We spent the day in class with Sasha. It was interesting; eleven boys, five girls. They worked on multiplying and dividing by 100's, 1,000's, etc. The children had to come to the board and do problems one at a time. Then they read out of a book and took turns reading out loud. The teacher asked them questions, I suppose to see if they were comprehending what they were reading. The kids had a recess and an apple, and then they did art for a loooong time. They didn't eat lunch till 2:30 p.m.! Michael and I sat on the back row, and the children found us most fascinating. Any time there was free time, they gathered around us and tried to interact with us. I think Sasha was enjoying hugging us and interacting with us in front of his friends, kind of showing off that he had parents, which is so sad. He got out his pictures of our family, and all his classmates knew Quinn's name. Quinn, you're the famous brother of Sasha!
Someone came to the class and took me and Michael to a private little room and fed us lunch. It was a real treat. We saw the other kids who came to Phoenix in the host program. (Pictures soon I hope.)
After the kids had lunch, at about 3:00 p.m they had gym class in an old, run-down gym. They ran, jumped, etc., and then played soccer, the boys and girls together. It was most entertaining.
Shortly after that, we said good-bye to Sasha, boarded a train with Inna, and headed to Kiev. I slept the whole way on the train. It seemed like the three-hour trip took five minutes. So what am I doing now at 5:30 a.m.? Blogging, of course.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, Day 6
Another lazy day. No LDS church that anyone knows of. I love going to church on Sunday. It's weird not going.
I hand-washed Sasha's clothes in the morning. Oh, holy cow! The water was jet black in five seconds. No wonder the stench. I washed them twice and probably should have done it thrice, but I didn't want to use too much of our hosts' hot water. Then our hosts stoked up the coal to heat their house up really warm so Sasha's clothes would dry before we had to have him back in the orphanage in the evening.
We took him back about seven p.m. Many of the other children were still outside playing, and we got thronged when we arrived with Sasha. They all know that he's being adopted by Americans, and they had to see us for themselves. We were literally standing in the center of a huge throng of kids while Sasha's "mama teacher" talked to us and asked us questions. Cute, cute kids. I feel so bad for them. I wonder what Sasha's best friend, Ruslan, will do when Sasha leaves. Anyone out there interested in a darling, brown haired, brown eyed, 13-year-old boy? He is REALLY cute, but I don't know if he's available. I could probably ask. Hope to post pictures soon.
I hand-washed Sasha's clothes in the morning. Oh, holy cow! The water was jet black in five seconds. No wonder the stench. I washed them twice and probably should have done it thrice, but I didn't want to use too much of our hosts' hot water. Then our hosts stoked up the coal to heat their house up really warm so Sasha's clothes would dry before we had to have him back in the orphanage in the evening.
We took him back about seven p.m. Many of the other children were still outside playing, and we got thronged when we arrived with Sasha. They all know that he's being adopted by Americans, and they had to see us for themselves. We were literally standing in the center of a huge throng of kids while Sasha's "mama teacher" talked to us and asked us questions. Cute, cute kids. I feel so bad for them. I wonder what Sasha's best friend, Ruslan, will do when Sasha leaves. Anyone out there interested in a darling, brown haired, brown eyed, 13-year-old boy? He is REALLY cute, but I don't know if he's available. I could probably ask. Hope to post pictures soon.
Saturday, Day 5
We were pretty lazy today. After a yummy breakfast of mashed potatoes (weird but good), the three of us decided to go outside for a walk. We were gone about two hours. Natasha also joined us. Everything is muddy here. There are no real sidewalks, so mostly we had to pick our way down the road. (Pictures coming.)
Later, Igor and Natasha walked Michael and I over to Igor's parents' to experience "bonya." It's a "steam house." We were instructed to go inside, take off our clothing, pour water on the hot rocks, and breathe in the steam. Like obedient children, we did as instructed. (When in Rome) I need to clarify here. No, I didn't undress in front of strangers. Holy cow! It was only big enough for me and Michael. It felt like about 400 degrees in there. We only lasted about 15 minutes and got dressed. It was a fun experience, and now we can say we've experienced Ukrainian bonya! Many people in this village have their own little "steam houses." No washers, dryers, or Internet, but they have saunas! They believe it to be very healthy for your lungs and skin. I should think the cessation of cigarette smoking might also do the trick! It is now three a.m., and I'm up writing in my diary.
