Day 27 - Passport

Up early! Ola and I meet Sergei downstairs at Hotel Mur for breakfast (they've added a great southern breakfast to the menu - #3!). Two cups of coffee gets me going. We head to the passport office in Severodonetsk to sign & pay for the *3 ladies* taxi to Lugansk. They have to appear in person so that we can get our passport quickly. We drive to Lugansk and when we arrive, Sergei scans & emails documents to N for translating. Then we go shopping at the outdoor market to get Ola some shoes (hers from the internot were trash). We browse around for a while because we do not have anything to do until the passport is ready to be picked up later this afternoon.
Sergei takes us to a hotel that he's stayed at in the past - says it was nice. After viewing our room, we try to get settled. Ola turns on the shower to show me something about camp (?) and water starts dripping from the ceiling (uh-oh). That should have been the first clue to change rooms...
But I, not wanting to be a bother, just asked Sergei to let them know so that we would not be held responsible for breaking something. The maintenance guy comes and says no problem - they are working on the room above us. I begin the chore of re-packing Ola's stuff more efficiently & transfer some of the heavier stuff to another suitcase. Ola says, "Wow, Mom, you pack good!" Thank you.
Sergei calls - the passport is ready to be picked up - YEA! I am amazed at how much running around and filling out of paperwork it took to get this one little document.

It is about 4pm by now - dark. My stomach says it is time to eat regardless of the time. We go to a Ukrainian buffet style restaurant. Only 2 more days of Ukrainian food, so we get it while we can! We walk around the mall next door - nice!
Back at the apartment we start getting ready for bed - tomorrow will be another early morning so that we can catch our 7am flight. Ola gets ready to get into the shower & guess what - there is no hot water. Sergei calls the maintenance guy again. He says no problem, just let all the water drain out of the tank & then it will be warm (ok, I'm no plumber, but that doesn't make sense!). So, not wanting to be a bother, we let the water run. It never gets warm. Sergei offers for us to shower in his room (above his job description - he is such a nice guy!). Getting late, so I fill out the rest of the paperwork (which takes about 2 hours) & get ready to get into bed (it is much later than I wanted to get to bed - paperwork is tedious). Ola crawls into bed first & says, "Oh, Mom! What is that smell?! It smells like pee-pee!" Great. We are in this 1970's apartment/hotel with a tiger print coverlet and the mattress smells like urine. It is near midnight and I am so exhausted that I can't deal with it. Ola layers some sheets on it & we go to bed.

Day 26 - Ola

December 7, 2010 – we officially become Ola’s parents and she leaves the orphanage.

Today has been filled with every feeling I can think of, except anger:Love, joy, peace, patience, sorrow, excitement, exhaustion, endurance, hunger, thirst, aggravation, happiness…

6:59: woke up before the alarm. Today is a big day.

7:19: downstairs for coffee & breakfast. Eyes do not like being open. 2 cups of coffee

8:15: run upstairs for jacket & Ola’s clothes

8:30: in the car zooming to the courthouse to pick up the court decree

8:40: courthouse actually open & Sergei goes in. During our court, a crew was cutting down all the trees around the courthouse. Looks different - maybe they’ll paint next. Sergei runs out with the court decree – YEA!

8:45: on to Rubizhna to the vital records office

9:00 arrive to the vital records office to a man and woman drinking a pint of beer each. Sergei fills out the necessary paperwork & I sign that I understand the document & approve it. I got teary-eyed (not sure why) to see the lady put a big X on Ola’s original birth certificate. In effect, she is born today to Denton Jones Elliott and Tamara Anne Elliott, a happy occasion. Sign the big book & receive the birth certificate.

10:40 left the vital records office & headed to the passport office in Severodonetsk. IT is sunny today and the drive was beautiful – through a forest of pines. Rubizhna must be a timber town – their city crest had a pine tree on it.

11:00 arrived at the Tax ID office, waited, Sergei did all the necessary paperwork & I just gave him my passport. The building is pretty inside – ceiling of mirrored tiles, walls of crushed glass which sparkled even in the dim light.

11:30 arrived at the Severodonetsk School & Internot (orphanage). The school’s lawyer is on vacation, so there is a bit of timidity. Though Yanna left the necessary paperwork, Anya seems unsure what to do. I also requested that they add the TB vaccine to Ola’s medical records so there will be a record of that when we get to the Kiev medical exam.

12:00 we’re in the director’s office. The director is afraid that we will leave something out, so she checks the documents of other children who have been adopted, calls a bunch of people, and hands us Ola’s passport which we’ll need at the passport office. They also have no idea where the big log book is, so she asked us to come back at 1:30. I also asked Sergei to inquire about getting a copy of our news interview. The director calls the news station & they will meet us at 2:00 & give us a copy of what was aired (YEA!)

12:45 head to the notary to get a notarized copy of Ola’s birth certificate for the passport office (which closes at 1:00 for lunch – hurry).

12:54 arrive at the passport office. Sergei does all the work, I pay the $600 “un-official fee”

1:30 back at the internot to the director’s office, director is somewhere in the building, so we call for Ola & she comes and says she has 1 more class & lunch, so she stays while we go to the TV station.

