The Davie Adventure

The Bios

2012-02-09T21:26:00.000-08:00

Colton got married to Kelly in 2011. Perfect wedding. Perfect couple. They are living in LA where Colton is honing his skills at cinematography and learning to snowboard. Alexandra and I were talking about him today; how he is so talented-----at everything. "The rest of us pale in comparison" according to Alexandra. He is certainly talented. But so are the others.

Luke is racing motocross again and living at the farm in Montgomery. He's pretty darn good at that if he could just stay healthy. Right now he is in a cast while his wrist heals. My biggest concern for Luke is that he is too much like me. But don't tell him I said that.

Alexandra will graduate from high school this year. Bummer. I am not ready for her to leave home but the day draws near. She will be studying Social Entrepreneurship at Belmont University in Nashville. There is no one in the world as talented as her at mercy and compassion. (Not to mention her photographing skills).

God has given us 7 unique children; each special in his or her own way. They challenge me; tire me; surprise me; but most of all bless me. I could not have written a better story than the one God is writing for our family. An adventure, indeed.

Roman Elijah

2012-02-03T21:26:00.001-08:00

Roman. Thats what I call him. Eli. Thats what his dad calls him. Romchick. Rome. Romeo. That kid has the most nicknames! And he's smart. I mean like he is most likely a genius. He would have graduated from the orphanage at 14 since he was 2 grades of where he was supposed to be. When he first joined our family, we homeschooled for 2 years then he went into the 7th grade at our public middle school. He makes all As. He scored like close to perfect recently on his ACT Explore exam. He reads like a machine. Can do or be whatever he wants to be. And he worries like crazy. About everything. He worries we will run out of gas on the way to soccer. He worries that we are going to go broke. He talks non-stop and asks questions that no one can answer. And he is so attached to his family that you would never know he has only been here for 4 years. He is here, in the moment, 100 percent American, 100 percent Davie.

My blog resurrected

2012-02-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

I have decided to return to the world of blogging. Mostly because I talk to a lot of people who are adopting themselves and they are interested in hearing what my life is like. I have to admit that my life is quite interesting and since I like to write, I figure I might as well.

So I will begin here with a brief update on what most people are interested in: the 4 children who came to us by way of adoption. First, the baby. As many of you know, when we first went to adopt Vicka, we came home empty handed. As we landed in Atlanta from that trip, we got a call from Angie Spackman at the Adullam House in Wetumpka. She wanted to know if we had any interest in adopting Jalen. We had known Jalen since birth but he was not then available for adoption nor did we, at the time, have any notions of adopting an infant. So here we were after adopting 2 older children and failing at adopting another, being offered that infant who was now 3 years old. To make a long story short, we said yes; Jalen (whom we renamed Jay Marcus Davie) came to live with us in December 2009; we completed his adoption in August 2010; and we feel like he has always been a part of our family. He is quite the live wire; I have recently begun calling him Jay-Turbo; not only because he is a speedster but his emotions are pretty much on turbo power most of the time. He should count as 2 children at least. More on him in the days to come.

After we committed to adopting Jay, we got notice from Vicka that she had made a mistake in saying no and so we went back to Ukraine and adopted her again. She came home in April 2010. Since my last blog post in 2010 was an appeal for someone to adopt her friends, Vicka and Dima, I am happy to report that they are now living happily in a family only about 45 minutes from us. Our Vicka had the hardest time adjusting of all our Ukrainian children. She is more introverted and it seems like she spent the first 3 months here in her room. But she eventually came out and now we joke about those days. She went into 9th grade at a public high school and has been on the A-B honor roll every semester. The social adjustment has been harder. Being 17-18 in the 10th grade is proving to be a test. Out of all our Ukrainian children, she has had the most contact with her acquaintances from Ukraine -- both the ones still there and the ones who have been adopted. I think the allowance of that has been one of our biggest parenting mistakes. I took Vicka back to Ukraine for the first time at Christmas to visit her brother and ended up coming home without her yet again. Thankfully, she is now at home but we had a few stressful days there recently. My advice to adoptive parents of older children: think hard before you take them back for a visit to their home country. Better yet: just forget it.

Which brings me to Vitalik. When we went to adopt Vicka the second time we took Vitalik because we couldn't trust him enough to leave him here. He ran away; lived on the streets I guess for about 5 weeks but somehow we managed to get him home with us. Boy did he smell. But I digress. When we got him home we sent him to a wilderness therapy program in Georgia to detox and try to get it together. He was there about 8 weeks. We went and got him after he ran away thinking he could get home before my birthday. Yeah, I'm a softie. Vitalik had a great summer that year; had a full time job; started public school in the fall. Then about October, he bought a ticket to Ukraine with the money he had saved and he was gone! Just had to get it out of his system I guess. 6 weeks later he called and said "I know I can't live with yall anymore; I will live anywhere you put me; just please can I come home." Music to my ears. He told someone recently that the sweetest sound he had ever heard was when I said yes. We had a rough year after that but at present he is living in an apartment about 5 minutes from the house; we see him everyday so that we can still parent him and he has a full time job landscaping. He is 19 and I look at this like his college years. There are always bumps in the road but at least right now the road seems to be headed in the right direction.

Roman and the bio kids will get there own blog tomorrow. Until then.....

Adoption grant offered for 2 teens in Ukraine

2010-07-07T22:03:00.000-07:00

We adopted our 16 year old daughter, Vicka, from Ukraine a little over 2 months ago. Daily, she has fretted over the future of her best friend. She graduated from the orphanage this year at age 15. She has a 16 year old brother, who graduated at the same time. They both had birthdays yesterday, July 6th. Thus, they have exactly one year before they “age out” and can never be adopted. A grant has been offered that would fully pay the facilitator’s fees for the adoption of these 2 children. The facilitator’s fee is the biggest expense of an adoption from Ukraine. A family approved to adopt Vika and Dima would only have to pay for transportation, food and lodging in Ukraine, as well as the fees associated with completing their dossier here in the States. In addition, we would personally help anyone walk through the process of preparing their dossier.

We know these children and would love to tell anyone more about them. We have lots of pictures from numerous visits to their orphanage. We would also be happy to answer any questions about the adoption process itself. Please commit to pray that this brother and sister would find their forever family. They are precious children who have little hope of a future in the poor area in which they live. They both have expressed the desire for a family. Please forward this link to your friends and acquaintances. You never know but that this might be read by someone whom God has already prepared as Mom and Dad to these 2children.

Welcome Home Vicka

2010-05-06T21:02:00.001-07:00

Inching Closer

2010-04-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

As I call it a night on this side of the Atlantic, Gabe, Roman and Vicka are boarding the plane from Lugansk to Kyiv. It was a tearful good-bye but all is well. They will spend the weekend in Kyiv and hopefully have the Visa on Monday.

Chosen

2010-04-08T21:50:00.001-07:00

Life is hard. Raising children is hard. Raising an adopted child is double hard. I am questioning my abilities lately. I often feel like a colossal failure. I spoke with 3 other adoptive Moms this week. They did not use those same words but from what they told me about their struggles, they were not feeling quite so competent either. Its not enough just to love these children. They need more. So much more. And so I have spent quite a few weeks wallowing in my self-pity as I have come to realize that I don't have it in me to raise these children. I am out of ideas, out of patience, out of resources.

