tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25873009220281168642024-03-06T10:37:16.703+02:00The Road to AdoptionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-70807631960135631192010-09-28T21:32:00.000+03:002010-09-28T21:32:08.166+03:00Day 43 & 44 - "Now the Hard Part!"Hello to all of our friends, family and others who have supported us by following our adoption blog. This has been a long process and we know without a doubt that we couldn't have made without God upholding us with His mighty and righteous right hand. We know in our hearts that part of God's plan included using all of you to send us words of prayer, encouragement and well wishes to lift our spirits. We are so thankful for all of you.<br />
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I am happy to report that after a good bit of running to and fro over the last couple of days, we have finally received all the paperwork, passports and visas that will allow us to leave Ukraine for America. We are scheduled to fly out of Kiev, Ukraine at 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday, September 29 and arrive in Birmingham, Alabama at 6:10 p.m. on that same day. PRAISE THE LORD!!!!<br />
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As I leave Ukraine, Angelia and I wanted to share the following words of Scripture that changed our lives and our eternity, that revealed adoption was part of God's plan for our family, that prepared us for the task at hand, and that sustained us during this difficult trip away from home, family and friends:<br />
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<ul><li>"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." - Romans 10-9-10</li>
<li>He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." - Micah 6:8</li>
<li>Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:15-16</li>
<li>Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." - Malachi 3:10 </li>
<li>"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." </li>
<li>"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1 </li>
<li>"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." - Psalm 119:105 </li>
<li>"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9 </li>
<li>Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." - Mark 11:24 </li>
<li>"being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience" - Colossians 1:11 </li>
<li>"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 </li>
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We need God more than ever because now, the hard part begins. Being parents is the most important task that we have. Raising our children in a Godly home that is set in a world that wishes to devour them is going to be very difficult. But we have faith that God has provided us with His instruction manual and as long as we stick to the instructions, we trust the result. <br />
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We humbly give thanks again to each and every one of you who have followed our blog and extended your love, prayers, support and encouragment to us during this trip. We also take a moment to reconginze and pray for all those families who are here in Ukraine going through the same difficult adoption process. <br />
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Goodnight (for the last time) from Kiev, Ukraine! <br />
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<div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-31573834331388743562010-09-26T22:31:00.002+03:002010-09-26T22:56:11.863+03:00Days 41 & 42 - "On the Edge"Hello to everyone who has continued to be interested in our adoption story by following our blog. We thank you so much for all the kind words of encouragement, all of the prayer and all of your support. Angelia and I were discussing that this entire adoption process has been a very meaningful but difficult process. It has drawn us closer to God, closer to each other, and closer to our two children. <br />
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Living in Kiev, Ukraine for the last 42 days has surely made us appreciate our home, our friends, our blessings and our country so much more. I pray that we will remember our circumstances here for a long time to come in order that we may be thankful for what we have been blessed with. I pray that our hearts will always turned to use what God has given us to glorify and serve our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ.<br />
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Day 41:<br />
On Saturday, we took it upon ourselves to get out and about by doing a bit of shopping. The weather was sunny and very mild which meant being outdoors was a good idea. There was a cool looking, fleece soccer pull-over jacket that I was interested in so we walked to the store which is located just beside the professional soccer team's field. But, I'm sad to report that they didn't have any in "husky" size. Probably for the best because soccer stuff doesn't look as cool in America as it does here. :-) We did notice that the Kyiv "Dynamo" (pronounced "Dee Naaa Moe" by my son Charlie & the rest of Kiev) was playing a game the next day. Charlie loves the "Dee Naaa Moe"' team so it was only fitting that we attend a game. Four tickets cost $25 and we were all set for the next day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXN5pzAiiwGcudWBAcMkw6XFc7Ur2oyZpJxZ7A7bCVAgAd3n4M-ztXjZclKdkAOTogbuA4nrR4TkrGwmxoBF2fMl8K2KZos7zB1njYP0OnnaLJGhB5jzfFe_cisoTGShUKkU3Hb3fOWw/s1600/IMG_0570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXN5pzAiiwGcudWBAcMkw6XFc7Ur2oyZpJxZ7A7bCVAgAd3n4M-ztXjZclKdkAOTogbuA4nrR4TkrGwmxoBF2fMl8K2KZos7zB1njYP0OnnaLJGhB5jzfFe_cisoTGShUKkU3Hb3fOWw/s320/IMG_0570.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie on the loose in Kiev!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ExAuITGghQ0tDqFP00RUDjBmFYTEeZc7KPvWz15w4a0ahbM7P5Gpw8ICF58XRt0vOLYx_bLW6Id3uCfABT2Xz-6Ilsseock11F_Qq32y60g2_F8Bob6CbySgnVcuM8opvoJVlS-RjbE/s1600/IMG_0587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ExAuITGghQ0tDqFP00RUDjBmFYTEeZc7KPvWz15w4a0ahbM7P5Gpw8ICF58XRt0vOLYx_bLW6Id3uCfABT2Xz-6Ilsseock11F_Qq32y60g2_F8Bob6CbySgnVcuM8opvoJVlS-RjbE/s320/IMG_0587.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angelia has a part time job in Kiev to cover some adoption expenses</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHugqUR2HnxoPWU42UqOgKqiOjex9kfYk7eyBg3-F6Gvc44mFuujk1pLDqwvzssVYnpmGpeP68GQ9VWHn7DI-HA4H3L6BGyfEMYiKDNyhq9WxM7jCAjEQxCrh9ozD3yNmgnE40OhqZOE/s1600/IMG_0595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHugqUR2HnxoPWU42UqOgKqiOjex9kfYk7eyBg3-F6Gvc44mFuujk1pLDqwvzssVYnpmGpeP68GQ9VWHn7DI-HA4H3L6BGyfEMYiKDNyhq9WxM7jCAjEQxCrh9ozD3yNmgnE40OhqZOE/s320/IMG_0595.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sushi (or chicken finger) master o' the chop sticks Charlie!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUjoxFgAo6GaSiOQJ_ANO1P32SGoSy1w8thZuFIXaqBVY-8AKTgjsLqiTCL2KvtvpQppANEI9lfSfnBUu8Sjp6_GcGIAcPkQMkpiGD_hVAsPNsRzUpbUSSyedeMVGEd49Rh-1XFO4QGg/s1600/IMG_0597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUjoxFgAo6GaSiOQJ_ANO1P32SGoSy1w8thZuFIXaqBVY-8AKTgjsLqiTCL2KvtvpQppANEI9lfSfnBUu8Sjp6_GcGIAcPkQMkpiGD_hVAsPNsRzUpbUSSyedeMVGEd49Rh-1XFO4QGg/s320/IMG_0597.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another adoptive family from Virginia we met in Kiev, son Aaron in tow!</td></tr>
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After leaving the ticket office, we had to get something to eat. Not being able to fit into the soccer jacket made me hungry for some reason. There is a restaurant across the street from the soccer field that is sort of a chain type place that served sushi and other asian cuisine. We decided to try it out and sure enough, it was pretty tasty. After eating, we wandered around the main drag in downtown Kiev. On weekends, they close the street so it was nice just to walk around in the nice weather. While in Independence Square, we actually ran into a couple from America whose adoption blog I have been following since I've been in Ukraine. The have been in Ukraine for three months trying to finalize the adoption of their special needs son, Aaron. I read many stories of their struggles and how God delivered them. Their story is much more difficult than ours. Thank God, they are on schedule to leave for America with their son Aaron on Tuesday. <br />
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The Alabama vs. Arkansas game was on live TV via satellite so we stayed up until half time (until 12:30 a.m. or so here) at which time everyone else went to bed. The TV is in the living room (a.k.a. Charlie's bedroom) so I had to finish the second half getting updates after they occurred. I am no Alabama fan for sure, so the fact that I watched and followed one of their games on line shows just how desperate I am for some resemblance of home. :-) The AU game started too late for me to listen to. If everything stays on track, we have spent our last weekend in Ukraine so we can watch many football games next weekend if life allows.<br />
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Day 42:<br />
When I awoke on Sunday, we didn't have anything to drink (water or soda). With my being the caffeine dependent / cold soda in the morning person that I am, a walk down Mount KievKilamanjaroEverestK2 was necessary right out of the gate. When I got back, we all ate breakfast and got ready to visit the first live professional soccer game attended by anyone in our family. We walked the two miles to the stadium for the "Dee Naaa Moe" game. The stadium holds about 12,000 fans. We grabbed two glasses of warm apple juice and settled in for the big game against another Kiev, Ukraine professional team - the despicable "Aresenal". :-) About 15 mins before the game started, these giant sprinklers began wetting down the field. I got excited because I thought maybe this was Kerosene and they were going to light it and play on a field of fire. But alas, this was not the case. A "normal" soccer game was on the menu for today. It took the "Dee Naaa Moe" 108 minutes to dispatch the cross town rivals by a score of 21 to 14 (converted back to the soccer / metric system, this was a score of 3 to 2). I didn't expect such an offensive display today! During the game, we saw two head injuries, one shoulder injury, one injury to the pelvic region during a penalty kick (which got the whole stadium laughing) and one green card. I'm not sure what the card was for but it being pulled out got a reaction from the crowd. Another thing that really got the crowd fired up is whenever anyone (whether on purpose or by accident) touched the ball with their hands. This unthinkable, nasty, despicable act occurred three times in the game but was only called once by the ref. I'm sure that my children heard some very foul language in Ukrainian today but I don't speak it so I don't know how bad it truly was. Also, I will say that large groups of Ukrainian young people get pretty enthusiastic during soccer games. They had organized group cheers, taunts, dance moves, etc. that were on display during the entire game. I guess they have to find some way to entertain themselves because they don't expect much action on the field. I mean, the field was not burning with Kerosene! :-)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Qaul9kwc6FGPvlllq9BgWmLaKOcbtlHoaIwWSthDPJBVOhuCg4iXYl7T9Ba0REySONO8NwlTixnUkU7QCzIYIMSvhJFOxliVnj6gkspo6rZZrXuEOqR83sr2sd3iOzXienCyxf8O-kg/s1600/IMG_0606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Qaul9kwc6FGPvlllq9BgWmLaKOcbtlHoaIwWSthDPJBVOhuCg4iXYl7T9Ba0REySONO8NwlTixnUkU7QCzIYIMSvhJFOxliVnj6gkspo6rZZrXuEOqR83sr2sd3iOzXienCyxf8O-kg/s320/IMG_0606.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dynamo (Dee Naaa Moe) Kiev (in white) vs. Arsenal Kiev (in blue)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWLvcbQWGUvVfC4KgeZW8PD1MejG_er-0H-tj_krWTnhdRpezdapMKHYA6t4yz8Jd76I-3wNbmNFXDGrgqV4WO-3PQqIZAr8fC-kDdTpFAxrPWOcNIwWv-hdSA0u1-YNfccZcF3_JA-Y/s1600/IMG_0622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWLvcbQWGUvVfC4KgeZW8PD1MejG_er-0H-tj_krWTnhdRpezdapMKHYA6t4yz8Jd76I-3wNbmNFXDGrgqV4WO-3PQqIZAr8fC-kDdTpFAxrPWOcNIwWv-hdSA0u1-YNfccZcF3_JA-Y/s320/IMG_0622.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a "blowout" score looks like in soccer! This is 21 - 14 in American Football</td></tr>
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We made our way to TGI Friday's to celebrate the huge blowout of the Arsenal. We haven't eaten here since August 21, 2010 and it was a welcome change. Up the hill we came after dinner. We finished the evening by completing all of the paperwork that is needed during our visit with the U.S. Embassy tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. At this meeting, we will turn in visa applications. If all goes well, we would pick up visas for the children at 2:00 p.m. on Monday. After we have these visas, we are coming home on the very next available flight which would be on Wednesday.<br />
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Please help us by praying that we finish the last steps without being hindered and that we would come home quickly and safely on Wednesday of this week.<br />
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Goodnight from Kiev, Ukraine!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-56244425757011446862010-09-24T22:48:00.000+03:002010-09-24T22:48:40.776+03:00Day 40 - "Check-up Required to Check Out"Hello to everyone who continues following our family adoption blog. With each passing day, we are getting closer to ending our time in Ukraine. We are very grateful for all that you have done to be interested in what God is doing in our lives, and especially for the encouragement and prayer that you have afforded us. <br />
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Today started relatively early. Anna, Charlie and I were off to the "Oil & Gas Hospital" today to obtain the required medical exams for the U.S. Embassy. These exams and the new Ukrainian Passports are the last two "pieces of paper" that we will need before we can obtain visas allowing the children to enter the United States of America.<br />
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The reason Angelia was not going with us today is because we were actually traveling with our trusty facilitator and some other folks (insert "Pink Panther" theme music here as we have now decided it might be more appropriate theme music for our wonderful facilitator). :-) For those of you who don't know, a family from Chelsea, Alabama left for Ukraine two days before we did to adopt their daughter. It was quite interesting to know that someone that lives about 15 miles from us was traveling to Ukraine and even using the same facilitator. Today, the six of us piled into the Honda Accord and headed for the hospital together. It was great to spend some time talking and hanging out with some folks from home (literally, from just down the road).<br />
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The health exam for each child was fairly routine in nature with the only development being that Anna had to receive a immunization for "Rubella" (which Angelia tells me is the measles). It was a tad bit awkward for me, Anna and Charlie during the exam. The doctor was checking out Charlie and I sensed that some drawers were about to be pulled down. I motioned for Anna to turn around and close her eyes. Sure enough, little man's undies hit the floor only seconds later. Normally, this is uncomfortable when you're alone with your doctor. Add your new dad and older sister to the mix and you can imagine the embarrasement that occurred for Charlie. Normally, I punish Charlie when he talks back by mumbling under his breath after being asked to do something. In this case, I actually joined him in the mumbling / complaining. When Anna's exam time came, I jumped out of my chair and quickly relocated Charlie and myself to a small area behind a screen. Thank the Lord, there was a toy car on a shelf that I handed to Charlie to keep our attention. Those friends who know me best know that I am squeamish anytime I am around someone else in a medical type capacity (such as when things come up in conversation like "hey, look at this tumor" or "hey, I think I'm going into labor"). Nothing like that occurred here today but I now see that being a parent takes us to places we are not comfortable going sometimes. <br />
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We came back to the apartment and it was time for lunch. I have been here for 40 days. That means 40 days with no fried chicken. Now, I'm a husky man. I can't keep this huskiness without fried chicken on some sort of routine schedule that I can predict. So, I decided that today was the day! I bought what was either (a) the three largest chicken breasts you have ever seen or (2) three normal chicken breast from the Chernobyl region (site of the 1986 nuclear reactor explosion / disaster) or (3) turkey breasts. Either way, they were trimmed into chicken finger size portions, battered and fried. Adding some mashed potatoes and corn completed the meal. It must have been good because it was all gone about 20 minutes from blessing to clean-up. <br />
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One item of note, Charlie has pretty much only one job in the apartment. It is his role to clean all dishes off the table and place them in the sink after each meal. You would think that he would be used to it by now, but every once in a while he gets upset that mean ol' parents would expect him to do such a task. When I asked him to do this today, he got mad, walked into another room, mumbled under his breath and gave a little kick to a piece of furniture. So, Charlie got to see his old friend "90 degrees" (or corner) for 10 minutes. Afterward, he had to take a damp cloth and clean the entire piece of furniture that he gave the little kick to. Once the furniture cleaning was over, he had to still clear the dishes off the table. It may be wrong of me to say this, but I got a pretty good little lift (that maybe I am doing a good job as a parent) when I saw the look on his face after I told him that he had to clean the furniture he kicked. He had that "this is not going according to plan" look on his face. I think he learned something today. :-)<br />
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We got word today that our passports will be ready on Monday. I have also confirmed that we have meetings with the U.S. Embassy on Monday at 10:00 a.m. and Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. to obtain visas for the kids. Because all seems like we are on track, I took the step of reserving flights for America to occur on Wednesday, September 29, 2010. Praise The Lord!<br />
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We are not home free until we actually arrive in America so we humbly ask that you would continue praying for us and that God will see fit to get us home safe and sound next Wednesday.<br />
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My closing thoughts for tonight are: God is teaching me so much about His nature and about my relationship with Him through my relationship with my children. First, I find great comfort and all my hope in the fact that, because of Christs' blood atoning for my sin, nothing can now separate me from the love of my Father in Heaven. In 1 John 3:1, we can read "how great is love the Father that pours out on us that we should be called the children of God; and that is what we are!". In Romans 8:39, we read further that "neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the <b>love</b> of God that is in <b>Christ</b> Jesus our Lord.". In Isaiah 49:6, we read "I have carved you on the palm of my hands". All of this to say, sometimes I deserve to be in a corner. Sometimes, my bad choices bring about more consequences that I considered beforehand. It is my place to simply be obedient to the tasks that God sets before me and to do so with a joyful spirit. When I kick the furniture, I can expect to have to clean up the mess. However, my Father's love for me remains intact.<br />
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Goodnight to everyone from Kiev, Ukraine. We love and greatly miss you all.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-53739696044351086492010-09-23T23:04:00.000+03:002010-09-23T23:04:58.416+03:00Day 39 - "Farewell Vovchkiv"Hello to all of our friends, family and others who continue to follow our adoption blog. We thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement. You all lift us up when we are down, give us advice to strengthen us, and tarry with us as we wait for the necessary paperwork that will allow us to come home. We thank God for you all!<br />
