Finally!

We said our goodbyes to the Webers and left for the airport around 8 AM on Monday (30 March). The boys were so excited that they hardly ate any breakfast. Check-in went smoothly. I was a bit nervous about Ukrainian immigration even though our facilitators had prepared all the documents necessary to take the kids out of the country. I guess that after so many months of ups and downs in the adoiption process, I was a bit worried that I'd run into another roadblock. Fortunately, everything went smoothly. The immigration offical disappeared with the boys' passports and other documents for about 5 minutes, came back out and stamped everything.

The flight was a real ordeal for me as the boys did not sleep a wink during the 10 hours from Kiev to JFK. I allowed them a few hours to, hopefully, get some of their excitement out of them then gave them a half tablet of Tylenol PM so they could rest. I waited and waited for the pills to kick in but they never did. Later, I gave each another half tablet but with the same results. Some of the stewardesses were very nice and helpful. A couple were Russian speakers and another was actually from Virginia Beach. Also, a lady with four kids of her own (not with her on the flight, though) volunteered to take care of Oleg for a while.

As typical boys, they could not sit still for long. Even the personal in-flight entertainment systems did not really hold their attention. Oleg was seated next to the wondow as we approached New York. We were still above the clouds and he pointed to them excitedly, saying the Russian word for "snow" and Saint Nick! Arriving New York, the boys got to sit in the cockpit for a few moments. We then went through the regular immigration line then had to go into a room and wait for a second review of documents. Once we completed that, the boys became official Americans, eligible for US passports.

We went to a lounge for our long wait. I kept trying to get the boys to sleep. Finally, after much kicking and screaming, Oleg konked out on the floor at 6:30 PM, 1:30 AM Kiev time. Sasha never did sleep until we were on the short flight from New York to Norfolk. We were met at the airport by Maggie and Renee. Due to the late arrival (almost 10 PM), we did not ask any friends to come out. The boys were so excited to arrive at their new home, chiefly because they were dying to meet Simba, our labrador-retriever. Maggie and several friends had worked hard to transform the guestroom I knew into a room suitable for two boys. Renee wanted to sleep with her two brothers so she slept on the top bunk while Sasha slept on the bottom and Oleg on a separate single bed.

Thanks so much to all who encouraged us through this long process. Sometimes we wondered if we would survive but we thank the Lord for giving us these two precious boys!

A big step closer to America

This morning we made our way back to the US consulate. After a short wait in a waiting room which had a few toys, we were called up and the man who processed our case told us that all the documents we'd left were in order. He reviewed the forms I'd filled in overnight, had me sign them and told us the visas would be ready in about 20 minutes. Less than 20 minutes later, we had the visas and were on our way. Again, we were impressed with how helpful and kind the consulate staff is to families involved in international adoptions.
A colleague and good friend from CBN-CIS, Vitaly Stebenev, then drove us to an outdoor military museum in a majestic setting overlooking the Dnieper River (the same river that flows through the boys' hometown, Kherson). We all had a great time. The boys got to climb into a combat helicopter, on top of a tank, and into the cockpit of a MIG fighter that boasted a top speed of 2,500 k.p.h! We spent almost an hour there and were begining to get a bit cold in the "springtime" weather (it actually snowed a bit this AM). I suggested having a bite to eat before we went back to the Weber's home and our ofice. The boys actually remembered the name of the restaurant we'd been to yesterday and begged to go back. It was NOT McDonald's but rather a Ukrainian buffet-stype place with a great variety. I was glad to go too as I think Ukrainian food is great and, in general, quite healthy.

Upon returning to the office, I called Northwest one time to see if I could get us seats this weekend. None were available on the direct Delta flight to JFK tomorrow nor any other flights going through Europe. So, we will be on the Delta flight on Monday, March 30. We leave Kiev at 10:50 AM arrive New York at 2:15, then don't leave for Norfolk until 8:00 PM (arriving at 10 PM. There will be a few more formalities then usual to process the boys' paperwork when we arrive in New York but it will still be a looong wait. The man at the consulate told me the boys actually become US citizens when they arrive on US soil which was a pleasant surpirse as I thought it wouldn't be for six months or so.

A Long Wait

On Saturday we all went with the Weber's to the new home in the country, about 30 minutes outside Kiev. It was wonderful being with them (and a whole group of Logan's sophomore classmates). Sasha tried his had at biking while I walked with him to hold the bike steady. We decided he needed either training wheels or a less bumpy road, or both, to get going on his own. While I was inside, he did attempt one more ride. This time it was down the hill, straight for a barrier with a pond on the other side. Luckily, the Webers saw him and yelled hard enough that he managed to stop before crashing into the barrier and flying into the pond.

Sunday morning we drove back into Kiev to attend the international church the Webers go to. This kind of service had to be new to the boys even though both were confirmed in the Orthodox church. They were rambunctious during worship but enjoyed Sunday School. In fact, after the service Sasha asked if he could come back again tomorrow! Later that afternoon, we returned for one more night in the country.