God has watched me wallow in this place. He's even called out to me to get up once or twice (an hour). But I've just laid there. Defeated.

But then tonight God whispered a sweet but powerful word into my ear. Chosen. I have often tried to encourage my children with this word. "I chose you," I have told them. Out of all the children in this world, I chose you as my own. Blank stare. I've had one even tell me I made a mistake. They do not appreciate this idea at all. Its just a word.

But tonight God did not remind me of my choice. He reminded me of his. "I chose you," He told me. Out of all the people in this world, I chose you to parent Vitalik. To parent Roman. To parent Vicka. Will I laugh at God and tell him he made a mistake? Will I buckle underneath the weight that my God has gently laid upon my shoulders?

Can you believe I even buckled in front of one of them? My dear sweet little Roman heard my complaining and said to me "Mom, God will help you do whatever he has called you to do." Grace? Did you say something about grace, Roman? Yes. I may be out of ideas but I am not out of grace. I may be out of patience but I am not out of grace. I may be out of resources but I am not out of grace. In fact, there was new grace this morning. And like manna, there will be just enough new grace tomorrow morning. And every morning thereafter.

God chose me as the parent of these children, not because he saw something wonderful in me. In fact, he knew I couldn't handle it. He gave me the burden, knowing it was too much for me to bear. God chose me so that His power could be made perfect in my weakness. Chosen. Its not just a word. It is a gift. It is an opportunity. It is a difficult and narrow road. Why would I have ever expected anything less?

And now may God grant me the strength to embrace his choice; to get up out of the miry clay of doubt and unbelief; and accept His generous outpouring of grace that supplies all my needs according to his riches in glory.

Verdict's In

2010-04-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

Court went well today. The decree making Vicka our daughter will become final on April 20th. Still holding our collective breath until we have cleared the final hurdle. Gabe said they all had a good day together. He will leave Lugansk in the morning and be home tomorrow night.

So far so good

2010-04-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

Gabe and Sasha made it to Lugansk. Its early Thursday morning there. They will go get Vicka soon and spend some time together before the final court hearing at 2:00. By the time I wake up, we should have a verdict.

We Finally Received our Interpol Clearance

2010-03-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

It took our clearance 49 days to get to the SDA but at least it finally came. I'm glad we came on home and did not try to wait it out! Vicka was starting to get anxious and is now thrilled that we will be returning soon.

Gabe will travel back to Ukraine next week to finish up the court proceedings. The final hearing is set for Thursday, April 8th. The decree should be final April 18th. One of us will go back at that time to bring her home. God is good.

First round of court is completed

2010-02-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

Court today was a success. The whole day was so different from last summer when tears were shed on the way to court, during court, and after court. The sun came out today and so did the smiles. Vicka was very composed and calmly answered all the questions asked of her. When she was finished, she sat down with a smile and sigh of relief.

Because of the missing document, court must be reconvened before the final decree can be entered. But at least we have overcome the first hurdle.

We had the same judge, same jurors, same inspector three times in a row so we asked them all to be in the photo this time!

No clearances this week

2010-02-19T13:52:00.000-08:00

We have been told that no clearances came in this week. That means we will only be having a prelminary hearing on Wednesday. But at least we can come home for a while. We miss the rest of the children and it is a blessing that only one of us will have to return to complete court.

Vicka and I have been working on a 1500 piece jigsaw puzzle and we are planning several outings for the weekend. We are very blessed to have Linda with us now.

2010-02-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

Not much new going on here. We just sort of hang out till about 1:00 everyday when we head to Bela. Today we played UNO with Vicka and her friend. I called my friend Linda Tur in Kyiv and asked her to come out and be a translator for us. Vicka is so shy about communicating that I thought it would be good to have Linda around. She will arrive in the morning.

Still no Interpol clearance and still no Vitalik. But to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think....to Him be the glory......forever and ever.

We have a court date

2010-02-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

No, the Interpol Clearance did not come but even if it is not here by Wednesday, February 24th, we will have court that day. Worse case scenario is that the clearance will still be missing, the hearing will be considered preliminary and we will be able to go home with only one of us required to return to finish up the process after the clearance does come in.

We took Vicka with us to meet with the judge today. Yes, it was an informal meeting but she tackled it with courage and strength. She led the way into the building and up the stairs. She answered the judges questions with smiles instead of tears. I was a proud mama.

No Interpol Clearance today

2010-02-15T07:10:00.000-08:00

The SDA said it has not received any new clearances since Thursday. Apparently, there is no schedule for when they are delivered to the SDA. We needed ours by tomorrow in order to be able to have court this week. Due to our family situation, we will need to come home if the clearance does not come in tomorrow. We will ask to schedule court a few weeks later, to give the clearance time to come in and for us to make new arrangements for our other children.

We had to do some paperwork today and did not get to visit with Vicka but we plan to go visit with her after school tomorrow. A friend called and asked if we were interested in helping with the recording of an English-learning CD so we will be doing that tomorrow morning. Sounds like fun.

A nice weekend

2010-02-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

We have had a nice weekend with Vicka. Saturday we went to the orphanage for the Valentine's Day party with Shane and Marilyn and the kids. We've been eating at the same restaurants we ate at last summer, mostly because we know how to order there. Sergey, our driver, has been acting as our translator when needed. He was also the one who drove us on that 4-hour round trip to Starribilsk last summer. He has an emotional stake in this adoption as well! Vicka is happy and at ease. We visited with Maxim some this weekend. His grandmother is always such a sweet hostess.

Still no interpol clearance. Hoping it will come by Wednesday.

Z

First Day in Lugansk

2010-02-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

We got our referral yesterday. We arrived in Lugansk at 11:00 pm. We met with the inspector this morning and were at Bela by 10:00. All is well.

We had dinner with Shane and Marilyn and celebrated Vicka's 16th birthday which was the 6th.

SDA Appointment

2010-02-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

The SDA appointment went well. We were asked how to explain how we knew Vicka and then we were read her file yet again. It was a good testimony to the girls in the SDA office to hear we were back after what happened last summer.

After the appointment, Gabe and I browsed the souvenirs. I was dying to have one of these Soviet style hats so Gabe obliged.

Then we had lunch with Sasha at Soho steakhouse and discussed what to do about Vitalik. We will pick up our referral tomorrow and take the 9:30 pm flight to Lugansk. We will be doing paperwork on Friday then decide at that point whether to wiat on the Interpol clearance here or at home.

SDA Appointment tomorrow

2010-02-09T12:54:00.000-08:00

I made it to Kyiv with no trouble. Gabe and I enjoyed dinner at the Italian restaurant next to Fridays then walked around enjoying the snow. Its cold, but not unbearably.

I haven't seen Vitalik since arriving, but then again, neither has Gabe seen much of him. This has been the difficult part of this trip. The pull of the past on our son has been more than he could bear. Pray for him.

