What a great day in the end! We didn’t go to Stan’s soccer games this morning because we wanted to be available when Vladimir would say the new apartment was ready. When we hadn’t heard from him by 3 pm we decided we had had enough time without the children and rode the bus to the school.
We quickly found each other at the school (word gets around pretty quickly when the Americanskis show up) and asked Stan’s and Dasha’s teacher, Valentina, for permission to take the children home with us and have them sleep at our apartment. Mistaking our request for a final request to take them to the US forever at this time, never to be seen again, she became emotional until we broke through the language barrier a bit using a calendar to clarify that we were not yet going for good and that we would be visiting the school over the coming week. We could see that Dasha likewise misunderstood as we noticed a tear roll down her cheek. There is certainly a mixture of emotions tied to these events. We got her straightened around too and we all left for the bus stop.
As we were about to board the bus Vladimir showed up, told us the new apartment was ready, and drove us to it. A very nice place to live and accommodating of our little sub-family, it is just down the lane about 100 meters from the previous apartment where the Dodges remain. Susan was ecstatic to see a clothes washer. We transferred our belongings from the Dodges’ apartment to the new one and together went shopping for groceries.
We enjoyed walking, talking and observing together. The children were all very helpful in the shopping process, always looking out for our safety, happiness and well-being on their turf. We will return the favor when we return to the other side of the ocean. It brings on a warm feeling to be together. The sense of family, unity and permanence is much stronger than ever. Dasha organized the kitchen as we were putting groceries away.
The children were all anxious to shower – to be clean. They wanted their clothes washed. Dasha wanted to know where her copy of the Book of Mormon was and then told the boys to be sure to read it. After we had family prayer we hugged and kissed them before bed. They asked that we close their bedroom door. Soon Susan could hear one of the older children reading the Book of Mormon aloud to the others. A little while later there was some giggling and then peace. And that is what we feel today – peace, gratitude, love – a bit of heaven.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Separate from the room in our apartment with the bath is the restroom, sometimes called a water closet here – a term we hadn’t seen or heard in years.
If there is a designation – and there usually is not – you may see “WC” on the door to the restroom. For instance, it is so designated at the McDonalds in Sumy. Where there are two such rooms you may see an upright triangle between a small circle and a small square suggesting a woman’s dress, or an inverted triangle arrangement indicating a man’s broad shoulder. These, of course, may be seen at home too. Last night in the city complex at Krolovets I was looking for such a room and was pointed toward a door that looked like it had an upright triangle adjacent to it. So I proceeded to the next door which had no indicator. Vladimir insisted, nyet, it was indeed the first door that I wanted, to the right of which at closer inspection was an upright rectangle which must have meant this was a unisex WC, of which I had heard. At an even closer view in this darkening hall it became evident that I had been looking at the black toggle switch that operates the light in the restroom.
We have had few problems with the light in our apartment’s 2-feet by 4-feet WC. WE concluded at first that the bulb was fine and that it was another electrical problem that we could not readily solve. The thought of using the room for the primary purpose for which it is intended, or for the other primary purpose(s) for which we use it of solitude and/or reading, brought to my mind an observation made by Groucho Marx: “Outside of a dog, man’s best friend is a book; inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” The bulb is fine and only needs occasional extra-firm tightening.
We went to the school this morning to watch the boys play soccer in a tournament among the Sumy region/province boarding schools (orphanages). The tournament last weekend was among the Sumy city schools, regular or boarding.
Nothing was happening and opening ceremonies were yet to begin, so we went downtown to a notary to assign power of attorney in Russia to Vladimir. When we returned to the school we found that Stan’s team had just begun playing. Toli would not be playing and was clearly disappointed. This was for the older boys. It was six-on-six on a small field and twenty-minute games. Stan did not play in the first game. He would play in their next game. We received repeated reports that this next game would be up following the game we were watching. He played in the last game of the day. It had been a sunny day, so we were hot and exhausted at waiting – not to mention famished at skipping lunch. Stan played will and his team won again
We took the children to the store for ice cream bars and soon left for the apartment to clean the boys up. We then crossed the street to the Chelentano Italian restaurant where we all had lasagna, salads and juices. While we were eating Susan took advantage of having a translator with us and had Natalie explain to the children the priority hierarchy of homework, chores and play. She also wanted them to understand that we know that at times they will be frustrated at the struggles with communication, that we will have special teachers for them this summer to teach them English before they enter school in the fall, and that we will be very patient and do all we can to help them learn English.
We then rode the bus to within a couple of miles of the school where the driver asked us all to get off. We boarded another bus immediately which took us a little closer to the school. We walked the children the rest of the way, hugged each one for each of their new siblings at home, and bid them good-night.
When we entered our apartment we found Vladimir and Natalie arranging with the Dodges an out-and-back trip to Kiev on Saturday. Their girls’ passports were ready and they could have their medical exams tomorrow and gain some valuable time. Furthermore, one of the teachers at the orphanage was going to be vacating her apartment near the school from Saturday through Thursday and going with her family to a village home for the holiday next week. Susan and I could move in there with our children for lower rent and return to this apartment when the Dodges leave on Thursday.
We stopped by the school to get directions and saw Dasha and Toli who jumped in glee for the opportunity to move in with us and move out of the school. We visited the apartment. It exemplified the conditions in which a teacher making $80 a month would live. It was livable but austere. We could do it and would find some adventure in seeing how people here live. It was seemingly our only opportunity to accommodate the five of us at this time. Vladimir, however, was concerned and felt it was substandard for us. As we were driving back to this apartment he pulled off to the side of the road and called our current landlord to see if he could make something work for us. He had a two-room apartment that would accommodate four people, but he could move a fold-out upholstered chair that converts into a bed into the apartment if we would pay the delivery costs. We agreed and were relieved. The new apartment is near this one. So we will be familiar with the area and have necessary businesses nearby. It would not necessitate another move while here; we could stay in it until we finally go to Kiev.
Our determination is to be together as a family and to put the children in a situation where they will have increased opportunity to try to communicate more in English, without crutches, in preparation for life at home in the US.
If there is a designation – and there usually is not – you may see “WC” on the door to the restroom. For instance, it is so designated at the McDonalds in Sumy. Where there are two such rooms you may see an upright triangle between a small circle and a small square suggesting a woman’s dress, or an inverted triangle arrangement indicating a man’s broad shoulder. These, of course, may be seen at home too. Last night in the city complex at Krolovets I was looking for such a room and was pointed toward a door that looked like it had an upright triangle adjacent to it. So I proceeded to the next door which had no indicator. Vladimir insisted, nyet, it was indeed the first door that I wanted, to the right of which at closer inspection was an upright rectangle which must have meant this was a unisex WC, of which I had heard. At an even closer view in this darkening hall it became evident that I had been looking at the black toggle switch that operates the light in the restroom.
We have had few problems with the light in our apartment’s 2-feet by 4-feet WC. WE concluded at first that the bulb was fine and that it was another electrical problem that we could not readily solve. The thought of using the room for the primary purpose for which it is intended, or for the other primary purpose(s) for which we use it of solitude and/or reading, brought to my mind an observation made by Groucho Marx: “Outside of a dog, man’s best friend is a book; inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” The bulb is fine and only needs occasional extra-firm tightening.
We went to the school this morning to watch the boys play soccer in a tournament among the Sumy region/province boarding schools (orphanages). The tournament last weekend was among the Sumy city schools, regular or boarding.
Nothing was happening and opening ceremonies were yet to begin, so we went downtown to a notary to assign power of attorney in Russia to Vladimir. When we returned to the school we found that Stan’s team had just begun playing. Toli would not be playing and was clearly disappointed. This was for the older boys. It was six-on-six on a small field and twenty-minute games. Stan did not play in the first game. He would play in their next game. We received repeated reports that this next game would be up following the game we were watching. He played in the last game of the day. It had been a sunny day, so we were hot and exhausted at waiting – not to mention famished at skipping lunch. Stan played will and his team won again
We took the children to the store for ice cream bars and soon left for the apartment to clean the boys up. We then crossed the street to the Chelentano Italian restaurant where we all had lasagna, salads and juices. While we were eating Susan took advantage of having a translator with us and had Natalie explain to the children the priority hierarchy of homework, chores and play. She also wanted them to understand that we know that at times they will be frustrated at the struggles with communication, that we will have special teachers for them this summer to teach them English before they enter school in the fall, and that we will be very patient and do all we can to help them learn English.
We then rode the bus to within a couple of miles of the school where the driver asked us all to get off. We boarded another bus immediately which took us a little closer to the school. We walked the children the rest of the way, hugged each one for each of their new siblings at home, and bid them good-night.
When we entered our apartment we found Vladimir and Natalie arranging with the Dodges an out-and-back trip to Kiev on Saturday. Their girls’ passports were ready and they could have their medical exams tomorrow and gain some valuable time. Furthermore, one of the teachers at the orphanage was going to be vacating her apartment near the school from Saturday through Thursday and going with her family to a village home for the holiday next week. Susan and I could move in there with our children for lower rent and return to this apartment when the Dodges leave on Thursday.
We stopped by the school to get directions and saw Dasha and Toli who jumped in glee for the opportunity to move in with us and move out of the school. We visited the apartment. It exemplified the conditions in which a teacher making $80 a month would live. It was livable but austere. We could do it and would find some adventure in seeing how people here live. It was seemingly our only opportunity to accommodate the five of us at this time. Vladimir, however, was concerned and felt it was substandard for us. As we were driving back to this apartment he pulled off to the side of the road and called our current landlord to see if he could make something work for us. He had a two-room apartment that would accommodate four people, but he could move a fold-out upholstered chair that converts into a bed into the apartment if we would pay the delivery costs. We agreed and were relieved. The new apartment is near this one. So we will be familiar with the area and have necessary businesses nearby. It would not necessitate another move while here; we could stay in it until we finally go to Kiev.
Our determination is to be together as a family and to put the children in a situation where they will have increased opportunity to try to communicate more in English, without crutches, in preparation for life at home in the US.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Wednesday, April 26
Again, Natalie brought all five of the children from the orphanage in the morning. The five Peckhams and Natalie met at the Post Office so Stan and Toli could have their photos taken for passports and several other needs in the process. Then we marched down the street a short way to the central market for the boys’ turn at shopping for clothes. It went quite well. We had to steer the boys occasionally toward American styles. They seemed happy at the end of it all.
The Dodges were meeting Liera and her twin daughters for lunch and their final get-together at McDonalds. Susan and I wanted Ukrainian fare for lunch; the children wanted American. We conceded to our children’s wish to eat at McDonalds as well. We returned to the apartment so the boys could show the girls what they got. All of the children wanted to wear their new clothes to school tomorrow and we consented.
As Susan and I returned from grocery shopping we came around the corner to the back of the apartment building to see Paul and Natalie supporting a man otherwise unable to stand on his own. They were walking away from our building. I ran over and took Natalies’s place and learned that this otherwise respectable looking man was inebriated and had been spotted trying to keep himself from collapsing by grasping at shrubs and then failing entirely. We walked him down the road a half mile to the approximate area of his supposed home, sat him on a bench and encouraged him to recline and sleep it off.
Vladimir arrived from Kiev a short while later and gave us birth certificates for the children and parental rights deprivation court documents for each parent, as well as translations for each. We read of the conditions that led the revocation of rights which confirmed what we had already been told. Vladimir also explained upcoming events and answered questions. We wanted to know if the US Embassy was going to be open on May 7, 8 or 10 around the May 9th Ukrainian holiday so we might anticipate even a tentative date of return to the US. Though he calls them every day they have not yet been able to tell him. We are trying to decide on when we will need separate apartments (i.e., when we will move the children from the orphanage to live with us). It may be as early as Friday. This single apartment is inadequate for all ten of us.
Thursday, April 27
It is now Friday and the three children are ours. Let’s rewind a bit.
Yesterday morning we met Natalie at the Internet where she printed out the remaining US immigration forms for us. A short while later we left for the school to meet with the Director, Viktor, where we planned to present our gifts to the school. To simplify this process a standardized amount had been added to our fees we paid before we came to Ukraine. Vladimir gave that amount back to us for this gift.
Paul and I went with the Director to make purchases that would fulfill requests of our children’s teachers and what the Director felt was otherwise most needed by the school. One of the teachers had requested a DVD player for her class. Another had requested three tents for class campouts. We purchased the player the Director wanted. He then wanted to provide Stan’s and Dasha’s class and another class each with a new sofa and chair set. He made the selections and we paid the money. We then paid for some seeds and plants for the school vegetable garden. The remaining money will be spent later on the tents.
We then had a little time to return to the apartment for a snack before Paul and I had to go with Vladimir and Natalie to the Notary at 4:45 pm to acknowledge the court decree and then travel to Krolovets and Schostka. Only one parent from each couple had to sign documents. Our feeling before we left the school was that our children were more lovey-dovey today than previously. There seems to be more confidence in their countenances than previously, probably due to the activities in which we’ve been engaged the past couple of days. They can probably see that things are becoming nailed down. There was likely a tentativeness and reservation in previous days. Today Dasha asked for our home address because she was giving her new name (Jennifer Peckham) and our address to her friends. That also shows more certainty in her attitude.
We had an appointment in Krolovets, the district that contains the Buyvalovo village in which Stan was born, at 7 pm. We made it in time and three women were in the office waiting for us. I signed Stan’s new birth certificate with his new name and with us as his parents and we left for Schostka to go through the same process for the Dodge girls. We arrived there before 9 pm and a woman arrived a short time later to take care of the process there. The Schostka office was closed on Thursday, so we assume that Vladimir had provided some kind of incentives out of our fees to get these people out after business hours and on a day off. We are grateful for that.
The court decree did not become official until today (Friday). Nevertheless, he was given the document early and everything done Thursday night was dated for Friday. That has bought us an extra day.
As of this (Friday) morning we are the proud parents of three more children, and Stan may now officially be called Stan. So we’ll begin to call him that – more officially.
I managed to extract from Vladimir what our current best-case scenario is for the remainder of the process. He would return from Russia late on May 3rd. Then we would need someone in the passport office here to be willing to work on Friday the 4th (normally they are closed on Fridays). Then we would travel to Kiev on Sunday, take care of medical exams on Monday, get visas, etc., at the US Embassy on Tuesday, and return home on Wednesday the 9th. We still don’t know whether these businesses in Kiev will be open on those days because of the national holiday on the 9th.
Again, Natalie brought all five of the children from the orphanage in the morning. The five Peckhams and Natalie met at the Post Office so Stan and Toli could have their photos taken for passports and several other needs in the process. Then we marched down the street a short way to the central market for the boys’ turn at shopping for clothes. It went quite well. We had to steer the boys occasionally toward American styles. They seemed happy at the end of it all.
The Dodges were meeting Liera and her twin daughters for lunch and their final get-together at McDonalds. Susan and I wanted Ukrainian fare for lunch; the children wanted American. We conceded to our children’s wish to eat at McDonalds as well. We returned to the apartment so the boys could show the girls what they got. All of the children wanted to wear their new clothes to school tomorrow and we consented.
As Susan and I returned from grocery shopping we came around the corner to the back of the apartment building to see Paul and Natalie supporting a man otherwise unable to stand on his own. They were walking away from our building. I ran over and took Natalies’s place and learned that this otherwise respectable looking man was inebriated and had been spotted trying to keep himself from collapsing by grasping at shrubs and then failing entirely. We walked him down the road a half mile to the approximate area of his supposed home, sat him on a bench and encouraged him to recline and sleep it off.
Vladimir arrived from Kiev a short while later and gave us birth certificates for the children and parental rights deprivation court documents for each parent, as well as translations for each. We read of the conditions that led the revocation of rights which confirmed what we had already been told. Vladimir also explained upcoming events and answered questions. We wanted to know if the US Embassy was going to be open on May 7, 8 or 10 around the May 9th Ukrainian holiday so we might anticipate even a tentative date of return to the US. Though he calls them every day they have not yet been able to tell him. We are trying to decide on when we will need separate apartments (i.e., when we will move the children from the orphanage to live with us). It may be as early as Friday. This single apartment is inadequate for all ten of us.