A big highlight for the boys happened on Wednesday afternoon when Oksana took them to the circus. They absolutely loved it and also the toys and snacks they got there. Otherwise, they continued to enjoy playing and talking late into the evening and continuing where they left off in the mornings. On Monday night I took Oleg with me to the grocery store and he did pretty well in the sense that he did not run around like a chircken with his head cut off or insist that "Papa" buy everything in site. So it was with a modicum of confidence that I took both boys to the store the next night after going to a shwarma restaurant for dinner and walking through evey puddle of rain water they could find. Unfortunately, the two of them together created different dynamics in the store. Both of them went crazy. FInally, I had to carry Oleg and my grocery basket in one hand and pull Sasha with the other to the checkout stand.

Yesterday was the big day in whihc we hoped to find out if the boys' passports had made it back to Kherson. Olga was back down in Kherson and went to the government office. Around 3:00 PM Natasha called with a good news/bad news scenario. The passports had been received but could not be released without the signature of someone who was out. Finally he or she showed up around 5:40 PM, just before government offices close at 6:00. Olga planned to take the overnight train to Kiev with passports in hand. Unfortunately, the train was completely sold out, likely because this week is spring break. But, there was one seat left on a train from Odessa. So she took a bus from Kherson to the next big city, Mikolaiv, then waited for a bus from there to Odessa. The waiting and a big snow storm made her late to Odessa and she missed her train. Not to fear, there was still the night bus which actually got her to Kiev before the train. I so appreciated her efforts to get the boys' passports and other documents to Kiev by this morning.

For the first time, the boys were still sleeping when they needed to be up. I literally had to pull Sasha from the bed a couple times. He somehow couldn't see the relationship between getting up early and going to America, which he is still very excited about. We made it out of the house only 10 minutes later than planned and by 9:00 we were in the health clinic with Olga. The US requires a health exam before granting adopted orphans an immigrant visa and this may only be done once the children have passports. The doctor who examined them was very nice. She did have to have Sasha get a chect x-ray as he had once been diagnosed with TB. This diagnosis was later reveresed but, because it was on his record, she needed to see the film. Fortunately, his lungs were in perfect health.

We needed to get to the US embassy by 12 noon. We finished the exam and paid by around 10 AM and just needed for the clinic to put together the various papers and hand them over to us. An hour and a half later, we were still waiting. I kept thinking that it would be such a waste for Olga to have made all that effort to get the passports to us only to not make it to the embassy today, forcing the 2-day visa process to go into next week. Finally, at 11:38, we got the documents and went to our car. We did not get tot he embassy until around 12:10 but the guard let us in (I think we were the last so allowed). The lady who attended us in the adoption section was very friendly and helpful. After reviewing our documents, asking me some questions, then making sure I had paid the $800 for the two visas, she scheduled our second interview for tomorrow between 9 and 10 AM.

My wish during this process was that we could get their visas by tomorrow (Friday) and fly on Saturday. The reservations I had made for safety's sake, was on Wednesday of next week as we calculated our process could go on until Tuesday of next week. As soon as I was back in the office this afternoon, I tried to change our reservations. Unfortunately, no seats were available either Saturday or Sunday. We were able to change to Monday and are now scheduled to arrive Norfolk 10 PM Monday. This was a disappointment but I will still try again tomorrow. I am so ready to go home, as are the boys (albeit for different reasons!).

Taking the Metro to McDonalds

The boys slept all night long (as far as I know) and got up around 7 AM. They had a great day with Oksana and then with John and Andre when they came home for school. At 6:30 I told them to get their coats and shoes on and we would go to a restauarant. We walked a bit to a place where I could change money then took the metro. The boys have probably never been on an escalator and certainly never on the metro. The escalator was very itimidating at first (especially as the subways are very, very deep in the ground in the former Soviet cities I've been in. Little Oleg almost fell getting on so taking no chances I picked him up as we got off. As I'd always walked to the restuarant I wanted to go to (a buffet-type place where language doesn't come in to play unless you really need to know what is in the mystery meat) so didn't know which entrance to go out. We wandered for a second and then both boys made me understand that there would be dire consequnces if we didn't locate a toilet right then. So we quickly retraced our steps to the McDonals at the metro entrance. I reached my saturation point on McDonalds meals many years ago but I suppose it is a mandatory visit for our two little future American citizens. They might even require previous knowledge of McDonalds to get their US visas for all I know. So in we went. They really enjoyed it but barely got through their french fries without even getting to the cheeseburger. I begrudgingly helped finish oen extra burger off. The metro ride back saw the boys gaining escalator navigation skills, with Sasha leading the way passing people on left and right. We finished the excursion off with a visit to the supermarket for Sasha to buy a new toothbrush as he had managed to lose his in less than 48 hours. The supermarket didn't seem to be a foreign environment to them so perhaps they had been in one before they went into the orphanage. They were pretty good about pestering me for unneeded items - except for ice cream. The night ended with another long bath/swimming session in the local bathtub.