2:00 wait at the news station while the copies of our interview are being prepared.

2:30 back to the internot to get Ola – finally. They never did find the log book, so I guess maybe they’ll sign it for meJ Ola is packed & ready, gives a few last minute gifts to friends (dental floss to Timor, her favorite flip flops to Tanya)

3:30 leaving the orphanage after many goodbyes

3:40 got to the passport office – Sergei took care of everything there

4:00 to the notary for the newly required document in Lugansk Regional passport office. Ola must sign & have notarized a letter which states that she wants her permanent residence in the USA. (Like all the paperwork we have done so far doesn’t already state and confirm & re-confirm this.) One family did this letter, Lugansk liked it, Lugansk is now requiring it from everyone for a passport.

6:00 we’re still at the notary. He has never done a letter like this & needs an example, so we have to call Lugansk & ask them to email the notary a letter. Ola signs, I sign, Sergei signs, and we’re done.

6:20 we walk out of the notary & go 2 doors down to the travel agent. We arranged for tickets from Lugansk to Kiev since we will be in Lugansk to do the passport tomorrow anyway. We’ll fly out the following morning. One step closer to home.

Our next few hours were spent driving here and there looking for Larisa (Ola’s internot Mom) and Inna so we could say good-bye, and saying good-bye one more time to Ola’s friends at the orphanage.

I don’t know who cried more, Larisa, Ola, or me! It is hard for me to see Ola leave the only Mom she has ever known. Larisa and her husband are wonderful people who really care for Ola. They have had her into their home, celebrated with her, loved her. Larisa told Ola that she will have a good mother and good opportunities, but that she will miss her. I told Larisa that she will have to come to America and help me be a “babushka” to Ola’s 5 children!

9:07 we finally sit down for dinner – Sergei and I have had nothing to eat or drink since 8am. I am beyond tired and hungry. Ola is lively. Sergei is a steady man. He cuts up with Ola and explains the lyrics to the music she is hearing. She gasps and stops singing.

She’s still dancing though. She really wants to dance on the dance floor, but is “stees-na-yetsa” = embarrassed.

Day 25 - travel

Today was spent traveling back to Severodonetsk. I woke up to a nice breakfast by Lena. Tried Ukrainian "salla" (pork fat, smoked), ate breakfast pizza, drank coffee. Kolia drove me to the airport.

Sergei picked me up in Donetsk & we drove about 3 hours to Severodonetsk. We went to Ola's orphanage to visit for a bit & to make sure she was packed and ready for tomorrow's leaving the internot. She is so excited and glad I am back. I gave her a pillow case and some permanent markers so she could have all her friends sign it. It was a hit!

Then to dinner at Brava pizza. It is fast and cheap.

Day 24 - Worship

A wonderful service today and Communion Sunday. I love to worship in another language. Though I wish I understood on my own, Yulia translates everything very well (a huge task for which I am very thankful!). The songs are beautiful; I recognize most of the tunes, but the words are beyond me. When I learn Russian, singing in Russian will be a wonderful reward! I enjoyed sharing a lesson with the ladies - on trials. Have you had any lately? James 5:13 says "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise." God hears the prayers of the righteous (1 Peter 3:12), Jesus prays for us that our faith will not fail (Luke 22:32), and the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26). Our God is wonderful!

After service and Bible study, Kolia, Lena & I took a nice drive to their home. Ukraine is so beautiful - we drove through a forest - snow! I love their home and I am especially grateful to feel a part of their family. Lena's delicious cooking has put a few pounds on me - I definitely need a "winter layer" here!

We attended evening service at the church in Kolia & Lena's town where I met Pastor Jeff and his wife, Colleen. Service was very nice and I am thankful Jeff was able to translate! Denton - I am sad you are not here - you would love being in my shoes I know. Thank you for going home to be with our children!

Tomorrow, I travel back to Ola's city. She is bursting with excitement! I am as well. I cannot imagine her feelings as she leaves the orphanage forever - with her Mom. After living there for nearly 11 years, her peers are like brothers and sisters, and the caretakers have been like her mothers. Thank you for your prayers for her.

Day 20 - Kiev tour

I am so blessed by our church family (at home and in Kiev!)! Natasha and Dasha took me on a tour of Kiev's attractions. We first took a walk to the bus, then down 2 flights of stairs to the Metro. At this time it was about 8 degrees F. I have been on Atlanta's Marta only once, during the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996. I am a little sheltered I guess. The Metro was quite an experience! There were vendors on the M, one selling calendars, another selling bookmarks which magnified print, and another selling LED flashlights. After a rocking ride, we arrived at our destination. We hopped off (quickly or you'll get shut in the door!) and took a **4 minute** ride on the escalator (much faster than our typical mall escalator) to the surface. Dasha told me that there are varying depths of the M - depending on what stop you choose. We were DEEP! I am not good with distance, but I am guessing at that speed & 4 minutes' time that we were at least 150 feet under Kiev!

The Good Lord has taught me the true meaning of cold today. We were greeted at the top of the M with brisk wind & frigid temperatures. Ice was in the air. Natasha & Dasha showed me several famous landmarks - Motherland (photo1), WW2 Memorial (photo 2), Afghanistan War Memorial, a Memorial to all the people who starved to death under USSR rule (photo 3), and Lava church (in the background of photo 3).