Thursday, April 27
It is now Friday and the three children are ours. Let’s rewind a bit.
Yesterday morning we met Natalie at the Internet where she printed out the remaining US immigration forms for us. A short while later we left for the school to meet with the Director, Viktor, where we planned to present our gifts to the school. To simplify this process a standardized amount had been added to our fees we paid before we came to Ukraine. Vladimir gave that amount back to us for this gift.
Paul and I went with the Director to make purchases that would fulfill requests of our children’s teachers and what the Director felt was otherwise most needed by the school. One of the teachers had requested a DVD player for her class. Another had requested three tents for class campouts. We purchased the player the Director wanted. He then wanted to provide Stan’s and Dasha’s class and another class each with a new sofa and chair set. He made the selections and we paid the money. We then paid for some seeds and plants for the school vegetable garden. The remaining money will be spent later on the tents.
We then had a little time to return to the apartment for a snack before Paul and I had to go with Vladimir and Natalie to the Notary at 4:45 pm to acknowledge the court decree and then travel to Krolovets and Schostka. Only one parent from each couple had to sign documents. Our feeling before we left the school was that our children were more lovey-dovey today than previously. There seems to be more confidence in their countenances than previously, probably due to the activities in which we’ve been engaged the past couple of days. They can probably see that things are becoming nailed down. There was likely a tentativeness and reservation in previous days. Today Dasha asked for our home address because she was giving her new name (Jennifer Peckham) and our address to her friends. That also shows more certainty in her attitude.
We had an appointment in Krolovets, the district that contains the Buyvalovo village in which Stan was born, at 7 pm. We made it in time and three women were in the office waiting for us. I signed Stan’s new birth certificate with his new name and with us as his parents and we left for Schostka to go through the same process for the Dodge girls. We arrived there before 9 pm and a woman arrived a short time later to take care of the process there. The Schostka office was closed on Thursday, so we assume that Vladimir had provided some kind of incentives out of our fees to get these people out after business hours and on a day off. We are grateful for that.
The court decree did not become official until today (Friday). Nevertheless, he was given the document early and everything done Thursday night was dated for Friday. That has bought us an extra day.
As of this (Friday) morning we are the proud parents of three more children, and Stan may now officially be called Stan. So we’ll begin to call him that – more officially.
I managed to extract from Vladimir what our current best-case scenario is for the remainder of the process. He would return from Russia late on May 3rd. Then we would need someone in the passport office here to be willing to work on Friday the 4th (normally they are closed on Fridays). Then we would travel to Kiev on Sunday, take care of medical exams on Monday, get visas, etc., at the US Embassy on Tuesday, and return home on Wednesday the 9th. We still don’t know whether these businesses in Kiev will be open on those days because of the national holiday on the 9th.
The top picture was taken in one of the bedrooms where we recorded the two oldest boys and the one sitting between them playing the saxophone. We think this is Alex Macbeth's old bedroom. The man with the guitar is the music teacher.
The next picture was at the Easter program. Our children are singing a rousing Ukrainian folk song accompanied by their teacher. You can see two loaves of Ukrainian Easter bread on the table and some colored brown eggs.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Natalie brought all five of the children from the orphanage in the morning. The three girls, their mothers and Natalie left to have passport photos taken and to shop for clothes at the large open central market. Stan and Toli stayed with me. I took them to buy fruit and cookies to get us through the day without the girls. We have seen how much they can put away, so I was going to need the boys to help me carry it all back. They are always eager to help us out when we’re buying things – and not in selfishness.
After lunch, Paul, Jeffrey, Stan, Toli and I walked to the amusement park we had visited on the day of the court. The girls were to return by 3 or 4 pm, so we let the boys play until it was time to return. It was a beautiful day, the first shirtsleeve weather day since we’ve been in Sumy.
The girls returned after 4 pm and the daughters did a fashion show of their new outfits. Susan said that Dasha had been eager and easy to please. The clerk had confirmed that in the US the pants may be worn low but the top must prevent any belly exposure, as the mothers had asserted. Exposure is the fashion here, so his comments were appreciated.
We returned the children to the school as dusk was approaching and watched the movie “Eight Below” to relax before bed.
It was nice today to be doing something toward to end game.
After lunch, Paul, Jeffrey, Stan, Toli and I walked to the amusement park we had visited on the day of the court. The girls were to return by 3 or 4 pm, so we let the boys play until it was time to return. It was a beautiful day, the first shirtsleeve weather day since we’ve been in Sumy.
The girls returned after 4 pm and the daughters did a fashion show of their new outfits. Susan said that Dasha had been eager and easy to please. The clerk had confirmed that in the US the pants may be worn low but the top must prevent any belly exposure, as the mothers had asserted. Exposure is the fashion here, so his comments were appreciated.
We returned the children to the school as dusk was approaching and watched the movie “Eight Below” to relax before bed.
It was nice today to be doing something toward to end game.
Monday was another in a series of good days. The weather has been cold the past week. A local Ukrainian woman at church on Sunday commented how strange it is to be colder in Spring that it was in Winter. While overcast through most of the day the skies were withholding any precipitation. So Susan and I went for a walk along the Psel River which passes about a city block from our apartment. With its slow-moving waters and tree-lined banks it provides a peaceful retreat from the bustle of the nearby streets of the city center. We wish we had ventured along this path sooner. The surrounding civilization is shielded from sight and hearing. The broad, swept path is an easy stroll with no concern for dodging the people, debris or potholes that populate the city sidewalks and roads. The odd fisherman (not all were odd) could be seen with his simple rod and line dipped in the calmer water, while a trio of ducks paddled to shore. Birds were chirping; otherwise, silence, serenity and appreciation for nature.
We visited the children at the school with the primary purpose of determining what clothes they would need to tide them over until our arrival in the US. Among the three of our children the only item they possess is a sweater that belongs to Stan. He, of course, has outgrown everything we sent with him eighteen months ago.
The reality of leaving for the US seems to sinking in with the children. We talk more of the family and life at home and how it will be with these children there. They are all a delight to us. Toli has been one pleasant little guy this past week. Stan is helpful and tries to keep things positive with his sense of humor. Dasha is also helpful and trying her English a bit more. She continually expresses her concern that her departure will be delayed by the Russian. Natalie assures her, however, that all is being done to get her out of here as soon as possible. We have heard nothing to keep us from hoping for a simultaneous departure for us all.
Susan asked the children what they would like to do musically when we get home. Dasha wants to learn to play the guitar. We warned her of the possibility of swallowing a guitar pick. Stan wants to continue playing the trumpet. Toli wishes to play the piano.
We enjoy good health. We miss the family, the mountains and what we are certain is warmer weather in Utah; but we know there is an end almost in sight here. We are comfortable with the confines here and adapted to the brown water - or no water. Susan has discovered an abundance and variety of Ukrainian dark chocolate with interesting fillings, so she can abide awhile longer.
We visited the children at the school with the primary purpose of determining what clothes they would need to tide them over until our arrival in the US. Among the three of our children the only item they possess is a sweater that belongs to Stan. He, of course, has outgrown everything we sent with him eighteen months ago.
The reality of leaving for the US seems to sinking in with the children. We talk more of the family and life at home and how it will be with these children there. They are all a delight to us. Toli has been one pleasant little guy this past week. Stan is helpful and tries to keep things positive with his sense of humor. Dasha is also helpful and trying her English a bit more. She continually expresses her concern that her departure will be delayed by the Russian. Natalie assures her, however, that all is being done to get her out of here as soon as possible. We have heard nothing to keep us from hoping for a simultaneous departure for us all.
Susan asked the children what they would like to do musically when we get home. Dasha wants to learn to play the guitar. We warned her of the possibility of swallowing a guitar pick. Stan wants to continue playing the trumpet. Toli wishes to play the piano.
We enjoy good health. We miss the family, the mountains and what we are certain is warmer weather in Utah; but we know there is an end almost in sight here. We are comfortable with the confines here and adapted to the brown water - or no water. Susan has discovered an abundance and variety of Ukrainian dark chocolate with interesting fillings, so she can abide awhile longer.
Monday, April 23, 2007
(Susan’s blog entry today)
Natalie and Annie were going to teach Patty and me how to make peelmeni (a meat filled dumpling) on Saturday. We spent the first part of the morning at the central market looking for a peelmenni form, which allows formation of 36 dumplings at one time. These open markets are really amazing. They keep them open all year and only close them if the temperature drops below 0 deg. F. They have every manufactured good you can think of in them. The only problem is that you have to wander around until you find the booth that has what you want in it. This particular market is made up of well over 1000 eight-by-six (average size) contiguous booths – that’s just the outdoor section. We counted 370 in just one row. There doesn’t seem to be any order to them. Indoors there are more innumerable booths, as well as a large gymnasium-sized room with counters of unrefrigerated meat for your selection. The fish are also very plentiful, including the boneless, meatless (!) variety. We haven’t figured what these are for. We finally found the form and of course it was in the last place that we looked.
After taking the form back to the apartment we caught the #4 bus for the school. As we walked up the drive to the school we could hear some of the younger students shout, “Americanski, Americanski!” They are all getting to know us and if the children aren’t waiting for us they run and find them shouting, “Dasha, Stan, Toli!” John and Annie took the children back to the apartment and Natalie and I got off at the supermarket to buy the meat for the dumplings. The children watched a movie while we gals made over 150 dumplings. Every one of them was eaten in a matter of minutes. The children are bottomless pits when it comes to food. They also ate 2 kilos of ice cream after the dumplings. Natalie says that the food that they get at the school isn’t prepared very well so not to be surprised that they like the food that we serve them. We really hope that this carries on back home.
On the way to the apartment Dasha told us through Natalie, our interpreter, the heartbreaking story of how the Suhozhenko children came to be at the orphanage. It was all that we could do to keep from crying on the bus. We really just want to love and cherish these children. We hope that we can help them heal from some of the hurts of their past. And yet they seem to be very happy and good natured children overall.
Sunday
The weather forecast for today was rain with some snow! Does spring ever come to Sumy? The boys had a soccer competition this morning. Their school team is doing very well. Out of 18 schools they are in the 5th place and they won both of the games they played today. They met us back at the apartment after the game. The girls came with Natalie to church with us. Back at the apartment it was a feeding frenzy. We just fixed something light because we invited the Missionaries for dinner and a message at 6:00 p.m. While we were waiting for the food to digest between meals Sasha asked Patty if they would be able to visit our children when we are all back home. They have developed a bond with each other that they didn’t have before. We find all of these children so delightful even though they may have their moments. After all they are still just children. After more food and a nice message from the Elders Natalie took the children back to the school after much resistance from them. John, Paul and I walked the children to the bus stop and bid them farewell until tomorrow. We went back to the apartment to see what the damage for the day was.
Natalie and Annie were going to teach Patty and me how to make peelmeni (a meat filled dumpling) on Saturday. We spent the first part of the morning at the central market looking for a peelmenni form, which allows formation of 36 dumplings at one time. These open markets are really amazing. They keep them open all year and only close them if the temperature drops below 0 deg. F. They have every manufactured good you can think of in them. The only problem is that you have to wander around until you find the booth that has what you want in it. This particular market is made up of well over 1000 eight-by-six (average size) contiguous booths – that’s just the outdoor section. We counted 370 in just one row. There doesn’t seem to be any order to them. Indoors there are more innumerable booths, as well as a large gymnasium-sized room with counters of unrefrigerated meat for your selection. The fish are also very plentiful, including the boneless, meatless (!) variety. We haven’t figured what these are for. We finally found the form and of course it was in the last place that we looked.
After taking the form back to the apartment we caught the #4 bus for the school. As we walked up the drive to the school we could hear some of the younger students shout, “Americanski, Americanski!” They are all getting to know us and if the children aren’t waiting for us they run and find them shouting, “Dasha, Stan, Toli!” John and Annie took the children back to the apartment and Natalie and I got off at the supermarket to buy the meat for the dumplings. The children watched a movie while we gals made over 150 dumplings. Every one of them was eaten in a matter of minutes. The children are bottomless pits when it comes to food. They also ate 2 kilos of ice cream after the dumplings. Natalie says that the food that they get at the school isn’t prepared very well so not to be surprised that they like the food that we serve them. We really hope that this carries on back home.
On the way to the apartment Dasha told us through Natalie, our interpreter, the heartbreaking story of how the Suhozhenko children came to be at the orphanage. It was all that we could do to keep from crying on the bus. We really just want to love and cherish these children. We hope that we can help them heal from some of the hurts of their past. And yet they seem to be very happy and good natured children overall.
Sunday
The weather forecast for today was rain with some snow! Does spring ever come to Sumy? The boys had a soccer competition this morning. Their school team is doing very well. Out of 18 schools they are in the 5th place and they won both of the games they played today. They met us back at the apartment after the game. The girls came with Natalie to church with us. Back at the apartment it was a feeding frenzy. We just fixed something light because we invited the Missionaries for dinner and a message at 6:00 p.m. While we were waiting for the food to digest between meals Sasha asked Patty if they would be able to visit our children when we are all back home. They have developed a bond with each other that they didn’t have before. We find all of these children so delightful even though they may have their moments. After all they are still just children. After more food and a nice message from the Elders Natalie took the children back to the school after much resistance from them. John, Paul and I walked the children to the bus stop and bid them farewell until tomorrow. We went back to the apartment to see what the damage for the day was.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
On Thursday we brought the children to our apartment. On the way we picked up some blinok crepes and ice cream treats for dinner. The children selected “Ice Age” for us to watch. Afterward, I prepared the Paul Dodge’s Rosetta Stone language instruction kit to let the children try it and to see if they enjoyed that method of learning English. They seemed to enjoy it fairly well. In fact, I couldn’t get Toli to stop when it was time to return to the school. Good! We found it in the county library system and ordered it to be held for us about the time we return home.
Last week as we were riding the bus to the school as usual, a well-dressed lady and her two twin daughters boarded the bus about halfway to the school. The lady in her black hat and long black dress coat reminded Paul of Mary Poppins. She appeared dignified, but not haughty. Her daughters were likewise well-dressed in matching modest dresses, coats and red bonnets. Patty Dodge noticed that they were talking among themselves about Patty. They rode the bus with us to the end of the route near the school. They got off first and remained ahead of us. We thought they might live in the upscale neighborhood adjacent to the school. They continued along our normal path into the schoolyard and stopped to talk to Dodges’ girls as though they knew them. Very curious. Dodges inquired and learned that one of the twins had been in the local hospital about six years ago with a very contagious ailment. Sasha, the younger of Dodges’ daughters-to-be was similarly afflicted and the two shared a room at the hospital. This woman, Valeria, became acquainted with and grew to love Sasha. She and her daughters had visited her and her older sister at the orphanage periodically ever since, bringing them treats and so forth. This was their purpose on that day. They had recognized the Dodges from pictures shown them by Sasha and Angela. This all was considered to be more than just coincidence. Valeria would be able to provide valuable information regarding Sasha and Angela and the Dodges would be able to thank her for her years of love and care for the girls.
The Dodges requested that they meet some evening to visit. They were invited to the lady’s apartment last night where she lives with her two daughters and her mother. Valeria is a nurse at the hospital and has been raising her daughters alone for the last five years. She had prepared an elegant spread of food, including borsch, of which they partook after she had offered a prayer on it. Paul videotaped the “interview” with her and we watched it with interest as she told in a humble manner the story of her involvement with the girls. She offered wisdom to Sasha and Angela to honor their parents that their days would be long upon the land. She is a devout Christian and there was a special countenance about her as she spoke. What a blessing she had been to these girls, though lacking the means to either adopt them or take on guardianship. She had certainly been a positive influence on them that has prepared them for this eventual adoption.