A Day - and Night - of Firsts

Last night we arrived at the train station for the 8:20 PM train to Kiev. Little did I know that it would be one of my longest train journeys and I have been on lots of trains. Olga and Natasha came with me to the train station and we got the boys into SPIDERMAN pijamas (a very important detail) and their beds made up. Even before the train left they were already going crazy, jumping from bed to bed, climbing to the top bunks, turning lights off, going to the the nice, clean train bathroom then drinking more water to ensure another visit soon, laughing talking, etc etc. I enjoyed watching them and playing with them until about 11.

I kept thinking that they had to be wearing themselves down. But how wrong I was! They were only wearing me down. I pulled the toys aways and even held Oleg to try to get him to calm down. I thought this worked as he got quiet and was crying softly (at the tragic loss of his cars). So I tucked him into bed. Next thing I knew the lights were back on and the jack-in-the-box had popped up once again. Of course, we also had very meaningful conversations about their need to get rest. He understood my English as well as I his Russian.

Sasha finally conked out after 12:30 and Oleg about 1 AM. I went right to sleep but wouldn't you know it, I had to get up at 1:30 for the bathroom then took forever to get back to sleep. No matter, I thought, we don't arrive in Kiev until 9:20 AM so lots of time to sleep in. Yeah right. Sasha woke up just after 5 AM to go the bathroom and decided he'd had enough rest. Soon Oleg also awoke and joined the fun. By 7:30 AM they were getting bored and asking if the little towns or the forests we passed were Kiev. Around 8 AM I made the mistake of indicating Kiev was close. On came there overcoats and backpacks (even though the train was so hot I was sweating in a T-shirt with the door wide open) and there was no way they would take them off.

After we finally arrived Kiev, we came to the Weber's house. They still did not surrender and were not interested in breakfast. Luckily, it was no longer my problem as I left them in the hands of Oksana, the Weber's part-time helper who mercifully agrred to also work for me and help take care of the kids. I finally got to sleep and heard them also laying down for a nap as I was getting ready to go in for a half-day of work. Oksana said that they did great and are really wonderful kids. I too feel really blessed. Last night was tough but, at the same time, it was so nice to see the kids' excitement at all the new experiences!

In the afternoon, I got to chat a little with Dan Reany, a colleague who is also over here adopting. In fact, he and his wife are adopting the little boy Segei from ivankiv that we had asked about but was not yet available. We are happy for them!

In the evening the kids played with John, the Weber's youngest boy who was also adopted from Kherson. We then ate a spaghetti dinner Kristi made and which the boys (all three of us) really enjoyed. The highlight of the evening though was surely a loon bubble bath. Unlike last night, they went to sleep (or at least their room is quiet) as soon as we switched off the lights.

The Big Day!

I picked up the two boys this AM. Before leaving they had to change into their new clothes packed in backpacks Maggie had chosen for them. Unfortunately, she had only found one Spiderman backpack which Oleg got and Sasha had a plain Puma backpack. So Sasha made sure I knew that he wanted a different backpack when he goes to his new school in the fall. They said a few goodbyes to the director (pictured above) and other staff who had been so good to them. The rest of the morning was filled with paperwork. The last stop before lunch was at the passport office. Sasha needed to go to the bathroom so bad but Olga wouldn't let him as they did not have a public bathroom in the government office and she did now want us to lose our place in line. Luckily he got his photo without incident then Olga took him to a toilet in a nearby park while Oleg got his photo.

We stopped by an Italian place for lunch. The boys were so excited about all the new things they're experiencing that eating was not too high a priority. They each had a piece of pizza and Oleg also had a bowl of soup. Both enjoyed pizza but had not interest in eating more as they wanted to play with the matchbox cars we had also packed for them.

This evening we are to take the train to Kiev. Olga is supposed to go with us but she said that a supervisor was absent today at the passport office so she was not able to complete all her paperwork and may need to return tomorrow. Her abscence would just make the train ride that much more interesting, I'm sure!

Getting Closer!

I (Kim) arrived back in Kiev on Sunday afternoon. Monday evening I met Natasha and Olga and we took a night train (with one other mystery traveler in our compartment) to Kherson. We arrived at 5:45 and went to the house Eric and Natasha Jones (a couple from Seattle who is also here to adopt) for a few moments. Before 8 AM we left to start processing papers. We weaved a trail through Kherson, through many dark and - very - cold waiting rooms in banks and government offices. We processed birth certificates and adoption decrees and tax numbers for the boys. Now they are officially Alexander Carroll Mitchell and Oleg David Mitchell and we have the papers to prove it.