I tried as best I could to take photos, but my hands didn't want to work! My feet were as blocks of ice & I was not sure they were still attached to my ankles. I can now understand why many of the ladies here wear platform stiletto heels - to keep their feet as far away from the cold pavement as possible!!! I told Natasha & Dasha that the Ukrainian people are very strong to survive this cold (and it isn't even winter yet!). We then took the M to the nearest McDonalds. Just like America, with a few exceptions: they serve hot tea, they wear jeans with a McD's "M" on the back pocket - nice touch, and theladies who clean up the dining area wear very tight red skirts, white shirt with a vest, and heels. They almost look like airline attendants. Just outside the M, I saw this wonderful idea - the coffee bar/car combination! For you coffee lovers, this is the perfect ride for you!

I am truly happy and joyous (though I wish my family could be with me). The pain and cold in my feet is subsiding. I am in my bed (Yulia forced me), under the covers with a heater next to me, comfort food, and I'm on my 3rd cup of hot tea.
If you are concerned that I may be bored, no worries. I am content. It is well with my soul.

Day 16 (saturday) - travel

Denton and I were up early to finish packing, eat breakfast & take an estimated 3 hour taxi ride to the airport in Donetsk. I will add that we do not speak Russian (remember) and we cannot communicate with this taxi driver. We are trusting that he will actually get us to Donetsk - and on time. Sergei thought the taxi driver would probably follow all the traffic laws to avoid a ticket, thus the 3 hour estimate. We arrive an hour early. Does this mean the driver didn't follow the laws?

Two things Denton and I observe: 1)Dodging potholes is a sport, 2)The stark contrast between the black soil and the bright green winter cover crop along the way is breathtaking.

After a very bumpy ride to Donetsk, we get to the airport about 1:30. Denton's 4pm flight is international, so we have to be there early. My 5pm flight seems forever away. Denton departs from me to head through security & back home. I can't cry because this man from PA who has been talking to us is standing beside us (hello! privacy please!). I put on my big girl pants & send Denton on his way. The kids will be so happy to see him tomorrow! I will be happy at Belichi Bible Church among friends. As Denton walks away, the PA man resumes his talk about airline safety these days and how ludicrous it is to pat down and strip search a 5-year-old boy. I am praying that we sail through all security check-points. I am just not comfortable with getting molested - for myself or my children! I didn't realize it was that bad.

At the end of the day, I arrived safely in Kiev; Denton is in Munich safely. He should arrive home tomorrow afternoon. Thank you for your prayers!

Day 15 (friday) - Dinner guests

We are so excited to be invited to Inna's home for dinner tonight! (I love her borscht - glad she taught me how to make it when she stayed with us in America!)
After much begging, Ola was allowed to go with us (shhh).

We slept in a little after yesterday's hectic & exhausting day, packed for tomorrow's travel & then went to visit Ola in the orphanage. When we got there, it was a frenzy of kids everywhere - school was letting out. One friend of Ola's met us in the hall on the way to her floor & said she wasn't in her room, but we knew where she was (did I miss something? - we have no clue where she is if not in her room). So we call Ola - she says "you know where I am" - maybe she meant that as a question. Eventually she finds us (we actually told her where we were:) & we are taken upstairs to the party room. It is the last friday of the month - a time of celebrating the November birthdays. We have music, funny skits, and entertainment from the kids. Each birthday boy & girl gets a gift & recognition. Then off to Ola's room for another form of entertainment, Olga M. She is such a funny character! We're praying her Mom & Dad get to come *soon*. We skype our children at home & then time to walk to Inna's.

What a treat! Borscht, chicken, pickled tomatoes, compote, sausage, cheese, bread, homemade sauce - I am sure I'm forgetting something...
Inna tells us about her garden & that every vegetable we see is "real" and all from her garden. She plants, picks, and preserves the foods we ate. I am going to need those recipes, Inna! My favorite was the raspberry compote. Recipe: put fresh raspberries in a glass (not plastic) jar, pour hot water over them, add sugar & put the lid on. A delicious & traditional Ukrainian drink.
The tomatoes were great too - they had herbs & stuff, but Inna couldn't translate/mime that recipe - will try again to learn how.

We had a wonderful visit with Inna & Zhennya. Looked through photos of their life and children, talked about family, and laughed together as friends. Ola translated some. Zhennya & Inna expressed their thankfulness to us for adopting Ola.

Thanksgiving

Please allow me to revisit Thanksgiving now that I have had time to collect the thoughts from a whirlwind of the past 4 days...

from http://dictionary.reference.com

thanks·giv·ing

/ˌθæŋksˈgɪvɪŋ/ Show Spelled[thangks-giv-ing] - noun

1. the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, esp. to God.

2. an expression of thanks, esp. to God.

3. a public celebration in acknowledgment of divine favor or kindness.

4. a day set apart for giving thanks to God.

Normally, our family celebrates Thanksgiving with extended family - a time of eating delicious food when everyone brings her specialty dish. We visit, say a prayer of Thanks to God, eat & then some have a nap (due to tryptophan coma). After reading the definition above I ponder how much of the 24-hour day called Thanksgiving do we set apart for God - to give Him proper thanks - how can we give Him proper thanks?