Last week as we were riding the bus to the school as usual, a well-dressed lady and her two twin daughters boarded the bus about halfway to the school. The lady in her black hat and long black dress coat reminded Paul of Mary Poppins. She appeared dignified, but not haughty. Her daughters were likewise well-dressed in matching modest dresses, coats and red bonnets. Patty Dodge noticed that they were talking among themselves about Patty. They rode the bus with us to the end of the route near the school. They got off first and remained ahead of us. We thought they might live in the upscale neighborhood adjacent to the school. They continued along our normal path into the schoolyard and stopped to talk to Dodges’ girls as though they knew them. Very curious. Dodges inquired and learned that one of the twins had been in the local hospital about six years ago with a very contagious ailment. Sasha, the younger of Dodges’ daughters-to-be was similarly afflicted and the two shared a room at the hospital. This woman, Valeria, became acquainted with and grew to love Sasha. She and her daughters had visited her and her older sister at the orphanage periodically ever since, bringing them treats and so forth. This was their purpose on that day. They had recognized the Dodges from pictures shown them by Sasha and Angela. This all was considered to be more than just coincidence. Valeria would be able to provide valuable information regarding Sasha and Angela and the Dodges would be able to thank her for her years of love and care for the girls.
The Dodges requested that they meet some evening to visit. They were invited to the lady’s apartment last night where she lives with her two daughters and her mother. Valeria is a nurse at the hospital and has been raising her daughters alone for the last five years. She had prepared an elegant spread of food, including borsch, of which they partook after she had offered a prayer on it. Paul videotaped the “interview” with her and we watched it with interest as she told in a humble manner the story of her involvement with the girls. She offered wisdom to Sasha and Angela to honor their parents that their days would be long upon the land. She is a devout Christian and there was a special countenance about her as she spoke. What a blessing she had been to these girls, though lacking the means to either adopt them or take on guardianship. She had certainly been a positive influence on them that has prepared them for this eventual adoption.
Friday, April 20, 2007
When we returned from posting the previous blog, we found Vladimir at our apartment briefing each family on the latest developments in their adoption process. It was our turn. He had found the document he needed in Krolovets on Wednesday. We also learned that he had processed the paper a week ago to change Dasha and Toli to Ukrainain citizens, which had made the Ukrainian court process a lot smoother. He was planning on being in Russia to obtain birth certificates on May 2. If he did not need a Sumy municipal representative present (e.g., the Inspector), he would fly there; otherwise they two would have to drive to save expenses. Then on his return we would out-process the children from the school, travel to Kiev for the children’s medical exams and visas, and travel together to the US. We would not make our currently planned departure of May 5. But things could be wrapped up early in the week of May 7. As we get closer we’ll be able to zero in a firm date.
We departed Thursday morning at six for Kiev. It was nice to see the phantoms or silhouettes of the night trip to Sumy in the daylight. The open roads were lined with tall, mostly deciduous trees, a small few of which were beginning to let some of their yellow leaves out.
The row of perhaps about 100,000 trees closest to the highway still showed the white paint applied to the lower four feet of the trunks for the dual purpose of celebrating Easter and protecting the trees from bores. In Sumy, even many of the street curbs and garden borders were likewise whitewashed for Easter.
Bordering the highway between the towns sat numerous little villages, each with a small row of mostly brick houses trimmed with blue, green or beige around the windows and doors, many with beige brick star-patterns studded in the primarily orange field, giving each some personality.
Scarved, bundled-up women worked in their garden plots that lack furrows because of the ample rainfall here. Such labor is not a hobby here; it’s a means of survival. One or two horses drawing wagons were seen plodding along the roadside. Much of the land is used for agriculture. Susan remarked that with the open fields between these villages we could as well be driving through Missouri or Iowa with the moderate undulations in their farming landscape. On the other hand, the villages reminded Susan of “Fiddler on the Roof.” “On the other hand …”, I was certain that I saw off in the distance beyond the trees, out in the middle of nowhere, what appeared to be immense rocket manufacturing or assembly facilities, right out of Canaveral or Vandenberg. I thought back to what Viktor had said about Ukraine’s prominent involvement in rocket manufacture for the Soviet Union. Hmmmm. On the other hand, I must have been wrong about what I thought I saw.
In almost every village stood a monument consisting of a military tank, a statue or a marker of some kind as memorial to victory in the war. With the war in mind we were cast back in time as we caught sight of a drab, vintage motorcycle with a sidecar turning off the highway.
We arrived at the US Embassy before 11 am. With expectations of a warm, American welcome there after weeks of limited English we were put off by the curt directions, with no attempt at our mother-tongue, of the security detail as we were screened. Everyone with whom we had to work there was Ukrainian. We were ushered off to the American Citizens section anticipating a friendlier and more helpful reception. We were disappointed again, especially at the cashier where we waited for fifteen minutes for her to show up, only to have her appear put-out by our presence. There was no acknowledgment, let alone an apology, for our delay. “Ask not what the government worker can do for you, but what you can do for her,” or something like that. She was clearly annoyed that we did not have the exact amount for her. Giving change was probably not in her job description. In contrast and to our relief, however, the young man who helped us with our fingerprints was very pleasant. He had a good American accent, having been schooled in Wisconsin and DC. A short while after we were finished there, Vern emerged, clearly drawn-out, fatigued and disappointed – again. Nanette’s fingerprints had not yet arrived as expected because they had not been e-mailed to the required special address, which had never been provided to Vern or Nanette. Another senseless delay.
With Natalie as our guide we rode the subway across town to a restaurant for a Ukrainian lunch. Susan thinks the long, steep, speedy escalators to the underworld, along with the subway itself – all for only ten cents – are a bargain to match any ride at a theme park. You do have to make sure you’re in the right flow of the masses getting on or off the subway or you may never get on or off! These are far more busy and crowded that those we rode in NYC.
We caught a 16-seat Mercedes bus at 4 pm, watched a few Russian movies, and arrived at our apartment before 9 pm. One of the movies took place in Thailand. The Thai was about all I understood of the screenplay. Dodges arrived at the same moment from dinner and we visited until time to retire for the night.
We left home three weeks ago. We hope we have less than that remaining on this journey.
We departed Thursday morning at six for Kiev. It was nice to see the phantoms or silhouettes of the night trip to Sumy in the daylight. The open roads were lined with tall, mostly deciduous trees, a small few of which were beginning to let some of their yellow leaves out.
The row of perhaps about 100,000 trees closest to the highway still showed the white paint applied to the lower four feet of the trunks for the dual purpose of celebrating Easter and protecting the trees from bores. In Sumy, even many of the street curbs and garden borders were likewise whitewashed for Easter.
Bordering the highway between the towns sat numerous little villages, each with a small row of mostly brick houses trimmed with blue, green or beige around the windows and doors, many with beige brick star-patterns studded in the primarily orange field, giving each some personality.
Scarved, bundled-up women worked in their garden plots that lack furrows because of the ample rainfall here. Such labor is not a hobby here; it’s a means of survival. One or two horses drawing wagons were seen plodding along the roadside. Much of the land is used for agriculture. Susan remarked that with the open fields between these villages we could as well be driving through Missouri or Iowa with the moderate undulations in their farming landscape. On the other hand, the villages reminded Susan of “Fiddler on the Roof.” “On the other hand …”, I was certain that I saw off in the distance beyond the trees, out in the middle of nowhere, what appeared to be immense rocket manufacturing or assembly facilities, right out of Canaveral or Vandenberg. I thought back to what Viktor had said about Ukraine’s prominent involvement in rocket manufacture for the Soviet Union. Hmmmm. On the other hand, I must have been wrong about what I thought I saw.
In almost every village stood a monument consisting of a military tank, a statue or a marker of some kind as memorial to victory in the war. With the war in mind we were cast back in time as we caught sight of a drab, vintage motorcycle with a sidecar turning off the highway.
We arrived at the US Embassy before 11 am. With expectations of a warm, American welcome there after weeks of limited English we were put off by the curt directions, with no attempt at our mother-tongue, of the security detail as we were screened. Everyone with whom we had to work there was Ukrainian. We were ushered off to the American Citizens section anticipating a friendlier and more helpful reception. We were disappointed again, especially at the cashier where we waited for fifteen minutes for her to show up, only to have her appear put-out by our presence. There was no acknowledgment, let alone an apology, for our delay. “Ask not what the government worker can do for you, but what you can do for her,” or something like that. She was clearly annoyed that we did not have the exact amount for her. Giving change was probably not in her job description. In contrast and to our relief, however, the young man who helped us with our fingerprints was very pleasant. He had a good American accent, having been schooled in Wisconsin and DC. A short while after we were finished there, Vern emerged, clearly drawn-out, fatigued and disappointed – again. Nanette’s fingerprints had not yet arrived as expected because they had not been e-mailed to the required special address, which had never been provided to Vern or Nanette. Another senseless delay.
With Natalie as our guide we rode the subway across town to a restaurant for a Ukrainian lunch. Susan thinks the long, steep, speedy escalators to the underworld, along with the subway itself – all for only ten cents – are a bargain to match any ride at a theme park. You do have to make sure you’re in the right flow of the masses getting on or off the subway or you may never get on or off! These are far more busy and crowded that those we rode in NYC.
We caught a 16-seat Mercedes bus at 4 pm, watched a few Russian movies, and arrived at our apartment before 9 pm. One of the movies took place in Thailand. The Thai was about all I understood of the screenplay. Dodges arrived at the same moment from dinner and we visited until time to retire for the night.
We left home three weeks ago. We hope we have less than that remaining on this journey.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
We are inserting an extra blog today because we have learned that we need to go to Kiev tomorrow to be re-fingerprinted. Because of Vern Garrett's problem with his fingerprints expiring, thus causing his delayed return to the US, we thought to have our expiration dates verified. We contacted the US Embassy in Kiev today and were told that our fingerprints indeed expired in February of this year. It is good that we checked. We have enough time to have them redone tomorrow and be ready for a best-case scenario of departing as scheduled on May 5th. We leave very early in the morning and return late tomorrow evening.
Meanwhile we have also learned that Vladimir found the document he needed to link the children's mother's maiden name to her married name. One less possible glitch.
We visited with the children as usual today. Toli was going swimming with his class so we did not get to visit with him long. We mad arrangements with the music teacher to have a sopilka made for Dasha and to obtain recorded and sheet music for the songs that the children perform. We were asked and gave some money to Dasha's and Stan's teacher to purchase test preparation books for each of her students.
Next blog on Friday.
Meanwhile we have also learned that Vladimir found the document he needed to link the children's mother's maiden name to her married name. One less possible glitch.
We visited with the children as usual today. Toli was going swimming with his class so we did not get to visit with him long. We mad arrangements with the music teacher to have a sopilka made for Dasha and to obtain recorded and sheet music for the songs that the children perform. We were asked and gave some money to Dasha's and Stan's teacher to purchase test preparation books for each of her students.
Next blog on Friday.
We are deeply touched by all of the thoughts, prayers and fasting in our behalf. How can it fail?
On Tuesday, we arrived a little later than usual at the school today. There was not the usual group of children anticipating our arrival this time. We found Stan and Toli behind the dormitory building involved in a soccer practice overseen by the soccer coach. We watched for about a half hour until we saw Dasha going to the store with the Dodges. We joined them. When the boys' soccer practice was over they joined us for ice cream at the store.
There was interest in wandering through the subdivision behind the school to examine the very large homes there. Because we had been told that government workers and bankers here are quite wealthy, Susan surmised that it must be they who lived in such homes. On the far side of the subdivision lies a cemetery, with well-kept fenced and gated gravesites, most of which have large erect stone markers, and most with a picture of the deceased etched or inset in the stone. Some sites are not marked, but almost all are decorated with brightly colored silk flowers. In the valley just down the hill from the cemetery sits a small marshy lake where Dasha, Stan and Toli go to catch fish, as they did with success last week. When we got back around to school, Toli showed up with a fat lip he had given himself with his own knee during the practice. We felt fortunate it was not caused by someone else. We left shortly thereafter with gratitude for the relative uneventfulness of the visit today.
Natalie had been receiving communiqués from Vladimir through the day. She reported that he has already been talking with regional authorities for Volgograd (Dasha’s and Toli’s birthplace) to find out what documents are required to change the children’s birth registrations. This revision is required first in order to have their birth certificates changed to show their new names with us as their parents. In laying out the requirements the authorities have not indicated that there is any delay associated with their recognition of the Ukraine court decision. While that is not conclusive, we remain optimistic.
We also learned that Dasha’s birth certificate shows her mother’s maiden name, whereas the document yielding parental rights to the state has her with her husband’s surname (Suhozhenko). A document linking the two must be found. Vladimir will go to Krolovets on Wednesday seeking the marriage certificate which should provide the link.
We obtained permission from the owner of the vacant apartment that was rented by Garretts to use the washing machine there before the new tenants arrive. We had a very small machine in the Kiev apartment. But here we have had to use the bathtub. Susan performs the Fill, Agitate and Rinse cycles in the tub and I am assigned the Spin cycle, which is performed by folding the article, grasping each end in one’s fists, and firmly spinning the fists in opposite rotations. Until late last week we hung our clothes to dry on a leftover slat of floor moulding laid between window sills on the balcony. Now we have a small rack the owner has provided. We still must use every pipe and radiator, the ironing board, and door and window handles.
On Tuesday, we arrived a little later than usual at the school today. There was not the usual group of children anticipating our arrival this time. We found Stan and Toli behind the dormitory building involved in a soccer practice overseen by the soccer coach. We watched for about a half hour until we saw Dasha going to the store with the Dodges. We joined them. When the boys' soccer practice was over they joined us for ice cream at the store.
There was interest in wandering through the subdivision behind the school to examine the very large homes there. Because we had been told that government workers and bankers here are quite wealthy, Susan surmised that it must be they who lived in such homes. On the far side of the subdivision lies a cemetery, with well-kept fenced and gated gravesites, most of which have large erect stone markers, and most with a picture of the deceased etched or inset in the stone. Some sites are not marked, but almost all are decorated with brightly colored silk flowers. In the valley just down the hill from the cemetery sits a small marshy lake where Dasha, Stan and Toli go to catch fish, as they did with success last week. When we got back around to school, Toli showed up with a fat lip he had given himself with his own knee during the practice. We felt fortunate it was not caused by someone else. We left shortly thereafter with gratitude for the relative uneventfulness of the visit today.
Natalie had been receiving communiqués from Vladimir through the day. She reported that he has already been talking with regional authorities for Volgograd (Dasha’s and Toli’s birthplace) to find out what documents are required to change the children’s birth registrations. This revision is required first in order to have their birth certificates changed to show their new names with us as their parents. In laying out the requirements the authorities have not indicated that there is any delay associated with their recognition of the Ukraine court decision. While that is not conclusive, we remain optimistic.
We also learned that Dasha’s birth certificate shows her mother’s maiden name, whereas the document yielding parental rights to the state has her with her husband’s surname (Suhozhenko). A document linking the two must be found. Vladimir will go to Krolovets on Wednesday seeking the marriage certificate which should provide the link.
We obtained permission from the owner of the vacant apartment that was rented by Garretts to use the washing machine there before the new tenants arrive. We had a very small machine in the Kiev apartment. But here we have had to use the bathtub. Susan performs the Fill, Agitate and Rinse cycles in the tub and I am assigned the Spin cycle, which is performed by folding the article, grasping each end in one’s fists, and firmly spinning the fists in opposite rotations. Until late last week we hung our clothes to dry on a leftover slat of floor moulding laid between window sills on the balcony. Now we have a small rack the owner has provided. We still must use every pipe and radiator, the ironing board, and door and window handles.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Day of the Court was all of wonderful, tenuous and eye-opening. The Dodges, Susan, Natalie and I caught the bus by our apartment at about 9 am to make our 9:30 appointment at the district court in downtown Sumy. We arrived at the courthouse and waited a few minutes outside for Vladimir to arrive with the five children from the school. He and Natalie had worked to prepare the children for the questions that they would likely be asked by the judge today. (We learned that Vladimir had also told Dasha of the possible delays due to her and Toli’s births in Russia and that it may take up to two months. He had also assured her that he would do all in his power to get her to America as soon as possible. Knowing that, I put off any hounding I was planning to do and will let things take their course. All I asked is that he inform us as soon as he has a feeling for how long the delay will be.)
