Q's News

The Newest American

2009-06-08T20:52:00.002-04:00

Quick news flash from the Mid Atlantic Quiram HQ…..

We took a day trip to Fairfax VA for Katya to swear her allegiance to the US of A. Because Katya was 14 when we adopted her, she needed to swear in – in person. We received an interesting letter informing us of her appointment, but reassuring us that she was already a US citizen – hmmmm – very interesting I thought.

To prepare Katya, I quizzed her on the kind of questions she might get asked.
Q - “Have you ever trained in Afghanistan?”
A - “No, but my Grand-mother was from Kirgizstan”

Q – “Do you know Osama – la la la ?”
(I didn’t want to say the name in case she would light up when she recognized a name she had heard before)
A – “No”

Q – “Did you walk to school, or carry your lunch?”
A – “Yes”

In a sly move, the officer in Fairfax didn’t use any of my questions, instead he threw in some real zingers – here is a sample of some actual questions….
Q – “Are you a male or female?”
A – “Papa help!”

Q – “Have you ever been married?”
A (from Papa) – “The answer better be no.”

After a thorough grilling, Katya signed her name and received a genuine Skillcraft American Flag (see the picture above).

Afterwards we met up with Dr. Folsom for some coffee and then headed to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, or as close as we could park. We toured the capital and after a brief stop in the Air & Space museum to avoid a thunderstorm, got to watch the presidential motorcade roll by. The girls are certain they saw the president - I’m not so sure, but heck they could have.

That’s all for now.

SDG

Tim & Charlene

Final days in Ukraine

2009-05-06T20:20:00.005-04:00

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

(Sophie & Katya in Florida)

Katya and I have been immersed in school, post-adoption administration activities, and a fun trip to visit the new grandparents in Florida in the month or so since we returned from Ukraine. To say that she is adapting to her new family is a colossal understatement: it is more like Katya has been a part of our family from the beginning--but now she lives here permanently.
I asked Sophie what it was like now that Katya is her sister. “Is it everything that you imagined it would be like to have a sister?”
“Oh, Mom” she said, “It’s like a dream. I keep thinking that I will wake up and she’ll have to go back to Ukraine”.

Sophie’s sentiment is shared by Tim and me. We discover new delights about Katya every week. We love how she says, “As for me,…” to mean “In my opinion, …” Tim is greeted almost every day by a huge smile and hug from his new youngest daughter. I’m delighted with her progress in learning English, Bible, and Social Studies. She’s a pleasure to work with; often relating stories about her life in Ukraine that have a nebulous connection with whatever we’re studying at the time.

The only rain on our day at the beach is that Tanya’s not with us. We talk with her weekly, though. She’s engrossed with English lessons with Valya, our connection from the church in Chernigov. Valya commutes to Gorodnya twice a week and Sophia, Olga’s daughter, helps her on the weekends when she is home from college. We are still working to get Sophia and Tanya here for the summer. Stay posted for developments on this.

(This is Tanya)

Due to popular demand, I will now share some of the “exciting adventures” that Katya and I experienced our last ten days in Ukraine when we were incommunicado due to technical difficulties.

Painful Goodbyes: Leaving Tanya and Olga on the last day was so difficult! We were all teary-eyed. I cried until we were several villages closer to Chernigov. Our departure was even more emotional because I had spent our time at the orphanage interviewing and photographing about 14 children who are considered “adoptable”. Oles wants to bring them to the US for a summer visit. The stories that some of these children shared about their “parents throwing them away” or the conditions that led to them being here was heartbreaking. But even more heartbreaking was hearing (or seeing in their hopeful expressions) the enduring desire they all possessed to be wanted…to be part of a family that valued them. I wanted to sneak them all back to the US with us. Even if it was possible, which of course it’s not, at what point does a family start to resemble an orphanage? If you are interested in reading the interviews, let me know and I’ll email them to you .It would be wonderful if you would pray for them!

Encounter with Sophie’s BioMom: On the final ride from Chernigov to Kiev, we passed the small village, Ivanivka, where Sophie was born and lived until she was 9 or 10. Sophie had asked me to deliver a letter and a present to her mom if I had the chance when we were over there. This was my last chance. Despite Tim and Oles’ sound advice as to why this was a bad idea, I felt very strongly that I needed to do this. Sophie has become so precious to me—I can’t imagine losing such a delightful, unique daughter. If it had happened to me, I would be devastated. Also, I had learned that Sophie’s mom had quit drinking, had birthed twins within the past two years and had even visited the orphanage to see her daughter. Olga told me that the mom was relieved when she told her about us. And during the time we were adopting, Sophie had received a letter from her mom that told her she was happy that her daughter had been adopted by a good, American family. It just didn’t feel that risky. If we were met with anything less than welcome, we would just turn our tails and run.

Armed with only an address, Oles proceeded to ask every passerby how to find Svetlana. We did find her home on mud-filled road next to large farm fields—very much like Sophie’s description. Sophie’s mother, Svetlana welcomed us in and through Oles we were able to deliver the present and letter and exchange information about Sophie. The twins were very taken with their strange-sounding visitors and even danced for us. Before we said goodbye, Svetlana and I hugged and thanked each other. We left within 15 minutes, but I felt so good afterwards…like both of our mother’s hearts were lifted. Please pray that Svetlana stays off the vodka and has all the necessary resources to raise Vova and Luda to adulthood.

No money, no credit, no internet, very little cell phone time and a rich Father/God in Heaven: We had several unexpected expediting “fees” (wink, wink to all who’ve encountered doing business dealings in Ukraine) that set me back toward the end of our stay. Oles reassured me that we would be able to get money with our credit card in one of the larger banks in Kiev before our visit to the US Embassy. The first bank refused to take our card, saying that because the signature part on the back was not signed, it was not valid. I tried to sign it with every pen in the place, but the signature area was too shiny and it just wouldn’t hold ink (which is why it wasn’t signed in the first place). They refused so we went to (oh, I lost track!) ochen more banks, but no success—they only wanted Ukrainian credit card companies. Even the ATMs wouldn’t give us money! Oles thought it was because it was an American company and the struggling Ukraine banks would only honor Ukrainian credit cards. After spending a couple of hours with no success, Oles finally told me that he could lend me the money we would need at our two o’clock embassy appointment. Ugh!

After our appointment, I was encouraged with the information that we would have Katya’s Visa on Thursday. She and I walked to an Aerosvit office not far from our apartment to purchase tickets for a flight on Friday. (Normally, I would do this online, but our internet connection just refused to work.) The Aerosvit woman who spoke the best English assisted us in making reservations and I confidently handed her my credit card and it was rejected. At this point, my eyes welled up and Katya worked to cheer me with, “Don’t cry, Mama. Don’t cry”
I took a big breath, said a prayer that we had some minutes left on our phone and called Tim. He answered, (God is so GOOD) and assured me that he would 1) send me money via Western Union and 2) find out why the credit card didn’t work and 3) pay for the airline tickets from there. Katya and I had just enough money to go to the market and buy yogurt and chips and cookies for dinner. On the way home from the market with our “nutritious dinner”, I found a small picture of Jesus nestled in between the rocks in a stairway wall. We had walked this way many times before and it hadn’t been there. I imagined Him assuring me, “I’m here. Don’t be afraid.” Tim wasn’t able to buy the tickets, but he did send the money and got the “hold” taken off of our credit card (they were suspicious when he used it to Fed Ex a package from America the same day I used it to pay for the hotel in Chernigov). Thanks to God and Tim, we were able to purchase the airline tickets the next morning, get money at the post office, and finish our work at the embassy!

Katya’s ”pick-pocket thwartation”: Our last evening in Kiev, I decided to visit Volodymyr’s Cathedral one more time to thank God for His provision for us. As we were crossing under Kreshatik and walking up the stairs by the Lenin statue, Katya turned and noticed a teen-aged girl opening the zipper on my pocketbook. She turned and stared. The girl and her two accomplices ran down the stairs before I could even get a good look at them. Fortunately, nothing was missing! But be warned, I felt nothing! Yeah, Katya!

Home, almost Home, Home: Katya did have one more chance to say, “Don’t cry, Mama.” We had just spent three and 1/2 hours going through customs at JKF due to the ridiculous new law which makes it necessary to “fingerprint” anyone over 14 who is entering the country on a Visa. We were tired, harried after waiting behind a flight of India passengers who needed fingerprinting. There was only one person processing the confusing paperwork and only one doing the actual finger-printing. This person couldn’t believe that he had to fingerprint this girl who looks twelve and weighs maybe 100lbs. Well when we finally dragged our luggage to the check-in counters, the woman at the front of the line informed us that we had missed our flight.
I didn’t even have a way to call Tim to tell him as I accidentally packed my cell phone in his luggage. I had visions of staying overnight in NY after being away from home for 6 weeks and was having a melt-down, when a total stranger offered me the use of his cell phone to call Tim. While we were talking, the kind woman at US Airways was able to get us on a later flight and Tim (what a good man!) was willing to wait at Reagan in DC for us until after midnight. So we ate and we made it home around 3 am that Saturday. Home never felt so good! Thank you for your prayers!

Epilogue: Here are the girls frolicking on the beach in Florida. As our life slowly assimilates to the “new normal”, I am forever being brought back to the experience in Ukraine. What a trip. What a country! What an awesome God we have! What great friends we have both there and here! Thank you for your prayers and for sharing this adventure along with us.

SDG - Charlene

There's No Place Like Home

2009-03-30T11:10:00.004-04:00

We never did get connected back to the internet during our time in Ukraine. We couldn't even get connected at the apartment in Kyiv so you'll have to wait to hear of all the excitement of our last ten days: meeting Sophie's mother and baby brother and sister (twins), running out of money and the credit card on hold, Katya's brave intervention of pick-pocketers, missing the flight from JFK because we were behind a flight of Indians who also needed to be finger-printed and other exciting adventures. We finally got home at 3:00 am Saturday morning and are soooo happy to be here. Thank you for your prayers and wishes. God was so faithful during those last emotional, stressful days! We love you and look forward to seeing you. SDG, Charlene

Out of Touch

2009-03-30T11:01:00.004-04:00

The past couple of days we haven’t been able to connect to the internet. The hotel manager says he hopes tomorrow morning it will be up and running. In the meantime, we are experiencing the lazy waiting days of the adoption. The highlight of the last two days was dinner with Conner and Koren (kind-of like Karen with an o) at their lovely home in a suburb of Chernigov. We enjoyed great food and conversation, Ukraine-style, all around the kitchen table. Conner and Koren have been missionary church-planters in Ukraine for nine years now. They shared amazing stories of God’s work through them in this country. Their love for Ukraine and Ukrainians is evident. Their children, Gavin and Emma, are adorable (see for yourself in this picture).

I loved that their neighbor was out feeding her chickens as we entered their yard. I really miss Will’s chickens and those fresh eggs! And Tim, I know you would’ve loved visiting with them, so I invited them to our home for May 5-9th when they’ll be driving from Alabama to Maine!

Katya and I noticed this sidewalk message on our way to the market. It says, “Olga I love you” in Russian. I imagine Olga is a resident of the apartments above. That’s the thing about Ukraine—there is always a beautiful surprise!
Well, Oles and Katya re-taught me how to play Durock. I think I’ve got it this time, because I beat Oles twice in a row. The stakes were high too. The winner chooses what the durock must do: Oles was supposed to run up and down the hallway stairs yelling, “I’m crazy” at the top of his voice. Since I was very hungry and there was the largest group of dressed-up folks in the lobby since we’d gotten to Chernigov, I kindly relented in favor of dinner at MammaMias. Katya’s really good, too. She’s been playing since she was four. Well, that’s all for now. SDG Charlene

Flying Fast

2009-03-19T06:41:00.003-04:00

We haven’t written in a few days because first there was a whirlwind of activity: Tuesday we left the hotel at 10:00am after breakfast and didn’t eat a meal again until 7:30 pm (I bought diet cokes and chocolate knowing that it was going to be a busy day!). This is a little misleading, because Oles is really the busy one. Katya and I are only along for the ride, some signatures, and her photograph. It’s really mostly waiting patiently in the car or walking around the car in town. But we were able to pick get the new birth certificate in Shorc, get the name change on the SS card in Gorodnya, and

even apply for the passport in Chernigov. Yeeehah!

This church in Shorc is being

renovated and looks out of place

with the poverty of the village.

We’ve been promised that the passport (for those who understand ;-)) should be ready by Tuesday morning, which means, God-willing that the medical, and visa go as planned, we may be able to come home a week from Friday! Yahooo!
Wednesday, we just rested in our new room—we moved because this one is much nicer. Also, we walked to the library in Chernigov where I returned our “Moo-Moo” since I really have no intention of reading it and looking up every other word. When Oles suggested I read it to improve my Russian and I heard that it was called, “Moo-Moo”, I thought it was a children’s story with simple words that I could understand. Nope. My Russian is still too basic for this book. Besides, I’m half-way into Dr. Zhivago and loving it. Which reminds me…when we were in the “public” library in Gorodnya, the librarian said that they don’t lend books to the children from the orphanage. Katya said it was because they have their own library at the orphanage (much smaller). I wonder, though, if it is just another small way these children are discriminated against—since they have no parent to charge for

an overdue or missing book?

Now that the snow is mostly melted, I am struck by the garbage,

mud, and grayness of everything. Yet, amidst the dullness, there is beauty.

This window is the only beautiful thing in the public library in Chernigov.

