Today is the day Oct. 15th

We are constantly having problems staying on-line here in our apartment. We have high speed, but it's through a cable and one end of it is broken. We are constantly being thrown off-line.

I've included a couple of shots from our balcany. The street view is right below our balcany - notice how all the cars park kitty-wampus? The car that's actually driving must manuver around the parked vehicles. The walkers (and there are lots of them) must manuever around everything else.

The other pic is the building directly out from our balcany. Mark & Sally, from this view, the apartment you sayed in was directly to the left. If you were to turn right and head over one block, you would be near the potato house. :) Praise God, they have Pepsi.

Coffee is actually a heavy capacino or latte here. Mark and Sally pre-warned us that they do not drink regular coffee here. In fact, when we get away from the capitol Kiev, we will be hard pressed to find any kind of coffe but instant (in some places).

Last night we purchased minutes on a Ukrainian cell phone Sergiy has loaned to us. It has pics of his 3 year old daughter, making a snowman on it. She's simply adorable. He also have a beautiful wife and a 6 month old son. We are hoping to meet them today, but we don't know what the day will hold. We've got some gifts for each of them, and the super sized jar of Peanut butter Mark & Sally sent over. It's hard to find here.

Well John's mastered the shower and just got out. I'm going to convince him to teach me how to run it. We'll probably go to McDonalds for breakfast. This one serves breakfast (and hopefully normal coffee). Sergiy will be calling us early (somewhere around 9 or 10am, lol!). They are late nighters here!

Good bye for now - we'll see if we can update more later.

Much love to you all.

Thank you so ever much for your prayers!

John & Jenn

Safely In Kiev! Oct. 14

Greetings to you all from Ukraine!

I've included a picture of John and I, sitting in a McDonalds, overlooking the runway in the Frankfurt, Germany airport. Do we look as tired as we felt? We were very glad to be out of a plane. This airport is very, very large. You're right Della, we wouldn't want to leave this one and try to get back in!

John and I made it safely to Kiev, Ukraine today - right on schedule. We had a difficulty or two, but God is good and we passed through without missing a single flight. We were thankful Sergiy had made arrangements for us when we arrived. We were able to get through the airport with no trouble, with all our luggage. It was so good to meet him in person for the first time.

Kiev is an old city (approximately 1,500 years old) with lots of trees, shrubs and grass. There is interesting archetecture, statues and history throughout the city. Many buildings are crumbling and falling apart, but the people are used to it and are very proud of their city. Sergiy says there are about 5 million people.

The driving is CRAZY! In Kiev, the drivers make up the rules. There could be 4 cars across in the space of a two lane road - and that's only for going one direction! There are cars in the other lanes going the opposite direction! And they park anywhere, including the sidewalks and double parking. We are so glad the driving is up to someone else! We are happy to leave this part to others.

I've attached some pics of our apartment here in Kiev - it's a one bedroom with a living room, kitchen and a small blue tiled bathroom. Altogether, it's about 500 sq ft. This is very common living accomodations. My family would have a hard time fitting in here! lol

Thank you for all who have prayed fervantly for us - God has answered your prayers. This trip had so many chances for disaster, but He protected us and kept the process moving along.

John and I have also been blessed by our congregation. They had a apecial love offering ($700) collected on Sunday before we left - we can't tell you how much this helps! We have struggled to collect the funds needed and this love offering is a great encouragement to us that God will contnine to supply all we need. Again, thank you.

We have been up for more hours than we can count. It's Wednesday night here and we are trying hard to stay up until "bedtime" to combat jet lag. We managed to catch some sleep on the various flights, but not much. Please pray for endurance and quickness to adapt to the time change. Our appointment Sergiy says, is at 12noon tomorrow. We are praying we will be granted approval to start seeing both girls immediately, not one at a time. It looks like we won't be able to see the girl(s) until next Monday. Sergiy is doubtful we can get everything done and on the evening train tomorrow night so we could see them on Friday. Still, we'll pray this happens. Tomorrow will be a very busy day.

To our kids - we love you and miss you terribly! You are just as brave and courageous as we are. We are proud of you. Be a witness of Him who send us. Hugs and kisses to you.

All our love,

John & Jenn

Added a blog link for a fellow adopter

Good morning all!

I've added a link to the right ------> that I am really enjoying.

It's called Step of Faith: Ukraine Adoption

This couple has recently adopted two girls from Ukraine and have them home. Their posts are faith inspiring and oh-so real to what we have, are and will be going through. Amen sister! Enjoy! Jenn

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."