Pastor Kolia preached today on the 1st of God's Commandments - "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." The following 3 commandments also deal directly with man's relationship with God (Exodus 20:1-11). One way to show our Thanks to God is to follow His Commandments every day. Jesus gave 2 Commandments in Mark 12:29-31 which are most important: "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment. And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

I am now alone - without my husband or children. I am Thankful God has me here; thankful to be at our church in Kiev amongst God's people. My heart keeps repeating Ola's words after court "I can't believe I have a family. It has been my dream." I also know that Ola prayed diligently for God to bless her with a family & asked others to pray with her. She asked, "what if God does not answer my prayer?" to one friend. I am so Thankful that God in His divine plan has orchestrated me to be Ola's Mother, Denton to be her Father, and Emary, Alex, & Abigail to be her siblings. I am certain that even with a much larger vocabulary I could not express my thanks to God. My prayer is that we will show our thankfulness through obedience to the Lord our God who has brought us out of bondage.

Exodus 20:1-2 "I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage."

Day 14 - Thanksgiving and Court (thurs)

Happy Thanksgiving! Our court day was today at 2(ish)pm.
What a wonderful day to have court and welcome our 4th child, Olga Joy Elliott!
After a 30 minute visit with the judge & a 20 minute recess, he stated that Ukraine would allow Olga to be our daughter. The photo is taken outside the courthouse: Denton, Tamara, Ola, Inspector General of Children's Affairs in Severodonetsk, and the Orphanage Lawyer (Yanna).
Praise God! What a work He has done.
Ukrainian law requires a 10 day wait for any appeals to the decision to be made, but since the 10th day falls on a Sunday, we must wait 11 days. Denton will travel home and I will travel to Kiev to stay with our church family there. This was a long day - more details to come (especially since I am a few days behind - it is late & today (actually saturday) was a really long day of travel. More later on our interview with the Ukrainian news.
I am so thankful to be able to worship with our church here (Kiev) tomorrow!

Day 13 - tour

What a treat we had today! Our friend at the orphanage gave us a tour. We saw 3 incredible museums in the school, many classrooms (the children are so respectful - when we entered the room, they all stood and said "dras-vwe-te"!), and the school chapel - beautiful! After a tour of the school, we were taken to the "kindergarten" building. Can you imagine a dozen little cuties *all sleeping*! They are so sweet - precious - beautiful. The girls' hair was decorated so cute with braids and bows. This is where Ola began her days at the orphanage nearly 11 years ago. We saw their playroom, classroom, kitchen, sleeping room - all miniature for toddlers. The caretakers were so nice - this school is a good one in which they truly love the children.
Since all the children were asleep, we asked to come back later to deliver a package from a family in America. While back in the school, we asked to see Yuroslav to deliver his package. He seemed shy and was very quiet. Then we went back to see his little sister & deliver her package. She is such a playful & sweet girl. Yuro is a wonderful big brother (he went with us to deliver her package) & let his sister play with all of his gifts. We could tell he adores her. Ola went with us too - to help translate;) Denton had a great time playing with Violetta and her new dog, "Dru-zhok" (it means best friend - animal, not human). She couldn't seem to understand why we couldn't talk to her - she kept repeating things slowly in Russian and taught us how to count in Russian. Such a clever girl. Ola commented too that she was a smart young lady. Yuro mostly watched & giggled at his sister's delightful play. On our way out, all the children were seated for dinner - so quietly! They all spoke to us & Ola showed us her favorite little boy Koyla. He is tiny & I am certain he could fit in my purse (kidding of course - I wish it were that easy). When we skyped our children & told them about our day Abigail asked if we could buy them & bring them home:) Oh I certainly could bring them home! The caregiver told me that all of these children want a family. We could give them that! So could families here. We are praying that more families will want to adopt. More on that tomorrow...

Day 12: Bowling and games

We were able to take the children bowling and playing some video games! It was very fun to watch all the children and 2 teachers have a fun time out. The local news came and the director of the orphanage came and talked with them. Basically there is a horrible misconception that Americans are taking these kids for body parts and other nefarious purposes! The director is trying to change this mindset as she knows nothing could be farther from the truth. The news team took video of us bowling and then had a short interview with Tamara and me. Then the lady asked if she could interview us again after our court date (which is Thurs. @2). So we will get a more in depth interview. We pray that our words will not be misconstrued and only help the children here get more care! They are already blessed to have such a great orphanage with many workers that obviously love these children greatly!

Here are some pictures from our night out:

Days 10-11: Oh to Speak Russian!

The worst part about being in Ukraine is we aren't with Emary, Alex, and Abigail. The next worst part is we don't speak Russian! ;-(

I am amazed at how much Olga speaks English. In fact, Sergei our facilitator says Olga speaks the best English at the Orphanage that he has heard. She definitely is gifted for language it seems. We have been learning little phrases but it is amazing how we can say something in Russian and they people have no idea what we are trying to say.

The weather here has been great. Cold and overcast, but not freezing and wet as we thought it would be. In fact, I (Denton) may make it out of Ukraine without ever seeing one snowflake!

