Our new family members have been home from Ukraine since October, 2004.  It's hard to believe so much time has passed but then I look at each of them and see how they have grown (and how many new gray hairs I have! ).  After some thought, I have decided to stop blogging in this place for now.  We will keep the blog online for at least a few more years and hope that it will be helpful to any who may be contemplating adoption from Ukraine.     Our best to you all!

 

The August heat and humidity are omnipresent at the moment.  The national conference of govenors is meeting in our town.  What were they thinking?   On Tuesday, the built-in thermometer in my car read 105 degrees.  Today, it read 97 degrees as I traveled down the highway from church to home.  The heat is the opening topic in most every conversation and usually the farewell - "Now, keep out of the heat!", comes the good-bye bidding. "You, stay cool, too,"  comes the reply.  Whew!  The gentle and temperate clime of this past spring is a distant memory.  Will fall ever come?

Tomorrow is husband John's birthday.  Way to go, big guy!  We are now in our mid-fifties and every year is starting to feel like an accomplishment.  I am doing reading and writing in preparation for the first workshop in my Doctor of Ministry program.  The reading is so very helpful.  One book in particular, Models of Contextual Theology  by Stephen Bevans, has been acutely helpful.  If any of you are wondering what in the world has been happening with the Episcopal Church, check out this book.  It helped me understand how a shift in the approach to doing theology has prompted a seismic shift in our denomination.  Yup.  It's there in black and white.

Well, don't get overheated y'all!

Our family has just returned from a week at the beach.  While a change of scenery is almost always a good thing, John and I have realized  (anew) that vacations can be a lot of work!  We are grateful to have had the time away (well, we weren't that far away), but are glad to be sleeping in our own beds and cooking in our own kitchen.  What fogeys we are becoming.

I enjoyed reading the obligatory amount of beach trash reading - two titles by Storm Constantine - Sea Dragon Heir and Crown of Silence.  They were  fairly entertaining, but also were chock a block full of new agey type theology.  It might be interesting to exegete them to have a look at the theology more closely. BUT as they were only light reading, I don't suppose that will be forthcoming.

While at the beach, I learned that a parishioner's father had died.  He was buried this past Saturday using the  burial rite from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  However, sentimental one might feel about that particular edition, the burial service seems somewhat bereft.  The deceased is mentioned once by his or her name.  While some folks find this attractive ,  I missed  the more personal emphasis of the current BCP.  Guess I'll be using the 1979, but  not anytime soon I hope.

Here's Max right after breakfast one morning

 

Ahh ,  Easter Sunday morning after a ride of an hour in the car to get to Church.  Everybody was squinting and Max was getting pretty grumpy.  But, you get the idea.  Alleluia.  Christ is Risen!

                                         

 

Yesterday was my birthday, and it was a fine day. We went to church, and  John cooked a birthday dinner. We were joined by my sister, Susan, and her husband Kent. It was also the anniversary of meeting Ruslan, Oksana, and Max. One year ago yesterday, we left Kyiv very early in the morning (dark!) and drove to Gorodyna to meet our new family members. We had thought we were just going to meet them and did not realize that we were going to get them! What a day and what a year! All is well. TBTG!

 

Left to right - Max, Ana,  Jennie, Rus, Oksana and John C.

I wonder what America's stats look like - jco

The Christian Broadcasting Network studios in Kiev, Ukraine recently discussed the problems of orphans in Ukraine.

•There are over 100,000 orphans in Ukraine.

•The older an orphan gets, the chances for his/her adoption drastically decrease.

•Each year many orphans between 15 to 18-years-old leave the orphanages.

•Most of these orphans have no one to turn to for help.

•About 10% of them will commit suicide after leaving the orphanage before their 18th birthday.

•60% of the girls will end up in prostitution.

•70% of the boys will enter a life of crime.

•Only 27% of these youth will find work.

These youth live in a country that labels them as "useless" and gives no assistance to turn their lives around. It is a society that has created its own problem by placing thousands of children in orphanages, and then when they come of age, they give them no assistance to lead a successful life. It is almost as if the system places them in trade schools to become "slaves of the State" to fill the low-income jobs of unskilled labor and remain the under-trodden, 2nd-class citizens that the majority of the population of Ukraine believe that they are.

In the trade school dorm rooms there are unclean conditions, sometimes four showers to 400 people, and much drinking, smoking, stealing and sniffing glue by the kids that reside there.

What do orphans need?

When older orphan kids (ages 17-21), were asked this question, they unanimously agreed that the first was LOVE. And the second was TIME: come and play games, or teach the children in the orphanage. They said that money and things such as clothes, candy, toys, etc. were not so important. Visits and contact are important.

CBN showed a video interviewing grad orphans, who are now out of the orphanage, as to what is important to them. Their answers were:
1. Someone to trust
2. A person who is committed to help them
3. A flat – place to live
4. "Someone to hold my hand"
5. Moral support of friends
6. God's help
7. Moral support, not just clothes
8. To learn to be independent

When orphan kids were asked what the most painful thing about being an orphan was, this was their answer: To listen to people their own
age talk about their family life. These kids are too old to be adopted. But a synonym for adoption is "belonging". They need to belong to someone who loves them and
someone they can trust.

OTHER STATISTICS:
•There are presently 6,000 adoptions a year (almost all foreigners adopting).
•Only 10% of orphans are in orphanages because of death of a parent,
90% are social orphans – due to alcoholism, abandonment, or imprisonment of parents.
•There are 450 orphanages or orphan homes in Ukraine. Of these:
50 are baby houses/ 100 are regular orphanages for ages 8-17/ 100
are boarding schools for specialized needs including learning
disabilities/ 100 are shelters where 30,000 children live
temporarily between leaving home and being assigned to an
orphanage / 100 are private institutions, housing a total of 1000
children, mostly Christian efforts.

Dear All, 

 Sweet, sweet summer is upon us.   We are reveling in our local produce - watermelons, tomatos, sweet corn, blueberries and strawberries galore.  Tonite we had juicy and flavorful John's Island tomatos and could have eaten, oh say, one per person quite easily.  These came from the Shaffers' farm via the Piggly Wiggly. 

Summer begins for us with a performing arts festival held in our city the last week in May and the first week in June.  I took Ana, Oksana, and Max and met some friends.  Here is the threesome waiting...

We were entertained by the Abominable Feed and Seed Matching Band of Atlanta who were a terrific band in addition to their costumes and in spite of the blazing heat.

Ana had her face painted. This photo was made by our friend Brenda.  Ana really is an amazing girl. 

After the festival, school was out!  From there we began nearly five weeks of being on the road.  First, to church camp at the beach where John C., Rus, Oksana and Max relished being with the campers, our friend Dorothy (intrepid youth minister), and her puppy Lucy.  Here's Mr. Max enjoying a summer treat.