Finally, at 4 PM we made it to the orphanage and after a short meeting with the director to sign yet more papers, we got to spend a few minutes with the boys. They'll spend one last night in the orphanage and I'm to show up bright and early tomorrow with their new clothes. We'll need to go right away to apply for Ukrainian passports for them. Then we will take the overnight train to Kiev and begin the wait for the passports to be issued and American visa to be obtained.

They are both so excited. Excited about their first train ride (even though they may be in for a letdown as Sasha said he was looking forward to the stewardesses serving him on the train - I had to explain that the train we are to take is not quite that luxurious), their first time in Kiev, their first plane ride and, of course, their first time to America. But they are most excited to meet their new big sister Renee. At their insistence, we actually called Maggie for a few moments so she could say hi to them. All in all, it has been a tiring day but we accomplished all we needed to. Thanks for your continued prayers!

Home Sweet Home

Kim left Kiev around noon last Saturday, March 7, and I, at 5:25 pm, the same day. I used mileage ticket which had lots of limitations, including my having to spend the night in Amsterdam. Nevertheless, we both arrived home safely, though separately. It was  great to see Renee again. Kim and I were both amazed at her maturity in how she handled our long separation. We all think she is ready to be a big sister. Her major concern right now is when mommy is going to get a bunk bed so she can share a room with her brothers. Renee does have her own room, but wants to enjoy her brother's company to the max.  We'll see how long it will take for her to move back her own room.

Kim has plunged into his work right away as usual. I have started visiting Kim's mom, Joyce, and taking care of her things. Mom just moved into an assisted living place three weeks ago. Of course, another urgent thing for me to do is to get clothing for Sasha and Oleg. Kim is returning to Kiev this Saturday and will take the boys' clothing with him. The boys must leave everything they have in the orphanage, including underwear! Kim needs to put clothes on them before they can leave. There are still lots of documents and procedures to accomplish before the boys can come home. We are looking at two week's - or more - time to get all these done.

Please remember Sasha and Oleg in your prayers for they are VERY anxious to come home. March 8 is Women's Day which Ukrainians celebrate. Monday was a holiday because of that. Sasha asked his caregiver to call our facilitator and translator, Olga. He wanted Olga to tell me that he wished me a happy Women's Day and to please come quickly to bring him home. These 10 days of waiting, required by law, must feel like an eternity for the boys! "Patience, my boys, patience!"

Finally!

Natasha, our caseworker, came in this morning. When she saw me she gave me a big hug saying, “This is it! We are going to the court!” Praise God! Kim and I later prayed together to thank God for this long awaited moment, and to intercede for another two couples who are going through what we had gone through three weeks. Both wives cried after the first appointment with SDA, so did I. We could totally identify with their helpless feelings and disappointment.

The court process went smoothly. It was sweet not only because the judge granted us parental rights, but also the judge looked at me and said, “You are beautiful!” No, the judge was not a man, but a lady. I curtsied and thanked her.

After lunch we went to the notary to get more paper work done and will see the boys two hours from now. Sasha’s full name is Alexander Carroll Mitchell (Sasha is a common nickname for Alexander). Oleg’s is Oleg David Mitchell. We will get a pizza for them (they never had pizza before!) to celebrate. We are now officially their mom and dad, so they will address us “mama and papa.” I made two photo albums for them to ease the “hardship” of waiting to come home. There are still tons of paper work needed to be done before they can board the plane to come to the US.

We will board the overnight train back to Kiev tonight and literally hit the ground running to do more paper work at the US Embassy. Kim will fly back to the US on Saturday noon, and I, the same day in the afternoon. We couldn’t get on the same flight.

Thank you all for your faithfulness in praying for us in this adoption. Let’s continue this prayer journey for our adoption is not final until Sasha and Oleg come home.

Missing You

“Tomorrow” did come, but the same situation happened again. We were told not to go! I tried to convince our translator, Olga, that we could just say hi to the boys and leave. However, she thought we should comply and forget about the visit. “It’s not a tragedy, Maggie, only a few days.” (We would be away for the weekend.) Olga said. “Well, it could be a tragedy to Sasha.” I answered.

On the way back to Kherson yesterday, Kim called Olga to see whether we could visit the boys in the late afternoon. We were so happy that she later told us that yes, we could go see the boys.

Sasha came to see us first. He was grinning. “Are you happy to see us?” I asked. “Da!” said, Shasha. “ I had stood by the window to see whether you would come. One day, I cried and a care taker told me you went to prepare documents.” “Do you know why we needed to prepare documents?” I asked. “So that you can take us home,” Sasha said.

Oleg came to join us. He was a bit shy to see us, but nevertheless was happy. “Did you miss us?” Oleg nodded. “So did we! While we were away I found something for you both.” I took out two Spiderman masks. The boys were overjoyed! They put on the masks and played Spiderman.