2nd Mission Finally Accomplished

2010-02-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

The affidavit requesting the Interpol Clearance could only be filed on Monday. So it has been filed. Gabe said all the facilitators were there at the SDA waiting on clearances that had been promised this week for the families that are already there. The clearances were not yet available. It has been 2 weeks since they implemented this requirement so chances are we will not get our clearance within 2 weeks. Unless things improve, looks like we might be coming home to wait on the clearances and then going back for court.

First Mission Accomplished

2010-02-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

Gabe and Vitalik made it to Kyiv. They flew through Atlanta and Paris. They say it is cold and snowing. They are staying across from the Mandarin Plaza as usual but in a different apartment. Gabe filed the I600 at the Embassy first thing. It had to be filed before Monday so we are good to go! Sasha will file the request for Interpol Clearance tomorrow.

The Journey has Begun

2010-02-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

Gabe and Vitalik left today at noon. They will arrive in Kyiv tomorrow morning around 11:00. On Friday Sasha will file the affidavit requesting the Interpol clearance and Gabe will file the I600 at the Embassy. I will be leaving on Monday evening, arriving on Tuesday, to join them. Our SDA appointment is Wednesday morning. And I only have a million things to do before then! Prayers for Gabe and Vitalik this week will be GREATLY appreciated!

Even the best laid plan can go awry

2010-01-29T17:32:00.000-08:00

Each time we have been to the Lugansk region to adopt we have had court in about 2 weeks. And so we planned to spend about 2 weeks there again, then come home for the waiting period after court. Well, so much for planning! The SDA sent out a notice some months ago that dossiers submitted after February 1, 2010, would need to include a letter authorizing an Interpol clearance. But they suddenly began applying the requirement this week. At least we will get a head start on ours. Some families are in Ukraine in limbo, waiting on the clearance before they can have court. The clearance can take up to 40 days!

So we will still have our appointment at the SDA on February 10th. They will have had our Interpol request for about a week by then and so we get a small head start. Still, we cannot spend 40 days in Ukraine waiting on court. We have no idea how things will pan out. But God does. He is as sovereign over governments as he is over a child's heart. And so as always, we make plans to the best of our ability and trust God with the outcome.

Our SDA appointment is in 19 days!!!

2010-01-22T20:14:00.000-08:00

Gabe leaves in 12 days for Ukraine. He will be taking Vitalik with him. Hopefully, they will be able to visit the orphanage there as well as see some of the graduates. Gabe will get the I600 filed at the Embassy before Vicka's 16th birthday and I will follow 5 days later. Its all happening so fast this time! My life feels sort of like "we now interrupt our regular programming to bring you another adoption!"

Two summers ago when we were in Ukraine adopting Vitalik and Roman, our oldest son, Colton, was in California working on a movie. We were so proud tonight to see his name in the credits of To Save a Life which opened in theaters around the country today. If you haven't yet heard about this powerful movie, please go to www.tosavealifemovie.com and check it out.

Be His hands and feet in Haiti

2010-01-21T06:39:00.001-08:00

Please continue to check the Hands and Feet website for updates on Haiti. Also, you can become a fan of The Hands and Feet Project as well as a fan of Mark Stuart on Facebook and receive daily updates. Hands and Feet is the primary organization bringing relief to Jacmel, a town of 50,000 people! They are coordinating relief flights of supplies from the States via Miami and Santo Domingo. They are receiving much needed water, vital supplies of medical and shelter supplies, as well as diapers and formula.

If you would like a different way to donate, consider sponsoring a child from the Adullam House in thier rock-n-read-thon on January 29th. The Adullam House is a home in Wetumpka, Alabama that cares for children whose mothers are incarcerated. The children asked if they could raise money for Haiti and will be donating the money to HAF. The children will be in front of Sam's Club in Montgomery on January 29th rocking and reading for 8 hours. They are working on getting sponsors and will be accepting donations on-site as well. Contact them through www.adullamhouse.org if you would like to make a pledge.

UPDATE on Jacmel, Haiti

2010-01-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

The mayor of Jacmel has given permission for Hands and Feet to land small aircraft and bring in boats with supplies. The first boat comes in today! Praise the Lord! Any money donated will be used to purchase supplies. Where possible, they will be bought from the Dominican Republic and Haitians will be hired to distribute them. Jacmel is on the south coast of the country and inaccessible by road at this time. If you have a large boat or small plane (1400 meter runway) email bob@hafproject.org. Please pass this on.

Disaster

2010-01-14T19:35:00.000-08:00

In Haiti. Gabe and Alexandra were there. In Haiti. They left Tuesday, late morning. That afternoon, there was an earthquake. In Haiti. The Montana, the hotel where they stayed Monday night crumbled in the earthquake. 200 people were killed. As the earth quaked in Haiti, Gabe and Alexandra were landing in Birmingham.

Our friends are still in Haiti. The Hands and Feet Project, where they care for orphaned and abandoned children and where Gabe and Alexandra stayed, was protected. I believe that God has them there for such a time as this.

Mark on Wednesday:
Last night was crazy...slept on the dirt in the center of the village...away from the buildings. Tonight we may venture back indoors, but that is yet to be decided. We go in and out to get necessities. The Haitian people are numb and sad to say very used to death, but this has created what seems to be a hypnotic state. I've never been in a situation were you feel SO helpless, fearful, and small. The tremors are coming again as i type this.

Mark on Thursday:

We went to Jacmel today for supplies. pockets of the city look like bombs went off. i saw a family that had been trapped & killed on their porch...there's no machinery to get them out. saw another man who was ONE step away from escaping his tumbling house, but was pinned & killed against the front porch post & remains there hanging by one arm. it's disturbing. i think we're in shock

Aegis on Thursday:

We saw dead bodies and buildings fallen down everywhere. just got back and was upstairs checking emails & had another tremor. also met a women whose roof had fallen on her while she was in bed. broke her back. she's got kids & is pregnant & is lying on a mat on the ground. this is heartbreaking

From CNN:

The staff at the Hands and Feet Mission in Jacmel, Haiti, is worried. Not about looters; they are worried about the aftershocks. They just won't stop. The children of the orphanage, who range in age from 2 months to 9 years old, panic every time one comes. The situation is overwhelming for them. At times they are normal kids, laughing and playing marbles, and then their emotions swing violently, and they run into the yard, screaming and crying.

From the Hands and Feet Project facebook page Thursday night:

The mayor of Jacmel visited the orphanage today and told them of several children who are in the town just sitting on the streets, crying. Their parents were killed, and the mayor is hoping that they can take them in at Hands and Feet. We need to prepare for these new children to join the Hands and Feet family.

I thank God that Gabe and Alexandra were able to get to know the precious children at Hands and Feet earlier this week. I thank God they got out of Port Au Prince safely. I thank God for the Hands and Feet Project and the wonderful people who run it and support it. I thank God for protecting them in the midst of this disaster. Please pray for them and the rest of the country. If you are able and would like to make a donation to the Hands and Feet Project, please visit their website at www.handsandfeetproject.org. May God be glorified in Haiti.

Near-disaster

2010-01-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

God is so incredibly good. What could have turned out a disaster is now a mere inconvenience. Our appointment with the SDA is Wednesday, February 10th. We purchased tickets in December. We were scheduled to fly out on Monday, February 8th. Once in Ukraine, we would be going to the Embassy to begin the visa application process as it has to be filed before a child’s 16th birthday. We thought we were safe since Vicka’s birthday wasn’t until February 16th.