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Today was set to be a big day in the realm of adoptions. Today was the last day that our children would see the orphanage that they have called home for so long. Anna (14) lived there for seven years and Charlie (10) lived there for four. I can't imagine what it's like to leave everything and everyone you have known for so long to move to another country and culture with virtual strangers. I am proud of both my children for their bravery and I thank God for the spirit of hope that lives within each of them. <br />
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We left the apartment at 11:30 a.m. today for our last round-trip to the village where the orphanage is located. The weather was beautiful and it was a nice drive. The yellow and orange leaves on the small trees beside the road here announce that fall is nearly upon this land; which is swiftly followed by what is usually a very harsh winter compared to where we live in America. The fruit trees that were covered with plums and apples when we arrived have since delivered their bounty to the people who toiled in the spring. People have changed the short sleeves for longer sleeved choices and some people are already donning full out winter weather clothing. Fall has always been my favorite season because you can see God's preparation all around us for the cold and dreary winter that is coming. Animals are storing food and preparing their burrows. Leaves change the forest into a kaliedescope of color giving us one last beautiful masterpiece to behold before the cold of winter comes. God has blessed me and my family greatly this year and I am thankful that He has allowed me to experience Fall in Ukraine and in just a short time, Fall in my hometown.<br />
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The village where my children have lived for so long is a very humble and simple place for it's three hundred inhabitants. There is no fast pace to life there; no swarm of technological advancements to absorb personal time. I would imagine that most people there live on less than $100 per month. They grow gardens, tend to livestock, prune fruit trees, reap and sow, reap and sow. They are honorable, hard working people who are trapped in poverty. In the midst of such hardship lies the orphange where our children have lived. It is a small orphange that currenlty has only fifteen children. They have no ability to fix meals here so all the children walk in a single-file line twice a day to the school to eat their meals. The orphange itself is a two-story brick building that was built many years ago. Its floors have been painted many times. The walls are layered in wallpaper. All the sleeping rooms have the same, single bunk beds arranged to maximize space. The building is clean but not modern. So many improvements have occurred here since we first visited in February of 2009 and I am thankful that God has arranged people to come and help these children and workers. The orphange has been open for eleven years and only four children have been adopted from here with Angelia and I being the first international adoptive family. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQygba0f9RzANTRiE1Q8r9IgRC0KlXJJXQNNzPMGgu14JZkzjgxquaQPcrtLJpMOdBs596DamtqVYn69t23EhWX2Skpu5D_A-7JN2Tm6GelXvuv5zdEcL21XUMV7fmOq7mPOmHTyX0U1A/s1600/IMG_0542[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQygba0f9RzANTRiE1Q8r9IgRC0KlXJJXQNNzPMGgu14JZkzjgxquaQPcrtLJpMOdBs596DamtqVYn69t23EhWX2Skpu5D_A-7JN2Tm6GelXvuv5zdEcL21XUMV7fmOq7mPOmHTyX0U1A/s320/IMG_0542%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bedroom in the orphanage where our children have lived for most of their lives.</td></tr>
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We spent about two final hours at the orphanage. The beds where Anna and Charlie slept have already been rearranged and new sleeping assingments given out. Anna spent time with her friend Nela and they both walked to the school so that Anna could say goodbye to other friends. Charlie managed to shake a couple of hands and barely hug one or two of the the other boys of his age; after all, guys say goodbye differently than do girls. We made it a point to just let our children have their time to say goodbye in their own ways. I could see in the faces of some of the other children that they, too, long for a family to take them away from there. At the same time, I didn't sense from our children any regret or change of heart about the decision they made a long time ago. Before leaving, we managed to get the entire crew together for one last group photo with our children present. The orphanage director gave me the biggest hug I think I have every gotten and she began to get a little choked up about the whole affair. We made our way to the car to leave. As we closed the doors and pulled away, this chapter of our childrens lives came to an end.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7cj05R9auuuV8rxYX4HWrJx9cYuRxTWSFN9topZIQGfYanH5-3hL2SEBXFrsZLUWwMY1FMcSD2UPbVHM9cAJ9ktC8obEhp-K-UrIIGp_QDIDkkWM3KoJbgRvO8x-cMqjE-neWbUSsiE/s1600/IMG_0543[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7cj05R9auuuV8rxYX4HWrJx9cYuRxTWSFN9topZIQGfYanH5-3hL2SEBXFrsZLUWwMY1FMcSD2UPbVHM9cAJ9ktC8obEhp-K-UrIIGp_QDIDkkWM3KoJbgRvO8x-cMqjE-neWbUSsiE/s320/IMG_0543%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our son Charlie (on the right) with his friend Sergey</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI__x-jtxT4AhRxdqEm8iDKxpTI6CJ90OTFTMc0NnBHVNWeFgPggnS9rdX6wFvsbcyWHr1AWiAtoRBWUDEV0UnakanIU_zig5A3tkpp8L6VfjE3HNBLaIxM0yXv8lUnaTfAWH5dX9WSSY/s1600/IMG_0546[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI__x-jtxT4AhRxdqEm8iDKxpTI6CJ90OTFTMc0NnBHVNWeFgPggnS9rdX6wFvsbcyWHr1AWiAtoRBWUDEV0UnakanIU_zig5A3tkpp8L6VfjE3HNBLaIxM0yXv8lUnaTfAWH5dX9WSSY/s320/IMG_0546%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictured from Left: Nela (Orphanage Director), Nela (Anna's friend), Anna Taylor (my daughter) and one of the orphange workers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTWAJTZchBUfL-yBRYd5hcx7FNGW42EWVFtxlQltZYcS3-E3mKztUYd4sJy3laIZ1QicQA4P4iIxjVdQPPYlSWJZnJNUhoH1TAtjDJU9kQMWq33XXFXEhsMQ92C2HrWgS8dBD-RyKeCY/s1600/IMG_0547[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTWAJTZchBUfL-yBRYd5hcx7FNGW42EWVFtxlQltZYcS3-E3mKztUYd4sJy3laIZ1QicQA4P4iIxjVdQPPYlSWJZnJNUhoH1TAtjDJU9kQMWq33XXFXEhsMQ92C2HrWgS8dBD-RyKeCY/s320/IMG_0547%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Our son Charlie Taylor (center) with his friends Alosha (left) and Sergey (right)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZhwcdQ2DXWfhQ2SHt3n1DtSpoqH4WCst11MRNgfBdOXewrb2bgTB1eZdX6Q7cf8rr-ClyAi_Y99-yhstnFdzKLf1SXD62YqBf4ivv20nS1tnDsWVD6fOsJhb4LZBycLxXO5RWQgwEL0/s1600/IMG_0552[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZhwcdQ2DXWfhQ2SHt3n1DtSpoqH4WCst11MRNgfBdOXewrb2bgTB1eZdX6Q7cf8rr-ClyAi_Y99-yhstnFdzKLf1SXD62YqBf4ivv20nS1tnDsWVD6fOsJhb4LZBycLxXO5RWQgwEL0/s320/IMG_0552%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Our daughter Anna (center) with her friends Katya (left) and Marina (right)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwizJQvMlWwea3iryvrVcAxi64_sxOyqdZdAcO9bICuYqCpTXK11F6efHTjpeWbvNv3h5U1r_FNvFvbuDqQzHZELt7vfUhu1t0wT5u0nmd6B5SjhsdNdaV_enKVFl-5lmW7rcs7muYNYg/s1600/IMG_0544[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwizJQvMlWwea3iryvrVcAxi64_sxOyqdZdAcO9bICuYqCpTXK11F6efHTjpeWbvNv3h5U1r_FNvFvbuDqQzHZELt7vfUhu1t0wT5u0nmd6B5SjhsdNdaV_enKVFl-5lmW7rcs7muYNYg/s320/IMG_0544%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our daughter Anna (on the right) with her friend Nela<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQETj0eyFCPDnTLpwEhoApOvL_vMVoLG6ICKnluMKM-kWpHtPl3FlvPjcrkjpn-BTpy0pQ4fo-WPR4WYN2taISc09SQQ0IU7X2WBsmV0-VX3rQMj4S0OZFiAVbNH65NhW9L8bTck88Ys0/s1600/IMG_0553[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQETj0eyFCPDnTLpwEhoApOvL_vMVoLG6ICKnluMKM-kWpHtPl3FlvPjcrkjpn-BTpy0pQ4fo-WPR4WYN2taISc09SQQ0IU7X2WBsmV0-VX3rQMj4S0OZFiAVbNH65NhW9L8bTck88Ys0/s320/IMG_0553%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vovchkiv, Ukraine Orphanage, September 23, 2010 (not all children present)</td></tr>
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We drove home back through the same countryside that we have traversed so many times in the past weeks. Angelia and I long for home as do our children. They now pose a question to us on a regular basis ... "America?". </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Our adoption process is far from being over but we are very close. The following items represent what is left for us to do (to occur as shown):</div><ul style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Complete medical exams required for a U.S. visa. We are going to try and get these on Friday.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ukrainian passports - we hope to get these Friday afternoon but if not, by Monday afternoon for sure. Passports and medical screening are the last papers we need from Ukraine.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">U.S. Embassy / Visa - we have to attend two appointments to get a visas for the children. They will become U.S. Citizens the moment they clear customs on U.S. soil (PRAISE THE LORD!). We submit an application on one day, and in most cases, receive the visa the day thereafter. Once we get these visas, we can book the first available flight to America (which we will do).</li>
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Please continue to help us by praying for a quick transition for the remaining tasks that are necessary to complete this process. We love and miss you all and hope to see you very, very soon.. Anna and Charlie in tow! :-)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-13635254015271009912010-09-22T22:08:00.000+03:002010-09-22T22:08:24.792+03:00Day 38 - "Getting Closer"Hi to all of our family and friends who continue to follow God's work in our lives as He joins our family together. It becomes more difficult here each day because we are so weary for home and for a normal routine. Your kind words of prayer, encouragement and support lift our spirits so very much and we are very, very grateful. <br />
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I read stories of others who are here adopting and it makes me thankful for all of the circumstances we have personally endured. Some people experience great struggle, difficulty and hardship as they navigate the system to find children. Some people have to endure much more difficult living circumstances than we have. Some people have come without knowing how they will financially be able to finish the task at hand. Some people have gotten sick while here and have had to manage through. One thing is common among all of us. We are all doing what we can to love those to whom Christ afforded great value; orphaned children. Today, my prayer for my family and for all of those who are struggling to carry out the adoption of their children comes from God's own words (via Joshua 1:9 and Isaiah 41:10)<br />
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"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) and "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand!" (Isaiah 41:10)<br />
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We started today by waking up at 8:00 a.m. to prepare for leaving at 9:00 a.m. to continue the paper chase that is necessary to leave Ukraine. As I have previoulsly written, the children are legally and officially ours now but we still have to get paper work that allows them to leave for America. Today's task included visiting a notary to get a passport petition stamped and then visiting an office to file the petition, take picutres and submit for new passports for the children. Sounds simple enough. Although it wasn't very difficult, it was time consuming. <br />
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To my friend Stacey and my friend Kevin who both endured multiple sessions of notarizing documents for Angelia and I - THANK YOU! Getting something notarized and stamped here is much more of a task and if I had to re-do as many copies to a notary here that I did by each of you, I would probably have quit becuase I would have run out of money and y'all would have stopped being my friends. :-) <br />
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Thankfully, we were able to get these things done today and now we have to wait (likely until Monday afternoon) to pick up the passports. Once we have these, all we need would be medical clearances and visas from the U.S. Embassy. We are hoping to get medicals on Friday, and visa appointments with the U.S. Embassy (of which it takes two) on Tuesday and Wednesday and then we hope to fly home next Thursday. Please help us by keeping us in your prayers and specifically praying that we will not run into any more scheduling delays. <br />
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Tomorrow will be another big day as far as the world of adoptions is concerned. We will visit the orphanage where our children lived (Anna for seven years, Charlie for three) for the last time. This very likely could be the last time our children ever see the kind hearted orphanage director, the people who took care of them, and most importantly, their friends. This is likely to be an emotional day for them (and us) but it is something we knew would come. Please pray that God would find families for the other children who live at this orphanage. <br />
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One great accomplishment to share from today is that Charlie didn't have to spend any time in the 90 degree angle (corner). I am very proud of him. He did ask a funny question today while we were eating with our facilitator / translator. He asked "whose going to translate for us when we get to America?" to which I jokingly replied "as long as you know what the words "get in the corner" mean, we are going to be just fine". :-) He is such a great little guy and Anna is a wonderful daughter. We are surely blessed that God has given them to be our children.<br />
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Sorry that I don't have any pictures to post. I guess we have all gotten tired of taking them. Tomorrow we will have some for sure and I will share with everyone the details of our last visit to the orphange in Vovchkiv, Ukraine.<br />
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Goodnight from Kiev, Ukraine and may God bless and keep you all!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-47598439830432647402010-09-22T01:09:00.005+03:002010-09-22T01:17:50.524+03:00Days 34, 35, 36 & 37 - "Papers... Please?"Hello to all of our family, friend and others who continue to follow our blog. We are grateful that you contine to be interested and eager to share our experiences while we are in Ukraine to adopt our two children. We are so very grateful for your prayers, encouragement and interest in our adoption story. But then again, it's not our story... It's His story.<br />
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I'm sorry for such a long blog entry today but those of you who are around me much know that once I get started talking, it's hard to get me to stop. :-)<br />
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I apologize for not blogging for the last four days. Saturday and Sunday were both "groundhog days". We woke up, we ate breakfast, we walked around a bit, we ate lunch, Charlie spent time in the corner, we played, we ate dinner, we watched TV, we went to sleep. The only differences on these two days were (1) we cooked the Ukrainian version of Ramen Noodles that we scrounged from the Metro (Ukraine Sam's Club) and they were great. I haven't had these in years but they were a nice change to our menu. The kids love them. (2) I stayed up all night on Saturday night to listen to the Auburn Tigers squeak out a win against Clemson. I can't tell you how much this little piece of home that is listening to college football helps me endure. <br />
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Day 36 (Monday):<br />
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Monday was a big day in the world of Ukraine adoptions. Our 10 day waiting period ended on Sunday so we were to travel to the region on Monday to pick up the official court decree that names us as parents. The following tasks remained for our adoption process:<br />
<ul><li>Pick up finalized court decree that officially makes us a family</li>
<li>Get new birth certificates</li>
<li>Get updated Taxpayer Identification records for each child</li>
<li>File for new passports</li>
<li>Get medical screening (required by U.S. Embassy)</li>
<li>Have two meetings with U.S. Embassy to gain travel visa's for the children.</li>
<li>Book flight and travel home. :-)</li>
</ul><br />
So, off we go to begin "the paper chase". We arrived at the courthouse at about 10:30 a.m. and we had 12 copies of the court decree by noon. We are now the legal parents of Anna Victoria Taylor and Charles Anatoliy Taylor. (Insert giant smile here). No time to bask in the glory, we had to visit an administration building about 15 kilometers away to try and get new birth certificates. We waited for three hours but managed to score new birth certificates for each of our children. The birth certificates list their new names along with Angelia and I as their parents. (Insert big smile here). Again, no time to bask in the sunlight, we had to book it back to the city where the courthouse was located to try and get updated tax identification information applied to each child. As I understand it, this normally takes only thirty minutes. When we arrived, and after some discussion, we were told that this would take five to ten days. Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeecccchhhh!!!! (That's the sound I heard in my head immediately after getting this news). Although I was discouraged to hear this, our trusty facilitator (insert "Mission Impossible" theme music here) said if we could make it to Kiev before 6:00 p.m., we might be able to get what we needed there. We launch towards Kiev at top speed. I'm sure we grazed a moped on the way out of town but it was his fault. Just kidding. No mopeds carrying baskets of mushrooms or other agriculture products, no babuskas (grandma's) nor any geese (wild or domestic) were injured during our trip to Kiev but it's only because each of them moved out of the road very quickly. :-). We arrive at the destination in Kiev at 5:30 p.m. This was a full 30 minutes to spare but.... Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeecccchhh!!! The workers decided to go home at 4:45 p.m. So, off we go to the apartment with no updated tax identification information and a real fear that we would see a five day delay. I am a little sad to say that I pretty much had a breakdown over this later that night. After the kids were put to bed and we were in our room with the door closed, I pitched a pretty good tantrum and I am sorry that my wife had to endure hearing it. I complained, ranted, griped, fussed and just plain ran out of emotional fuel. At some point during my come-apart, I realized that this sort of behavior is just what gets Charlie some time in "the corner". My spirit began to feel better after realizing this and I just literally said outloud "I get it God... I've been in "the corner" and I deserved it." Just seconds after saying this, Angelia and I started saying outloud how blessed we are. I mean, we recognized that we have met so many children here who need families, there are children in this world who are so hungry they have to dig through garbage dumps looking for scraps of food. There are parents in this world who have sick children and no money for medicine. Angelia and I both discussed out loud that there are so many needs in this world that are much more urgent and important than our own and yet, here I was complaining in the midst of my very many and great blessings. God reminded me that what I have is not really mine and that He doesn't exist to serve me, but I, Him. I turned from "the corner", apologized to Angelia and to God and went to sleep with just a simple prayer. I trust you Lord, please help us. <br />
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Day 37 (Tuesday):<br />
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So, I awoke on my first day of being a dad (from a full-on legal standpoint) 7:30 a.m.. At 10:00, I was leaving to go with our facilitator to try and make some progress towards this updated tax identification informaiton process. At about 9:15 a.m., Charlie woke up and came sleepily stumbling into the room with Angelia and I. Charlie wandered over to the computer stool where I was sitting, sat up on my lap and just hugged me tightly. I just hugged him tightly back for a minute and said "good morning son". After a minute or two, I asked (using hand signals and English) if he wanted to lay in bed with mom and watch a movie (to which he replied "yes"). I started the movie "Cars" and he was in little man heaven, for sure.<br />