We played with the boys some. When it was almost 6 pm we told Sasha that it was time for them to go back to their group. “So soon! I don’t want to go back to my group.” We gave them another 10 minutes, then said the same thing. They did not want to go. Finally Olga told them that it was getting dark outside and she didn’t like being in the dark. Sasha checked the window and found it was dark outside, indeed. “OK, you go!”

It was so encouraging to see the boys bonding with us and anxious to go home with us. We are excited that, we hope, the formalities will soon be completed for this.

“Yes, we are going home, Sasha and Oleg! We will be home,” with a thankful heart, I prayed.

Car Troubles

On our 8th visit I (Maggie) made some homemade play dough for the boys who seemed never played with it before. The play dough in the shops was very expensive. I gave them each a big chunk of home made play dough to play. Oleg was very excited about it and took a big bit! Pretty soon, he found it didn’t taste good. I showed them what they could do with play dough. Their interest was short lived.We also bought two cars for the boys, one batman car for Sasha and a fire engine for Oleg. I was afraid that they might both want the batman car which was the last one left in the shop. They did have some problems with the cars, but not the kind that I thought.At the beginning Oleg was happy with his fire engine and Sasha, the batman car. Then, one device of the batman car fell off. It still run fast, but doesn’t go backwards anymore. Sasha then was upset about it and said that Oleg had a better car than his and didn’t want his car anymore. Kim tried to fix it, but couldn’t get it back to where it was. Oleg on the other hand had no trouble enjoyed both cars which made Sasha more upset about the whole thing. To console Sasha I let him play a computer game on my iBook. He was fine for a few minutes, then got cranky again about his batman car. We ended this unhappy episode by playing jump rope and roughhousing which both boys enjoyed a lot. Before we left I told the boys that I was a bit sad to see them fight over the cars. I wanted them to know that cars would break after a while, but they would always be brothers who should value each other more than their favorite toys. I know it was preachy, but wanted to make my point. They nodded their heads. Kisses and hugs ended our visit in a better note.Sasha asked whether we could visit them in the morning the next day, since he had no school because his school had no water. Our translator thought it would be better to stick to the schedule that the director gave us.Well, on our way to the orphanage this afternoon we got a call from the secretary of the orphanage informing us not to come today due to inconvenience. Our translator, Olga, asked her to let the boys know about our not visiting them today. In the early evening Sasha called Olga to ask that we would bring them two bananas and cars tomorrow. She said that Sasha sounded sad. We were disappointed not being able to see them, too.As the famous orphan “Annie” would sing “Tomorrow I love you, tomorrow...” (I need Renee’s help to get the lyrics out!) All in all, we look forward to seeing the boys again, tomorrow!

Precious Boys!

Kim and I went see Sasha and Oleg on Saturday morning. We arrived at 9:30 and found Sasha and his group were preparing for a Women’s Day (March 8) program. Sasha was chosen to sign a duet with a little girl and did a great job. We watched the children perform for a few minutes, then Oleg joined us, which was a distraction to Sasha, so we moved to the hall way to wait for Sasha.

After Sasha’s group left, we played with the boys in the activity room. They loved to jump, run and play catch. Sasha is very well coordinated for his age; Oleg has strong arms and is a bundle of energy. After giving them a small snack we gave them a “Cars” puzzle to work on. It had 100 pieces. Sasha was busy putting pieces together right away while Oleg hesitated a bit. We coached Oleg and encouraged him to work with Sasha. When they completed the puzzle they were so proud showing their final product.

Sasha’s ability of concentration amazed me. Today we brought a lego set. He worked on it for one and half hours until he finished building a garbage truck. The lego pieces were too small for Oleg so he played racing cars with me (Maggie). After 20 minutes on the floor I was tired! I asked Oleg whether he was tired, “Nyet!” (No, in Russian) he said. He is like the energizer bunny that keeps going and going. Maybe Simba our dog will not be his match after all!
For a snack today, I brought an apple and an orange. Oleg picked orange and Sasha had no problem enjoying the apple. After eating, Oleg said, “Will you bring an apple for me and an orange for Sasha tomorrow?” "Sure!" I said.

We went to see the boys at 3:30 pm yesterday. Our morning visit yesterday was interrupted a few times. Children are busier with their caretakers in the morning, I think. So, I thought we would stick to the weekday visit schedule of 3:30 pm. The first couple visits the boys were just awake from their naps. So, I asked them how their naps were today. Both said that they just laid in bed. Sasha said that he opened his eyes and closed them, then opened again and closed again. Our translator, Olga, and I believe that they were just waiting for us to come. As we said good bye we gave them hugs and kisses. Oleg usually turns back to see us a couple times when walking down the hall way. Yesterday Sasha re-appeared to say "bye-bye!" one more time when we thought they were back to their groups already.

We hope and pray that the all officials involved will complete their reports and documents for the boys and us by tomorrow. That will be another step forward the court procedure.