So over in Ukraine, God is watching out for me. Vicka gets sent to some sort of educational competition. Some sponsors of the orphanage reward her with 400 griven (about 50 dollars). She buys a phone. We have been corresponding all along so she sends me her phone number. On Saturday we are just chatting away, with Roman translating, when she tells me that we will be leaving America on her birthday! What?! Her birthday is not the 8th! Oh, yes, it is.

So after a whirlwind morning of emails to the Embassy, phone calls to my facilitator, and being on hold with Delta, we have changed our travel arrangements. Gabe will now be leaving on Wednesday, February 3rd, so that he can arrive and be at the Embassy by Friday the 5th. I will still leave on the 8th and join him there in Kyiv. I am so thankful that God did not allow us to show up at the Embassy on the 10th, only be told we were too late. Can you imagine?

God is so in control of every detail of our lives. I know that, if left to my own devises, my life would be one wreck after another. I can look around my home every day and see visible evidence of God’s grace and mercy to me. I repent of my whining and complaining; of my frustrations; of my lack of faith in God. He is faithful. And He will bring it to pass.

Headed back to Ukraine

2009-12-27T21:23:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I mentioned "resting" in God's sovereign goodness and control. Well, right now I feel like we are being swept away in a river of God's sovereign goodness and control!

In early November we heard from Vicka that she regretted her decision made in the summer and wanted us to return to Ukraine to adopt her. We were not even sure at the time about the legalities of this but it has, indeed, all been worked out by our sovereign God and we have an appointment with the SDA on February 10th, ten days before Vicka's 16th birthday! God's plans certainly cannot be thwarted.

All of this comes at an interesting time as we are very close to our 3 year old being permanently placed with us. His adoption will not be final for several months but he has already become a big part of our family. My flesh is certainly tempted to say "but, God, this is not a convenient time to go back to Ukraine" but God never promised us convenience. in fact, it seems that the Word of God makes it clear that the path of obedience is wrought with inconveniences, if not downright suffering. And so I simply praise God for what He has done in Vicka's heart and trust Him to work out of the logistics involved with our travel.

I regret not having blogged much in the last few months. Life is so interesting but also so busy! I will try to update with photos soon.

Adventures continue

2009-10-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

We have had a whirlwind of activity since we returned from Ukraine. We are taking classes which will enable us to foster and/or adopt a 3 year old that we have known since birth. We are able to have preplacement visits with him and it has been a sweet time for the whole family.

At first, we were not able to find a class to participate in, but one is now being offered at our church. Our pastor, David Platt, has been preaching through James and as we camped out in chapter 1, contemplating God's love for orphans, David felt lead to challenge our church to take care of the children in foster care in Shelby County, Alabama. 150 families answered that call. So classes have begun several nights a week.

We recently celebrated Alexandra's 16th birthday with a surprise visit to New York. She got her driver's license this week and is now able to help with driving duties! Soccer and karate keep us running here and there and sometimes two drivers was not enough!

We are still homeschooling this year. Alexandra is taking several classes at a co-op. We have not seen Colton since we got back from Ukraine. He had fall break this week but was shooting some short film projects. His car was totaled when it was driven off a ravine by a friend who was also working on the project. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. Luke is home for a few days. I look forward to the holidays when we will all be together for a short time. Children grow up way too fast!

The appeal period ended for Vicka's motion to set aside the adotpion decree. There is no longer any chance that she can be adopted. We still do not understand what happened exactly but we continue to rest in God's soverengn goodness and control. We have learned that when we set out to adopt any child, God's plans cannot be thwarted. God is clear in his call to us to look after orphans. As we walk in obedience to that call, we must leave the outcomes up to Him. Still, there is a sadness that lingers over the loss we experienced. We love Vicka and pray that one day she will desire a relationship with us, if only through letters and visits.

She does not want to leave Ukraine

2009-08-26T08:25:00.001-07:00

We went back before the judge today. Vicka told the judge that she had changed her mind before court and had made a mistake saying yes previously. Her reason was that she did not want to leave Ukraine.

Alexandra and I fly out of Lugansk tomorrow morning at 6:45. We will leave Kyiv at 1:00 in the afternoon and arrive home at 11:15 tomorrow night. I know that there have been so many of our friends praying about this situation. We are sad and still shocked by it all. We don't understand why this has happened in the way it did. But we know that our God is a sovereign God and that He is working all things together for our good and His glory. Knowing that is enough.

Back to Court on Wednesday

2009-08-22T00:18:00.000-07:00

I have hesitated to blog about details of our situation and, yet, I am sure that others will face similar problems and so I decided to share, at least in general, what is going on. Perhaps others can learn from our mistakes. Or perhaps others have already gone through this and have ideas or suggestions that might help us.

Gabrielle was very distraught the day of court. We attributed this to fear, nerves, understanding the impact of what she was doing. She cried on the way to court, during court, after court, but she told the judge that yes, she wanted to be adopted. She was in constant communication with a friend by telephone the day of court. I regret that I did not take the phone away early in the day. ( I had given it to her in June.)

When we returned to the apartment after court and passport application and picture, she became even more distraught, while continuing to talk with her friends. We had told her we would go back to visit camp but that we wanted her to stay with us in Lugansk. I think this made her angry and enabled her to turn her emotions against us. After about 30 minutes back at the apartment, she became hysterical and began saying she had made a mistake, had changed her mind, and wanted to go back to court and say no. We let her talk to our facilitator, and the director of her orphanage, but we took the phone and would not let her talk to her friends anymore as we felt this was fueling the anger. This only made matters worse. Perhaps if we had just let her go back to camp as she wanted, we would not be where we are today. And yet I felt, and still do, that it was better for her to be with us considering all the circumstances.

The next day, we took her back to visit with the Inspector and Director. They could not get anywhere with her. She did not offer any reason to them about why she had changed her mind, just that she did not want to go. They decided to send her back to camp but asked me not to leave and to visit with her in a few days.

Two days later, Thursday, we went to camp to see her. The assisitant inspector went with us. By now, Gabe and the boys had gone home and it was just me and Alexandra. Gabrielle's attitude was the same. She would not go to with us no matter what anyone said. When I tried reasoning with her, she listened but when it made too much sense, she would say "I cannot talk about this any more." Before we left camp that day, she signed a document saying she did not want to be adopted. I was devastated. I honestly did not think she would go through with this decision.

The Inspector has spoken with the judge and he wants us all back in court on Wednesday. It is my understanding that he hopes to mediate and help us come to a reasonable solution. However, from what I understand, he is prepared to rule on Wednesday what is to be done.

Vicka had stated that she did not want me to visit her at camp. I think that with time to think she has been able to come up with a list of reasons why she does not like us anymore. It is a holiday weekend (Monday is Independence Day) so we decided to drive down to Zaporizhia. My friends Andy and Terri Garver are here adopting 2 children they have been waiting on for 4 years! We got here last night and will stay until Tuesday. Unless, of course, by some miracle, Gabrielle calls and says she would like to see us before then.