We were all invited to enter the lobby inside where we waited until our turn. Susan, Vladimir, Natalie, our three children and I were called and ushered first into the large office/courtroom of the court’s chief judge, a stern-faced, middle-aged woman. We were directed to sit in the seven chairs against the far right wall. The judge sat near the wall opposite and about twenty feet away from us. Teeing off her broad desk was a long table at which sat a young female prosecutor and three assistants. Against the exterior wall between us and the judge were Viktor Ivanovich, the school’s director and the Inspector who had interviewed us at the school.
We had been told that frequently this court appearance is a mere formality that passes briefly. However, some intelligence acquired by Vladimir pointed to the chief judge’s presiding at ours. Knowing that this judge would be much more inquisitive than others, Natalie prepared us for the types of questions she might ask us. I asked Natalie to translate however she felt was appropriate regardless of what we said. That would not work, however, because there may be a decent understanding of English among the officials there.
The judge asked me, and then Susan, many personal information questions. Then she inquired about our decision to adopt, our ability to adopt and care for the children, our relationship with the children, and solutions to the language barrier. Then each of the children was asked to stand in turn and give personal information and to express their feelings about being adopted by us and going to America. Viktor was then asked to represent the school. He stated how long they been at the orphanage (since February 2003); that these are good children; and that they had never had any family visitors since they had arrived. The Inspector then stood and recommended that we be permitted to adopt the children, as she had seen us with them, and that the children were very happy with us. The prosecutor was asked if she had any questions (No). Did we have any? (No). We were escorted into an adjoining office to await deliberation, which took about two minutes. We re-entered the judge’s office where she rendered a favorable decision in our behalf. She informed is that we would have ten days to reconsider our decision to adopt these children (– as if! The decision was made eighteen months ago before we promised Stan that we would bring him, his sister and his brother to America to be part of our family. After that, there would be no reconsideration on our parts). After the ten days, the decision would be finalized. We were then dismissed. Dodges were called in next and their court also went well. Their girls stated that their natural mother had contacted them, but that all she was interested in was money from the Dodges.
We all rejoiced afterward and decided it was time to celebrate. We all went to the apartment so we parents could change out of our Sunday best. While we were changing Natalie took the children and Paul’s money and bought some roses for their new mothers. We then crossed the street to the pizza restaurant for lunch. While there we mentioned to Natalie that we intended to ask the children to tell us what they could of their genealogy. Natalie asked Dasha about her Grandma in Krolovets. Dasha said their mother shuttled them back and forth between their grandmas in Russia and Ukraine. Much of their lives were spent with their grandmas and she wished to see her paternal grandma in Krolovets (Stan’s birthplace) before we leave. We plan to go to Krolovets a week from Friday, when the ten days are up, to get Stan’s birth certificate, and will try to arrange a visit with her then. If it works, we will try to glean what we can of genealogical value on their father’s side. We may videotape the interview.
Most of the children wanted to go to a movie and to the fun park nearby. The next showing of the new Mr. Bean movie was three hours later. So we walked to the park which offered a couple of small car driving tracks, a trampoline, a boat pool, a castle with slides, and a man-eating inflated shark. The boys went for the latter – over and over – and then a couple of other rides. Toli wanted more, but I felt I had spent enough money at that point and that it was again time to let him know he could not have everything he wants when he wants it. I turned him down. He pouted and kept his distance from us. We all walked back to theater. On the way we stopped to get the kids some ice cream. Toli would not go in with us. Stan and Dasha bought some for him, but he was upset because it was the wrong kind. Furthermore, he was not going to see the movie and walked away around the large theater building. I soon followed to try to keep him within sight. Meanwhile, Susan had tracked him down. Natalie intervened. He told her he wanted to return to the school. No, Mom and Dad could not go with him; no, not even Natalie. Natalie called Vladimir, who is an authority figure to the children. He showed up a few minutes later. What he got out of Toli was that he is frightened to go to America because he is certain he won’t be able to learn English. Vladimir tried to give him confidence and told him that in six months Toli would be writing to him in English. Apparently, it worked and we all went in to the movie together. While this could be a significant part of the cause of his behavior, we feel he may have had a “past the point of no return” realization today. Limits imposed on him may have contributed to the snap into reality. So be it. What was difficult for us in this situation is that it happened in front of everyone and that there is little that we could do in such a setting because of the language barrier. We had to wait for someone else to find out what was wrong; and every translator came away with a different idea of what it was. We know that when we get them home it will also be a challenge, but we will be able to more privately and patiently determine what is going on and work to resolve it.
The movie was fun. We parted on good terms today. The good, the bad and the ugly.
We were all invited to enter the lobby inside where we waited until our turn. Susan, Vladimir, Natalie, our three children and I were called and ushered first into the large office/courtroom of the court’s chief judge, a stern-faced, middle-aged woman. We were directed to sit in the seven chairs against the far right wall. The judge sat near the wall opposite and about twenty feet away from us. Teeing off her broad desk was a long table at which sat a young female prosecutor and three assistants. Against the exterior wall between us and the judge were Viktor Ivanovich, the school’s director and the Inspector who had interviewed us at the school.
We had been told that frequently this court appearance is a mere formality that passes briefly. However, some intelligence acquired by Vladimir pointed to the chief judge’s presiding at ours. Knowing that this judge would be much more inquisitive than others, Natalie prepared us for the types of questions she might ask us. I asked Natalie to translate however she felt was appropriate regardless of what we said. That would not work, however, because there may be a decent understanding of English among the officials there.
The judge asked me, and then Susan, many personal information questions. Then she inquired about our decision to adopt, our ability to adopt and care for the children, our relationship with the children, and solutions to the language barrier. Then each of the children was asked to stand in turn and give personal information and to express their feelings about being adopted by us and going to America. Viktor was then asked to represent the school. He stated how long they been at the orphanage (since February 2003); that these are good children; and that they had never had any family visitors since they had arrived. The Inspector then stood and recommended that we be permitted to adopt the children, as she had seen us with them, and that the children were very happy with us. The prosecutor was asked if she had any questions (No). Did we have any? (No). We were escorted into an adjoining office to await deliberation, which took about two minutes. We re-entered the judge’s office where she rendered a favorable decision in our behalf. She informed is that we would have ten days to reconsider our decision to adopt these children (– as if! The decision was made eighteen months ago before we promised Stan that we would bring him, his sister and his brother to America to be part of our family. After that, there would be no reconsideration on our parts). After the ten days, the decision would be finalized. We were then dismissed. Dodges were called in next and their court also went well. Their girls stated that their natural mother had contacted them, but that all she was interested in was money from the Dodges.
We all rejoiced afterward and decided it was time to celebrate. We all went to the apartment so we parents could change out of our Sunday best. While we were changing Natalie took the children and Paul’s money and bought some roses for their new mothers. We then crossed the street to the pizza restaurant for lunch. While there we mentioned to Natalie that we intended to ask the children to tell us what they could of their genealogy. Natalie asked Dasha about her Grandma in Krolovets. Dasha said their mother shuttled them back and forth between their grandmas in Russia and Ukraine. Much of their lives were spent with their grandmas and she wished to see her paternal grandma in Krolovets (Stan’s birthplace) before we leave. We plan to go to Krolovets a week from Friday, when the ten days are up, to get Stan’s birth certificate, and will try to arrange a visit with her then. If it works, we will try to glean what we can of genealogical value on their father’s side. We may videotape the interview.
Most of the children wanted to go to a movie and to the fun park nearby. The next showing of the new Mr. Bean movie was three hours later. So we walked to the park which offered a couple of small car driving tracks, a trampoline, a boat pool, a castle with slides, and a man-eating inflated shark. The boys went for the latter – over and over – and then a couple of other rides. Toli wanted more, but I felt I had spent enough money at that point and that it was again time to let him know he could not have everything he wants when he wants it. I turned him down. He pouted and kept his distance from us. We all walked back to theater. On the way we stopped to get the kids some ice cream. Toli would not go in with us. Stan and Dasha bought some for him, but he was upset because it was the wrong kind. Furthermore, he was not going to see the movie and walked away around the large theater building. I soon followed to try to keep him within sight. Meanwhile, Susan had tracked him down. Natalie intervened. He told her he wanted to return to the school. No, Mom and Dad could not go with him; no, not even Natalie. Natalie called Vladimir, who is an authority figure to the children. He showed up a few minutes later. What he got out of Toli was that he is frightened to go to America because he is certain he won’t be able to learn English. Vladimir tried to give him confidence and told him that in six months Toli would be writing to him in English. Apparently, it worked and we all went in to the movie together. While this could be a significant part of the cause of his behavior, we feel he may have had a “past the point of no return” realization today. Limits imposed on him may have contributed to the snap into reality. So be it. What was difficult for us in this situation is that it happened in front of everyone and that there is little that we could do in such a setting because of the language barrier. We had to wait for someone else to find out what was wrong; and every translator came away with a different idea of what it was. We know that when we get them home it will also be a challenge, but we will be able to more privately and patiently determine what is going on and work to resolve it.
The movie was fun. We parted on good terms today. The good, the bad and the ugly.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Saturday 14 April 2007
If our destination here is within a mile or so we will usually walk. The San Remo internet café is about three quarters of a mile west of the apartment along the main drag that passes the north (front) side of the apartment building. That’s equivalent to walking from our South Jordan home north to the Maverik store, to which we never walk because it offers nothing of value except for gasoline; so walking there is pointless unless you’re pushing a car. Just before you get to San Remo is a very broad intersection that you may either cross over, if you dare, where one of the intersecting streets narrows; or you mamy cross under from any one of the corners. To do so, you descend about thirty steps to a totally unlit tunnel briefly reminiscent of the Paris sewers labyrinth as described by Victor Hugo, except that they are not as complex or as filled with excrement and rats – not quite. From the tunnel you may emerge at any one of the other three corners you wish, provided you can make the correct unlit turn under there. Susan will risk venturing halfway across the street, pausing on the lane dividing line while cars whiz by on either side, awaiting “safe” passage to the other side, rather than go under the street.
When we encountered such underground passages in Kiev they seemed like an idea that ought to picked up in the US. In contrast to Sumy’s tunnels, however, Kiev had installed businesses and even upscale malls along the passageways. There was nothing fearsome about them.
A couple of blocks west of the San Remo are McDonalds and the immense Eko Supermarket on opposite sides of the street corner. The ground level of the supermarket offers many of the usual items you would find in a grocery store. The three levels above offer pretty much everything else in the world you might want.
While Paul Dodge and I were completing our blog and e-mail business at San Remo Susan, Patty and Jeffrey walked to the supermarket to buy provisions for the weekend, especially for the big meal planned with guests after church on Sunday. The shopping carts at the supermarket are a little larger than the ones our grandchildren push around our house. But that’s all that would fit down the narrow aisles of the store. The girls were about ready to check out when I arrived. Going through the checkstand is an experience. The check sits in a comfortable chair wearing a paper hat that you might have seen on a clerk in a 1950s ice cream parlor. She only moves her arms to scan the items. Once the customer unloads some of the cart or basket and the clerk begins scanning, someone (else?) has to rush to the other end of the checkstand which collects the items for bagging. The trouble is this area is only about fifteen inches square. So it fills up and the items must be bagged and the bags set on the floor almost immediately. That is my job. I don’t know how one person alone with a sizeable amount of groceries could handle it without the hearing some unintelligible (to us) Ukrainian vituperative and a flip of her head indicating the problem that requires immediate resolution on the other end.
I loaded the bags as full as I could because the bags cost money. Susan usually has a store of them in her purse, but no this time. We each carried two or three bags a mile back to the apartment. We carried the bags up the dark, dank stairwell five flights to our room to avoid the darker, danker, 3’ x 3’ elevator, where a dog, cat, person, or all three, had relieved it(him/her)self.
After lunch we rode the bus to the school. Paul let the children watch “Lion King 1-1/2” on his portable DVD player in one of the group rooms. I caught a few winks. Afterward we took the children to the nearby store. They were expecting a sweet treat, but we only bought fruit for them this time. They were clearly disappointed and there was some subtle pouting. Later, however, we gave them each a package of candy to share with their classmates. We consciously wanted to help them learn that they will not always get everything they want when they want it.
When we returned to the apartment, Vern, Andrew and Natalie were there, having just arrived from Kiev to stay until Vern and Andrew fly to the US a week from Monday. We all went to the pizza place across the street for dinner. We now have seven people (three family units) living in this two-bedroom apartment. It will be a little crowded but we’ll all make it work.
Sunday 15 April 2007
We walked to church in downtown Sumy this morning and awaited the arrival of our children. They showed up a little late. It was testimony meeting today and a few sisters, the branch president and an elder bore their testimonies. Patty Dodge also bore her testimony to her new daughters and expressed her desire for them to be baptized. The Sunday School lesson was the DVD “Finding Faith in Christ” in Russian. It seemed to go over well. The combined youth meeting was also taught by Annie, one of our translators and a returned missionary. She taught about the priesthood and priesthood blessings. Vern, Paul and I each gave an experience with priesthood blessings. I talked about how my oldest sons gave us blessings before we left and how they gave us confidence that the adoption process here would go well. While we don’t know exactly how things will work out, we are certain it will be in accordance with the Lord’s will and will be best. The children were asked if they pray and they all answered, “Da.”
Natalie, the nonmember translator, shared some things with Patty and Susan. Natalie was trying to prepare the children for the court tomorrow as they will be asked if they want to be adopted by us and why. Dodges’ girls told her that they had prayed for a family, that they knew that Paul and Patty love them, and that they have never been treated this well by anyone in all their lives. Similarly, Dasha, Stan and Toli had prayed for a family. It was especially important to them that their new family be believers. They are comfortable with us in our home here. Dasha expressed that she feels like she has known us for a long time and that we are her real parents. This is all very heartwarming.
There was a little doctrinal meat and some unnecessary spices served before the children are even accustomed to milk. Hopefully, they do not try to assimilate everything but rather dwell on the simple truths shared today. They have been handed clear testimony. There can be no question in their minds now what our intentions are regarding their conversions. We’ll see how it goes from here.
Susan and Patty prepared a big dinner of rotisserie chicken, potatoes, vegetable salad, fruit salad, and cake to feed fourteen people (5 adults, 2 translators and 7 children). The challenge was that we have very few plates or silverware and no serving dishes. The children all ate heartily. They just enjoyed being in a home. We will meet the children at court tomorrow morning. We thank all for your prayers, faith and support!!
If our destination here is within a mile or so we will usually walk. The San Remo internet café is about three quarters of a mile west of the apartment along the main drag that passes the north (front) side of the apartment building. That’s equivalent to walking from our South Jordan home north to the Maverik store, to which we never walk because it offers nothing of value except for gasoline; so walking there is pointless unless you’re pushing a car. Just before you get to San Remo is a very broad intersection that you may either cross over, if you dare, where one of the intersecting streets narrows; or you mamy cross under from any one of the corners. To do so, you descend about thirty steps to a totally unlit tunnel briefly reminiscent of the Paris sewers labyrinth as described by Victor Hugo, except that they are not as complex or as filled with excrement and rats – not quite. From the tunnel you may emerge at any one of the other three corners you wish, provided you can make the correct unlit turn under there. Susan will risk venturing halfway across the street, pausing on the lane dividing line while cars whiz by on either side, awaiting “safe” passage to the other side, rather than go under the street.
When we encountered such underground passages in Kiev they seemed like an idea that ought to picked up in the US. In contrast to Sumy’s tunnels, however, Kiev had installed businesses and even upscale malls along the passageways. There was nothing fearsome about them.
A couple of blocks west of the San Remo are McDonalds and the immense Eko Supermarket on opposite sides of the street corner. The ground level of the supermarket offers many of the usual items you would find in a grocery store. The three levels above offer pretty much everything else in the world you might want.