Update

Yesterday we went to a notary public to notarize documents needed in the submission process. Olga also went to some government offices to file or retrieve documents. In the afternoon we went again to the orphanage to play with the boys. Once again, we had a very positive and fun experience. The older boy, Alexander, seems quieter than his younger brother and is caring and polite. We brought them some candy but he asked if today we could also bring candy for his group in the orphanage. We have also seen how he really cares for his little brother. Oleg is full of energy and very playful. We learned that we are not supposed to post pictures of the boys until the court custody hearing is concluded so we look forward to the time that we can show the pictures.

We have not really seen much of Kherson yet, besides the various offices we've been in, the train station and, of course, the orphanage. There is a large supermarket and department store near our house and a few reasonably priced restaurants. Living costs in Kherson appear much more reasonable than Kiev which is helpful as we will likely be here quite a few more days. We look forward to seeing a bit more this weekend.

Good News in Kherson!

We arrived in Kherson around 10:15 to a bit of a snowstorm, but warmer than in Kiev at least. After a quick breakfast, we went to the office of the district supervisor for the orphanage system. We needed a letter of introduction from her to be able to visit the children recommended to us by the SDA. She was very helpful and friendly. Turns out her daughter studied in the US, married an American and now lives in Pittsburgh.

We then proceeded to the orphanage where we met with the director. She too was extremely friendly and positive about us adopting from her orphanage. Throughout the rooms we saw, one could tell that the orphanage is well run and the children well cared for. It turned out that the older boy, Alexander, was in public school and would not return until 2 PM. The younger boy Oleg was juct being putted down for a nap. So the director asked us to return after 3:00.

When we returned after lunch, we waited in a play room and soon the younger boy came in. After about 5 seconds of shyness, he came over and let us hug him then sat in maggie's lap. Soon Alexander (called Sasha) also came in. We played and talked with both boys. Then Maggie showed a lot of pictures. Very soon, Oleg asked if we could take him to our home as he wanted to play with our dog Simba. Alex told us that he dreamed of having a sister. Within less than a half hour, we indicated to our case worker Natasha that we wanted to go ahead with the adoption. So she has started the procedures. We need to apply for a court date. After the court awards us custoday of the children, only one of us needs to be here. In the meantime, we will plan to stay here for the coming days and get to know the boys better. Olga also came down from Kiev and will stay with us and be our official interpreter at the orphanage.

We are staying in a nice apartment recommended by another American couple that also adopted from Kherson a few years ago. The one big drawback is that there is no Internet access. So we are looking for a way to hook up our computers to upload photos, etc.

Thanks again to all who have prayed for us. We were feeling quite discouraged but now that feeling is gone! We do ask for prayed that all the legal processes that need to take place will do so in the shortest time possible!

Second Time Around

At 4 PM today we went in to the SDA for our second meeting. Early in the session, we asked if a boy named Sergei from the same orphanage where Andre and Roman live. We had also played with Sergei and liked him very much. We had been assured he was available for international adoption. However, the SDA representative searched files and computer databases but came up empty.

We were then presented three sets of siblings. In one case, both siblings were far older than what we felt was right for us. The two other pairs were: two girls (6 and 4 years) for Kharkov in the east and two boys (7 and 5) from Kherson in the south (Crimea region).

We felt better about the boys and so indicated to the SDA person that we would go to visit them. Their names are Alexander and Oleg. Maggie is to pick up the official referral letter from the SDA at 5 PM tomorrow then hop on a train at 9:45 PM for the 12-hour trip. Train travel here is safe and fairly reasonable but anything but fast. So, we look forward to meeting Alexei and Oleg on Wednesday and hope to "know" soon after if they are to be our children!

Maggie Back in Kiev

Maggie arrived safely in Kiev at around 5 PM local time today. When she checked in yesterday for her flight to Atlanta, she was told the plane would arrive too late for her to catch the Amsterdam flight. Fortunately, the Delta agents had a seat on a flight to Paris and then an Air France flight on to Kiev. Her week in the US was tiring as she had to get my Mom's room in the assisted care facility ready for Mom to move in tomorrow, among other matters - and fighting jet lag. My brother Kirk is to travel down today to Virginia Beach from DC to help Mom make the move.

We look forward to the meeting with SDA tomorrow afternoon, full of hope that this meeting will finally lead to us meeting "our" kid - or kids!

Continuing Ups and Downs

Yesterday I received word that another couple had shown up at the orphanage to consider adopting the two boys. Today it was confirmed that this in fact had happened and that the couple had an official letter of referral from the Ukrainian government. So, this means that the boys had become available for adoption earlier than the orphanage director had expected and were offered to the other couple. We don't know how this could have happened and don't wish to speculate. There is a possibility that the couple would not go through with the adoption and the boys would become available again but this is most unlikely.