Today, I thought I’d include a section for those folks planning to come to Ukraine for the first time with a few tips that has helped us be more comfortable in this foreign country.
1) Try to incorporate the simple things that you love at home here in Ukraine. We love to watch birds feeding at our home so we buy sunflower seeds (at any market or food store) and put them on the ledge outside the window.
2) We miss our pets so we also buy some cat food to feed stray dogs and cats that we come into contact with here. (Dogs eat anything/cats are more particular) Try not to get too attached even if they are as cute as Sabachka.
3) If you’re staying in a hotel (or even an apartment) don’t be afraid to ask for a nicer room (at the same price, of course). Unlike in America, the rooms in the same price range can be substantially different. We waited a few days until the weekend crowd left, and were able to upgrade.
4) Go for a walk every day if you can. This really helps even when the weather is dismal.
Well that’s all for now! Please know that we read each of your comments with anticipation and gratitude! Thanks for staying in touch and thanks, especially, for your prayers.

SDG Charlene and Katya

Gangbusters in Gorodnya

2009-03-16T12:04:00.005-04:00

It was a busy and action-packed day (by Ukrainian standards). We headed out to Gorodnya early to go to court for the court decree. Katya and I explored the library and some of the downtown, while Oles did the notary and court stuff. Then we met Katya’s English teacher on our walk to the orphanage. While we were conversing with Maya, whose English is not bad for never having been to an English-speaking country, Oles called, picked us up and we went to the inspector’s office to sign some documents. Then off to the orphanage to sign more documents. Oles had to take an elderly grandmother of one of the children (on two stick canes) to the bus station, so we went in search of Tanya. We ran into Mr. Orphanage Director and he was friendly (fyoo!). I had to take this picture of Tanya wearing Sophie’s pants from two years ago that are too small for Sophie and falling off of Tanya’s tiny body!

While we waited with Tanya in the hall for Oles’ return, classes let out for lunch and I was able to meet many of the girls’ friends. Katya is here hugging the Katya that has become her good friend since Sophie left the orphanage two years ago.
I also met the notorious “Artyom”, who Katya insists is only her friend since he is 17 and clearly too old for her.

We ran into the teacher, Maria, who says she is no longer afraid we will sell the childrens’ body parts. I asked if I could photograph her on her motorcycle, but she said it’s too cold—maybe next week if it warms up. Ochen klass!

After we signed more documents, Oles drove us to the local banking institution, where we met our friend, Olga, the caregiver. Olga opened an account that we can use to help the children in Katya’s class (and Tanya while she’s still here).

Afterwards, we had a relaxing lunch and went to visit our darling Sabachka, who was not there at first, but when I whistled for him and yelled his name, he came running to us. We made it worth his while, by feeding him. We miss you all and send our love.

SDG
Charlene and Katya

Praise the Lord/1

2009-03-15T12:50:00.006-04:00

This picture was taken our last night in Kiev with Tim before we attended our first opera. I enjoyed "Madame Butterfly" much more than I ever imagined, but my two companions were not as enthusiastic. Katya is sporting her new, white boots, which she just loves! Oh, the joy to watch her touch them and thank us!

It’s Sunday evening, March 15, and we just got back to the hotel after dropping Tanya back at the orphanage in Gorodnya. About 3 inches of snow fell early this morning, but changed to rain later and mostly melted. Needless it’s gray outside and inside even a little.
As for the adoption, we did much running around Friday—From Kiev to Chernigov and then to Gorodnya in the hopes that the judge would allow us to obtain the Court Decree on the tenth day (instead of the eleventh which is Saturday and the courts in Gorodnya are closed all weekend). Oles was able to obtain some type of decree which he hoped would allow us to obtain Katya’s birth certificate from the office in Shorc which is open Saturday and Sunday, but not Monday. Unfortunately, that plan failed as well.
The amazing thing was listening to Oles barter with these people. What a negotiator! While it didn’t work with these folks, he was able to talk the orphanage lawyer and Tanya’s caregiver to allow her to leave for an overnight trip to Chernigov with us from Saturday until Sunday (after much negotiation and promises and a written petition). What a praise! We were able to take a taxi to the museum for church—I can’t believe I remembered how to get there—another praise! Everyone we had met the last time was there and we were able to connect Tanya to Valya, who we hope will teach her English. She seemed to like church but was very intimidated by the crowd (only around 50 people). A nice young woman from Chernigov translated the sermon for me: it was about compassion and the pastor gave an example from each of the gospels of Jesus showing compassion to different types of people. I was asking Olya (the translator) if she knew where the trade school for baking is that the orphans get sent to. She told me and then pointed to a handsome young man who looked to be around Billy’s age--20. She said that he went there and also was working, but lost his job because of the economy here. Now he couldn’t pay for the dormitory so they kicked him out. He has no one to help him. This example really touched me because it’s these young people that are so vulnerable. He was praying with a woman from the church after the service and I was able to discover his name was Oleg. How many more Olegs are there in this country?
After lunch, we walked to the market so I could buy Tanya underwear, socks, and a pair of jeans. She told us at dinner yesterday that since the economy has turned bad, they are feeding them much less (it is rare to find a piece of potato in what they call soup). They justify this by raising their monthly stipend to 30 grivnas—less than four dollars. Well, she was saving her money to buy underwear and such necessities. Most of the time, the older children use their money to purchase phone cards so they can keep in touch with each other.
I took a picture of Tanya’s head above a rack of clothes as she was trying on her jeans with the salesperson holding a cloth over the other side. Unfortunately, I had left the camera card in the computer (I miss my husband who usually handles these technical things!) so you’ll have to imagine trying clothes on in the cold, damp weather where everyone walking by can see your face and head.
After shopping, we enjoyed McDonald’s for lunch and I saw how the gospel and sermon today affected these girls. About halfway through lunch, Katya told me that there was an old grandmother behind me who was watching people eat, but had no food. She asked if she could give her the French fries she had ordered (if you know how much this child likes French fries, you would realize that this was a supreme sacrifice for her). I said “Of course.” She said she was scary (she always says this when she means “scared”.) I said I understand, I always am afraid in these situations, but refused to do it for her. We talked about how she should approach the woman and she did it herself. I was so proud of her and the compassion she showed and told her. After a few minutes, Tanya gave the woman her soda! The woman was so grateful and thanked us before we left. God’s Word is so powerful! This Sabachka has completely captured our hearts and Oles now routinely stops at the Gas station in Gorodnya where he lives. He tried to jump into the car with me today even though I had no food to feed him the last couple of days. He just wants love. Oles says for only $100 (for medical) we can bring Sabachka home. Ahhhh.
Please continue to pray for us. Oles told me that when he overheard Tanya talking to someone on her cell phone in the car, she referred to me as her “Mama”.

The sisters at dinner in Chernigov.

Charlene and Katya
SDG

Cruising Kyiv

2009-03-11T05:47:00.010-04:00

Tim started his NATO meeting Monday, so Katya and I started exploring Kyiv together. Here’s a picture of Katya at the Bessarabsky Market in front of only a fraction of the flowers—the day after International Women’s Day they’re probably at a discount!
First thing on the agenda, was hair cuts. Katya looks adorable in her new “bob”. We met Papa for lunch in this very authentic and reasonably priced Ukrainian restaurant across from TGIF Fridays where the wait staff wore traditional Ukrainian dress and the cherry verenyky was delicious. Monday evening we went out to dinner with some of Tim’s committee friends from Sweden, Canada, and the US.

On the right, a large group of adults dancing in Ukrainian folk dance underground between two streets on Pushkinskaya Monday night. It was amazing to witness this frivolity in downtown Kyiv on a Monday night!

Tuesday Katya and I walked from the hotel to the monument to “Mother Russia”. Katya is the photographer and she wanted to make sure that her brother, Will, saw the “feminine” tanks parked out in front of the statue.

Perhaps they had to hide in the Netherlands during tulip season. (Don’t worry Will, she also captured lots of cool, masculine tanks and an old soviet helicopter.) We decided to leave the tour of the WWII museum for a time when Tim could come, since he’d enjoy it way more than we would.

We headed up the hill to the Pecharsky Lavra, which was much bigger than I expected. It’s actually like an enclosed community of churches, museums, a seminary, galleries, built, torn-down by invasions, and rebuilt over and around caves that monks used to live as hermits for almost 1,000 years. This iconoclastic wall is just inside the front gate, appropriately called “the Gate church”. We toured the cave with our little candles, but the priest talked so fast it was hard for Katya to translate for me. I’d have to agree with you, Jean, that you can only see so many coffins of dead monks. What was really interesting was the people kissing everything (some even crying!): they kissed the pictures hanging near the glass-enclosed coffins, the glass coffins themselves with no cloth to wipe afterwards like they have in the cathedrals. Oh, the germs! Thankfully, most of the monks’ remains were completely covered in ornate material. There were several small churches hidden in the passages of the caves too, with monks buried on the sides of them. Sorry, pictures inside the caves were strictly forbidden.

Everywhere you look on this site is reminiscent of an old, village—distinguishable from pictures I’ve seen of rural Italy, by the onion-domed churches. It was exotic, but we didn’t get to see even close to everything so we’ll have to come back another time. Thank you again for your comments. It’s comforting to know that people want to stay connected. This last picture is a symbol of the long road to bring our daughter home. Thanks for helping to make the long journey more memorable.

SDG

charlene and tim

Moving Around in Kyiv

2009-03-08T13:01:00.007-04:00

We settled in for a few days in Kyiv and moved today (Sunday) to the hotel for my (Tim’s) conference. Here are some of the highlights from the last few days…

We had lunch with Pastor Jake, his wife Anya and their daughter Maya. It was nice to get the know them better and start to discuss a vision for how to best help Katya’s sister and perhaps set up something to help other orphans who are aging out of the orphanage in Gorodnya.

We also had the pleasure of sharing breakfast with Nancy and Laura as they passed through Kyiv. We had a great time sharing funny stories, but more importantly hearing how the Lord was leading on their trip for Heart For Orphans. BTW they both looked “bright eyed and busy tailed” even after their all-night train trip to Kyiv.

Today is International Women’s day. I (Tim) made sure my bride and daughter had fresh flowers. There are fresh flowers everywhere and they are a great contrast to all the grey. The past few days it was not at all uncommon to see scowling men carrying large bunches of flowers.

We included a few more pictures this time for your viewing pleasure.

The first is of Charlene and Katya walking down Shevshenko Blvd today. They have a large center sidewalk lined with trees that give a little break from the traffic on the sidewalks.

This picture was taken last night on Independence Square. It was misty out and it was an interesting contrast between the lights and grandeur of the architecture and the little shacks that house the ever-present protesters.

I was struck by the McLennin shirt, but Charlene noticed the lady with her finger to her lips. We say a similar poster at the Chernobyl museum yesterday reminding people to keep quiet about the accident.

Speaking of the accident, the Chernobyl museum was interesting. Someone had reviewed it on a Kyiv website as more of a tribute to those that died in the accident – that was pretty accurate. I never realized how far the radioactivity spread – as far as Ireland at one point during the week after the accident. We had an interesting incident in the museum. They had a series of DVD players highlighting difference aspects of the accident. As we walked along, I would press the “play” button at each station (we only saw two other visitors the whole time). On about our third machine I was scolded and told it was 10 grivna to watch each one – not sure what that was for, maybe for the electricity. I gave the “army salute” (sorry Paul & Greg) and didn’t pay. This picture shows a map with the distribution of the worse of the radiation. Katya is pointing to the town Sophie is from.

Three more pictures… Katya in front a statue of a famous Cossack.

A picture taken along the street leading to Podil. The Church at the top of the hill in the fog is St. Andrews – the one next to the SDA office for those who have been here.

Finally, St. Michael’s cathedral in the fog yesterday.

Our plan for the future is to be here at the hotel until Friday. I (Tim) will fly out and Charlene, Katya and Oles will head to Gorodnya for the final court decree and then the passport, medical checks, etc. We are both hopeful that things will go smoothly and quickly and it will be a chance for Charlene to spend some time with our new friends in Chernigov and help set up support for Tanya.

Thank you for your prayers and comments on the blog – they are very encouraging and remind us that we have support back home.

SDG Tim & Charlene

"Roll with the Punches"

2009-03-05T11:57:00.008-05:00

The English Club on Tuesday night started out teaching two common phrases, “The thrill of victory” and “the agony of defeat”: not bad phrases to use in this roller coaster ride adventure adoption in Ukraine. However, we would like to share another that really describes the necessary attitude to adopt while on this ride, “Roll with the Punches”, which means pray for the necessary peace when events do not proceed as planned.

The boys took Tanya out Tuesday night at 10:30 pm to McDonalds for a late night extra dinner (her first time there). After munching on some French fries, we women went to sleep, but the men stayed up talking to after 1:00pm—Tim lulling Oles to sleep with stories about ice breakers and gas turbine engines.