Tomorrow we take Olga's class bowling! This will be so fun as most of the children (and caregivers) have never bowled before. Olga said to me that it would cost too much and we told her that she should not worry herself with money that is daddy's job. Turns out I can rent the whole bowling complex for about 400 Grevena which is about $50. :-)
So I plan on buying the kids video game tokens and icecream as well. This is about 25 kids. I just wish it would be that cheap in America!

We ate tonight at my favorite restaurant here Istanbulitsa! It is run by a very nice couple named Sirhan (from Turkey) and Olga(from here)! Sirhan likes to practice his English. He is really a computer engineer but quit that work to do his love of cooking and serving Turkish food. Let me just say that I am very glad he did because the food (and tea and coffee and desert) is top-notch!


Amanda and Randy Hermes have a 15 year old boy here named Alex that they will have to wait a year before he is available to adopt (just like we did with Olga). He is now out of the Orphanage and in the nearby technical school learning welding. So we had Sergei call him up and invite him to go with us to Instanbulitsa. He is a very quiet and polite boy. In fact he was rushing to the door to make sure he opened it for us. We bought soups, dinner platters, teas, coffees, baklavas (the best I ever had!), icecream-like desert, juices...all for.........250 Grevena! Amazing! It just seems so strange to get a large bill like that until you do the math and realize this is a little over $30! Also, I tip like 50 Grevena. It feels weird because you think it's lots of money, but you have to divide by 8 in your head and realize it is not much. The waitresses love us because people don't tip much at all here and we are tipping a lot to them. It feels so good to "make their day." :-)

Here are some pics:

Olga here is on the phone with her pappa Bobby!



Alex says hi to mom and dad:


Sergei (our favorite half-Russian, half-Ukrainian friend! :-) Tamara, and Alex:





PS - MEN don't wear blue shirts in Ukraine...it's gay and I don't mean happy! All I brought was my blue button up dress shirt for court! Oh well, I am American so they make exception I hope! :-)

Day 9: Giiving gifts is fun!

Today we arrived at 3 and Ola's floor was locked. A boy saw us and said to follow him to Ola. We followed him and ran into Ola on her way back from class. They have school everyday, except most Sundays from what we understand. Today being Saturday we were able to have an extra hour with Ola and friends before having to leave. We decided to give the gifts for the children today so I ran back to the Hotel (it's already dark at 4pm!). On a side note, it is not so easy getting used to the Ukrainian food, kinda messed with our stomachs today. It is good, but maybe more fatty? We had a great time giving out the gifts from all the families that sent gifts through us...1 of our checked bags full! :-)

Here are the pics:

Day 7 - visiting

Today we slept in a bit, but Sergei was up on our behalf & running Ola to all her medical appointments. One of the orphanage nurses died this morning, so please pray for her family. We ate a late breakfast & waited until 2:30 or so to walk to the orphanage. We are only able to visit from 3-5, so this is the highlight of our day! Ola wanted to show us her photos, then we went down the hall to her chaperone's office to see some videos of her dancing (beautiful!). After, we just 'hung out' in Ola's room & visited with her friend, Olga.
It was nice just to see her in her environment. See her daily life. All the time we've been apart, I've wondered what it is like - now we see:)

We also visited with a guard dog at the orphanage (she barked when we came up). Very sweet old dog & Ola said she has had lots of puppies.


Thankfully, with Sergei's hard work, everything got on the train this evening to Kiev! Thanking the Lord for Sergei! Praying for him and his family - he leaves them to help us.

When Ola hugged Denton "spok-e-nya-noche" (good night), she said, "you smell like home." Melt our hearts! She told me again when she hugged me at the front door.

Day 6 - Ola

Today we see Ola! We have our letter of permission, but first we have to sign a petition to see her & get it notarized. After about 6 hours of sleep, we're up and eat breakfast. Then off to the lawyer to notarize. Next to the Inspector General's office - we sign something and take the Inspector with us to the orphanage for the "interrogation". They inspector asks if Ola knows we are here. The assistant to the Director and the Orphanage Lawyer start laughing & speaking some kind of funny story. Sergei translates that they are all laughing at the question because Ola has been telling *everyone* that we're coming today. Ola has become friends with lots of families coming for their children because she speaks such good English & she can translate for them. Thus, Ola has everyone looking out for when we arrive. I am thankful everyone seems to be in a good mood. Ola is well liked at the orphanage having been there 10 years or so & she is a very good girl. It seems they are so happy that we will be her family.

We joke with everyone that we will name Ola after Denton (a custom in Ukraine) - Olga Dentoniva Elliott. They crack up in laughter! Everyone asks me if I have Russian roots (Russian name, fair hair). I do, I only wish I could speak the language.

Finally we meet with the Director. She asks how we know Ola - we tell her. Then Ola comes in & what a reunion! She seems smaller - more like a little girl today. She sits & the Director asks her some questions (in Russian of course) - I hear "da, da, nyet, nyet, nyet" and that is it. She has to write out that she wants us to adopt her & sign it. All done. We get to go to the library to visit with her a while. After about an hour Sergei comes in & is in a hurry to get Ola to her list of medical appointments. The process is something like this:
6 or so Medicals > paperwork signed and on the train to Kiev > must be submitted M, W or F > processed> returned by train > given to Head Judge > trickles down to the Judge for our case > then we can have court!

