Perfect timing

December 29, 2007

Yesterday brought closure to some things. Our only real goal was to check Dasha out of the orphanage for good. This is a day that we have looked forward to for some time. We were looking forward to the pomp and circumstance or whatever Ukrainian version there might be for this "ceremony." We've officially been her parents for five days and we really haven't felt like she belonged at the orphanage since we got into town four weeks ago. We've spent a lot of time together and it has been good for us to have this time. We made it out to the orphanage around 11:00 am.

Along the way, we stopped at the Rainford Supermarket. This was our first visit and man, were we impressed. Imagine Ukrainian Publix. It had everything and was neat and clean. The Hartsocks and Kemps had told us about it, but it must be experienced to be appreciated. We had stopped to pick up some goodies for Dasha's class to have a small going away party. We picked up some cake, candies, fruit and juices. I'd say we made pretty good time in there. We were a little pressed, because the director had asked that we be there at a certain time and we were pushing it a little.

Side note: When traveling in Ukraine, one should always leave time for the unexpected travel crisis. Although, punctuality is not always priority one. End side note.

We got up to the register to pay (Gina, Denis, and I). We got a buggy full for less that $40.

Side note: Their buggies here have four wheels that swivel as opposed to only two in the states. This makes it easy to pick out the Americans in the stores. It looks like an optical illusion or something similar to a drunk shopper. A sight that also must be experienced. End side note.

So I am digging in my pockets for some money. A skill that I've become very proficient with while here. Gina is still bundled up in her coat and she is leaving the check out. I've mentioned before how tight security is here. This is the only place that I've ever seen fingernail clippers that have anti-theft devices. Not special ones - just the plain ol' clippers that your grandfather carried around in his pocket. I actually had to wait for a clerk to remove the device before I could leave a store a couple of weeks ago! So at the Rainford like in many other places they have one of those walk through things to pick up what ever you stole that day. So Gina goes through and - what do you know? A thief has been identified! Here comes the SWAT team to pat her down.

OK, I'm a little nervous, but I know that my sweet wife is no thief. So they ask her to step back through - beep! OK lady, what do you have? Take off your purse and try it again..... beep! OK empty your pockets...... beep! Open up your coat and let us take a look. Nothing. Try it again..... beep!

By this time, I've settled up with the cashier and am spectating. They aren't being rude so I'm probably more relaxed that I should be. Nobody's upset. They just have a job to do. Then guard 1 (of 3) and I have the same idea. We've both spotted the security tag in her coat that was not removed when she bought the coat. We're both pointing and saying the same thing but in different languages. I offer my pocket knife to extract the offensive device, but he has his own. He cuts it out and she tries it again. Whew! That was it. We all smile (as much as the guards are allowed to) and we are released.

We pack ourselves back into our taxi and continue to make our way to the orphanage. I don't think we've lost more that about 10 minutes to this. Once we arrive, we see that some of the younger kids are having a holiday program. This is the last day of class and there are many family members there to pick up children. Isn't that just weird? Anyway, the director is busy observing this performance and tells us that we'll have to wait. No problem. We'll head upstairs and "get the party started." There were more kids in class than we expected, but we managed OK. An hour and a half later and the director is free and can see us now.

So here we go. We are expecting a speech and pleading and weeping a gnashing of teeth. She apologizes for our delay and produces two blank forms and asks us to sign on the line. She will complete these forms later. That's it. No speech. No ceremony. Nothing to drink or eat or burn. We're done!

Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty she is free at last!

So we say our goodbyes to her caregivers and teachers and some of her friends that are ripping out our hearts because they are so sweet. (KB even asks if we can come back to adopt one of Dasha's friends that has really taken to her - Oh my.) We pack back in again and we left with our new daughter.

We had some gifts for Anna and Nicolae (still not sure about that spelling) who do so much work with the kids here. It was early in the afternoon so they were not at the orphanage yet. We called their home and asked if we could drop by and leave those things with them there. She is delighted to have us stop by. They live close by and so we make our way there. We are planning to stay about 15-20 minutes, but..... she has prepared sandwiches and tea and candies for us. So we must not be rude. We end up staying for close to an hour.

And now back to our theme for the day... we were all hungry and didn't really know what we would do to squeeze in lunch. It was about two o'clock and we had somehow managed to missed lunch at the orphanage. So far we have been lucky with the wheel of menu at the orphanage. Everything we have been offered was recognizable and fairly good, but that luck can only last so long. That pickled herring is looming out there for us - I just know it. (BTW, we always carried plastic bags with us just for emergency disposal of food which cannot be forced down.) Our kids all loved the sandwiches that Dasha had prepared with Anna's help. So we are aimlessly going about our day - sort of - and God has provided lunch from the charity of another

Guys, they (Nicolea and Anna) are (to steal a Brockism) the "real deal." They are always looking for ways to instill something of value into these kids. Nicolae couldn't be there. We had crossed paths with him between his home and the orphanage. He had a line of young men standing at his door waiting to recite scripture in exchange for little prizes. This was something that I had observed a couple of weeks ago and it touched me so much. It has really caught on. He has become strict with them. Their recitation must be near perfect to qualify for the prize. Little do they know that they are opening their hearts to have the seeds of God's Word to be planted. Oh, how beautiful is this sight!

So we get back into our little car again and are headed back to the flat . (?) Nope, Yanna (a friend who has helped us at the orphanage in the past) calls to tell us that she has not been able to pick up a letter from a relative here for some of our friends back at home. She and Gina and Dasha had visited the aunt of some girls that live close to us to deliver some photos and correspondence. And also just to follow up with her to let her know that her nieces are doing wonderful and have a great life in the US. She wanted to send a letter back with us, but she is blind and had to wait for her son to come and take it down. We were to pick this up and take it back with us to deliver to our friends back home. Since we are out we decide that we can go ahead and do this to save her a trip. We get the address and we are off. Now she lives across the river - a place that I had wanted to visit, but had not yet had the opportunity. Oh well, last night in Zap - why not?

While we are speaking with Yanna, we ask about the status of the passport. No word. The mail from Kiev has not yet been delivered, but they should be working tomorrow (holiday weekend, yeah right!)
and we will just check in with them and see. Worst case, they can send it to Kiev next week. I'm already thinking of the implications of this action. Might cost us a week b/c the embassy is only open 3 days next week due to holidays. Does mail run on Monday? What if it doesn't arrive until Friday? Oh man, this could be bad.

So our visit with the aunt goes so well. We were so happy to be able to tell her all about her girls. She was so kind to us and I think the visit helped to bring peace to her life - just to know that God had provided for them and they were in good hands. She lives alone. She does have one son that visits when he can, but he works on the road quite a bit. Oh, how my heart aches for her, but she is in such good spirits. She has happy memories of the girls and is kind to share them with us. When we are packed back into the car all I can think of is the phrase from James 1:27 "...orphans and widows." Finally I whisper this into my wife's ear and she says that she was thinking the same thing. God is loading up our hearts with this burden.

Once again, we stayed longer than planned. It is now dark outside and stomachs are growling again. How do I know? Because as we are driving down the road, with my sweet wife all up in my space, I keep feeling my phone buzzing in a pocket that cannot possibly be accessed. By about the third or forth ringing session, I comment to her about how I wonder who that could be. She breaks out in uncontrollable laughter and informs me that this is not my phone but her stomach. Dude! That is serious. A check of the phone at the next stop confirms this.

Traffic is pretty heavy headed back into town and we are not making very good time. Yanna calls back just as we are getting back into town to make final arrangements for tomorrow. She and Nina (another friend that has been helping us) want to come by and visit in the morning to say goodbye and to give some gifts to take back. She also informs me that the passport is ready and that she will try to get by the office in the morning to pick it up so that we can take it back with us. As God would have it, we are within a block of the office and so Denis asks if we can just swing by and pick it up. We all agree this is best. He comments about how perfect the timing was for this.

When we arrived, a new year's party is brewing. I observed the rare smiling Ukrainian government worker although I could not get a photo - so you'll have to take my word for it. They were all scurrying around and had already placed a bench across the entry way with a sign that said "closed" in Russian, of course. We walked right in, found our dude and he quickly found the passport. A check of my ID and a couple of signature later and... WE HAD IT!