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I left the apartment at about 10:00 a.m. with our trusty facilitator (insert "Mission Impossible" theme music here). We visited the building we left off with yesterday. They told us that we needed to visit a different building across the street. No time to wait for cross-walks, we just scoot across Kiev traffic. I surely don't want to do that often. We found the building and were told to wait. About 15 minutes later, we entered an office to meet with a tax official. The lady we met had a warm smile and comforting demeanor. As our facilitator talked with her, I thought to myself "this just might be one of the nicest people I have met since being in Ukraine". A moment later, my eyes were drawn to the cross necklace she was wearing. Not only did she pleasatly describe that we indeed should have been given updated tax identification information yesterday, but she also called that village office and pleasantly explained to the person there that they could and should do it right away. After ending the phone call with the village office, she apologized that she couldn't do it herself but told us that if we would drive back to the village, they would have it waiting for us when we arrived. As we drove from the building, our facilitator said "she was a nice lady. I think she understands adoption and is trying to help". I thought to myself "maybe that cross on her necklace reminds her that she is adopted too". <br />
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So, off we go back to the village. When we arrived, the workers were on lunch break. So, while we waited, I decided to take a look under the hood of our facilitators car to see if I could fix his windshield washer. I know a little bit about cars so I just thought I would try. No luck in making the repair. But, I'm sure our facilitator was quite suprised as he rounded the corner to find the hood of his car up, the driver's door open and a bit of "crack attack" staring back at him. Now that I think about it... and taking into account where we were... he probably wasn't that suprised. He had updated tax indentification information in his hands. Can I get a "PRAISE THE LORD"! Our facilitator had even made some calls about the passport application process. Long story short, we had to visit a village passport office back towards where the birth certificates were given. Off we go! When we arrived there, the lady told us we needed some passport related papers from the village where the chidren were born. A call to the orphanage director provided a guide that could show us where it was. We viewed a map for a few minutes and decided not to risk trying to find the place on our own. So, off we go to the orphanage where we pick up ... uh... I don't know his name (but he was a nice guy) who would show us the building we needed to visit. We depart for the Ukrainian countryside with a personal guide. The directions we got from this man reminded me of the one and only visit I have made to the "Masters" golf tournament a few years back with my friend Tim Garmon. At the "Masters", my friend Tim pointed out that golfer Ben Crenshaw had been using the same caddie at this tournament for something like 40 years. It wasn't his normal caddie but rather a caddie who worked at Augusta National. We watched this old caddie at the "Masters" point here and there to show Ben Crenshaw how a green rolled this way or that. All the younger caddies who came with and worked for their famous golfers had spotting scopes and notebooks but, to quote my friend Tim, "Ben's caddie has worked here for 40 years, he don't need no stinkin' notebook". In the same way, neither did our guide need a map. We arrived at a building tucked into some trees in a small village about 20 minutes away from the orphanage. I didn't have a camera but it was quite a charming little village and it was pleasant to think that both my children were born very near here. After waiting for about an hour or so, we got what we needed and were off to take our guide back to the orphanage. <br />
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We were led back to the orphanage using a different route specified by our trusty guide which led us smack dab onto a very tiny dirt road type path that reminds me of some Jeep trails I have been on in McKenzie, Alabama. Now, I know how much our facilitator likes his Honda Accord. When we launched onto this dirt "path", complete with grassy hump in the middle and sounds of vegetation bouncing off the underside components of this car, his reflection in the rear view mirror showed a slight hint of concern. This look of concern intensified greatly when we spotted, off in the distance, a man coming toward us walking a cow on a rope. Now, this is a one lane path! As we drew closer, the man waved at us to get out of his way. I mean, Honda Accords are much more capable of dealing with a grassy, humpy dirt road shoulder than is a cow. Luckily, the Accord we were in was able to navigate far enough to the right to allow the cow and it's master to pass. When they got next to us, it was obvious that the man holding the cow's leash was very drunk. When our guide saw the man holding the cow's leash, he let out a big ol' Ukrainian "hello" complete with a window rolled down and handshake. They obviously knew each other! (Seriously, what are the odds that any of us will, while out for a dirt path stroll in our Honda Accord, run into an old pal who just happens to be out taking Ol' Bessie for the afternoon stroll after knocking back a few bottles of vodka?) Seriously, you can't make this stuff up! LOL! Ol' Bessie soon tired of the two long lost pals getting reacquainted and so she pulled her drunken owner away towards greener pastures. We continue on our path to gain paperwork! <br />
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We get back to the orphanage to drop off our guide and see many of the kids sitting outside eating apples that we had brought a couple days before. Lord, thanks for the apples! We managed to get all of the passport paperwork in the region completed so we will submit it tomorrow.<br />
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I came back to the apartment at about 7:45 or so to a family that I was very glad to see. Angelia had managed to cook up a new bow-tie pasta / mushrooms / garlic / feta cheese dish using stuff she found at the store across the street from the apartment. It was a great day! <br />
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Tomorrow, we submit for new passports and continue "the paper chase". Please continue to pray that we will make swift progress and be able to come home very soon. <br />
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Although today has been great, I am reminded that yesterday seemed, at the time, not to be. Words that Jesus spoke come to mind when He said "the thief comes to steal and destroy". Yesterday, I gave in to the lies that satan whispered into my ears and allowed my worries to grow into a great feeling of doubt, which led to a tantrum of sorts. What I should have been doing is focusing on the joys in the fact that my wife and I are now legally, and officially, parents of two wonderful children.<br />
I encourage you all, please don't allow "the thief" to "steal and destroy". Rather, choose to trust God, for He is faithful!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-27889735623991858632010-09-18T04:01:00.000+03:002010-09-18T04:01:22.490+03:00Day 32 & 33 - "The Potter & The Clay"Hello to all of our friends, family and adoptive families who we know from other blogs who continue to pray for, encourage and support the Taylor family as we continue following God's plan for us all. Being away from home is very hard to endure for all of us and your kind words help sustain us during a difficult and trying process. <br />
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It has been so long since Angelia and I have experienced anything that relates to home. We certainly miss the modern conveniences of home (such as a stand-up shower, pans & kitchen utensils, the ability to read a label on the food we are preparing) but we are truly blessed to be where we are and to have what we have. Still, my heart bends for my children who are an encouragement to us. They have the courage and joyful spirits to leave the only thing they know of a home life for a country, culture and family that is far away from here and much different. Angelia and I have discussed that we feel as though we all have been a family for much longer than just the time we have been together here in Ukraine. I am thankful to God that He has done a work in all of us to make us feel this way.<br />
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Thursday was Angelia's birthday! I could never be able to explain how special Angelia is to me. She has been in my life for over 20 years and I have certainly gotten the better end of the deal. :-) Anna has been planning a covert birthday suprise for Angelia for the previous 4 or 5 days. :-) While Angelia was taking an afternoon nap a few days ago, Anna brought me into the room where she and Charlie had been playing to show me that they had already made Angelia a birthday card. Also, she proceeded to tell me (in our "neither of us speak the other language very well so we use hand signals" kind of way) that she wanted to go to the store on the evening before Angelia's birthday to buy her some chocolate as a gift. Anna then showed me that when she left Simferopol about a month ago to come back for the adoption process, the person there gave her $50 Hyrivna (Ukraine money, with 50 being equivalent to about $6 U.S. dollars). Anna has kept this money for almost a month and now she wanted to use it to buy Angelia a birthday present. I am proud of my daughter! We managed to surprise Angelia as she came out of getting a shower / dressing for the day with a small jewelry box (to place on her nightstand and home so she will have a place to put her rings each night when she pulls them off) and a matching photo album. When Anna, Charlie and I purchased the photo album, I told them that Angelia would put a picture of them in it; to which Anna replied "Nahhhh". When Angelia unwrapped it, she said exactly what I knew she would "I love it... I will put a picture of Anna and Charlie in it". What can I say, I know my wife. :-). Turned out that another kid-friendly 3-D movie opened up on Angelia's birthday so we treated her to an afternoon at the movies too. All in all, it was a great birthday and family time together.<br />
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Earlier in the week, we were able to make plans with my friend Dima to spend today (Friday) ministering to the orphanage where our children have lived for so long. We visited the "Metro" (Ukraine equivalent to Sam's Club) and purchased bulk laundry detergent, notebooks, a case of apples, a case of bananas and a case of ramen noodles. We also managed to sneak in a couple bags of "blow pops" that we brought from America. Purchasing the laundry detergent was pretty comical. I wanted to pick out the right kind of detergent so I asked Anna, "How did you do laundry in the orphanage?" to which she replied through our interpreter Dima, "we put dirty clothes in one basket and picked up our clean clothes out of a different basket". Obviously, someone at the orphanage did the laundry for all the kids. Upon learning this, Angelia quickly commented to me, "Hmmm.... their laundry gets done just like yours does.". (Mental note to self - teach kids how to use laundry machines when I get back home and plan for all of us to use them liberally. LOL!) <br />
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We spent about and hour and a half at the orphanage today. We were able to speak privately with the director to find out more about Anna & Charlie's family history. I won't share the details we learned but suffice it to say that both of our children have endured very difficult lives before being placed in the orphanage. The orphanage where they lived and the staff there have managed to care for Anna and Charlie in such a way that they have joyful spirits and know that it is possible for adults to love them and care for their needs. I know for sure that the orphanage director's heart breaks for the children who come there and she works very hard to care for them all. Anna and Charlie will be the first children from this orphanage to ever be adopted by an international family and only the second set of children to be adopted at all since the orphanage opened about 11 years ago. <br />
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I did manage to spend about 30 minutes playing soccer and kidding around with all the kids of the orphanage. Having been to this orphanage several times, we know many of the kids there by name and it is so great to see them, spend time with them and just make them smile. We will do our best to visit the orphanage one last time before we leave for America so that Anna and Charlie can say goodbye to their friends and what they have called home. I can see in the eyes of Anna's older girl friends that they are happy for her. But at the same time, you can just sense that they too long for a family of their own. It is a sad realization to know that many of these children will never have a family, that they will be abandoned to a cruel world, and that they will succomb to the same poverty, alcoholism and desperation that caused many of them to become orphans. It is a vicious cycle. The orphanage director summed it up very well during our court hearing when she told the judge and jury "you can put in all the new TV's and computers you want but these things don't supply what these children need the most....families of their own!"<br />
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The only other thing worth sharing is that yesterday was probably the most difficult day I have faced so far in regards to my being a parent. It was difficult because I recognized that I had been giving my children too many instructions and correcting them too much over minor things to the point where they no longer understood my expectations. All of my mistakes led to an upset of our spirits and our family dynamic. As we put the kids to bed, I did my best to let them know that I love them but I think they sensed the struggle I was experiencing because of my mistakes. Angelia and I spent some time reading Scripture together and I was reminded that, in my relationship with my Heavenly Father, it is written that "He is the potter and I am the clay". Just last Saturday, I watched a man working clay to make some beautiful pottery. Some observations I recall about what I saw are: (1) The clay needed to remain pliable so that he could shape it; if the clay were to be too dry or rigid then he wouldn't be able to smooth it out. (2) He had to use gentle but firm pressure to shape the clay; too gentle and no change would occur, too firm and it would collapse back into what it was when he began - a ball of clay. (3) Tools were sometimes needed; these tools were used to form the most delicate and beautiful attributes of the finished piece. I think that sums up my lesson today from Scripture about being a godly parent. :-) I spent some time this morning having fun with the kids. I also took the time to make sure they understood just a couple of things that were important regarding mine and Angelia's wishes for their behavior. All in all, today was a great day for all of us and I am so thankful that God helped me and taught me from His word. My prayer is that I will remain receptive to God as He continues doing so.<br />
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Regarding the adoption process, we are on track to get court documents and birth certificates on Monday and we hope to be able to estimate by the middle of next week what a travel date for home will be. Thank you all for your continued prayers, love and encouragement. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-74351852311728914522010-09-15T23:40:00.000+03:002010-09-15T23:40:16.205+03:00Days 30 & 31 - "Lookout!"Hello friends, family and all those who continue to care about our experiences while we continue the adoption process in Ukraine. We miss being at home very, very much but your encouragement, prayers and concern for us helps to keep us moving forward. <br />
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The last couple of days have not accomplished anything regarding our adoption except for (1) we are a a couple of days closer to September 20th (when we pick up the finalized court decree documents and begin working towards coming home), (2) we have gotten to know our children better and have bonded more as a family, (3) we are surely closer to coming home that we were a week ago. :-)<br />
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Tuesday, we spent another morning on school work. We try to spend two or three mornings per week teaching English to Charlie and teaching Anna English and Math. They are progressing well. Charlie knows the whole alphabet but still needs practice. His favorite letters are "F", "L" and "P". These are the letters that begin the words "Lamborgini", "Ferrari" and "Porsche". Charlie has also learned the English word "Ice Cream" because we have put in place a rule that he can't have it unless he can ask for it in English. :-) Anna is very bright. She does really well with math. She is even reading English and speaking a good bit of words or fragmented sentences. She understands English being spoken to her very well but she doesn't know the words for how to respond. Anna's ability is quite amazing when you consider the situation she lived in and the situation she has recently been placed in. I am proud of my daughter. <br />
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After school work, we all got ready to visit the park with the old pieces of bread we have lying around with the purpose of once again feeding the pigeons. Anna is quite determined to catch a pigeon. She and I don't have the same view of the "rats with wings". I am very uncertain about what she intends to do with it once she catches one. Hmmmm...<br />
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After feeding the pigeons, we walked around and back to the far end of the main drag here in Kiev. There we found a soccer stadium and a place that sold team memorabilia for the Ukraine "Dynamo" - Charlie's favorite soccer team. I bought my first peice of soccer attire for Charlie - a "Dynamo" t-shirt. They had a really nice pullover that I started to buy for myself but I knew our friend Jennifer Cherry would not let me hear the end of it if she saw me wearing soccer attire. :-). So, on we walked towards the best little hamburger place in Kiev, McDonalds. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiz-kDRaUHZEHIMpO96N6lEK9m43BR4o95IofoonsLoLgGufob64-I42IEH1EnSCpBBckf5tZRsp2RKGPxlOloHsAxuIgtDjRUv1JkySfyrBtt_Z0FljSiEVCsWiQoHbL44SwsIqPq40/s1600/IMG_0365[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiz-kDRaUHZEHIMpO96N6lEK9m43BR4o95IofoonsLoLgGufob64-I42IEH1EnSCpBBckf5tZRsp2RKGPxlOloHsAxuIgtDjRUv1JkySfyrBtt_Z0FljSiEVCsWiQoHbL44SwsIqPq40/s320/IMG_0365%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim, Anna and Angelia in park (pre-attack). :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4-p-FR18D28IkCUT3QUHnb6r6kk_fUlzQJCgE_R1cGDayx1eTsCuYrJap5BkkHM-65tlsXmE21-kKtimxHUQY-b6HdI5l4r2UvBpna3A3guq3ioriFkuabsqoKeSydOmyCg9FI7PfvQ/s1600/IMG_0408[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4-p-FR18D28IkCUT3QUHnb6r6kk_fUlzQJCgE_R1cGDayx1eTsCuYrJap5BkkHM-65tlsXmE21-kKtimxHUQY-b6HdI5l4r2UvBpna3A3guq3ioriFkuabsqoKeSydOmyCg9FI7PfvQ/s320/IMG_0408%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie shows off his new "Ukraine Dynamo" team soccer shirt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Before we arrived at our beloved restaurant, we had quite a scary incident. As we walked into the underground cross-walk in Independence Square, there was an older couple at the base of the stairs. This is a common area for beggars. I observed that the older lady was talking loudly to a man several yards in front of us. The older man with her was humped over on the left of us. As we walked by, I looked back to see if the older man was breathing. I couldn't tell but the older lady didn't seem to be trying to get help for him. I just kept on walking because they wouldn't understand me if were to ask questions. So, the only thing that happened between our family and these people was me looking at the older man. As Charlie and I continued walking, we were several steps in front of Angelia and Anna. About half-way through this underground passage, I could still hear the old lady talking loudly - which was strange. All of sudden, I heard Angelia scream behind me and as I turned around, Angelia and Anna came running past me. For whatever reason, the older lady had followed Angelia and Anna as they passed her and she was talking very, very loudly and angrily at Angelia. Now, Angelia had no idea what the lady was saying. When Angelia realized the lady was followiing her (very closely) and yelling, she turned to see what the lady wanted. When Angelia turned around, the old lady took a swing at her. Hence, Angelia screamed and ran away. I quickly moved back between the old lady and Angelia to keep the old lady at bay. I just forcefully told the old lady to "go away". She barely replied but she did walk away backwards, still yelling at us. We quickly left the underground mall area and took a second to collect ourselves. When I asked Anna if she understood what the lady was yelling, she said that the lady was yelling "bad mommy" at Angelia. This was pretty scary. I am thankful that God's protection delivered us from this situation. I very honestly thought that the lady was demon possessed. She had no reason whatsoever to yell at us. So, yet another incident where "Rough Talk" training 101 came in handy. <br />