We are so happy to see Ola. I keep thinking about her birth mother - wonder what is going on in her life now. I wonder how Ola felt the day she was brought to the orphanage close to 11 years ago. How she feels now that we are finally here. We feel so blessed to be here for her - to be her Dad, Mom, sisters, brother, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends = FAMILY forever. Amazing that God had it planned this way all along. His name is Wonderful.

Day 4 entertainment

For this evening's entertainment, we will wash clothes:)
We have a washing machine from about 1980 (maybe older).

Kolia, Lena, and Yulia told us their best guess on how to work it, so I put soap in the "II" box, twisted the knobs, and nothing happened. Bummer. I twisted knobs in a different order, nothing, more twisting, fiddling, banging...nothing. I call Denton for help. He's an engineer and he can figure anything out! He's fixed our washer and dryer at home - very handy. He twisted, banged, fiddled, nothing. He kept at it for about 5 minutes & still nothing! We call our facilitator & she and her husband try to talk us through the process. Still no success. Ugh. We leave tomorrow at noon from the apartment & the clothes won't be dry it time if we don't get this moving! Finally, Denton has the right sequence of twists and the water comes on. YEA! I come back to the washer about an hour later. The cycle knob has not advanced AT ALL! It has just been tumbling for an hour. Back to fiddling. Another 10 minutes or so & Denton hears the knob clicking - he has gotten it to work properly & the cycle advances. By now it is after 9pm & I am wondering if these clothes will be dry by morning to pack. Doubtful. That is when a Mom goes to work. I have Denton light the oven (from about 1960) & crank it up. I find hangers all over the apartment & hang everything from the curtain rod in the kitchen. OSHA would have a fit.
I open the oven door and pray the clothes won't fall & catch fire. I set a trap for the oven door in case it falls open (an ironing board made of the asbestos-type counters found in a chemistry lab). The kitchen has a door, so I close the door & return to the living area. Denton (a little OCD) goes to the kitchen to check the clothes & it is a sauna! It is working! We turn the oven off & go to bed about midnight. That was fun and by morning everything was dry.

A Kiev Birthday - Day 5

What a treat to spend my birthday in Kiev! And to pick up our referral for Ola! Denton took me to a nice lunch, then Melanie and I left their (very nice) appartment to walk to SDA for exercise. The guys were to follow with the facilitator in the car & be there by about 4pm (you can only pick up the letters from 4-5pm). Melanie & I walked through Independence Square (see the photo of the monument) & into the underground mall - very cool! Sort of like Underground Atlanta, but more compact & nicer. Ola and I will have to visit that when we return to Kiev.
Mel & I got to SDA a little early & called the guys to see if they were on their way (by car, it would probably take twice as long as our15 min. walk to get through traffic). They were still waiting on the driver. Uh-oh. We called again at 4:30 - still waiting on the driver. Yikes! So we did what all ladies would do in a situation like this. We shopped! Just before 5pm, we walked into the building to wait. SDA wasn't ready, so everyone was there waiting. Guys still not here. Did I mention we have a flight to catch? Leaving at 7:50 from the airport about 45 minutes away (hour+ through traffic). Finally the men arrive - just in time for SDA to bring all our paperwork downstairs. We wait for everyone else in line, get our documents & get to the airport with time to spare. I think time is different here. God must be multiplying it when needed:)

Denton will explain his amazing race to the SDA by car:

OK. Bill and I were waiting for our facilitator who was supposed to pick us up with enough time to drive from the apartment to SDA. Traffic was horrible so we weren't picked up until 15 minutes before SDA closed. I asked if he thought we would make it and he said, "We see," with a big smile. We threw our bags in the car and the race began! Driving by independence square left turn are not permitted and traffic doesn't move much so facilitator takes a "short cut." This was amazing, I felt like we were playing "chicken" with pedestrians, parked cars, and barrier railings. You know how cats can squeeze through small openings. Well, somehow facilitator's car was able to transform to cat mode...it was quite thrilling. All this to get us on another rode that goes straight up to the rode that leads to SDA. We arrive at SDA about 15 mins later...this should have easily been a 40 min drive. :-)


We get on the plane, quick hour flight (that would have taken 15hours by train), then a 2 hour drive to Ola's city. Thankfully Sergei had just replaced the shocks on his car (must be done every 10K kilometers due to the terrible roads). Still a bumpy ride, but we saw a white fox! Sergei said he has only seen 2 others in his lifetime! Beautiful. We finally get to bed about 1am. Got to be up running in the morning to see officials to get the paperwork done to get permission to see Ola!

Day 4, SDA

Today was our SDA appointment. We walked in, sat down, and the lady asked us how we knew Ola and why we want to adopt her. We talked about meeting her, hosting her, and how our hearts love her and we wanted her to be a part of our family. She asked how our children felt about all of this & how they liked Ola. I smiled and said they can't wait for Ola to be home. We then saw Ola's file & she explained what was in the file - all that had happened to Ola since 2000 when she was taken to the orphanage by her mom (temporarily). She also explained that Ola's mom didn't come back for her, so in 2005 she was considered "missing" and Ola was considered abandoned. At this point parental rights were terminated. Nothing is known of Ola's father. The lady asked us if we still wanted to go see Ola & asked if we were still interested in adopting her (HELLO!). We said yes of course.