While Paul Dodge and I were completing our blog and e-mail business at San Remo Susan, Patty and Jeffrey walked to the supermarket to buy provisions for the weekend, especially for the big meal planned with guests after church on Sunday. The shopping carts at the supermarket are a little larger than the ones our grandchildren push around our house. But that’s all that would fit down the narrow aisles of the store. The girls were about ready to check out when I arrived. Going through the checkstand is an experience. The check sits in a comfortable chair wearing a paper hat that you might have seen on a clerk in a 1950s ice cream parlor. She only moves her arms to scan the items. Once the customer unloads some of the cart or basket and the clerk begins scanning, someone (else?) has to rush to the other end of the checkstand which collects the items for bagging. The trouble is this area is only about fifteen inches square. So it fills up and the items must be bagged and the bags set on the floor almost immediately. That is my job. I don’t know how one person alone with a sizeable amount of groceries could handle it without the hearing some unintelligible (to us) Ukrainian vituperative and a flip of her head indicating the problem that requires immediate resolution on the other end.
I loaded the bags as full as I could because the bags cost money. Susan usually has a store of them in her purse, but no this time. We each carried two or three bags a mile back to the apartment. We carried the bags up the dark, dank stairwell five flights to our room to avoid the darker, danker, 3’ x 3’ elevator, where a dog, cat, person, or all three, had relieved it(him/her)self.
After lunch we rode the bus to the school. Paul let the children watch “Lion King 1-1/2” on his portable DVD player in one of the group rooms. I caught a few winks. Afterward we took the children to the nearby store. They were expecting a sweet treat, but we only bought fruit for them this time. They were clearly disappointed and there was some subtle pouting. Later, however, we gave them each a package of candy to share with their classmates. We consciously wanted to help them learn that they will not always get everything they want when they want it.
When we returned to the apartment, Vern, Andrew and Natalie were there, having just arrived from Kiev to stay until Vern and Andrew fly to the US a week from Monday. We all went to the pizza place across the street for dinner. We now have seven people (three family units) living in this two-bedroom apartment. It will be a little crowded but we’ll all make it work.
Sunday 15 April 2007
We walked to church in downtown Sumy this morning and awaited the arrival of our children. They showed up a little late. It was testimony meeting today and a few sisters, the branch president and an elder bore their testimonies. Patty Dodge also bore her testimony to her new daughters and expressed her desire for them to be baptized. The Sunday School lesson was the DVD “Finding Faith in Christ” in Russian. It seemed to go over well. The combined youth meeting was also taught by Annie, one of our translators and a returned missionary. She taught about the priesthood and priesthood blessings. Vern, Paul and I each gave an experience with priesthood blessings. I talked about how my oldest sons gave us blessings before we left and how they gave us confidence that the adoption process here would go well. While we don’t know exactly how things will work out, we are certain it will be in accordance with the Lord’s will and will be best. The children were asked if they pray and they all answered, “Da.”
Natalie, the nonmember translator, shared some things with Patty and Susan. Natalie was trying to prepare the children for the court tomorrow as they will be asked if they want to be adopted by us and why. Dodges’ girls told her that they had prayed for a family, that they knew that Paul and Patty love them, and that they have never been treated this well by anyone in all their lives. Similarly, Dasha, Stan and Toli had prayed for a family. It was especially important to them that their new family be believers. They are comfortable with us in our home here. Dasha expressed that she feels like she has known us for a long time and that we are her real parents. This is all very heartwarming.
There was a little doctrinal meat and some unnecessary spices served before the children are even accustomed to milk. Hopefully, they do not try to assimilate everything but rather dwell on the simple truths shared today. They have been handed clear testimony. There can be no question in their minds now what our intentions are regarding their conversions. We’ll see how it goes from here.
Susan and Patty prepared a big dinner of rotisserie chicken, potatoes, vegetable salad, fruit salad, and cake to feed fourteen people (5 adults, 2 translators and 7 children). The challenge was that we have very few plates or silverware and no serving dishes. The children all ate heartily. They just enjoyed being in a home. We will meet the children at court tomorrow morning. We thank all for your prayers, faith and support!!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
With the time available to ruminate at this stage of the process there can be a tendency to magnify petty annoyances into major issues. We therefore are trying to stay focused on our long-term purpose here in order to blur these more proximate concerns.
Yesterday we took the children to McDonalds for the third time. This is an eatery to which we seldom go to at home; in fact, it is one that Susan and I strenuously strive to avoid. But the children here find it an exceptional treat. It is almost always full. McDonalds would do well to add another restaurant in this city. As we were trying to leave McDonalds Dasha called out "Let's go Family Peckham!" It's good to hear them begin to refer to us all as a family.
Stan said that he needed some fishing line because he was going fishing in a lake near the school that night. Some of the boys catch fish on occasion and take them to the school kitchen to be cooked and eaten. I agreed to buy the line as it cost less than a dollar. While in the sporting goods store Toli indicated to me that he would like some new shoes. I tried to tell him that we would buy him some new shoes before we leave for America. A few moments later he saw some soccer gloves and asked me to buy him a pair. I told him “No.” We have the tendency to want to give them whatever they ask for because of the hardships and deprivation they have experienced. But we know it is not best for them. We also know it’s a challenge for these children to comprehend that their dreams and perceptions of our unlimited funds and their unrestricted access to them do not correspond with reality. Furthermore, working for something is a new concept for them.
Once we had returned to the school we handed a large bag of cookies that we had bought that morning to our children to distribute to their classmates.
We learned a day or two ago that Andrew, Vern and Nanette Garretts’ newly adopted son, could not get a passport to the US because Vern’s fingerprints had just expired. This is something that on one hand seems so ridiculous that it’s hard to believe our government would have such a silly regulation and that our embassy here would not waive it in this case. Then, on the other hand, I reflect on some of the US government people with whom I’ve dealt over the years and it makes perfect sense. So Vern and Andrew have had to delay their departure perhaps ten days while they await processing of Vern’s new fingerprints that may have changed over the last 18 months! Nanette left a few days ago so she could help with preparations for their son’s wedding in a couple of weeks.
While I’ve never been the least bit superstitious, I could make a mild case for Friday the 13th mishaps yesterday. As I was bending over to pick up the toothpaste that morning I felt something slip in my lower back. I slowly and carefully returned to vertical and seemed to feel it slip back into place. Vertical is comfortable; but sitting and rising therefrom is not. Later, as I was boarding the bus, the top of the low doorway removed part of my scalp, which was fortunately protected by my hat. The only real case that can be made is for my age, poor physical condition, and clumsiness.
We are anxiously anticipating our court date on Monday.
Yesterday we took the children to McDonalds for the third time. This is an eatery to which we seldom go to at home; in fact, it is one that Susan and I strenuously strive to avoid. But the children here find it an exceptional treat. It is almost always full. McDonalds would do well to add another restaurant in this city. As we were trying to leave McDonalds Dasha called out "Let's go Family Peckham!" It's good to hear them begin to refer to us all as a family.
Stan said that he needed some fishing line because he was going fishing in a lake near the school that night. Some of the boys catch fish on occasion and take them to the school kitchen to be cooked and eaten. I agreed to buy the line as it cost less than a dollar. While in the sporting goods store Toli indicated to me that he would like some new shoes. I tried to tell him that we would buy him some new shoes before we leave for America. A few moments later he saw some soccer gloves and asked me to buy him a pair. I told him “No.” We have the tendency to want to give them whatever they ask for because of the hardships and deprivation they have experienced. But we know it is not best for them. We also know it’s a challenge for these children to comprehend that their dreams and perceptions of our unlimited funds and their unrestricted access to them do not correspond with reality. Furthermore, working for something is a new concept for them.
Once we had returned to the school we handed a large bag of cookies that we had bought that morning to our children to distribute to their classmates.
We learned a day or two ago that Andrew, Vern and Nanette Garretts’ newly adopted son, could not get a passport to the US because Vern’s fingerprints had just expired. This is something that on one hand seems so ridiculous that it’s hard to believe our government would have such a silly regulation and that our embassy here would not waive it in this case. Then, on the other hand, I reflect on some of the US government people with whom I’ve dealt over the years and it makes perfect sense. So Vern and Andrew have had to delay their departure perhaps ten days while they await processing of Vern’s new fingerprints that may have changed over the last 18 months! Nanette left a few days ago so she could help with preparations for their son’s wedding in a couple of weeks.
While I’ve never been the least bit superstitious, I could make a mild case for Friday the 13th mishaps yesterday. As I was bending over to pick up the toothpaste that morning I felt something slip in my lower back. I slowly and carefully returned to vertical and seemed to feel it slip back into place. Vertical is comfortable; but sitting and rising therefrom is not. Later, as I was boarding the bus, the top of the low doorway removed part of my scalp, which was fortunately protected by my hat. The only real case that can be made is for my age, poor physical condition, and clumsiness.
We are anxiously anticipating our court date on Monday.
Friday, April 13, 2007
If you haven’t the stomach or time for minutiae you may be well-advised to skip today’s entry. We are experiencing what those before us have termed the “stagnation period” where little occurs or changes from day to day as we wait for the next event. The children are accustomed to our daily visits. The communication levels are insufficient to convey new sentiments to the children. To fight this we will begin playing games and such to occupy the time and to further explore their personalities. Toli seems to be his old sweet self that others had described to us. He's very playful, loving. He sees us from across the school grounds, yells "Papa!" and comes running or riding on his old bike. Stan's very agreeable and says yes to everything. He's just like Edward and Richard -- walking around with his headphones on, ingoring everything and everybody, including Dasha's "Suhozhenko!!" call that usually gets his attention when all else fails.
This morning we fumbled our way through purchasing produce and other needed items at the outdoor market down the street. Dasha’s and Stan’s teacher, Valentina Ivanovna, was to be celebrated on her birthday by her class yesterday; so, at the children’s request, we bought her a few red roses at the market.
We visited with the children, bought treats for them at the store by the school, and returned to the apartment. Susan cooked up some pork-filled dumplings, similar to some we had tried in Kiev, and served them with sour cream over the top as the Ukrainian kitchens do. Excellent! The children had indicated that they enjoy dumplings very much. So I translated what I could of the directions and we gave it a try in order to be ready to make some for the children on Sunday.
After dinner we watched the DVD of “Pursuit of Happyness”. I was not engrossed in the movie as I was alternatively reading a book and dozing off. But I must have gotten into it enough that when it was over I looked around the room and wondered, “What are we doing here?” Susan had a similar thing occur during the movie as she suddenly asked herself, "We are adopting what?" We felt as though we could have been watching the movie in the comfort of our home in South Jordan, or we were just visitng here briefly. Then we're sanpped in to this reality. We have had such a singular focus until know that we have constantly been aware of our purpose. For a moment we were distracted.
I have learned very little Russian, but I enjoy trying. On occasion I find myself attempting to form an expression in Russian. If it includes a word or phrase I don’t know, the word that will automatically come to mind will be the Thai equivalent – or once in awhile even French or German. It’s a strange phenomenon. So many aspects of life here remind me of Thailand.
In a related manner, I get twisted up trying to assess US dollar value of prices here. In Thailand the baht was valued at essentially 20 per dollar, with a value of 5 cents each. In Ukraine the grivnya is valued at close to 5 per dollar, or 20 cents each. My pea-brain plays tricks with this reversal and I find myself reflexively dividing or multiplying by 20 instead of 5 and getting things all mixed up.
This morning we fumbled our way through purchasing produce and other needed items at the outdoor market down the street. Dasha’s and Stan’s teacher, Valentina Ivanovna, was to be celebrated on her birthday by her class yesterday; so, at the children’s request, we bought her a few red roses at the market.
We visited with the children, bought treats for them at the store by the school, and returned to the apartment. Susan cooked up some pork-filled dumplings, similar to some we had tried in Kiev, and served them with sour cream over the top as the Ukrainian kitchens do. Excellent! The children had indicated that they enjoy dumplings very much. So I translated what I could of the directions and we gave it a try in order to be ready to make some for the children on Sunday.
After dinner we watched the DVD of “Pursuit of Happyness”. I was not engrossed in the movie as I was alternatively reading a book and dozing off. But I must have gotten into it enough that when it was over I looked around the room and wondered, “What are we doing here?” Susan had a similar thing occur during the movie as she suddenly asked herself, "We are adopting what?" We felt as though we could have been watching the movie in the comfort of our home in South Jordan, or we were just visitng here briefly. Then we're sanpped in to this reality. We have had such a singular focus until know that we have constantly been aware of our purpose. For a moment we were distracted.
I have learned very little Russian, but I enjoy trying. On occasion I find myself attempting to form an expression in Russian. If it includes a word or phrase I don’t know, the word that will automatically come to mind will be the Thai equivalent – or once in awhile even French or German. It’s a strange phenomenon. So many aspects of life here remind me of Thailand.
In a related manner, I get twisted up trying to assess US dollar value of prices here. In Thailand the baht was valued at essentially 20 per dollar, with a value of 5 cents each. In Ukraine the grivnya is valued at close to 5 per dollar, or 20 cents each. My pea-brain plays tricks with this reversal and I find myself reflexively dividing or multiplying by 20 instead of 5 and getting things all mixed up.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Most every day several of us American Mormon boys enter the Сан Ремо (San Remo) bar that provides two things: booze and internet service consisting of a bank of eight computers. Lately Susan has ventured in with me. I post the blog, with Susan’s editing, Susan and I answer e-mails, and then we read a conference talk together. Elder Scott’s opening talk on prayer had special significance to us.
There is a chain of establishments we have noticed around town with the curious name of НЕВАДА (Nevada). It turns out that they are bookmakers. The one in front of our building has a large mural showing the Strip in Las Vegas. I was also curious about the preponderance of establishments named Ломбард (Lombard). I thought they must be some kind of fashion store. The direct translation of that word is “pawn shop”. We have not linked the name with the type of business. Perhaps someone can make the connection for us.
I have had a difficult time with the prohibition against whistling in public here. I had read about it before the trip. But sometimes it’s just so natural to get someone’s attention or just to whistle a happy tune.
We again spent the afternoon and early evening with the children. It was our plan to bring them back to the apartment for dinner and relaxation. We had arrived at the orphanage having been encouraged to witness the parting ceremonies that would surely jerk the tears. We had heard and imagined how hard it would be to watch the children left behind knowing with fair certainty that they would never see their friends again, while uncertain of their ever having the same opportunity to so exit life in the orphanage. After waiting for two hours such a thing did not seem to materialize. It turned out that the ceremony had taken place last Sunday. So it goes. We bade farewell to the Garretts and McGintys.
Vladimir was with them as he had been finalizing passport paperwork for these families. He informed us that we have a firm appointment with the Sumy court on Monday at 9:30 am. We have been told that the court is nothing to be concerned about – that it is in essence merely a formality, as approval to adopt has already been granted by the SDA. Still it is good news. Dodges learned today that their two girls had been called by their mother telling them she wanted the Dodges to pay her some money for adopting her daughters. Vladimir assured them that she would not be contacted and would not be an impediment to the adoption process.
We did take the children to our apartment, stopping at the small 10’ x 10’ box out front that makes eight different filled crépe varieties. We have been trying one type each day. We pulled out some fresh fruit and vegetables that we had purchased at the outdoor market that morning, along with some treats, and let them have at it. The children are accustomed to five “meals” a day at the orphanage: breakfast, 2nd breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. A couple of them would actually be considered snacks. They would be missing the last two for the day. Not knowing how much they would miss out on we let them have what they wanted. Toli is a veritable bottomless pit. It will be interesting having three hungry teenagers at home again.
We let the children watch “Monsters, Inc.” and then returned them to the orphanage as they were required to be back by 8 pm.
It's hard to believe that we have only been with these children for a week. So much has occurred.
There is a chain of establishments we have noticed around town with the curious name of НЕВАДА (Nevada). It turns out that they are bookmakers. The one in front of our building has a large mural showing the Strip in Las Vegas. I was also curious about the preponderance of establishments named Ломбард (Lombard). I thought they must be some kind of fashion store. The direct translation of that word is “pawn shop”. We have not linked the name with the type of business. Perhaps someone can make the connection for us.
