Homecoming!

I so apologize to you, our faithful readers, who have been emailing, phoning, and personally asking for an update to our blog. Yes! we are home. We have been home for 13 days. I will catch you all up on what has happened since we've been back, starting with this post, about our arrival in Sioux Falls.

I wrote this post a week ago - I never got it completed then, so I will post it now. I'm sorry - but it's better late than never!

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Well where did this week go. The last time I posted, on Sat. evening, we had just landed in Chicago, where we stayed overnight.

Sunday morning (Feb. 15), early morning, the kids woke up at 2:30 am, awake for the day. They graciously let me sleep until 5:30, when they tickled me awake. On our body clocks, 2:30 was really 10:30 am, which was very late for them, since they always got up at 7:30 while we were in Odessa.

We enjoyed the American breakfast buffet at the hotel. Even Valya found things she likes. She is very picky, not quick to try new things.

On the way to the elevators I noticed the exercise room, so we stopped in there. The kids loved it, especially Valya. She spent an hour on all of the various machines. She is very physical.

We took the hotel shuttle for O'Hare to catch our 1:00 flight to Sioux Falls. On the way to the terminal we saw Air Force One parked there. President Obama was in Chicago over the Valentine's weekend for something. It was fun to show the kids the president's airplane. Our flight was quick - we actually arrived in Sioux Falls 20 min. early. I was concerned about that because I knew that we had a crowd of people that would be there to greet us and I didn't want to get there before them! I made sure we were the last ones off the plane and we walked slowly out of the concourse to give them more time.

Nancy and Mark greeted us at the top of the escalator. She had asked everyone else to wait below so that we could have a little private time together first. We had all been together only once before, on Dec. 27, when we had taken Sergey from his orphanage in Odessa up to Andreyevo to let Valya and Sergey meet for the first time. After hugs and kisses, it was down the escalator to greet our friends and family. I didn't count but I would guess there were about 30 who came to meet us. What a great time we had. Thanks so much to everyone for coming to meet us. It was unforgettable.

And so we end this phase of our adoptions. Now, we are a new forever family embarking on a new adventure!

Finished!

Embassy of the United States of America
Kyiv, Ukraine

Congratulations on your successful adoption!

Superstitions are for pagans. Today, Friday the 13th, is a day that the Lord has made, and we rejoice in it!

In July of 2007, we started on our adoption of these two great kids. Today, Friday, February 13th, we completed everything. We are done. All that remains is to come home.

We were able to get the kids' American visas today. I must give credit to the personnel at the US Embassy, Officer Egli at the DHS/USCIS office in Bloomington, MN, our social worker, your prayers, and the Lord, for a speedy resolution to our problem.

Due to an oversight on my part, I did not provide our updated homestudy to the Dept. of Homeland Security. Incredibly, I was able to get another updated homestudy from our social worker, and get it processed and approved by the US Government all within 24 hrs.

We lost a day here in Kiev due to my screw up, but as it turns out, we would have lost a day anyway because the machine that prints visas at the Embassy was broken down on Thursday.

We fly out at 5:35 AM from Borispil airport. Ugh, we have a 2:15 AM wakeup call. We will fly into Chicago and stay overnight, then continue on to Sioux Falls on Sunday afternoon. If you'd like to meet us at the Sioux Falls airport, we are coming in on United flight UA5965 on Sun. Feb 15 arriving at 2:30 PM. We would love to see you there.

This will be our last blog post from Ukraine. What an adventure this has been. Our SDA appointment was on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 2008.


Here's a few pictures.


Valentina and Sergey waiting for our ride to the US Embassy to pick up their American visas. We were also moving from our apartment to a hotel. We had to stay a day longer than anticipated.



The kids playing with $8500 that I paid our facilitator today. This was our 3rd and final payment. They were quite amazed, it is equivalent to 69,700 grivna.



All the running around in Kiev caught up with the kids.



Each child has a sealed envelope that we received from the US Embassy today. We have to keep them in our carry on bags on the airplane and must present them unopened at our US Port of Entry. It contains all of their official immigration documents. The US visas are affixed to a page in their Ukrainian passports.



We also received instruction sheets from the US Embassy that tell us what we need to do at this point. The sheets are very helpful, and start with the quote that I have above.