I must admit this was an overwhelming thing for me..... to open up that little booklet and see her pretty face and her new name....

.....and the way she signed her name..... in very neat printed hand writing was one single word....

GRACE...

I suppose that she was in a hurry and couldn't put together the english letters for her full name. Oh God, how perfect is that? Excuse me a second while I dry off the keyboard.....

Fade to black and roll the credits - what a perfect ending. This one was written, directed, produced by none other that God, Himself.

We finished up our last day here in Zap at the train restaurant. All through supper, I couldn't help but keep pulling out that passport and staring at it. I just can't believe it. So many times during this journey, God has provided for us at just the right moment. This has truly been a journey of faith - and it has been rewarding. Grace.

That sums it ups. His timing is indeed perfect.

Love,

The Graces

Risky Business

December 27, 2007

Warning: Another extremely long post - too much to say, but hey, its your time!

Today we took a risk - actually many risks. We had two tasks planned for the day. Any of you that have been here for an adoption know how ambitious this is. We had planned to go to the orphanage this morning and check Dasha out for good. We would also be giving some of her friends a little going away party. We had planned to be there around 9. No risk involved in this. The big task and big risk was to take Dasha to visit with her Grandmother who lives about an hour away. We had been advised to approach this very cautiously and to consider not doing it at all. We felt like this was something that we wanted to do for her as a going away present. She had also asked about this a couple of weeks before we came. I'll tell you ahead of time that my head is still spinning. Its like waking up from a dream.

Well, let's just say the day didn't start of quite like we had expected. We had a little delay with our 9 AM appointment. So I decided to head down to the "bread store," as we call it. This is one of those places that stops you in your tracks as you are walking down the the sidewalk. It smells so wonderful. Imagine every kind of bread/pastry known to man all displayed out for your choosing. Only problem is that I don't speak Russian very well. So the pastry Nazi likes to keep things moving along and doesn't fancy the point and grunt method of which I am so fond. Anyway, by the time I got there the place had been raided. There were only three things left to choose from. So I bought all of one thing and a few of some others. Stopped by a corner magazine (store), picked up a coke and headed back to the flat.

Two things happened while I was out that are noteworthy:

1. People here are not afraid of the weather - at all. It is nothing to see a mom out strolling her child in the snow or cold or whatever. Now they know how to bundle them up like for real. Remember Ralphie's little brother on The Christmas Story? Yeah, that's it. Those little kids are layered up to the point that the can't bend their arms. They just sit in the little strollers and exist. So I spied a tall slender lady headed down the sidewalk in front of me. She was wearing this elegant fur coat and a stylish hat. At just below the knees were these two blue appendages sticking out like the fingers of a latex glove that somebody inflated. I tried to steal a photo, but just couldn't get into position. It was a classic image.

2. It began to snow again.

Now I've got to say our state is somewhat weather savvy. We've got Spann, the man. There is not a day that goes by that I don't know for a fact what the weather will be doing two or three days out. Here, the weather forecasts that I've been able to get are more like.... oh, I don't know maybe a spin of the ol' weather wheel. I think that they might actually have some type of dart board or maybe the forecast comes from an almanac or something - maybe one of those weather rocks that you can buy at Rock City. It is not accurate. Today was supposed to be overcast - no mention of snow. By 10:00 it was all out blizzard - I know that my blizzard definition would be disappointing to someone from the midwest or north, but for me - if my coat and hat are covered after my little one block walk to the store and back, I declare blizzard! There was a half inch of snow within about 30 minutes and it was beautiful.

So our driver came to get us about noon. By this time there was about an inch and a half of fresh beautiful white snow and it was still coming down. So here's the other thing - I thought these guys handled the snow and driving pretty well. I found out today that it does, in fact, slow them down and they do have accidents. I knew this had to be the case, but I thought there was some elaborate scheme to cover it up or something.

We picked up our facilitator at a bus stop and headed out to Babushka's house - you know over the river and through the woods.... So getting out of town was terrible. We saw two or three car wrecks and then a tractor trailer rig jack knifed. I didn't think this was possible here. An hour into our journey and we were still not out of Zap. BTW, did I mention that there were seven of us packed into this little Korean car - about the same size as a civic or corolla. Sardines doesn't even come close to describing the closeness. Bonding is not the word - maybe fusing. I did discover though that the little space that forms between your knee and your wife's leg and the door makes for a nice cup holder. Dude, I couldn't move, I couldn't breath, if we had wrecked there was no way any of us would have been slung out because we were all unbelievably wedged in. I'm still unfolding parts of my body. Positive spin: I haven't been able to get this close to my wife in a month!

About 40 km out of town the weather began to break a little. We finally made it into the little town - population around 15,000. Now about the risk. I said above that we wanted to do this for her. We also wanted to do it for her Grandmother. We knew that she was fond of her Grandmother but I had no idea of how we would be received or even who would be there. We asked Dasha to call her Grandmother a day ahead of time (no more) to make sure that she was even in town and to see if we could come by. When Dasha called her she put her on speakerphone and we could hear (but not understand) everything that was said. She didn't sound upset, but she did sound surprised. Now we had purposefully waited until everything was finalized before we made this contact. We found out later in the day that Gmommy called the orphanage director to find out why she was not informed about the adoption. UH-OH! Now I'm a little worried. We told her that we would come around noon. I wanted to be a little ambiguous about the time - trying to think like Jason Bourne.

Now we are all praying like mad that God would just breath over this encounter and keep things from getting out of hand. We did know that her mom had some substance abuse problems. We didn't know anything about her dad other than the government didn't even recognize that he existed. (Gmommy is dad's mom.) What if one or both show up? What if something crazy happens like they kidnap her? What if the try to extort us? What if she gets emotionally charged up and changes her mind about the whole thing? This thing could get out of hand in a hurry. Dude, have we lost our mind? This is why we were advised to reconsider.

In my mind, I had decided that my (inflammatory) question would be where have you guys been? Why has she been alone all this time? The other thing that I had in mind was that our driver doubled as a bouncer in a former life. He is awesome! I hope some of you that come after us are able to use him. He's like a grandfather - giving advice to Dasha and telling her along with our other kids when they are getting out of line - just a really good guy. But could he help us in an all out brawl? Man, this is crazy talk! This is risky business.

Well, by this point we are committed. We're an hour and a half into the sardine run and so I think cleverly, why don't we call and check in to see what the temperature is there? Is the welcome mat still out or should we tuck tail and flee back to the city? She was still expecting us and seemed to be ok.

So the plan was to let Dasha and our facilitator go in and check things out. Let them have some time alone. If she was receptive to us, then we would gladly go in for a visit. Otherwise, we would send in the extraction team.

We winded on into town a little past noon. I forgot to mention that Gmommy lives in the same town where we went to get the birth certificate on Monday. This was the site of my Ukrainian coming out party - remember the sausage, pickles and mustard in the car? So the little store where we bought the goods turns out to be on the same street where she lives. So on Monday I was goofing around just a couple of blocks from her home and had no idea. Isn't that just weird?

She told us that she had a green gate. So in just a matter of seconds we were there. It happened so quickly that we didn't really have time to be nervous. We stopped. Dasha and Denis (the facilitator) got out and rang the bell. Wait! Take your gifts in with you. Already in the gate. Wait, Denis is coming back. She said she wanted everybody to come in. OK, Lord here we go. Hope you're already in there cause I know that you couldn't fit in that car with us on the drive down.

First person we see is Babushka. A kind and loving face. Hugs and kisses to go around for all of us. OK, this is good. Inside for meet and greet. Boots, coats, hats, gloves - off at the door. I smell food and I'm hungry. Oh wait, who are you? We meet Aunt Natasha (Dasha's father's sister - still with me?) and her daughter Nastia (Dasha's cousin). She is telling us that Nastia has some health problems and can't walk by herself. She is a beautiful child. She also has the eye disorder which we've seen commonly in children here. What gracious hosts they are? Maybe this is going to be OK.

Sit, sit, sit... it is time to eat.

OK, but we can't stay long, we need to be back at the orphanage in an hour.