John C.and Rus stayed occupied with camp while Max, Oksana and I were free to roam.  Here's Oksana post swim

After camp, I took John, Rus, and Ana and headed for a conference being held in the  NC mountains approx six hours from our home.  The gathering was terrific and the keynoters superb (Michael and Rosemary Green).  I gave a workshop (International adoption as a metaphor for evangelism) and it went reasonably well.  Put together my first Power Point ever.  From there we headed home for a few days and then off again to be with my side of the family.  Lots of good time spent swimming, eating and yakking.  From there home again and then off to the Ga. mountains.  Beautiful, green and more good times - this time with John's side.  As it turns out, Ruslan is a serious water baby.  He fished, swam, jet skied, rode in boats and bonded with the water. 

I love the water drops on his ears. 

Presently we are settling in for the rest of the summer.  School plans for the fall are firmed up for each child.   I am looking for a new call, working on some writing projects, and continuing to work on becoming a family.  Our best to you all.

Study Says Foreign Children Adapt Well

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 6:45 PM EDT The Associated Press By LINDSEY TANNER

 A surprising new study disputes the notion that children adopted from other countries tend to be badly damaged emotionally because of the hardships they had to endure. The analysis of more than 50 years of international data found that these youngsters are only slightly more likely than nonadopted children to have behavioral problems such as aggressiveness and anxiety. And they actually seem to have fewer problems than children adopted within their own countries.

"Our findings may help them fight the stereotype that is often associated with international adoption," said researchers Femmie Juffer and Marinus H. van IJzendoorn of Leiden University in the Netherlands. They pooled results from 137 studies on adoptions by parents living in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Israel.

In the study, adopted children in general had more behavior problems than nonadopted youngsters, regardless of where the adoption took place _ a result that is not surprising, since both groups often suffer deprivation and come from broken families. But with backgrounds that often include abandonment, orphanages and civil strife, foreign adoptees are sometimes thought of as difficult, disruptive children _ an image that the study does not support, the researchers said.

The results are generally reassuring for international adoption _ an increasing phenomenon involving more than 40,000 children a year moving among more than 100 countries, the researchers said. "Before adoption, most international adoptees experience insufficient medical care, malnutrition, maternal separation, and neglect and abuse in orphanages," the researchers said. But to their surprise, they found that these children do well and are largely able to catch up with their nonadopted counterparts.

 The study appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association. A JAMA editorial said sensationalized stories about severely disturbed children adopted from abroad have been widespread in the media, and that may have skewed perceptions of these children. The analysis involved studies on adoption between 1950 and 2005, involving more than 30,000 adoptees and more than 100,000 nonadopted children. During that time, adoption has evolved from being a "shameful secret" to being celebrated and often very visible, especially with the relatively recent phenomenon of white parents adopting Chinese children, according to editorial author Dr. Laurie C. Miller of Tufts-New England Medical Center.

 In the United States alone, parents have adopted more than 230,000 children from other countries since 1989, she said. Behavior problems were relatively uncommon among all children studied, but internationally adopted children had a 20 percent higher chance of being disruptive than nonadopted children, and a 10 percent higher chance of being anxious or withdrawn. They also were twice as likely as nonadopted children to receive mental health services.

 Children adopted within their own countries were four times more likely than nonadopted children and twice as likely as internationally adopted children to receive mental health services. Also, domestically adopted youngsters had a 60 percent higher chance of having behavior problems than nonadopted children.

Some of the results probably reflect the parents who adopt foreign children, said Dr. Gregory Plemmons of Vanderbilt University's clinic for international adoptees. These parents often are high-achieving and financially well-off, and tend to seek out services like counseling for their children, Plemmons said. Also, children adopted domestically may suffer from the instability of living with different foster families before getting adopted, Plemmons said.

This past Sunday was an occasion of great joy.  Ruslan, Oksana, and Max were baptized!  Our bishop, The Rt. Rev. Edward L. Salmon, Jr., was present for his annual visitation and did the honors.  I knew that Ruslan and Oksana would be able to answer for themselves, but Max is such a little, ummm, contrarian, that I worried that he would say "No" when asked if he wanted to be baptized. The bishop wasn't worried one bit - he is the original "non-anxious" presence -  and when the time came, Max answered, clear as a bell, "Yes!"  What a relief. 

Were they baptized in Ukraine?  We are pretty sure the b-fam's religious background was Russian Orthodox, but have no way of getting dates, certificates or a definite record of any sort.  So, to the font they went, and pretty happily so as far as I could tell.  Afterwards, we had a great celebration and there was joy all around.  One friend, Lydia, remarked that the evangelism of the moment struck her.  Amen, sister!  May they grow into the likeness of Christ and the fullness of the life that our God has ahead for them.

Given their Orthodox background, I was especially happy they were baptized on May 1.  This year, 2005, May 1 is Easter Day in the Orthodox world.  A blessed time for a baptism or three.

Here they are with our bishop.

Where to start?  Our new family members have been home now for almost seven months, and they are doing beautifully.  Each of them seems to be settling in - although there are always issues - and becoming members of their new family.  I could not be more proud of John C. (15) and Ana (8).  They have been immeasurably gracious.  Truthfully, if my parents had done to me what John and I have done to them, I would have run away from home at least ten times by now.

Ruslan, Ana, Oksana, and Max are finishing the year at Trinity Montessori which turns out to have been a wonderful choice (TBTG!).  Ruslan and Ana will be doing standardized testing to figure out educational placements for next year.

John C. is finishing the ninth grade at First Baptist Church School which may or may not have been a good choice.  He will be attending a new school new year.  His comment, “It’s so little, Mom.”  John C. could easily be characterized as a raving extravert, we all think he would be happier in a bigger fish pond.  He is making the full range of grading possibilities.  John continues to be involved in the Cathedral EYC  and probably will be participating in a domestic mission project this summer.  He is a great guy and seems to be enjoying learning about being a big brother to two younger guys.

re's John C. being a big brother to his new sister.

Ruslan continues to amaze me with his thirst for learning and resiliency.  I can honestly say (have I said it before?) that if I were picked up and dropped suddenly into the middle of his former world in Ukraine that I would not be functioning nearly as well as he is. For instance, we live in a neighborhood with a number of older neighbors, and he has discovered that he can earn money by raking the live oak leaves and debris that seem to fall interminably this time of year.   Free enterprise is well and alive!  His English is coming along well.  The two younger kids seem to have lost most of their Ukrainian, but Rus is holding on well to his.  I am thankful.

Here are Ruslan and John.  They are putting the finishing touches on the new back door.  What an improvement!

 

 

Ana is turning into such a beauty.  We celebrated her eighth birthday in February and she is becoming a big girl right before our eyes. 

 

She and Oksana share a room which has both good points and bad.   I am trying to be sympathetic to Ana’s need for her own friends and space, and at the same time, to respond in a good way to Oksana’s need to be with her sister and best friend.  It is hard to learn how to be friends in a whole new culture.  So many parents of children adopted from orphanages have noted the need to teach their children how to be friends with others.  I think her anxiety to be accepted makes her both whiney and controlling – not a great combination for trying to make new friends.  We are working on how to enter into play groups – “Stop, Look, and Listen”.  Reminds me of lessons we got (and still give) about streets and train crossings.  Perhaps this is just one of life’s most basic lessons.  I hope that they will grow up to be good friends as well as sisters.