Despite the late nights, we were up, packed, fed, and ready to leave the hotel at 10:00 am. Alas, Oles discovered that his license plates were missing. If only one plate was missing, one could surmise that it was the victim of the Chernigov roads: the crater-sized potholes are impossible for even the most experienced Ukrainian driver to navigate around completely. However, since both were missing and there was a ransom note, it was clear that we were the victim of one of the latest Ukrainian get-rich-quick schemes. This, of course, is preferable to what we hear happens in some parts of southern Texas, where Americans are ransomed. Nevertheless, our plan to meet Rita, the older sister of Katya and Tanya at 11:00 am for a tea and “good-bye” was compromised. We waited at the hotel for the police with all of our luggage and bags in the vestibule. Oles got tired of waiting after an hour and drove to the head of the police. Of course, after he left, a police officer showed up, but left after talking to Vlad (hotel worker) and Oles (on the phone from police headquarters). The girls and I walked to the market for some cake and candy to bring Rita. After we got back, Oles called to tell us he was coming back and we could go. A strange man carrying a bag stood uncomfortably close to us in the lobby and kept looking at us. Tim asked if we were Americans or English. We ignored him, but when Oles came back asked if he might have something to do with the crime. Vlad, Papa, and Oles chased this character across a soccer field, lost him when he ran into the dorms of the Technological School, but then Vlad and Oles caught him and brought him back to the hotel. He said that he was interested in a position as a “Financial Director” of the hotel. Of course, his behavior and resume made that alibi impossibly suspicious. Well, the police showed up and we packed up Oles’ license-plateless Subaru and followed the police to their station downtown. Here we waited for several hours—Papa in the car, the girls and I walking to McDonalds (Tanya’s second trip to the “American Embassy”—as Oles calls it) and touring the local church and monuments. I took this picture of a typical Chernigov street with Soviet-style apartments lining the streets and a beautiful cathedral at the other end.

At three PM, Oles finally got frustrated and told them he had to go. We began the hour plus trip to Shorce, where Rita lives. Rita’s home is the second on the right (green).Rita was delighted to see Katya (all tears) and we shared coffee and cake together with the sisters and Valya (Rita’s mother-in-law), a loving woman who cared for the sisters during their visits home. Katya had not been here in years despite the fact that the village is approximately 20 minutes from Gorodnya. It was very interesting seeing the inside of one of these remote village homesteads—it almost defies description.
After our 30-minute-or-so visit, we stopped at the cemetery down the street and I took pictures of the gravesites of Katya’s mother, grandmother and grandfather, brother, and aunt. The sun was setting and the cemetery was surreal. It really brought to focus the loss our daughter has endured and God’s amazing provision. After dropping Tanya off at the orphanage, we headed for Kiev, stopping at a tire center (hah!) in Chernigov so that we could fill up one of Oles’ precariously low front tires. Oh, I almost forgot about when we were pulled over by the local law enforcement of a small village between Gorodnya and Chernigov because of the lack of license plates. Thankfully, Oles had procured a letter from a very high-ranking government official in Chernigov that afternoon which the officers accepted and we moved on after only a couple of minutes. The normal wait to be able to drive is several days to several weeks, which makes some folks to pay the $1,000 grivnas to get their plates back (but do they ever really give them back?).

When we got to Kiev without any incident (Слава Богу!-Thank God!), we quickly dropped our bags at another apartment—this time right on Independence Square—and went to dine at TGI Fridays. (see picture on right) We DID Thank God—not so much for Friday, but for delicious (non-McDonald’s) American cuisine, and for bringing us here safely!

SDG Charlene and Tim

Epilogue: After a wonderfully long night’s sleep, we went to the Australian Medical Center so that Katya could have blood drawn. We hope this will speed up the process at the end a bit. We also did some other pre-passport stuff at a notary. Oles wisely had Nikolai drive. Afterwards, Oles took off for some time at home in Odessa.

Welcome Mary Katerina Quiram

2009-03-03T14:53:00.002-05:00

Blog Entry for 03/03/09

Quick update for you all. Court went well today – it seemed very long, but the outcome was that we have a new daughter (of course pending the 10-day waiting period).
Welcome to your new family Mary Katerina Quiram!

We were able to bring Tanya along after court to Chernigov and we all went to the English Club – sponsored by the church we mentioned in the previous entry. Tonight the ladies all have a room together and I (Tim) am rooming with Oles.

In late breaking developments, it looks like tomorrow we will check out from Chernigov, drive to Shorce to meet Katya’s oldest sister Rita, then return Tanya to Gorodnya and head for Kyiv. We have an apartment arranged and will work on getting Katya’s medical checkup done and a power of attorney for Charlene so she can take care of business when I have to head home. We are relieved and overjoyed, but feel a little pang of sadness knowing that we may not be back to see the children at the Orphanage for some time.

Please pray that we will be able to work out the logistics to help support Tanya getting English lessons and connecting with the people in the church in Chernigov. Also, we would really like to get our clothes back – one of the ladies here at the hotel took them home to wash on Saturday and we haven’t seen her or them since. Rumor has it she works tomorrow.

SDG Tim & Charlene

Court Tomorrow

2009-03-02T11:03:00.007-05:00

Blog Entry for 03/02/09

Greetings on a snowy Monday from Chernigov. We are gearing up for court #2 tomorrow at 1400. Assuming everything goes well, that will start our 1st ten-day waiting period.

Yesterday we had a great Sunday. We went to a new church in Chernigov that was started by some Americans a few years ago and is held on the first floor of a Ukrainian museum. We had a wonderful time: it brought to mind what the Chapel (Williamsburg Community Chapel) may have been when it started up (except of course services at WCC weren’t held in Russian). After church, we went to the Pastor’s for some lunch and met many wonderful people. Here’s a picture of him in front of his authentic Ukrainian house! It was great to talk to folks who have a passion for bringing the Good News to the people here.

As we have mentioned before, we are trying to set up some support for Tanya. A potential plan is emerging in which she could travel to Chernigov on Tuesday for a 2 hr private English lesson followed by English club (sponsored by the church we attended) and then do the same on Sunday. Our hope is that she could meet some good people here that will ease her transition next fall, learn English to help with her visit this summer, and learn about God. There are many hurdles for this plan, so please pray for all the details. We will need the Orphanage director to agree to let her go. He has the older kids on lock-down after 6 of the girls got pregnant.

We’ve included several pictures. This one shows our fearless facilitator, Oles, pitching in with a drain backup in the shower room on Katya’s floor.

Here is Katya getting her hair done by Charlene before church – you can see how much she likes it! This shows Marina, we’ve mentioned her. She was in better spirits today.

Finally, two pictures of an interesting pink Mercedes parked at the hotel – for a Mary Kay meeting!

SDG – Tim and Charlene

Court & Ice-cold Water

2009-02-28T06:28:00.005-05:00

Court #1 Down!

It’s Saturday and we’ve had a relaxing morning, sleeping in, breakfast in the hotel, quiet time, and Russian study. Yesterday we had the Preliminary Court Hearing where everything went fine—same judge as last time--and Katya didn’t even need to be there. The judge set our next court date (final-Godwilling) for Tuesday at 2:00pm. After, Tanya recommended a café that we went to for lunch with the girls, and Oles.

Thursday Tim and I walked approximately 15 kilometers (8 ½ miles) through a beautiful park to the center of town.
One of the highlights was seeing bathing-suit clad people (even a woman!) coming from a hot banya (one room shack that is heated like a sauna or steam room) and walking down steps to dip themselves in the freezing river. It was snowing out! Another man was breaking off branches to hit each other with in the banya. I didn’t realize how popular this activity still is here! (Tim saw the same thing on his walk this morning!) Also, folks were cross-country skiing and many older folks were out walking in the snow. Men were ice-fishing on the Desna River. It’s charming to see so many folks out in all kinds of weather communing with nature and each other.
When we reached town, we visited a beautiful cathedral and had a snack in a quaint café in town. After some window-shopping and dinner, we took a cab back to the hotel as Oles was still in Kiev.
Katya has a roommate that just came to the orphanage 2 or 3 weeks ago named Marina. She cried for the first few days we were there and stayed in bed almost all day. She wouldn’t join in our Uno games and when she wasn’t crying just clutched a cell phone she has. Katya told us she just wants to go home. Olha told us that her mother brought her here because she has just had another baby and can’t afford all her children (4or5) and Marina is the oldest at around 13. It’s heartbreaking to see this end of it. Please pray for this sweet little girl who is so homesick.
Well, that’s all for now. We miss you. Charlene

Now some pictures (from Tim)

1. We continue to enjoy the wide range of transportation. On the same day we saw cars and busses, trucks and trams, bicycles, and horse-drawn carts. These carts are pretty common in the country here. Only surprise to me is that we haven’t seen any snowmobiles – maybe that’s a business opportunity.

2. Charlene’s love for animals is demonstrated here as she feeds the last of her cat food to perhaps the cutest dog ever (sorry Lucki and Freida). This dog lives at the local gas station and resembles an artic fox.

3. This is one of the churches we walked to in Chernigov. Not sure the name but it was beautiful inside as well as out.

4. A view of Charlene and the river from the nice park behind our hotel.

5. These are steps leading to a large hole cut in the ice. Today (Saturday) I took a walk and this deserted site had a line of people leaving a sauna and walking down into the ice cold water. It could have been an old-time river baptism except for the mixture of men in speedos and those without (in the interest of modesty I didn’t think pictures would be appropriate). I guess what was most interesting – was the complete silence. Nobody said anything like “Wow that water is cold!” Maybe it was the Slavic soul of quiet suffering in action.

Food for Thought

2009-02-26T06:29:00.000-05:00

Hello and thanks to all whom encourage us with comments! We’ve been in Ukraine for over one week now and while our spirits are hopeful—we do crave the connection to home. Tim thought I should spend some time discussing the adjustment in expectations as it relates to food items. He showed you our breakfast from this morning and unless you are used to spaghetti and cucumbers for breakfast, it was out of the ordinary. We actually enjoy the variety and guessing whether breakfast will include the more traditional omelet, kashi, spaghetti, blintzes (Yum!), yogurt, vegetables, black and white bread. Dinner is always an exciting culinary adventure as well! I asked the “Excursion Department” in our hotel if they had a list of local restaurants, (in what I thought was not-halfway bad Russian) and the man said in almost-perfect English, “Yes, and here it is”.
I found a restaurant that advertised “Tex-Mex” cuisine and was excited, as we haven’t had Mexican food in a few weeks. I was a bit suspicious of the restaurant’s name “Potato House”, but still optimistic that at least some of the dishes would be Mexican. Oh, no! They didn’t have a chip, dorito, or salsa in the place! Tim ordered the closest thing to Mexican on the menu (with the help of Oles)—3 tortillas with meat or something like that. The “tortilla” was 1 soft flour blintz with meat in wrapped up in the center with cheese and mayonnaise. Oles and I ordered from a picture on the counter that had three sausages and many tomatoes on the side. What came was different; one sausage and some parsley on the side—no tomatoes! Nevertheless, the sausage was delicious. Talk about the need for truth in advertising!
Today’s culinary adventure was in the Italian realm. The restaurant’s name is not Italian and they make no claim to offer any one kind of dish. However, our mouths started watering when we saw the Pasta section on the menu (we were thinking of Maurizios, Hah!). Since Oles wasn’t with us to translate, I was able to discover with the help of the waitress, that the word I didn’t know meant “veal”. Therefore, by the looks of it, I ordered “Veal Parmesan”—my favorite! Tim ordered meat lasagna. What we were served was unlike any Italian dish I ever had (although it had spaghetti—like from breakfast), the meat did not taste like veal and wasn’t really discernable which usually means “pork”. Tim’s dish did look like lasagna but without a marinara sauce—more mayonaise. Both tasted great, just completely different from our expectations. When in doubt, there’s always good-ol’ morojennie (ice cream). The chocolate ice cream with cherry sauce was scrumptious!
Today, we didn’t get to go to the orphanage as Oles was busy driving from here to Gorodnya to Kiev back to here and then to Gorodnya and then back to Kiev to submit our documents. Long story. We were asked about Tanya and I’d like to elaborate. Tanya is Katya’s older half-sister and has been in the orphanage for 11 years. She will be 18 June 19th . She’s the oldest in the orphanage. She is tiny—well under five feet and is wearing the boots we bought for Sophie when she was 12. Despite her diminutive appearance, she mothers her sister lovingly. She has beautiful blue eyes, an engaging smile and a low voice like Katya, and is very gregarious despite the language barrier. From the information we’ve been able to extract from Oles, spending time with her, and from Katya when she visited us, Tanya is a smart girl who is determined to make a future for herself. She doesn’t smoke, drink, or do drugs and is very protective of Katya. She is planning to go to cooking school here in Chernigov next year. She has a great sense of humor and is quick-witted. We are heart-broken to leave her here: and we are praying that God will help us to help her in whatever way He leads. The lawyer at the orphanage is already starting to get her passport, so we think she’ll definitely be able to visit us this summer. If she wants to be in America, we will try to get her a student visa and a scholarship into a cooking school in the US (maybe she will learn how to make veal parmesan like Maurizios). Any ideas, Rob P.?

All Day Uno

2009-02-25T04:51:00.003-05:00

23-25 Feb

Greetings

We have had an eventful last several days. Much time at the orphanage and some forward progress on the adoption.

First, my description of the average living conditions here seemed to be a big hit, (at least with the Midwest Quiram headquarters staff). So, continuing that genre, here is some food information. These are pictures of this morning’s breakfast. Our waitress Lela was here 2 years ago and she remembered us (and us her). She always has a friendly smile that makes us feel welcome. This morning’s breakfast was some sausage, cucumbers, tomatoes, a dab of ketchup, orange juice and an espresso. We enjoy the juices as they are different every day and seem to be less sweet and more flavorful than in America. We have had orange juice, apricot juice, cherry juice, apple juice, and pomegranate. Most mornings we also get a yogurt of some kind. It’s Dannon brand, but again is much better tasting – smoother and less sugar. I (Tim) am the only coffee drinker, so when Lela isn’t looking I switch my empty cup for Charlene’s. Today she caught me so I asked her in Russian to not start a little investigation (all in fun of course).