Later, Igor and Natasha walked Michael and I over to Igor's parents' to experience "bonya." It's a "steam house." We were instructed to go inside, take off our clothing, pour water on the hot rocks, and breathe in the steam. Like obedient children, we did as instructed. (When in Rome) I need to clarify here. No, I didn't undress in front of strangers. Holy cow! It was only big enough for me and Michael. It felt like about 400 degrees in there. We only lasted about 15 minutes and got dressed. It was a fun experience, and now we can say we've experienced Ukrainian bonya! Many people in this village have their own little "steam houses." No washers, dryers, or Internet, but they have saunas! They believe it to be very healthy for your lungs and skin. I should think the cessation of cigarette smoking might also do the trick! It is now three a.m., and I'm up writing in my diary.
Friday, Day 4
This was a great day! We left with our facilitator at 7:30 a.m. to travel to Novoukrainky, about 30 kilometers from Rivne. We had hired a local man with a car to be our driver for the day. No seat belts in the back! I was so proud of Michael. The minute we started to drive at breakneck speed down a pot-holed country road, Michael calmly leaned forward and said, "Excuse me. Are we in a hurry?" Inna then asked our driver to slow down, and it solved the problem for the rest of our four-day stay in Rivne. We also talked to Inna about money, and that also helped tremendously. Out driver spent the entire day driving and waiting for us at various offices, and he only charged us 300 hryvnas (about $40). What a deal!
So as I was saying, we went to Novoukrainky to meet with the orphanage inspector, a very nice lady. She went with us back to Rivne to the orphanage to meet with the director. Everyone was fully expecting us and knew all about us. The director said Sasha had shown her our pictures and told her all about us. We were told that during the past year, only one other couple had come to that orphanage to adopt, a couple from Texas.
Everyone was so kind to us. We visited for a while, and then they said they would send for Sasha to come to the office. Michael and I got up to stand near the door. We both started getting teary-eyed. Then in came Sasha. We hugged and laughed. I hope to be able to post pictures tomorrow.
Talking with Sasha was like there had been no time interval since he left. It was just as natural as can be. We were soon laughing about our day at Lagoon etc. Sasha was asked to name the people in our family, and he said with his cute accent "Lori Lawrence, Michael Lawrence, Marissa (said Mawissa), Quinn, Gage, Eric." And then he added "Patrick." Patrick is Quinn's best friend. Michael and I thought that was cute.
Within thirty minutes, the director and inspector had given their "stamp of approval" and Sasha was writing his formal letter. Then Sasha was whisked back to school, and we were off to Novoukrainky again to the notary's office etc. etc., which took the whole afternoon. While waiting outside, Michael and I discovered an outside "farmers" market. We have great pictures soon to come. We made one big purchase, a tube of toothpaste. (Our toothpaste had been confiscated at the Munich Airport, and we had been brushing our teeth with Listerine.)
We finally got back to our apt at four p.m. Inna went to do some more paperwork at the orphanage. When she came back, she had Sasha with her. The director said we could keep him until Sunday night! We were thrilled but not prepared for this. We did not bring clothes for Sasha as we are expecting to only get through court before December 22, when all government offices close until January 10. I did come prepared with things to do, however. We spent the night coloring, playing Barrel of Monkeys, computer games, Twister, listening to music. We brought some Ukrainian children's books and told Sasha he needed to read a chapter. He did so with Igor. I believe his reading is poor, but his math isn't terrible. He does know his times tables and understands fractions. At one point I led him to the tub and made him bathe. I think he shampooed, but later that night when I hugged him, the aroma was still pungent. Maybe his clothes? No washing machine here. Maybe I'll wash his clothes in the sink, and he can wear my sweat pants and shirt for a day while his clothes dry. No dryers and also no clothing stores here. What I wouldn't give for some boy's underwear about now.
We had to figure out where Sasha would sleep. The three of us ended up sleeping crosswise on the bed so there would be room. Michael's and my feet hung over the edge, but it was okay. That first night, I was lying between Michael and Sasha. Sasha leaned over and smelled me and said, "Mmmmmm." (I have great-smelling lotion.) Then he put his hand over his heart and said, "Mom, I love you." Yes, it was very sweet and heart-warming.