We were served borsht, pork fat, a wonderful slaw, bread, potatoes and chicken. Chocolate, oranges and tea to finish up with. Over the meal we were asked several questions. We are asked about Dasha's medical care and school and what Gina does. Mostly just out of curiosity. I suppose I would have questions too if I was in their shoes. They don't know us from Adam and we are taking their precious little girl to another country that they don't know a whole lot about. So in walks some dude and he's big and Russian and in pretty good shape and I'm sizing him up. He's well dressed and introduces himself as Uncle Sasha (Natasha's husband). He is kind and doesn't stay but a second and then leaves again. Hmmm?

Natasha produces a golden ring for Dasha, but it turns out to be too small. I say that we can have it resized in the US. They are concerned that resizing may cause the stone to fall out. What to do? Gmommy begins to pull her gold earrings out to give to Dasha. She says she had been waiting for her 18th birthday, but now would be the time to do it. Oh my. Here we go. I will need to look away or think of a sunny place or something. Let's hold it together now.

Out comes the photo album and we begin to talk about the family. We see photos of her mom and dad. Neither were around and neither were invited anyway, because Gmommy and Natasha were worried that things might get out of hand. Hmmm? Mom is still is around locally, but drinks heavily. She cannot take care of this child. We are told that she was very intelligent as a young lady. No one really knows where dad is. His work takes him from town to town. They think he might be in Kiev, but are not sure. He served some time in the army. Dasha favors him a lot. Especially in the eyes.

Uncle Sasha reappears and he has another gold ring for his niece but larger this time. OK, he's cool. He begins to ask us about our lives and what we do and where we are from. They want to know what natural disasters occur in Alabama. I explained that we had Spann and it was all good - not really. We did tell them about tornados, though. We had to describe to them where Alabama was in relation to the entire US.

Oh wow! This is really going well. Gmommy says that she worried all yesterday and last night about Dasha. Said that she cooked all morning and was nervous about us coming. I feel bad now and apologize. We told her that we were equally nervous, but that God had brought us all together for this purpose at this time.

We are quizzed about our religious beliefs. Natasha asks us about our belief in icons or Jesus. I respond that we believe in Christ. She tells us that they are Orthodox and that they give written prayers to their priest for Dasha and now they have been answered. Oh my. Later, as Natasha is looking through the photo library on my laptop she runs across photos from Ecuador. In particular, she asks about plastic Jesus in the glass coffin. Whew! That took some explaining, but I think I passed.

Uncle Sasha talks to us a little about raising children and how he worries about Dasha and alcohol. He was happy to hear that we didn't keep any at home. As a matter of fact, he gave us a little "Slava Bog" (Praise God) on the deal. He gives Dasha a little advice about thinking about your actions before you do them. This is a good family!

Gmommy explains to us the three eye surgeries she recently had and how she is loosing vision in her left eye. We begin to understand that the reason Dasha was in the orphanage is because there really was nobody that could care for her. We discover that our two hosts initialized the revocation of parental rights petition because it was in Dasha's best interest. They knew that she couldn't stay where she was, but also that they couldn't adequately take care of her either.

So they all decide that they like us - a lot. And the feeling is mutual. Aunt Natasha slips Denis a little under the breath comment about "we really like them" and he goes ahead and translates that for us. Thank you, Lord!

Our time is winding down and we are preparing to leave. Numbers and addresses are exchanged. We are asked when we will be returning. I explained to them how our church fellowship of believers was doing missions all over the world and that Ukraine was definitely a place where we would work. I tell them that it may be a year or so, but that we will be coming back. Gmommy takes us to her bedroom and tells us that the wool rug on the wall is also for Dasha. She says (jokingly I hope) to roll it up and take it with us. We explain our transportation dilemma and how it would ruin on top of the car. It is truly beautiful and has a lot of history in the family. Was traded for a pig and then purchased back somehow. It is an heirloom.

As we wind down we all gather together to pray. I go first thanking God for working all this out. Then Aunt Natasha prays. During her prayer she confesses that she feels a lot of guilt over Dasha's life. Many tears shed here. No sunny place can save me now. I'm engaged. She is such a caring woman and she has a full time job caring for her special needs child and she knows that. Their prayer, like ours, is that God will repay Dasha for the years that were lost in the orphanage. I believe not only that He can but that He will just like in Joel chapter 2.

Our one hour visit is now standing at three and we are calling the punt play on the orphanage visit. So this has been a good day, regardless. I don't regret this visit or this encounter. This family is not unlike our own. In fact, now they are our own. Man, we got some good intel! We know birthdays and addresses. We can send them card and letters. We can call them to check in and to give them updates. Likewise, they have our information. They really took to us - especially Kirby. Remember that gold ring that did not fit? Well, Kirby ended up wearing it home.

What have we learned today? We learned that we share some things in common with this family - a faith in a merciful a caring God and the love for a particular blonde young woman. We learned that our risk was worth the reward. We learned where the breaking point was in the Ukrainian transportation system regarding weather. We learned that God has been ahead of us here for years preparing things to be just so for this day.

The ride home was long. We even were stopped at one point by the police to allow cars to climb a hill slowly so as to avoid any accidents. When we finally got back to some city lights we were amazed at how much it had snowed. The trees looked artificial. Their branches all covered in snow and illuminated by the glow of metal halide bulbs. It was a beautiful ending to a beautiful day.

I stand in awe at the "grace" which was extended to us today.

God, you have been so good to us!

The Grace's

Breaking Ties

December 26, 2007

We were able to accomplish a lot in the past two days. We were able to obtain the birth certificate, ID number and passport photos within 24 hours. Now we wait.... again. We are planning to travel back to Kiev this weekend and make our final preparations to return home. We don't expect to receive Dasha's passport before this weekend so it appears that she and Gina will be forced to return after the rest of us. Please pray that we can find an affordable flight when it is time and that we can get her visa without any problems next week. (and if you want to pray for a miracle on Monday or Tuesday morning, please do)

Today we will be making a visit to the relatives of the daughter's of our friends who were here almost two years ago. I'm not sure I can mention the name, but it should be a joyous time for us to share how well their girls have done in the US and what a wonderful family they have and how beautiful they are.

Either today or tomorrow we will be officially checking Dasha out of the orphanage. This will be a very emotional time for us all. Most of her friends have left for holiday trips and will not be there to see her off. After this we are planning to make a trip to her Grandmother's village to allow her to say goodbye (or maybe see you later?). This will also be tough, but we feel that it is very necessary and she has asked us to do this for her. We look forward to meeting her and sharing a little about ourselves with her. My observation is that she is ready for the next thing. I think it is a little beneficial (at least for the older children) that this process takes as long as it does. At this point, this flat is her home. In the next few days we will transition to another home and then another. I'm sure it is tough for a child to adjust to all of these changes. Please pray that this will be a peaceful transition and that she will feel secure with her new position in our family. In reality, she has been a part of our family for quite some time.

BTW, Christmas was different.

I know that there is less than a week left in the year but I would like to officially submit this statement for consideration as the "Understatement of the Year." Just not the same.... especially outside the door of our apartment. December 25 is just another day here - business, as usual. I'm curious to see what impact that will have on our two bio kids. We finished off the day with a fabulous meal at the Irish Pub. Hope yours was wonderful! You were all missed here. I think now we are certifiably homesick. Oh, what I would do or pay for a plate of home-cooked holiday foods!

Please pray for our endurance to finish this leg of the race. (I suppose this could be considered only qualifying for the real race.) Also, please pray that our visit with her Grandmother will be without conflict and that God will protect us.

We love you all and can't wait to get home.

The Grace's

Another Sunday

December 23, 2007
(this is slightly out of order)

Warning: Extended blog today. Unique experience which required extra verbiage. Read at your own risk. Its your time so waste if you wish.....