I have had a difficult time with the prohibition against whistling in public here. I had read about it before the trip. But sometimes it’s just so natural to get someone’s attention or just to whistle a happy tune.
We again spent the afternoon and early evening with the children. It was our plan to bring them back to the apartment for dinner and relaxation. We had arrived at the orphanage having been encouraged to witness the parting ceremonies that would surely jerk the tears. We had heard and imagined how hard it would be to watch the children left behind knowing with fair certainty that they would never see their friends again, while uncertain of their ever having the same opportunity to so exit life in the orphanage. After waiting for two hours such a thing did not seem to materialize. It turned out that the ceremony had taken place last Sunday. So it goes. We bade farewell to the Garretts and McGintys.
Vladimir was with them as he had been finalizing passport paperwork for these families. He informed us that we have a firm appointment with the Sumy court on Monday at 9:30 am. We have been told that the court is nothing to be concerned about – that it is in essence merely a formality, as approval to adopt has already been granted by the SDA. Still it is good news. Dodges learned today that their two girls had been called by their mother telling them she wanted the Dodges to pay her some money for adopting her daughters. Vladimir assured them that she would not be contacted and would not be an impediment to the adoption process.
We did take the children to our apartment, stopping at the small 10’ x 10’ box out front that makes eight different filled crépe varieties. We have been trying one type each day. We pulled out some fresh fruit and vegetables that we had purchased at the outdoor market that morning, along with some treats, and let them have at it. The children are accustomed to five “meals” a day at the orphanage: breakfast, 2nd breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. A couple of them would actually be considered snacks. They would be missing the last two for the day. Not knowing how much they would miss out on we let them have what they wanted. Toli is a veritable bottomless pit. It will be interesting having three hungry teenagers at home again.
We let the children watch “Monsters, Inc.” and then returned them to the orphanage as they were required to be back by 8 pm.
It's hard to believe that we have only been with these children for a week. So much has occurred.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
It’s a foggy morning over Sumy. While it’s not quite as flat as the Cape Canaveral area,, there are no mountains or hills as far as you can see. There are, of course, slight valleys along the rivers.
We are becoming accustomed to many of the sights and customs around here. We fit in well with our black leather coats. Most wear black or dark grey clothes and black leather seems to predominate. There are also what we would consider to be extremes in dress: long pointed shoes worn by women and men, some with extremely spiked heels; skin-tight clothing on the women; brightly colored hair, usually on older women - pink, red, orange, purple. Then you have the humble babushkas in their heavy coats and colorful scarves over their hair. Many adults have some gold teeth.
You take your life in your hands crossing the street here. Right of way in crosswalks or green lights cannot be assumed. There seem to be no driving regulations in the cities (or at least they are not adhered to nor enforced), nor are there lane markings. It reminds me of the free-for-all in Bangkok. Roads and sidewalks are in disrepair. They make potholes in Utah look like pinpricks. We do a lot of walking along muddy footpaths. We ride buses when we're not walking. They are privately owned and operated vehicles that seat between 10 and 16 or so people. But they hold a lot more than that. The smaller ones have about 4-feet vertical clearance. Nevertheless we find ourselves trying to stand in them. It's an adventure!
We don't drink the water here. Without a washing machine or dryer we (Susan) wash in the bathtub and dry on a slat place between the porch window sills with the windows open.
We learned some things yesterday. The language gap between us and our children here is enormous and sometimes impassible. Love can bridge a portion of it; but on occasion that is not enough. At the end of the day we bemoaned the fact that we have gone largely unaccompanied by a translator. This forces us to deal with what will surely be the situation when we return home, but there have been moments when crystal clear communication has been crucial and we have fallen short. We know that we must assess where the children really are in their understanding of English and we need to begin now to teach them some basics and proceed from there.
We wish now that we had brought the “For the Strength of Youth” booklets we ordered in Ukrainian. We had no idea that our relationship with them would develop so rapidly, and that our parental roles would become so necessary so soon. But here we are.
The plan our children had today was for us to take them to the market to buy a present from Dasha to her boyfriend, Maxim for his 15th birthday. Susan brought to my attention the closeness of this threesome and their unity in purpose and action yesterday, juxtaposed with the events of the day before with Toli’s free-spiritedness. Here they supported Dasha with a single focus on her pursuit. We struggled in communicating limits on spending and the appropriateness of certain gifts. We learned from this and will do better next time.
On the walk back to the school, Dasha saw some other children smoking, which is not unusual here, and told Susan that none of three of them smokes or drinks alcohol. Most adults and many children smoke and virtually everyone drinks vodka. It’s nice to know there are a couple of things we don’t have to worry about. On the other hand we are concerned about the apparent dulling of senses that has come to the children because of the ubiquity of what is clearly intended to be pornography, as well as risqué images that to our standards are clearly pornographic. On our first taxi ride in Kiev to the church there we noticed several religious icons on the dash board of the car. Just above them hanging from the rear-view mirror, however, was a picture of a mostly naked lady. It’s seems to be an accepted part of their culture that is offensive to our standards.
We did some grocery shopping today. There were approximately a gazillion (plus or minus a few) varieties of sausage from which to choose. We couldn’t read the labels, so we picked one fairly randomly. We'll let you know if it is any good.
When we returned to the apartment Susan cooked up some barley soup and egg salad sandwiches for dinner. Once the Dodges arrived, we watched the “Testaments” movie together and explored the DVD to see that the Ukrainian presentation was voiced over in Ukrainian with English subtitles. We will likely have the children watch it on Sunday. We chatted until almost midnight and retired for the night.
We are becoming accustomed to many of the sights and customs around here. We fit in well with our black leather coats. Most wear black or dark grey clothes and black leather seems to predominate. There are also what we would consider to be extremes in dress: long pointed shoes worn by women and men, some with extremely spiked heels; skin-tight clothing on the women; brightly colored hair, usually on older women - pink, red, orange, purple. Then you have the humble babushkas in their heavy coats and colorful scarves over their hair. Many adults have some gold teeth.
You take your life in your hands crossing the street here. Right of way in crosswalks or green lights cannot be assumed. There seem to be no driving regulations in the cities (or at least they are not adhered to nor enforced), nor are there lane markings. It reminds me of the free-for-all in Bangkok. Roads and sidewalks are in disrepair. They make potholes in Utah look like pinpricks. We do a lot of walking along muddy footpaths. We ride buses when we're not walking. They are privately owned and operated vehicles that seat between 10 and 16 or so people. But they hold a lot more than that. The smaller ones have about 4-feet vertical clearance. Nevertheless we find ourselves trying to stand in them. It's an adventure!
We don't drink the water here. Without a washing machine or dryer we (Susan) wash in the bathtub and dry on a slat place between the porch window sills with the windows open.
We learned some things yesterday. The language gap between us and our children here is enormous and sometimes impassible. Love can bridge a portion of it; but on occasion that is not enough. At the end of the day we bemoaned the fact that we have gone largely unaccompanied by a translator. This forces us to deal with what will surely be the situation when we return home, but there have been moments when crystal clear communication has been crucial and we have fallen short. We know that we must assess where the children really are in their understanding of English and we need to begin now to teach them some basics and proceed from there.
We wish now that we had brought the “For the Strength of Youth” booklets we ordered in Ukrainian. We had no idea that our relationship with them would develop so rapidly, and that our parental roles would become so necessary so soon. But here we are.
The plan our children had today was for us to take them to the market to buy a present from Dasha to her boyfriend, Maxim for his 15th birthday. Susan brought to my attention the closeness of this threesome and their unity in purpose and action yesterday, juxtaposed with the events of the day before with Toli’s free-spiritedness. Here they supported Dasha with a single focus on her pursuit. We struggled in communicating limits on spending and the appropriateness of certain gifts. We learned from this and will do better next time.
On the walk back to the school, Dasha saw some other children smoking, which is not unusual here, and told Susan that none of three of them smokes or drinks alcohol. Most adults and many children smoke and virtually everyone drinks vodka. It’s nice to know there are a couple of things we don’t have to worry about. On the other hand we are concerned about the apparent dulling of senses that has come to the children because of the ubiquity of what is clearly intended to be pornography, as well as risqué images that to our standards are clearly pornographic. On our first taxi ride in Kiev to the church there we noticed several religious icons on the dash board of the car. Just above them hanging from the rear-view mirror, however, was a picture of a mostly naked lady. It’s seems to be an accepted part of their culture that is offensive to our standards.
We did some grocery shopping today. There were approximately a gazillion (plus or minus a few) varieties of sausage from which to choose. We couldn’t read the labels, so we picked one fairly randomly. We'll let you know if it is any good.
When we returned to the apartment Susan cooked up some barley soup and egg salad sandwiches for dinner. Once the Dodges arrived, we watched the “Testaments” movie together and explored the DVD to see that the Ukrainian presentation was voiced over in Ukrainian with English subtitles. We will likely have the children watch it on Sunday. We chatted until almost midnight and retired for the night.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Susan came down with a cold with Sunday night. With the temperatures of yesterday that was not good. Fortunately it seems to be improving. We did not do the usual walking around outside all day that might have worsened her health.
Today was to be an education for the children and us. We left for the school in time to be there to record several boys playing their saxophones for Jacob Macbeth. That done, I was coaxed into playing a game of indoor soccer with Stan, Toli and some other boys. At my first stretch for the ball within 10 seconds of beginning I pulled a muscle in my calf. It was unthinkable to shame the boys by exiting that soon from the game, so I toughed it out for another 45 minutes or so. I felt bad because the boys were probably hoping they would have a dad with 45 years of soccer experience who could make them proud. Rather, they have a fat, gimpy old man.
After I had cooled down Susan invited the children to go with us to the little store behind the school. On our way back to the school with our treats Dasha began giving Toli a tongue-lashing that escalated to a shouting match, a chase and quite an altercation. This was a side of Dasha to which we had not yet been exposed. What was it all about? Who was out of control there? We wanted and even briefly tried to quell the conflict, but Dasha was not finished. Eventually, Toli skulked away out of sight by himself. When Susan asked Dasha what had happened she explained it in clear Ukrainian exasperation. So the mystery remained. We soon found Natalie, our interpreter, and asked her to inquire of Dasha regarding the confrontation. Evidently Toli had said some bad words. His sweet behavior had changed while at the other orphanage the past few months. Dasha was not going to have it and was trying to rein him in. Exactly what she told him can only be imagined, with their long hoped-for parents right there witnessing this and the children’s future apparently hanging in the balance. Meanwhile, Stan had tried to intercede and defuse the situation. He tried to indicate to us that it was no big deal. Susan and I went around behind the school building to find Toli. On the one hand we wanted to let him know we love him. Alternatively, we were willing to let him feel the heat of Dasha’s diatribe for a period of time. When Toli saw us coming he headed out of sight.
From this encounter we learned some significant things about their personalities and the family dynamic that has existed over the past years. Dasha, primarily, and Stan to some extent have been trying to keep this family threesome together. Others have expressed that they are the benchmark for sibling closeness at the orphanage.
We had Natalie explain to Dasha what our standards are with respect to foul language and that we will not allow it. We soon hugged and expressed our love for her. As we were about to leave for the day Dasha asked, “You come tomorrow?” We surmised that she was concerned that the conflagration today would dissuade us from accepting them into our family. We answered emphatically, “Yes! Every day!”
Toli had shown up again and was venturing closer to us as he played ball. We saw Natalie approach him and hopefully tell him what we had asked her to convey: that we do not tolerate bad language in our home. After we felt that statement had been made we wanted to let him know that we love him, and did so.
This was an eye-opener to the potential problems we could encounter when we get home with the language barrier. We do have some resources to call on if (when) it does happen.
Today was to be an education for the children and us. We left for the school in time to be there to record several boys playing their saxophones for Jacob Macbeth. That done, I was coaxed into playing a game of indoor soccer with Stan, Toli and some other boys. At my first stretch for the ball within 10 seconds of beginning I pulled a muscle in my calf. It was unthinkable to shame the boys by exiting that soon from the game, so I toughed it out for another 45 minutes or so. I felt bad because the boys were probably hoping they would have a dad with 45 years of soccer experience who could make them proud. Rather, they have a fat, gimpy old man.
After I had cooled down Susan invited the children to go with us to the little store behind the school. On our way back to the school with our treats Dasha began giving Toli a tongue-lashing that escalated to a shouting match, a chase and quite an altercation. This was a side of Dasha to which we had not yet been exposed. What was it all about? Who was out of control there? We wanted and even briefly tried to quell the conflict, but Dasha was not finished. Eventually, Toli skulked away out of sight by himself. When Susan asked Dasha what had happened she explained it in clear Ukrainian exasperation. So the mystery remained. We soon found Natalie, our interpreter, and asked her to inquire of Dasha regarding the confrontation. Evidently Toli had said some bad words. His sweet behavior had changed while at the other orphanage the past few months. Dasha was not going to have it and was trying to rein him in. Exactly what she told him can only be imagined, with their long hoped-for parents right there witnessing this and the children’s future apparently hanging in the balance. Meanwhile, Stan had tried to intercede and defuse the situation. He tried to indicate to us that it was no big deal. Susan and I went around behind the school building to find Toli. On the one hand we wanted to let him know we love him. Alternatively, we were willing to let him feel the heat of Dasha’s diatribe for a period of time. When Toli saw us coming he headed out of sight.
From this encounter we learned some significant things about their personalities and the family dynamic that has existed over the past years. Dasha, primarily, and Stan to some extent have been trying to keep this family threesome together. Others have expressed that they are the benchmark for sibling closeness at the orphanage.
We had Natalie explain to Dasha what our standards are with respect to foul language and that we will not allow it. We soon hugged and expressed our love for her. As we were about to leave for the day Dasha asked, “You come tomorrow?” We surmised that she was concerned that the conflagration today would dissuade us from accepting them into our family. We answered emphatically, “Yes! Every day!”
Toli had shown up again and was venturing closer to us as he played ball. We saw Natalie approach him and hopefully tell him what we had asked her to convey: that we do not tolerate bad language in our home. After we felt that statement had been made we wanted to let him know that we love him, and did so.
This was an eye-opener to the potential problems we could encounter when we get home with the language barrier. We do have some resources to call on if (when) it does happen.
Monday, April 9, 2007
On our way to the school on Saturday, Vladimir told ys that our court date would probably be Monday the 16th. Then we would wait 10 calendar days for court approval. Then the Russian business would begin. But he warned us that some regions of Russia wait two months to themselves the court action and allow us to get birth certificates for Dasha and Toli. Susan teared up as she contemplated the implications of this. We continue to pray for a more favorable outcome. Leaving those two dears here would be near unbearable for her. After I have seen the conditions here I would be very hesitant to send Susan here alone. So I would probably have to return with her. The time for strength in faith is here.
When we arrive at the school Toli showed up and gave us each a big hug and clung onto each one of us. Things had changed overnight and we realized it would be OK with him. We gave him his birthday presents we had brought. Soon after, Toli asked me to play basketball with him. He, I and a couple of other boys his age were pitted against the music teacher and three boys. We lost 40-28, but I held up OK until my "prayer" was answered that the game would end soon. I didn't want to let Toli down more than a fat old guy doing what I was doing would do anyway. My joints were screaming that night, but all was good in the morning. Then Toli wanted to play soccer and I asserted my old age and other maladies as a case to postpone that activity.