Then Michael and I laid awake half the night and talked about our great kids back in the US and how much we miss them. Yes, even Eric is back in the States (Wisconsin) for about a month for training before leaving for Iraq. We can't wait to get back to Kiev Monday night where we hope to have Internet, post my diary on the blog, and be back in better touch with our children. That means saying good-bye to Sasha for a week or so.
So as I was saying, we went to Novoukrainky to meet with the orphanage inspector, a very nice lady. She went with us back to Rivne to the orphanage to meet with the director. Everyone was fully expecting us and knew all about us. The director said Sasha had shown her our pictures and told her all about us. We were told that during the past year, only one other couple had come to that orphanage to adopt, a couple from Texas.
Everyone was so kind to us. We visited for a while, and then they said they would send for Sasha to come to the office. Michael and I got up to stand near the door. We both started getting teary-eyed. Then in came Sasha. We hugged and laughed. I hope to be able to post pictures tomorrow.
Talking with Sasha was like there had been no time interval since he left. It was just as natural as can be. We were soon laughing about our day at Lagoon etc. Sasha was asked to name the people in our family, and he said with his cute accent "Lori Lawrence, Michael Lawrence, Marissa (said Mawissa), Quinn, Gage, Eric." And then he added "Patrick." Patrick is Quinn's best friend. Michael and I thought that was cute.
Within thirty minutes, the director and inspector had given their "stamp of approval" and Sasha was writing his formal letter. Then Sasha was whisked back to school, and we were off to Novoukrainky again to the notary's office etc. etc., which took the whole afternoon. While waiting outside, Michael and I discovered an outside "farmers" market. We have great pictures soon to come. We made one big purchase, a tube of toothpaste. (Our toothpaste had been confiscated at the Munich Airport, and we had been brushing our teeth with Listerine.)
We finally got back to our apt at four p.m. Inna went to do some more paperwork at the orphanage. When she came back, she had Sasha with her. The director said we could keep him until Sunday night! We were thrilled but not prepared for this. We did not bring clothes for Sasha as we are expecting to only get through court before December 22, when all government offices close until January 10. I did come prepared with things to do, however. We spent the night coloring, playing Barrel of Monkeys, computer games, Twister, listening to music. We brought some Ukrainian children's books and told Sasha he needed to read a chapter. He did so with Igor. I believe his reading is poor, but his math isn't terrible. He does know his times tables and understands fractions. At one point I led him to the tub and made him bathe. I think he shampooed, but later that night when I hugged him, the aroma was still pungent. Maybe his clothes? No washing machine here. Maybe I'll wash his clothes in the sink, and he can wear my sweat pants and shirt for a day while his clothes dry. No dryers and also no clothing stores here. What I wouldn't give for some boy's underwear about now.
We had to figure out where Sasha would sleep. The three of us ended up sleeping crosswise on the bed so there would be room. Michael's and my feet hung over the edge, but it was okay. That first night, I was lying between Michael and Sasha. Sasha leaned over and smelled me and said, "Mmmmmm." (I have great-smelling lotion.) Then he put his hand over his heart and said, "Mom, I love you." Yes, it was very sweet and heart-warming.
Then Michael and I laid awake half the night and talked about our great kids back in the US and how much we miss them. Yes, even Eric is back in the States (Wisconsin) for about a month for training before leaving for Iraq. We can't wait to get back to Kiev Monday night where we hope to have Internet, post my diary on the blog, and be back in better touch with our children. That means saying good-bye to Sasha for a week or so.
Thursday, Day 3
Thursday Michael and I felt gloomy all day, probably because it was so hard to be away on Thanksgiving. Marissa was with Zack in Mesa, Arizona, Gage and Quinn were at Emily's house, and Eric was hopefully having a Thanksgiving dinner in Guam. All my brothers and sisters were having a feast in Logan at Mom and Dad's house while Michael and I were here in Ukraine. The day was spent walking around Kiev and waiting for the SDA paperwork. The managers of our apartment came and collected our rent for two and a half days, 275 US dollars (gulp)! We won't be staying there again.
