There and Back Again

Nyet, Yes, Head-shakes and Cookies

2009-01-30T19:11:00.004-06:00

This week has been one of many surprises. The biggest of which has been the ease of the transition of Ashley into the family. She has particularly taken to Noah, who she generally finds hilarious. Lily has followed Ashley around for a week as if to say, "This is what I have been waiting for all my life!" Now, don't get me wrong. Usually she looks at me like the confused puppy who just got it's first toy.

English is coming slowly. I have invested in Rosetta Stone. I confess that I had hoped to buy another language than the one I currently speak. The other night I had to declare "no more Russian speaking" to Chris. With SO many people who speak Russian around here, it would be easy for her to not put effort into learning English. She understands a lot. Many times when I ask her questions, she simply nods or shakes her head. She is smiling a lot, which makes me happy each time I see her do it.

My heredity has infused in me the instinct to reach out to ones I love and smother them. I have had to suppress that behavior with every fiber of my being. I know that it would freak her out, so I usually get by on one peck to the cheek each day. But tonight we took things to another level. Cooking. This is my creative outlet, which really helps my time-starved wife. As I began to pull out ingredients to make some cookies, she slid over my direction. I handed her the spoon and the bowl and we began to mix it up a bit. I showed her how to put dough on the pan and before we knew it, we had our first batch. I poured us some milk a-la' Dom Perignion, and we celebrated our deliciousness. I know this ain't exactly macho, but it is a microcosm of all I had been hoping for this past 3 1/2 years.

So for now, the shine has not worn off. I am bracing myself for the first indication of real conflict. Until then, I will rest in God's goodness of a daughter that has come home.

Gratefully,

Ande

Home

2009-01-23T04:19:00.002-06:00

God is so good. We are in Atlanta waiting on our too early flight back to Birmingham, but the circle is complete. The "Fab 5" (our children) embark with Paula and I today on our family's new journey for the first time together under one roof. Hey, Ashley was sharing a ROOM with 5 other girls a week ago. And they had beds for 2 more, if someone felt the need for personal space depravity.

Somewhere over the ocean, I was reading a book about the life of Hudson Taylor. Then it hit me. She really is my daughter. I could not get to any paper, so I used the back page of this 77 year-old book to capture the thought:

"As I read and listen to my I-pod, the song "What Now?" played. I bought Steven Curtis Chapman's CD in 2005, just after the Matveevka orphanage group left America. What the song did was tear a Dasha-sized hole in my heart. And here she is in the seat next to me on the way home. It is all I can do just to write."

As Ashely and I laughed together half way to Atlanta, I felt myself somewhere between savoring the moment, and feeling a bit ripped off about all of the time we had to wait. However, I do not question God's wisdom or His goodness. I will just have to wait to get some of the answers in this life. God surely does not owe me any.

We will see some of you at the airport soon. Thanks for praying with us.

Blessings,
Ande

We Got the Visa

2009-01-21T08:40:00.002-06:00

Today at 2:00, we were at the embassy with two other families from our neck of the woods to get visas. There were no problems of any kind and we all felt so relieved to have all paperwork behind us. She has really smiled a lot today. We had fun playing a joke or two on Anderson.

We depart for the airport tomorrow at 9:00am and should arrive in New York around 4:00pm. We are so excited to be home with our daughter, it seems so surreal to be at this point finally. Please pray for me to be alert to what needs to be done the rest of the way, and that it would look Christ-like.

Blessings,
Ande

Home on Friday

2009-01-20T17:57:00.002-06:00

This is Paula posting because Ande was having technical difficulties today. Today Ande, Anderson, and Ashley went to the American Embassy. What a cool thing for a 13-year old kid (Anderson, I mean). Not exactly like the Bourne movies, but still something he will remember. Ande's fingerprints did make their way to the embassy on Jan. 6th, so they were able to apply for the visa. They will go to the embassy tomorrow to pick it up at 2 p.m. It's so hard to believe that this is really happening.

Ande is finally ready to get the heck out of Ukraine. He really loves this country, but he is ready to get home. They are staying very busy up to the last minute meeting and eating with friends. They will fly out on Thursday, spend the night in Atlanta, and arrive in Birmingham at 7:45 a.m. Hallelujah! Anyone who wants to come welcome Ashley and the boys home is certainly welcome!

Love to you all,

Paula

Can a Brother get a Shower Curtain?

2009-01-19T12:44:00.004-06:00

I have not been able to get online for a few days now, so I have to vent. There is not one single shower with a curtain in this country. Can anybody tell me why you would want to get into the shower and have water go EVERYWHERE?!? If I were again a lazy college student, I would see the benefit therein by not ever having to mop. But now I am afraid I am going to die by slipping and hitting my head on the counter. Is there a real MAN out there who would want to go this way? If I do not make it home, I have instructed Anderson to tell everyone I was hit by a marshutka while diving to save an orphan. (For those of you who do not understand my terminology, I say that you need to get over here.) My vision to save all of humanity is to become rich by selling shower curtains to every man, woman, and child in Ukraine. It may hurt the mop industry, but I do not care. It is for the greater good.

On a more serious note, we got the medical visit done today for the embassy. We also got the plane ticket for Ashley. We have to stop Thursday night in Atlanta, so we will be in Birmingham at 7:45am on Friday, Lord willing. We have the embassy visit tomorrow and should have the visa stamped on Wednesday. Please pray that the fingerprint issue has been cleared up for me.

We had lunch today with Nastya V., who was the translator in 2005. Paula and I have maintained a friendship with her and her new husband. When Ashley saw her, the moment was a bit overwhelming. So much has transpired since the two of them last spoke. It was a real blessing. Nastya still has pictures from that summer. I really blew it by not having a camera today. I still cannot believe that this adoption has come to pass.