Today we had the privilege to be guests at another local church. It was actually located in a village on the outskirts of town. We had met some of the church members last week at another church where their choir and brass band was performing. During lunch last week they had asked us to worship with them this week. Of course we were flattered and so we finalized the details late this week and met our contact this morning out on the main drag here. I couldn't remember our dude's name but I was hoping to recognize his vehicle or at least him on the street. We did see him, but he was not in the van that we expected. Instead, it was an older Lada. Now those of you up on your Eastern European car makes will know that six adults and a child cannot fit into this car. So our dude decided that he would catch a bus back to the church and allow us to ride with the unknown driver. Any questions? Where is this church? Who will meet us there? Does anybody else speak English? Are you expecting me to speak? When are we coming back? How many liters/gallon does this thing get? Do you think I could sneak one back in my luggage?

Anyway, after about a half hour of riding and very little speaking, we pulled into this village. We were clueless about the church location or what it looked like. I honestly wasn't quite sure what time the service started. But then we saw it - an ornate little building that stood out like a church should, I suppose. The driver let us out and we saw one of the gentlemen that we had met last week at the other church. Turns out that he is the pastor of this church. He is obviously a bi-vocational pastor by the condition of his hands. A very kind man who was very glad to see us. He led us into the church and offered us tea and coffee - a welcoming tradition here. We met some of the sweet little old ladies in the church they just loved on us and hugged on us and told us all sorts of things that we could not understand. We asked D to tell us, but either she did not understand or she was too embarrassed to tell. They ended up figuring out that we had adopted her - I guess the fact that she spoke their language and not ours made it an easy conclusion.

One of the ladies came up and I caught these words - internat, dochka, and Italia. She was tearing up and was obviously troubled. Turns out that she has a grand daughter at D's old orphanage and she had left to go to Italy for the holidays. I'm not sure if she was touched by the fact that we had taken D into our family or if she was missing her grand daughter. Regardless, she was so kind to us and said some of the kindest Roosky that I had ever heard (and yet not understood). Those not familiar with the language should note that it is a hateful language. Someone could be wishing you a wonderful day and if you did not understand them, you would swear that they had just questioned the legitimacy of your birth parents.

Side note: if you fancy a little bling in the ol' grill, this is the place to be. A made the comment that all the babooshkas had great "grills." Indeed, it is hard not to stare. End side note.

So I was expected to speak. Hmmm? Not really prepared for this. Good news is that they have four or five sermons per service, so if I bomb, maybe another brother can pick up the slack. Bad news is that I have to speak again. So they had brought in this lovely young lady to translate my little speech. She also translated the service for us. She did a great job and we will probably never get to thank her sufficiently. Now these people in this fellowship.... recall that we had met a few of them the week before at another fellowship where they were performing - cue harp music. We had eaten lunch in the first shift and they were eating in the second shift. As I was sipping my chai in the lobby, our dude (recall from above) asked if I would sit with them while they ate. Now recall my ant farm reference from previous post. I don't know where G and the kids got off to, but I found myself alone. Anyway they shoehorned me into a small space at the table and then the inquisition began. Now it was not hostile just curious. They all looked at me like I was an alien - I suppose that I am here. They asked all sorts of questions. The most interesting to me was the size of our church fellowship of believers. When I told them about 4000, they asked for a recount. When I stated the same again, they just stared at me in amazement. Then the pastor asked about the size of the choir. I told him that when we had one it was around 200. I didn't dare go into the whole recording of the CD thing although I really wanted to. Anyway, there I was - all alone at one end of the table while all twelve or so of them were staring at me - chicken bones in the bowls and hanging on every translated word of mine. What a weird thing. It was so funny. They have no idea what a looser I am!

So transition back to earlier today - cue harp sound effect again. I told them a little about us and where we come from and why we were here. I told them that they would have to figure which one was adopted. Now they were supposed to laugh at that and they didn't. So I reminded them that they were supposed to laugh - and they didn't. OK, we'll move on now. We read from 1 Cor 6:19. I reminded them that they were the temple of God - the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. That as they walked through their city or at the factory, field or office that they were the church. I told them the post office story and how they were all "authorized agents" of the kingdom of God. I think it went over well. There was nodding and I even got a slovo-Bog at the end. The third guy gave me a little call back on the post man analogy. I think it went over OK, but I don't think I'll be making the comedy tour here.

So after the service, we were asked to join them for lunch. Only thing was, we were the only ones eating. Mashed potatoes, sausage on bread, pickled tomatoes and eggplant - not too bad, but I was missing the Baptist bird. They must have been Primitive Baptist. Anyway, there we were again on one end of the table and the same 10 or 12 people sitting on the other end staring at us and hanging on every word. Talk about a fish bowl. It was like we were over at a friend's house and they were all waiting for us to finish so that we could go out and play - and that was exactly it! Once we had finished our chai, they asked us to sing for them. When we told them that they were not ready for that they asked us to teach them some American games. Oh, where is Wes Sullivan when you need him! After a couple of unsuccessful suggestions, they came up with their own.

So back to the main room, rearrange the chairs and a game of Ukrainian charades breaks out. Then a clapping concentration game which we all finally gave up on and finally a rendition of Ukrainian musical chairs. This church was very hospitable to us and we enjoyed our time together more than we were expecting. What we discovered was that there were two brothers which served as a foundation for this fellowship. One brother served as pastor while the other handled the duties of worship leader. They both had families and were all talented in many ways, especially musically. Come to find out, 90% of the choir/orchestra was comprised of their family. It sniffed of other fellowships that we have been a part of in the past - not in a bad way. I was looking for similarities and my observation was that these people do life together. Their lives are bound by the blood of Christ and it was refreshing to be allowed to be a part of that for a brief time.

After the winner was declared in our musical chairs, our driver indicated that he would need to take us back and so that was it. We loaded the Lada and we were off.

Guys, I've got to tell you that one of the highlights of any of my travels is the fellowship with other believers in other cultures. It is always so humbling. I always have trouble containing my emotions. I can't help but think of the others of you that are sleeping in your beds. And the fact that we may be unaware that people on the other side of the world are worshipping when we are not.... unaware that the name of Christ is being lifted somewhere by someone... always. Isn't that amazing? So whether is is a dirt floor building in Uganda, a block building in Ecuador, an ornate chapel in Ukraine, or a modern building in the US, worship takes place and it is diverse and similar and wonderful. I highly recommend it.

So we have a bond now with two fellowships here. We know faces and a few names and we look forward to reuniting with these people again - although maybe not in this life.


Blessing to you and yours,

The Grace's

Officially Official

December 24, 2007

I spoke to our facilitator this morning. He called to wish us Merry Christmas and also congratulations. He had just picked up our court decree. We are officially new parents as of today! The ten day wait is over. Nobody contested our adoption. That news hits me with new emotion and pride. Thank you, God, for this gift. I won't be able to look at Christmas Eve the same ever again.

I then had the privilege to travel to her birth city to get the new birth certificate naming G and I as her parents. Now that is really real. The city was small but more than a village. The shops were nice. We stopped to pick up some chocolate for our friend doing the birth certificate and a sausage, bread, mustard drinks and a few pickles from an open bucket for our driver and us to eat for lunch. I felt like a real Ukrainian! We ate as we drove down the road. What an adventure. The lady at the office was also a believer and she was very kind to us. She basically saved us a day in the process. You could tell that she was one of the people that God had selected for us - one motivated by compassion. She prayed for us before we left. Man, how cool is that? Now let's hope she has a friend at the passport office.

So we are preparing for our Christmas celebration tomorrow. The two bio kids are excited. D can't really understand why. We'll see how it goes. We have decorated one of the (fake) house plants with lights and ornaments. D calls it our Christmas "flower." It will do just fine in a pinch. Yesterday we saw that some city workers were erecting an enormous Christmas tree. We'll get some photos of that later when it is lit. That was a pleasant surprise. There are several stores and shops that have decorated for the holidays. But overall the culture is still recovering from the Soviet religious oppression. They won't say "Santa" Claus because it might be construed to be religious. I'm not a hater, but little do they know that this jolly ol' fella probably has done more to secularize the holiday that any government could have.

The only thing that I'm missing is a leg lamp to place in our window. Beginning at noon today, I will be playing The Christmas Story for 24 hours straight. We are planning to go ice skating this evening and then scavenge the city for turkey and dressing. Tomorrow will be very busy for us as we have more planned to do than we have day to do it.