As we went to breakfast we saw either an armored truck for cash or paddy wagon sitting in front of the hotel. I thought back to Solzhenitsyn’s “Gulag Archipelago” and hoped they weren’t here for us!

Yesterday we had a world’s record Uno game with Katya and Tanya. Tanya’s strategy wasn’t to win the game, only to save draw-4’s to use on the person about to win – or me (usually me). Katya has a smile on her face whenever we see her. Yesterday I asked why and she said because Papa and Mama were here, she was coming to America – and she had candy to eat. It made us think how brave Sophie was to be adopted by us. Katya has been to our house, knows her brothers, and has a good idea what she’s getting into. Sophie didn’t know us, her brothers, had never been to America and was taking a big step of faith that things would be good!

We got a nice tour of the orphanage yesterday. We saw the sewing classroom, wood and metal shop, and a basement boxing room. This photo of Katya was taken in the basement near the boxing area.

I (Tim) also had the unique opportunity to try out a Ukrainian snow bicycle. One of the cafeteria workers let me give it a test ride. The entire kitchen crew watched out of the window as I took it for a spin. I thought they were watching to see whether I fell, Oles told me they were worried I wouldn’t come back with it!

Oles is in Kyiv today turning in paperwork to the SDA. We should hear from him any time on how things went. We hope to have dinner with Katya’s caregiver Olha and her husband tomorrow night.

Please continue your prayers – also know that it is very encouraging to read your comments on the blog, so please don’t hesitate to say something.

SDG,

Tim and Charlene

In Gorodnya

2009-02-22T03:39:00.004-05:00

21/22 Feb

Saturday / Sunday,

Yesterday we had a nice long visit at the Orphanage. We spent most of the day in Katya’s room talking with her, Olha, Olha’s daughter (who speaks English) and Tanya. It was interesting for me (Tim) to listen to the conversation. I understood enough words sprinkled throughout the conversation to get the gist of things, but I was ochen proud of Charlene for here ability to communicate! We really had a nice time talking and learning many things about life in the small, and shrinking, village of Gorodnya.

Oles continued his Russian lessons, teaching me a song about trees in the forest. Something like “tree and behind it another tree, and behind that another tree, but wait are there more, yes, tree, and behind it another tree, …..” I think you get the picture – it can go on a long time. I also learned the perfect answer to the question, “why?” (My phonetic spelling) – pah-ta-musch-ta zjay-sin Tah-ka-yah (something like – “because that’s life”. I tried to use the saying during our conversation, but apparently used the word for “wife or woman” instead of zjay-sin. By dumb luck (really God’s grace) it actually fit in the context and the Ukrainians got a good laugh out of my unplanned play on words.

Charlene asked me to comment about the primitive living conditions in the village. I’ve included a picture of one of the houses (very colorful) and the communal well on the street. Each house has a small outhouse in back and one had a large barrel on the roof with a hose running inside for showers. Katya assured us that somehow the water was heated, but it sure looked mighty cold to me.

I read in a book that many Ukrainians think it’s important to go outside every day. That sure seems to be true because no matter what the weather, the village seems to always be bustling. It’s very interesting to see a new car with fancy rims and rap music blaring at an intersection with a motorcycle & sidecar, horse drawn cart, and famous Ukrainian snow bicycle.

The adoption process seems to be much slower that two years ago. There are now two court appearances separated by 5 days instead of the 1 we had before. Also, it’s common knowledge that they’ve instituted an additional 10-day wait for the passport that didn’t exist before.

As best as we can tell, we are waiting for the inspector to issue her recommendation on the adoption before the first court date. Oles seems less optimistic than last time that things will happen smoothly or quickly. I told him that I needed to have the 2nd court date before the 9th of March so I could make it to my meeting in Kyiv and he wasn’t sure if it is possible. Consequently, we are praying, and ask that you do to, for the Lord to direct and control all the people and processes that need to happen for the adoption to move forward.

Katya is a wonderful girl and we’re happy to be with her. She can’t stop smiling and moving her hands.

SDG,

Tim and Charlene

We Meet Katya!

2009-02-20T04:05:00.006-05:00

19/20 Feb

Yesterday – Thursday – we left Kyiv in a blizzard. Very much like our last trip to Gorodnya – it took about 4 hours and several near-misses with ocehn bolshoy (very big) trucks. Oles (our facilitator) says I must be an ancient snow spirit since I seem to bring it with me ;-) The first picture is our departure from Kyiv at 0700 – Oles is filling the windshield washer fluid (we needed it!)

We got to Gorodnya about 1130 only to discover that the inspector was out with an Italian couple meeting a child at the hospital. We went to lunch at a swank diner that also had a motel attached (we had heard there was a motel in Gorodnya now). The rooms were clean, but right above the disco & bar. I hadn’t really understood how frazzled Charlene’s nerves were from the many near misses during the drive until she said, “let’s stay here tonight.” I was not convinced there was hot water (it didn’t warm up when we visited the room) and envisioned a sleepless night listening to the disco beat, so I said we better think about it over lunch.

We finally met the inspector at 1400. She called the orphanage and I understood enough to know that she was asking questions again about the spelling of Katya’s last name. This issue has been an on again – off again thorn in the process. All I knew was that the girl in the picture at the SDA was definitely Katya!

We finally made it to the orphanage about 1500 (we were getting a bit tired by then). We met Larissa the lawyer (she seems to always be in good spirits and likes to joke around) and Mr. Orphange director. He told us that he had gotten the Statue of Liberty tie we sent him, but he couldn’t wear it because he is a Ukrainian citizen – couldn’t fault his logic on that. After several minutes I started asking – Gdyeh Katya? (where’s Katya). Larissa had sent several young men and women to find her without success. Finally we saw her walking through the snow with a big smile on her face. She hugged Charlene and wouldn’t let go. Tears fell & she was overjoyed to see us!

We spent the next several hours with her and her sister Tanya in Tanya’s room. We looked through many pictures and heard stories. Tanya clearly loves her younger sister (Katya) and mothers her. She told us that this summer when Katya was with us in America she worried that everything was all right because Katya hadn’t called. When Katya did finally call, Tanya said it went something like this (from her perspective).

“Hi Tanya this is Katya – ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha”
“Hi Tanya this is Alona (Sophie) – ha ha ha ha ha ha”
Tanya, “Why are you laughing – are you drinking Vodka?”
Katya, “No we are calling from the computer” (we were using Skype)
Tanya, “You’re crazy” (hangs up)

When Katya got back to the orphanage, Tanya asked why she didn’t call and told here she could no go to America again. After days of crying and apologies on Katya’s part, Tanya relented.

After all that excitement, we headed to Chernigov (in the dark) to find a place to stay. We hadn’t seen a deer or squirrel all day, but almost t-boned an enormous wild boar on the trip back!

Please pray for God to continue to work through the myriad details!

SDG

Tim & Charlene

Pictures – 2nd – we meet Katya at last!

3rd – Charlene, Tanya & Katya

PS – for anyone from Charlene’s Russian class, we saw a TV show with the actor who plays Misha. He was in the snow with a pistol at his head.

Last Day In Kyiv (for a while)

2009-02-18T14:37:00.005-05:00

Today we had an exciting time about town, culminating with the receipt of our official referral to head to Gorodnya for Katya. We plan to head out about 0700, & like last time, it’s supposed to be snowing hard – good thing I remember how to ask, “where’s the snow plow” in Russian.

Oh – last night we had Indian food with an American friend, Karen Springs. She’s doing well and says Hi to everyone – especially those of you that know her.

Nancy asked about the weather, it has been beautiful! Notice the pictures from today. The first is of our favorite church in town – not snowing yet. We stopped for lunch (2 days in a row now I’ve had borsch). By the time we got to the golden gate aka zoloti varota (photo taken by a friendly police officer who told us several times that it was closed) it was snowing harder. Same situation in the picture of Charlene in front of the statue of Yaroslav. The final picture is from the church next to the SDA office, taken at about 1730 probably 2-4 inches on the ground by then and still snowing.

Please continue to pray for God’s guidance for Oles and His direction in all matters related to this adoption.

SDG
Tim & Charlene

SDA Appointment

2009-02-17T06:23:00.005-05:00

Thank you for your prayers! Our meeting at the SDA went off without a hitch. As best we can figure it, the English translator must have been off today because they let Oles translate for us. Actually, I was able to use a lot of my Russian telling her how we met Katya, explaining scenes from the photograph album from last summer. Masha seemed very interested. She talked about Tanya, but said that Tanya was not available yet and that Katya just became available yesterday. Interestingly, she also mentioned that since Katya really wants to be with her family (us) and we so badly want to be with her, she wants it to happen as soon as possible so we can all be together. God is so good!
After our meeting, which went ochen fast, Oles had to get some documents copied. While snow sifted down through the trees, Tim and I enjoyed strolling through the outdoor stalls on Andriyivsky uzviz (the street that winds up to St. Andrew’s catherdral, which is exactly to the left of the SDA office. I saw so much that I wanted to buy—especially an adorable matryoshka doll of Cheburashka, but we decided to wait to see if we have any money left at the end of this adventure. The vendors are so eager to sell us something; it really seems that they are more desperate than last time. We saw the babushkas sweeping the snow of the sidewalks with their twig brooms. Too cool!
When Oles was finished, we toured St. Sophia’s cathedral and museum. The oldest church in all of Eastern Europe: unfortunately, St. Sophia is more of a museum and no long used for services. The mosaics made me want to try to do this! The combinations of colors and the feeling of praise elicited from these art works is awe-inspiring (for me—I doubt either Tim or Oles were quite as impressed—Tim just countered that he was impressed with the 9th century mosaic floor).
Well, that is all for now. We are off to the post office, some shopping, a visit back to Volodymyr Cathedral and dinner with Karen Springs and Oles (Indeeskom—yum!) It would appear from this vantage point that the next hurdle (and prayer request) will be with the authorities in Shorc, where Katya was born. There is a possibility that they would make us wait to adopt Katya until Tanya becomes available because of the law regarding separating siblings in the same orphanage. So I’ll end as I started: Thanks for your prayers.

Oh - Barak Obama is big news here - on the same plane as the Beattles and Vladimir Putin (as you can see from the picture here).

Charlene

Ukraine at Last!

2009-02-16T10:41:00.002-05:00

Day 1 – we arrived in Kyiv to light snow. Had a good flight, although I spent 9 hours on the plane with the guy behind me coughing about every 5 minutes – finally gave him some cough drops so I could sleep and maybe not get sick.

Charlene made several new friends today. Yulia – 2, Tanya (her mom) and Vira (the great grandmother). Yulia was cuter than a bug’s ear and quickly befriended Charlene. Charlene talked with her Great Grandmother then and in the end exchanged phone numbers.

I am ochen tired as I write this though it’s only 1730 here. In my attempt to stay awake a couple more hours I flipped on the TV and am watching the Russian version of Judge Judy while typing. It’s pretty interesting when they pan to the bailiff holding the AK-47!

Couple pictures here – Charlene and I upon arrival and Oles’ new hat (wonder where he got the idea).

We’re planning to walk to our appointment tomorrow AM. Charlene found a great apartment online, less then ½ block from Independence square.

We’ll update you tomorrow – pls pray for Godspeed and his leading in every interaction we have.

SDG,

Tim and Charlene.

The Night Before....

2009-02-14T20:47:00.001-05:00

It’s the night before departure and I think we’re ready.

We have had a wonderfully supportive last week or so with a send off from our Williamsburg friends on Sunday and Valentines dinner with the Bruce's tonight. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m thinking, “A week from today we’ll be in the snow in Gorodnya.” “24 hours from now we’ll be settling in for an all night flight.” You get the picture.

We leave for the airport at 0800 tomorrow. Please continue to pray for our safety, guidance, and direction.

Soli Deo Gloria (SDG)

Tim & Charlene

BTW – what did the zero say to the eight?

9 Days To Go

2009-02-06T20:36:00.000-05:00

Nine days to go! Hard to believe that we’re in the single digits of days before our trip.

We’ve been busy preparing. What to take? Who’s watching the family? travel arrangements, etc.

We had a very uplifting time with the elders of our church praying for our trip. We know that the outcome of this is in God’s hands. As much as we think we know how things may go, and what Katya will be like, this is very much like a couple having their second child. In both cases, the parents believe themselves to be more prepared than the first go-around, but in reality they have the same amount of control over the outcome – almost none!

Please keep us in your prayers as the day’s count down.

Soli Deo Gloria (SDG)

Tim & Charlene

Oh – I have refuted one of Will’s random facts quoted at the dinner table (WRFQATDT) – He said research shows that a beard doesn’t keep your face any warmer – Oh yes it does!

21 Days to go!!!

2009-01-25T17:34:00.001-05:00

Wow - much happened since our last update. The good news is that we have an appointment (17 Feb) and we’re headed over to Ukraine 21 days from today.

Much preparation happening now – planning what to take, making flight reservations, who’s minding the house while we’re gone, cramming Russian lessons, etc.

We’re very excited and ask you to pray for all the details that need to fall in place.

Tim

All Nighter in DC!

2008-12-21T18:06:00.004-05:00

When’s the last time you pulled an “all-nighter”?