Visas Tomorrow

We ran into a complication getting the American visas for the kids.

In our original homestudy, we had listed Valya's age as the upper limit that we would accept, in case the SDA did not give us the referrals we were petitioning for. At the time, that upper limit for us was 12 y.o.

The problem for us has been that our original homestudy for the I-600A was finished about 15 months ago and the kids have had two birthdays since. I wanted to wait until after our SDA appt. to update because of the uncertain situation we had with Valya and her siblings, and also after court in case something unexpected were to come up. But afterwards, somehow, I forgot all about it.

Yesterday, our social worker updated the age limit to 14 y.o. and emailed me the new homestudy, which I forwarded to the DHS person in Minnesota. Today, I also had the US Embassy personnel push for them to expedite. It appears like DHS and the National Visa Center will give approval same day Thursday, which is really remarkable. Thursday in the US is overnight in Kiev. The Embassy has told me to call in the morning (Friday), and we will probably be able to get our visas.

Today, we had our interview with the consular officer. He did a final review of our paperwork, looked at the results of the blood tests, and made me raise my right hand and swear under oath that all that we submitted was true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.

One other interesting tidbit here, Valya needed to have her fingerprints taken at the Embassy because she is 14 y.o. Sergey didn't need to.

We are losing a day but it is working out. So, the tentative plan right now is to fly out on Saturday, stay the night in Chicago, and then fly into Sioux Falls on Sunday. There is something going on back home on Saturday and if we fly in then, no one will meet us at the airport!

Today at the Embassy we saw a family in the American Citizens' waiting room, but we never talked to each other. Later, we went down to the SDA to take some pictures with the kids, and we ran into them again at the souvenir vendors. It turns out that they recognized me because of our blog, but never said anything! They are the Sawchuk family from Atlanta and they adopted two young boys.

Tonight we went down to Independence Square. It was really hopping tonight. There is so much life down there and along Kreshetuk street. I can only imagine what it is like in summertime.

At 8:30 AM today I went sightseeing by myself as the kids really didn't want to get going that early. I walked to the Parliament building and the Presidential Palace. They are far from our apartment, which is across the street from the Kiev Opera House. On the way back, there was a huge political rally down the street from Independence Square. Also, at the square itself there are several tents set up. There are people protesting against the government because of the economy. I'll post pictures when I have decent internet.

Ooops

This is an urgent prayer request!

We are in Kiev now. The kids had their medical checks and bloodwork today, and we had our first appt. at the Embassy where I turned in the I-600 and other forms.

But due to an oversight on my part, I neglected to submit our updated homestudy that reflects approval for older ages of our children on the I-600A. So the Embassy will refuse to provide visas.

I called the DHS office in Bloomington MN all day today, but they never returned my call. The guy was in meetings all day then left early. I do have the updated homestudy in my possession, and my facilitator printed it out. I will take it to the appointment tomorrow and beg and plead that they will give us the visas. If so, we will be able to leave Friday. If not, we will be here another 5 days because of the weekend.

Please pray for us!

Poka, Odyesa

We are on the train and the wheels are rolling. We had intended to get 2nd class tickets, but we ended up in 3rd class. They aren't called classes in Russian and Sergey didn't know how to ask for it at the ticket counter. Ooops. I think I am the only person in 3rd class blogging with my cell phone!

Sergey's Godmother stopped by and visited with us on the train until it was time to depart.

We have a seatmate to complete our 4 berths, He is a young guy with a sense of humor, and paired with Sergey, Valya has been laughing nonstop. She is like that.

The next stop in our story: Kiev. Our facilitor in Kiev just called and said that when we arrive at the train station there we will take the kids straight to the medical clinic for the US Embassy's required blood tests and physicals. Looks like we will hit the ground running. I hope we get some sleep tonight.

We are all very glad to be at this point

I was going to post a couple of pictures but they won't go for some reason.

"You Are Done in Odessa"

This afternoon we got word that Valentina and Sergey's passports were ready. So at 3:30 we went down to the passport office to get them. Alyona was already there and after a little waiting, she came out to meet us and said, "You are done in Odessa". Yay! From there we went down to the train station to buy tickets. We leave tonight at 11:09 PM and will get into Kiev at 8:30 AM.