We walked around the vendors & saw St. Andrews church which they were rebuilding the foundation. Our facilitator explained that St. Andrew was the first apostle to come to Ukraine and he stood atop this hill & saw a vision that Ukraine would be the center of Christianity. So they built this magnificent church atop the hill & named it for St. Andrew's.
We met up with 2 other families adopting and along with our facilitator and her husband, we went to a great lunch. Hot herbal tea, Macchiatto, Coke, pizza, bacon and cheese omelet, cherry crepe/pancake - all for about $10. wow. On our way back to the apartment we posed for a photo in front of St Sophia's. A bit of rest, then eat, then rest.

Ukrainian Worship - Day 3

Today was spent with our Ukrainian Church – we celebrated Thanksgiving! Denton gave a sermon, beautiful singing (which we recognized!), and Pastor Kolia delivered his sermon. It was a wonderful service – we had a great feast of authentic Ukrainian food afterward. I just realized – I forgot my cake! Everyone welcomed us & we got lots of hugs & smiles. The children even gave us a poem in English! They did a great job! After the festivities, Pastor Kolia, Lena (his wife) and Yulia (his eldest daughter) took us to a beautiful and historic Ukrainian village. Amazing! Beautiful rolling hills, windmills, homes, a market, and lots of people! The weather was probably in the 60s with a light breeze – I think this is a special gift from God just for me (kidding, but I sure am thankful!)! This excellent weather is atypical – usually by now there is snow & ice falling from the sky.

Kolia and his family then drove us to the market and Yulia helped us shop for a few necessities. Really neat mall. Inside was a market with items similar to what you would find at Dollar General & a Farmer’s Market. There was a huge area of cheese, a whole row of sausages hanging & bulk bins of fresh fruit for you to scoop out for yourself, and the bakery of course. We got some of each & some yogurt which was THE BEST EVER! I do not know what is different, but it was so creamy & sweet, but not sugary. YUMMY! Everything I have seen hints that they do not use artificial anything. Did I mention the butter isle? There were so many *types* of butter – different fat content, different brands, wow. And there were attendants everywhere watching.

After the market, we returned to the apartment & I asked if Yulia and Lena could help me figure out the washing machine. They toiled over it for about 5 minutes, even Kolia gave his input. The final outcome…? Put clothes in here, soap in there, set the dial to this & see what happens. Can’t wait!

I am truly thankful to be here, blessed beyond measure, and having the time of my life!
I wish our children were here to share it with us.
Our appointment is tomorrow at 9am. We are praying that we do exactly what God has for us to do.

Travel, Days 1-2

Travel – Days 1-2

What a wonderful few days we have had! Our journey began about 7am Friday morning; getting up and ready, saying good-bye to the children & my Mom, driving to the airport & watching Robert & Kathy drive away. All incredibly difficult, but the Peace of God which passes all understanding was overwhelming! I do not worry, I do not fret. I am so thankful God has answered prayers for us to have a good & safe trip and for peace. While in flight I looked out into the great expanse and saw God’s beautiful creation. What a mighty God we serve! Our flights were uneventful; we had a quiet trip for the most part. When we got to Germany I realized how tiny of a box I have lived in. I so wish I could speak to these people! The flight attendants spoke to me in German (I look very German I suppose) and I really was disappointed that I couldn’t talk to them. When we landed in Kiev, it was the same. I really wish I knew Russian! And I forgot my Russian notebook which has all the helpful conversational stuff.

We have an apartment just off the downtown Independence Square in Kiev. It is beautiful here (if you look). I was sad to see an old lady sitting on the steps begging for money. I realized too that this is everywhere – even America. Everyone here dresses very trendy – much different than the town in GA where folks go to Wal-Mart in their PJs and slippers. Up to the knee (or higher) boots with 4 inch heels or so on these rough streets is amazing to watch. Skinny jeans, blingy tops, and leather coats (even though the weather is GREAT – sixtys or so)! Now I can understand why Ola was a little bored with the t-shirts and tennis shoes...

Denton was my entertainment for this evening. He had bad jet lag, so he took a pill for sleeping. My amusement began. He was leaving the kitchen and said, "Whoa, I have got to go sit down" I then heard shuffling of feet and banging against the wall. When I got out of the bathroom, I found Denton passed out in the bed with his sermon notes on his belly. He was snoring. This is about 6:30pm. Normally a light sleeper, he didn't budge when I walked across the floors that squeek with each step. He was still snoozing when I removed his pen and papers from his chest. More squeeking & sleeping husband. Wow, that is powerful stuff. To my delight Denton woke up for a few minutes to entertain me. He was like a drunk college kid. Stumbling around, slurred speech, the whole bit. He had been hallucinating he told me. He though he was talking to his Mom and Dad about his sermon. He bumped along the wall in the living area, talked crazy sentences; I begged him to go to bed before he hurt himself. He said he was fine (I was laughing so hard). Finally he went back to bed. I'll try to get video next time:)

Thanks for the laughs!