Ashley, Anderson and I are slowly becoming accustomed to one another. It is plain to see that she is terrified of the unknown (who can blame her?), but she maintains that this is the new life she wants (shower curtain and all). Most of the time, I feel like a big dork. If anyone can give me a crash course on parenting a 14 year-old Russian-speaking girl, please call me at 1-800-MAN-LOST.

Ok, I will stop writing before you stop reading. Thanks for praying for us.

Blessings,
Ande

2 Adoptions!

2009-01-17T12:48:00.002-06:00

Today I got news that our son, Chris, prayed to receive Christ! Now he has been adopted into God's family. It happened about the same time I was signing Ashley out of the orphanage. How great is our God. We just brought him home on January 25 of last year. We have seen 2 big answers to prayer in 2009. We prayed this for Chris for over a year. We have been asking God to give us Ashley for 3 1/2 years.

By the way, we got Ashley's passport today at 3:00. We leave for Kiev tomorrow night. We will spend the holiday Monday on the medicals and plane ticket, ets. Prayerfully, we will get the visa and be home Thursday night.

Gratefully,
Ande

The Nina, The Lena, and the Late Eaten Pizza

2009-01-17T01:05:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was a big slow-down. We slept in for a while and then went for "brunch" at McDonald's. Given their run of the menu, 14 year-olds Ashley and Galya chose the happy meal. We made a few other stops and then went back inside to escape the slush all over the ground.

At 4:30, Oleg picked us up to go to little Nina's house. We crammed 6 into Oleg's car (insert joke of your favorite nationality here). When we got there, Nina was running around on the tires on the playground, oblivious to all else. She was really glad to see us. She was particularly glad to see Ashley, with whom she had been to Italy 3 times. For me, it was a picture of what once was to be.

Once inside, we saw the Christmas decorations. Yana translated (more than Lena wanted) that there were not many presents this year and that things at work were hard. I told Lena that we want to be there for them to help offer support and encouragement as best we could. She began to tear up. I nearly did too, but alas, I am macho man. Mirislava came in from her college studies in time for cake. We stacked up around the table to eat, while Bart (the dog) took his place under the table. We talked of things of America and Ukraine. The children got tired of it and retired to the parlor. Lena was fascinated with home schooling. She explained that mothers had to parent by phone while at work. I felt so bad for her, knowing that life was a struggle. Lena does not wear it on her sleeve. She was gracious. She asked me to influence Nina to do well in school. I wished for Nina's sake that school was fun. I did my best. In the U.S., we use the American Dream on kids to give them a reason to study. What DO you tell a child here? One day maybe YOU TOO can earn $100 per month?

One hour turned into two and a half. We decided to leave. The family insisted on showing us out. With too many people for the elevator (or casket suspended vertically from 10 stories) Yana, Anderson and I had to take 10 flights down. I HAD to see if I could beat the elevator down and I did! It was the first time I impressed anyone for weeks. They promised to meet us at the train station to say final goodbyes. In the car, with an elbow in my back, I led the charge for the best pizza around.

After that visit, I do not care if I ever get another present under the tree. Yes, Paula, I have pictures.

I had better go for now, because I have another English class to prepare for. I have been "suffering for Jesus" at Coffee Life, eating apple strudel and a latte. Hey, I had to trudge through a foot of snow to get here!

Blessings,
Ande

Another Busy Day

2009-01-16T01:50:00.003-06:00

Wow. We expected moderate activity yesterday, but what we got was more waiting...of all the nerve! We began by getting medical results from last time here, then off to another office to get more tests. Heat in this country can be turned off by a single switch, a-la the "soup nazi," but one must go to multiple sites to determine if he or she has anything contagious. What we found out is that Paula and I have a healthy bouncing 14 year old girl.

"Mayor" Nina proceeded to the passport office and we met her there. We gave 100 reasons why our passport should be processed first and they were SO amiable! They told us that the passport would be ready Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. Ashley got her picture made, then we went to our second trip across town to the notary. Ashley had to sign another document in front of them, President Yushenko, the Rada, and the Secretary of the U.N. The document said that even though she is our daughter, she is good with making the journey back to the U. S. I thought we covered that in court. I had a power of attorney document for Paula, but the notary came in and said that Paula would have to physically be here to sign. You can imagine my delight. I began to pray fervently. This was the first time this notary had done this procedure since (you guessed it) the new law change. They reluctantly decided to make the document, but they said "good luck" with it back at the passport office.

We had lunch at Politburo Cafe. It was an eclectic decor- Soviet era propoganda of the "good ole days," and Christmas cheer galore. Add in some American R & B, and you've got yourself one big oxymoron. Anyone over 30 would love to have seen this. I just sat and laughed. Nobody understood why, but that is nothing new for me.

We arrived at the passport office (did I mention fervent prayer all the way?). Yana took all the papers in and came out in seconds. I asked if everything was ok. She said "it's better than ok, the passport should be ready Saturday." Praise God for turning hearts and minds. Scripture talks of the Lord turning the hearts of rulers like the currents of the river. I was again reminded of the fact that people are watching and I have a testimony to live out before them. God has really given me peace throughout. It looks like we will be leaving on the night train to Kiev on Sunday. So if any of you are wanting that Zaporizhzhya keychain, I do not have a lot of time to hear from you.

Random thought of the day: You really have not lived until you have ridden on a perpetually bumpy Ukrainian road, in the back of a car, in the dark, with a hot cup of McDonald's coffee. Oleg called it "extreme coffee drinking."

Ashley has been really happy. She is not exactly showing a lot of curiosity about English, but she will wonder what we are all saying soon enough. God willing, we should make the Thursday trip home that I originally booked. Thanks for praying.