At 4:00 p.m., we got the referral from the SDA (State Dept. of Adoptions) to go to Sasha's orphanage in R______. We started the long drive in pitch black. Our driver, typical of every other driver we've been with, drove very fast the entire 5-hour trip and was pulled over twice by the police, creating a 45-minute delay. While Michael and I had our seatbelts on, the two in the front went seatbelt-less. It seemed crazy, especially since we were in heavy fog the last half of the trip. Hurling down the road at 120 kilometers/hr. through fog was terrifying. And for the thrill of the ride, our driver charged us 335 US dollars.
R_____ is a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. As we approached, we didn't even know we had reached a village. People here don't have porch lights or street lights, and everything was in total darkness. Igor, whose apartment we shared, was standing on the side of the street signaling us with a flashlight. We were shown into their humble apartment, along with our facilitator. I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I was wary about staying with strangers, but it was very delightful. Igor and Natasha are such kind people and made us feel so at home. Natasha cooked every delicious meal for us, lovely vegetables from their "kitchen garden" that they preserved: Beets, pickles, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, etc. We had eggs straight from the chickens and milk straight from the neighbor's cow. There were no restaurants and certainly no working Internet while we were there. They gave the phrase "provident living" a new meaning. Igor teaches English at a school in the village, and Natasha speaks a little English also. They have two cats, but I had no allergy problems, which was a huge blessing. Also they don't smoke, another great blessing as the smoke makes me very ill. They have no children. They're in their late twenties.
So we arrived in R_____ about 11:00 p.m. and pretty much went straight to bed and tried to calm our nerves from the trip. Our bedroom was very small. When we attempted to close the door, it hit the headboard, so we hung my coat over the opening in order to give us a little privacy. The apartment was heated with a coal stove. The entire feel of the house reminded me of my Grandma Ballard's home when I was a little girl, only this house is even older I'm sure. We laid in bed and listened to geese, ducks, roosters, turkeys, and dogs having a party outside. The rooster was somewhat confused and crowed all night. At one point the animals reached a mighty crescendo, and we just burst out laughing.
A word here about jet lag. We are so tired by 5:00 in the evening, we have to prop our eyelids open. Then when we finally do go to bed, we take sleeping pills, which don't help, and toss and turn or read all night. We just can't seem to get our internal clocks adjusted.
So Wednesday night while we tossed and turned, we had a discussion about the possibility of running out of cash while here. Ukraine is a cash economy, no checks or credit cards. We decided to speak to Inna, our facilitator, the next day and be very frank and blunt about the expenditures. We also decided to be assertive when it comes to crazy driving. We have four very large reasons to stay alive while here and don't want our children to become orphans themselves.
We have some great pictures to share, but the program isn't working, so hopefully we'll get that taken care of soon.
At 4:00 p.m., we got the referral from the SDA (State Dept. of Adoptions) to go to Sasha's orphanage in R______. We started the long drive in pitch black. Our driver, typical of every other driver we've been with, drove very fast the entire 5-hour trip and was pulled over twice by the police, creating a 45-minute delay. While Michael and I had our seatbelts on, the two in the front went seatbelt-less. It seemed crazy, especially since we were in heavy fog the last half of the trip. Hurling down the road at 120 kilometers/hr. through fog was terrifying. And for the thrill of the ride, our driver charged us 335 US dollars.
R_____ is a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. As we approached, we didn't even know we had reached a village. People here don't have porch lights or street lights, and everything was in total darkness. Igor, whose apartment we shared, was standing on the side of the street signaling us with a flashlight. We were shown into their humble apartment, along with our facilitator. I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I was wary about staying with strangers, but it was very delightful. Igor and Natasha are such kind people and made us feel so at home. Natasha cooked every delicious meal for us, lovely vegetables from their "kitchen garden" that they preserved: Beets, pickles, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, etc. We had eggs straight from the chickens and milk straight from the neighbor's cow. There were no restaurants and certainly no working Internet while we were there. They gave the phrase "provident living" a new meaning. Igor teaches English at a school in the village, and Natasha speaks a little English also. They have two cats, but I had no allergy problems, which was a huge blessing. Also they don't smoke, another great blessing as the smoke makes me very ill. They have no children. They're in their late twenties.