If things go smoothly we will fly back to America on Friday the 13th!

The kids are bouncing off of the walls, they are so excited.

It was cute watching Valya write her name in English on her luggage tag.

Goodbye to Our Warrior

On Wednesday, we had gone up to Andreyevo-Ivanovka to sign out Valya from her orphanage. Valya and Sergey are now living with me in our apartment in Odessa. Earlier in the week we were able to get their new birth certificates with their new middle and last names.

By Thursday, our facilitator had wrapped up Valya's property issue, so that opened the door for her passport. I guess we couldn't get her passport until that was resolved. So we met up with our facilitator on Thursday morning to start work on their international passports. They are under the age of 16, so they do not need domestic passports. That has been a little confusing up to now.

We visited several government offices in Odessa together, requiring me to sign who-knows-what documents, and by early afternoon we were finished with that.

Those of you who have been through a Ukrainian adoption may relate to this, you just never are really sure about what comes next... I was taken by surprise when we went out to lunch in Odessa with our facilitator, Nataliya, and she informed me that we were finished in-region. She would be leaving for Kiev that evening. What?!! All we need to do is wait for the passports to be finished. There is nothing else to do here. I wasn't really prepared to be told that... Wasn't prepared for the news that our friend for the last two months would be leaving for good... This wonderful lady, who battled for us, especially for Valya, making the impossible happen... Getting officials to do things when they really would rather be doing something else... God worked miracles through her and we are very glad that she was our facilitator here. Back in December, I posted how we were at war for Valya, and Nataliya was our warrior. Thank you, Nataliya, we are going to miss you. One time when she was looking at our blog, she asked me why we have no pictures of her on here. I told her that I wanted to protect her privacy. She said it is OK, so now I have a picture of her with the kids.

So the big news here is that we are waiting for their passports so that we can finish up in Kiev and come home. Nataliya said they may be finished on Monday or Tuesday. Alyona will call every day and get them for us as soon as they are ready.

Last Wednesday, Nataliya sent the documents we will need for US Immigration up to Kiev with the Swinney's for English translation by Dima. This will save us some time. She always surprises me that way.

So right now we are in wait mode, kind of a vacation really, where we do not have to be anywhere or up at a certain time. The kids continue to get along well. Valya adds a lot of energy to our life here. I can't imagine being without her anymore. It would be very boring. Sergey is a good sport and puts up with all of her hijinx and tormenting.


Here are some pictures.


This is the Odessa City Hall, and the view from the floor we visited. The exterior of it is being renovated. It is easy to tell government buildings in Odessa because they are usually spiffy. Compare it with the building across the street! We needed to get Valentina and Sergey new tax ID's in order to get passports.



Here is Valya waiting in a hallway outside of some office at city hall. You see a lot of that here. A very long hallway that echoes like crazy, and a closed door behind which our facilitator is in there doing something. Nataliya was in there awhile and then called me in for four signatures. And that was all. Wow we do a lot of traveling around for just the smallest things, though without the piece of paper, signatures, and official stamps, you can't do the next step.



On the way to the passport office. I didn't realize it at the time, but this would be our last official stop in Odessa. We walked as that was just about as fast as a taxi due to the traffic.



On the way to the passport office, we passed by the Orthodox church where Sergey was baptized five years ago. I'll have more about that in tomorrow's post.



We were having lunch with our in-region facilitor, Nataliya, when she informed me that we were finished and she would be leaving for home for good that very day. Thank you so much, Natasha, for all of your work on our behalf. Someday, we will be able to explain to the kids all that you did for them.



It's just the three of us now, waiting until their passports are ready next week.

"Give Her What She Lacks Here"

It has been a couple of days since I posted. I am trying to figure out a schedule when I can blog, plus I am working on my job back home, plus I have Sergey and Valya with me now.

We picked up Valya from her orphanage Thursday morning. I had wanted to have a party of some kind for her, but the timing here was just all wrong. Her orphanage is a 2 hr. drive from Odessa and it was just too hard to get that coordinated. It is also very expensive to hire a driver to go there, and after so many trips up there I am really tired of paying for it. Plus I am anxious to get home as soon as possible so it just didn't work out.