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So, we ended our day without much further incident. <br />
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Today was a pretty good, calm day. I mean, nobody here yelled at us so that's good. We spent time as a family cleaning the apartment. I did have to work on the vacuum cleaner which has never had the bag emptied or the filter cleaned. This was a family affair. I'm quite certain that I pulled dirt out of this vacuum that was older than either of my children. Enough hair was present to suspect a rat... no... a BIG rat... had been sucked up at some point in the past. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JeiLs3iMlyFAPsmMsM7ELIQlhOD8maKCX6p4dCBsxary0unu7Z2hffM1ykKAMHzr_L_PEqpZ0i9lKlhgPjODGs1Hn4wYaf1FPZFsKZFiKsJ_GJ8gzq0UdoPhq6aTPfsBSq6_k98YUFE/s1600/IMG_0419[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JeiLs3iMlyFAPsmMsM7ELIQlhOD8maKCX6p4dCBsxary0unu7Z2hffM1ykKAMHzr_L_PEqpZ0i9lKlhgPjODGs1Hn4wYaf1FPZFsKZFiKsJ_GJ8gzq0UdoPhq6aTPfsBSq6_k98YUFE/s320/IMG_0419%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna and Angelia supervise my disection and repair of the vacuum cleaner</td></tr>
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After cleaning was over, I took the kids out for a while, just me and them. We went back to the underground mall - not the place where "mean old billy goat gruff lady" hangs out. We found an arcade which made me... uh... I mean the "kiddos" very excited. This might be my solution to getting Anna some driving lessons. The real method would be much too dangerous for the rest of humanity. After spending a whopping $50 play money dollars in the arcade ($6 U.S.) we wandered back up the mountain to check in on Angelia. We all took part in making dinner. Anna wanted to make dinner again and so she whipped up some "Dima Salad" and fried potatoes with eggs. I stepped in to finally fry some fresh pork chops. Dinner was a hit except for the pork chops; both kids set them aside pretty quickly. I think they are used to eating meat that has been beaten flat to less than 3.175 mm (1/8" American). <br />
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After dinner, we participated in our nightly routine of watching "Avatar" at 7:00. At 7:30 p.m., bath times begin for the kiddos. Charlie gets pretty pumped after a bath and he resorted to giving us "the gun show" after last night's bath time. This was pretty funny. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezRG4zdYQUhuoEc63EU9blirCqu9jutSnZhQxiiyO1OpyTk3fMiCfKIzGQGQsK9HMGdCfKRfCMv8xC5iCsaw1TclWDr8iSEaJ8FGwH-nw3deoQPTzrlZMUWA-h2IJxGe1e1kGmCsXodA/s1600/IMG_0369[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezRG4zdYQUhuoEc63EU9blirCqu9jutSnZhQxiiyO1OpyTk3fMiCfKIzGQGQsK9HMGdCfKRfCMv8xC5iCsaw1TclWDr8iSEaJ8FGwH-nw3deoQPTzrlZMUWA-h2IJxGe1e1kGmCsXodA/s320/IMG_0369%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie's "Gun Show" :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After the "gun show", we watched some baseball (Braves vs. Nationals). This was such a hit that entire family spent 30 minutes or so playing baseball in the living room of the apartment using a wadded up paper ball and Angelia's flip flop as a bat. All I can say is Angelia can sure bring the heater and Charlie is a sucker for the high fast ones. :-)<br />
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As I got ready for bed (and to blog) tonight, I was feeling very frustrated by the fact that things here are not moving faster. It's hard. But Angelia reminded me that it is God who sustains us and that we are here serving Him. She reminded me of Sripture that tells God's children that we should "... give thanks in all circumstances. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (I Thessalonians 5:18). Also as I write this, I recall that in the last two days, I have asked and Anna has accepted the invitation to pray asking for God to bless our food at meal time. She has gladly done so. While I didn't understand all of what she said each time, I realize that her brother Charlie did. I heard "Heyseus" more than once and tonight I was able to make out the words "Tim and Angelia". I am thankful for the work God is doing in my life, my family and in these children. <br />
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Thanks for all the love, prayers and encouragement. We love and miss you all. Goodnight from Kiev, Ukraine. <br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-79851986430173873452010-09-13T21:54:00.000+03:002010-09-13T21:54:20.384+03:00Day 28 & 29 - The "Little Things"...Hello to everyone who continues following our visit to Ukraine to adopt our children. We are so grateful for the encouragement, prayers and support we continue to receive through this long process to bring our children home. Thanks for all that you do to hang in there with us.<br />
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My last blogging entry occurred yesterday (Sunday) morning at about 5:00 a.m. Yesterday was kind of a slow day and there wasn't much to write about. But, I will certainly share the events that have occurred since my last entry.<br />
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On Sunday, we were excited to be able to attend church services again at our friend Dima's church. It is great to be able to attend worship with a body of believers. It is a different experience to attend church with children. I mean, to get up, get everyone ready and be at church by 10:00 is no easy task - especially when you are catching a cab to get there. And, I had my first experience with having to take Tolya out of the room (before service) for being ugly to someone else and me. I corrected this by letting him stand in a corner and face the wall for 5 minutes. When discipline is necessary in the apartment, Tolya usually has to sit in a chair in a room all by himself but the new surroundings presented a challenge. I know he doesn't like the chair. Having to stand in a corner facing the wall is much, much less tasteful to him. :-) <br />
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The pastor preached a message from the book of Nehemiah focusing on following God's will. The message focused on the fact that when God reveals to us to do something, we should pursue it to completion; even if it is uncomfortable or difficult to do so. The message described that many people only want to serve God as long as it fits into their own schedules, involves their own hobbies, or as long as it doesn't prevent them from doing something they enjoy doing more. The Pastor shared that he has had people come to him and convey that God has put it on their heart that the church needs a bible study here or a misson outreach there. When the Pastor replied "that's great, you should begin that right away", the person who brought it up would respond something like "I could never do that" or "I'm not able to speak in front of people" and so on and so on. I am sure I've heard my own Pastor preach a message on this very subject. It's also worth mentioning that God equips and prepares His people to accomplish the tasks He sets before us. I don't need to look any further than my own life to faithfully believe this but there are surely more and better examples all around us everyday that testify to this truth. Also, the message also described that people (and churches) need to realize that if the resources and tools aren't there to accomplish something then they need to prayerfully consider "Is this God's will or is just me (or us) wanting something". Tonight I just ask a simple prayer that is taken from the words of Colossians 1:9-10. Heavenly Father, I ask tonight that you would fill me with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that I may live a life that is worthy of You, that pleases You in every way, and that I might grow in my knowlege of You.<br />
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After church we walked down the mountain to eat lunch at the Kiev Morrison's / Piccadily. :-) After lunch, we took off on a trek to find clippers to allow me to cut my hair. Yes, what little hair I have still needs to be cut back from time to time. :-) In Kiev, there are many places underground near subway stations and street crossings that have little kiosks that sell various items. I walk into a particular one of these area every time I go to the grocery store / bank. I have always noticed store entrance that is a little bigger than the norm but have never walked into it - so off we went. Turns out, this was the entrance to a huge underground mall. Jewelry stores, clothing, furniture, all sorts of stuff. I mean, it's the underground Brookwood Village. I walked not 50 yards and there was kiosk selling hair trimmers for men. We were so taken with the mall that we wandered around for a while and low and behold... we spotted something that we didn't know existed here. Something that Angelia just had to have. Wash cloths. They were only $8 hyrivna (pronounced "greevna") each which is equal to one U.S. dollar. Throwing any concern for our financial well being out the window, Angelia instructed me to purchase four. I immediatly asked her "why are you only getting four? Shouldn't we get more so everyone can use them?" to which she replied "You don't use one at home, the kids have never seen one, so four will be plenty for ME!" Being in the store with the kids and others present, I chose not to push the issue and quickly dug out some play money. Being "Rough Talked" breaks language barriers every time. <br />
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So, we finished walking through the mall and headed back to the apartment. After dinner, I had the task of using my new clippers to cut Charlie's hair. He and I both need a haircut and it seemed more wise to try them out on him first. I did such a great job that Anna decided she wanted me to trim her bangs. (Insert panic look from Angelia here!) Now, it's not a contest but I would venture to say I am not the first dad who has ever cut their son's hair. However, I imagine I am the first dad to ever cut the hair of his 14 year old daughter. Yes... 14 year old daughter. Dad's in America... don't try this. I mean, one slip of the scissors, one gap, one perfectly straight line (ie; bowl look) and you could spark an emotional outburst that would last until they're 28 years old. Thankfully, I was able to do this but I have extremely stable hands borne from the thousands of fish hooks I have tied over the years. <br />
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After the excitement of last night, we slept in a bit and the day was primarily low key family time but it wasn't without it's wonderful blessings. Last night I asked Anna if she knew how to make "Borsch". Borsch is a Ukrainian soup. I've had it a couple of times since being here and thought we might try to make it at the apartment. Anna told me that she knew how to make it. Earlier today, I brought it back up and asked if she knew the ingredients, and she said yes. Off we go to the grocery store to get the items needed. When we returned, the four of us spent the afternoon in the kitchen with Anna giving us each different tasks to help make the Borsch. Anna told us that her "Babuska" (grandmother) taught her how to make it when she was only 5 years old. Anna also told me, in English, that she "loves to cook". When the Borsch was finished cooking, I told Angelia that "I don't care if this tastes like a horse's hoof, I am going to eat it up". But, Anna's Borsch was truly wonderful and each of us had several bowls. When I gave thanks to God for the food, I made it a point to thank God for Anna's "Babushka" who taught her how to make the Borsch, and that I was thankful that it now would become part of the Taylor family recipe's.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Taylor family cooking Anna's Grandmother's "Borsch" recipe<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished "Borsch" - Very, very tasty!</td></tr>
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</div>So ends another day in Kiev, Ukraine. Truly, the "little things" you find yourself doing with your kids, like buying wash cloths, cutting hair, cooking, laughing and spending time together is a great blessing. I encourage all of you fellow parents out there to spend some quality time with your kids. You never know what you might cook up. <br />
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Thanks for all the love, prayers and encouragment as we continue participating in this beautiful tapestry that God is weaving from four lives.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-63233321470556297692010-09-12T08:07:00.000+03:002010-09-12T08:07:22.828+03:00Day 27 - The Great OutdoorsHello to everyone from Kiev, Ukraine. We appreciate so much the kind words of encouragement and prayers that we receive from you all. We so much want to come home but we knew this was going to be a long, difficult process before we came. Thanks for all that you do to help us along the way.<br />
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It's 6:32 a.m. here and I have been up about an hour. Not much of what we encounter here is similar to our home life. The variety of food we eat is very limited. We wear the same clothes day in and day out. The apartment we stay in seems like it closes in on us more and more. The modern, simple conveniences of home are simply not present. It's very difficult to find some sort of comfortable routine, even with our sleep schedule. Anxiety about work and other responsibilities at home weigh upon me a bit. And, I am anxious about not knowing when we will be able to leave for home. <br />
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Still, in the midst of all of this, I am thankful that God's Holy Spirit is present to lead our family towards finding joy in Him and in each other more and more as each day passes. The kids are both very sweet spirited and fun to hang out with. Us being parents brings about responsibility to love, provide for, teach, discipline and plan for these children's future but it also brings with it a deeper understanding of our relationship with our Heavenly Father and a deeper love that grows from being a family.<br />
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Our day began on Saturday with no food in the fridge for breakfast. This required a walk down the mountain to pick up some grub. Charlie gets pretty excited anytime a walk with me occurs. He is constantly asking me before I put him to bed if he and I are going walking the next morning. I actually woke him up this morning so he could go and he looked at me with sleepy eyes, made the hand gesture of walking two fingers across the palm of his other hand to which I said "yes". He jumped up and got ready in record time (with a big smile on his face). So, off we went to kill something and drag it back home for our family. <br />
:-). Breakfast consisted of bacon, scrambled eggs and buttered bread. This was probably the most home-like meal we have had but some cheese grits, biscuits & gravy, or pancakes would've helped a great deal. I made the comment "do you think they would have grits at the store" to which Angelia replied "they don't even have grits in New Jersey, much less here". Again... her wisdom astounds! :-)<br />
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My friend Dima called to invite us all to visit an open air museum in the afternoon, to which we excitedely accepted. This gave us a few hours to chill before getting ready. The kids wanted to play UNO together in Anna's room again today. I think they have some sort of day to day contest or score keeping thing going on with the UNO (which is fine as long as an argument doesn't erupt). Angelia and I decided while the kids were in another room to scan each TV channel to see what else we could find besides Nickelodeon and Discovery. You have to be careful when you don't understand the TV channel name else you will suddenly find yourself watching something inappropriate (for adults or children). As we were doing this, we came across a sports channel that was showing a college football game. It was ESPN America. Not only was a game on, but other games were coming on afterward. The channel surfing stopped. The clouds immediately parted, bright sunshine poured upon us, birds began singing and the air began to smell better... welll... let's not go too far. Still, it was great to find this channel and Angelia and I watched a re-play of a very good Marshall vs. West Virginia game. You can't beat Saturday college football in the South (or in Ukraine). The kids came in to watch with us and tried to get excited along with us. We were pulling for Marshall (green). Charlie decided to pull for West Virginia (white). If Charlie chooses to always pull for the team that the other three of us are rooting for, we may have a serious issue in late November when Auburn plays Alabama. Angelia said "now we know how the Morris family feels when AU is on TV and Jordan is pulling for the other team". LOL!<br />
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We left the apartment at 2:30 p.m. to head over to the open air museum with our friend Dima and his family. This is a museum that demonstrates the heritage of different regions of Ukraine through the centuries. It is complete with period houses, craftmen making things and lot's of outdoor space (which is what we needed). We had great fun and I appreciate Dima and his family taking us out for the afternoon. We ended the day out by eating dinner at a restaurant called "Potato House". We have eaten here before and it's a good attempt to serve American style ribs with a mixture of local salads and baked potatoes. Anna ended the meal by saying she liked American ribs better (referencing her trip to Dreamland during her visit to America this past December). That's my girl! :-)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My friend Dima, his wife Anya, and daughter Liza with the Taylor crew as we visit an outdoor museum highlighting the history of Ukriane</div></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful old church located in the Kiev, Ukraine open air museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Our day in the apartment ended with us watching Georgia get beat-up on by South Carolina. Knowing that Mark Richt and his wife adopted a special needs child from Ukraine, we pull for the Bulldogs anytime they are not playing Auburn. Anna and Charlie once again tried to cheer along with us for Georgia (white). Both kids pulled for the same team we were - there is hope. This brought about Angelia showing Charlie how to play "paper football" using the old folded paper into the triangle game. He is all about kicking this piece of paper and a contest between me, him and his sister Anna soon came about - which was great fun until we had to stop so everyone could go to bed. The paper football reminded me that Angelia and I once played a game of paper football many years ago when we were just dating - I don't remember many details of that game so many years ago but I do remember just being intoxicated with her presence. I had a huge crush on her then and I still do!</div><br />