We will be missing you all and our cozy home back in the States. Christmas will not be the same here, but it is what it is and regardless of where you are, the birth of Christ can be celebrated and savored. So Merry Christmas to you all and at least some of us will be home for the new year. Please continue to pray that we can all make the trip together.

Blessing,

The Graces

Our First Home

December 22, 2007

Gina and I were very fortunate to be able to purchase our first home only 6 months after we were married. That was a benchmark moment in our life - we were so proud of that little white house. It was the fall of the year and I can still remember waking up on Saturday mornings and reading the paper - my own paper that had been delivered to my own front door earlier that morning. I can remember sitting on the front porch on Friday nights and hearing the high school football game across town. It was wonderful. We were adults. We had our own place. It was a two bedroom, one bath job with a small kitchen. It sat on about a quarter acre with enough backyard to have a small garden and teach Austin how to play baseball. It had an enormous water oak tree which provided shade 6 months out of the year. It dumped those tiny leaves and acorns each Fall and I loved it because I had leaves to rake in my yard. We lived there for six years. Once KB was on the way, we knew we would need to upgrade.

As G grew with child it seemed that the place became smaller. With only one bathroom we had to plan well our potty and shower times. I recall a battle with the ole' stomach bug that nearly ended in disaster. The three (and a half) of us outgrew that space. It was cozy and we look back on that time in our lives with fond memories - but I've got to tell you, we were glad to get out of there. It was just such a small space. It was a great place to start out - probably would still be a great place for a couple - old or young.

So tonight we find ourselves on the absolute other side of the world. A place I couldn't even find on a map three years ago! (and I still can't spell the name of the city) Four weeks ago we began our time here as a family of three. Ten days later we were a family of four - one (or maybe three depending on your point of view) with a slight linguistic impediment. Three weeks into it and we are now five. Our current home is smaller than our first. We are living in a four room (and that includes the kitchen and bathroom) apartment. Thankfully, we have all been able to live around one another peacefully (for the majority of the time). But let me tell you, we are all up in each other's personal space.

Time alone here must be scraped together either late in the evening or early in the morning or maybe during a walk to the market or while taking out the trash. I (C) am one who treasures a healthy amount of alone time - not that I am a recluse, just that I need time to reflect on my thoughts on my actions on the course of my day or week or life. I need time to read and pray and study. It is hard to find these days.

Now this is not a rant. Please don't take it that way. It's just really humorous to me. If you think about it, this is the ideal situation for bonding. Remember what they say about camping? No? Well, Gary Smalley says that all families should camp together. No, not for the fun of it. But because camping inevitably leads to "bonding." Well, our bonding will not be complete when we return home, but we are off to a good start.

A month before we left for this place I created a countdown clock on my computer. I just couldn't believe that we actually had an appointment and would be traveling. Just couldn't imagine what it would be like. KB has also created a countdown calendar for Christmas Day. She's just like a kid at Christmas... hmm.... I suppose she should be. So you will have to forgive me for creating another countdown clock on my computer for our departure date. Can't imagine what it will be like to be home.

We've really enjoyed our time here. WE OWN THIS TOWN! (or at least the two or three blocks near our apartment) We had crab sticks today. We cooked home made chicken soup tonight. We know what milk not to buy. We know who has the best pizza in town. We know where to get the good TP. We are recognized now at the market and the video store and the exchange counter and the Irish Pub (that I use for wifi). Those folks are willing to overlook our cultural ineptitude in exchange for our money. We have become their entertainment - in the ant farm sense. What will those goofy Americans want today? What word will they not know?

Already, I'm beginning to miss the kids at the orphanage. I'm beginning to miss this place. I went out tonight just to take it all in. Side note: I saw a poster in the mall advertising Albert's organization which ministers to orphanages in this area. I was intrigued by this. He is really doing a good work here. If I can remember the web address, I'll post a link to his site. - End side note. The place where we are really is beautiful at night. Although I know that many of the kids I know here will most likely never be able to live on this side of town. They'll likely just ride through and wonder. I wonder myself what it would be like to live here. I suppose in some ways it would be a lot like our first home....

Blessings to you guys and your families this Christmas Holiday. We will celebrate the birth of Christ with you - but we'll beat you to the punch by about eight hours.

The Grace's (from small spaces)

Christmas Time's a Coming!

December 20, 2007

Before we get into the meat of this post. We need to ask a favor. Our local facilitator here, Denis, has some health issues. His heart gives him trouble from time to time. Some of you may recall from this summer when the Gully family was here that this was a concern. He has been in the hospital again today with the same problems. Please pray for him that all will be well. He did not sound good on the phone today. He has done a good job for us, but I know the stress of it all can be sometimes overwhelming.

As you can imagine the blending of a family is no small endeavor. There are conflicts from time to time. Rules and behaviors have to be learned. The language has to be overcome. Those that have come before us know this very well. We have a very smart, intelligent and overall good girl. But it does become disappointing when the first conflict arises - as if we were expecting to never have any.... yeah, right! So before we left, I purchased some light reading for our time here.... The Practice of the Presence of God (Lawrence), The Normal Christian Life (Nee), and The Screwtape Letters (Lewis). I only began to read Lewis in the past couple of days. In the second letter, Screwtape is giving some practical advice to his nephew, Wormwood, in light of the fact that his "patient" has become a believer and is now in the hands of the Enemy. It goes like this...

"Work hard, then, on the disappointment or anticlimax which is certainly coming to the patient during his first few weeks as a churchman. The Enemy allows this disappointment to occur on the threshold of every human endeavor. It occurs when the boy who has been enchanted in the nursery by Stories from the Odyssey buckles down to really learning Greek. It occurs when lovers have got married and begin the real task of learning to live together. In every department of life it marks the transition from dreaming aspiration to laborious doing.......For once they get through this initial dryness successfully, they become much less dependent on emotion and therefore much harder to tempt."

So this is where we find ourselves..... in the "laborious doing." Now this is no surprise. We were and are prepared (I think) to take on this task. Our moto for this trip was "prepare for the worst and expect the best." Please pray for our endurance and patience as we learn to live together. The children are getting along just fine. Its just this idea of having parents to tell you what you can or cannot do and when you can or cannot do it. It will work out just fine in time, but for now there is a little pain and learning involved.

So today we have been Christmas shopping. We have decided to give each of the children a sum of money and have them shop for the other two. It has gone nicely so far. KB is quite the miser. AG has expensive tastes. DC has never been able to such before. It will be an interesting Christmas experiment - unlike anything we've done before. It's hard to believe that we've been here for almost four weeks. It's interesting to see how the American kids react to the different culture. We haven't really had any severe homesick episodes. As long as we have Fanta, Ramen, and some decent TP we can survive.

An interesting thing happened tonight as we were coming home from dinner. We had been told by Chris Nichols of the incredible disparity here. A mix of several cultures from Soviet, to Ukrainian, to European, and even American. He tells a story of being on a bus in Kiev and hearing the Beach Boys on the radio singing California Dreaming. So we were sitting on the little bus here and the same thing happened to us. Keep in mind it's about 25 (F) outside. Everything is frozen and nasty. The wind will cut right through you - and then there's the Beach Boys singing to you from overhead. That is the icing on the cake. Although my dreaming has more of a southern flavor.

We will have an opportunity this coming weekend to visit another body of believers on the other side of town. We met them last weekend at another church. We are looking forward to it.

Please continue to pray that things move along smoothly next week. It will be a big one. We get the decree on Monday, Christmas on Tuesday, and then it passport and visa time. We should be back in Kiev by the end of the week and then I will be returning with A and KB.

We love you guys. Have a Merry Christmas if we don't get a chance to say it again!

Oh yes, almost forgot - more photos from the Snow Bash Yesterday. Remember the part of the movie Elf where Buddy went nuts on the mean kids in the park? Well let's just say it doesn't snow much at home.

Snow Bash

The Grace's

Here is a link to some photos that we've taken over the past couple of days.

Enjoy!!!

Ukraine Photos

December 18, 2007

I confess. I have been holding out on you. I had another Kirby video that I have been withholding since Kiev. I was a little concerned about the lyrics, but I've have been convinced by the other members of my family here that this must be shared. So...

White Christmas?