Sergey and I, our facilitator Nataliya, and our driver Sasha left Odessa at 7 am for Andreyevo-Ivanovka. It was foggy and misty in Odessa so we thought, Oh great, it's going to be bad weather in Andreyevo, as it is further inland and colder than Odessa. I have a running joke with Sasha, I say, "It is always sunny in Andreyevo". I would say this because our sweet daughter was there. Back in December, Sasha had slid his car off the road near Andreyevo due to an ice storm. Sure enough, by the time we turned off on the little road to Andreyevo, there was freezing rain beginning to coat everything.

I had asked Nataliya to call the orphanage the day before to tell them that we would be coming for Valya and to let her know. I wanted to be sure that she had ample time to say her last goodbyes to her friends and to be ready emotionally to leave.

We got to the orphanage at about 9 o'clock and headed to the director's office. There was a little paperwork to take care of, such as signing some papers. The director and social worker visited a little with Sergey as we were doing that.

Valya had been in class and was called in wearing her school uniform. She had a big smile on her face. We had brought two bags with clothing, shoes, and her new coat. The coat was still in the bag from the market, and when she took it out she said it was "beautiful". I don't take the credit for that, Nataliya helped me pick it out at the market in Rozdilna the day before. She needed to change clothes and the director said she could change in his office. He had said it in Ukrainian and I didn't know what he said, as Nataliya had gone somewhere else to make a photocopy of something. I followed everyone out and was waiting a little and then went back in to see Valya and saw that she was changing. Oops! I turned around quick and went back to the other room and the director and other workers were chuckling at me. She put her orphanage clothes and shoes in one of the empty bags and left it with the director.

Pretty soon, all was finished there. We exchanged email addresses with the director. He asked if we had a scanner so that Valya could send handwritten letters to them. He figured that we did not have a Russian keyboard for our computer. A scanner? If he only knew... I even have one with me here in Odessa!

I asked the director if he would take a picture with Valya and he got a big smile. Da, da! He led her over to sit down on his couch together for the picture. This is the same couch that Nancy, Mark, and I sat on when we met Valya for the first time. So this is where it started and ended. I'm weird I know but it stood out to me.

On the way out, we gathered one last time to say goodbyes to the officials. The director said several things to Valya, and according to Nataliya he was congratulating her and admonishing her to behave herself in a way that would make her parents proud. The director turned to me and also congratulated us. One of the things that stood out was he told us to provide the things for her in America that she lacks here. Well... we intend to do exactly that!

The admin offices and classrooms are in the same building. Classes were in session. The classroom doors have glass windows so I could see the children in there. I wondered who else of them would have a day like Valya's today.

We got outside and it was very quiet. We took the walk out to the driveway to the car and loaded up. Everyone was in the car but me because I was putting some stuff in the trunk. Suddenly, here came a boy running down the driveway yelling something, I did not know what. He went over to the car door and talked to Valya and she got out and dashed back through the gate. Apparently, she had forgotten some things in her room - her teddy bear we gave her the first time we met, and her photo album. So, Sergey and I went back in also and caught up with her back behind the classroom building again. By this time there was a group of about 20 or 30 kids that had gathered to say goodbye. Some of them I knew from my stay there a week ago. The boys were very friendly and smiling, but all of the girls I spent time with, except for Alyona, wouldn't greet me. I understood why and expected that this day would be very hard on them and it would be my fault. Alyona, though, was very kind to me, as always. She is such a sweetheart. Well, they are all sweethearts, just grieving at this moment.

We paused again for a group picture and it was time to leave again. This time for good.

Valya was all smiles as we left for her new life out of the orphanage.

When we got to Odessa, Nataliya took the kids to get their visa photos taken, then sent them back to our apartment, which was near there. We had the rest of the day to ourselves as a new family.

In the afternoon, we took the bus over to the Privoz market where we did some shopping for the kids. I let Valya pick out a few personal care items, such as a new hairbrush and lip gloss, also bought her a new tote bag that she wanted. Got Sergey a backpack. They will both need these for the airplane trip back to America. I was also looking for a buttondown shirt and blouse for them but didn't have any luck with that. They only have tshirts and sweatshirts and I would like to visit the opera house with them. We did find belts for them, though.

All in all it was a nice day, like a dream to be together for good.