I am writing her letters everyday that the translator is reading to her. My purpose in these letters is not to get her to change her mind, Rather, I hope that, even if she refuses to go with us, her anger will subside and we will be able to have a relationship with her in the future. Only God can change her mind and give her a desire to join our family.

"Good day today"

2009-08-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

"Good day today," Maksim repeated over and over. We were so happy to be able to spend time with him. He lives with his grandparents in a little village not too far from Lugansk. When we arrived, we sat under the apple tree and waited for "Ba" as Maksim calls her, to properly greet us. Apparently Maksim had not warned her we were coming! She came out and asked if we would like some tea and we said yes. While she preapred it, Maksim gave us a tour of his home.

He was very proud of it. The home sits on a large piece of land. His grandmother works at the local hospital but also keeps a mean garden! Maksim speaks very good English and told us all about the garden. We had a lot of fun learning the names of the various vegetables in the garden. There were grapes, cabbage, carrots, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, sunflowers, and more.

By the time the tour was over, tea was ready to be served. Ba had spruced up the little outdoor sitting area and we felt like royalty. Maksim brought out some soap and a pan full of water and helped us wash our hands. Then he served us tea.

Before we were finished with tea, Maksim climbed up in the apple tree to offer us both an apple. Alexandra was excited to find a worm in hers. She had never found a worm in an apple before, she said. She'd only read about it in books!

After tea, Maksim took us indoors. He showed us where he slept and played some music for us that he likes to listen to. We talked some with his grandmother. She is only 56 years old and obviously takes very good care of Maksim. Maksim's mother does not live far from their home and he told us that he now has a baby brother.

About 3:00 we headed back toward Lugansk to take him bowling. He had a blast and so did we. After bowling two games (for a whopping $5.00) we rode to the Center to shop for some movies and try out the arcade. We stopped in at the pet store in the mall, and Max could have stayed in there forever.

On the way back to Maksim's village, we stopped at his school. He was very proud to show it off as well. We got back to his house and Ba had borsch waiting for us. It was the best Ukrainian meal we have ever had. Borsch, bread, some sort of sweet cakes dipped in honey, compote. It was great. We talked more with Ba and Maksim got out his English book we had brought him. In the car, he had kept clutching it saying "This is my love". He is really serious about learning English and being a translator some day.

Maksim was given a chance to be adopted into an American family and he chose to stay in Ukraine with his grandmother. As we spent time together today I thought how special it was that American familes can keep in touch with him and reach out to him even while he continues to live in Ukraine. I pray that that will be the case for Gabrielle if she, too, chooses to stay.

Update on court

2009-08-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

We went to court on Monday. The court granted our petition. I have not blogged because afterwards we ran into some trouble. Gabrielle wants to go back to court and withdraw her consent. We do not yet know how this will play out. It has been 2 very long, emotionally trying days. I will post again when everything is resolved one way or the other.

A busy morning

2009-08-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

Roman and I went across the street to the Blinchiki hut at 8:00 this morning only to find it closed, in spite of the sign. We came back to the apartment only to find we had locked ourselves out. We had 25 minutes to wait on Sergey (and a phone to call Gabe) so we walked to the supermarket and got a pastry. Sergey was waiting when we got back and we called Gabe to let us in. Roman and I then left for our trip to Starribilsk. (Roman has enjoyed telling this story several times today and suggested I blog about it).

The original plan today was for me, Gabe, and Roman to go to Starribilsk this morning and pick up Gabrielle for court. Vitalik was supposed to stay home and accompany Alexandra to Shane's church just a few blocks from here. But Vitalik had a few problems with that scenario so Gabe had to stay in Lugansk with them. Vitalik earned him an early trip home and still ended up going to church. "You mean I got angry for nothing?" he asked. Yes, son, that's generally the case.

Gabrielle said she and her friends cried through the discoteque last night and I don't think they slept much either. She was saying her goodbyes in the anticipation that she might not have to go back to camp after court. Don't know yet whether or not that will be the case.

Roman and I had a nice drive to Starribilsk and back. We left at 8:30 and were back in Lugansk at 12:00. Once again we had to wait outside the apartment as we only have one key and Gabe and the kids were still at church.

We took the kids some salami, much to their delight. On the way back we played "On my way to San Jose" and I was pleased that Gabrielle was willing to use her English. She seems more self conscious of doing so when Vitalik is around. I think it will work out for the best that both boys will be going home after court.

Alexandra spent some time this afternoon with her Ukrainian friends and they all stopped by before splitting up. We walked around the city a bit and played monopoly at the apartment. Tonight we are watching Madagascar in Russian. Tomorrow is court.

Pie in the eye ball

2009-08-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

Today we did much of the same. Breakfast. Camp. Starribilsk. Shooting gallery. Lunch. Back to camp. Our driver Sergey, bored out of his wits I am sure by this point, joined in our volleyball circle. There is a tank that I have been wanting to stop and take pictures of so we stopped today even though there was a wedding party there doing photographs. It seems to be a traditon that court weddings are on Saturdays and after the ceremony, they drive all over town for photographs. Guests follow along in their own cars.

At 5:00 we watched the Bela girls compete in a pioneer ball game. I have always wanted to know what this game consisted of and now I do. Its sort of like volleyball but you catch it and throw it back over the net. Sveta was the team star, with a killer throw/spike. They won, as I think they do every competition they participate in. Gabrielle played very well also. She is surprising me with her athletic skills. We are happy that she wants to join me and Alexandra in our ballroom dancing lessons. I guess at this point we are just happy that she wants to be joining us, period. These long and monotonous days, with hours spent crammed like sardines into the backseat of a car, often get everyone in a bad mood and there is usually bickering going on at some point during the day. The kids get mad over nothing and I spend 90% of my time refereeing. I know that it passes soon enough, however. Court is day after tomorrow. Gabe and Roman (and now Vitalik) are leaving for Kyiv in 4 days. The countdown will be on.

In spite of the long days and frequent bickering, we spend a lot of time laughing as well. Ever since we got pulled over for the first time, by a very skinny militia man that Vitalik nicknamed Suharki, we call every militia we see “Inspector Suharki.” Then there’s the language faux pas. Like when Gabe sat down next to a little girl one morning when we arrived at camp and said “paka”. Or like today when someone said “pioneer ball” and Gabe exclaimed “pie in the eye ball?!”. I guess you never know.

Tomorrow we will go pick up Gabrielle and bring her back to Lugansk for court on Monday. I think the reality of leaving her friends and the only life she has ever known is starting to sink in. She seems a little pensive at times. It takes courage to do what these kids do. They should be an inspiration to us all.

The Druzhba Ball

2009-08-14T23:04:00.000-07:00

Friday morning Sergey came and got Alexandra and took her out to Camp Druzhba. The rest of us found a new coffee house. Breakfast was good but the most important feature was that we all got menus! Four of them! It has been our experience in every other restaurant to only get 2 menus. Thursday night they even took one back after they gave it to us because someone else came in and sat down and neeeded one.

After breakfast, Roman and I went shopping for a towel and a couple of t-shirts for a boy at camp. Sounds easy but think again! We found towels but the t-shirts would have to wait. The woman at the bath and bedding store was fascinated with me and Roman. We visited with her for some time about adoption and America. There was another elderly lady there as a customer and she asked Roman "they do not beat you?" The store clerk answered, "No, they do not beat him. Can't you see she is a good Mama and takes care of him?" When we left she invited us to come visit with her again sometime.