 With five kids it’s hard for everyone to have their own room.  Living in a six bedroom house doesn’t seem like a very attractive proposition.  Perhaps Sarah Susanka has it right.  She’s the architect of the “Not so Big” approach and an advocate for having nooks and spaces where people of all ages can get privacy.  At the same time, she mixes in open spaces.  I like her designs a lot!

When my folks were building their present domicile, four of my five sibs were still at home.  My mother improvised an ingenious solution for my two brothers.  The fourth bedroom of the house was about 20 X 20.  She put a bookshelf wall about eight feet from one end and created two small but decent-sized bedrooms for each of my brothers.  The small common space outside of the wall had  bookshelves, double closets, a door to the bathroom, and a door to the hall.  Each of the rooms had a space for a single or bunk bed,  chest of drawers, built-in desk and bookshelves.  Years later, after they had left home for their adult homes, she removed the wall and now has a very nice guestroom and home office combination.  Uh oh!  I feel home improvement coming on!

Briefly, with regard to the other kids.  Max is quite a guy and loves to read.  His evening is not complete until he and I have a rocking and reading time.  All of my kids love reading, but, so far, he seems to be the most passionate about it.  That rocking and reading time surely is good for attachment and bonding.  In fact, I like it so well; I’m rocking just about anybody who will rock with me. <Grin>  I’ve even coaxed my big boy (now 5’10”) into our new big-sized rocker-recliner.  The chair is not exactly the loveliest piece of furniture ever created, but, boy, does it rock well. 

Here is Max the Builder!

 

Of our three new kids, Oksana seems to be the one who is attaching most easily.  She’s pretty high energy, but it’s hard to know whether she seems overly so because she’s hyperactive, or if it’s that I am an “older” parent.  She seems to have at least one spell a day of feeling rejected, “nobody wants to play with me”, etc.  I’ve been using the time to model how to take care of yourself when you feel sad ,and there’s nothing you can do about it at the time.  We have been doing home manicures, cooking, and working in the yard.  All of these help me feel better.  I hope she will learn some of these things too.  They are so much better than some of the other “feel-good” choices out in the world today.

 

 

 

Other news:  May 15th will be my last Sunday at the church I serve as rector.   I am thankful for the seven years with this church family as I have learned so much.  And I am especially thankful that we did not, like so many clergy and congregations, have to have a fight to agree to part.  So, I am now  hoping for the summer off to play with the kids (and do some work on English), for time to work on my writing,  and actively considering other church possibilities. The right one, I fully trust, will come along at the right time.  When people ask me where I am going next, I say, “To my next call.”  They usually respond, “And, where is that?”  My response is, “I don’t know yet, but God does.”

 

One other factor that has not been in play for quite some time is that John is now eligible for full retirement from the college where he teaches.  He has thirty years into our state retirement system.  There is something about this that I find just a little nauseating <grin> since he is only 52 yrs of age.  I guess that’s what happens when one gets career focus early on, unlike *some* of us who had to wander a bit to find our calling.  He will have time, God willing, to have a whole new career if he wants it, or he can stay home, keep the kids and “eat bon-bons” as he likes to put it.  Just wait, John!

 

I am really looking forward to the 15th and to having some of the summer with my kids.  Also, I think we are going to do a little intensive English home-schooling for our new kids.

 

That is all the news for now.  We have some uncertainty in our lives, but also a tremendous amount of joy. And, that is just fine for now.

 

God bless you all,

 

Jennie

 

 

I took this picture during our church's annual Easter Eve Teaparty and Egghunt.

 

Hello All, 2005 is officially here.  In fact, January has been sliding past the window so quickly that it has almost become a blur.  It's the 15th already.  This coming Sunday I return to the church where I serve as rector (pastor).  I have been on a combination of sabbatical and parental leave since mid-September and it has been a wonder-filled time.  John and I still look at each other in amazement when we remember that we really did go to Ukraine and we really did adopt three kids.  Although the time since coming home has been filled with lots of laundry, cooking, and trips to the grocery store, there also has been good time for rest, reading, prayer, and theological reflection.  I would like to write about our experience, but not just as a re-telling of the story.  Adoption figures prominently as a theme in Holy Scripture and I'd like to consider it as a metaphor for life in the Church.  Lots of rich ore to be mined there and I'm exciting thinking about the project.

We did manage to make it through Christmas.  In many, many ways it was fabulous.  Our new family members were amazing and holy gifts in and of themselves.  We also were able for the first time in a loooong time to have an extended visit with our Massachusetts family.  We also stopped by NYC to visit our new kids' sibling, Hannah, who was adopted by a terrific family earlier this year.  It was a great reunion and it seemed to us that they simply picked up where they had left off.  Getting to the right address in the City was a bit stressful as we managed to get completely lost.  Oy!  Three hours late.  But, all was well when we finally arrived.  We had a good visit and then headed off to Massachusetts.  When we left it was sleeting and snowing.  Turns out it was good thing we traveled that night as it continued to snow.  We arrived pretty late (1:30 am) and John's mother was up and waiting for us.  So good to see her.  In the morning when we woke up, beautiful snow was everywhere.  All of our kids enjoyed it.  A few days later we visited friends further to the west and I loved seeing New England in the snow.  Old farms houses, fields, village greens, and, sleepy orchards all were so beautiful.

Our new kids had a bit of a rough time with the Christmas presents bit.  They were delighted to be receiving them, but what is received almost never comes up to the expectations - no matter how costly.  I remember feeling this as a child myself.  It was hard to watch them struggle with the same feelings.  But we got through it.  Did I mention the 42 hours we spent in the car together?  Talk about a bonding experience.  Thank goodness for John's sister Elaine who had given a portable DVD car unit and so we were able to zombify the kids at certain key points.  Never thought I'd be that kind of parent, but o well. 

We all are grateful that school has resumed although here we are with another holiday this coming Monday - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  I was trying to explain who he was to Ruslan and did not have much success.  How to talk about centuries of racism and Dr. King's challenge grounded in non-violence?  Usually on this holiday, I spend time reading his sermons.  He was an ordained Baptist minister and a thoughtful preacher.  They are good reading and I commend them.

To the right is the first album I've managed.  It has some of our Christmas in it.  I'm sorting through all of the pictures we took and will post some of the better shots.

Happy New Year to all and God bless,

Jennie

Here's my best Christmas shot of the kids.  It's hard to get five kids looking reasonably pleasant at one time!

L-R, Back:  Ruslan, Ana and John, L-R, Front:  Oksana and Max

 

Today, the 7th, was Max's 6th birthday.  I suspect his birth was an occasion for celebration, but don't think there have been any celebrations since.  Ruslan tells me that birthdays were not celebrated in his family or at the orphanage. Today certainly has been an exception to that.  He has had presents, a special birthday supper, a few friends from the neighborhood come by, and a wonderful cake. So much joy and excitment we experienced.  He was almost jumping out of his skin he was so excited!  Happy Birthday, Maximky! 

