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!