God Bless,
Ande

On the Move

2009-01-14T23:45:00.002-06:00

We arrived in Zap early Wednesday morning. There was a ton of snow on the ground. We hit the ground running and managed to secure the birth certificate and their version of the social security number. Of course, there was some situational comedy involved with the processes, but I cannot mention that here. I will have things to tell when we return. The lady at the birth certificate office was absolutley wonderful. At one point, I thought she was going to cry while wishing our family well. Those of you who have been through this know how long the first day is.

Today will likely be just as long. We have to get some medical stuff done and begin the passport process. Nina has been great. In fact, we should not have been able to get the birth certificate until today, but she pulled some strings.

Ashley has been happy. She has smiled a lot since our late arrival at the orphanage, which I love to see. Anderson has been great, but has had to endure lots of time in the back seat of Oleg's car doing nothing. I think it makes Ashley feel better to have someone her age here with her.

We are staying at the Intourist Hotel. I was shocked (but should not have been) to find that the posh, modern lobby in no way resembles the old rooms upstairs. Perhaps we will move today back to our old flat. We miss all of you. Thanks for your prayers.

God is Good,

Ande

Ukrainians Everywhere

2009-01-13T06:05:00.002-06:00

In Cincinnati, we ran into our friend Cathy Stafford in the airport. She told us that all of the Poltava children who had been hosted over Christmas were on the plane with us. Many of these children were in Birmingham last summer with us. When I got on the plane, I immediately saw Vitalik (Carter) and he lit up. Little Oksana (Holmes) ran up to me and gave me a bear hug. The kids seemed to be in good spirits despite leaving loved ones behind. They were with us all the way to Kiev.

Otherwise on the trip, Anderson and I settled into mature bahavior. We identified a man who looked like Autstin Powers (yeah, baby). Another man looked like Nacho Libre. We recited many movie lines and laughed.

We made it over just fine. I have never seen so much snow here. Fortunately for us, there is a heat wave moving through. The high today should hit 43. We will enjoy the weather for a couple of days before the thermometer moves south again.

We dropped our bags off and took to the streets of Kiev, our home away from home. Our facilitators have long ago learned to just let us go. They tell us where to be and when to be there and we just get it done. We grabbed lunch at "Be Healthy" before coming in here.

Tonight we will catch the 8:30 train down to Zap. Since tomorrow is Wednesday, I suspect we will somehow end up at an English lesson. I wish I could somehow get credit for all of the classroom time.

Otherwise, all is well with us.

Blessings,
Ande

It's Time

2009-01-12T09:35:00.003-06:00

Anderson and I are in the Birmingham airport waiting on our journey to begin. We will leave JFK at 5:40 this evening. It is hard to believe that we have finally reached the point of Ashley coming home to live with us. Please pray for our list of appointments: 1) birth certificate, 2) country code, 3) passport, 4) medical screening, 5) visa. We are trusting God for agreeable staff and smooth processes.

We will be staying at the Intourist Hotel, so perhaps some of you will see us on the webcam that captures Lenin Street. We are not sure how the gas situation is over there, so we really hope there is heat.

Paula, Chris, Noah, and Lily, we love you and will miss you tremendously. We will talk soon.

Blessings to All,
Ande

Going Back Soon

2009-01-07T21:35:00.003-06:00

I cannot wait to get back to Ukraine. I know that most of you reading this may think that I am insane (including my wife), but I find myself wanting to be there when I am here. I have such a longing to be with those who are hopeless, as well as the friends we have made who have taught me so much. I live with this tension constantly: What would it be like to live there by choice, as opposed to being born there with no way out? Some of my self-made paradigms are smashed, others are confirmed each time I visit.

There are 2 there that I care about the most. Ashley is finally coming home in a couple of weeks (praise God). Nina, who will always be my 6th child, will probably grow up there. For three and a half years, I have lived between the now and the not yet while the adoption story was being written. I am resolved that I will never have a reprieve from living in 2 places. I want to somehow help the single mother who has volunteered for the burden of raising someone else's child in her apartment in Ukraine. Lena is a hero.

I would appreciate prayers for Anderson and me. I anticipate a great time to invest in our relationship. I hope that he and Ashley can build a foundation. Parenting a 14 year-old girl and ice skating....I have done neither. Falling probably looks about the same and hurts just as much. Have you ever seen that dork who, on his way down, swipes his arm out and takes 2 or 3 to the ice with him? I pray for grace, wisdom....and really good balance.

Can't Get Away from Ukraine

2009-01-01T19:58:00.002-06:00

We were home but for a few days when we got an email from Yana. She said that her supervisor at the school where she teaches was "crazy for Americans." They wanted to know if we could do a Skype chat on Christmas Eve to talk to their English class about Christmas in America. We agreed to have our entire family on the chat.

After we finally got the webcams working, we had a fun time talking to the kids about our family traditions and the true meaning of Christmas. I particularly enjoyed hearing the girls in the class ask Anderson, our 13 year-old questions such as: "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Anyway, it is amazing where technology has brought us. I hope that our time with these kids has made a difference in their lives and that they have seen Christ in us. I am sure that we will find a way to visit them again in a couple of weeks.

Back in Alabama

2008-12-14T16:02:00.002-06:00

We had to go "dark" on the blog postings because we changed our plane tickets to leave 2 days early. We decided to surprise the kids back home, so we busted in on them during church service. It was funny because they were so surprised, but could not say hardly anything! Thanks to Alan Thompson for picking us up. I am so ready for turkey and dressing.

While it was good to get back to things more familiar, I have to say that I miss being in Ukraine. I especially miss my daughter, whose days are numbered there. I can't wait to go back to get her.

By the way, I posted a photo from court so that you can see Ashley. When you see a smile like that, it is easy to see why we love her.

May the Blessing of Christmas be Yours this Holiday Season.