From the Kyiv Post

Supreme Court rules election void;

 revote by Dec. 26

Dec 03, 21:43

(AP) - Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko urged outgoing President Leonid Kuchma on Dec. 3 to fire the Cabinet and demanded a quick reshuffle of the Central Election Commission.  Speaking to rejoicing supporters at Kyiv's main Independence Square shortly after the Supreme Court satisfied his appeal to declare the disputed presidential runoff void, Yushchenko called the court decision a decisive turning point for the nation.

"Today Ukraine has turned to justice, democracy and freedom," Yushchenko told tens of thousands of supporters from a raised platform on the square. "It happened thanks to you."

The crowd chanted "Yushchenko! Yushchenko!" during his pauses, and he responded by blowing kisses and clasping his hands over his head like a victorious prizefighter. Then they all struck up the national anthem.

He and his band of associates lingered on stage, swaying to Ukrainian pop tunes, and members of the entourage hugged and danced with each other.

"We have proven that we are a nation that could defend our choice. Justice and freedom are coming back to Ukraine thanks to you, real heroes," Yushchenko said, his face projected on two huge screens behind him.

Yushchenko also hailed the judges who handed down the decision.

"The Supreme Court has put a big final stop to the new election that Kuchma wanted," he said.

Kuchma had pushed for holding a new election from scratch, not just a repeat of the runoff, in what was widely seen as a bid by his supporters to hold onto power by fielding a new candidate in place of Yanukovych.

Yushchenko said the opposition would now raise pressure on outgoing Kuchma to sack Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the declared official winner of the Nov. 21 runoff.

"Find the courage to do that - stop tormenting the nation," Yushchenko said.

He also pushed for a quick reshuffle of the Central Election Commission, saying it had "betrayed" the nation by endorsing the fraudulent vote.

Dear Family and Friends, Ukraine has been in the news of late.  The following is an editorial piece that has been circulating in several of the internet places I frequent.  Please pray for Ukraine and her people that this present crisis will resolve peaceably and that the country will be able to move forward  into a new future.  Bless you all.  Jennie

Long Live Ukraine! (Slava Ukrainy!)
by Valeriy Panyushkin
Special correspondent for Kommersant(Moscow)
26 November 2004
posted on gazeta.ru
[translated by Lisa Koriouchkina for UKL]


I am in Kiev. I saw people rejoicing. I saw a
city square full of people wearing orange scarves
and jackets. One cannot glance over a sea of
people . I saw cars honking in rhythm with the
slogan "Yushchenko! Yushchenko!" It is happening
not only downtown but also on any street of the
city. And it happens not only to encourage one's
supporters but to express one's joy as well.
There are people on top of cars waving flags and
shouting. My feelings of joy of revolution were
mixed with jealousy over the fact that I would
never see anything like that happening in Moscow.
And I prayed to God that I would live a little
longer to see something similar to what is
happening in Kiev take place in Moscow.

Exuberant city. Peaceful, smiling, kind, united
people. But most importantly - they are free.
Free! Free! I experienced jealousy and pride for
the fact that I am standing among these free and
peaceful people. And these people were not
forcing me out despite the fact that I came from
Russia, a country whose minister of Foreign
affairs is low enough to make an official
statement about NATO's geopolitical claims to
Ukraine.

Listen, you, minister, come here, to Kiev. Go to
Maidan and despite any orders from Kremlin, you
would not be able to utter a word about NATO's
geopolitical claims. There are many more of these
people - young men and women, children and
elders, - than a Minister or a President of
Russia could ever imagine in their wildest dreams
when they think about a category "people". They
might be fragile in body, but they are strong in
spirit. And do not deceive me that there are no
Russian troops in Ukraine. They are here. But if
even one of them ever makes a single shot, as a
citizen of Russia I could never clear myself from
shame and will never be pardoned for this sin.

Yes, I realize that my statements are full of
pathos. And pathos is not used in Russian
journalism. But you should understand me because
I am in the heart of a revolution while you are
stuck in boring Moscow offices. Come here, go to
Maidan - and you will understand me.

For the last five days every meeting at Maidan
begins with a prayer. And they sincerely pray to
God to grant them freedom. This is a revolution
that neither Vladimir Putin nor Viktor Yushchenko
can stop. Only God can.

Vladimir Putin can spill blood here. He can spill
a lot of blood. But before giving an order about
military actions, a president of Russia should
have come to Kiev, to Maidan and breathed in this
air. It is stronger than any army. One could send
even the most cynical bastard from President
administration to Kiev and he would return
wearing an orange scarf.

With his genuine soft-heartedness and inclination
towards compromise, Viktor Yushchenko could
consent to negotiate with Leonid Kuchma or
Russian representatives. However, Maidan will not
accept negotiations. People will not leave Maidan
until and unless Viktor Yushchenko is pronounced
President of Ukraine. The fact of the matter is
that it is not about Yushchenko. It is about
freedom.

No, I very well understand that politicians in
Moscow cannot comprehend how the whole people
could be drawn to the city square not due to the
PR technologies but to defend their freedom. But
do come to Kiev, go to Maidan and you will
believe it.

I have not been happier in my entire life. I have
not experienced greater love than the feeling I
experience towards every single person I meet on
Kreshchatik.

G-d damn it, how can I make the officials in
Russia believe that they cannot win here in Kiev
but can only cover themselves with shame? How can
I make them believe that freedom does indeed
exist if they believe TV anchor Mikhail
Leontiev's lies whom they paid to lie in the
first place? There is no way I can make the
officials in Russia believe that freedom exists.
But come to Kiev, go to Maidan before Manezh
Square turns into Maidan.

I understand that my enthusiastic words are not
in line with Russian journalistic style, but you
should try to understand me. I stopped by the
hotel to write this column while the city is
rejoicing behind the windows of my hotel. I am
sitting in the hotel room scared that some
bastard in Moscow gives an order to shoot.

But I will finish this article, go back to
Maidan and will stop being afraid.

Hello Friends and Family, it's been two weeks since I last posted.  We are continuing the process of settling in.  Not much time to write right now but thought i'd post a picture of the whole group.  Here they are - L-R, Ana, Max, Oksana, Ruslan, and John C.  ...our gang..Love to all, Jennie

Dear Family and Friends,  Whew!  Late last night marked one week home for us and our new family members.  It’s been a week of highs and lows.  Here on Saturday with all kids in bed, John and I are finally coming up for air.  

 We have been trying to grasp the organizational changes that have to take place as a result of going overnight from two children to five.  We also are wrestling with the whole issue of how to integrate our two distinct family groups.  Forming of bonds of attachment with our new children is key, but how to do this without our already-forever two feeling distanced or displaced will be one of the issues we will be facing.

Ruslan, Oksana, and Max have now finished the first week in their new Montessori school.  We visited on Monday and stayed longer on Tuesday.  On Wednesday and Thursday, Oksana and Max stayed until lunch while Ruslan stayed the whole day.  It was a good experience and after their having been out of school for almost three weeks, I’m sure it was a relief for them to be back around other kids. It’s hard to be around grown-ups all the time! 