December 18, 2007

It has been snowing here for four days. As I write, there is about 6 inches piled up on top of the stump that I've been using as a measure outside our kitchen window. One of the thing on my life list is to have a white Christmas somewhere - obviously away from our current home. Thing are looking promising here. So I ask... does the snow have to be freshly fallen or does three day old snow count? I am not an expert in this realm and solicit your counsel. I think we are going to be able to check this one off the list after next week.

We had dinner with our friends from church here. The pastor is Nicolie and his wife is Anna... I'm sure I have misspelled his name - please forgive me. I mentioned earlier that they are doing a great work at the orphanage where we have been. We had heard about them from previous families and what a wonderful work they were doing. We enjoyed so much worshiping with them on Sunday and were delighted to be invited to dine with them last night.

Oh, how wonderful the food was. Anna had prepared a macaroni, cheese and chicken dish along with a Olivier (sp?) salad, another vegetable salad, some tomato juice from their garden and a wonderful cake afterwards. Whoa! I had not eaten this much since we've been here. I think everyone was filled. It was a wonderful time and we thoroughly enjoyed it. They have two beautiful young girls and by then end of our time together, KB was learning the Russian and Ukrainian alphabets.

Our conversations after dinner revolved around the ministry that they were doing at the orphanage. We all agreed that one of the biggest opportunities (or maybe gaps is a better word) is the care and training of orphanage graduates. The outlook after graduation is bleak. His vision is to be able to build or buy apartments and staff them with mature Christians that can look after and mentor these children - and I do mean children. Most are 16 to 18 and completely on their own. They need advice on how to live and how to take care of their business and affairs. God is raising up people here (and in other parts of the world) for that purpose. It is interesting to see God at work in other places with other people that we know along the same lines. Pray for this ministry.

BTW, Nicholie pastors a Baptist church, and believe it or not, after the service we had dinner on the grounds with the culturally appropriate "boiled" as opposed to "fried" chicken. Some things are the same everywhere you go. I have always enjoyed worshipping with other believers in other parts of the world. It is such a blessing for me to think that as I sleep on the other side of the earth, people are worshipping a praising God in their own tongue in they way in which God has called them to do so.

Another church from across the city had joined them for worship this day. They brought instruments and a choir and really did a great job. I'm not sure what the occasion was, but it was fun to see them interact. We didn't know many of the songs as they were local in flavor, but at the end of the service they did a medley with several hymns that we did know. We sang the verses in English that we could remember. I was a little concerned that we might be called down for speaking in tongues. -JK

We miss home, but we are finding ourselves reasonably comfortable and well taken care of here. Pray for our children as we will be here for Christmas. This will be a very special time for our family as we learn to be together. Likewise, there are other families that will be spending Christmas here. December 25th is just another business day here. We may actually need to go to Dasha's birth city and get her new birth certificate on this day. We will see how this plays out.

"A father of the fatherless, a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation." Psalm 68:5

Blessing to you all,

The Grace's

All together now

December 17, 2007

So we have Austin with us now. What a great moment it was when he arrived. Because of logistical problems with school and sports we could not all travel together as a family. Austin travelled from home to here unaccompanied. I think this was a big confidence boost for him. It was nerve wrenching for us. We were sure that he would be in good hands, but what if... he missed a flight,,,, there were weather delays.... his luggage got lost..... he got sick.... Its amazing what can go wrong in your mind when it comes to your children. Regardless, he arrived safely Sunday night. We had considered traveling back to Kiev to pick him up, but one of our friends from Kiev offered to just bring him down. This was a very kind offer.

We were able to keep up with Austin through his itinerary through SMS and phone calls. I think he really enjoyed the trip. We attended church with a local pastor that we met at the orphanage. He and his wife are doing a great work there and have the children very close to their hearts. Someone from their fellowship is there each day to minister to the children. More on that later. So as we were worshipping with other believers, Austin was arriving and making his way through customs and meeting with our friend to be picked up. He SMS'ed me in the middle of the service to tell me he was having a little trouble getting through customs. It all turned out well, but I admit my thoughts rambled a bit during the service.

He finally made it around 6 local time. We all decided to meet at the restaurant/pub near our flat and eat supper. Oh what a precious moment to see him step out of that car! We embraced and I did my best to hold it together. We were joined by the Little family and their facilitator. It was a good time - our very first meal together as a family. BTW, shouldn't an Irish Pub serve Corned Beef and Cabbage? Couldn't find it on the menu. But we were able to find the Chelsea/Arsenal match on the tube and take in as much second hand tobacco smoke as we ever have.

It was really interesting to see how the children all interacted with one another. Big Brother is finally here. They were all affectionate toward each other.... at least for a little while. Austin has really been a breath of fresh air for us. He brought snacks, new DVD's, some refills on some meds and just his personality. It is good, indeed, to have him here.

I must admit, the newness of this family structure is still sinking in. I look at them walking down the street or riding the bus or sitting together at the cafe. Man! Are they really ours? Oh, how blessed I am! What a wonderful family God has blessed me with. I only pray that I have the wisdom to raise them wisely.

"Behold children are a heritage a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them..." Psalm 127:3-5a

Blessings to you all,

Chris and Gina

The Waiting Game

December 14, 2007

Court is over. Looking back on it, I suppose we were worried about nothing. We had been told by those before us that it wasn't the crucifixion that we has all expected. It was actually a pleasant experience. The judge set the tone at the beginning by saying, "Why do you all look so serious?" He read a lot from the papers before him. I suppose this was required by the law. The questions were not too probing.

We were seated on the front row with our translator. Directly behind us was the orphanage director with our child sitting beside her. To our left was the local inspector, a prosecutor (???) and a court reporter. In front of us sat the judge and two ladies that served as jurors. On the wall above the judge's chair was posted the national flag and a banner. We brought a ton of photos that Dasha had collected from us over the last couple of years. This was a huge advantage. They all enjoyed viewing our family photos and were a bit preoccupied by them.

I was first to be questioned... Why Ukraine? Why this child? What benefits does your government give you for adopting a foreign child? Are you prepared to provide for and care for this child? Well, duh? I answered as honestly as I could and my translator added a little spice. They paid attention to me - a little. I did make mention of the fact that Ukrainians were beautiful people and that KB and D looked so much alike. You should have seen them all straining to look at them both and compare and then nod to each other in agreement. Dude, that was funny.

Then it was G's turn. By this time they were well in to the photos. He's how it went.... "Tell us all about your story. We will listen." No questions. No demands. Just, tell me a story. The whole time. No eye contact, just folks taking in our life through photographs. I was summoned to the bench a time or two for an explanation of the photographed subjects. Try to explain the National Shrimp Festival to a Ukrainian. Otherwise, no real pressure. BTW, Gina told a great story of our journey. Although I'm not sure anybody was really listening.

Then he turned to KB. I think this was more for fun. He asked if she wanted to adopt D. He asked if her if she would share her room. He asked her if she made good grades. KB did great and answered him directly. She was a great sport. Even made the director cry.

He questioned the director. Not too in depth... just if she had any objections. She said no. He questioned D. She responded in short sweet tones. Not too much in the way of spice from her. She held it together completely.

So after story time and after the gigging of KB, after all the interrogations, the judge read some more and asked us a few questions about whether or not we were satisfied with the court and whether or not anybody else in the court wanted any more shots at us. The all responded negatively.

Then he told us that she was ours. Let that sink in...

She is ours. 2 years later... She is ours. Is this real? I haven't yet realized the wholeness of this day.

Then they all folded up their papers and left us. I was spinning.

She can go home with us this night. We are responsible for her now. Now keep in mind there is a 10 day return policy. That is a joke. We wouldn't dare. But the decree can be appealed within 10 days. It has already been written and will be issued on Christmas Eve. How about that?

How do we feel? Not sure. Really, it feels like a dream. Not really what I was expecting. Relieved... still nervous... worried... excited... ready to come home... grateful... humbled... ready to get on with it. We realized that this all happens in God's perfect timing so we now wait. We are good at it by now. We expect to be here through the week of Christmas and then back to the capital on the 27th or 28th. We are hoping to be able to obtain her visa that week. So like I said earlier, we are going to be down to the wire.