Here are some pictures from the day.


Yet another ice storm, but It is always sunny in Andreyevo! as I say.



This is the entrance sign to Andreyevo-Ivanovka.



This is the sign at the entrance to the Andreyevo orphanage.



This is the main drive into the orphanage. The classroom and admin building is the one on the right.



After signing Valya out, she and her orphanage director pose on the couch in his office for a final portrait. This is the same couch that Nancy, Mark, and I were sitting on when we were introduced to Valya for the first time. Her she is wearing her school uniform for the last time.



A final goodbye to some friends. We would have already been gone if I hadn't been taking my time putting something in the trunk of our car. My buddy Alyona was the last friend she hugged.



Valentina and her teddy bear take one last look back and then we were gone. Another chapter in our adoption story comes to a close.



Andreyevo-Ivanovka is considered a village. It is very rural, farm country. The houses along the main road are very quaint. Most are buff-colored with vivid sky blue highlights. Some others have elaborate texturing for trim, somewhat corinthian looking.



Valya combs Sergey's hair in our apartment in Odessa. The kids have been getting along well. I never know what they're talking about, though. Valya speaks Ukrainian, Sergey speak Russian, and he will never translate for me, even if I ask.



On a mashutka, or city bus, on the way to a large marketplace for shopping.



On the way back to the apartment, Valya poses with her new tote in front of the landmark Aphena mall.

Birth Certificates

We got internet back on at the apartments again. I updated yesterday's post with pictures, so take a look there if you haven't already.

Tuesday, we had a very successful day as we obtained both Sergey's and Valentina's birth certificates and we have them in hand. It was a very long day, however, that lasted from 8-5, all of it waiting either in lobbies or the car. We were in Rozdilna for Valya's and Odessa for Sergey's.

The only thing left here in-region is Valya's property issue and passports, then we will be free to go to Kiev. We may be done by Monday. It is a little too soon to tell. We will sign out Valya from her orphanage today and try to get passport photos done in Odessa yet today.

We are all very anxious to get home back to Nancy and Mark, and the new life in America.

I said goodbye to the Swinney's last night. They leave for Kiev today while we'll be on the road. Friendships with other American families is a great support while you're here. As far as I know, I am the last American adopting in Odessa right now.

Here are some pictures from the day.


Sergey helps make breakfast at the start of a long day on the road. He got to see what the other side of the adoption process is like.



Waiting in the car in Rozdilna while our facilitator goes to meetings. Our driver, Sasha, reads his Bible, Sergey plays Gameboy, and I post to the blog with my cell phone internet.




Here is a Lada hoopty I saw in Rozdilna. Lada's are soviet era cars made in Russia. Once in a while you will see one that is tricked out. Americans call them Lada hoopties. They're kind of humorous but hey they're doing the best with what they have, which isn't much here. The economy is a mess in Ukraine.



Here are some workers trimming trees next to a park in Rozdilna. These are women trimming and pitching branches into the wagon. It was very cold and windy this day. When we walked around the wagon, we saw that it was hitched to a tractor with an enclosed cab and there was a man in there working on a crossword puzzle. Sasha said this is sexual discrimination the Ukraine way!



Over lunch hour we had time to kill while waiting for the government office to open again. There is an enormous outdoor marketplace in Rozdilna. This picture shows only a very small part of it. It goes on for blocks. You can find everything here. I was able to buy a new coat for Valya here for the equivalent of $33.



This is the government Registry office in Rozdilna, where we got Valya's new birth certificate. We left the old one behind and they would be destroying it.



Waiting outside the official's office at the Registry office in Odessa for Sergey's new birth certificate. It was on this same bench that by chance Nancy and I met Louise Puderbaugh and Mattea a couple of weeks ago.

It Is Decreed, Let It Be So

Yesterday, after a lot of running around, we were able to obtain the Final Decree from the court, AKA Their Ticket Outta Here. We had court on January 19 and this is the decree from the judge that grants Valentina and Sergey to us. It did not take effect however, until after the 10-day waiting period expired. Ukrainian law provides this time to allow for appeals. I've never heard of anyone appealing, but who knows. Even if someone appeals, they'd get a pretty tough grilling by the judge. Where have you been all of this time? Why have you never visited the child before now? Do you have the means to care for this child? You're planning to adopt this child, then, are you? etc. It's VERY unlikely to happen.