Rus is picking up English by leaps and bounds.  The teacher had him do a writing sample in Ukrainian and all of the other kids were fascinated.  He has beautiful handwriting.  He’s working pretty diligently on his alphabet and on math.  He’s had two blue episodes this week (that I am aware of) .  The first was at supper the other night when I mentioned something about Gorodyna.  He became very downcast and went into his room. The second was this evening when he asked to go to the supermarket.  This is something he and I did in Kyiv when we were there.  I asked what he wanted and he motioned that he wanted to have a look around.  It turned out that he was looking for a special battery that goes in a radio operated car that was John’s when he was younger.  I am pretty sure it can only be at Radio Shack or some kind of specialty store.  At any rate, it wasn’t there.  We have a Radio Shack nearby so we zipped over there, but it was closed.  From there we went by Barnes and Noble because I wanted to pick up a few thank you cards.  He saw a few games and wanted me to buy them.  I figured that he was trying to buy something, really anything, to make the feeling of deprivation go away.  When we came home, he went straight to his room.  Later in talking with John A. (husband), he said, “Well, he’s just going to have to adjust.”  What I hear from adoptive parents in the know, is that adjustment takes the better part of a year.  And, when it comes to that feeling of deprivation or cavitation, as my old friend Gerry Donovan called it, some of us never get over trying to fill ourselves full of stuff to make make up for the emptiness we feel.

 It turns out that Ruslan is a terrific athelete.  We will need to sign him up for our city soccer league. 

 I have read that keeping older adoptive kids extremely active is important.  I can tell that our new three are accustomed to a good bit more physical activity than John and I are.  This is yet another affirmation of why Americans are so overweight.  We are so sedentary...at least, John and I have been.  However, this is now changing rapidly.  We’ve pulled out all of the bicycles and are wheeling around the neighborhood at least twice a day.  We live next to a great state park which has good trails, so once everybody is bike-worthy we’ll be heading over there for longer rides.  Our neighborhood is great for biking...very flat with lots of dead-ends and not much traffic.   The challenge with all of the bicycles has been sorting out which bike will belong to whom and also how to store them.  With the conversion of the garage into John’s work space, no more room for bikes!  I’m contemplating a sort of lean-to arrangement against the back of the house. 

 Oksana seems to be rolling right along.  She, too, had a sinking spell this week.  One night we were sitting in the room that she and Ana now share.  It had been Ana’s room for a good long time and although we had cleared out about 80% of the toys and accumulated stuff of a little girl’s life, for Oksana, it was overwhelming.  She looked around and pointed, saying, “Ana’s, Ana’s, Ana’s.”  My intuition was that it seemed that Ana had so much and she had so little.  The “Stuff” issue again.

 In the orphanage, few children had personal property.  When we were there we saw a few older kids wearing headsets for walkmans and the like.  Ruslan had a medal he had won for volleyball and Oksana had a small photo album from her trip to Italy this past summer, but that was it.  Everything was shared - no personal property at all.  Folks who voluntarily renounce goods, like those who enter religious communities, manage to have a few things.  Even those who go to prison in this country get to have a few objects.  (Today’s news featured a story about Martha Stewart beginning her six month jail term.  I wonder what her cell looks like.) 

Yes, we Americans are fat in so many ways.  We are accustomed to having our “stuff” and what a heavy load it can become.  As we live into the reactions of our new family members to the stuff of our present household, it brings into question how much we actually need.  Our attic is crammed.  I  am seized by the impulse to clear out  and clean out.

 What?  It’s not Lent yet, but this feels a bit like Lent.  In a way, this is a kind of Lent.  Practicing Christians recognize Lent as the time in the church year when we let God strip away parts of our lives that keep us from living as fully into life as we might.   As kids, the discipline we embraced was “giving up something for Lent,” and filling up mite boxes with our pennies.  As an adult, though, it’s a bit of a stretch from that to the kind of self-emptying that can help us make interior room in our lives.

 The experience of bringing home our new family members is bit Lenten as well.  The family that we formerly were is no more and that brings its own grief.  We are no longer “just the four of us.” In some ways, that was pretty simple.  Four people fit pretty easily into most cars and houses.  The average American Family has 2.3 kids.  (I guess the .3 would cover the pet animals <grin>.) But, four we are no more.  Now we are seven.  Aside from A.A. Milne, it’s a whole new world.  So, something is having to die and the new thing that will be has not yet come fully into being.  We are now full of sharp elbows, turf wariness, and potentially sour attitudes that will need to give way to the new thing.  All of this brings back worrisome questions.  What if our family does not achieve the kind of unity for which John and I hope and pray?  What if there is a permanent rift between the two groups of children?   These are things that we thought about when we were making the decision to pursue this adoption and now are coming back for a visit.   We’ll try to stay aware, but will not be preoccupied by thoughts of what might be.

 Max has had some good and bad moments this week.  Ruslan said he was very quiet in Gorodyna and very noisy here.  It’s true.  He is saying “Wow!” a lot, but also really does not like to be told “no” about anything.  Today, I had to say “Nyet” and took his hand and gave him a little pop.  No pain, just a message.  He crumbled into a ball on the floor, then jumped on his bed and started ripping the covers off.  He began yelling furiously and probably calling me names. It’s a good thing I didn’t understand. I grabbed him and held on for the ride.  He had a huge amount of anger for such a little body.  I am guessing, that of all the sibs, that he was the most neglected.  He’s five now and, we figure, he’s been in institutional care for at least two years.  I am predicting that he will be the one who has the most difficulty.  Finally, his anger subsided and then he wouldn’t let me go.  It reminded me of the terrible two’s and three’s with John and Ana.  Perhaps that’s where he has gotten stuck.  So, we will work it through.

 This past Friday we visited the International Adoption Clinic at our State Medical University.  It’s run by two terrific women pediatricians.  We checked out Oksana and Max, and what troopers they were.  After four shots and five vials of blood drawn, they were like little pin cushions.  Each one sported numerous decorative band-aids that they showed to Papa with great affect.   Overall they both did pretty well.   Oksana’s head circumference is a little small, but she is small overall.  Likewise with Max although his head circumference is at least on the chart.   They are both little.  Both docs were encouraging and felt that with good nutrition, attention and stimulation that they should on the charts in no time.  My sense is that they both are bright as brand new copper pennies (Ruslan, too) and that they will be fine.  At least, this is my Easter hope.  I hope and believe that they will adjust and all will be well with them; I also believe that our family will cohere and God has called us together for a purpose.  We will see.  Ruslan’s checkup will be this coming Wednesday.

 It is my intention to continue to journal online.  God willing, this will be of value to others.  I know it will be to me. 

 Tomorrow we will visit our home church.  I am looking forward to seeing all of the good souls there.  I have missed them. 

Pax et Bonum to all,   Jennie

 

  

 

 

Hello all, sorry for the delay in posting, but we've barely had time to take a shower since getting home.  As has been said, "We are tired but happy."  Today is Monday. 