Ande & Paula

Back In Kiev

2008-12-12T05:26:00.003-06:00

We survived another train ride last night. We made it back in this morning at 6:00. After handling things at the Embassy, we went on over to Friday's for some good food from home. As it stands now, I (Ande) am planning to come back over in the second week of January to get Ashley finished up with visa and passport. It is the strangest feeling to have an official daughter sitting in an orphanage here. I am a bit sad, but after all this time, I will surely get through it. I will post a photo as soon as I am able to have access outside of an internet cafe.

Please pray for Paula, as she is not feeling very well at this stage in the game. Thanks for hanging in there with us.

Blessings,
Ande

It's Official!

2008-12-11T09:43:00.004-06:00

After 2 long hours of court, thanks mainly to an over-zealous 25-year old prosecutor, Ashley Kate is officially our daughter!!!!! We were asked why we wanted her, if we could afford her, if we could take care of her, etc. The judge finally stepped in and said basically, "for the love!"- this was when the prosecutor asked me if I had to stay home with the kids or if I wanted to. The judge said, "James makes plenty of money. She doesn't need to work!" Considering what the young guy probably makes, it seemed a little ridiculous to ask us if we could take care of Dasha better than an orphanage!

After it was all over, the judge asked me (Ande) to stand for one last question: "Do you like boxing?" I told him that I had seen some of the big fights on tv, but not really. He told me that Mike Tyson signed a contract to fight Ukraine's top guy. I told him that I thought Tyson was crazy and he agreed.

Oh, well! We spent all day running around getting notaries (remember, Day 5 of Christmas). We had to say goodbye to our lovely new daughter, who we will miss. We are taking the train back to Kiev tonight so we can sign documents at the Embassy.

Thanks for all who have journeyed with us thus far. We feel very blessed and highly favored!

God bless you all,

Ande and Paula

Take 2

2008-12-10T06:35:00.002-06:00

Ok, first of all, thanks for all the love from the 12 Days of Ukraine Christmas. It was as fun writing it as some of you had reading it.

Now we are approaching the thing we came here for, which is the court date. George the Jedi secured the signature and is preparing to board a landspeeder from Kiev. He will arrive in the morning just a few hours before the Most Imminent Jedi Council convenes at 10:00 am to hear our case. We expect it to be routine, but why? Nothing here is routine. Anyway, we have faith that all will go well. Pray for our daughter, who is nervous.

Anyway, we are off for our curtain call English lesson with Yana.

Blessings,

Ande & Paula

One Freakin' Piece of Paper

2008-12-09T04:56:00.002-06:00

Well, George the Jedi's mind powers were not enough to get ONE signature on the form we needed to have court today. He stayed there all day Monday, but apparently getting the form done would have put somebody out too much. So, back to the coffee shop we go to eat our favorite dessert, shacaman (a sinfully delightful chocolate cake). As of now, court is set for Tuesday morning at 10:00 am. That's 2:00 am for you Americanskis. Please pray for this because it will just about be the only way we can make our Monday flights back in Kiev to get home.

On a lighter note, I deliver to you the 12 days of Christmas as it is now in Ukraine. I realize that this will mainly cater to those of you who have been through this process, so maybe more of you need to get over here! Go ahead and sing the song in your heads. Ahem....

On the 1st day of Christmas my facilitator gave to me a bogus Tuesday court decree.

On the 2nd day of Christmas my facilitator gave to me 2 expensive train tickets.

On the 3rd day of Christmas my facilitator gave to me 3 apartment choices.

On the 4th day of Christmas my facilitator gave to me 4 trips to the inspector.

On the 5th day of Christmas my facilitator gave to me 5 NO-TA-RIES!!!!!!!!

On the 6th day of Christmas my facilitator gave to me 6 shots of espresso.

On the 7th day of Christmas my facilitator gave to me 7 people's dinner checks (ouch!).

On the 8th day of Christmas, my facilitator gave to me 8 pieces of chocoman (YUM!).

On the 9th day of Christmas my facilitator gave to me 9 free WIFI hotspots.

On the 10th day of Christmas my facilitator gave to me 10 different exchange rates.

On the 11th day of Christmas my facilitator gave to me 11 bumpy willage road trips.

On the 12th day of Christmas my facilitator gave to me 12 pots of chornay chai (black tea).

The Circus

2008-12-08T09:03:00.002-06:00

Today was a great day. Our best day with our daughter by far. Yana, our translator, her and her best friend Galya, up at the orphanage this morning so we could go to the circus. Now, let's remember, this is Ukriane, not Barnum and Bailey. So, here's how it went:

Horses, no. Llamas, yes.

Elephants, no. Collies, yes.

Tigers, no. Hyenas, yes.

And finally, a real dancing Russian bear in a pink tutu! Her name is Yana, and this brown bear can ride a scooter and a bike.

Priceless!

It was precious to see our girl and Galya enjoying the circus. They even asked for balloon flowers!

Afterwards, we went and ate pizza and ice cream. The girls were laughing and talking. It was really a lot like watching a flower blossom. She has been so shy and quiet, and Galya helped her feel much more secure. We ended the day by going shopping. We needed to buy something for her to wear to court, and I also bought some things for Gayla. She doesn't have anyone in her life to care for her. Typical story- no momma, papa in prison.

I will be so glad when we bring our daughter home, but I lay awake at night thinking about what will happen to the ones who are left behind. Please pray for these children.

We are still planning on having court tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. (that's 2:30 a.m. central time). Our facilitator is still at the SDA waiting for the last document.

Blessings,

Paula and Ande

Please Pray on Monday

2008-12-07T09:52:00.002-06:00

Because of a law change that took effect on the 1st of December, we had to get a document redone and certified at the SDA. It has been promised to us on Monday. It will have to brought down here from Kiev by George the Jedi, who will be our official interpreter for court.