For us it was yesterday – and today. We are hosting Katya through Frontier Horizon’s short term hosting program. A group flew from Kyiv yesterday to New York. They were due in to Dulles at 2120, but actually arrived (by van) at about 0500. So, we left home yesterday about 1730 and arrived home at 0830 today. It was worth it though to get to see our future daughter! (picture at left was taken hours ago - Katya on left, Sophie on right)

Last week we mobilized our church prayer chain asking for intervention in the bureaucracy in Ukraine. As of today we actually know less about Katya’s status than we did (or thought we did) 6 months ago. We have a letter that say’s she’s not available for international adoption. That of course casts doubt on the reliability of our contact that called us in August 2008 and said she was available. The letter doesn’t say whether she’s registered at all or when / if she’ll ever be available.

We are relying on God’s sovereignty in these matters to work out the perfect timing. If you are inclined, please remember to pray for Katya and the 100,000 other orphans in Ukraine.

Tim Q

Something is Fishy!

2008-12-13T11:56:00.001-05:00

Something is Fishy!

Jan 2008 – we learn from a letter that Katya’s mother tragically passed away. Katya had been in the orphanage almost 10 years. We began asking if Katya was registered for adoption.

July 2008 – we learn that Katya will become available for adoption in August. We rush to complete a new homestudy, paperwork, dossier, etc.

Oct 2008 – Our facilitator gets a letter that Katya is registered at the adoption ministry (SDA) but it doesn’t tell when she’s available for adoption.

Nov 2008 – Our dossier is delivered to the SDA. Days later we get a call asking for the official spelling of Katya’s name and her date of birth.

Dec 13 2008 – We learn today that now the SDA isn’t sure whether Katya is registered at all, though the only person that seems to know has been out sick.

We have concluded that in many ways it’s more difficult to adopt if you already know and love the child. We have a new and better appreciation for what many of our friends have gone through.

The “fog of bureaucracy” seems to obscure any clear information. We rely on God’s work to sort this out and we ask that you would pray for a resolution of the conflicting information. The balance of a young girl’s childhood hinges on getting these things sorted out – quickly.

Tim & Charlene

"The Chicken is in the Pot"

2008-11-23T09:07:00.005-05:00

No, this isn’t a coded message to sleeper Quiram operatives across the globe to begin telling corny jokes and promoting a move of the U.S. capitol to the hard nucleus about which the nation forms (Iowa of course) – rather, it means that following months of work, a small mountain of paperwork has been submitted and accepted by the Ukrainian Adoption Ministry.

Next step is to get an appointment date and then travel. We hope to know both when Katya is available and when we’ll be traveling in the next month or so. It could be as early as December!

We had a nice phone call with Katya last week. We hadn’t been able to connect with her for about 3 weeks and I was wondering what the may portend. Was she having second thoughts? Turns out that she can’t wait to come to America & has been taking English lessons with the daughter of one of the orphanage caregivers.

In a very interesting development, we met Bill & Oksana Brower. They are missionaries serving in Berdyansk Ukraine and focusing on the Orphan’s. We had them over for supper on Friday. The evening started with Sophie being very quiet (she informed me that she was shy). An hour after supper she was sitting at the computer showing Oksana pictures from the orphanage and alternately speaking excited English and Ukrainian. Here’s the link to their website if you’d like to learn more, or perhaps donate toward their monthly support in so then can return to Ukraine. (photo is Shophie showing photo albums to Bill & Oksana)

Finally, as we prepare for this trip and a lifetime of having another daughter, we would appreciate your prayers. Specifically, we are going to need someone (perhaps several people staying a week at a time) to stay here and run things at home while we’re gone. Also need your prayers for a smooth adoption process and that the Lord would be preparing both Katya and us for her to be a part of our family.

50 Hryvnia

2008-11-13T20:23:00.001-05:00

Hmmmmm...

We thought we had everything for our dossier in Ukraine (I still think we do). Turns out that we had sent a letter petitioning to adopt Katya some time ago, but it either wasn’t worded perfectly or perhaps was lost. So – rather than our papers being submitted to the SDA today, we scrambled on Wednesday and got a new petition signed, notarized, apostilled, and FedExed in about 4 hours. As I write this, the letter has made it to Paris on its journey to Kyiv.

Most every crisis has some humor, and this was no exception. There was a possibility that we wouldn’t have to get the letter apostilled since we used the same notary as all our other documents. Only problem was that it would have required the notarization to be back-dated. We didn’t even ask the notary, despite the suggestion (from Ukraine) that we offer her 50 hryvnia. As I write this, it’s not that funny. It was at the time; funny and illustrative of the differences between how our respective countries get things done.

Please continue your prayers. We remain committed not to fret or worry because we know that the One who controls the timing of things loves Katya deeper than we will every be able to.

Tim & Charlene

The Dossier has Landed

2008-11-11T21:21:00.000-05:00

The fun never ends!

Our dossier made it to Ukraine on Friday, but couldn’t be delivered. We were a bit concerned, but learned that the woman who was going to translate it had a heart attack!
Our facilitator found another translator and the dossier was delivered today. Current plan is to have it submitted to the SDA on Thursday!

We still don’t know if Katya is officially available or not. We should have found out last week, but the SDA answer wasn’t clear.

We have prayed for God’s perfect timing and ask that you would join in. We feel that every day she’s not with us is a day we miss out on sharing our family with her.

That’s all for now. Don’t forget the veteran’s in your life.

Tim & Charlene

PS – some of you may know the translator as Yulia (married & dark hair) from Sense. Please pray for her recovery.

One Step Closer

2008-11-01T18:10:00.000-04:00

One step closer!!

We got our I-700 on Friday and we are now officially authorized by the US Government to adopt! Monday Charlene will be off to Richmond for apostilling followed by FEDEX-ing our dossier to Ukraine. Then it’s translated, bound and submitted on a Thursday – were hoping for 6 November – praying for God’s perfect timing though. We would love to have Katya here for Christmas – for good.

Tim and Charlene

We've got to move it, move it.

2008-10-21T20:28:00.000-04:00

21 Oct 2008

Quick update… We had our fingerprint appointment and are awaiting clearance from INS. Once that’s received, Charlene will race to Richmond for apostilling and then we’ll FEDEX the dossier to Ukraine. Once in Ukraine, it all gets translated and then Oles has to stand in line, on a Thursday, to submit it to the SDA … whew!

We learned today that the we need to have everything in Ukraine by the 12th of November or else we likely won’t get an appointment until next spring. We’re praying for quick processing and God’s perfect timing. It’s hard to imagine Katya being in the orphanage for another 6 months because of paperwork.

Tim and Charlene

October Update

2008-10-13T11:40:00.002-04:00

Oct 13 2008

A quick October update.

(photo - Grodnya -home of the Orphanage)

As best as we can tell, all our paperwork is ready except for the final clearance from INS. We head to the Norfolk INS office tomorrow for fingerprinting, which should be the final hurdle before the entire package gets apostilled and sent to Ukraine for translation and submission to the SDA.

Since the last post, we sent a Power of Attorney and Petition for Adoption to Ukraine, hoping to verify that Katya is available. Charlene has broken the code on getting things apostilled (which was a new term and concept to me). In a nutshell, it verifies that the notary is a state licensed notary. It required a trip to Richmond, but Charlene found the folks in the state office very helpful.

We finally got to talk with Katya on Saturday. We had tried for two weekends to get through and she wasn’t available. This time we got through and were told she was eating supper but to call back in 10 minutes. We did, and she answered the phone. It was good to hear her. She let us know that she’s ready to come to America and be an American now.

The big question on our mind is, “when will we be going?” We have been praying that it would be in God’s perfect time, though our preference would be sooner rather than later.

That’s the latest from the Southeastern United States Quiram headquarters.

Tim & Charlene.

September Update

2008-09-24T19:04:00.004-04:00

Here’s a quick update on our adoption.

We have completed the home-study and are about to submit our I-600 form. While feeding the bureaucracy, we have been in contact with Katya weekly via Skype. She still seems to be in good spirits despite the uncertainty of her situation.

Here’s a picture from the summer. It was taken at the airport the day Katya left. Everyone put on a brave face, but we were ochen sad to see her go.

Please pray for God’s perfect timing in everything.

Tim

It's been awhile

2008-08-30T10:57:00.009-04:00

Greetings!

It has been quite some time since we updated our blog. Rather than blather on with over a year’s worth of information, I’ll summarize with a current status… (photo to the left is the entire family in May 2007).

We’re just a few days from the start of school for all-hands. Billy is back at tech, Johnny / Will / Ethan all start back Tuesday, Sophie started this week as did Charlene. Technically, I (Tim) am the only one who won’t be in school starting next week.

I’m now a government civilian employee and we’ve moved into a house with one more bedroom & bathroom. Sophie has been doing well. We hosted her best friend Katya for the summer. It’s a long story (that perhaps I’ll get into) but we are moving forward to add her to our family.

That’s all for now.

Tim & Charlene

(Ethan, Bill, Sophie, Katya

in our nation's capitol)

Tim, Charlene - with Katya

before she flew back to

Ukraine (28 Aug 2008)

A Wee Post - Straight Away

2007-04-26T08:36:00.001-04:00

Greetings from Scotland. Have had a wonderful time and picked up a whole assortment of new sayings to add to my limited Russian.

Have seen many castles, beautiful landscapes, wonderful people and my interesting beers.

Two pictures - Charlene and I at Loch Ness looking for our underwater ally, the second is Eilean Donan castle.

That's all for now.

Tim and Charlene

6 Weeks In America

2007-04-13T20:38:00.001-04:00

Hello - It's been some time (6 weeks to be exact) since we updated this blog and we figured it was about time to do it. There have been many firsts, and many moments that are emblematic of the enormous changes for us all. One that stands out in my mind (Tim) is a moment when I saw Sophie staring at her closet. It was about two weeks after arriving. A friend at work had given us a two bags of girls clothes from his daughters. Sophie (& Charlene) had picked some out and they were hung up and added to the clothes she already had. There she was, staring at a closet full of clothes and 4 pairs of shoes - all hers. I said "te Amerikanka" your an American girl now and gave her a big hug. She smiled.

A memorable "first" - her first birthday in America (13th total). I (Tim) took her out to pick up her new birthday bike while Charlene and the Bruce's set up for a surprise party on her return. What a wonderful surprise and party! She had 6 girls over (4 from Ukraine). They had cake and then - put on makeup, did their nails and hair, and took "glamor" photos. Being from a family with 3 brothers and having 4 boys and no daughters (until now), girl birthday parties are ochen interestna (very interesting). Luckily Charlene took the lead and did an excellent job.

Charlene has been home-schooling Sophie. She has been working on English, math, American history, geography, and 'bible'. Her goal is to have Sophie ready to enter school in the fall. One interesting segment of her schooling has been her bible class & Russian lessons. Learning the basics of the bible is important and a pretty obvious topic, but Russian lessons? Turns out that in her orphanage they speak a combination of Ukrainian and Russian - all mixed together. The goal of the lessons is to speak real Russian - and learn about the bible at the same time (thanks Iryna).

Many people have asked how she's doing, how she fits into the family, how the boys like her, etc. The short answer is that she seems very happy and thankful. She loves her family, the dog, and being in America. We have learned more about her past and it seems she's been blessed with the ability to be content. We both know that we're likely in the "happy times" that accompany the first several months in the family. We're enjoying them, praying they will last forever, and preparing that they won't.

We have been able to send packages and money back to Sophie's class. Thanks to a very kind and honest friend - her class has new socks, wallpaper in their rooms, etc. Sophie has also gotten and sent two rounds of letters. They're exciting to send and receive. We miss her friends and wonder how we may be able to help them in the future.

A little commercial.... Speaking of the future... We're part of a group that will be sponsoring kids from Ukraine to come to America and perform the "Russian Shoemaker" play. This play and the exposure to the kids and their prospects was the catalyst that led us and many others to adopt. If you're interested in hosting a child in the Williamsburg area for about two weeks at the beginning of November, please let Charlene know. We will also be raising the money to fly them here and back, and provide transportation while there here. Please feel free to e-mail Charlene direct at Charmq@cox.net.

(captions - Tim's version of a "glamor" photo & Sophie's jewelry box birthday present)

Tim & Charlene

R & R (Rush and Reflection)

2007-02-26T06:20:00.000-05:00

Dateline – Williamsburg Virginia, USA, 0500 local (noon Kyiv time) –

It’s been almost a week since the last post. As I mulled over what to write about, I decided my thoughts fit into two general categories – Rush and Reflection.

Rush & Reflection – since the last post, life has been a series of rushed events separated by wonderful times of reflection. Kind of reminds me of the first time I ever ran a large deck (floor) buffer. It looked pretty easy to use as it sat peacefully in the closet. I wheeled it to the middle of the newly waxed deck and thought it would be kind of fun. When I fired that baby up – wow was I in for a ride. STOP – and then all was peaceful again……

We rushed to the Gorodnia passport office, then we rushed to the notary, then we rushed to the birth certificate office – then had a leisurely lunch. It was an interesting time. Ultimately, your prayers and Oles’s skillful facilitation led to us departing Gorodnia for Kyiv on Tuesday night. We got into an apartment about half a block from Independence Square at 10:00 pm and crashed for the night. On Wednesday, we had a medical appointment and then an 1100 meeting at the US Consulate office.