Obviously, this news has been very disappointing for us. However, we know that God is still in control and that we did not come to Ukraine for nothing. Our meeting has been set for 4 PM on Monday. The director of the orphange where the two boys are has told an Operation Blessing co-worker that there is another boy available for international adoption. His name is Sergey. We have met him and really like him so would be excited if he is the one the Lord has for us.

Maggie and I have been very touched by the messages from all over the world of friends (and even some people we don't know!) praying for us. Thank you! Please continue to pray for Maggie's safe return. She leaves tomorrow PM from the US and is to arrive here Sunday PM. And, of course, for the Lord to move in the hearts of the SDA officials that they would make available to us the child or children the Lord has for us.

Upcoming Meeting with the SDA

Maggie flew home Saturday, arriving safe but exhausted. This afternoon, I returned to the SDA, the Ukrainian government agency overseeing adoptions, to sign a register confirming our request to have a second meeting. After an 1 1/2 hours of waiting admidst other couples in the adoption process or facilitators working with couples overseas, I signed and was told our meeting will be next Monday. Our translator/facilitator plans to return on Friday to the SDA to be informed of the exact time of our meeting as well as to see if Andre and Roman's files have come up, meaning they are eligible for international adoption.

I was able to book a return flight for Maggie. She leaves Saturday to arrive here in Kiev on Sunday afternoon.

So many of you have written notes of encouragement and we know many more are praying. Thank you! Your concern for us (and our future children) is so appreciated! Please continue to pray this week that:

1. Maggie will have a safe and uneventful return (she has only one hour in Atlanta to make a flight to Amsterdam but I could not get her an earlier flight).

2. The SDA can confirm that the files of Andre and Roman are in their computer but they do not have access to the date they become eligible for international adoption. The orphanage director promises that it is this Friday, 13 February. Please pray that the boys do become eligible then and the information to that affect "pops" up in the computer by the time of our meeting.

3. The SDA will not offer the boys to others before our meeting and that they will offer them to us. As I mentioned previously, what children are offered to adoptive parents is a decision in the hands of the SDA.

Another Visit with Andre and Roman

Last night we were able to get Maggie rebooked to return to the US tomorrow. I (Kim) planned to also leave on Saturday to go visit CBN's regional office in the UK. Fortunately, I had not booked the tickets yet because this morning our case worker Natasha called to advise that I would need to go to the SDA on Monday late afternoon to sign a register. We hope that by Monday afternoon Andre and Roman's file will have been located so the SDA can know when they are officially available for international adoption and then can give us an offical date for our second meeting there. As soon as we know we will Maggie's ticket back to Kiev.

This afternoon we paid a second visit to the orphange, again with OB Ukraine team members. We brought some gifts from OB which we gave to all the children. Maggie also led them in a game and told them a story. It was a lot of fun. Towards the end of our visit, we got to be alone with Andre and Roman for a few minutes. We had a lot of fun and found them to be very nice, lively (especially Roman, the younger boy), and friendly.

We ask for continued prayer that the SDA will find the files and, once found, be willing to present them to us, and also prayer for a safe trip home for Maggie. We appreciate all your notes of encouragement!

Thank you all for your prayers. Do we need them! There were so many twists and turns yesterday that had lead to many changes in our adoption here. It was like you started with a sunny day in the morning, things were bright and hopeful, then came the fog so thick that you couldn’t see anything around you. You couldn’t do anything but cry for help. In your confused state, suddenly you hear a familiar voice guiding you...
Yesterday morning our adoption caseworker picked us up at 8 am. Together we went to the regional social services dept. for a brief interview. We got the document we needed to go to the orphanage. Once we were at the orphanage we first met with the doctor who told us the medical history of Yuri. He was a premature baby, born to an alcoholic mother. There were other diseases he had as a baby, however, was clear of them later.
We spent about 30 to 40 minutes alone with him. With the help of the translator we played with him. He was very active and busy. One thing bothered us very much. His attention was extremely short and really has trouble focusing. He was constantly moving from one thing to the other without any particular purposes or motives. He very likely has severe ADD or ADHD. He is four and half, couldn’t sit still for a minute to listen or to draw something. As a trained teacher one huge question looming louder and louder in my mind: “How is he ever going to learn?” He would need someone 24/7 for many years to come.
Kim and I felt so heavy after visiting Yuri. Our caseworker kept reminding us that we were not committed to anyone or anything. She has seen many children adopted and she said, “Yuri is a hard case.” Kim and I prayed. He then went to work while I stayed in the room to pray some more. I felt suffocated and wanted to go out for some fresh air. “Maybe I can hear God better while walking.”
Before I headed out Kim came in to tell me that we were to see two brothers who are ready for international adoption. Operation Blessing had recently done a project at their orphanage and we saw pictures of the boys before we left the US and fell in love with them. We went with some OB staff members who know the orphanage. The director of the orphanage was very kind to show us around. We spent some time with the kids there and saw the two boys, Andre, age 6 and Roman, age 4. Their mother died two years ago and their stepfather didn’t want them. Their father(s) was(were) unknown.
We like the boys very much and of course want to adopt them. Thus the challenges begin... According to the director of the boys orphanage the State Department of Adoption (SDA) should have the boys files which she sent out on December 13th, 2008. However, SDA searched their database failed to find their names. We had actually mentioned them in our Monday meeting with the SDA but they had no record of them.
To adopt the boys we need another interview with the SDA when they have the boys' files. We have applied for a second interview with the SDA who told us the earliest date is February 16th. However, they may not have the boys files until the end of February. We don’t know what takes to happen for the files sent from the regional level to reach the state adoption offices.
Since we find ourselves again in the waiting-to-hear mode. I (Maggie) will fly back home to Virginia Beach this Saturday, then, come back to Kiev for the 2nd interview in hope of adopting Andre and Roman.
We need miracles to take place to bring our boys home. Though we don’t know when, we have peace that the Lord will complete what He has begun in us and with us. Thanks for standing in prayer with us for our boys and our family.