After Sergey returned we headed back out toward Starribilsk. We stopped and got bananas and plums for the kids at camp. When we arrived we were happy to see them playing their board games. We went back out for lunch to Paradise and the boys went to the shooting gallery again. Gabrielle and I went shopping and found the 2 t-shirts we needed. Thank you, Staci! He was very appreciative. We also threw in a DVD. He loves movies. He had never seen Hancock and since the boys liked that one, its what we got.

We had taken Mall Cop for the kids to watch as well. After we got back from town, it was raining, raining, raining and they all settled in to watch the movie. Since we had seen it already, we left a little early. I went on out to camp Druzhba to get Alexandra and ended up staying for church and the Ball.

Shane and Marilyn had the first dance. It was so sweet. Everyone was all dressed up except for me and Alexandra! Still, we both tried our hand at waltzing. Or shall we say our feet! In Ukraine they teach everyone ballroom dancing in school! I have never learned to waltz. Shane tried teaching me but then Ben Mcdonald stepped in. He said having shane teach me to waltz was like having him teach me Russian! Alexandra and I decided that we are going to take ballroom dancing lessons when we get back to America. By next year's ball, we should be able to keep up with the dancing Ukrainians!

Flies, birthdays and relay races

2009-08-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

Our appointment was one week ago today. We've accomplished so much in a week and have done so much driving that we feel like we have been here a month! Alexandra said today that she feels like we just keep driving and driving, never reaching our destination.

We had asked the dorm parent at camp yesterday if there was anything we could bring that she thought the kids would like. She suggested board games. So this morning after a delicious breakfast at a coffee house, Sergey picked us up and took us to a toy store. We bought several board games, a soccer ball and a volley ball. Then we went by the supermarket and got some nectarines, grapes, and some sort of sweet bread for the kids.

They were all thrilled with their treats. When the rest of the kids headed to lunch at camp we left with Gabrielle for our daily visit into the village. Gabrielle found a nice dress for court. Then we went back to the shooting gallery at the amusement park. After that we walked across the street to a new restaurant. This one was not up to par with the rest. There was a fly in Roman's soup; all seating was outside and flies were abundant; and the food was only so-so. The kids did enjoy the juke box, however.

After lunch we went to a little store and bought a birthday cake for Sasha S., one of the children from Bela. Today was his 14th birthday. For $20 we got enough cake, plates, forks, juice and cups for 35 people! Sasha was shy about eating the cake but was very gracious. He is such a sweet boy. The rest of the kids devoured the cake.

Next, they went on to win some competitive relay race among the dorms. The Bela kids were by far the fastest kids there! We were so proud of them and happy to be able to be there and cheer them on.

Before we left, Gabrielle had to take her new clothes in and try them on for her friend Vicka. She is a precious 13 year old who so desperately wants a family as well. I know that Gabrielle is torn between celebrating her new family and mourning for those who are still without. My heart breaks as I think of each one we will leave behind. My mind is already working out a plan for somehow getting some of these kids over next summer for hosting.

When we got back into Lugansk, we had dinner at Mario's Pizza, a much welcomed treat after so much Ukrainian food.

Paradise

2009-08-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

Nothing new today except yet another restaurant in Starribilsk. Sergey really outdid himself in finding this one. Nice atmosphere, even though when you first walked in you felt like you were in a nightclub. Good food. Cheap prices per our American standards. The name of this one is Paradise.

We spent quite a bit of time today with the other Bela kids. Playing soccer. Volleying a ball around a circle. Playing Trouble. They had some sort of performance tonight and were dressed up like rabbits and wolves this afternoon in anticipation.

We met an American named Fran. A 70 year old womand who recently joined the Peace Corp and is now serving in Ukraine for several years. She is stationed in Starribilsk! She was at the camp today.

Gabrielle broke her 10 griven shoe and we found another shoe store and got a new pair to replace the others. She is getting more comfortable with the shopping. Then we went back to the old amusement park and discovered these boat like swings. They were manual, not electric so we felt safe!

Roman was a bit unkind to one of the Bela kids today. His final analysis after our discussion of the incident was "This is why I don't like coming back to Urkaine. When I am around other orphans, I want to act like one." Small child, big wisdom.

The Road to Starribilsk

2009-08-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

Gabe and I were up until almost 2 AM last night trying to make flight arrangements for his return home. Court is Monday, August 17th at 11:30 and he will fly home on Thursday along with Roman. Thank you for praying for an early court date that has enabled Gabe to get home in time to help Luke get moved into his college dorm for the first time. We were tired but we left at 10:00 this morning for our daily trek to Starribilsk. It is really a very beautiful drive so I thought I'd tell you about our day with pictures.

There are beautiful sunflower fields that stretch as far as the eye can see. Everyday we talk about stopping and taking some pictures and today we finally did it. If you have ever ridden with a Ukrainian driver you know that you always seem to be in a hurry so stopping for pictures can be a monumental task!

As I mentioned yesterday, the road is shared by all sorts of vehicles. Cars, bikes, pedestrians and even horses. Everything we pass is picture worthy. It is such a beautiful place and there is so much character in every scene, in every face.

I mean, wouldn't you like to talk with this man? Ride with him on his cart? See where he came from and where he is going?

Our driver, Sergey, laughs at some of the things I take pictures of, especially cows. Yes, we have cows in Alabama. But I don't see them on leashes being led out to the side of the highway to graze for the day. And I usually do not see them in open carts being transported down the highway.

We always talk about stopping and getting watermelons to take to the Bela kids. But we haven't done it yet. Today we took ham and bread and some sort of meat filled rolls. The dorm parent requested that we stick to fruit so we may yet stop and get some watermelons. The road is lined with small stands such as these with not only watermelons but cantalopes, tomatoes, beans and all sorts of produce.

We see this bread truck everyday. I don't why but I think it is cool. I guess its just the big "bread" on the side. Plain and simple.

We got into Starribilsk about an hour early today and discovered a market and some small shops that are only open until 1:00. We browsed through them, didn't buy anything but Sergey was scoping out the local scene and found us the coolest restaurant called Shaslick (Shish-ka-bob). We were in this private room. There was no one else in the restaurant. No menu. She told us what they had and we said "we'll take it." It was delicious. The meat was more like huge pork chops rather than shish-ka-bob meat. Tomato and cucumber salad and fried potatoes rounded out the meal and it was way more than we could eat. We felt like we were guests in someone's home.

This is the grill out back where the shish-ka-bobs were made. You see it before you walk in the restaurant and feel a little wary at first but once you get inside, its all good!

This is our driver, Sergey, outisde the building where the restaurant is. He not only drives us around all day but he is very protective of us and helpful in finding whatever we need.

This statue of Lenin is in a very nice park in the center of Starribilsk. We walked here one other day but today was a bit more leisurely. There are statues and busts such as these in every town and village in Ukraine.

This was the second hidden treasure we found today in Starribilsk. A small amusement park. It never ceases to amaze me how complicated things can be in Ukraine. Something as simple as buying 4 tickets can take 15 minutes. And its not the language barrier. We have 2 Russian speaking children. Its just the way it is.