Sunday morning, we met the children at the local branch which meets on an upper floor in a business buildingin downtown Sumy about a mile from our apartment. Natalie had picked up our families' children at the orphanage and had arrived before us. We pulled up a couple of chairs next to our children. Stan and Toli were dresses as usual, except that Stan had nice slacks on. Dasha was wearing a nice blouse, skirt heels. Hymnals in Ukrainian were available and the children handed one to us. We knew the music and enjoyed trying to sing the Ukrainian words. A couple of women spoke on the Resurrection. For one it was her first time speaking in church as she was baptized only several months ago. Our children paid pretty good attention, although we had to shush Toli a couple of times, as did his brother and sister. Stan seems to have a strong sense of propriety. There were about 20 regular attendees, including half a dozen missionaries. For Sunday School we attended the youth class which was taught by Anna the Ukrainian returned missionary. The lesson was on prophets, the Book of Mormon and the Word of Wisdom. She was able to keep the children's attention and drew participation from them, especially Dasha and Toli. I watched fascinatedly as Dasha's attention was fixed on the teacher throughout the lesson. Seeds are being planted. Because most of the children being adopted by our four families are Young Women there was a class for them which Susan attend with Dasha. STan,Toli and I attended the combined priesthood meeting. The nature of the meetings for the 2nd and 3rd hours varies according to the make-up of the attendees. A younger man, probably in his early 20s presented the lesson of the S. W. Kimball teachings manual by having one person read each full section and then leading a brief discussion after each. Stan right away pointed out to Toli that his new first name appeared on the front of the manual. I watched Stan follow along in the Ukrainian manual throughout the lesson. Who knows what these children are thinking. Someday we may know.
By the end of the meetings the weather had turned and we were confronted by a cold, stiff, dust-swirling wind that cut to the center. The weather here had been quilte pleasant until then. This should last a couple of more days and then warm up a bit. We woke up to snow on the rooftpos this morning.
Back to Sunday.... We had a lunch get-together at Garrett's apartment after church and then rode out to the orphanage where the teachers of the children being adopted wanted to have an Easter celebration and send-off. Before it began Larissa, the wife of the school's director who, among other responsiblities, has been teaching Toli's class through the years, which includes three other children being adopted in this group, spent some time talking to me and Susan about Toli. Clearly a very kind-hearted, gracious and dignified woman, she explained how she felt about Toli, about his strengths and weaknesses, and how happy she is for his finding a family. We were warmly affected by this. After we had eaten colored Easter eggs, Ukrainian Easter bread and cakes that the children, Larissa and the teacher of Stan's and Dasha's group spoke to the gathering, expressing their love and wishes for the children, their appreciation for the adopting families, and advised the children to be good citizens in their new second homeland. They urged them to be honest and good. Each woman was overcome with emotion as she spoke. We are grateful to these good women who have truly cared for these children over the years and helped to make them what they are.
Then some of the children performed musical numbers. Dasha, Stan and Toli sang a rousing folk song and Stand played his trumpet. They were followed by a sopilka-maker (sopilka is a Ukrainian flute) who played about eight varieties of sopilka that he pulled out of various parts of his clothing. They were made of various woods, metal and plastic. He was then joined by the school's music teacher and a hight tenor, who consititute a professional folk sing trio that will soon tour Europe. With their accordion, bass violin and guitar they performed six or sevenxfolk songs. They were excellent! Dasha did not want to play her sopilka for the program but did so for Susan and me later.
Such was the end of a long day. We feel so very good about these children of ours and love them dearly. They are good children. We are anxious to share them with their new huge family. We thank all for your support and prayers. We have some tough hills to climb before we get them out of here.
When we arrive at the school Toli showed up and gave us each a big hug and clung onto each one of us. Things had changed overnight and we realized it would be OK with him. We gave him his birthday presents we had brought. Soon after, Toli asked me to play basketball with him. He, I and a couple of other boys his age were pitted against the music teacher and three boys. We lost 40-28, but I held up OK until my "prayer" was answered that the game would end soon. I didn't want to let Toli down more than a fat old guy doing what I was doing would do anyway. My joints were screaming that night, but all was good in the morning. Then Toli wanted to play soccer and I asserted my old age and other maladies as a case to postpone that activity.
Sunday morning, we met the children at the local branch which meets on an upper floor in a business buildingin downtown Sumy about a mile from our apartment. Natalie had picked up our families' children at the orphanage and had arrived before us. We pulled up a couple of chairs next to our children. Stan and Toli were dresses as usual, except that Stan had nice slacks on. Dasha was wearing a nice blouse, skirt heels. Hymnals in Ukrainian were available and the children handed one to us. We knew the music and enjoyed trying to sing the Ukrainian words. A couple of women spoke on the Resurrection. For one it was her first time speaking in church as she was baptized only several months ago. Our children paid pretty good attention, although we had to shush Toli a couple of times, as did his brother and sister. Stan seems to have a strong sense of propriety. There were about 20 regular attendees, including half a dozen missionaries. For Sunday School we attended the youth class which was taught by Anna the Ukrainian returned missionary. The lesson was on prophets, the Book of Mormon and the Word of Wisdom. She was able to keep the children's attention and drew participation from them, especially Dasha and Toli. I watched fascinatedly as Dasha's attention was fixed on the teacher throughout the lesson. Seeds are being planted. Because most of the children being adopted by our four families are Young Women there was a class for them which Susan attend with Dasha. STan,Toli and I attended the combined priesthood meeting. The nature of the meetings for the 2nd and 3rd hours varies according to the make-up of the attendees. A younger man, probably in his early 20s presented the lesson of the S. W. Kimball teachings manual by having one person read each full section and then leading a brief discussion after each. Stan right away pointed out to Toli that his new first name appeared on the front of the manual. I watched Stan follow along in the Ukrainian manual throughout the lesson. Who knows what these children are thinking. Someday we may know.
By the end of the meetings the weather had turned and we were confronted by a cold, stiff, dust-swirling wind that cut to the center. The weather here had been quilte pleasant until then. This should last a couple of more days and then warm up a bit. We woke up to snow on the rooftpos this morning.
Back to Sunday.... We had a lunch get-together at Garrett's apartment after church and then rode out to the orphanage where the teachers of the children being adopted wanted to have an Easter celebration and send-off. Before it began Larissa, the wife of the school's director who, among other responsiblities, has been teaching Toli's class through the years, which includes three other children being adopted in this group, spent some time talking to me and Susan about Toli. Clearly a very kind-hearted, gracious and dignified woman, she explained how she felt about Toli, about his strengths and weaknesses, and how happy she is for his finding a family. We were warmly affected by this. After we had eaten colored Easter eggs, Ukrainian Easter bread and cakes that the children, Larissa and the teacher of Stan's and Dasha's group spoke to the gathering, expressing their love and wishes for the children, their appreciation for the adopting families, and advised the children to be good citizens in their new second homeland. They urged them to be honest and good. Each woman was overcome with emotion as she spoke. We are grateful to these good women who have truly cared for these children over the years and helped to make them what they are.
Then some of the children performed musical numbers. Dasha, Stan and Toli sang a rousing folk song and Stand played his trumpet. They were followed by a sopilka-maker (sopilka is a Ukrainian flute) who played about eight varieties of sopilka that he pulled out of various parts of his clothing. They were made of various woods, metal and plastic. He was then joined by the school's music teacher and a hight tenor, who consititute a professional folk sing trio that will soon tour Europe. With their accordion, bass violin and guitar they performed six or sevenxfolk songs. They were excellent! Dasha did not want to play her sopilka for the program but did so for Susan and me later.
Such was the end of a long day. We feel so very good about these children of ours and love them dearly. They are good children. We are anxious to share them with their new huge family. We thank all for your support and prayers. We have some tough hills to climb before we get them out of here.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
We had heard from Natalie on Thursday that she and the Dodges would be arriving from Kiev at about 1 am Friday morning because we both had an appointment with The Inspector (some local government official who must approve our application for a court date) at 8 am Friday. We did not sleep well anticipating their arrival so we would hear to unlock the doors for them. They did show up at that time. We slept little the remainder of the night anticipating arising early and trying to get all of the showers in. Dodges began showring at 5 am and we awaited what might be our turns. Anyway, we were picked up at 7:40 and driven to the school where we were ushered to the office of the school's director (Viktor Ivanovich). He had been very cordial with us at our two previous meetings. So we had no real concerns with him.
On the side, first let me tell you a little of the Dodge family for a moment. Paul and Patty are probably a few years older than we. They have seven children, five girls and two boys, the youngest of whom is a 10-year old with Down Syndrome named Jeffrey. He of necessity has traveled here with them. He is adorable but needs constant attention.
Joining us in the director's office was Natalie, our interpreter, and the Inspector who would interview us. There were pleasant introductions, some friendly chatting. Of particular interest was the director's interest and concern to make Jeffrey comfortable. This was fascinating as Down Syndrome children are usually institutionalized early on and not encountered in society. However, the director tried to get Jeffrey's attention by sketching with the touch of an experienced artist , his own profile with his bushy black mustache and all. When that didn't quite work he sketched a running horse, which he handed to Jeffrey. Viktor did not seem alarmed at all that Dodges had brought Jeffrey with them and clearly involve him in all aspects of normal life. That was touching.
Then the questions began. First the Dodges. What was his occupation; what was the nature of his business (at this point I was beginning to get nervous about where this line of questioning would go with what I do and how I would respond); what specific services did they provide; did Patty work outside the home; etc. When it came to our turn I intended to downplay the engineering for an aerospace company a bit and couch it delicately, especially as I was instructed beforehand by the company to be careful about discussing it. Well, when I responded to the Inspector's questions, Viktor was pleasantly fascinated with it because much of the Soviet rocketry of the past was built in the Ukraine republic, and had I seen the picture of the cosmonaut in the hallway- which I had. He seemed proud of Ukraine's involvement in space, but not in an antagonistic manner. I was grateful when the subject moved to Susan's occupation at home. Suddenly we learned the interview was over because the Inspector was satisfied and Viktor had to speak at an assembly of the children downstairs. We can tell that he genuinely cares about the welfare of the children.
We spent most of the rest of the day with the children. We first took them to McDonalds for lunch and then to our apartment where they watched some cartoons while we waited to meet up with the McGintys later to visit the local art museum. When we discovered the museum was closed on Fridays we walked to the large shopping center and let the children do some window shopping. Today is Stan's 15th birthday. We found it would be possible to have party with his group at the school this evening. So we bought his choice of a cake and some other treats for them.
Returning to the school we anticipated our first meeting with Toli. We soon found him there. He was shy about the meeting but was willing to be hugged. Any ball that happened to be around seemed to be distraction to him. Nevertheless, we gradually managed to interact with him more over the nex hour or so, and by the time we were leaving the school he was riding his bike past, calling out to Susan for her to watch his skids, bike-hopping and other tricks. He's going to be all right.
We had a nice party with Stan's group, of which Dasha is also a member. Then it was time to go - another sad parting, but knowing that we would of a certainty reunite the next day.
In retrospect on the day Susan and I thought back on the what we had learned paricularly about Dasha and Stan that day. Dasha again loved to cling onto Susan and whispered to her a couple of times in English, "I love you, Mama." We also witnessed her take an interest in caring for Jeffrey. He was certainly a handful and she had been keeping track of him for a long time. After his mother told her she didn't have to keep taking care of him, Dasha insisted, "Nyet, nyet", and watched him for the duration. What a gem! Stan and I stuck together most of the day and had bonded pretty well by the end of the day. I observed some surprisingly mature behaviors on his part and responsibilities with which he is entrusted at the school, and have a newfound respect for him. It is good that we have had this time to spend with Dasha and Stan. Now we must give some attention to Toli. It is good that our relationship is fairly well established with the older two. Trying to do so with all three at the beginning might have been a challenge.
These children will be wonderful addition to our other six wonderful children.
When we
On the side, first let me tell you a little of the Dodge family for a moment. Paul and Patty are probably a few years older than we. They have seven children, five girls and two boys, the youngest of whom is a 10-year old with Down Syndrome named Jeffrey. He of necessity has traveled here with them. He is adorable but needs constant attention.
Joining us in the director's office was Natalie, our interpreter, and the Inspector who would interview us. There were pleasant introductions, some friendly chatting. Of particular interest was the director's interest and concern to make Jeffrey comfortable. This was fascinating as Down Syndrome children are usually institutionalized early on and not encountered in society. However, the director tried to get Jeffrey's attention by sketching with the touch of an experienced artist , his own profile with his bushy black mustache and all. When that didn't quite work he sketched a running horse, which he handed to Jeffrey. Viktor did not seem alarmed at all that Dodges had brought Jeffrey with them and clearly involve him in all aspects of normal life. That was touching.
Then the questions began. First the Dodges. What was his occupation; what was the nature of his business (at this point I was beginning to get nervous about where this line of questioning would go with what I do and how I would respond); what specific services did they provide; did Patty work outside the home; etc. When it came to our turn I intended to downplay the engineering for an aerospace company a bit and couch it delicately, especially as I was instructed beforehand by the company to be careful about discussing it. Well, when I responded to the Inspector's questions, Viktor was pleasantly fascinated with it because much of the Soviet rocketry of the past was built in the Ukraine republic, and had I seen the picture of the cosmonaut in the hallway- which I had. He seemed proud of Ukraine's involvement in space, but not in an antagonistic manner. I was grateful when the subject moved to Susan's occupation at home. Suddenly we learned the interview was over because the Inspector was satisfied and Viktor had to speak at an assembly of the children downstairs. We can tell that he genuinely cares about the welfare of the children.
We spent most of the rest of the day with the children. We first took them to McDonalds for lunch and then to our apartment where they watched some cartoons while we waited to meet up with the McGintys later to visit the local art museum. When we discovered the museum was closed on Fridays we walked to the large shopping center and let the children do some window shopping. Today is Stan's 15th birthday. We found it would be possible to have party with his group at the school this evening. So we bought his choice of a cake and some other treats for them.
Returning to the school we anticipated our first meeting with Toli. We soon found him there. He was shy about the meeting but was willing to be hugged. Any ball that happened to be around seemed to be distraction to him. Nevertheless, we gradually managed to interact with him more over the nex hour or so, and by the time we were leaving the school he was riding his bike past, calling out to Susan for her to watch his skids, bike-hopping and other tricks. He's going to be all right.
We had a nice party with Stan's group, of which Dasha is also a member. Then it was time to go - another sad parting, but knowing that we would of a certainty reunite the next day.
In retrospect on the day Susan and I thought back on the what we had learned paricularly about Dasha and Stan that day. Dasha again loved to cling onto Susan and whispered to her a couple of times in English, "I love you, Mama." We also witnessed her take an interest in caring for Jeffrey. He was certainly a handful and she had been keeping track of him for a long time. After his mother told her she didn't have to keep taking care of him, Dasha insisted, "Nyet, nyet", and watched him for the duration. What a gem! Stan and I stuck together most of the day and had bonded pretty well by the end of the day. I observed some surprisingly mature behaviors on his part and responsibilities with which he is entrusted at the school, and have a newfound respect for him. It is good that we have had this time to spend with Dasha and Stan. Now we must give some attention to Toli. It is good that our relationship is fairly well established with the older two. Trying to do so with all three at the beginning might have been a challenge.
These children will be wonderful addition to our other six wonderful children.
When we
Thursday, April 5, 2007
On Tuesday we had a lazy morning. After running a few errands we visited St. Sophia's Cathedralnot far from our apartment. It was built in the 10th and 11th centuries and amazingly has survived where many other cathedrals in Kiev were either torn down by Stalin or were destroyed during the Patriotic War in 1940s. It contains dozens of frescoes of religious and national figures, some painted and some in mosaics of tiles as small as 2 millimeters on each side. It was so magnificent that we spent a great deal of time there and we suspect the outside world has probably overlooked this wonder due to the closed nature of this country over the last 90 years. At 5 pm we walked to the SDA for our appointment. We met with a psychologist and an unknown interpreter. We were invited to sit on a low, comfortable leather sofa opposite the two well-dressed women in wooden chairs. We had to look up at them, so it could have been intimidating. However, they were very cordial and polite. They asked us how we came to know the children. Then they asked why we wished to adopt the three children. We answered that we did not wish to split up the siblings. They liked that answer and wished us well. It was very brief.
The next family (the Dodges) were arriving at the airport that afternoon; so we would have to move out of the apartment and travel to Sumy that night. We arrived at our apartment here at about 2 am. This apartment is located in a delapidated Soviet era structure used to house factory workers. From the outside it appears as bad as any slum area we've seen. But it is done up very nicely inside.