Letter of Referral

Late in the afternoon Maggie returned to the SDA to pick up the letter of referral that will allow us to visit the orphanage and meet little Yuri. Electricity was out at the SDA but, fortunately, there was enough street light that they could locate the document. We are to leave for the orphanage tomorrow at 8 AM.

Monday, February 2

We scheduled to go to the SDA, the government agency charged with facilitating adoptions, at 3 PM but our case worker received a call early today that the building which housed the agency had lost its electricity. So they asked us to come at 1 PM instead so that there would be more natural light (and heat!).

Fortunately, when we arrived electricity had been restored. We, along with Helen who translated for us, were shown into a small room where a lady presented us with information packets on a number of different children - all boys. There were several pairs of siblings. But in those cases the elder boy was nine years of age, older than the six years of age we had requested and which our home study specified. One other sibling pair looked great, the elder 6 years old and the younger five. However, another couple had recently considered them but the older boy had made it clear that he did not want to be adopted by them. That didn't of course mean he wouldn't want to go home with the Mitchells but could be indicative of a desire to stay in the orphanage.

One of the last boys presented is 4 1/2 years of age named Yuri. He is in an orphange near Kiev. His information mentioned several medical problems but from phone conversations with the orphanage and a doctor that works with Operation Blessing, it was thought these problems are quite minor or correctable. Yuri is said to be a sociable and active little boy. We discussed the pros and cons of the various children presented with our social worker, translator, and also CBN colleague Nataliya Khomyak who is a native Ukranian with a passion for taking care of orphans. We decided to indicate to the SDA that we were most interested in Yuri. The SDA is to give us a letter of referral tomorrow afternoon with which we will be able to pay an official visit to the orphanage and get to know Yuri. We have 10 days in which to make a final decision on him. If we believe he is the one (and he agrees!), we will need to apply for a court date. Only when the judge awards us parental rights will the child become an official part of the family.

Super Sunday - February 1, 2009

This morning Kim went for a run in Kiev. A light snow was falling and it was below zero but still enjoyable. Kim loves running in Kiev except when there is ice on the sidewalks. After that we went with the Webers to the International Church which Maggie and Renee had visited in their trip to the Ukraine last summer.

This afternoon we met with Natasha Turovska, the adoption case worker who has been handling the Ukranian side of our case for over a year. She informed us that if the SDA (Ukranian government agency) offers us a child or children we are interested in during our meeting tomorrow, we will return to the SDA late Tuesday afternoon to pick up the referral letter and other documents. With these in hand, Wednesday morning we will be able to meet the child/ren. If the orphanage is in the Kiev region, we will continue to stay in Kiev. However, if it is far from Kiev, it will require an overnight train ride so we would leave Tuesday night. A colleague of Natasha, Helen, will be our official translator when we meet with the SDA at 3 PM Kiev time (8 AM US EST). We'd appreciate your prayers for all aspects of tomorrow's meeting!

January 31, 2009 Safe Arrival in Kiev

We're here in Kiev. Thankfully the flight was uneventful and all our bags arrived. We were met at the Kiev Borispol Airport by Misha, one of CBN-CIS's drivers. CBN's regional office in Kiev has a guest apartment outside the apartment of the regional director Steve Weber, so we have a place to call "home" as long as we are in Kiev. Steve and his wife Kristi have themselves adopted three children and have a real heart for orphans. They have been a great source of knowledge and experience for us throughout this process.

It's 25 degrees (F) but sunny so we'll hopefully walk around some but otherwise have no plans for the rest of the day other than to rest!

We're Off!

Friday, January 30 2008

Finally our big day is here. Or, better said, the day we leave for Kiev in preparation for our big day - the day when we meet the Ukrainian government officials to see which child or children they recommend for us. We are halfway through an almost 6-hour layover in JFK before our direct flight to Kiev. Especially during the winter, and always when flying through New York, we prefer having plenty of transit time!