The Consulate meeting was interesting - lots of paperwork, but ultimately a very professional staff. We were told that it would likely take until Thursday for the visa to be issued - which it did. We had a leisurely lunch in Kyiv and visited the travel agency to make return flight reservations. Visiting Svetlana (the travel agent) was an unexpectedly interesting experience. We found her office, then found her . We sat down at her desk and watched her type for about 15 minutes with not a word said. He typing was very dramatic – like a concert pianist actually. Finally, Charlene and her Russian came to the rescue. We found out she had a 6 year old son (and saw his picture) and learned that she liked science fiction novels. Not seeing an opportunity to use “Very interesting” in the conversation, I told her we wanted our flights “bez” crashes (meaning without crashes). “Bez” is an important word. If you forget to say “bez gas” when ordering water, you end up with fizzy mineral water instead of the regular stuff. She told us the word for crash was “catastrophe” but with a different pronunciation than in English. OK – “Bez catastrophe” I said!

Thursday we had a wonderful final meeting with Oles. We found an Indian restaurant and took him for his first Indian meal. That was an experience… Oles was bound and determined to eat what and how real Indian’s ate. When two Indian men sat down near us – at about the end of our meal – he ordered everything they were eating and then copied the way they used bread instead of utensils to eat. In hindsight, it wasn’t that expensive if I think of it as actually two complete dinners.

Friday was a blur. Up at 0330 local. Meet the driver at 0415. Drive to the airport. Check-in, clear customs, wait, board a 0655 flight for Prague. 4 hour layover in Prague and then nine or so hours to New York. I don’t want to spend much energy talking about the absolute worst part of the entire adoption trip, so we’ll just skip the JFK airport experience. If you’re returning from an adoption trip overseas, and you have time, I would strongly suggest entering via Chicago or Atlanta.

What a great joy and relief to get off the plane in Richmond with our new daughter and have the Bruce’s and Briskey’s (Charlene’s sister-in-law & niece) waiting! Erin Bruce greeted Sophie in Russian - or maybe Ukrainian, and helped her feel right at home! We are so thankful for everyone who prayed for this entire process and supported us through it!

Saturday and Sunday were blurry and jet-laggy though we all remember the warmth of our friends as we met after church for a big lunch. As I count now it was about 7 families and 8 or 9 children from Ukraine! Three kids (Sophie, Art, and Ella) had been in America less than two days!

Final reflection… We both miss the people and the pace of life very much. I find myself looking at the watch and thinking – oh it’s 1100 there, we would be doing such and so. We also think about and pray for Sophie’s best friend Katya, who is left behind.

Sophie seems to be doing great. She has started to pester he brothers – lust a little now - so we’re sure she’s going to fit in perfectly!

Tim and Charlene

Mill About......SMARTLY!

2007-02-20T01:29:00.000-05:00

Dateline – 0800 local – Tuesday 20 Feb 07 – Chernigov …….

Well – yesterday was a bit frustrating as we hit bureaucracy full force. We thought it would be our final drive to Gorodnia for a quick pickup of the court decree and some records from the orphanage. Instead we ran around town getting paper to make copies of the decree, made two trips to the orphanage, had an interesting experience changing money, etc.

We arrived in Chernigov around noon to get the new birth certificate and passport, only to discover both offices were closed. We ate a leisurely lunch and then Oles taught us (what he claims to be) the favorite card game of all Slavic people – duroc. Now I thought it was a bad word, but he told us it was OK to use only in the context of the game itself.

How can I best explain the game – hmmm – the first game was held with a running narration of everything from when children first learn the game, to the finer points of cheating during the game, to rules that only seem to be rules when they work in Oles’ favor. The narration dwindled as it appeared that the American male was going to win the game – which he did! Now, rather than explaining that I had won (I didn’t realize it at the time) we launched immediately into a new game, which Oles won. Only then were we allowed to stop playing. So, I said, “Oles – you just won a game you have been playing your entire life with passion against a 12-year old girl and two American’s that don’t have a clue about the game – you are Chocolate Pie!” My assessment didn’t dampen his enthusiasm and we never did discuss me winning the first round. (Beverly, I’m on your side about this one ;-) Very very suspicious (in Russian) said I!

The good news is that the Ukrainian court has issued its final decree and we now officially have a daughter! We are anxious to return home now so please pray for quick movement through the myriad details required to finish the process here. It doesn’t look like we will travel Wednesday, we’re hoping for Thursday or Friday now.

Tim and Charlene

All Ahead Flank

2007-02-18T14:03:00.000-05:00

Gorodnia – 18 Feb 07- Sunday

Dateline – 1530 local – TV Room – Gorodnia Orphanage. Today we had the going-away party for Sophie at the Orphanage. We had cake and soda for her entire class! Many pictures and videos; a Ukrainian break-dancing demo by Vova (4 Vova’s in her class); and a real – live mouse appearance during the group photo (much to Charlene’s surprise). It went perfectly and seemed to be a very fitting way to say good-bye.

I have a picture of the entire class on this entry. We spent some time talking with the director on Saturday regarding the possibility of setting up a class sponsorship program. Sponsorship would involve a small group or family committing to pray for the children and teachers, write to them, send small gifts, etc. The director thought it would be a good idea, and we said we’d start with Sophie’s class. We asked Olha what the children in the class need most – “socks” was the answer.

Sophie spent her last night at the orphanage on Saturday. Charlene had purchased some glow-in-the-dark bracelets at the dollar store. We showed Sophie how they worked, then gave strict warnings not to break them open as the chemicals inside can stain and they could get cut on the glass. Today at the party, we learned that all the children took their bracelets, broke them open and then slung the chemicals on the walls of one of the rooms last night. They turned out the lights and had a going-away disco party! Got to admire that trained initiative.

We think this may be our last post before departing Ukraine. By all accounts, our life will go into overdrive starting tomorrow. As far as we can tell, we need to: get the court decree, get a Ukrainian passport, get the new birth certificate, pick up medical and educational records, travel to Kyiv, get a medical checkup, apply for a visa, visit the US embassy, purchase airline tickets, etc. – before we leave. If it all goes smoothly, we’ll fly out Wednesday AM. If we have any glitches, we’ll fly out Friday. Please pray for Godspeed through this hectic time!

Sophie seems to be doing well. The going away was very emotional, but she’s already looking ahead. Tonight at supper she asked many questions about her new brothers – what are they like, what do they do, etc.

Thank you for your prayers, Tim and Charlene

To Market to Market to buy a ...........

2007-02-16T12:35:00.000-05:00

Chernigov – 16 Feb 07- Friday

Dateline – 1230 local – Chernigov Market. Today we went back to the big outdoor market to explore and pick up a few souvenirs. If you’re a teenaged male living in our house in Virginia, then you will receive your ochen intere-estna present only if you send your parents’ a personal e-mail. One of the pictures is from the meat section of the market. See the long-ish piece of meat on the hook above the lady that looks a lot like a cow sticking its tongue out at you? Know why it looks like that? Cause it is!

If you can think of something, I bet you could find it at the market. Need a new pet bird – no problem. Plumbing?-Got it. Duct tape?-what color would you like? Clothes of any type – boots, coats, hats, wedding dresses? – everything. It was an exciting adventure for us all.

By the way, day three of my “Ah-rahn-zheh-vwee sake” crusade met with mixed success. Though our waitress, Katya, brought orange juice when I asked for it, she corrected my Russian and pointed out that is was apple-sin-eh-vweeh. This might be harder than I first thought.

We have mixed emotions as the end of our ten-day waiting period approaches. Most strongly, we can’t wait to get home, see our friends and family and introduce Sophie to America! We are also going to miss Ukraine. We have become a bit attached to the people here, the children in the orphanage, and the adventure of the place. Also, the pace of life since our court date has been relaxed and enjoyable. We know that things will speed up when we get to Kyiv and make preparations to return to Virginia. Speaking of Virginia, we have made plane reservations for Wednesday (Feb 21) and Friday (Feb 23). We’ll see how quickly things go in Kyiv.

Sophie has really opened up in the last couple of days. She now likes to wear Dad’s hat (the second picture). The third picture is taken at our favorite restaurant in town, Mama-Mia’s. They have the best salads, borsch, everything. Clean bathrooms, great service, and an English menu. I (Tim) will miss eating together there.

Though we know things will be hectic in Kyiv, we hope to see some fellow Virginian’s, and our Kyvian friends. We miss you all!

Thank you for your prayers, Tim and Charlene

The Long Good-Bye

2007-02-14T13:42:00.000-05:00

Chernigov – 14 Feb 07- Wednesday – Valentines Day

Dateline – hotel restaurant – Predeyanask Hotel – 1007 local. It’s recently dawned on me that I should really buckle down on my Russian language study. I’m in the perfect place to hear proper pronunciation and try out what I learn. Instead of focusing on two well pronounced phrases that give the illusion of understanding, perhaps it would be better to actually try and broaden my vocabulary. In the pursuit of my new goal, I have noted several interesting Russian language phenomena (much to the chagrin of Vassa our driver who patiently corrects my pronunciation). One peculiarity makes all others pale in comparison; it demands immediate action. Heretofore I have started the international crusade to change the Russian name of Orange juice. Instead of Orange (the fruit) pronounced something like Apple-sin-eh-vweeh it will be called orange (the color) pronounced ah-rahn-zheh-vwee. Phase one of my plan was completed when I asked for ah-rahn-zheh-vwee sohk this morning and the waitress produced orange juice!

On a more serious note, our 10-day bonding period goes well. Sophie has opened up and relaxed. We have learned more about the music she likes, about her taste in clothes, and a tiny bit more about Vova (the boyfriend I haven’t met yet). We took her and her best friend Katya to the café yesterday. They ordered pizza that we all shared. Lunch for four cost about $10. It was heartwarming to hear Sophie tell her friend all about the things she had done, her new clothes, and what she’s learned about her new family. We called the boys in Virginia yesterday and Sophie got to say “Hi” to three of her sleepy brothers. From what we could tell, the house is in one piece, the laundry is getting done, supper is being cooked, and the dog land-mines are being picked up. Thanks John! Way to work together boys, and thanks for the oversight Dr. Mark, Beverly, & Gary!

Sophie showed off the new card trick that Charlene taught her, and she demonstrated her father’s well-honed tripping gag. The physical gag is a Quiram tradition, handed down from W. Arthur, who perfected the fake chair-pulled-out fall. Sophie has the rudiments of the simulated trip perfected.

I’ve entitled this blog, “The Long Good-Bye”. I can’t say for sure what’s going through Sophie’s mind, but she appears excited about the future while a bit sad at those she’ll leave behind. One of the pictures is from today’s international Uno semi-final tournament. In the picture is (left to right) Lena, Katya, Sophie, Yanna, Charlene, and Vita (in front). Yanna is 16 and has been like a big sister to Sophie. We went to the post office yesterday and bought 20 envelopes w/ postage and stationary so her friends can write to her. I told her she could even give a few to Vova ;-).

We have a guest blogger now that is going to tell you some more about Sophie – now, miya-lu-be-miya, Charlene:

Sophie is in many ways a normal 12 years old. She enjoys listening to pop music, shopping, watching TV (The Simpsons seem to be her favorite) and movies. She is the normal mixture of young child and young woman. Sophie’s favorites include animals=horses; fruit=bananas; ice cream flavor=vanilla, color=blue, dogs instead of cats (because cats pee under the bed and make the room stink—this is verifiable by the odiferous nature of her room). She enjoys drawing and is very good. She shared with us that she would like to learn to play the piano. She likes Math best in school but had several teachers that she didn’t like so perhaps the subjects suffered because of the teachers. She is a very persistent and conscientious English student as we’ve been having classes almost every day and her vocabulary has picked up quite a bit. She is in the 6th grade here but I strongly suspect that I will need a lot of prayer and support to get her into an American 6th grade in the fall. She is usually tentative at first, but when she feels comfortable, she is very funny and outgoing. She is introspective and it is apparent that the imminent separation from her friends is weighing heavy on her despite the growing bond we share. We gave her a journal to record her thoughts and feelings at this very important juncture in her life and last she showed me, she had written over a dozen pages.

If all goes as we hope (and Oles gets back to Chernigov soon), we hope to finish up here next Monday, leave for Kiev, and perhaps be on a jet for America as early as Wednesday or Thursday. Please keep the prayers coming, specifically for peace for Sophie and Katya regarding the upcoming separation, health for all of us including Oles, and a safe and uneventful exit and trip home. We miss you all!

Thank you for your prayers, Tim and Charlene

"Impulse Power Scottie"

2007-02-12T03:13:00.000-05:00

Chernigov – 12 Feb 07- Monday

Dateline – an undisclosed location on the way to Gorodnia Ukraine, Saturday 10 Feb 07 – Traveling on the road to Gorodnia headed to take Sophie back to the orphanage for an overnight stay, we came upon one of the many horse-drawn sleds here. We stopped for a picture. These are not romantic, ride into the sunset after a wedding in Colorado type sleds, these are the things that country people use to transport things in the winter – hard scrabble affairs (been reading the thesaurus as I’ve run out of other books ;-) . As I took the picture, the men yelled something to me – it didn’t sound too bad, but what to say in return? “Good Morning” sounded too proper. “Cat under the table wouldn’t work”, “I would like something to eat” might result in an offer that would be rude to deny. Luckily, Oles told me now was the perfect chance to try my new phrase. I mentioned in a previous post, the utility of a well pronounced Russian phrase. At that point in our stay I only had one – “very interesting”. Now I had two. The second surely made them wonder as I yelled “very very suspicious!”

When we returned to the orphanage, we walked Sophie to her room and then Charlene broke out the bead case, and the ladies made bracelets. We also played Uno (Oles never wins despite believing that he should). Sophie’s best friend Katya, is adorable. They seem to be almost inseparable – sitting together in school, eating every meal together, sleeping in beds 3 feet apart. We would love to bring her home too, but her mother has not given her permission for her to be adopted. It’s hard to find words to describe the feelings associated with leaving Sophie at the orphanage. Suffice it to say it’s been the absolutely most difficult thing we have done during this entire adoption. We have a little cot set up in the hotel room for her – going to bed that night with the cot empty drove us to our knees for some very serious prayer.