Gabrielle is not yet keen on trying new things. Here she and Gabe watch the rest of us on a soviet-era ferris wheel.

It didn't look very sturdy but it didn't go very high so I figured if we fell, the most we might do is break an arm or a leg. Maybe Gabrielle was just smarter than the rest of us!

Now, you've got to love this. Bumper cars so old that we were told not to bump them! They must have been originals! The boys still had fun on them and wanted to go a second round. Gabrielle still was not so sure and just watched.

After the bumper cars that couldnt't bump, we bought pellets for 25 kopecks each and took target practice. But no prizes here, no matter how many targets you hit!

Here we are outside a little magazine (store). We were getting drinks and ice cream. Gabrielle is so beautiful but shy about taking pictures. So I will post everyone she will pose for! How blessed we are to have 2 beautful daughters! She is also shy about trying English. I'm sure she is even more self-conscious since the boys already know English. I have told her that when the boys got home last year, from day one they were required to speak to me in English. There were lots of charades and dictionary moments but they had to try. I know that she will want to rely on her brother/translators for as long as possible so we will have to start working through that soon.

We left Starribilsk a little early today and made it out to Camp Druzhba before the night service. We got to see most of our interpreter friends as well as Shane and Marilyn and Lori Jackson. It is always good to visit there. Here is Alexandra with Lori, Yura and "Soccer" Sasha.

Tomorrow we will do it all over again. The Bela kids continue to warm up to us and Roman and Vitalik are getting some soccer in. They asked to stay longer today so that was a good sign. Vitalik is enjoying getting to know Gabrielle. Roman practically grew up with her but Vitalik only met here last week. He has given his vote of approval. I believe their personalities will work well together. The dorm parents are kind and helpful to us. We are just counting down the days till court.

Never a Dull Moment

2009-08-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

Another interesting day in Ukraine. Instead of frying toast and eggs again for breakfast we decided to walk across the street for some blinchikis. I don’t know why it is that in Birmingham, I have little to no desire to take an early morning walk. But I absolutley love early morning walks in the city. Maybe its because I actually have some destination in mind; I’m not just walking for exercise. But anyway, we enjoyed our blinchikis and coffee then headed out with Sergey to Starribilsk.

We stopped at the supermarket in Chastia to get some more meat and bread for the Bela kids. Those items were a hit on Saturday. I think we angered the lady in the meat section when we just refused to accept that she could not slice any of the “cooked” meats including bologna. “What about this one?”, we had Roman ask. “I told you, we do not slice the cooked meat.” So we ended up taking the hot dog type links.

We took our daily outing to the village, including lunch at the Tet-a-tet . We are finding eating out to be so inexpensive this time around. The dollar is worth 8 griven so it ends up that 7 of us can eat a nice meal for less than $20. We also had some success shopping. We joked that Sergey, our driver, must have been doing some internet research on shopping in Starribilsk because he had several new suggestions today. Gabrielle found three pair of shoes; one pair was a whopping 10 griven. Do the math! She is shy about asking for things but so were the boys a year ago. I’m sure she will come around just like they did. Gabe even found a jacket that he was needing since he forgot his and the weather is a little on the cool side.

We’ve been pulled over a couple of times for various traffic violations. We were sitting in the car during one such stop when Roman asked “Are they going to take me to Juvi?” Sergey had been in the militia car for what seemed like ages and I think Roman was seriously worried we might all be going to jail. They all stare at us funny in Starribilsk. I wonder if they have ever seen Americans. We are eyed suspicioulsy in stores. But we are getting more and more comfortable in our daily walks. Cars, pedestrians and bicycles share the bumpy roads.

There are a number of camps all lined up along the river, some of them in better condition than others. I don’t know much about the camps but I do know that every time we drive back in after our outings Gabrielle breathes a long, heavy sigh. If we tell the Director we will be gone until 5:00 and we come back and 4:30, she complains and wants to know why we came back early. She is ready to be with her family.

The Bela kids are warming up to us a little bit. It is a little bit awkward for everybody when you have come for one child. They are all happy for the one child and yet they want so badly to be the child that is being rescued. There are only about 30 of them at camp. I think some have gone to Italy or Spain. I pray that all of them would soon find families. It is so different for them here than at Shane’s camp. At Shane’s there are adults who have come to minister to them, to pay attention to them, to show them that they are loved. That they are important. Here, they are alone, except for each other.

We ended the day with dinner at Silver. Then Vitalik and Roman watched Country Bears in Russian and I blogged. We have had a little bit of pouting going on from various boys in the family but other than that, everybody is doing very well on this adventure. Never a dull moment.

A First for All of Us

2009-08-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed our first night in our apartment. Nothing like waking up to a medley of various hits wafting up into your window from the Jumbo Tron below. Such interesting tunes as the Mission Impossible Theme Song and The First Noel. You just gotta love Ukraine! We slept in a little later than usual and after a breakfst of fried toast and fried eggs, we were picked up at 11:00 for our trip to camp.

We made a speical detour on the way to camp. In a small village called Chastia (Happiness),our friends Ira and Anton were married.The boys had never attended a wedding and the rest of us had never attended an Orthodox wedding. It was very beautiful. We were honored to be able to attend. Both Ira and Anton have served as translators at Camp Druzhba. For anyone not familiar with Camp Druzhba, it is a camp near Lugansk run by our friends Shane and Marilyn Duke who are serving as missionaries here. It is a beacon of light in this area.

After the wedding, we continued on our way to Starribilsk. We took Gabrielle into the village again and ate lunch then walked from one end of the village to the other. Not too many things to do in the village but Gabrielle loves getting away from camp. By the time we got back to camp a light rain had started. We went in the dorm and played a game of Trouble before calling it a day. After the drive back to Lugansk, we stopped off at Metro to shop, ate dinner at New York Street Pizza and are now watching The Country Bears, a family favorite for years. Our facilitator will be meeting with orphanage officials tomorrow to finalize paperwork then take the train back to Kyiv to get the papers to the SDA. We will spend another day in Starribilsk.

A Happy Anniversary

2009-08-08T11:40:00.001-07:00

August 8, 2009

Today was mine and Gabe's 22nd wedding anniversary. I think that half of Ukraine will share our anniversary! We saw at least 10 brides today. They were outside of our hotel first thing this morning posing for pictures; they were in the park; they were coming out of churches; speeding down the highway with balloons tied to their cars.

And then when we got to Gabrielle's camp, she had a special surprise awaiting us. She and one of her friends had designed a beautiful tribute to us. It was made with pine cones, flower petals, and berries. It was beautiful. Notice all the detail!

I had told Gabrielle weeks ago that we would be celebrating our anniverary while we were here; I never dreamed she would remember, not just the date, but the number of years we had been married! What a special time to share with her!

We brought salami and bologna sandwiches to share with all the children from Bela that are staying at camp. All our kids, including Gabrielle, enjoyed serving the others.

Afterward we headed to the village of Starribilsk, which we affectionately refer to as Starbucks, to do a little shopping. And I mean little. We found two clothes stores and one shoe store. We made it back to camp with the major purchase of fingernail polish and a blow dryer! But thats OK; the main purpose was just to get away from camp for a little while. We enjoyed the perfect weather, the ice cream, and, of course, the company!