Please pray that nothing will stop this document from being certified and signed by the director, or we will not have court on Tuesday.

Thanks,

Ande & Paula

Our Sweet Little Nina!

2008-12-07T09:05:00.002-06:00

For those of you who are new to our journey, this post may not be as meaningful. To those of you who have journeyed from the beginning, you will be awed and amazed at the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father. I pray that all who read this will be blessed.

Yesterday morning Ande returned our daughter to the orphange. We were sad to have only had her for one night. On the way back to our flat, Ande asked our driver to make a phone call for him. A little background...... our journey to Ukraine began 3 1/2 years ago when we met a little girl, age 8, named Nina. She and our daughter came to America together. The first day we met Nina, she asked me if I could adopt her and be her momma. Oh, to be so bold! We spent the next two weeks falling in love with both girls, and we began 2 dossiers to adopt them. Ande and I came to Ukraine in March 2006 to visit, exactly one week before Nina was removed from the orphanage and put in foster care. We were devastated. We asked about her but the director would give us no info. So, at Christmas 2007, we received an email with a picture texted from Nina to Momma Paula and Papa Ande. She had sent the picture to the wrong person, and they found us. It was truly a miracle. We called her, sent presents, and had hoped to see her one day. Well, that day was yesterday!

So, when Oleg called the number we had for Nina, the next thing we knew we have an invitation to come to Nina's apartment. Our translator was teaching a class, so we had to use our driver as translator. He only speaks basic English, but it was enough. When we drove up, Nina was standing outside. She looked exactly the same, but taller. It was as if time had stood still the last 3 years. The next thing we know, we're meeting her mom and sister, who are both wonderful. The first she did was show me the bear with our family's picture that I had given her in March, 2006. I fought back tears the entire visit. She had every single gift and picture we had ever given her. Her foster mom even showed me the first Barbie I ever sent Nina. It was obvious that this family understood Nina's feelings for us and were not threatened at all. This is a single mom who chose to take in an orphan. I can't explain how uncommon this is here- practically unheard of. They were so gracious. As we left, the tears came. Tears of sadness and tears of joy. Tears of loss and tears of gain. This is definitely one of the most precious gifts I have ever received. God does place the lonely in families and does not forget his children!

From Ande- Oh, how my back hurts. Nina commenced to playing with me just the way she did back in the beginning. In the apartment, she turned me into her personal jungle gym. I have not played like that...well, maybe since the last time I saw her. She talked about the time we spent on the trampoline in America.

I too was amazed at the lady who took her in. She gave no feelings of being threatened. She was hospitable and gracious. I cannot imagine how this may have felt to her because it was obvious all along that we were Nina's first choice. She told us so in March of 2006. This day was one of the most profound of my life. Inside, I felt a bit of grief mixed with gratitude. I do not know what will happen in the coming days, but I will always have another child in Ukraine; a little daughter who seems unscathed by the trauma she has lived through.

Now my thoughts turn to praying for the single mother who is raising a special orphan. It is James 1:27 all in one lovely package.

Chillin' Like a Villain

2008-12-04T05:12:00.002-06:00

Well, we have been updating paperwork since we got to Zaporizhzhya. It prevented us form going to the orphanage yesterday. I hope that our daughter can get a glimpse of what we have been doing for the last 3 years to try to get her home. I am drinking lots of espresso to stay awake and fight the boredom.

We went with our friend ,Yana last night to her English class. We ended up teaching on everything from politics (kept it brief) to holidays. The kids were very curious. They were fascinated about our families and our homes. All but one of the children was an only child! Most of their mothers were professionals and the fathers....well, they were more vague about that.

Today, Oleg, our driver, told us about his car loan. It was done at 13% interest and in U.S. currency. The banks here do not allow payments to be made in grivna; they demand dollars. The exchange rate has been at about 7:1 for most of the time we have been here. Dollars cannot be found. ATMs no longer give dollars as an option. Oleg has to go out and find dollars at a 10:1 rate at a "market" just to pay his car note. And he has 3 more years on it. The future looks so bleak here and our heart breaks not just for our friends, but everyone here. Yana was telling us that people now are parking their cars in front of the banks and leaving them because they cannot afford the payments. Unemployment is skyrocketing.

I think we could not have come here at a better time. If our daughter were having any thoughts of wanting to stay in Ukraine, they would be dashed by the events taking place. Speaking of her, I will go for now because we are going to see her.

Blessings to All,

Ande

Court Next Tuesday, December 9th!

2008-12-02T08:07:00.002-06:00

We thought today was going to be another relaxing morning followed by a trip to the orphanage to visit our daughter. But we got a call at 10 a.m. (we were still in pj's) saying that the judge asked to see us personally. This is really out of the ordinary, especially since he never even asked to see us when we got there. Nina and our driver were there to pick us up at 10:30. No breakfast for Ande, but he did have coffee. We still really have no idea why we went, but we just do as we are told.

There are many things that happened today that we cannot write about on a public blog, and they are all hilarious. If you want the details, please email us or facebook Ande. We'll sum it up by saying that if we did not have Nina, we would not have a court date. She is very well-connected, and she really cares about these kids. So....we are going to court next Tuesday, December 9th. This is perfect timing for us. We will work on new birth certificate next Wednesday, then take the train back to Kiev Thursday night. On Friday, Paula has to sign papers at Embassy so she doesn't have to return in January. And then we fly out on December 15th.

Ande typing here- I was particularly impressed with the courthouse here. I have never seen so much crammed into a Soviet-era building. We have a lot to learn from them in America. I mean, there is no room for boredom. They thought of everything to make it a one stop shop for getting a kid. If you didn't bring enough money to...uh, well, you know, there is a bank on the 1st floor. If the judge doesn't like my haircut, well I can go down to the barber shop and get that handled. If the proceedings go too long, do not worry, there is a cafe with a plethora of snacks. When the proceedings are over, run down to the flower shop and buy some flowers. There is even a shop to buy school supplies.