Sunday morning we picked her up sans Oles. Oles is heading to Russia to get the birth certificate for another child that is in the process of adoption. We arrived at the orphanage, went to Sophie’s room and began the Uno tournament. Sophie has opened up quite a bit. Most interestingly, we’ve learned that she has a boyfriend, Volva. Coming from a family with three brothers, and having four boys now, I have thought a lot about what it will be like to have a daughter. One of the things I think will be great fun, will be intimidating boyfriends. I’ve already hatched several schemes – many involving cleaning guns and wearing camouflage, to put into action when a boy arrives to take my daughter on a date (probably 25 to 30 years from now). With my new information, I ask every boy I meet at the orphanage if they are Volva – to which I get a big smile from Sophie.

Some sort of cold/flu is still running rampant at the orphanage. Sophie spent all night pretty stuffed up. It breaks your heart to see so many children coughing and sneezing, with no parent to comfort them. I do hope our donation will help them get over this. Please pray for the health of the children there.

Finally – we’re into day 4 of the 10 day waiting period. It’s an odd situation. Everything to this point has been fast paced, new and exciting. Now it’s like we’ve dropped out of warp speed and are orbiting the planet Gorodnia. I’ve read every book I brought, have learned how to play Gin, and figured out the hotel restaurant menu. We hope to talk with the orphanage director this week and discuss setting up a class sponsorship program through our Heart for Orphan’s organization.

We appreciate the blog comments very much. E-mail is working now for both of us, so you can send Charlene e-mail at Charmq@cox.net and me at tjamesq@cox.net.

Sorry we missed the wedding in Sofa-City - hope it went well.

Pictures - one is of Sophie and her best friend Katya, the other is a Ukrainian sneg motorcycle

Thank you for your prayers, Tim and Charlene

10 Days of Bonding

2007-02-09T09:32:00.000-05:00

Chernigov – 09 Feb 07- Friday

Dateline – Gorodnia Ukraine, Thursday 08 Feb 07 – We walked into the courtroom at 1600. It was a little intimidating. We sat on a bench in the front row. A prosecutor, secretary, the orphanage director and the orphanage inspector all came in and sat down. On our right was a metal cage (for criminal cases). Oles explained what would happen, then the judge and two stern-looking jurors walked in. The court hearing was quite formal. We rose and gave our full name and place of birth, address, employer, etc. I was asked why we wanted to adopt. Each one was then asked for their opinion of the adoption. The jurors then asked one question. The sterner one asked how long we had known Alyona. One week was the answer. Did we think that was long enough for us to know whether we wanted to adopt her. That was a great question and got me thinking philosophically. So how long would it take to know a 12 year old girl who can’t speak English well enough to know whether you wanted to be her parent’s? It took me all of about 5 minutes when I met her. I said yes, it was long enough. Then it was Sophie’s turn. The judge called her to the front and asked if she wanted to be adopted. She said yes. Then he asked if she wanted to be adopted by us – she said yes again – whew! The judge and jurors left after about 30 minutes to make a decision. They returned in about 10 and announced the decision to grant the adoption. Needless to say we were overjoyed!

We returned to the orphanage and then met with the assembled orphanage leadership team and provided a donation. I made a short speech (I love to make speeches) thanking them for their obvious love for and care of the children. It was all very up-front. We had learned earlier in the day that 80 of 200 kids were sick with the flu. The director told us that the money would be used to buy medicine. He also said that Sophie was one of their favorite children and they were sad to see her go, but happy to have her adopted.

Since all three of her roommates were sick, we asked for permission to take her back to our hotel, and it was granted. She had her things packed in a superman backpack. Olha (mentioned in a previous blog entry) said a tearful good-bye.

Today was spent at the outdoor market buying clothes for our new daughter. It was quite an experience – fun. Oles explained about the 10-day period we have now entered. For the next 10 days, anyone can appeal the adoption or Sophie could change her mind. Oles told me to be on my best behavior. It’s hard enough for me hour by hour, 10 days will be difficult (right Lynne and Sandy) ;-)

We’ve been having difficulty connecting to the internet from the hotel. Yesterday I spent almost 45 minutes trying to connect to cox.net for my e-mail. If I don’t get this updated every-other day, then that’s why.

(Pictures - one on the left is Mom, Dad, and Sophie in court. On the right is Mom, Dad, and Oles)

Thank you for your prayers, Tim and Charlene

COURT TOMORROW !!! (1600)

2007-02-07T11:28:00.000-05:00

Gorodnia – 07 Feb 07- Wednesday

Dateline – Gorodnia Ukraine, Tuesday 06 Feb 07 – We have settled into a routine in our two-hour visit’s with Sophie. She meets us and leads us to her room. Papa wants to stop and pet the dogs on the way (my favorite is called something like a cross between “ship” and “chip” – he’s a dachshund). Momma always needs to make a little stop on the way and insists on stopping in the building with the smaller children (as it’s much much cleaner). As we head to Sophie’s room, dad – the apprentice Sherpa – tries to keep up while the ladies talk in Russian. We get to the room and it’s time for a game of Uno.

On Tuesday, shortly after our Uno game began, Sophie’s teacher Marie came to the room. She and Oles (our facilitator) had a long and sometimes quite animated talk about many things – culminating in her being very happy that we were adopting Sophie. We have been ochen ochen impressed with Oles – and we know your prayers made all the difference with Marie. Marie was very happy that Charlene could speak some Russian, and that we wanted Sophie to write her to tell her about life in America. Her husband was a fisherman and spent some time in the Bering Sea. I told her about my time there in the Coast Guard. During Soviet times, her husband had saved 60,000 rubles (a new car cost 4000 rubles at the time). Overnight their savings were nearly wiped out during the Soviet Union’s breakup. Everyone we meet seems to have a powerful story of resilience. We got a picture before she left and Oles told her to say Hi to her husband from the U.S. Coast Guard ;-)

We stop in Chernigov for a late lunch on the way back from the orphanage each day. On Wednesday, we were discussing the menu in the restaurant (Mama-Mia’s). By the way – the hotel restaurant has already fixed their menu. No more boiled language. I was a little upset that Oles had told them because I was working up a scheme in which I would translate the menu (maybe subcontract some of the work to Oles) in exchange for free internet access. Back to Mama-Mia’s… One of the desserts was translated as “Desire of all Women”. Not sure who coined it, but it seems I have a new Russian nick-name ;-) The best Oles could come up with was “Chocolate Pie”.

Dateline – Wednesday 07Feb 2007 – Charlene has had just about enough of the new Russian phrase I’ve learned. After repeating “Where is the snow plow? several hundred times in Russian, Oles taught me to say “Very Interesting.” By increasing the number of “verys” and scratching my chin, I can now seem to be both fluent in Russian and quite thoughtful. We went to the pharmacy to get something to help Charlene sleep, and I listened intently to the interchange between Oles and the Pharmacist, not understanding a word, and then said “Ochen Ochen Intere-estna” (my apologies to real Russian speakers for my spelling). She said something that sounded equally thoughtful to which I replied, after a slower chin scratch, “Ochen Ochen….” You get the picture.

When we arrived at the Orphanage on Wednesday, we met Sophie, followed our normal routine, and then arrived at her room. Her roommate and best friend Katya, was sick in bed. Sophie told us several days before that Katya was an Uno master. After showing her our pictures on the laptop, she was able to muster the strength to play several rounds. Katya is a delightful girl and their deep friendship is very obvious. She lives in the Orphanage because her mother drinks and can’t take care of her. On the weekends she goes home to her grandmother’s. During our game, Oles went to see the judge and came back with excellent news – WE GO TO COURT TOMORROW!!! Please pray that it goes smoothly!

Pictures (our connection is very slow, so I'll try them later)– one is Charlene and Sophie walking hand-in-hand, and the other I Dad and Sophie petting my favorite dog.

Thank you for your prayers, Tim and Charlene

Two Days to Remember

2007-02-05T10:36:00.000-05:00

Gorodnia – 05 Feb 07- Monday

Dateline – Gorodnia Ukraine, Sunday 04 Feb 07 – We arrived for our daily visit and couldn’t find Sophie. We looked in her room, asked the other children and after about 10 minutes found her. She was more reserved than normal, but we didn’t think much of it. As we sat in her room, Sophie’s weekend floor caregiver, Olha, came in and sat down. Oles (our facilitator) was busy working with the inspector (on a Sunday!). Charlene was able to communicate with Olha, who obviously cares very much for the Children, and learned that she had braided Sophie’s hair that morning. When Oles arrived back at the room, we learned why Sophie was so apprehensive. Turns out one of her teacher’s told her that American couple’s adopt children and then sell their body parts. Imagine that – on top of just meeting us and wondering what we’re like, and thinking about becoming part of a family, to add that horrible idea! We immediately prayed that she would have peace, and after the visit I sent some e-mails asking for the same from the U.S.

Olha (the caregiver) had her 19 year old daughter come in to speak with us in English (she is studying to be an English teacher) and I think to help size us up. We had a wonderful time getting to know Olha and her daughter (named Sophie!). Big Sophia helped translate for us and little Sophie – allowing her to ask us many questions about our family.

Dateline – Monday 05 Feb 2007 – what a difference your prayers made! We showed up at our normal 1100 at the orphanage and who was waiting in the parking area? Our intelligent and beautiful daughter Sophie. She introduced us to an old lady that turned out to be her teacher. Then, she took Charlene’s hand and led us to her room, talking all the way. I brought my laptop and showed her a power point I put together the night before with all our Ukraine photos and the short video clips I had taken. We tried to reassure her that we weren’t monsters! We played Uno – which she won – and then she took us on a tour of the Orphanage. First to the little store, then the library, then we met the 2 dogs that live there. We returned to the room just in time to see a few pictures she drew and then had to leave.

These last two days are ones we will never forget. I have so much more to say (I know imagine that), but it’s best saved for a face-to-face meeting back in Virginia.

We continue to enjoy the genuine warmth of the people we’ve met. For example… Last night at supper, the waitress presented us with a newly translated English version of their menu. It was very thoughtful, but the translation reminded me of how I must sound to them. “Boiled language” – that one threw us for a loop until Charlene figured out that the Russian word for “language” and “tongue” are the same. Needless to say, I haven’t ordered that yet. As we happily chose things from the English menu, we quickly realized another problem. The menu didn’t have any Russian or Ukrainian words, so the waitress still couldn’t understand what we wanted. To our rescue came an enthusiastic young stranger who introduced himself and explained that he would try to help. He was Ukrainian, but had studied English in school. What a gentleman he was and how genuinely happy he was to help!

We had another encounter during a walk in the park behind our hotel. Charlene found a stray cat and couldn’t help herself. She picked it up and it purred like – well like a kitten. An older man on cross country skis struck up a conversation. Once again our traditional dress threw him off :-) After realizing we were a little slow in Russian, he switched to German. I replied – “Raise ze schnorkle!” and he switched to English. We had a nice conversation then. He told us that the cat lives in the park and several people feed it. We asked how he knew English so well, and he told us about his fascination with English as a boy and how his interest almost got him sent to Siberia (lots of sneg there) during the Soviet years.

Pictures – one is me (Tim) and Sophie outside the little store at the orphanage with the village in the background. The other is Charlene, Sophie, and Olha (the kind caregiver) in Sophie’s room.

Thank you for your prayers, Tim and Charlene

Chernigov - Gorodnia Routine

2007-02-04T01:04:00.000-05:00

Gorodnia – 03 Feb 07- Saturday

Dateline – Chernigov Ukraine, 1000 03 Feb 07 – We have settled into something of a routine here as we mark 1 week in Ukraine. Up at the crack of dawn (it cracks a little later here), breakfast at 0900, in the taxi at 1000 for an hour ride to Gorodnia. Arrive at the orphanage and go to Sophia Alyona Quiram’s room (oh did I mention that Mom and Alyona have settled on her American name?). Spend some time getting to know her & her getting to know us, then back in the taxi, usually some business stops on the way back to the hotel then it’s time for supper! Whew – doesn’t seem like much when I write it, but it makes for a full day!

Close-up on Sophie – Today we spent some time learning about what she likes and doesn’t and Charlene gave an English lesson using one of her books. The interaction that led to her new name was very interesting; I mentioned part of it in a previous post, but here’s the unabridged version. We first asked if she wanted to keep her current name, she said “no” she wanted a new name. We asked what she had in mind and she gave the universal kid answer (shrugged shoulders). Charlene presented the possibilities we had come up with. I was rooting for my choice (Kathryn), thinking I was on a roll since she had just told us she liked dogs better than cats. She didn’t like Kathryn, next was Marie – “no”, Sophia - she smiled and shock her head yes. We said we would call her Sonya as the nickname and she didn’t like that; she told Oles that Sonya meant “lazy” – sharp girl, doesn’t want to be called lazy! Oles asked her what she wanted to be called and she said, “Whatever Mama Charlene wants.” So there you have it Frieda Quiram (just kidding) the final decision was Sophia (Sophie day-to-day) Alyona Quiram.