After a short night's sleep we were taken to a grocery store by a young Ukrainian returned sister missionary. We rested for a little after that. At 2:15 the Garretts, who have one more week before they leave for the USA, picked us up and we all caught the bus to the orphanage about 25 minutes away. When we arrived someone went to let Stan know we were here. We have been a little nervous anticipating this reunion. But Stan ran out and into Susan's arms. Then he and I hugged. Now it was time to find Dasha. We were more nervous about meeting her and how she would relate to us. Would her shyness overcome her? When she saw us she walked out quickly with a smile and into Susan's arms. Then we all hugged. She is everything we imagined her to be through her letters to us. She is beautiful, considerate, respectful, sweet. She seems to be very gentle, expect when she's yelling at Stan to get his attention. Even then it's sweet. Through the rest of the afternoon you could see here hand-in-hand or arm-in-arm with Susan. And doubts about her affection melted away in moments. We all went with the Garretts and the McGintys and their children to McDonalds for dinner. On returning to the school Susan and I sat with Dasha and Stan and chatted, took pictures and just enjoyed each others' company. It was hard to leave them at the end of the day. I thought, OK, we've met them -- now can't we just take them home? However, we must go through this meeting and parting for several more weeks until the court date.
Today, Susan and I went for a walk around this part of town. We have been without an interpreter and trying to get along on our own. Susan did some grocery shopping successfully with her Ukrainian language skills (two words!). But it worked. She doesn't mind an adventure.
This afternoon we traveled alone to the orphanage and visited with Dasha and Stan. We found out that Toli will be brought to this orphanage tomorrow and we will all be together. It's great to be with the children. We manage to communicate adequately. Dasha is not shy in her efforts to speak English. She is all smiles. It is heartwarming to see her clutching on to her new Mama. She is a genuine, sincere person. Goodness exudes from her. Stan is the Stan we all remember.
Till tomorrow, adieu! (now that we've found the internet place)
The next family (the Dodges) were arriving at the airport that afternoon; so we would have to move out of the apartment and travel to Sumy that night. We arrived at our apartment here at about 2 am. This apartment is located in a delapidated Soviet era structure used to house factory workers. From the outside it appears as bad as any slum area we've seen. But it is done up very nicely inside.
After a short night's sleep we were taken to a grocery store by a young Ukrainian returned sister missionary. We rested for a little after that. At 2:15 the Garretts, who have one more week before they leave for the USA, picked us up and we all caught the bus to the orphanage about 25 minutes away. When we arrived someone went to let Stan know we were here. We have been a little nervous anticipating this reunion. But Stan ran out and into Susan's arms. Then he and I hugged. Now it was time to find Dasha. We were more nervous about meeting her and how she would relate to us. Would her shyness overcome her? When she saw us she walked out quickly with a smile and into Susan's arms. Then we all hugged. She is everything we imagined her to be through her letters to us. She is beautiful, considerate, respectful, sweet. She seems to be very gentle, expect when she's yelling at Stan to get his attention. Even then it's sweet. Through the rest of the afternoon you could see here hand-in-hand or arm-in-arm with Susan. And doubts about her affection melted away in moments. We all went with the Garretts and the McGintys and their children to McDonalds for dinner. On returning to the school Susan and I sat with Dasha and Stan and chatted, took pictures and just enjoyed each others' company. It was hard to leave them at the end of the day. I thought, OK, we've met them -- now can't we just take them home? However, we must go through this meeting and parting for several more weeks until the court date.
Today, Susan and I went for a walk around this part of town. We have been without an interpreter and trying to get along on our own. Susan did some grocery shopping successfully with her Ukrainian language skills (two words!). But it worked. She doesn't mind an adventure.
This afternoon we traveled alone to the orphanage and visited with Dasha and Stan. We found out that Toli will be brought to this orphanage tomorrow and we will all be together. It's great to be with the children. We manage to communicate adequately. Dasha is not shy in her efforts to speak English. She is all smiles. It is heartwarming to see her clutching on to her new Mama. She is a genuine, sincere person. Goodness exudes from her. Stan is the Stan we all remember.
Till tomorrow, adieu! (now that we've found the internet place)
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Yesterday we had another free day. Susan and I went for along in the morning around the park behid St. Michael's Cathedral. Natalie showed up later and took us on another walking tour of Kiev. For one thing, we wanted to see the Arch of Friendship between Russia and Ukraine. Natalie said that Ukrainians consider it more of a yoke on them as Russia's beast of burden. We talked much of politics here as we walked around the parliamentary buildings, the presidential palace and various other govenrment buildings. We passed around a large group gathering again to protest around these buildings. The various parties were represented and demonstratinf peacefully. The drive for liberty and freedom is strong. Yesterday the President fired the parliament and demanded new elections for them in tow months. He felt they were violating the constitution. They met late last night, refusing to step down and will be seeking redress through their supreme court insisting that the president is himself in violation of the constitution. It's fascinating to be in such close proximity to these goins-on.
We had long discussions yesterday with Natalie regarding the orphan issues. Evidently our prospective children and about 90% of all orphans here are categorized "social orphans"as there parents are still living. What usually occurs is that, for instance, neighbors of school teachers detect neglect on the part of parents and report them to state authorities, who then investigate the case. If there is indeed a problem, the state lays out conditions for the parents and a timetable. If those conditions are not met, the state takes custody of the children. For one year the children are available for adoption by Ukrainians only. Thereafter, it is opened up to foreigners. Natalie read one of the letters that Dasha wrote to us early on. She felt that Dasha has an unusual sense of respect and graciousness that she considered to be inborn. We suspect she may have developed it under her grandmother or even her parents at one time. This is very encouraging, because most orphans have been and will be handed most everything through their lives and will not have that sense.
We are anxious to get to the SDA today at 5 pm, travel to Sumy tonight, and meet with Dasha, Stan, adn hopefully Toli tomorrow. While I was sending the blog yesterday, Susan was talking to Vern Garrett on the phone who said that there is one excited little boy at the orphanage (referring to Stan). We know that Dasha will be shier about everything and we are anxious to let her know how we feel about her and that we will take care of her needs and provide her security, opportunities and refuge, etc., always!
We had long discussions yesterday with Natalie regarding the orphan issues. Evidently our prospective children and about 90% of all orphans here are categorized "social orphans"as there parents are still living. What usually occurs is that, for instance, neighbors of school teachers detect neglect on the part of parents and report them to state authorities, who then investigate the case. If there is indeed a problem, the state lays out conditions for the parents and a timetable. If those conditions are not met, the state takes custody of the children. For one year the children are available for adoption by Ukrainians only. Thereafter, it is opened up to foreigners. Natalie read one of the letters that Dasha wrote to us early on. She felt that Dasha has an unusual sense of respect and graciousness that she considered to be inborn. We suspect she may have developed it under her grandmother or even her parents at one time. This is very encouraging, because most orphans have been and will be handed most everything through their lives and will not have that sense.
We are anxious to get to the SDA today at 5 pm, travel to Sumy tonight, and meet with Dasha, Stan, adn hopefully Toli tomorrow. While I was sending the blog yesterday, Susan was talking to Vern Garrett on the phone who said that there is one excited little boy at the orphanage (referring to Stan). We know that Dasha will be shier about everything and we are anxious to let her know how we feel about her and that we will take care of her needs and provide her security, opportunities and refuge, etc., always!
Monday, April 2, 2007
On Thursday, after bidding Edward and Richard farewell, we were driven by Laura-Leigh to the SLC airport. Our flight left at about midnight and arrived at JFK in New York City at about 6 am. We had a 10-hour layover there. So we decided to see what we could of NYC. We took the Air Train from the airport to Jamaica Station where we caught the “E” subway train. We were the only Caucasians in our car, at least. We got off at Penn Station and 34th St. It was a short walk to the Empire State Building where we rode the elevator to the Observatory on the 86th floor. It was very interesting to look around at so many buildings and other landmarks with which we’ve become familiar over the years. After a quick breakfast we walked along Broadway towards Times Square as I thought I recalled that the Manhattan Temple was somewhere up there. As we were unable to locate it we decided to ask around and discovered that it was farther up north near the southwest corner of Central Park. We finally found it and sought refuge for a brief while in the lobby, not having enough time to attend a session. There were impressive stained-glass depictions of Christ and some apostles in the lobby, and a peaceful relief from the hustle and bustle just a few feet away, outside.
We returned by subway to the airport and waited for our flight. Susan had begun to feel uneasy in her stomach, which feeling lasted until we arrived in Ukraine. At the gate of our departure we were two of only a few non-native Ukrainians. We observed that the Ukrainians were a handsome people.
Our flight departed at about 4:20 pm and arrived in Kiev about 10-1/2 hours later at 9:15 am (Kiev time). Surprisingly, we were both much more comfortable on that flight than with the much shorter flight to NYC. In total I got about an hour’s sleep over the two flights. I usually fall asleep while the plane is taxiing and during takeoff and did so for each flight this time. I enjoyed looking out the window at Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. Southern Norway was covered with snow, except in the valleys where the populated areas were. I saw virtually no snow in southern Sweden, which surprised me; nor did I see any in the other countries following it. After our passport and Customs checks we were met by Vladimir (our facilitator) and Natalie (our translator), who gave Susan three long-stemmed yellow roses. We were driven across Kiev to our apartment and were introduced to the sights along the way.
After a couple of hours to get set up and rest, we were taken by Vladimir and Natalie for a walking tour of the area around here. We met Vladimir’s wife, Valerie and went to lunch at a Ukrainian restaurant. We had borsch, fried potatoes, beet salad, dumplings and other similarly delicious items -- all very good!
Our apartment is around the corner from Independence Square, where tens of thousands of people (mostly men) were gathering to demonstrate against the current government and parliament, including broken promises and an inflation-soured economy. At one time we inadvertently fell in line with the flag- and banner-bearing throngs.
We visited St.Michael’s Cathedral which is very near to our apartment (Archangel Michael is the patron saint of Kiev). We climbed to the top of the belfry where the bell ringers were engaged in an intensifying clamor to announce the emergence of the bishop and his eventual entry into the cathedral to conduct a special mass in conjunction with Willow Sunday the next day. This is equivalent to Palm Sunday but, of course, there are no palms here; so they bring bouquets of pussy willows to the churches to celebrate. Vendors strewn along the roads to the numerous cathedrals sell the willows to passers-by.
Having missed two nights’ sleep, Susan and I adjusted right away to the clocks here; i.e., no jet lag.
We were told that Toli (our youngest son here) was recently moved to another orphanage about 50 km from Sumy. It is a new orphanage whose patron is the son of the current Ukraine President. In order to populate it, about 25 children from the Sumy orphanage and many from others were selected and sent there. Vladimir will attempt to have him returned to the Sumy orphanage soon so we don’t have to shuttle between the two.
We have our appointment with the State Adoption Agency on Tuesday at 5 pm, after which we will be driven to Sumy, about 375 kilometers away. We should see the children on Wednesday morning and remain in Sumy until we receive the court decree making them our children in a few weeks.
Today we went to where the Church usually meets at the usual meeting time, not knowing what arrangements would be made regarding General Conference. We discovered after arriving there that a Saturday session of conference would be viewed there at 3 pm. Another couple not associated with the Save a Child foundation was there for the same reasons we were. They are from Grantsville and are adopting one or two children. We spent the next several hours with them and their facilitator touring some of Kiev, including the War Museum, which was an impressive display of Ukraine’s “Patriotic War” with Germany in the early 1940s. Above the museum is a statue of their Lady Liberty that is a little taller than ours in New York. It was a heart-wrenching exposure to the destruction and genocide of the time as Ukraine was the western front of that war. Much of Kiev was destroyed; but it has been nicely rebuilt. Interestingly, there are still some Soviet-era buildings around, clearly Soviet because of their size (huge), their shape (blocked and flat) their color (grey) and material (cement) – all very dull - all emblematic of power. In addition to walking we rode the subway today, to get to which we rode a series of rapid escalators down what was certainly well over 200 feet below the initial entry. This is due to the hilly nature of this side of Kiev – or the Dnipro River. The Germans occupied the hilly side of the river in contrast to the opposite flat side of the river which served to their advantage in its defense. Nevertheless, the Ukrainians ultimately prevailed and regained the city and the nation.
We returned by subway to the airport and waited for our flight. Susan had begun to feel uneasy in her stomach, which feeling lasted until we arrived in Ukraine. At the gate of our departure we were two of only a few non-native Ukrainians. We observed that the Ukrainians were a handsome people.
Our flight departed at about 4:20 pm and arrived in Kiev about 10-1/2 hours later at 9:15 am (Kiev time). Surprisingly, we were both much more comfortable on that flight than with the much shorter flight to NYC. In total I got about an hour’s sleep over the two flights. I usually fall asleep while the plane is taxiing and during takeoff and did so for each flight this time. I enjoyed looking out the window at Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. Southern Norway was covered with snow, except in the valleys where the populated areas were. I saw virtually no snow in southern Sweden, which surprised me; nor did I see any in the other countries following it. After our passport and Customs checks we were met by Vladimir (our facilitator) and Natalie (our translator), who gave Susan three long-stemmed yellow roses. We were driven across Kiev to our apartment and were introduced to the sights along the way.
After a couple of hours to get set up and rest, we were taken by Vladimir and Natalie for a walking tour of the area around here. We met Vladimir’s wife, Valerie and went to lunch at a Ukrainian restaurant. We had borsch, fried potatoes, beet salad, dumplings and other similarly delicious items -- all very good!
Our apartment is around the corner from Independence Square, where tens of thousands of people (mostly men) were gathering to demonstrate against the current government and parliament, including broken promises and an inflation-soured economy. At one time we inadvertently fell in line with the flag- and banner-bearing throngs.
We visited St.Michael’s Cathedral which is very near to our apartment (Archangel Michael is the patron saint of Kiev). We climbed to the top of the belfry where the bell ringers were engaged in an intensifying clamor to announce the emergence of the bishop and his eventual entry into the cathedral to conduct a special mass in conjunction with Willow Sunday the next day. This is equivalent to Palm Sunday but, of course, there are no palms here; so they bring bouquets of pussy willows to the churches to celebrate. Vendors strewn along the roads to the numerous cathedrals sell the willows to passers-by.
Having missed two nights’ sleep, Susan and I adjusted right away to the clocks here; i.e., no jet lag.
We were told that Toli (our youngest son here) was recently moved to another orphanage about 50 km from Sumy. It is a new orphanage whose patron is the son of the current Ukraine President. In order to populate it, about 25 children from the Sumy orphanage and many from others were selected and sent there. Vladimir will attempt to have him returned to the Sumy orphanage soon so we don’t have to shuttle between the two.
We have our appointment with the State Adoption Agency on Tuesday at 5 pm, after which we will be driven to Sumy, about 375 kilometers away. We should see the children on Wednesday morning and remain in Sumy until we receive the court decree making them our children in a few weeks.
Today we went to where the Church usually meets at the usual meeting time, not knowing what arrangements would be made regarding General Conference. We discovered after arriving there that a Saturday session of conference would be viewed there at 3 pm. Another couple not associated with the Save a Child foundation was there for the same reasons we were. They are from Grantsville and are adopting one or two children. We spent the next several hours with them and their facilitator touring some of Kiev, including the War Museum, which was an impressive display of Ukraine’s “Patriotic War” with Germany in the early 1940s. Above the museum is a statue of their Lady Liberty that is a little taller than ours in New York. It was a heart-wrenching exposure to the destruction and genocide of the time as Ukraine was the western front of that war. Much of Kiev was destroyed; but it has been nicely rebuilt. Interestingly, there are still some Soviet-era buildings around, clearly Soviet because of their size (huge), their shape (blocked and flat) their color (grey) and material (cement) – all very dull - all emblematic of power. In addition to walking we rode the subway today, to get to which we rode a series of rapid escalators down what was certainly well over 200 feet below the initial entry. This is due to the hilly nature of this side of Kiev – or the Dnipro River. The Germans occupied the hilly side of the river in contrast to the opposite flat side of the river which served to their advantage in its defense. Nevertheless, the Ukrainians ultimately prevailed and regained the city and the nation.
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