We came in late, late Friday night to a wonderful welcome by family and church family.  At 12:30 am, as we walked down the hall, we saw a crowd of folks who started singing "This is the day that the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it!"  It was wonderful and overwhelming to see everyone.  Apparently a bigger group had come at 6:30 pm (our original arrival time).  We felt very loved and welcomed home.  The kids, though, were prettty overwhelmed and fell right asleep on the drive home from the airport.  Boy, were we tuckered!  However, when we walked into the house, all of the kids woke up and started running around, playing with toys, and exclaiming, "Vow!" over everything.  It was like a three ring circus.  We were all very happy to be home. 

Saturday we slept in, had pancakes, and mostly hung around the house.  Sunday we went to church with my sister Susan, and where daughter Ana was singing in the childrens' choir.  It felt funny not going to our home church (where I am the rector), but since I am supposed to be on sabbatical and parental leave, it did not seem proper to be there.  We hope to baptize the children there soon, though.  I wouldn't dream of doing that anywhere else.

Today, Monday, was the first day of school.  Ruslan decided to stay for the whole day (8:30 to 2:30), while Oksana and Max needed to come home after two hours.  It was a good start.  More later.  Best to all, John and Jennie

First Day of School

Dear Family and Friends,

We are completely official now and are heading home tomorrow (Friday).  Today we went to the Embassy to apply for the kids' visas and to do our exit interview with them.  It was not a lengthy process although it seemed like we signed about 100 papers.  Then picked up airline tickets and came home for lunch.  The visas were ready at three, so went to get those and brought them back to the flat.  Left safely in the flat all of the important papers, passports (three brand spanking new Ukrainian passports!), and the to-be-unopened by us envelopes for USCIS.  I (Jennie) then dashed back through town to the tourist souvenir shopping street (in the rain), and found some great things - embroidery, psyanky, carved wooden plates and crosses, and dolls garbed in traditional dress to bring home as souvenirs. 

The best souvenirs, though, are the living ones who will be coming home with us tomorrow.  We had a good supper at the Momento Italian restaurant (by the Circus if anyone is staying in this part of town...a great restaurant!)  The kids had  a first course of pizza followed by giant plates of french fries. We came back to the flat and  all  kids immediately jumped in the tub and put on jamies. A nice moment was when John and I were standing outside of the bathroom door and heard Ruslan singing away.  It was the first time we had heard him sing.  He seems so happy to be coming to America and home with us. 

We can't wait to be home and sleep in our own beds!  We can't wait to be together with all of our family...John and Ana, we're coming home.

Thanks to everyone who has remembered us in prayer and left good wishes.  We are grateful for them all.  I have kept a written journal of our trip and willl try to fill in some more details about impressions of Kyiv and traveling through the countryside as well as comments on the process.  Until then, love to you  all.  John and Jennie

Hi all, just a quick note...Ruslan, Oksana, and Max are now officially ours!  Court was yesterday and all went smoothly.  From there we went chasing around the region for birth certificates and other documents.  It ended up being  a fifteen hour day.  Today Jennie went with Dima back to Chernigiv to do the paperwork for the children's passports.  Tomorrow we go to the US Embassy (Thursday) .  More later.  Love to all.  Hallelujah!  Jennie

 

In the Courtroom (note lockup behind us): John and Jennie, orphanage director (by Ruslan), representive from the Inspector's office (like our DSS, I think) and our three new family members.

 

 

Dear Family and Friends,

The past two days have been stretching for us.  We thought court might be on Friday, but no go.  Then, we hoped for Monday, but that didn’t happen either.  But, yeah!!!!, we go tomorrow on Tuesday.  We are grateful to Dima and team for making that happen and working so hard to help us not have to be in suspended animation in Kyiv.

This past Saturday, John and I were beginning to feel a little (truthfully, more than just a little) despondent.  We loved being with the kids, but five people cooped up in a three room apartment under gloomy skies was beginning to wear a little thin.  Also, being in a place where we don’t know the language, can’t read the signs, and are immersed in a very different culture is draining after a time for us.  As I mentioned earlier, we were not really feeling as if we could just go out and do the tourist things because we are still nursing Mr. Max.  But, John and I both began to feel more than a little stir crazy to hear English.  So, where did we go?  To church, of course.

 

Sunday afternoon found us going to church at Christ Church which is the Anglican Church in Kyiv.  The congregation was founded in 1999 and seems to be thriving.  It meets at 3:00 pm on Sunday afternoons at St. Catherine’s Lutheran Church at 22 Luteranska Ave.  Good to see the kindness of Lutherans extended to Anglicans in this part of the world.

 

We were having a little difficulty finding the location when suddenly a troika of boys appeared walking and pushing scooters in front of us.  When we realized they were speaking English, we asked about the church.  The oldest, Matt, said, “We’re going there, follow us.”  God is so good about sending help just when one needs it! They reminded us of the three boys (angels?) who descended deus ex machina in a basket in Mozart's Magic Flute.

 

 In we passed, through the front doors, into a stunningly beautiful space.   It was modern, spare, subtlely colored, and highly resonant.  There was a fine tracker organ which was beautifully played and matched to the space.  We were warmly greeted, handed hymnals, orders of service, announcement sheets…you know Anglicans – we love our paper .  We were blessed to be at the service.  After Church we were invited to their potluck meal in the fellowship hall upstairs.  I think it was a little daunting for the kids as they were surrounded by English for the first time.  They managed well, though, and were befriended fairly instantly by the other kids. As were we by some of the adults.

 

 There was a particularly wonderful family, Dad works at the US embassy and Mom home schools their kids, who invited us to their flat for ice cream and a warm visit.  It was an experience of genuine Christian hospitality.  Also, they had adopted a beautiful little 23 month old boy (Ukrainian) just the month before, so they understood what we were experiencing.  It was so good to be with them!  I hope we stay in touch.  Thanks again, y’all, if you are reading this.  John and I were so reminded of the counsel to show hospitality to strangers and are so grateful that our brother and sister in Christ did just that.  It made a huge difference. It was healing, in fact, for our restlessness.

 

Today, Monday, we finally got to do some touring.  We arranged with Dima for Vitaly the Wonderful to take us around this afternoon.  Vitaly is a terrific and not at all terrifying driver. We wanted to see a few of the sacred spaces.  John decided against the WW II Memorial, and it was too drizzly to head out to the outdoor folk village museum.  Vitaly drove us around town, walked with us when we wanted to visit somewhere, was very informative about the history of buildings and events, and was just generally good company.  He is very child-friendly and was able to find parking places in areas where doing so would appear an impossible task.  Although it was a bit drizzly and raw, we all enjoyed being outside.  John and I especially wanted the children to see at least a little of their national heritage.  Ruslan will probably remember and the two younger ones will have pictures until we come back.

 

 

Tomorrow we go to Gorodnya and Chernigiv for court.  We will go by the internat to return clothes and so the kids can say goodbye.  I don’t think we’ll do the party thing, but would like to get some more pictures and give a few tangible thank you's to special people.  Ruslan says it will be “Goodbye, Gorodnya and hello, America!”  He’s pretty excited and so are we.