Close-up on Orphanage life – here’s the daily schedule. Up at 0700 – make bed, clean room, etc. 0800 – breakfast – this morning’s was something like oatmeal (we’re not sure exactly what), orange juice, strawberry yogurt. 0900 – school until 1400 then lunch (not sure what they have). Free time until 1600 (watch TV of all sorts, play outside in the sneg, etc.). 1600 back in the classroom for homework until about 1900. Supper, free time, bed at 2100. Sophie has 3 roommates in a pretty small room. They all share one closet and have some things under their bed.

Friends – Sophie has a best friend, Katya, who sleeps in the bed next to her, sets next to her in school, and is in every class. She’s very sad that Sophie is leaving. Not sure of her status, but do know her sister and mom came today to take her out for awhile. We will get some self addressed and stamped envelopes so she can write Sophie in America.

Interesting observations – We have been so excited that it’s hard not to shower her with gifts. Oles (our facilitator and part time child psychologist) suggested we take it slow with the gifts – one a day max and maybe skip some days so she doesn’t begin to think that we’re Mama and Papa Claus! It’s hard to follow his advice when we’re so blessed. We have scaled back the magnitude of what we bring. Yulia, our Kyiv facilitator, suggested brining her some fresh fruit because she probably never gets any. Today’s present was some fresh bananas (Sophie’s favorite fruit). It doesn’t seem like much to us, but she was genuinely happy with it! We’ve also been impressed with the warmth of the people here. Even on the coldest days, the streets a full of people walking, riding bikes, horse-drawn sleds, parents pulling children on wooden sleds, motorcycles with side cars, etc.; the people here are very hardy! Every day is a living illustration of the importance of community in our lives.

We’re very thankful for our community of friends in the U.S.A and now here in Ukraine.

Thank you for your prayers – we want to make the most of our time here, but can’t wait to get home and have our family together.

Tim & Charlene

Meeting Alona

2007-02-02T04:09:00.000-05:00

Gorodnia – 01 Feb 07- Thursday

Dateline – Kyiv Ukraine, 0600 01 Feb 07 – Sneg, sneg, sneg, and more sneg (snow). We awoke to a snowy morning at 0500. After quick preps, we met Nicoliy (our driver and Oles (our on-the-road facilitator), packed everything into the trunk of Nickoly’s Passat (just like Lee drives) and hit the road. We arrived at Gorodnia about 1000. Oles got permission for us to go straight to the orphanage and meet the assistant director and Alona, but we had to wait until 1100. We cooled our heels (literally) at the only cafe in Gorodina. There was a poor skinny cat at the door. I (Tim) let him in and then got to say “Cat under the table” in Russian ( I had been practicing that for months!). At 1100 we arrived at the orphanage.

Quick digression….we were forewarned (by Gary) that not a day went by when it looked like the whole adoption may fall through. That was yesterday for us. The Official at the SDA had mentioned that Alona had visited a family in Spain, but they didn’t want to adopt her. We didn’t think much of that, but when we mentioned it to Yulia Wednesday night, she became concerned that Alona may have a family from Spain that is trying to adopt her which would, of course, create a terrible situation for a 12 year old girl to have to decide upon on a family she just met from America that was at her orphanage and a family she knew but wasn’t here yet. Of course we prayed for clear direction for us and for her.

Back to the dateline…. We showed up at the orphanage and were met by the lawyer who escorted us to the main office. She was very pleasant and talked with Oles the entire walk. We next met the assistant director, who was also very pleasant and kind. She had Alona’s file and asked what would we like to know. Now that was a good question we should have been ready for. Charlene jumped in and asked many questions. After a few minutes her medical record arrived and the Assistant Director briefed us on its contents. We were excited and a bit apprehensive wondering if she would cry, laugh, run away - who knew? When she came in we were very excited. I gave her a small box of chocolates as a gift. Charlene then opened the picture album and told her all about our family (she had done the same thing minutes earlier for the assistant director and lawyer and they had been very interested in all the details). Alona was obviously nervous, but very attentive. When we finished, we talked some more and she told Oles she would like to be part of our family and she wanted brothers (quite the diplomat I think).

Turns out that unbeknownst to us, several important things had been communicated: First, during our walk into the orphanage, Oles learned that Alona had been told earlier that a family was coming to adopt her. She had asked, “are they Ukrainian?” – no, “Italian?” – no, “Spanish?” – no, “American?” – yes – to which she responded with a big smile! Also, during Charlene’s explanation of our family, the assistant director and Alona had made eye contact and exchanged non-verbs that told her she liked us and our family! (we learned from the assistant director later). Whew – funny, but I never considered that part of our job would be to convince her that we would be good parents and a good family to be part of (no comments otherwise on the blog please ;-).

We spent some additional time with her. Charlene asked what she liked and didn’t like, They spent some time going through an English / Russian basic text book and we discussed names. Diplomatically (once again) she said she would like any name that Mama Charlene picked (smart girl not to trust Papa Tim as I had some pretty interesting ones ready).

We left after about an hour, then spent about 3 hours in the car while Oles talked with the Oblast inspector. During that time (still snegging) we saw horse-drawn carts and sleds, motorcycles with sidecars, cars and trucks of every type and bicycles (snow was about 8 inches by now). It’s true the bicycles are better here!

After about 11 hours in the car we arrived at a nice hotel in Chernigov, checked in and had an excellent supper for three for about $15.00.

Alona seems like a wonderful girl and we’re excited to move ahead with the adoption!

Regarding our (common now) problem of being mistaken for a Ukrainian couple… Though some (especially our Ukrainian readers ;-) might not believe it, we have been asked, by real Ukrainian adults – not once, but twice – for directions. Unfortunately our cover is blown immediately when we open our mouth!

Thank you for your prayers and support – please continue them, Tim and Charlene.

Still snegging!

Meeting the Adoption Officials

2007-01-31T06:26:00.000-05:00

Kyiv – 31 Jan 07- Wednesday

Dateline – Kyiv Ukraine, 1500 Tuesday 30 Jan 07 – Meeting at SDA commences, 1540ish meeting concludes. We got to the appointment about 20 minutes early after a 20 grivna cab ride (in the snow) from the Sense office. The lobby was full of Ukrainian adoption facilitators waiting to submit dossiers for couples wanting to adopt. Yulia, our Kyiv facilitator, had gotten in line the afternoon before and slept overnight in a car to maintain her #2 position in the line. The SDA only accepts new dossiers twice a week during a 1 hour window. Each facilitator can submit 2, but they usually only get through about 8 people in the line – which is why Yulia got in line the day before.

We were ushered in to a small office by the SDA translator at about 1505. I gave my best Russian introduction; we removed our coats and sat down. There were five of us total in the office – Charlene and I, the translator, the official who seemed to be in charge, and another lady who worked at a computer the entire time. They first asked for or passports and after they were satisfied with our ID’s asked a question about our family. Charlene opened the scrapbook she had created with pictures of the family, our house, the girl’s room, our church, and all the local children that had been adopted from Ukraine. They seemed genuinely interested and wanted to see the entire scrapbook. Charlene made a strong case for why we wanted to adopt from Berdyansk, but to no avail. They showed us two packages which consisted of a double-sided page of information and a small wallet sized photo. The director went through all the particulars – age, status, health, school, orphanage director’s assessment, etc. After seeing the two, Charlene asked if there were any from Berdyansk – the official opened a large book and began to go thru it page by page. She mentioned several children as she went but in the end concluded that there were no girls in our age range without siblings in Berdyansk. We were left with the two files they started with to choose from. What a tough thing that was – so many unknowns, so odd to even make a choice knowing these were two young girls who are both equally precious in God’s eyes. We decided upon Alona. We asked for a copy of the file sheet, but they wouldn’t give us one. I wrote down her name and the spelling of the Oblast and Orphanage. Before we left, the official told us the referral would be issued the next day between 1700-1800. She also told us that there were no fees associated with the adoption and that if anyone tried to assess a fee, to call them. We left overwhelmed with emotion – excitement, wonder, thankfulness.

Here’s what we know so far about Alona – born 4 April 1994, somewhere outside of, but near Chernigiv. She is sensitive and very much wants to be in a family. Her teachers say she does well in school. She spent some time in Spain last summer with a family. She’s healthy, has dark blonde hair, and speaks Russian. We’ll tell you more when we know it.

I’m writing this on Wednesday AM – it looks like we’ll leave tomorrow for Chernigiv at 0600. It’s a two hour car ride with Nikolai. We’re headed off to meet Karen Springer at 1000 and then learn how to ride the Metro!

Dateline – Kyiv Ukraine, Tuesday 30 Jan 07 – Undercover American Couple Still Undetected……..
I wish you could apply that headline to us, but despite my best attempts to fit in – dag burn it if people don’t immediately figure out we’re not from around here. Once in awhile, when we don’t say a word, I think people on the street might not know. It’s funny the little social customs that I’m not sure of – like when you walk into a bank to exchange money, do you walk right up to the window or form a line somewhere?

Please continue to support us with your prayers as we head out tomorrow to meet our daughter!

Oh - about the two pictures. Charlene is standing in front of the statue of Shevschenko (forgive my spelling) much loved Ukrainian poet. Tim (in his new rabbit hat) is standing on the steps leading to St. Andrews cathederal right next to the adoption office.

Tim and Charlene.

Picture Post Attempt 2

2007-01-29T06:08:00.000-05:00

Picture on the bottom is the 'after' picture at the Kyiv airport - post flight, pre new hat for Tim ;-)

Picture on the top is Tim and Charlene, Anya and Olyona at the Georgian / Azerbaijani Pectopah.

2 Days in Kyiv

2007-01-29T05:57:00.000-05:00

Day 2 – Kyiv Sunday – 28 Jan 07 - Hot off the Press - Appointment is 1500 local (0800 Virginia time) tomorrow+++++

+++++ also - sorry can't upload a picture here at the internet cafe - I'll get that straightened out ASAP. -Tim

What an adventure today! We awoke to fresh snow and strong winds. Our apartment has heat and a seemingly endless supply of hot water. After a slow jet-lagy start to the day, we ventured out to the St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral to meet our friend Anya who sings in the choir there. After about the first block, getting a fur (shlyah-pah) hat became top priority for me. The Cathedral was quite an experience. Everyone stood, lots of chanting and incense. We bought candles from the lady who we met the night before and I’ve included a picture of Charlene lighting them.
We met our friend and then walked to a more contemporary church – St. Paul’s Evangelical church (some know it as the church Rodger McMurrin started). This church met in a movie theater near Independence Square. We walked in wearing our best Ukrainian camouflage only to sit next to a lady who said, “Hello” in perfect English. I’m convinced she heard me say something in English first, but Charlene says we can’t help but look American. The lady, turned out to be an office manager at the U.S. Embassy who invited Charlene out to a ladies get-together Monday night. After a beautiful service (with our interpreter named Natasha) we met up with Olyona – the other singer from Kyiv that spent the night at our house this summer. The four of us headed off to tour the Independence square area than have lunch at a Pektopah that served Azerbaijani and Georgian food (Gary now I know what a real shish-ka-bob is like). Luckily many of you had schooled us in Ukrainian manners and we didn’t argue when we had to check our coats before entering the restaurant. I did make certain the man know how much I loved my new hat (which you’ll have to wait until the next blog entry to see).
We parted ways after lupper (too late to be lunch, too early to be supper) and walked home in the beautiful -5 C evening. What a great day!
Today we meet Yuri for an overview of our meeting at the SDA tomorrow. We feel very supported by your prayers and ask you to continue. Our excitement builds as we’re within a day of knowing who our new daughter may be! Physically we’re both healthy and doing our best to get the body clock reset. I woke up about 0200 Kyiv time thinking about how to say all sorts of things in Russian.
Tim and Charlene
Day 1 – Kyiv Saturday – 27 Jan 07
We’ve had quite a day. Charlene just summed up the highlights for me as I began to type. It goes something like this:
- Our flight was great, good food & service, friendly people.
- VIP service in Kyiv was fast and pleasant.
- Weather was sunny and cold.
- We met Yulia (or Kyiv project manager), Nikolia (the ever vigilant driver) and Yuri (the boss).
- We exchanged money, went to the Mega Market, checked into our apartment, walked in the snow to the St. Volodymyr’s cathedral, and got blessed by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Patriarch. All-in-all day one went great. Its 1810 as I write this and we’re forcing ourselves to stay up just a few more minutes to try and help us adjust to the 7 hour time difference.
I’ve included a before (taken in Richmond) and after (in Kyiv) picture to prove that we made it.
Thanks for the prayers.
Charlene and Tim

Send-Off

2007-01-21T19:27:00.000-05:00

A Send-Off From Our Friends!

As we looked outside at a cold gray day in Virginia, Charlene and I were touched by the warmth of friendship inside.

Today we met with our adoption friends from several churches in Williamsburg. We heard tales of train rides, interesting bathrooms, language barriers, unusual foods; we laughed at ourselves and our escapades, but most importantly we talked about our families, the people of Ukraine and God’s faithfulness. We ended the time with our friends praying for our safety, for our new daughter, and our family that’s left behind as we travel. We are so thankful for people in our life here.

Q's News - 12 Days to Go

2007-01-14T08:19:00.000-05:00

We're in the final count-down stages of our trip to Ukraine. Many friends have inspired us with their stories and we can hardly wait to go!

Charlene has been studying Russian for over a year and can hardly wait to put it to use. I have been studying about 10 Russian phrases for a year and can hardly wait to try and find situations where they might fit (e.g. what are the chances I'll get to use "Elephant under the airplane"?).

We have been praying that the Lord will lead us to the perfect daughter for us and sister to the boys and that we will be God's answer to her prayers for a family.