So we arrived in R_____ about 11:00 p.m. and pretty much went straight to bed and tried to calm our nerves from the trip. Our bedroom was very small. When we attempted to close the door, it hit the headboard, so we hung my coat over the opening in order to give us a little privacy. The apartment was heated with a coal stove. The entire feel of the house reminded me of my Grandma Ballard's home when I was a little girl, only this house is even older I'm sure. We laid in bed and listened to geese, ducks, roosters, turkeys, and dogs having a party outside. The rooster was somewhat confused and crowed all night. At one point the animals reached a mighty crescendo, and we just burst out laughing.
A word here about jet lag. We are so tired by 5:00 in the evening, we have to prop our eyelids open. Then when we finally do go to bed, we take sleeping pills, which don't help, and toss and turn or read all night. We just can't seem to get our internal clocks adjusted.
So Wednesday night while we tossed and turned, we had a discussion about the possibility of running out of cash while here. Ukraine is a cash economy, no checks or credit cards. We decided to speak to Inna, our facilitator, the next day and be very frank and blunt about the expenditures. We also decided to be assertive when it comes to crazy driving. We have four very large reasons to stay alive while here and don't want our children to become orphans themselves.
We have some great pictures to share, but the program isn't working, so hopefully we'll get that taken care of soon.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Greetings from Kiev, Ukraine!!
Hooray! We're in Kiev, and the quarantines have been lifted in nearly all the regions. But let me back track.
Our facilitator called us last week and said the news on the street was that the quarantines would be lifted Monday, the 23rd. He crammed our SDA appointment into Wednesday the 25th between two other families and said to come. We knew it was a bit of a risk and were so relieved to get off the plane in Kiev and learn that, indeed, the quarantines had been lifted!
Our flight here, via San Francisco (weird, I know) and Munich, was uneventful. No late flights, no lost luggage, no long lines, and the airports were all fairly deserted, just how we like it. Don't get me wrong. The 24-hour process of getting here was grueling, to say the least, but it went about as smoothly as it could. We went on Lufthansa, and they are great, and Eldon from Golden Rule Travel is fantastic.
Our SDA appointment was today at 11:00 a.m. We walked from our apartment on the square, and when we were almost to the SDA, our facilitator called us and told us to bring our lap top to show the SDA photos of us with Sasha. (We forgot to bring hard copies of photos, so put that on your check list, families headed to Ukraine.) So we ran back down the hill to our apartment, ran back up the hill, and headed for the SDA. This was all done in my high-heeled black boots. It was painful.
The appointment went smoothly, and it looks like we'll be in Sasha's orphanage by Friday morning. Yahoo!
Michael and I are determined to lose weight while here. We walked a lot today, took the stairs every time to our apartment (6th floor), and ate authentic healthy Ukrainian food at our favorite restaurant here in Kiev. The total tab for the two of us was forty grievnas (spelled wrong I know), which is five dollars! You can eat for cheap, but I looked at shoes today in a store for $200! So clothing is expensive; food is cheap.
The weather is mild, warmer than usual we're told. No snow here yet. Hardly anyone is wearing the face masks anymore to protect against swine flu.
Sasha lives in a teeny tiny village, and we're staying with an English teacher and his wife. The wife is employed at Sasha's orphanage. I hope it's not too uncomfortable to hang out with Ukrainians we've never met, but apparently there are no other places to stay in a village that small. We don't know if we'll have internet, but we'll try to post whenever we do.
Our goal is to get through court before everything shuts down for the holidays. Then we'll come home for the 10-day wait, and one of us will come back in January to finish out.
Our facilitator called us last week and said the news on the street was that the quarantines would be lifted Monday, the 23rd. He crammed our SDA appointment into Wednesday the 25th between two other families and said to come. We knew it was a bit of a risk and were so relieved to get off the plane in Kiev and learn that, indeed, the quarantines had been lifted!
Our flight here, via San Francisco (weird, I know) and Munich, was uneventful. No late flights, no lost luggage, no long lines, and the airports were all fairly deserted, just how we like it. Don't get me wrong. The 24-hour process of getting here was grueling, to say the least, but it went about as smoothly as it could. We went on Lufthansa, and they are great, and Eldon from Golden Rule Travel is fantastic.