Thanks to all of you who pray for us. Thanks to all of you who have supported us. Please continue to pray that we blend well. Pray that A has a safe trip on Saturday and into Sunday. He will be traveling alone and that hurts me. I know he will do fine, but I want to be there with him along the way. We should see him about 3 on Sunday afternoon. We will be complete then. The dynamics will be different, but it will be good.

Many other details that I won't bore you with now. Ask me later. All I can tell you is that we stepped out in obedience and He has met us at every step. Here's the analogy of where we are: We've been waiting in line for 3 hours (or maybe 2 years) at Six Flags to ride the Scream Machine for the first time and now we are in the final queue to board. What was the last thing I ate?

Oh God! Please be with us as we continue to walk this out.

We love you all. Thanks and blessing this holiday season.

the Grace's (all five of us)

Dasha Claire Grace

December 13, 2007

While most of you were sleeping this morning, we were here nervously working through the "labor" of our court hearing. It is my great pleasure now to introduce to you our new daughter, Dasha Claire Grace. We were speaking yesterday that it would be her last day with her old name and that tomorrow she would get a new name. I'm not sure that she really understands what all that means just yet. She probably doesn't know that she is now my heir and that everything I have is hers along with my other children - that I am now responsible for taking care of her and seeing that she is properly raised. Oh so much to take in.

Thank you God for bringing us to this point. What a long journey it has been. A two year pregnancy? Well sort of.... How we celebrate this day!

More details to come...

The Grace's

Court Date!

December 10, 2007

We received our court date today. It will be this coming Thursday at 9A here. So that's 1A for most of you. Here is the problem. As many of you know the holidays here begin around the 28th and run until about the 10th of Jan. As things are lined up, we will be bumping right up against the wire. Pray for a miracle. I will be leaving with the other two on Jan 1, regardless. I could return if needed, but the best would be for us all to travel on the 1st. It could happen, but only God can pull it off.

Please continue to pray for us all. As many of you know, there are two other families here from home. Another family arrived on Saturday from our state. They are here to adopt a younger child. We all need your prayers and encouragement. There are many adjustments to be made to incorporate these wonderful children into new families.

The Grace's

Guys, this is funny stuff. This is what happens when a bored 8 year old gets your laptop!

So Far So Good

Well I am about to eat a scrambled egg for the first time call me crazy but I'll do it. Yesterday we went ice skating, it was fun! It was my first time too do it and I did really good! I am going to love it here. Now all you people how are reading this I want you to make comments on this.

KB

Brown Eggs and Ham

December 8, 2007

I made my way to the supermarket alone this morning. This city in similar to others in that a lot of folks sleep in on Saturday. I got on the stinky bus and rode with some of my closest (in the literal sense) friends. An elderly gentleman offered me a seat and began to speak to me about the contents of his bag. It was full of light bulbs and fixtures. I interpreted that he was trying to sell me some. I told him in my best Russian no thank you and that I was American and did not speak much Roosky. He interpreted that his offer would not be accepted and then asked me what my business was here. I made up a word and he did not understand. It was a rare pleasant encounter with a local. These people are not superficial at all. They only smile if you give them a reason. Otherwise, they wear blank expressions which we interpret as good southerners as unfriendly - don't get me wrong, some certainly are.

Made it to the Billa (supermarket chain) and picked up some essentials whilst the girls slept. Here, you are a criminal while shopping. They watch you intensely and if that bothers you, too bad! You must just go about your business, but know that you have an audience. Interesting parallel....

Among other things, I picked up some cheese, ham, and eggs. This is where the title comes from. We've not ventured out too far in the food realm. So as I blog, G is preparing eggs. She and I had a ham and cheese omelet and it was good! A good start to the day.

Continue to pray. We do not yet have a court date, but we are expecting to receive one early next week. All of our paperwork has reached its final destination. Hopefully, by this time next week, we will have a new daughter. For now, we live each day in hope.

Thank you for your comments, calls and prayers as we walk through this.

The Graces

No clever title available...

December 6, 2007

Ok, so my creativity is lacking a bit today. Speaking with some of our friends back in the capital city, we all feel a little like we are living the movie Groundhog Day. Have you seen it? Those coming behind us - get ready.

As I sit here in our flat, the girls are preparing gift bags for a little party we are having this afternoon for our D's friend, Y. We'll be meeting them later today for pizza. They are having a great time being girls. Can't wait for A to arrive! It is fun though to watch them interact pleasantly. Her creative skills are really impressive.

This city is such a place of contrasts. The place where we are is not appealing on the outside, but the apartments are nice on the inside. We are a short walk from the main street where you can find most modern amenities - clothes, appliances, foods, etc. The sidewalks are wide and used heavily. At night the buildings are lit up and it really is nice. I'm not sure if this is a seasonal thing or if it is always this way. We are learning that in Soviet times many references to religion were done away with - in the interest of the common good - sound familiar? For instance we saw "Father Frost" the other night in front of McD's and I said "hey, there's Santa Claus!" I was told that he cannot be referred to as Santa or Saint. So silly, yet so profound to me. This city is known for its manufacturing of steel, cars and other goods. The factories are on the outskirts of town and you can see the plumes of exhaust coming from the stacks. The City reminds me of Bham in the 70's. The air is heavy and polluted. The cultural cross section runs complete from paupers to the dude who parks is H2 outside the hotel up the street.

So we've been spending some time with our child this week. Yesterday, she and I took a little trip to town and to the market. That girl has long legs and she can out walk me easily. I found myself struggling to keep up. It was a surreal moment to take in. She helped me to navigate around the city. We went to the internet cafe and she quickly got bored with that. But alas, I had prepared wisely. I whipped out the ipod to occupy her time. That lasted about two minutes. Then she asked to call one of her friends. So I conceded. She took the phone and walked outside. I could see her the whole time. I watched her as she talked to her friend. She looked so grown up - not a little girl any more. I know there is a reason why we have had to wait. Maybe we will know one day. We have a beautiful young lady on our hands - a precious jewel.

We began to make our way back to the flat. We walked to the bus stop to try to determine which one would take us back. At the stop there were several vendor selling there things - hot dog stand, a popcorn cart, several beer vendors (mental pause: did you know that you can't buy gallon of milk here, but you can buy a 3 liter of beer). We settled on the hotdog and some popcorn. I let her pick out what she wanted - cost me less that $0.50. The lady put ketchup, mustard and yes - sour cream on it. The dog never made it back to the bus stop. It was inhaled quickly. The popcorn turned out to be kettle corn and was really good. So I felt good about this day. Its the little things that help us to bond as a family.

Please continue to pray for us all. As many of you know the blending of a family is no easy thing and each experience is unique. As the director said on our first day here as a response to the flowers that we presented to her - "this is a celebration of the birth of a new family." The old is passing and we are discovering our new identity. Similar to our walk with Christ, we are being transformed every day - Romans 12:1-2

Can't wait to hear Sonny and Cher in the morning....

Papa

Another Day

December 5, 2007

Today we got up a little earlier. We've had breakfast and ventured to a new market to expand our food inventory. KB and G are having school today. The sun has appeared and I was beginning to wonder if it ever would. It is a beautiful day here in Zap and we are getting more comfortable by the day. One thing that is a little different than we expected is that our girl is growing so much! She is taller than G and I'm afraid might end up taller than me - although that would not be a big feat. She is a beautiful young lady and seems to be fitting well. Continue to pray that this transition will go smoothly and that we can get a court date soon. There are many things going on each day that help us to move along.

And now I would like to take a moment and brag on my eldest son! I understand that he scored 17 last night against a rival team, including a clutch 3. We are so proud of you son and can't wait to see you!

It seems that the lessons I am learning so far are centered around the character of humility. I've been reading The Practice of the Presence of God about an old guy named Brother Lawrence. He was a cook at a monastery in Europe several hundred years ago. His worship and intimacy with God stemmed from his everyday chores including cooking and cleaning. A simple life but also profound. The simplicity of this time and our days makes this an appropriate read.