As I wrap up, I reflect on the excitement that Charlie has about going walking with me each day. He is enthusiastic, happy and eager to go every day. Sometimes as we are walking, he gets way out ahead of me. This is a bit dangerous because there are alleys where dangerous traffic comes out unexpectedly. Also, Charlie doesn't know where we're going and I sometimes intend to turn in a different direction so when he get's way ahead of me, I have to call him and he has to run back to where I am when I turn so that we won't get separated. Sometimes, this persist to the point where I have to walk with my hand on top of his shoulder (which he sometimes doesn't like but endures) and even get on to him a bit. This reflection describes my my lesson today about my relationship with God. I hope and pray that I would always be excited to walk along with my Heavenly Father. I pray that the destination doesn't matter to me; just that He is there. I also pray that He will continue to watch over me and protect me from the dangers along the way. I also humbly pray that He will not let me wander away from Him (even if it means He has to hold onto my shoulder with His mighty hand), lest I get lost. <br />
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Goodnight (er.. good morning) from Kiev, Ukraine. Thanks for all the love and concern for our family and thank you for your prayers! We hope to see you all very soon!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-63660738553725585782010-09-11T01:05:00.000+03:002010-09-11T01:05:55.910+03:00Day 26 - A "Family" OutingHello everyone and thanks for all the encouragement and well wishes we have received since our court appearance yesterday. You all do such great things to keep our spirits high while we are here. We are very blessed to be able to remain in the city during this process but many people who are going through the same thing we are must remain in areas of Ukraine that are not as modern and convenient to food stores, etc. Still, we so much want to come home. We very much want to return to our family, friends, church and jobs. We love and appreciate you all very, very much.<br />
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Today was our first day as a family. My part of the day started early because I chose to stay up and listen via radio to the Auburn vs. Mississippi State football game. The game was exciting to listen to and I'm glad I was able to participate in something that's happening at home. It's kind of different to listen to a game via radio all by yourself because there's no one to talk to, cheer with, complain with, etc. I remembered that my grandfather, Paw Paw Heath, used to listen to every Atlanta Braves baseball game on the radio, most of the time while sitting in his car outside, smoking his pipe. He never yelled, got excited, etc. but I know he loved baseball and the Atlanta Braves because he listened even though this was the late 70's and early 80's when the Braves were just awful. <br />
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I went to sleep at 6:00 a.m. this morning and woke up at noon. Angelia had the kids up and had finished serving them breakfast, getting baths, etc. Angelia and the kids decided that we should visit the park again today, this time to feed the pigeons some of the old bread we have in the apartment. So, we all got ready to head out. We ran into a short delay because of the weather. It's was a beautiful day but just a little too much of a chill in the air for my son to go outside wearing just a t-shirt. His jacket was being washed so Angelia asked him to wear his sister's jacket. I learned today that 10 year old boys don't want to wear lilac colored jackets that belong to girls. He communicated that he didn't want to wear the jacket because people would make fun of him and call him a girl. I should have know that "Chuck Norris" would never wear a purple girls coat! LOL! He was upset about this to the point that he sassed & grumbled at Angelia and I (which I have been trying to correct). So, we had to all wait for 10 minutes before leaving so that Charlie could visit his old friend, the solitary chair. :-) After this discipline, he apologized to Angelia. I then took the time to let him know (via Google translator) that (1) it was too cold for him to go without a jacket, (2) that his jacket was wet and couldn't be worn, and (3) he could either wear his sister's coat or he and I would stay home while the girls visited the park. The drive to leave the apartment and miss pigeon feeding overcame the unwillingness to wear the jacket. Still, as I wrapped it around him, you would have thought it was a pink dress complete with a frilly neck line and puffy skirt. :-) So, off we go towards the park. We did have to stop on the way to take a picture of Charlie in front of a Hummer. I did let him take the jacket off to take the picture because it's just wrong to have a 10 year old boy wearing a lilac girls coat while taking a picture in front of such a manly vehicle. :-) But, he had to put it back on. LOL!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie (without lilac girls jacket) & Hummer in Kiev, Ukraine</td></tr>
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We spent about an hour in the park feeding pigeons. This was great fun and I'm glad we spent some time enjoying what the Lord has made. Anna is quite the "Pigeon Wisperer". She so wants to catch one but I'm not sure what she intends to do with it once she does. She has told me that she loves to go fishing and that she would very much like to go hunting one day. Somewhere, I'm sure my friend Doug is smiling about this revelation. :-). After leaving the park, Anna had brought some coins so that we all could throw them in the fountain in the park. This too was just a few minutes of family fun as we all tried to flip coins backwards over our head to ring the upper most bowl of the fountain. Simple, I know, but it was alot of fun.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna in the park in Kiev, Ukraine</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taylor's feeding pigeons in the park in Kiev, Ukraine</td></tr>
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The rest of our day was low key. The kids spent time playing together in Anna's room. The UNO cards (which were taken away a couple days ago because the kids couldn't play without arguing) were given back today with instructions not to argue. The kids played and did other activities for a couple of hours without arguing, etc. Angelia took a nap. I dozed off on the couch while watching some American TV (Dirty Jobs on Discovery Channel). I woke up about 1.5 hours later with two children standing near my head, holding their stomachs. The look on their face made me wonder if they were considering eating me. But, I realized that it was about 7:30 and they had not eaten dinner. The 4:00 p.m. lunch we enjoyed had obviously worn off. I quickly got up and warmed up some leftover pizza and added some potato chips and dinner was served - no trip down the mountain necessary. :-)<br />
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All in all, it was just a nice, peaceful day as a family. More and more, we can see the blessing that God has given us to know these children and to learn more about our relationship with Him by relating to and teaching our children.<br />
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Angelia read more from Scripture tonight and we discussed it as she read. In Colossians 2:13-14, we see God's grace described yet again. Colossians 2:13-14 states: <br />
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(13)When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, (14)having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."<br />
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Many people believe that they can earn their way to heaven by being a good person or performing acts of devotion towards God. The truth of Scripture states that no one is a good person (all have sinned) and that our sin deserves and requires death. Jesus Christ, being without sin, was the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world. Today's scripture confirms that once you place your faith in Jesus Christ, your sins have once and forever been nailed to the cross - your sin has been atoned for by His holy blood and you receive life. So, after placing your faith in Christ, you are under grace and not under the written code. What joy there is in knowing that I am redeemed and forgiven. All I can do in response it to joyfully be obedient to the word which has saved me by loving God and loving others. <br />
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Thanks again for all that you do to pray for us and follow along as God works in the life of me and my family. Goodnight from Kiev, Ukraine.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-71583711241669165672010-09-10T00:21:00.000+03:002010-09-10T00:21:42.949+03:00Day 25 - Gotcha!Hello friend and family who continue to follow along with our blog. We appreciate you all so very much and we don't know how we would have made it without all of your prayers, support and encouragement. We love and miss you all.<br />
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Well...<br />
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Our second court hearing was scheduled for today in Ivankive at 2:30 p.m. I woke up a little grouchy because I had not gotten much sleep at all last night. I woke up this morning and hung out with Ang for about 30 minutes describing my sleepless night. Now, many of you probably don't know what a "huggy pillow" is but that is the term Angelia and I use for the spare pillow we have here in the bed with us. Typically, it is grasped as one is dozing off to add to the comfort level and promote sleep. In America, we each have a spare (or "huggy") pillow of our own. But here we have only one between us... only one. I didn't get in bed until after 1:30 a.m. or so. As I crawled into bed, I saw the "huggy pillow" unattended. I snuggled up on that thing like only a husky man can. Little did I know what was waiting for me later in the night. A few hours later, the "huggy pillow" was snatched away from me with such force that I thought I was being mugged. I quicky gave up the pillow to whomever the freaskishly strong person was that was ripping it from my grasp. I didn't sleep well after that... but I think Angelia did. Just another reason why it's important (and safer for me) that we get home soon.<br />
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Since I had not gotten much sleep, Angelia was nice enough to get up first and leave me some quality time with the "huggy pillow" all to myself. Angelia had a big day coming up and had to prepare accordingly. Court appearance number two awaited us. Now, any Southern girl is not going to show up in court without fixed hair, make-up just right, and fully presentable (at least not on a Thursday afternoon). She washed hair. Enough said. As I crawled out of bed to the smell of a great breakfast (choice between grilled cheese or PBJ), I saw the apartment go eerily dark. Yep, that's right - the electrcity went out. Angelia's wet hair coupled with no electricity (and thus, no hair dryer) shaped up to be quite the challenge for the morning. She handled it with the grace and great, cheerful you would expect from someone who spent most of the night embracing the "huggy pillow". I, on the other hand, took my first ever bath in complete darkness. That's speaks for itself... :-)<br />
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So, we jet for Ivankive at 12:00 p.m. with our trusty facilitator (insert "Mission Impossible" theme music here). It normally takes about 1.5 hours for us to get from the apartment to the court building. Today, we stopped at the bank so I could withdraw some real money (U.S. Currency). When we were about 20 minutes away from Ivankive at 1:45 p.m., we got a call that the orphange director needed a ride. To pick her up would have been about 25 minutes each way in normal traffic. So, you can see that all of a sudden, we were in a time crunch. If the car we were riding in had one of those big red buttons (that you don't mash unless it's an emergency) it was mashed. We rocketed forward into a groove of speed that would have made any Formula One driver envious. I can't tell you the actual speed because someone over here decided that the speedometers should all read in KM instead of MPH. But, my wife can calculate speed of a car (unless she is driving it) within .00002 mph based on the rate at which trees, bushes and shrubs pass by the rear passenger window. We literally came around one corner at an impressive rate of speed to a scene of about 20 geese running for their very lives. No animals were injured by our car but I did ask as we sped past them if people in the village eat geese to which I was told "yes". I decided not to distract our facilitator / driver with any more silly talk. <br />
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We made it to court about 10 minutes late but the judge had not yet entered. This was literally a prayer answered. The second proceeding was presided over by a different judge so all parties involved (Angelia & I, each of the children, the prosecutor, the social worker and the orphange director) were all asked a battery of questions by the judge, jury and prosecutor. I don't want to divulge the details because they are lengthy but it was a roller coaster of emotions as we related why we wanted to adopt, why from Ukraine and why these children. Also, I was heartbroken for the kids to have to sit and listen (and even answer questions) about why their own mother and family does not want them or hasn't come to see them, etc. I was proud of my 14 year old daughter for her strength to answer difficult questions and endur others discussing the details of why she and her brother were orphans. The court recessed for about 15 minutes for the judge and jurors to go into a different room and make a decision. When they returned, the court issued it's favorable decree that Angelia and I become adoptive parents for Anna Victoria Taylor and Charles Anatoly Taylor. As the judge and jurors were leaving, the lady juror who asked the most questions told us via tranlsator that she was happy for the kids and us and that she hope for a bright and better future for them and she admonished us to take care of these precious children. We hugged, shook hands and thanked everyone involved as needed and then exited the courthouse.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZZQ8-zeG9U4LUsOLeEaMq9-EsB3xY7ge5Z5OA_pZQmntSqv_WH3jh3raGVSiyBOykreYKW5Rl6CpdoIB6obVuXHYYi41EwSYB2MpUJiMDdtDneLc-ovS9rrS_351iaTRahn2h__adf0/s1600/IMG_0210[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZZQ8-zeG9U4LUsOLeEaMq9-EsB3xY7ge5Z5OA_pZQmntSqv_WH3jh3raGVSiyBOykreYKW5Rl6CpdoIB6obVuXHYYi41EwSYB2MpUJiMDdtDneLc-ovS9rrS_351iaTRahn2h__adf0/s320/IMG_0210%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotcha! Outside courthouse after the court decreed us as parents. Pictured (from left) are: Orphanage Director Nela, Angelia, Tolya (aka Charlie Anatolya Taylor), Mickael (social worker), Vicka (aka Anna Victoria Taylor), and Tim</td></tr>
</tbody></table>When we took the orphanage director back to the orphanage, we spent a few minutes with other children whom I haven't seen since last Christmas in America or my earlier visit in September 2009. Vicka and Tolya... I'm sorry.. .Anna and Charlie spent a few minutes with their friends and then we headed back to Kiev.<br />
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When we returned to the apartment, we still didn't have electricity. Now, I have made light of some areas where Ukraine might be lacking compared to the USA but I challenge any of you to pick up a phone and call and electrician and him arrive within 20 minutes and repair the problem. Props to Ukraine electricians! Now plumbers still have work to do in my sight... LOL! We finished the day by walking down the mountain and enjoying pleasant family dinner at a new pizza place. We were pretty much the only people in the place and no one was smoking. I think God prepared a quite little family dinner for the four of us to enjoy each others company. I look forward to many more nights like this at my own home in America.<br />
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We still have lots to accomplish. Things aren't finished until Anna and Charlie set foot on American soil and thereby become American citizens. We hope to wrap up and fly home before the end of September.<br />
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I had a conversation with Tolya this morning and he asked me something several times that I was able to piece together as being (paraphrased) .. "Are we going to the village today?" and "Are you wearing your suit". When I told him "yes", he asked me about the suit again, to which I replied "yes". A few minutes later, I had to take out some trash and he asked me again if I was going to wear my suit. Again, I replied "yes". This made his little face light up with a great big smile. Later, I asked Angelia her thoughts on why Tolya would have asked me this. And she said, "he wants to show his Papa to his friends"... "he wants to say to his friends, "This is my new dad". That realization was quite a moving experience for me. But, as I continued to dwell on this as the morning went by, I realized that that's how all of us who have accepted Jesus Christ are supposed to be. We should joyfully set aside our thoughts or concerns about our own abilities, how we look, what we wear, whether people wll like us or not, and instead be excited and full of joy to show our Father in Heaven to everyone around us. We should be overjoyed to show our deliverer, our provider, our protector, and our loving Father to others so they may come to know Him as their God. As I have said before, after all, we were once orphans too. <br />
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Another lesson came today during our court appearance. We hosted children last December and had the priveledge of the orphange director staying in our home during that time. At the court proceeding today, the director was asked to give a description of what she observed while in America. She said, "I saw this family and another family for three weeks. I lived in their home and watched the two families interact with each other many times. These are Christian people and they did not argue, drink alcohol, smoke cigarrettes or raise thier voices to each other at any time while I was there with them". The judge asked, "are you telling us that you were there for three weeks and you never saw these people argue or drink alcohol?" to which the director replied, "yes, that's what I observed". I don't share this to make it seem my family is better than any other. I just feel that the orphanage director gave a testimony to the fact that choosing to live in a manner that shines the light of our Savior, Jesus Christ is very important. It certainly seemed to be today.<br />
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I am so thankful to God for answering yours and my prayers about our adopting Anna and Charlie. They are such great kids and I'm thankful that God has used Angelia and I to impact their lives. We have a ways to go before this is all done but we place our faith in the One True God, the God of Abraham, of Issac, of Jacob. The God who walked among us in the flesh, whose blood atoned for our sin. To Him we lift words of praise, honor and worship today and everyday. <br />
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We love and miss you all! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-34334814876794998232010-09-08T22:56:00.000+03:002010-09-08T22:56:08.282+03:00Day 25 - Groundhog Day!Hi everyone,<br />
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Thanks for continuing to follow along with the Taylor gang as we continue working towards completing our adoption of Vicka and Tolya. The encouragement and prayers we receive from everyone lifts us up in spirit more than you could know. We humbly appreciate you all and give thanks to God that each person reading this is interested in His story for our lives.<br />
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Today was pretty low-key. We did pretty much the same thing we've done many, many times while here. We woke up, ate breakfast, walked down the mountain to the store to pick up a few things and exchange money, walked back up the mountain, returned to the apartment, hung out, washed some laundry, watched a little TV, walked across the street for Sprite and Diet Pepsi, cooked dinner, am now blogging a bit, and will hit the hay in a little while. :-)<br />
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So, as you can see there is nothing really interesting to convey to you about our day today. :-)<br />