Tomorrow we will be going with our translator Yana to her English class. She asked us to come and help teach. This is so weird for us. Let me explain- it's as if life has now come full circle. We met teaching English classes in the former USSR (Kazakhstan) to Russian-speaking teenagers. Now, 15 years later, we are back in the former USSR teaching English classes again. God has such a sense of humor. And we are amazed how he gave us a heart for Soviet-region children back then, and now we are here adopting our second child in a year. God's heart definitely is with these precious children that we call orphans. Praise Him that He has not left us as orphans but has adopted us into His family by His grace.

By the way, please be praying for our friends the Williams who are here trying to adopt a 15 year old boy that also came to America with Dasha in 2005. Their judge is awful, and she refused to have court yesterday. They have already been here 2 months. She told them to come back for court on Dec. 16th. They are heartbroken! Pray for peace and God's perfect will to be done.

Thanks for al the prayers!

Ande & Paula

Submitting for Court Tomorrow

2008-12-01T08:08:00.007-06:00

Pictured Top- Paula and I with Yana, Marina, Nina and kids out on the town. Middle- Hanging in the flat. Bottom- Us, the Plaias, and Nastya (translator from 2005) with husband Kostya.

We meet Yana and Nina in about an hour to sign another piece of paper for the court submission tomorrow. Nina is the unofficial mayor of this town. She knows the judge and everyone else here. Think of Clara on the Andy Griffith Show, but much nicer and not quite as nosey!

I am going into withdrawls without our daughter in the apartment. It is so strange for me to have a 14 year old girl around who has not always been with us. My other kids are used to my weirdness by now.

Pray for Oleg, our driver. I believe God may be opening a door for conversation about the Gospel. He works 2 other jobs in addition to being a driver. He bends over backwards to help us here because he is so happy about what we are doing for the children of Ukraine. He said that he would like to do something for them as well, but he cannot afford it. The taxi company and the governement take 60% of what he makes driving a cab. What can I tell him? Work hard and all your dreams will come true??? The Gospel is the only answer for them here.

There are many here that feel the same way he does. Capitalism only works well if 3 components are in place: 1) Political freedom, 2)Freedom from too much regulation, and 3) Moral restraint. Thomas Jefferson said that democracy can only thrive and last when it is has a moral foundation, the Judeo-Christian ethics (paraphrase). Ukraine is like a 3-legged stool that is ready to topple. We have had the opportunity to talk with several Ukrainians (all over 50) who grew up in the USSR, and they all remember it like the "good old days". Perestroika, which brought freedom, also opened the floodgates for every immoral and lewd act to be brought out into the light. You can't imagine their TV commercials- it's as if a half-naked woman is necessary to even sell cat food! Paula and I have spent a lot of time talking about what our lives might be like if we had been born here in communism, transitioned through Perestroyka, and now left to fend for ourselves. God has blessed us somewhere between this and we call the "American Dream." I know He loves us all the same, but the differences are staggering, profound....and absolutely heartbreaking.

Please pray for those we have a lot of time with- Yana (translater), George and Nina(faciliatators), and of course Dasha. Pray that they will see Christ in everything that we do. I desperately want them to know Christ. Yesterday Nina was telling what she liked most about America (she's been twice when the kids were hosted). She said the people in America are so different than here. Ande remarked that is because she has always been around Christ followers. We tried to explain that these Americans are different because their lives are centered around Christ. Pray that God will open hearts and doors.

Blessings to All,
Ande

Ephesians 2:10- "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do."

Having a Nice Time

2008-11-30T08:47:00.005-06:00

We had 3 days with our daughter in our flat. She went back to the orphanage this afternoon. While communication was difficult, I must admit that I was very sad for her to go. Thankfully, we were able to go around the corner for just the right thing...espresso and tiramisu! There is a new, modern, swanky coffeehouse (called Coffee Life, of course) nearby with free wifi. It is fantastic.

We spent part of the day with Masha, Avraam, Dasha, and Yana the translator. We had a great time at McDonald's and back at our flat watching a movie. Thankfully, we have some movies in Russian. It is so amazing to be here with these children and the history we have had with them. (Paula writing now) Terri, we got Avraam a new Sim card-I'll email the number to you. He is so great. Always smiles. Masha is such a sweetie, too. She always hangs on to my arm or my hand. I absolutely love it. It was great for our daughter to have some friends over with her. She told Yana that things have been good and she is enjoying our time together. Praise God we have not bored her to death! We are having to learn to give her some space. She is so shy, and I just want to love on her all the time. But she is 14, so I will try to contain myself. She is not real big on having her picture taken, but she'll get used to it.

I do have a prayer request. BTW, M-17, we really miss you today! Paula is having chest pains again. This happened the last time we were here, and she saw a cardiologist last spring. They thought it was mitrovalve prolapse, but decided it's just an irregular heartbeat. It hasn't been troublesome for the last several months. But, as they say it is more stress-related, Paula is having a lot of pain now. Please pray for it to go away and for there not to be any complications. Also, we hope to get our date tomorrow or Tuesday for court.

Thanks so much for all of you that have posted. You cannot imagine how excited we are to check the blog each day! Jenn, thanks for all the tips.

Blessings,

Ande & Paula

Getting Settled in Zap

2008-11-29T06:21:00.002-06:00

Well, we had a whirlwind of a start down here in the southern part of Ukraine. After many meetings, cab rides, a notary visit (the vocation of choice here, where one could become rich), we finally have our daughter in the flat with us.