The Final Decree is the piece of paper, 3 sheets in our case, that is the key for the remaining adoption tasks we have. Friday, the first step was to go to the courthouse and get it. Now, let me ask ask you: How many decree originals signed by the judge do you think we will need? One? How about 14. Our facilitator was in a hurry, so we only got two for now. Will get the rest next week. We went down to the office to get birth certificates, but uh oh, she told us that there is a mistake in the decree. Some place name is wrong. So it was back to the courthouse to get it fixed. They fixed it fast enough, but the judge was presiding over a criminal trial. Our two updated decrees needed his signatures. So we had to wait and wait. Finally Nataliya was able to get the signatures. We went over to #4 so that I could sign some documents, then we went to the passport office to get that started. Throw in a trip to the Notary's office somewhere in there and by this time it was 5:00 and that was all we could get done. We never did make it back down to the birth certificate office. That office is closed on Monday. I'm not sure if we've had a setback or not, there is some overlap in the things going on here.

On Monday, our facilitator will be in Valya's registration city, Rozdilna, dealing with the property issue that she has.

Monday will also be a big day for us. At 9:00 AM, I will go and sign out Sergey from the orphanage. He will be with me permanently after that point. Afterward, I will take him for a haircut, and go food shopping for his going-away party after school.

Tuesday, Sergey will have to come along as we go to Rozdilna to get Valya's birth certificate. Things are still tentative, but I'm thinking we'll bring Valya down to Odessa overnight so that I can take her shopping. She needs a few articles of clothing yet that I don't have. We didn't know her size, so we weren't able to bring them from America. Neither of the kids can take their clothing from their orphanages, not even their underwear, so I have to provide them with all when they sign out. On Wednesday, both of the kids need to get photographed for their Ukrainian passports. They'll need them for travel. Then I'm thinking we'll have Valya's party at Andreyevo and I'll sign her out. If this ends up being the plan, I will finally have both kids with me permanently by Wednesday night. This has been a long time coming, it is surreal to even think about.

I went down to Sergey's orphanage this afternoon. I knew that he wouldn't be aware that he was leaving on Monday. I gathered up a bag of clothing and shoes for him, and headed over there. When I met him, I told him that I have big news for him - Monday you will leave. He didn't understand what I meant. Leave, to go where? No, I mean you will be leaving here forever! At 9:00 on Monday. It took him a while to grasp it as I have never hinted before as to when he would be able to leave. He was SO happy. I showed him the clothes that I brought. I told him, on Monday, you will not have to go to school. Don't put those clothes on, put these on. We went through the bag to make sure everything was in there. Then I told him, let's go, we're going to go have pizza at M's. M and Sergey have been friends since he was in 1st grade and he had never been to her apartment before. He gave his things to Grisha to save for him, then the next thing was to go find a supervisor. In the past, I've been very humble about asking permission for things. This time, I just told her, I am taking Sergey out to eat, we will be back in a couple of hours. She looked a little surprised, apparently she hadn't heard that Sergey is leaving on Monday. I told her that and that put an end to any resistance.

We had a nice dinner with M and her roommate. Sergey got to look at photo albums of pictures that M had taken at the orphanage over the years. They had fun reminiscing about former classmates and friends. M put him to work helping with an apple crisp. After dinner, we played Dutch Blitz, which Sergey won. That was quite an achievement, since M is an expert and usually wins.

As we were walking back to the orphanage, we stopped at a red light. He was just standing there bouncing and singing, "So happy. Happy happy happy" with a big smile. I told him, "Me too."


Here are some pictures.


These are Valentina and Sergey's current birth certificates. We have to turn these in when we get their new ones, with their new names. My understanding is that they will be destroyed, wiping out completely their original identities. Reminds me of our own adoptions, as Christians, into Christ's family. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" II Cor. 5:17



I showed Sergey his Final Decree. The one decree actually covers both Sergey and Valya.



These are Sergey's clothes he'll wear on Monday.



Helping out with apple crisp.



We have called you "Son" for a long time, it just took the government a while to come around! Hold on, in just two days your life will change forever!