Skyped today!

Ola was able to skype us today! The camera was replaced on the orphanage computer & it was *SO* good to see her! She seems to have grown up over the last few months - more so than she already was. It was great to see her smile & you could see how happy she was to see us too. The orphanage was having a party for Ola's friend who was just adopted & today was her last day. Bitter-sweet for those left behind. Ola seemed a bit sad when I spoke to her on the phone earlier & I guess it is hard for her to see her friends go.
When she saw us, though & I told her we'd be there in a couple of weeks, she was surprised & excited & perked right up! Some days it feels like we will never get there & some days it feels like we have so much to do & so little time!

a day

We got our appointment in Ukraine!

We will fly out Nov 12th and have our appointment Nov 15th!

We will do some paperwork in Kiev, visit our church there & then go to see Ola Nov 17th!

Praise God for providing our needs and for planning all the events down to every little detail of our journey.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We couldn’t have survived this roller coaster without you!

The ride isn’t over yet, so please continue to pray!

Blessings

Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow

We are so thankful to have the opportunity to partner with Promise686, Inc (www.promise686.org), a Christian non-profit organization which seeks to relieve the financial burden of families called to adopt! They match all donations up to the first $4000! Any amount raised above this will be channeled specifically toward Olga's adoption as well; so 100% of all funds will go directly to cover Olga's international adoption fees. Your gifts will be tax deductible and you will receive a tax deductible receipt.

If you would like to partner with us you can either:

1. Please make checks payable to: Promise686, Inc.
You may preference how the donation might be used by writing “Olga Elliott Adoption” in the memo section of your check.

(*Note: per IRS guidelines, promise686 maintains complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use.)

Mail checks to:
Promise686, Inc
3600 River Ferry Drive
Alpharetta, GA 30022

2. Use the Paypal Donate button on the right of this blog.

May God be glorified as we each strive to do our part in providing for the orphans!

Here we go!

We are starting the process (again)! Docile preparation, stuff to sign, money to raise...
We found out about a grant match program and applied this week! This program would make all donations tax deductible and would match your donation which would double your donation up to $4000! This would be a tremendous blessing! Please pray that we will be approved and that we are able to glorify our Father through this process of making known our desire to provide a family for this dear sweet orphan and asking for financial support (asking for help is not my strong point).

We are beyond ready to have Ola home! Thankful for her visit soon and praying we will travel not too long after she returns to Ukraine. Praying diligently for her protection and for her to know our Love and Christ's.

In Christ Alone

Oh What a May!

We have been so busy this month and last! Long time no blogging, too. We had great success at the yard sale fundraiser and we are so thankful for all who supported us! Over half of the stuff went to new homes and we raised over half of what we need to bring Olga home for the summer! God is so good and provides our needs in ways far beyond what we can ask or even think! Our pastor joked that he was praying for us to raise a certain amount & when the amount we got hit almost exactly what he had prayed for he chastised himself for not praying for more! So he encouraged us to have another yard sale:)

We are so happy that Olga will be home soon for a visit, and our prayer is for her to be home *forever* very soon! Thankfully God knows the perfect time and has His perfect plan. We continue to rest in Him, appreciating your prayers for us.

Adoption Fundraiser

We have been working sorting, picking-up donations, sorting some more, pricing, hanging...
I am tired, but so excited to see how God will use this fundraiser! Thank you all for your donations! Please come shopping April 10th at Christ Community Church parking lot! There will be food, crafts, and loads of books in addition to great yard sale finds!

Tamara got to talk with Olga today for 30 minutes and said she was in good spirits.  But she obviously needed to be assured as she asked again if she was coming home for the summer and next fall for good.  Tamara said yes and "yea!" and then Olga giggled.  We got her a bike so she can learn to ride this summer.  Tamara told her about the bike and she said, "Take a picture so I can see."  :-)

There are several couples over in Ukraine now adopting their children.  I am sure we would have been with them if Olga had been registered.  But alas, we wait and wait until the 12 months is up...hopefully November!

The Higgins' blog (higginsadoptions.com) has been a wonderful blessing to read and experience over these last days!  They are such a thoughtful couple to post for all of us back home to be able to follow them through the process of adoption.  It has been all good news for them so far and we continue to pray that all goes well for all the couples adopting now!  In God's loving Hands!

What a whirlwind

We are so thankful for everyone who contributed to our visit with Olga! We had a wonderful time together and God knit our hearts together even more. We were so excited to tell Olga our plans for bringing her home and she was so happy to hear the news! I think she relaxed & truly felt part of our family. We learned so much together. Olga is an amazing young lady. Our children love her and vie for her attention. Olga has been gone from us for 45 days now and it seems like forever! We all miss her terribly, but skype is great! We are able to see her:> and talking is easier because we can mime what we don't understand. I can't believe we have so long to wait for another visit, but I am thankful we have that opportunity!

We will be having a community yard sale, craft fair & book sale in April to raise funds for bringing Olga home. Please email if you can participate (set up a booth) or donate stuff!

Thanks so much for your prayers & support!