Our SDA appointment was today at 11:00 a.m. We walked from our apartment on the square, and when we were almost to the SDA, our facilitator called us and told us to bring our lap top to show the SDA photos of us with Sasha. (We forgot to bring hard copies of photos, so put that on your check list, families headed to Ukraine.) So we ran back down the hill to our apartment, ran back up the hill, and headed for the SDA. This was all done in my high-heeled black boots. It was painful.
The appointment went smoothly, and it looks like we'll be in Sasha's orphanage by Friday morning. Yahoo!
Michael and I are determined to lose weight while here. We walked a lot today, took the stairs every time to our apartment (6th floor), and ate authentic healthy Ukrainian food at our favorite restaurant here in Kiev. The total tab for the two of us was forty grievnas (spelled wrong I know), which is five dollars! You can eat for cheap, but I looked at shoes today in a store for $200! So clothing is expensive; food is cheap.
The weather is mild, warmer than usual we're told. No snow here yet. Hardly anyone is wearing the face masks anymore to protect against swine flu.
Sasha lives in a teeny tiny village, and we're staying with an English teacher and his wife. The wife is employed at Sasha's orphanage. I hope it's not too uncomfortable to hang out with Ukrainians we've never met, but apparently there are no other places to stay in a village that small. We don't know if we'll have internet, but we'll try to post whenever we do.
Our goal is to get through court before everything shuts down for the holidays. Then we'll come home for the 10-day wait, and one of us will come back in January to finish out.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Here We Go Again
We're flying out today to Ukraine to attempt this again. Each individual oblast has the decision-making power to either continue on with the quarantine or lift it. We are hoping and praying we will meet with favorable conditions when we arrive. Please keep us in your prayers.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Two posts in one day! Wow!
(Also see previous post regarding Ukraine and letter from Sasha!)
Eric calls us every Friday evening from Guam, which is Saturday morning for him. He called again last evening (Friday), and I had the chance to have a good conversation with him. I was the only one home as Marissa and Zack were out for the evening and Michael and Quinn were on an overnight camp freezing their toes and fingers off with the Scouts! Wow, imagine me being home all by myself. Weird.
Eric is being sent to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin November 28 for training in preparation for Iraq. He will be there until December 22, then fly back to Guam and await for deployment to Iraq in January. We will not see him while he is in the States, which is sad. He brought to my attention all the time changes he's going to have to go through from Guam, then to Wisconsin, back to Guam, then to Iraq. Imagine the jet lag!
Eric seems to be in good spirits. We pray for him every day.
Eric calls us every Friday evening from Guam, which is Saturday morning for him. He called again last evening (Friday), and I had the chance to have a good conversation with him. I was the only one home as Marissa and Zack were out for the evening and Michael and Quinn were on an overnight camp freezing their toes and fingers off with the Scouts! Wow, imagine me being home all by myself. Weird.
Eric is being sent to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin November 28 for training in preparation for Iraq. He will be there until December 22, then fly back to Guam and await for deployment to Iraq in January. We will not see him while he is in the States, which is sad. He brought to my attention all the time changes he's going to have to go through from Guam, then to Wisconsin, back to Guam, then to Iraq. Imagine the jet lag!
Eric seems to be in good spirits. We pray for him every day.
Letter from Sasha
Michael called me from his office Friday to say, "Have you checked the e-mail? We got a letter from Sasha!"
I fairly flew to the computer. In our in-box was an e-mail from someone named Igor. Here is what it said. (To protect people's identities, I have not included last names or names of cities.)
Dear Michael and Lori,
Good afternoon. I'm writing to you from R_____, Ukraine. My name is Igor _____. I'm 29. I live in _____. I work at school as a teacher of English. I'm married. My wife is Natasha. She works at the boarding school where Sasha _____ studies. The director of the school said that you are going to come to R_____ in November and we agreed about your staying at our place. That's why I decided to write you some words about our family beforehand. Besides we talked to Sasha. He misses you very much and he wrote a letter to you. I'll translate it for you.
"Dear my family!!!