We visited 2 dumps, er, apartments before settling on the posh European digs. Oxymoron does not begin to describe apartment life here. All of the buildings look like something out of Westside Story on the outside and the stairwells. Once inside our place, it is totally modern. It is funny, however, that we have no oven (forget the chocolate chip cookies) or microwave. For the alumni who have adopted here, we are near the McDonald's.

Our daughter seems a bit overwhelmed by the inability to communicate. I know enough Russian to get by, but there are certainly no meaningful conversations. Boredom seems to be setting in, so we will do the best we can for now. Please pray that she will open up and not be so afraid. It is so frustrating to have had something of a relationship for so long, but not be able to get very far. We knew it would be this way, but there is no substitute for personal experience. Any suggestions by you alumni would be most appreciated.

We will likely go out with a few children from the orphanage tomorrow. I think mainly Avraam and Masha. I think it will be fun. Terri, Avraam and Masha said thanks for the gifts. We have pictures and will upload whenever possible.

Well, we will go for now. We love and miss you all. Thanks for the posts, keep em' coming. Thanks M-17!

Blessings,

Ande

Reason to be Thankful

2008-11-27T09:47:00.004-06:00

We took the overnight train to Zaporizhzya. This time we requested to be upgraded to a sleeping car that we did not have to share with 2 other people. The hope was to get better sleep, but that did not happen. We finally arrived at 6:40 am and we went to unload our bags, get a shower, and then off to start the process. They hit the ground running here.

We got to the Inspector's office. The director promised to be there at 9:00, but that is Ukrainian speak for "I ain't coming." Fortunately, the chief of our particular area was there and agreed to accompany us to the orphanage. When we arrived, we saw that the roof had been blown off by a storm that struck 3 nights ago. The place was a mess.

Once inside, we saw Tolya and Yulia, who visited us in 2005. He is 6'1" and she is strikingly beautiful. We went into the director's office and took our seats. The climate was obviously of official nature. Moments later, our girl came in and it was so great. Big smiles, big hugs. The rep from the inspector's office did not need to observe long before she decided to leave. We went through all of the formalities and she signed the paperwork which said she wanted to be part of our family! 3 1/2 years later, here we go!

Last year, I had to go home for the funeral of my father, so I missed this time with Chris. I am grateful for this time.

After we finished all the official stuff, we saw Avraam and Masha. They looked so great. I believe we will take them out on the town tomorrow.

All of our paperwork is well on it's way and we should have things ready to petition the court at the first of the week. This is a far cry from the process we experienced in Kiev. Keep praying for the court date to be granted soon. Thanks for all the kind words on the blog. Please eat some turkey for us.

Blessings,

Ande

A Little More

2008-11-26T06:26:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone! Ande usually does the blogging, but I wanted to enter a quick post today. I thought this would be a blessing to many of you, especially those who go to Brook Hills and have heard David Platt's Radical series.

Our youngest son, Noah, has been saving for quite some time for an Ipod Touch. But as I was leaving for Ukraine he came and gave me $30 US. He asked me to give it to some poor babushka's in Ukraine. We prayed that God would show me who to share the money with. Babushkas are these poor grandmothers that receive less than $100 dollars a month pension (many receive much less). I saw a little lady near the metro yesterday who was sitting out in the freezing cold selling something worthless to make a little extra money. I continued to think about her last night, and I was so excited to see her this morning again. I walked over and placed $10 in her shriveled hand and gave her a kiss on the cheek. I hoped to quietly slip away, but she started yelling to everyone around in Russian. I have no idea what she said, but she was very excited. I did the same thing later today with another babushka. I told her that God loves her, and again slipped her the money. Her reaction was quiet but she could not stop thanking us. I have to tell you that there have been few times when giving felt so good. I know that God moved me to give the money to these 2 ladies. I don't know their stories. I'll never see them again. But a little boy in America has done his part today in caring for widows. I know that his Father in heaven is smiling. And so are his mom and dad. May we all have hearts like our children this coming holiday season and throughout the year.

Blessings,
Paula

6 Hours and Counting

2008-11-26T06:09:00.003-06:00

I am not sure when we will have internet access again for a while, so I decided to grab a quick post before we leave. Our train leaves @ 8:30. So far, today has been pretty relaxed.

We got up this morning and found that "strange Latvian man" has left the building. Last night I had to get into his apartment to get clothes out of the washing machine and some other guy answered the door. I began to wonder if this man, who was not supposed to be here, was subletting the space.

Our facilitator , George the Jedi, called the church representative in Zap who is affiliated with the group in Kiev. He inquired about the apartment there in Zap, and the lady said it was not available (she said someting about a Latvian man). She insisted that we stay with her. George, of course was delighted. We say NO WAY, Andrey! So we will move into our own place when we get there and leave George to talk the paint off this woman's walls.

Last night, Paula gave the door guard who was here in January about 12 of the U.S. state quarters he was collecting. He freaked out for about 2 seconds and then pulled out a list of the quarters that he did not have and asked that we bring those to him next time. This kind of gratitude was eerily familiar, but kinda funny too.

We had lunch with Nastya, the translator who came over in 2005. She is having a tough time, just pray for her. Things are tough all over Ukraine; much worse than at home.

Well, I will go for now. Thanks so much for all the prayers....keep them coming.

Ande

We Got the Referral!!

2008-11-25T07:51:00.002-06:00

Praise the Lord, the appointment today with the SDA was a success. We had a relatively short wait in the hall. We were greeted by a young lady who was very pleaseant. We went into the meeting and had no problems whatsoever. She was very kind and she granted us all that we needed to proceed. As I write this, our facilitator is off making the necessary copies they requested.

For those of you who don't speak adoption, this means that we can proceed to go get our daughter. The next step is to take the train tomorrow night and then have the official visit at the orphanage. To my children, I can only imagine the envy they feel right now about riding the train, especially Anderson! We have asked to be upgradedso that Paula and I will ride alone in a sleeping car.