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Tomorrow is a big day for us as we have our second court appearance at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow. Please be in prayer that this will go smoothly and that we will be given a final court decree and the resulting ability to come home as a family very, very quickly thereafter. <br />
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We read the first chapter of Colossians again tonight. Verses 15-23 of this Scripture proclaims the supremacy of Jesus Christ and I just thought it was worthwhile to share the entire section because scripture speaks for itself far better than I or anyone else ever could. <br />
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Colossians 1:15 - 23:<br />
"15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[f] your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant." <br />
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As you can see by reading this, Jesus Christ is who he claimed to be. He was fully God Almighty and fully Christ the Messiah in the flesh. I would encourage you today, if you have not placed your faith in Jesus Christ - please do so. The bible says (in Romans 10:9-10) "9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." <br />
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The previous scripture contains God's one and only path to salvation. I pray today that you will see this as the truth it is, and that you will humbly recieve the gift that God has presented to you.<br />
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Thanks to biblegateway.com for the scripture sourcing. <br />
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Thanks again for all your encouragement and prayers. We love and miss you all. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-55288772577520925462010-09-08T05:01:00.000+03:002010-09-08T05:01:06.467+03:00Day 23 - Lost? I'm Not Lost! :-)Hello to everyone from Kiev, Ukraine. It's about 3:40 a.m. here. We went to sleep about 9:45 p.m. but I woke up about 30 minutes ago and can't seem to go back to sleep so I thought I would blog a bit for today. Thanks to everyone who continues to follow our blog, to encourage us and to pray for us. We know that many of our family and friends need prayer in their own lives and we do our best to try and send some towards home. I am thankful that God knows His children, that He hears our prayers and that He answers each one perfectly.<br />
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We have gotten into a terrible routine of going to bed later than we should and waking up later than we should. At home, Angelia and I would both typically be awake by 6:00 a.m. on work days. On Saturdays and Sundays, the fisherman syndrome that I suffer from would cause me to wake up at daybreak. For the last week or so, we have been getting up past 10:30 a.m. I think this is because there is nothing really to do accept sit around and wait. We try, but it's hard to do something when we don't know what's out there to do and we can't speak the language to get a cab to take us there. The monotony of this apartment coupled with nothing different to do and no easy way to do something new is becoming very difficult on me. It's also hard on me mentally to know that nothing will really change for another 12 days or so when we start working towards getting new documents that will allow us to come home. The kids are great kids and Angelia is a wonderful wife. I thank the Lord for all of them. It would be extremely difficult to endure all of this without the love that binds us together.<br />
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We tried to break our routine today. We woke up before 10:00 a.m. and got breakfast consisting of grilled cheese sandwiches and nectarines out of the way. We decided to walk to the park and just hang outside for a couple of hours. This didn't work out too well. The park is right next to the Ukraine Parliament building (think something like Congress in America) and there was a big rally of some sort going on and there were tons and tons of people in the park with police everywhere. We walked to one intersection being blocked by police. You would think that wall of police officers lined across a street and two out front directing people and traffic away from the street behind them would be a pretty obvious indication that you can't walk down that street. I was oblivious to this as I tried to walk my family between two of the police. They were kind enough to start speaking to me in a language I don't understand so I replied by kindly reaching over to my soon to be 14 year old daughter Vicka and sliding her between me and the police officer so she could translate for me. This would have been a fantastic idea if Vicka actually spoke English. Thankfully, I am getting better at interpreting hand signals so I quickly discerned that the police officer was directing us to the next street down where we could turn left, walk about a block and enter the park. Vicka is such a sweet spirited child and I am thankful that she helps her poor, ignorant soon to be parents navigate our way around. I am very proud of her! Now that we were back on track, we... no...not we, but I, decided to keep everyone walking. After all, we... no... not we, but I, needed an adventure! This friendly stroll around the neighborhood turned into 2 hour marathon walk because - you guessed it - we got lost. I'm sure the street signs would have helped but I can't read them and I didn't have a map. I'm sure asking someone for directions would have helped, but I don't speak the language. All I have is an apartment key with the letters 28 / 29 scribbled on the tag. It's bad enough when that little voice inside is saying to you "man, I have no idea where we are" but when you add this to seeing your soon to be 10 year old son who never runs out of energy begin looking for a place to sit down (indicating fatigue) then you kind of get the feeling that you're living in a pressure cooker. We just sat down by a building for about 10 minuest to rest and discuss a strategy. I know the kids didn't understand the discussion between Angelia and I completely but I'm sure after their hearing the words "I don't know where we are" coupled with my looking around and around in the sky at buildings for something familiar probably gave Vicka all the info she needed to discern we were lost. Turning to walk back the way we came was too much of an insult for me to bear. Not to give up (or admit fault), I kept us walking and eventually we got back to the intersection where the police interaction I described above occurred. Praise the Lord for getting us back to this spot! If you didn't know, God has a sense of humor and I'm sure he couldn't hold back a chuckle or two as our experiences unfolded today. I am thankful that he guided us home (as he does so many times).<br />
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Once we reached the inside of the apartment, we planted ourselves on the furniture in the apartment for a while and tried to watch some TV with the kids. We then headed out to eat dinner earlier than usual so that we could continue trying to get back into a better sleeping / wake up routine. It's sad to say that we chose to eat at McDonald's again today. The restaurant situation is difficult. The pizza place we like the best has a no smoking section the size of the bath tub that I have to pry myself out of each day so there are never any seats available (the smoking section is like walking into a room filled with cigarrette smoke in paste form). Angelia doesn't like the other pizza place we visited so that's out. Most of our sit-down meals out occur at "Puzhata Hata" buffet place (which the kids love) and McDonald's (which the kids love). McDonald's is usually difficult too because the free wi-fi means no seats are ever available (but today we did manage to get one). Despite what occurred at the festival (on day 7), Angelia and I are not adventuresome eaters so we don't really go somewhere and eat if we don't know what they serve. Our limited menu in the apartment gets kind of old for everyone too - we haven't had hot dogs in several days because you can't find bread that is suitable for buns. Spaghetti, grilled cheese and fried potatoes will only get you so far I guess.<br />
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All of this to say, it's not easy being here for so long but I am thankful that we are where we are. Living in the village region would have been much, much more difficult and I am thankful that we have been able to remain in Kiev the entire time. Actually, I pray that we are able to continue doing so until we leave for home.<br />
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I had another chance to further develop my skills in becoming a master of loving child discipline today. Who knew that playing a game of Uno could spark such rage between children - LOL!!!. So far, making Tolya sit in a chair in a room all by himself in 15 minute intervals until he apologizes to his sister is working pretty well. I mean, when you ask him to apologize to his sister, you would think he is superman and she's wearing a kryptonite necklace! :-) Things worked out pretty well and I made sure to give little man some hugs after he finished the chair and apology discipline episode. I sure love this little guy and his big sister!<br />
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I finished up the day reading the bible with my daughter. The church we visited about a week ago had some new testament bibles in Russian so tonight I was able to read a chapter in my bible and then asked Vicka to read the same chapter in hers. That provided my scripture reading and lesson today. We read Matthew but I especially went back and asked her to re-read verses 5:3-11. I emphasized verses 7, 8 and 9 which tell us "Blessed are the merciful, for they should receive mercy.", "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God", and "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God". I find that fitting instruction to reflect on after an argument with your brother. :-)<br />
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Goodnight everyone. Thanks for all you have done to encourage us as we continue following God's will for our lives. We love and miss you all!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-68664476473025315282010-09-07T00:36:00.000+03:002010-09-07T00:36:39.692+03:00Day 22 - "Dat's What Da Judge Done Said"Well, today was our court appointment. Couldn't think of a better way to title tonight's entry than by quoting a famous actor - "Mater" from the movie "Cars" (which we have watched twice since being here. :-)<br />
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Our day began at 8:00 a.m. when we awoke to get ready. I spent time the day before asking Vicka to pick out my attire. Before we all headed out at 12:00, Vicka was constantly adjusting and checking the clothes that Angelia and I were wearing to make sure they were just right. She is quite the fashion expert because I looked much better wearing what she picked vs. what I would have picked. I sensed that Tolya was a little in awe of me wearing a coat and tie. He had a look on his face sometimes that seemed to say "that's how men are supposed to dress and I want to dress that way too, someday". As I was tying my tie, he watched every move and was pleased with the outcome. I look forward to someday teaching him this simple task that all men should know how to do and do well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCoSXMVXE6rRSVO3ODYS6IWZGc8znqz1ZPQM5NZdLxvx5_uNPH9EOjD_2jqGcEjdoV3HPYb8_r7JrSE4-4w75121TfoJ0YNH_SaGvhF63tO3mxaUKwWMU9jCSEAdPlJKBa0djP8M1s_QI/s1600/IMG_0202[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCoSXMVXE6rRSVO3ODYS6IWZGc8znqz1ZPQM5NZdLxvx5_uNPH9EOjD_2jqGcEjdoV3HPYb8_r7JrSE4-4w75121TfoJ0YNH_SaGvhF63tO3mxaUKwWMU9jCSEAdPlJKBa0djP8M1s_QI/s320/IMG_0202%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angelia & Vicka After Getting Ready For Court Hearing #1</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angelia, Vicka, Tolya and Tim Prior to Court Hearing #1</td></tr>
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Before leaving, Angelia and I began our time with the Lord this morning asking him to forgive us for our sinful choices and that he would cleanse us of all unrighteousness. We also asked that He would prepare our hearts for His word and that He would write in on our hearts that we might not sin against Him. We opened card #4 from our friend Pam who was kind enough to send one for each week that we are here. The following Scripture from Colosians 1:11 was on the front of the card: "May He strengthen you in His glorious might, with ample power to meet whatever comes with fortitude, patience and joy". We were so encouraged by this that we read the entire first chapter of Colosians outloud. I don't think I've yet taken time to read Colosians and I am thankful for the direction to do so. In verse 17, we see that, speaking of Jesus, that "He is before all things and in Him all things hold together". It's hard to express how much God's word satisfies a heart looking for answers, comforts a soul looking for refuge, and gives hope to those who desperately need it. When you realize that all things, including your very life and eternity, are held together by the Almighty Living God, then you find strength in facing whatever is thrown at you. The lives of Joseph, Daniel, Job, David, Paul and many, many, many other of God's children demonstrate this. Thank you, Lord, for holding us together.<br />
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So, off we go on the two hour trek to the village for court. We arrived about 45 minutes early and were ushered into court as scheduled. The court proceeding lasted about 30 minutes. During the hearing, the judge explained what rights we had and what the law was. We were then each asked to stand and give our name, birthdates, address and positions / type of work we did. The rest of the court hearing involved the judge and prosecutor asking very pointed, blunt and wise questions pertinent to the adoption to me, Angelia, Vicka (who spoke for both the children), the orphanage director and the social worker. The result being that the judge ordered an additional, final court hearing to occur on Thursday, September 9 at 2:30 p.m. At that time, we will have a final decision from the court on whether or not Vicka and Tolya will become our children. We will remain in Ukraine for 10 days afterward and then we'll be able to work on getting new birth certificates, passports and visa's which usually take about 5 - 7 days. We are thankful for the care and wisdom of the judge. The questions we were asked showed that she had put some forethought into our case and that she really does care for the children.<br />
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So, we don't have a final court verdict yet. It was not easy to hear this but the words of Scripture we read earlier in the day strengthened us greatly. As I sat in the courtroom dwelling on the fact that we have another few days before the final court hearing, I recalled the book "The Hiding Place" that described the suffering endured by the Ten Boom family during World War II. Their lives saw much greater suffering and despair than I have ever known. In the midst of their difficulty, they chose to continue glorifing and trusting Jesus Christ. That's what living by faith is.<br />
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We left the courthouse and gave the orphanage director a ride back to the orphanage. While there, we were able to see some of the children that I remember from previous visits. "Older Katya" was there and she was smiling very much - as usual. Her older sister Nela was there, too sporting red hair in place of the golden blonde she had last year. We also saw a younger boy we nicknamed "Joe Joe". It was great to see all these children whom we have known and cared about for so long. We hope to see others coming back from their vacation soon.<br />
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Our night ended by us coming back and grabbing a bite to eat down at the base of the mountain. The walk up is not nearly as hard as it used to be. Maybe there is a lesson in that somewhere.<br />
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So, as I end the day I make one other observation. Diamonds are the hardest substance known to man but they are also very, very beatiful. In fact, diamonds with very few blemishes are very rare, highly sought after and extremely valuable. Diamonds are created when a mere lump of coal endures intense heat and pressure from external forces over the course of thousands of years. This example from the natural world around us reminds me that I am being shaped, molded and refined into something much more beautiful and valuable than I am today by the One who made me and the diamond.<br />
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We continue to thank the Lord for all of you who take time to follow along with us, pray for us, care for us and encourage us. We love and miss you all and hope to be home soon!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-52856227188120525322010-09-05T21:03:00.003+03:002010-09-05T21:10:29.585+03:00Day 19, 20 & 21 - A Taste of HomeHello everyone from Kiev, Ukraine. Our time here is such a blessing. The difficulty we face while here gives us many lessons from the Lord and I know, because His word tells me so, that all the experiences we endure here are being worked for the good of us (those that love Him). We are thankful to the Lord for all of you because you choose to share in this trip with us by praying for us and encouraging us. We miss you all and can't wait to come home as a family.<br />
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Today's blog covers three days. I'm sorry for it being kind of long to read but I will do my best to keep it as brief as possible.<br />
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I haven't read Scripture for a few days now and I can surely tell. My patience has not been where it should be. Friday and Saturday provided a lesson for me from Scripture about pride. During the small amount of traveling I have done in Europe and the several trips I've now made to Ukraine, it's obvious that people here do not extend common courtesy or politeness to each other. This may be the case in larger cities in America as well but I just feel it's much more prevalent here. As I was standing in the line at the grocery store on Friday morning, a lady just jumped right in front of me. She was very arrogant about it and I just spoke up and asked her if she could see me standing in line. She spoke some English and this allowed for a bit of back and forth argument. After a couple of minutes, I just said, "go ahead lady, I don't expect anything different because this entire country is rude to people". She replied, "you know, you shouldn't insult our country". As I left, the store, the walk back up the mountain gave me time to cool off and reflect. She was right in many ways. I shouldn't have insulted her or the country. I should have just exercised some kindness and patience and let the lady pay for her item and move on. But, swallowing pride is very difficult to do. I think that if we all really take time to examine ourselves, it's easy to see that pride is the most difficult sin for us to admit to and resist temptation of. We may not want to admit it, but we all like to be better than someone else at something, look better than someone else, have more or nicer stuff than others, and generally try and find some reason to elevate ourselves above others. As we read Scripture in Luke 22:24-30, we see that even the disciples fell victim to prideful thinking. Jesus commands for those that love him to humbly serve others. One beautiful example of this is shown when Jesus' washes the feet of the disciples before they eat their last meal together. The greatest example was Him humbling himself to be placed on a cross and bear the punishment that God intended for me. My prayer today is that God will show me the prideful areas of my life and that He will remove them from me so that I can better serve others and Him.<br />
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We spent part of the day on Friday with the kids teaching them English / Alphabet / Counting. After only about 4 sessions, Tolya knows the English alphabet all the way to the letter "T" and he can count in English from 1 - 10. Vicka works on reading, writing and math in English on a daily basis and she is progressing pretty fast as well. I am proud of both of them. Taking advice of other international adoptive families, we have decided when we get home to America, it's probably best to make it a rule that we (and they) only speak in English. This will help them progress into their new language skills out of necessity. <br />