I've read the letter you wrote to me. Mother and father come to Ukraine, please. Mavesa (Marissa) and Kven (Quinn) my study is OK. I try to learn English as much as I can. I already know the ABC. How is Kven. Does he go to school? I love you and I'm looking forward to see you soon. I'll prey for you to come to Ukraine and take me with you.
I'm looking forward to our bicycle riding, mountain trips. I miss our visits to Mavessa (Marissa) and Gache (Gage). I'd like to play James Bond with me. I am OK. I see dreams that you come and take me with you and we live happily.
Love, Sasha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
How cute is that? Michael promptly fired back an e-mail. Here is an excerpt:
"Thank you very much for the kind e-mail. It is so good to hear from Sasha. As you have probably heard by now, Ukraine is not issuing referrals to orphanages because of the swine flu epidemic. In fact, we read today that ______ was added to the list of oblasts that are under quarantine. So we do not know when we will be able to get over there to get Sasha. We are very disappointed about the delay. Please explain to Sasha that the delays are beyond our control and that we will get there as soon as the Ukrainian government allows. Please tell Sasha we love him and pray for him every day. Please tell him Quinn and Marissa are doing well. Tell him Gage left for two years on a humanitarian mission last week."
So there is no more news really about the quarantine, just that it continues. Our facilitator is predicting the week of November 23, but no one knows really. Once it is lifted, the SDA will give us a new date. We are trying very hard to keep our spirits up. The government offices in Ukraine close December 22 through January 7, which is looming and will most likely interfere with completing any adoption. That would mean one of us going back after January 7 to finish out the process if we were able to go in November to start the process or, alternatively, waiting until January to begin the whole process. I guess three trips to Ukraine will not be enough, but who's counting?
We ask for your prayers. We have asked Heavenly Father to open doors for us according to His will, and we will try to smile through it all.
I fairly flew to the computer. In our in-box was an e-mail from someone named Igor. Here is what it said. (To protect people's identities, I have not included last names or names of cities.)
Dear Michael and Lori,
Good afternoon. I'm writing to you from R_____, Ukraine. My name is Igor _____. I'm 29. I live in _____. I work at school as a teacher of English. I'm married. My wife is Natasha. She works at the boarding school where Sasha _____ studies. The director of the school said that you are going to come to R_____ in November and we agreed about your staying at our place. That's why I decided to write you some words about our family beforehand. Besides we talked to Sasha. He misses you very much and he wrote a letter to you. I'll translate it for you.
"Dear my family!!!
I've read the letter you wrote to me. Mother and father come to Ukraine, please. Mavesa (Marissa) and Kven (Quinn) my study is OK. I try to learn English as much as I can. I already know the ABC. How is Kven. Does he go to school? I love you and I'm looking forward to see you soon. I'll prey for you to come to Ukraine and take me with you.
I'm looking forward to our bicycle riding, mountain trips. I miss our visits to Mavessa (Marissa) and Gache (Gage). I'd like to play James Bond with me. I am OK. I see dreams that you come and take me with you and we live happily.
Love, Sasha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
How cute is that? Michael promptly fired back an e-mail. Here is an excerpt:
"Thank you very much for the kind e-mail. It is so good to hear from Sasha. As you have probably heard by now, Ukraine is not issuing referrals to orphanages because of the swine flu epidemic. In fact, we read today that ______ was added to the list of oblasts that are under quarantine. So we do not know when we will be able to get over there to get Sasha. We are very disappointed about the delay. Please explain to Sasha that the delays are beyond our control and that we will get there as soon as the Ukrainian government allows. Please tell Sasha we love him and pray for him every day. Please tell him Quinn and Marissa are doing well. Tell him Gage left for two years on a humanitarian mission last week."
So there is no more news really about the quarantine, just that it continues. Our facilitator is predicting the week of November 23, but no one knows really. Once it is lifted, the SDA will give us a new date. We are trying very hard to keep our spirits up. The government offices in Ukraine close December 22 through January 7, which is looming and will most likely interfere with completing any adoption. That would mean one of us going back after January 7 to finish out the process if we were able to go in November to start the process or, alternatively, waiting until January to begin the whole process. I guess three trips to Ukraine will not be enough, but who's counting?
