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.