 

 

Wednesday we’ll do running around (I think) with Dima to get some of the paperwork finalized, and, from there, to the US Embassy on Thursday.  God willing, on Friday, we will fly home.  If all goes according to schedule, our in-country time will have been 17 days. It seems short to write it, but it feels like a long time away from John, Ana, home and our life in familiar places.

 

 

Dima has been terrific and completely accessible. He has gone “above and beyond” in numerous ways.  I realize, too, that what we see is just the tip of the iceberg of work that goes into making an adoption happen in an orderly and secure manner in a decidedly unpredictable environment.  We are grateful for all of the work on our behalf.

 

 

Perhaps it’s just us, but this is an experience that leaves one feeling very off-balance and vulnerable.  We are so very thankful for the prayers and encouragement that come from many quarters.  It’s what keeps us going.  That and the three amazing munchkins we are going to bring home.  TBTG!

 

Blessings to all, John and Jennie  

Here are some photos from today.

 

 

 

John, Maxim, Vitaly,and Oksana

The Presidential Palace

The Church of St. Michael Archangel- The Guardian of Kyiv

Golden domes, beautiful even in the rain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Family and Friends,

Good news on the Max front.  He is better according to the wonderful Dr. Anya.  She said that she had been very, very worried about him and was happy that he was responding well to the antibiotics.  I am thankful for modern medicine and all of the prayers.  Please keep up the prayers as he still has bronchitis.

We had hoped that this past Friday would see us in court, but it did not happen.  Instead, we are hoping for Monday. The delay was due to, as Dima put it, a piece of paper that needed to make its way between Kyiv and Gorodyna. We are hoping that the piece of paper will find its way, so that we can move forward.

Meanwhile, we wait.  Yesterday we bid farewell to the Z. clan.  It was wonderful having them here, and feel as if we have some new friends. 

Also, John and I have been considering the Kyiv sights we would like to visit and there are quite a few.   

 John would love to have a look at the WW II Memorial with Russian tanks and the like on display.  He is a great WW II buff and to him it sounds like heaven to be able to check out tanks and other weaponry first hand.  There are a number of religious sites I’d like to visit – naturally.  The place we most want to visit is an outdoor folk museum comprised of ancient buildings – the type one would see in a village.  It has churches, homes, huts and farm buildings which one can see either by horse cart (driven by a genuine Cossack, mind you) or by foot.  I believe it has significant acreage, so the horse cart option sounds good to us.  We are hoping for a sunny day.  This, according to the weather predictions, should come somewhere around next Wednesday or Thursday.

Hopefully, we will actually get to visit Kyiv on this trip.  I have considered the possibility, though, that the main purpose of this journey has been to find our new family members and that, while tourism is great, we should not lose focus.  Perhaps it will be a good incentive for a return trip at some point in the future.

As those of you who have been following this journal know, we have had an incredibly smooth experience so far. Being able, for instance, to have temporary custody of the children in Kyiv was a great and happy surprise.  It makes good sense, though,as these three have not lived together as a family for some time, and it has also given us some great time to bond with them.  We have been lavishing as much food and attention on them as is humanly possible, while trying to set reasonable limits at the same time.  For instance, staying at the table while the rest of the family finishes eating is something we’re working on.  At home, mealtime is when we have primary visiting time.  We ask questions like, “What was not so good that happened to you today?” and “What good thing happened for you today?”.  The problem here is that we can’t ask those questions – well, we could but they wouldn’t get it- because their English and our Russian aren’t so hot. 

 A few glitches are showing up now.  The court date being put off was one.  The second is that Aeorsvit does not have return tickets available for 3 kids until the end of October (!).  What they do have are waiting lists of 20-40 people for each flight.  So, this means we will be purchasing unanticipated one way tickets for John and myself  for the return along with the tickets for the kids (anticipated). While the price was right on the Aeorsvit flight and the flight itself was tolerable (although the seats were pretty tight), because of this lack of seat availability, I will not be able to recommend them in the future.  Dima says he can’t stand them (Aerosvit) and, when I asked about his recommendation, it was Austrian Air.  Any glitch pales, though, in comparison to our worry about Maxim.  We are thanking God that he is improving and will be fine.  The thought of losing him when we had just found him was pretty unbearable.  If he had gotten pneumonia, there is a good chance that he might not have survived it as pneumonia can be a lethal disease in Ukraine (esp. in the orphanages). So these other glitches feel like “slight momentary afflictions.”

Change of topic.  It’s interesting.  So many folks have remarked that the younger two will have an easier time picking up English and this probably is true.  However, Ruslan is much more motivated at this point.  He’s writing out his letters and wants to know the names of everything in English.  My Polish husband is dredging up the Polish of his childhood and finding that the kids understand some of it.  This is because Ukrainian bears a closer resemblance to Polish than it does to Russian.

 So, we are passing the time and staying mostly indoors because of rainy days and keeping Max slowed down a bit so that he can get well.  I have finished two novels.  John has finished a book on Napoleon and now is working his way through one on the Greeks.  I think we have finally figured out the Russian directions on the washing machine.

 Also, for all of you future travelers, we ventured out to try to cash traveler’s checks (American Express).  The only place nearby we can cash a significant amount (more than $1000 at a time) was the Myria Bank.  They require the receipt from the purchase, passport, the customs declarations (Ukrainian), a 10-15 phone call to Moscow, and a 2% service charge.  Decided to wait until next week to make this exchange.

If all goes well, we should have court on Monday, be in the region getting birth certifs., etc. on Tues, Embassy on Wed or Thurs and taking off for home on Friday.  This would be great as we are really missing our kids and all the familiar  people, places, sounds, and food of home.  Here are few more pictures (John and Ana we really miss you!)

How to pass time on a rainy day? Make hats out of the plastic water bottle of course!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  How about cooking and eating? 

 

 

Lots of love to you all,   John and Jennie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Dear Family and Friends,

Yesterday afternoon, Tuesday the 21st, found us on our way to the American Medical Clinic. A check out at the clinic is the normal practice for immigration to the US and usually takes place after the court hearing. In this case, though, we moved the exam up because Max still seems quite ill – no fever, but lots of deep chesty coughing. All three children were examined by a terrific doctor – Dr. Anna. She is Ukrainian, and, I think, did her training in the US. Her dedication to the children shone through everywhere. Max’s diagnosis was severe bronchitis threatening to turn into pneumonia. She was very concerned and we will go for a followup visit on Thursday. We came away with a handful of prescriptions – antibiotics, decongestant, vitamin C tabs, and nose drops for all three. Poor little guy. The amazing thing has been that, as ill as he has been, his character has stayed so very dear. All three children are small for their ages, but this is not unusual for children from the orphanages. At one point during Max’s exam, she said, “You are so right to take him, there is no future for him in this country.” Given what we have seen just in our limited time, this rang very true. According to a poll in the Kyiv Post, nearly 50% of the population does not have a job. We just don’t realize how incredibly blessed we are to live in the US.