We ask for your prayers. We have asked Heavenly Father to open doors for us according to His will, and we will try to smile through it all.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
We took Gage to the Missionary Training Center Wednesday, November 4, 2009. He has been gone one week now. The week went by pretty quickly for me. I wonder if it went as quickly for him? Here he is the morning of November 4 in his bedroom, all packed and ready to go. He looks so young to me. It will be strangely quiet not to hear those drums beating underneath my office.
In the driveway about ready to leave.
We ate lunch at Golden Corral in Provo with Grandma and Grandpa Lawrence.
One last picture with Grandma and Grandpa
Funny how your mind can play tricks on you. All week I've had little moments where I've forgotten he's gone, and I'll think, "Oh, Gage should be home soon," or, "Oh, is Gage out of bed yet?" And then I'll remember he's gone, and it's hard to explain the empty feeling you get. The house seems so quiet. I can't quite get my mind wrapped around it. I don't like having half my children gone.
The next day we sent this sweet girl back to Ukraine. This is Rita (on the right). She was in our home for the last three days of the hosting program. Shelby (on the left) is our friend and neighbor and translated for us a lot.
In the driveway about ready to leave.
We ate lunch at Golden Corral in Provo with Grandma and Grandpa Lawrence.
I can never get a genuine smile from them all at once!
One last picture with Grandma and Grandpa
Here is the fateful moment when you're not sure if your heart can take it. The departure at the MTC is literally a drop-off. You barely have enough time to jump out, give your missionary a tearful last hug, and he's off with a sea of other dark suits and white shirts. I could not help but think of the words to the Primary song:
We are as the army of Helaman;
We have been taught in our youth;
And we will be the Lord's missionaries to bring the
world His truth.
If it were for a lesser cause, we could not part with our 19-year-old sons. I feel it a privilege to let him go and have the experience. It will forever shape his life, and I know there are people in New Mexico waiting to hear his message.
Funny how your mind can play tricks on you. All week I've had little moments where I've forgotten he's gone, and I'll think, "Oh, Gage should be home soon," or, "Oh, is Gage out of bed yet?" And then I'll remember he's gone, and it's hard to explain the empty feeling you get. The house seems so quiet. I can't quite get my mind wrapped around it. I don't like having half my children gone.The next day we sent this sweet girl back to Ukraine. This is Rita (on the right). She was in our home for the last three days of the hosting program. Shelby (on the left) is our friend and neighbor and translated for us a lot.
At the airport sending the kids home to Ukraine. 
We're still in a holding pattern waiting for Ukraine to lift the quarantine. We hope to go soon but most likely will not be able to keep our original SDA date of November 17. It's very difficult to know how to plan.
We're still in a holding pattern waiting for Ukraine to lift the quarantine. We hope to go soon but most likely will not be able to keep our original SDA date of November 17. It's very difficult to know how to plan.Today is Veteran's Day. No better time to say how thankful I am to be living in such a great country. I am so proud to have a son serving in the United States Air Force. We love you, Eric!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Today the SDA in Ukraine officially suspended all visits to children in institutions due to the H1N1 scare. That means the SDA will give no referrals to anyone wanting to go to orphanages to get their kids. No one knows how long the suspension will be. The guess is three to four weeks. The SDA has promised to revisit the issue in nine days.
So do we buy plane tickets? Do we wait for nine days to see what happens? What if the suspension were lifted in nine days? That would give us three days to buy tickets and get a million things done in order to be in Ukraine on November 17. I must be on Candid Camera to see how far someone can be pushed before they crack. I'm just about to the edge. I hope we get better news soon.
So do we buy plane tickets? Do we wait for nine days to see what happens? What if the suspension were lifted in nine days? That would give us three days to buy tickets and get a million things done in order to be in Ukraine on November 17. I must be on Candid Camera to see how far someone can be pushed before they crack. I'm just about to the edge. I hope we get better news soon.
Monday, November 2, 2009
SDA Closing?
We got word today that thousands of people are sick and in hospitals in Ukraine because of flu/swine flu. Some parts of western Ukraine are quarantined. People are being told to stay in their homes if possible. Tomorrow the SDA will be deciding whether to shut down or conduct business as usual. If they shut down, SDA dates will be cancelled and reassigned. Noooooooooo!!!!!
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