Next was a game of UNO, which one should never leave home without when doing an adoption,and lots of silliness and laughter. We ended the day back in our newly found apartment. It is right in the center of Lugansk, near all the shopping and restaurants.Not that we will have much time for either; at least during the next 7 days as we wait for court. That long drive to "Starbucks" eats up much of the day. Tomorrow we get the honor of seeing two of our Ukrainian friends get married. Ira and Anton were actually officially married today (yet another one) but will have their church wedding tomorrow in a small village on the way to Starribilsk. Love is in the air!

Our first day with Gabrielle

2009-08-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

We got into Lugansk last night about 10:30pm. Our drivers met us and took us to Hotel Druzhba where we stayed last year and where we have chosen to stay until we have time to look for an apartment that suits our needs.

We left our hotel around 8:15 this morning for the drive out to Litugino to meet with the Inspector. Here's a picture of Vitalik, Alexandra, and Roman playing Big Booty while they waited on us outisde the Notary.

After the Inspector and Notary we started the 2 hour drive to the camp where Gabrielle and the rest of the Bela kids are staying. Gabrielle ran out of the dorm to meet and greet us with smiles and hugs. She was hoping that she would be able to leave camp today but it was not meant to be. Thus we will be making this long drive daily at least until court. At this time, court is scheduled for Monday August 17th. There was one particular orphanage official who was on vacation and not able to sign the documents today. If she had been available, we probably would have been able to have court on Friday the 14th. The disadvantage of adoptions in August. But, still, we feel very blessed to have court set for the 17th. If all goes well, Gabe should be able to be home before Luke leaves for college.

I leave you with pictures of the day as we prepare to head out to look at an apartment.

Cool time at the SDA

2009-08-06T04:02:00.000-07:00

We took Vitalik, ALexandra and Roman all with us to the SDA. By the time I got into the office from the rear of the line, the psychologist was already chatting with Vitalik. She remembered him from when he was first placed at Orphanage 21 in Kyiv. She remembered how stubborn he was and that he "refused" to have his photograph taken back then. She was also noticably thrilled at how much he had changed. After fawning over him a while, she turned her attention to Roman and they chatted about Gabrielle awhile. Then she showed us Gabrielle's file and said she would have our referral ready this afternoon. I am so proud of how my children conducted themselves and thankful for God's favor. We will fly to Lugansk tonight. We have an appointment at 8:30 am with the inspector. Hopefully we will be able to go to camp after that and see Gabrielle.

By Him, through Him, for Him and in Him

2009-08-02T22:23:00.000-07:00

Colossians 1:16-17: For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

I have been pondering this verse all week. With so much going on in our lives, so many changes over the horizon, and so much weakness on my part, I find peace and courage in this verse. When I am feeling overwhelmed and fearful, uncertain of the calling, I remember I that I do not have to hold it all together. He does.

We will leave Tueday morning and drive to Atlanta for a 12:35 flight to JFK. We will leave JFK at 6:30pm and arrive in Kyiv at 11:00 am on Wednesday. Traveling with me and Gabe will be Alexandra, Vitalik and Roman. I hope we will be in Lugansk Friday.

Luke will leave home for his first year of college on August 22nd. I pray that God will miraculously allow us a quick court date so that Gabe can come home and help Luke get settled in at Belmont. I have a plan that includes cooperation by judges and other Ukrainian officials. My plan may fail, but its OK; for every authority in Ukraine was created by Him and for Him. Thus, I can be at peace, knowing His timing will be perfect.

Suitcases are packed. 3 checked, 3 carry-ons. I still have a long to-do list to tackle tomorrow. I don't feel prepared to leave home for an extended period. But I am ready to be with Gabrielle, ready to bring her home, ready for the next adventure. And thankful that He is before all things.

We have our appointment date!

2009-07-21T09:04:00.001-07:00

Sasha texted me at 2AM to congratulate me on our appointment date; unfortunately my phone was turned off so I did not receive the message until 7AM; but what wonderful news to wake up to!!! We started trying to call Gabrielle but did not get through for several hours. I just hung up the phone after talking with her and wish I could have recorded the screams of delight and excitement when we told her we were coming in 2 weeks! She said it had been rainy at camp and she was in a bad mood but now all that has changed! You could hear the beautiful smile on her face!

I am so pleased that the SDA in Ukraine is now processing dossiers for older children very quickly. We recieved our I797 on July 9th; our dossier was submitted on July 16th; we received our invitation to travel on July 21st and we will have our appointment on August 5th. I praise God for these changes in how they are doing things. I also praise God for my facilitator, Sasha. He has advised me all along in getting my papers error-free so there would be no delays and patiently endured my questions and worries. He reminded me today of how all the details are being orchestrated by God, even the trials and troubles we face along the way. It is all for a purpose, he said.

I am also thankful for my husband, Gabe, who has such a heart for orphans and who has so willingly obeyed God's call in caring for them. I praise God for his willingness to open his heart and embrace each of these children whom God has given us. It is such a precious time as we contemplate and discuss Gabrielle's anticipated arrival.

May God continue to be magnified in our words and in our deeds through the coming weeks. Pray for us as we decide which children will be traveling with us and how to handle the situations of those who do not.

Summer Fun

2009-07-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

Dossier is Submitted

2009-07-16T21:11:00.001-07:00

We started updating our homestudy in March. Here it is only July and our dossier has been submitted to the SDA in Ukraine. Everyone is so looking forward to going over there again. Even my oldest, Colton, is thinking he can go over there and get back before college classes resume. He and Alexandra both would just as well go on over there now and be waiting for us when we arrive!

We have decided on a name for our daughter-to-be. So from here on out, she shall be called Gabrielle, which means God is my Strength. Isaiah 12:2 says: Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. God has certainly been our strength; in our marriage, in our parenting, in the daily trials of life. And He has been Gabrielle's strength all these years as she has faced life without a parent to guide her. It is my prayer that He shall become her salvation, as He has become ours.

I pray that we will hear of our date soon and that we will travel soon. And yet I rest in the sovereign will of God, knowing that His timing is perfect. May Gabrielle be reminded, even as she ponders her new name, to trust and not be afraid. May she grow strong in her faith as she waits; and, as always, may God be glorified.

A new daughter, a new blog

2009-07-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

In 2008 we adopted 2 boys, ages 11 and 16, from Ukraine. You can read all about that adventure at www.bringingourboyshome.blogspot.com. We hope to go back to Ukraine soon to adopt a 15 year old girl we met two years ago. I wanted to continue with that blog instead of starting a new one but I am not sophisticated enough to change the web address and I did not think our new daughter would appreciate the previous title. So I embark today on a new blog with a new title that can extend way into the future, no matter what it may hold. For each day in our lives is truly an adventure. We trust in the one true God to provide the adventure and to see us through it. It comes with trials, triumphs, tears, and laughter. Some days we flail about as if without an anchor. And then we realize our Anchor still holds firm and all the flailing has been for naught. Thank you for joining us on our adventure. May we bring glory to our Anchor in all we say and do.