We love you all and appreciate your prayers and comments.

papa

Alive and Kickin'

December 4, 2007

Sorry to be so long without a post. This is going to be a long one. Much to tell you. We have safely arrived in our region - I'll go ahead and call it Zap. We arrived early Sunday morning by train. Those of you who are familiar with that train ride will be happy to know that the toilets have been renovated and now include both seats and paper. The ride was uneventful other than the lack of sleep. KB did great and I think really enjoyed the ride. We were greeted by friends including our local facilitator D. It was so good to see familiar, english speaking faces. We loaded our bags quickly and sped away to our flat here in the city. I'm again ashamed to say that we slept away half the remainder of the morning.

We got the word through the grapevine that a party was happening Sunday afternoon at McDonald's and that we were invited to join in. We met the Kemp's at the bus stop along with D and headed up to McD's. We knew that another family was bringing their new daughter's class for a meal. This was the purpose of the party. As I was standing in line, I saw her - our D! She was allowed to come along with the other class. This was a huge surprise for us. I was overcome with emotion - big surprise. But wait, she doesn't see me. I'm waiving, but she doesn't see me. She's excited she's heading upstairs. She's going to see mama. D had spotted mama from outside and knew where to find her. She came back and it was a joyous, impromptu reunion there in the crowded line. What a great moment.

We ordered and made our way upstairs and wedged ourselves into a table and enjoyed our first meal together (minus A). It was so wonderful to be able to spend time together with friends. We were beginning to feel at home. Unfortunately, D had to return to the orphanage. We made our way to the Kemp's flat for some fellowship and a cake! (The first meeting of the UA supper club)

We stayed there for a couple of hours and gawked at the Kemp's flat. Very spacious indeed. Afterwards, we made our way home via bus. We're still a bit confused by the bus routes. More on that later.

On Monday we hit the ground running. We made our way to the local administration and officially received our referral. The people there were so helpful - wink, wink - your prayers are being heard. We were at the orphanage by 10:30 and went straight to the director's office. She asked us why we were there - "well duh," I said, " we're here to adopt our daughter." She told us that this would be up to the judge not her but that she would go to get the girl to ask her consent. (This is apparently required for older children). We were expecting this, but I've gotta confess. I was a little nervous about what her response would be. She came in radiant and beautiful as always, and took her seat. It is always funny to see how the kids react to the director. They have much respect for her in person.

The director began here speech about what was happening and what it would mean and what D should consider in making this decision. I thought all of this was appropriate, but a bit dramatic. She spoke of the opportunities that she would have here in her country and of the potential opportunities that may await in the states. A great show indeed. I'm sure the inspector was impressed. After it was over she solicited us for comments about whether or not any pressure had been applied. All we were waiting for was our D to say "yes, I want them to adopt me!" But she could not fit in a word. Her countenance was hard to read. What had she been told overnight? Had she changed her mind? What would be her answer? Finally, a pause. The question was offered. And the response.......



.......She said YES!!! Yes to us! Yes to our life. The Regis, I mean the director , asked, "is that your final answer?" Can you believe that? No, don't make her second guess! Is it hot in here or is it just me? Is my face red? Does anyone have tissue? I think I might hurl. D shut that down quickly and affirmed her answer.

Then she was asked to make a written statement in the presence of the inspector that she did indeed want be adopted by us. After a couple of typo's and corrections, she got it right. We spent most of the rest of the afternoon with her all around the orphanage. It was another good day. She and KB really hit it off. I think they are both a little excited about getting a sister. Continue to pray that this transition is smooth. We anticipate some difficulties - just because it will be strange at first for them both.

We left around 3:30 and headed back to town to the notary's office for some other business along with the Kemp family. We were out of there by about 5:15 and to the Zap parade of flats. We had just mentioned some logistical issues and so we met with our landlord to view some of his other properties. Now this guy - this guys is like the Ty of Zap. He buys these old apartments and upgrades them. He took us to three properties - Gully Place, and two VIP flats. One of the VIP's had only been completed a couple of weeks. He had designed it himself and was very proud of it. All were nice, but I think we are just going to stay where we are. The two VIP's were more costly than where we are and so it doesn't really help out that much. Plus moving is a pain.

After this we went to the pizza place - where the still hold a special table for the Brennan and Gully families. It was a good dinner and then on to out little flat. We decided that our place needed a little cleaning. The place if fairly modern, but just was not clean. There is some stuff on the dishes and around the range that absolutely won't wash off with soap and water. We spent several hours tidying up. We feel cozy now.

The days can become a little boring if you're not careful. KB has become an expert with the video tools on our laptop. I'll try to post a video - too precious not to share.

You guys continue to pray that things move along quickly. Also, pray for all of our families here - the Zap branch of the Body that normally meets at M-17. God is blessing us, but pray that he continues to encourage our spirits and strengthen us to carry out this task. Sometimes when it is still, you wonder if you really are crazy.

Tonight is Borsht night with the Kemp's and Hartsock's. We are all becoming a part of this culture!

Papa

Moving Day

December 1, 2007


We awoke to light snow/rain and overcast skies today. Temps continue to hover around freezing. We missed A's first high school BB game last night. Have heard no word on the outcome. I was able to see online that the varsity boys got hammered by our friends over the mountain, but no word on the freshmen.

Today is moving day for us. We'll be meeting with S later today and packing up to make the train tonight for our region. Any of you who have taken this train know what an adventure it can be. I've only done it once before. This is about a 4-5 hour drive. The train leaves around 7P and arrives around 6A the following day. The toilet situation on the train is a bit stressful, but I'm sure we'll manage. Again, I say I am a fan of public transportation. It is a bit hard though not to stand out.

We had a great day yesterday and ventured out farther than before. We got out a little late. I'm ashamed to say that we are still adjusting to the time zone. We met with the U family at the metro platform and then on to the underground mall a little after noon and ate a quick bite. This was the first "American" food that we have had. We were also able to speak with Don the phone during our mall time. She sounded pleasant, but our conversation was short. KB talked to her for a bit, also. She has historically be fairly shy to talk on the phone. My words to her were, "D, eta papa!" - Her reply, "I know" She continues to try not use her native language to communicate with us. We can't wait to see her again.

After that we were to meet with our other facilitator, B, and his family at their home out in the suburbs. We were to meet him in the metro station downtown on the platform. Now we are still figuring things out a bit and we had decided that rather than him coming all the way into town (a 20 minute ride) and then turning around with us to head back home, we would just head in his direction and meet him on the platform at the station near his home.

Gina had told me of her metro adventures from last year - packing people like cheap sardine in a small space and then fighting like mad through the crowd to get off at your stop - we had not yet seen this. But this time, it was on. The main station where we boarded in downtown and the passenger demand is relatively high. So we boarded and had to stand in the crowd the whole way. I was anxiously reviewing my metro map and watching the screens to make sure we did not miss our stop. KB was a little bothered by it, but hey, she likes the thought of being a big city girl. So after 9 stops we decided to disembark and hope for the best. As God would have it B had just arrived and was standing at the door where we were to step off. I'm learning to look for His hand in all things especially the little ones and to be thankful at all times. So thank you God for riding the metro with us. In reality, this was a real confidence booster for us - however, not yet invincible. So we rode with B and his wife to pick up two of their children from school and then to their home for a very nice dinner. Their home was so nice and cozy. We really enjoyed this time to "fellowship with other believers." Their family is also incredibly beautiful - such grace and kindness - a happy home indeed. They are doing great work for the kingdom here and we are happy to know them. Our dinner consisted of a chili dish which was quite tasty and was made with tomatoes which they had grown themselves. We also had juice from their small vineyard. G and B's wife really hit it off with the decorating talk. KB and their eldest daughter also had a great time playing together. It was a very nice time and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you guys for being so kind to us.

BTW, I was dubbed "Buddy" by their son. This is the name he calls his grandfather who also has facial hair. We all got a kick out of it. He was so cute and such a smart young man of 3 years.

We made our way back to the metro station and were able to ride while sitting this time. We made our transfer correctly and were home by around 9. I made a quick run to the market for some supplies and then we began to try to sleep.

Please continue to pray for us as we travel again tonight. It will be a sleep deprived night, but we are looking forward to being in the region.

Papa

PS, We are 4 deep on phones. Thanks to all who have allowed us to borrow. Here are the best numbers for us at the moment: 380673921930 and 380984250118