talked several times that this gesture of love will most likely be overwhelming. We've been told they will likely be reserved and stand-offish. Understandably so! It's like looking at the biggest gift of your life and not wanting anything to stop the giver from giving it to you. We intend to give the gift, no matter what. God has called us to go and adopt strangers into our family. When you think about it, we know more about these children than we knew of the children born from our own bodies! We did not know their hair color, eye color, likes and dislikes. This is no different. One never knows what they'll get - what an adventure!

Until next time, love your family like it is the last day.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

"...live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil for evil or insult with insult, but with blessing... Be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

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