The days are now very full with three kids. They would stay glued to the television if we  let them, but we have tried to use it sparingly. We are trying to use the morning time for some kind of educational time whether its working on letters or playing educational games. The afternoons we try to go out.

We continue to be amazed at the amount of food the kids are consuming. Yesterday breakfast: Oatmeal, cereal, apples, bananas, juice, milk, bread, cheese. Supper was hotdogs, dried cereal, mashed potatos, raw cabbage (Kapusta!), carrot sticks, cole slaw, bread, cheese, milk, fruit juice, water, bananas and apples. Oksana took a bite, with great relish, out of a raw onion, just as if it were an apple. Wow! Just wait until she hits our Wadmalaw Sweets! They love bananas and would (and have) eaten three of four a day just as snacks. Oksana has a bit of a sweet tooth but the other two don’t. The day seems like one great big long meal. We are very glad to be in an apartment and located near several supermarkets as we are making two or three trips a day just to keep the larder stocked. When the doctor said that the antibiotic had to be administered on an empty stomach, I realized I’d probably have to wake Max up in the middle on the night to give it to him and, so I did. Today is a rainy day in Kyiv, so we will try to find indoor things to do. Our deepest thanks for all of the good wishes and prayers. We are grateful. Love to all, Jennie

ps.  More pix of the three wild Ukrainian peppers

Hi all, today was a great day.  We did go clothes shopping with Dima and  a lady friend who showed us (Don Z and kids, Jennie and Ruslan) shortcuts to get to the Trade Center shopping area.  It had a very nice childrens' store. It was past the train station and if anyone wants to go, I am sure that someone on Oleg's team will show you how to get there.  We bought new outfits and shoes for all kids as all of their clothes will be returned to the orphanage.  I am hoping we will have time to go by the orphanage after court on Friday to say goodbye and thanks to all of the caregivers.  We'd like to take some more pictures too.  Friday unfolded so quickly that we didn't really get a chance to do all the things we wanted to ...so we hope there will be another opportunity..(don't worry, Julie, Dima will take your package if I don't get to deliver it).  We also went to see the circus. Oh My! I thought that I was in Las Vegas (some of the costumes were pretty skimpy), but the animal, clown, aerial, and acrobatics were great. I think it was a bit overwhleming for the kids. Later we went to the birthday party of Don's son Asif (not sure about the spelling). It was great fun being with them and good to be with other Americans (and southerners to boot!). We had Kyivska Torte and great ice cream. Our almost new family members are terrific and we can't wait to get them home and settled in...we are also really missing our home group...our already forever kids, John and Ana.  Here is a photo of Maxim, Ruslan, and Oksana at our special luncheon in Gorodnya on Friday.  Please pray that Max's cough gets better.  He is going to the doctor if it has not improved by tomorrow.  God bless and love to all.  Jennie

 

Saturday morning  Dear family and friends, what an amazing and grace-filled day we had yesterday!  We went to Gorodnya and came back to Kyiv with three children. The officials were willing to let us have custody of them until court, and so, they are with us.  Truthfully, I did not expect this, but thought that we would have to wait until next week to get to spend some significant time with them.  We were astonished at the rapidity with which Dima worked.  Back and forth we went, from the Inspector’s office to the orphanage to the notary to another office, picked up the children, then back and forth again. Somewhere in there we had a great celebratory meal and then were back to Kyiv.  Our court hearing will be Friday we hope. 

The children are fabulous.  The younger two, Oksana and Max, talk a hundred miles an hour. Ruslan smiles a lot, understands that we don’t understand Russian and tries to help us understand what the little ones are saying by using his own sign language.  We are making out so far.  We arrived in Kyiv around 6 or so.  The little ones were exclaiming over the lights and the big buildings and all the cars and people!  It was wonderful!

We had a simple supper – bread, cheese, mayo, fruit and juice – the kids each  peeled off layers of clothes and had a bath.  Then down to skivvies (no jamies), brushed teeth (we did remember to bring toothbrushes), and then into bed.  Unfortunately Max has a pretty bad cough which kept him up for a while and we heard lots of giggling, but finally all settled down  and we all slept. Everybody woke up around 7 this morning.  Ruslan and I went off to the Tiko market for some breakfast supplies:  bananas, apples, yoghurt, oatmeal, bread, banana juice (?), paper napkins, some kind of snack that they all loved, but was unknown to the American adults, and more water.  While we were gone Oksana and Max both had an orange and we all had a feast when Ruslan I returned from the market.

We spent some time checking out cartoons on the TV and now John has teamed up with Don Z. and his dynamic duo, and they have all headed for the park.  I’m happy for a moment to communicate with the world. 

Tomorrow Dima will take us to the market for some clothes shopping and later we will go to the Circus.  Dima says “please don’t spoil them”, but it is hard to not want to do it.  I have figured out that it is important to maintain some kind of structure and we are doing that, but, golly, this is a happy time and we want to celebrate. 

 

 

 I will try to post a picture of the gang if I can figure out how to do it...love  to you all, Jennie

 

Hello all! We arrived yesterday in Kyiv and were tired puppies. All has gone well. Our appointment at the National Adoption Center was this morning at 10:15 am and we received a referral for a beautiful sibling group of three in Gorodyna. They are a boy (12), girl (6), and boy (5). We are so excited about meeting them tomorrow (Friday). John did some sightseeing this afternoon while Jennie napped. Everything has gone very smoothly. Oleg, Dima, Alexy and team have been terrific so far. The apartment where we are staying is spacious with lots of light. In the back is a small green/play space. There also must be a school nearby as Jennie heard a childrens' choir practicing. Beautiful sounds wafted across the streets of Kyiv. We are staying near the NAC, the circus, and a great little supermarket - The Tika. It has been amusing to try to figure what is what - especially in the dairy section. Remember anybody traveling this way soon that the supermarkets don't give you bags...you can buy them, but a canvas tote would have been great to have. Tonight we had supper with Don Z. (of Washington, DC), his two new sons (Court is on Monday for them), and Don's folks. It was a good time. We'll try to upload some photos as soon as we can. We've been having trouble getting the computer connected in our apartment but hope we'll be sucessful soon. Lots more details later. Love to all and thanks for all of your prayers. John and Jennie

Yesterday, Sunday, was a rich and wonderful day!  My folks, sisters (3), brothers (2), assorted spouses, and friends gathered at the Church I serve for the baptism of my new little niece, Margaret  aka “M”.  The service was wonderful and the Church held a reception afterwards.  My sister and her husband had to work heartbreakingly hard to bring this little one into the world.   It’s a wonderment why some folks have to work so hard to build a family, while it seems so easy for others. John and I have been at this for 25 years!  But, as I keep learning,  all things unfold in God’s good time. “God moves in mysterious ways.”

Many of the women at Church had been praying for Margaret and Peter through all of their efforts, and, so, it was joy all around.  Afterwards, we went for a celebratory dinner, and on the way their car got rear ended.  No serious injuries, but folks were scared and shaken up.  This old world always has a way of intruding, but, fortunately, we we