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Friday ended alot better than it began. My friend Dima who lives in Kiev invited Angelia and I to visit their home for dinner on Friday night. He even came and picked us up. I can't tell you how excited I was to see that his lovely wife Anya had prepared taco salad for us, with all the fixin's. This was very thoughtful of Diman and his wife and we are grateful. The food was delicious and the company was quite wonderful. Even though I'm not a fan, I took time to try and explain NASCAR to Dima but I'm not sure is ready to stop following other sports for NASCAR racing. During the night, we found out (through Dima's translating) that Vicka would like to be a hair stylist when she grows up. Tolya said that he would like to be a "police car racer" when he grows up. I hope this doesn't translate to "I want to run from the police". LOL! If the way he is always acting like he is "on patrol" is an indication, he might really want to be a policeman someday. I have been arrrested twice by him already. LOL! We also found out that the kids favorite place to eat is McDonald's. Lucky for them because we sure go there alot. LOL!<br />
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Saturday began on a sad note because we received an e-mail from Angelia's brother that her Aunt Peggy passed away after health problems related to a long battle with cancer. She was a sweet lady and will be missed. I can honestly say, she was the exact opposite of the observations I have about people here not being polite to each other. Anytime Aunt Peggy saw you, her warm and standard greeting was to make sure that you were given a big hug and a kiss on the cheek! We pray for Uncle Jim because we know he is very sad, and that he misses her dearly. I am grateful for them being part of our family!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Wf_3VufDi4m7e8rVKFgJ0VOKY6O9SPdqZyuiz3MZUi9X-fAUUmHsjPPIycXyjrjP210Y0OyJ1mxvwtS1ZH0ZxsMdyPRwanvGEq4oR6nwAR745xhhDOZJxhM_6Y8iFa6kSW6b2qxya5k/s1600/Sellers+Family+July+04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Wf_3VufDi4m7e8rVKFgJ0VOKY6O9SPdqZyuiz3MZUi9X-fAUUmHsjPPIycXyjrjP210Y0OyJ1mxvwtS1ZH0ZxsMdyPRwanvGEq4oR6nwAR745xhhDOZJxhM_6Y8iFa6kSW6b2qxya5k/s320/Sellers+Family+July+04.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Aunt Peggy and Uncle Jim - We will miss you Aunt Peggy!</td></tr>
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For the rest of Saturday:<br />
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Although some games started earlier in the week, I'm sure you all know that Saturday marked the official start of college football in season in America. To celebrate, Angelia and I gave AU shirts to the kids that were sent with us by Ms. Nancy - a long time Hope Lodge volunteer and devoted UA fan. For those of you who live in Alabama, you can imagine that her purchasing AU shirts was a very sweet but difficult thing to do. LOL! I did spend some time trying to break the iron grip that soccer has on Tolya by showing him some YouTube video's of AU football games, the AU Eagle flying before games, etc. It got me more excited than it did him. We also found out that Vicka likes playing baseball. Sports teach us so much about life and hopefully we can find ways to get them involved in sports soon after getting them home. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taylor family get's ready for College Football 2010 - War Eagle!</td></tr>
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Another fun thing we learned on Saturday is that the washing machine cycle to wash one load of clothes lasts for 2 hours and 24 minutes. As Angelia went to bed last night at about 9:00 p.m., she started a load of laundry. When I laid down (after the AU game was over at 6:00 a.m.) the washing machine was still washing that same load of clothes. I had to search for a manual on-line this morning because obviously, it was not working properly. I was able to find a manual for this model machine and was able to correct what was wrong and reduce the cycle time to 74 minutes. Yeah!!!!<br />
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I made the committment to stay awake and watch the AU game on-line. That didn't work out so I listened to the game via the internet. The game didn't begin until 2:00 a.m. here so I stayed up 21 hours straight. This was probably not a good idea because I have been tired today, for sure. <br />
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Sunday has been pretty low key. We didn't attend church today because I stayed up all night trying to catch the AU game. I'm sure that going to worship the Lord and sing his praises would have been much better for my spirit than a football game. My prideful, know-what's-best for me attitude got the best of me today. This afternoon, I asked Vicka to pick out between the two shirts and ties I brought to see which ones I should wear for our court appointment tomorrow. I think she really liked doing this - she is quite the fashionista and I am all set! LOL! Angelia was greatly encouraged by an e-mail she received from her friend Ginger today. Ginger's family is keeping our dog so we value their friendship now because they likely won't be friends after keeping our dog for so long. I received a call from my brother Mike and it was great to talk to him about how things are going at home. We even managed to talk about fishing and football some. It's hard to describe how much these things do to make us feel not so far from home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim & Tolya being silly</td></tr>
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Our court date is Monday at 3:00 p.m. We pray for the Lord to prepare and bend everyone's heart so that we can continue finishing the process to becoming a family and returning home very soon. Thanks again for all your love, support, encouragement and prayers. We love and miss you all!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-20124648561938731972010-09-03T00:22:00.000+03:002010-09-03T00:22:35.093+03:00Day 18 - Where You From?Hello to everyone and thanks for all your continued support, encouragement and prayers for us as we remain in Kiev to complete the adoption process. I know there is much need for prayer in your lives and ours and I am thankful that He that we lift prayers to is the Almighty, the Alpha & Omega, who is eternally steadfast in His love for His children and that He works all things for the good of those that love Him.<br />
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Our worship and prayer time has lost a step in the last couple of days but I am thankful that God's Holy Spirit calls us back to Him. Yesterday was a bit of a difficult day because I felt like I spent alot of time correcting behavior of the children. This bothered me enough that I spent a great deal of time last night talking with Ang about it. I am thankful for the wisdom of my wife which is many times greater than my own. There are so many things that I want the children to learn for their own good (like speaking English) but I know it will not happen over night. They need patience and love - the same thing we receive from our Heavenly Father. During my prayer time this morning, I asked God to give me patience, wisdom and love when I interact with my family. As it is written in Proverbs 22:6, it is important to "train up a child up in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." But, it is equally important to do what is written in Ephesians 6:4 - "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." This was my prayer time today. I am thankful that God is faithful and that my relationship with Him is based on His steadfast love and not my wandering heart.<br />
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Now, I know we have been here too long when when I see us begin assimilating into our environment. When Angelia and I were in church the other day, a lady struck a conversation with Angelia. The lady spoke quite enthusiastically for a few minutes with Ang before realizing that Angelia didn't understand what she was saying. The lady called her daughter over (who spoke English) and she apologized for the mix-up. The daughter said to Ang, "my mother says that she is sorry for the confusion, but she thought you looked Ukrainian so she just kept on talking". We are beginning to blend in. But, I am glad to have a Ukrainian tour guide wife because she is great at giving directions in a city that I get lost in ... alot.<br />
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Our day started off well enough because I got to spend time with the kids during breakfast. Just me, Vicka and Tolya - wonderful. I made the age-old menu staple "cereal & milk". As we were eating, I couldn't help but notice how cute both kids were as they played with their cereal. They were being careful to eat just one piece of coco-puffs at a time. For a time, this was cute but after a few minutes, I noticed some white lumps floating in Vicka's cereal and thought it odd. I picked up the bottle to smell the milk and learned that it was not milk, but a science fair project in the making. The milk (which had an expiration date of 9/6/2010) was spoiled. The kids weren't eating the cereal one piece at a time as playing a game, they were trying to let the spoiled milk drip off it. They had eaten over half a bowl of cereal containing this spoiled, lumpy excretion from cow udders. I guess it is a testimony to their resilience and to the difficulty that a language barrier can create from time to time. I can't imagine what was going through their minds but I noticed Angelia checking the fridge before she laid down tonight and I am willing to bet she will be up with us at breakfast to thouroughly review the menu.<br />
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Today, we were able to spend another day out and about. To off-set mine and Angelia beginning to fit in, I chose to wear my camaflouge duck hunting hat with a gator on it. We visited the, as it is translated, "bhudda belly" (but it is really the Ukraine Golden Corral) for lunch. After lunch, we decided to try a movie. That's right, we don't speak the language. We walked to where I knew the movie theatre to be, then we turned around and walked the 1/2 mile back to where Angelia told me it was but I refused to listen. Remember what I said about having my own personal Ukraine tour guide? So, now that the kids were beat down from walking, we arrive at the movie theatre. There were 4 movies to choose from. Two were obviously too violent because even the theatre worker who doesn't speak English pointed at the kids and said "not a good idea". The other two choices were between flesh eating piranha, and a 3-D animated movie about turtles. We have a winner! The movie didn't begin for another hour and a half so we wandered around Independence square giving our best impression of tourists. The camo hat helped with this a great deal. We looked for some sneakers for Vicka but they are just too expensive on the main drag here in Kiev. We did manage to visit a toy store and procured a toy car (Ferrari) for Tolya, some painting supplies for Vicka and some English flash cards with pictures of food on them. Hopefully, this will help us develop a dialect to communicate the difference between fresh food and spoiled. Off to the movies we go.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tolya sizes up a crane (wearing the AU ball cap that Ms. Nancy got for him)</td></tr>
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The sea turtle movie was in 3-D. This was my first 3-D film and I think it was pretty cool. You can't beat watching a movie with a 10 year old boy who tries to reach out and grab the stuff swimming by. I doubt Hoover and Oreck combined can create a vaccum to dispose of popcorn faster than Tolya. After the movie, we exited and came out the rear of the building. As we walked by the entrance, Tolya tried to walk back in and I said "no". He was visibly upset but he came along. A few minutes later, he jumped on some steps to be eye level with me and said "toilet". So, we abruptly turned and headed back to the movie theatre. Language barriers crumble when "toilet" is needed. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictured (from left) are Tim, Tolya, Vicka and Angelia at the movies!</td></tr>
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We found this great place to eat dinner called McDonald's. It's uncanny how their cheeseburgers taste identical to the ones of the McDonald's in America. I wonder if they are somehow connected? Even though the McDonald's here is probably the largest I know of, it was packed out. No place to sit. So, I got our order to go and we all walked back up Mt. KievKilamanjaroEverestK2 in the rain with a sack of burgers & fries. As we ate dinner, I promised the kids that once we reached America, we would not eat at McDonald's until after January 1, 2011.<br />
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The small amount of news I keep up with from the States shows a Hurricane is affecting the East coast, another oil well has exploded in the Gulf, and our economy is still struggling a great deal which is affecting many peoples employment. At the same time, the sick are being healed, food is reaching someone who is hungry, new life is being celebrated in families, and prayers are being answered. Most important of all, God's word is being spoken and people are receiving His grace-given gift of eternal life. <br />
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Thanks for all that you are doing to show love & encouragement to my family. I pray God's blessings upon your family tonight and always. Good night from Kiev, Ukraine.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-51409053012531692312010-09-01T18:41:00.003+03:002010-09-01T18:45:25.083+03:00Day 16 & 17 - I'm Over Here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Good afternoon everyone. It's just before 4:00 p.m. in Kiev, Ukraine. I usually blog at night before I go to bed but wasn't able to last night because I was just too tired. So, today (Wednesday) I am going to try and catch up a bit for Tuesday and Wednesday. We haven't had any progress toward completing the adoption since we gained our court date but we are one day closer to coming home than we were yesterday.<br />
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We miss home. But, while we are here we continue to try to make this small apartment the best home we can. Still, nothing beats the original. :-)<br />
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We didn't do a bible study yesterday or lift up praise & prayer as we usually have. I can tell the difference. God's word is an amazing source of encouragement and strength. Lifting words of praise and listening for God to speak to us one on one in prayer is a fundamental necessity to grow closer to our Father in Heaven. I am thankful that God used two conversations today (a note sent to me by a childhood friend via facebook and a conversation with Angelia about the children) to draw my thoughts back toward His word and His teaching.<br />
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On Tuesday, we were able to hang out with the children and we decided to walk about 1 mile to a city park we passed this past Sunday on our way to church services. We took along a ball and nerf type frisbee that we purchased at the toy store just after we arrived in country. We had a great time being outdoors. I guess "cabin fever" sets in pretty quickly. We walked around the park to get the lay of the land and spent a few minutes at a pay-by-the-10-minute-interval bounce house. This was a hit for the kiddo's. We then set-up a game of kick-ball which lasted about 45 minutes. We then walked around some other parts of the park and then walked on back to the apartment. It started raining about the time we got back so going early was smart planning by my wonderful wife. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vicka and Tolya on the bounce house in the park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angelia & Vicka on the see-saw!<br />
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</tbody></table>I had to pick up a few things from down the hill so Tolya and I walked down to exchange some American money for Ukraine currency. Then we went on a little shopping spree. Now, some people might argue that the invention of the wheel serves as the most important technological advancement mankind has made. Others might argue the bow & arrow. Still others would say our ability to harness the power of the atom. I am here to say that I think the "frying pan" should rank at or near the top of the list. I mean, you can fry with it, use it as a weapon, fry with it, fry with it and even fry with it. So, our shopping trip included chicken mcnugget things (which, according to the picture on the pack, are actually pork) and some other staples. When I noticed some soft-bread that looked similar to hot dog buns, I grabbed two packs before anyone else could get them and ran back to the other side of the store to get hot dogs. Yes, you can fry hot dogs too! :-)<br />
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Today (Wednesday) has been pretty much uneventful but we will venture out to grab a bite to eat. No more potatoes or hot dogs.<br />
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In several past blog posts, I have made light of the fact that our apartment in Kiev is located on top of a hill and all other stuff is located at the bottom. As I was walking up the hill yesterday, I actually felt bad about all the fun I've made of it because it sounds like I've been complaining. As I walked up the hill yesterday, my thoughts dwelled on the fact that I should be thankful for the ability to walk up the hill. So many people don't have that ability and I do, not because of any reason accept that God wills it. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us "to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Even though I make light of it, I am thankful for the hill outside this apartment and so many other things in my life, even the difficulty. <br />
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The title of my blog today is "I'm Over Here". Angelia and I discussed today that in the orphanages we have spent time at, it's clear that orphans crave attention. Sometimes they act out against each other, sometimes they come running and just jump on you, and sometimes they work (doing dishes, sweeping, etc.) in very obvious ways just to earn attention. In many ways, they simply are saying "I'm Over Here!" As it sometimes happens, I related this behavior to how we as people often interact with God. So many times, we do things (good and bad) simply to draw attention from other people. As followers of Christ, we should never do things to bring attention to ourselves, but rather only to bring glory to our Father in Heaven. After all, as Christians, we are no longer orphans.<br />
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My prayer tonight is that I choose to glorify God with my actions and decisions.<br />
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Thanks to everyone for your continued words of care and encouragement. And especially, thanks for your prayers. We love and miss you all very, very much!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-27726522146329582082010-08-31T00:40:00.000+03:002010-08-31T00:40:30.440+03:00Day 15 - We Receive a Court DateHello from Kiev, Ukraine to all of our friends, family and everyone who is kind enough to follow our story. At times, it seems our living in Kiev, Ukraine has no end in sight but we know that with each passing day, we are one day closer to bringing our family home to America. Thanks for all of your prayers and kind words of encouragement. Also, a special thanks to everyone who is having to take up slack for us at our jobs. <br />
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Today, just our facilitator and I had to travel to the village / regional court to finish filing the necessary documents to allow us to submit for / obtain a court date for our adoption hearing. Our facilitator has done an amazing job to coordinate all of the needed information and documents, especially considering the unexpected challenges thrown at us including inconsistent off days due to a national holiday, the social worker having to travel out of town for a conference and the orphanage being closed for upgrades before school starts. But, prayer and diligence has paid off.<br />