I am nearly pinching myself as I am right down the street from our meeting. It has taken 3 1/2 years to get to this point. God is good and He is faithful. Every good and perfect gift is from above, as James reminds us. I see spiritual parallels in this journey. I can only imagine what our Heavenly Father thought each time we delayed saying "yes" to Him. Some people go their entire lives as spirtual orphans, which is so sad. We still face the meeting where our daughter has to say "yes" to US for real. Please pray for this time. I know it will be tough for her to leave all she has ever know, be it not so good.

Shortly, we will meet Linda and part of the rest of the orphan graduate gang for dinner at McDonald's. I am sure they will have many stories for us about the last 9 months. By the way, McDonald's now serves breakfast! Now you can clog your arteries and have a McHeart Attack in English or Russian any time of day.

We will go for now. Thanks for praying.

Ande

Appointment Tomorrow

2008-11-24T10:15:00.002-06:00

Well, we settled back in here as if we never left. We have had a number of surreal experiences....it's like deja-vu all over again! It is so funny how we know our way around here without the assistance of anyone. Yesterday, we spent the afternoon as tour guides for our friends Letha and Rocco. They are here adopting as well. It felt a bit like hosting Rachel Ray's Tasty Travels. We took them to The Fat House to eat. While there, an American couple from North Carolina sat beside us. Guess what they were here for.

It snowed here yesterday like I have never seen. The wind would blow so hard that it was blinding at times. Today, it is just ice.

We just visited the orphange where Chris was adopted from. Everyone was so glad to see us. George the Jedi accompanied us, and we were glad to have him, for we could not otherwise have communicated with anyone. All the ladies from the orphanage were so proud of Chris and how well we reported about him. Heck, we were proud too. We are thankful that God delivered him out of that environment to us. The director treated us like long lost friends. She brought out all of the hospitable treats. 2 1/2 hours later, we left.

We have our appointment at the SDA tomorrow. Please pray with us. There should be no problems, BUT, this is Ukraine. We are scheduled to leave Wed. night. We will let you all know how it turns out.

Blessings,
Ande & Paula

P.S.,
Kids, we have funny stories about George!

We Made it

2008-11-22T13:18:00.003-06:00

We arrived in Ukraine at 9:15am local time. We were greeted by the hall family, our friend Katia Voropaieva, Zhenya Rudnitsky, and others. I am amazed at how we can be among friends across the globe. Due to sleep deprivation, I cannot tell you much of what happened up until the point we got to the flat. It is snowing, kids!

When we arrived at the place where we were supposed to stay, we were told that there was a guy who came in and was occupying our space. This is at the top floor of a church, where some friends we made last trip are serving as missionaries. They did not expect the visitor either. On top of that, there is a group of other missionaries on their way to a retreat in Turkey staying in the other room. Sleep Over!!!!!!! We all had pizza, got acquainted, and then guys and girls divided up into respective rooms to sleep. As ticked off as I was in the beginning, I found that these people are really great and we would have otherwise not met. Not much coming from the mystery guest from Latvia, however.

Tomorrow we will venture over to the Plaia's flat. They are here to adopt 2 girls from another region. Since we are practically indigenous to these parts from our last adoption, we will show them the ways of Kiev.

Continue to pray for us. We are excited about what the week ahead holds.

Blessings to All,

Ande

We're Off

2008-11-21T08:38:00.002-06:00

The day started early for me. I was up at 2:50, and without an alarm! Paula and I arrived at the airport at about 7:40. Thanks to Chris Grace for dropping us off. All of our suitcases are EXACTLY 50 pounds each. That is, of course, after we laid bare everything in all of them to shift weight around from 2 that were over the limit. Few things in life bring as much dignity as opening all your personal belongings for all of the world to see. At least they did not see my guitar-themed boxers.

We will go Atlanta, JFK, then to arrive in Kiev tomorrow morning. We will be greeted by George the Jedi (see other blog) at the airport.

We found out yesterday that our daughter was told by the orphanage director that we were only coming for a visit. I don't know why they do that. She knows the real reason we are coming (because our translator translated), but was told to act surprised when the "veil is lifted." Hey, it's all about pageantry in Ukraine.

Paula already misses the kids. We ask that you pray for Chris and Lily, who both have sinus infections.

Well, the plane just arrived, so I will sign off for now. We will post again whenever something happens.

Ande

We Really are Going Back!

2008-11-08T08:12:00.004-06:00

After MANY dossier updates, we are headed back to Ukraine again. God willing, we will soon have as many children (5) as we had members of the family when this whole thing started. Paula and I will go alone this time. It ain't Hawaii, but we will enjoy the time together. Why is it that I always go to Ukraine in WINTER?

Our date to visit the central office in Kiev is November 25. We should arrive in Zaporizhzhya on Thanksgiving Day for our official orphanage visit. This will be our second consecutive Thanksgiving over there.

It is miraculous how this has worked out. After our dossier was rejected twice, we had to update our homestudy in 3 days and FedEx it over in order to meet our resubmittal deadline. Part of the update was to get 2 forms from our state capital. Our social worker predicted that they would probably not be willing to give these updates to us because it had been so long since I was last fingerprinted. But Paula and I (like Jake and Elwood) were on a mission from God. We drove down, visited both offices and were given the forms immediately! Obviously, we met the deadline as God worked us through what is a normally 4-6 week process.

Our plan is to visit court and, since there is a mandatory 10 day waiting period, come back home for the Holidays. I will go back in January to bring our new daughter home. Please pray with us that this process will go smoother than the last one did. Specifically, please pray for a fast court date.

I will post more in a week or so.

Blessings,

Ande
Ephesians 2:10