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I was needing encouragement this morning and the Lord never disappoints. A close friend gave us several cards to bring with us with instruction to open one at the beginning of each week. This was very thoughtful and each card has helped us emotionally and spiritually. Today's card contained a verse from scripture: Psalm 145:13(b) states "The Lord is faithful to His promises and loving toward all He has made". Reading this brought to mind 2 Corinthians 5:17 which proclaims "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come." These scriptures lifted my spirits and strengthened my faith today. <br />
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So, off I went at about 9:15 towards the region / villages with our trusty facilitator (insert "Mission Impossible" theme music here), leaving Angelia to hang out alone with the kids today. During our drives, our facilitator is tolerant of my never-stop-talking personality and our discussions are always very interesting. When we arrived in the region, I waited in the car for a while then got out to walk around the little village a bit because the cooler weather and sunny skies were just too hard to resist. I noticed a fairly large, half-circle, brick / masonry wall standing out in the open by itself and it turns out that it was a World War II memorial. I found two names on the wall that match the paternal last names of our children. Knowing they were born in or very near this village, I couldn't help but wonder if they might be related to these two brave men who gave their lives fighting for their country. If I go back there, I might take a paper and rub the names just in case I ever have an opportunity to find out. After about an hour or so, we left for the 20 km drive to the court building. I was encouraged as our facilitator got out of the car to head into the court building. As the car door was closing, he looked at me and said "pray". I literally took this to be an urging from the Holy Spirit so I began praying. I then sent a text to Angelia asking her to pray. I then prayed some more. After about 45 minutes, our facilitator came out and told me that our court date was set for Monday, September 6th at 3:00 p.m. This is such a great blessing from the Almighty and I am grateful for His gift. I also appreciate all the prayers for us to get a court date soon. Consider this a prayer answered! The next big step is that we need a favorable court finding for us to become adoptive parents for the kids. Although I'm sure you all have much to pray over, I humbly ask that you would add this to your list.<br />
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When I arrived at the apartment in Kiev, the cupboard was bare which meant a trip down Mount KievKilamanjaroEverestK2. We decided to hike down for dinner and supplies. Mainly, dinner, but the oxygen masks we need for climing at this altitude were running low too so we had to venture out. We ate at a pizza place whose name literally translates to "Papa John's". I admit, seeing this sign got my pulse rate up and I didn't really care as much as normal as I was crossing a very busy street in one of those pedestrian striped cross-walks. Now, I have the right of way but if I get killed then my argument to support this wouldn't really get that far. But, I didn't care... Papa John's pizza was on the other side of the street. I was pretty good at the video game "Frogger" back in the day but it's a little more challenging when you are pulling other people along by the arm. As we sat down, the waitress said "we will need menus in English" and I knew I was in the right place. I wish you could have seen the waitress's face after she asked if the pizza I ordered was for two people and my reply was "nyet" (with just a hint of southern drawl). I managed to polish that pizza off so fast that Angelia was a little embarrassed, a baby nearby started crying and a couple of folks across the way from us moved to a table upstairs. No one was injured but I now know that I tend to over-eat when I look out the window and see the first ridge of the snow-capped mountain we have to climb going back home. By the way, I am 100% sure this is not the same Papa John's that is present in America but maybe the store is taking a certain freedom with their marketing to attract Americans. No copyright infringement has been breached in my recounting these events. :-)<br />
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We wandered in and out of the grocery store without much news. One item of note, we found some jars of peanut butter. I don't think they get that here much because in the past, friends here have asked us to bring it from America. I tested it when we got home by dipping some "Roshen" milk-chocolate bars down into the peanut butter. If I'm not mistaken, this is how Reese's was discovered. I may have that for breakfast.<br />
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Just one other observation. We were recently having to wait in an area with lots of other people and Tolya was wandering around alot and acting up a little. After asking him a few times to not wander away from us, I finally pulled him over with us and pointed to a painted square on the floor and told him to not get out of the square. Of course, he went right up to the line and put his feet on it but not across it. I realized that is how we do with God many times. We don't believe His instruction that the sin on the other side of that line leads to death, destruction and misery. Our pride and rebellious attitude sends us right to the line, testing God. If we truly love God and place our faith in His truth and loving guidance for us, we should stay as far away from the line as possible.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHPggWj3_KR03s4r11GPq3ZjlMQ5GmTts7ftHuj-hVfQnEoBuRNCjjsBzAElZfv2IubhD9U5C0hncOSMi6LnnsiUFU54w4q9wis8x-7GEjGb44YpjoYUywSP37EfCIH9CsH3sHluF70s/s1600/IMG_0156[1]" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHPggWj3_KR03s4r11GPq3ZjlMQ5GmTts7ftHuj-hVfQnEoBuRNCjjsBzAElZfv2IubhD9U5C0hncOSMi6LnnsiUFU54w4q9wis8x-7GEjGb44YpjoYUywSP37EfCIH9CsH3sHluF70s/s320/IMG_0156%5B1%5D" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tolya sharpens his "street-style" using my sunglasses</td></tr>
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Goodnight from Kiev, Ukraine everyone!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-70666005504879628162010-08-30T00:34:00.000+03:002010-08-30T00:34:05.902+03:00Day 14 - Timing is EverythingHello to all of our friends and family in the States. We miss you all and thank you for continuing to keep up with how things are going for us. We appreciate all of the encouragment and, most importantly, the prayers that y'all send our way. <br />
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I didn't get to bed until about 1:00 a.m. last night and 7:30 a.m. came too early. I admit, I was pretty grouchy when I got up. When you add to this the fact that I had no caffeinated drinks this morning (a.k.a. "Pepsi Light") then you can imagine I was not my normal, cheerful self. :-) Thankfully, my wife is very patient and understanding and tolerates my occasional grouchiness. In the midst of this grouchy moment, we had made plans to attend church services with my friend Dima. Our plan was to grab a taxi outside the apartment, show them the address for the church which was on my cell phone, and get there by 9:45 a.m. Well, I had to make sure this taxi thing was possible before going through getting ready, etc. and when I walked outside, there were no taxis. Now, during the week, there would be several sitting right outside our apartment but not today. Thankfully, when I called my friend Dima, he was willing and able to help us by calling a taxi to come pick us up. Sometimes, we have to battle through the darkness around us to reach the light and I'm thankful that we were able to overcome challenges and attend church services. Thankfully, I was my normal cheery self by the time we got into the taxi. (Thanks Holy Spirit!)<br />
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The kids were able to attend church with us today. This same church visited the orphanage where the kids live on August 7, 2010 for a three day vacation bible school type event. Several people at the church recongnized Vicka and Tolya and vice versa. It was nice to see people be excited to see the kids and recall their time together in early August. God is good and He is at work in immeasurable ways.<br />
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The music worship included the song "How Great is Our God" by Chris Tomlin. I love this song and enjoy singing it at our home church. Singing it in English while everyone else was singing in Ukrainian was very uplifting. The sermon was from the last chapter of the Gospel of John. This chapter describes the difference between working with God's presence versus without Him. Also, we learn that believers who meet the person of the risen Christ still have a choice to make in what we decide to do afterwards. At the beginning of the chapter, Peter returned to doing what he did before meeting Christ (this was, fishing) and some of the other disciples just followed His example. All of us have someone that looks up to us in some way. It could be our children, a co-worker, a fellow believer, a friend, etc. Considering this, do you as a believer in Christ influence others towards Him? Or, are you indifferent to how you influence them? Or, by your actions do you lead them away from Christ? We see from the last portions of the chapter that Jesus sought out the disciples and their meeting with the physically resurrected Christ had an immediate impact. As we know from the book of Acts, Peter would later continue Christ's command for Him to be a "fisher of men" and, as a single example of many, 3,000 people accepted Christ at Penetcost. What a great worship service and message we had today.<br />
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Also during the service, we met another American family who was in Kiev finalizing the adoption of their two children. They were from an area outside Chicago and they were hoping to head home on Thursday. <br />
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We came back to the apartment and decided to cook us and the kids some hot dogs for lunch. I found we were out of ketchup. While Angelia started cooking, I make a quick ... well not so quick... trip down the highest mountain in our solar system. I'm not losing weight but I am developing superior leg strength! :-) One interesting fact about our lunch today. We bought these hot dogs because they looked similar to the ones in America. Someone in Ukraine has learned the importance of packaging a product because when they were opened, each individual hot dog was covered in a pink, plastic film to give them the appearance of American wieners. In reality, these suckers were white as milk. Thankfully, the chemical reaction between the "whiteness" and the oil they were being fried in resulted in a nice, brown, crispy shell. And, the bread we put them into is actually used to remove teeth in 3rd world countries. None the less, the end result was a pretty tasty lunch. I am worried that if we stop supplying the kids with "Cheesy Cheese Pringles" (for Vicka) and Ketchup (for Tolya), they might full out revolt. I am buying every can of Pringles that I pass and when the ketchup gets to half a bag (and yes, I said bag which is how it is packaged here), the fear causes me to run down the mountain. I don't run back up because it hurts too much!<br />
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Now, we don't watch much tv because we don't understand the channel headings and we don't want to turn to a channel that would be inappropriate for the children or us. But, we were able to watch a movie today as a family group. There is nothing like watching the movie "Convoy" (circa 1978) in Ukraine language. The kids were engrossed by the action and the superior plot. Nothing keeps your kids entertained like a bunch of renegade truck drivers trying to put it to "da man". Unfortunately, we don't know if there was foul language being used (because of TV station being in Ukrainian) but I suspect there was. I was glad the police prevailed so that our children know that it's best to abide by the law.<br />
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Grilled cheese sandwiches and fried taters wrapped up our evening.<br />
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As I am typing this, I must say, the washing machine in this apartment is one amazing piece of equipment. The fact that it thouroughly cleanses our laundry during the 2.5 hour cycle pales in comparison to the ability it's spin cycles have to reach G-forces unattainable by modern aircraft. How our clothes don't come out either ripped to shreds or completely dry is a mystery to me. I may have to try and record the audio of this thing hitting top speed because it is surely a sight and sound to behold! This is one bad mama-jamma!<br />
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Tomorrow, I head up to the region with our facilitator to file some documents and hopefully get a court date established. Ang will have to fend for herself but she will be able to hang with the kids. Please help us by praying that we will recieve a court date in the later part of this week and that our process will continue to go along at a fast pace to a successful completion.<br />
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Just one other important reflection on today. God is working in many, many ways to create a beautiful tapestry that shows His love for His children. As I mentioned earlier, Dima's church visited the orphanage where our children live in early August. Today, some of the people at church saw Vicka and Tolya and were excited to know we were trying to become a family. They really became emotional because they said they had been praying to God that He would find families for all the children at that orphanage. To see two of those children walk into their own church a few weeks later with parents trying to adopt them was an example to them and us that God hears and answers the prayers of those that love Him. I encourage all of you tonight to read Luke 11:1-13 and be encouraged to pray to our Father in Heaven!<br />
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Thanks for all your love, prayers and support for us as we continue the adoption process!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587300922028116864.post-48257908843726486252010-08-29T00:41:00.000+03:002010-08-29T00:41:25.159+03:00Day 13 - One of Those DaysHi everyone,<br />
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It's about midnight here in Ukraine. There is not much to blog about today because we didn't do very much accept eat and wash clothes. But, just to let you all know how it's going...<br />
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First of all, just a quick note to let everyone know that I have cleaned out all of the old posts on the blog. I have saved them (along with your comments) in a MS Word file for posterity's sake. As I was reading through them, I was overcome with humble appreciation for all the prayer, support and interest you all have shown in how things are going with the adoption process. Your kindness is encouraging us more than you can know. <br />
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We didn't wake up until about 9:45 a.m. today. I guess the fatigue of the last three days caught up to us. We had cereal for breakfast and lounged around in pj's until guilt got the best of us around 1:00 p.m. or so. We got dressed and walked down to McDonald's for lunch and then visited the grocery store to exchange some American money for Ukrainian currency. We went on a little shopping spree at the grocery store and decided to try and fry something for dinner. I mean, we are from the South so going without fried food for this long begins to take an effect on one's ability to run fast, think fast and walk up the highest mountain on three planets. We chose chicken mcnugget looking things to fry. Technically, these are pre-fried but I don't know if I can convince Angelia to let me try and fry some raw meat. I think she secretely believes the plant that manufactures the chicken mcnugget looking things sanitized them at some point. Picking out oil was a little bit of a chore because you never know if something has had some seasoning added to it. We went with a bottle that had a picture of a sunflower on it - for sunflower oil. <br />
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We did have an opportunity to hang out with the kids this afternoon. I spent some time playing outside with them. It started raining and we just stayed outside anyway. One thing that was worth mention is that when it started raining, I kind of headed for an awning over the door. The kids came under with me but they were smiling and sticking their hands out in the water. I just sensed that they were appreciative of the rain and that they wanted to just play in it so out we went. We just played in the rain for about 45 minutes. We kicked ball, threw a frisbee and then just started splashing each other with water puddles, etc. We got soaked but we had great fun. Once again, a lady that lives in an apartment upstairs came to the window and just sat smiling as she watched us all play. It's great to see other people smile, especially children!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing in the rain with Vicka and Tolya</td></tr>
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My good friend Dima (who lives here in Kiev) called today and we are going to try and attend worship services at his church tomorrow morning. We are excited to attend his church again. We both miss worshiping the Lord with a body of believers. We will have to track down a taxi and give them the address so hopefully this will work out.<br />
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After getting a bath, I settled in to cook dinner. The frying pan is becoming so important to me that I am considering giving it a name. I actually pet... er... polished on it and talked to it a little before putting it in the dish rack. :-). The sliced up potatoes, or "home fries", along with the chicken mcnugget things were pretty good so we can add one more meal to our repitoire. We are now have spaghetti, fried potatoes, fried eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken mcnugget things on our menu so things are shaping up pretty good. But still, I would sorely like to have a basket of warm chips, some queso and some fajita chiken quesidillas from Habanero's about now. Vicka was looking through some pictures from her time in America the other day and came across some pictures of us eating ribs at Dreamland and she said "Yum, Yum, Yum". A slab with some 'nanna puddin' would be pretty good right now too... okay... subject change :-)<br />
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Once again, our bible study time today occurred at night. Tonight, Angelia and I read Psalm 47 as praise & worship. The Psalm begins by telling us to "clap our hands" and "Shout to God with great joy". It goes on to tell us many times to "sing praises" to God. Psalm 47 goes on to affirm that "God is King over all the earth" ,that "God reigns over all the nations", that "God sits on His holy throne" and that "God is highly exalted". I have so much to be thankful for and full of joy about. Joy is the theme of a Christ centered life. With Christ, your salvation is secure, you have power over sin and darkness, you have freedom to live a life dedicated to loving and serving others. As it is written, "with God, all things are possible". How can that not bring joy to a believer? How I wish that I and all other believers would allow joy to permeate our actions and our demeanor. Scripture tells us that Christ expect that our "joy will be complete". Now that I reflect on the day, I think that I saw a glimpse of the kind of joy that scripture talks about when I saw the children react to the rain. As the rain fell, they lifted up their hands, closed their eyes and smiled as the water poured down and then they began to dance and play. I think all of us could take a lesson from them on how to react when the rains come. My prayer tonight is that my joy will be complete in Christ, my Savior, and that I will put more effort to singing His praises with songs of great joy!<br />
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Goodnight from Kiev, Ukraine!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1