Deuteronomy 15:10-11 -- Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor.
Sorry I was longer in getting this post done than I had intended.
We have seen some very poor areas in the last couple of days; and I so wish I could do more to help them, but as of now all I can do is pray and ask for you to pray also. We will get some pictures out soon.
Sunday we went with Oles to downtown area; and he showed us all around. He was very cute. He said that sometimes it is a good thing to not have a car as then you walk around and see things you would not normally have noticed by car. With us he getting to see some of the beauty God has made for us. We just walked all around Odessa, then went to have lunch and meet up with a friend. From there we went to church with them. It was nice to be able to worship with other believers. We came back to the flat and relaxed that evening in preparation for a big day, Monday.
We got up early Monday morning, as Oles was to be here to pick us up at 6:00am. I’m not so sure the chickens were even up yet! I think we may have awakened them! Well, off we head to Balta. I was very nervous. I am not sure why. Everyone told me it would be a somewhat easy day. The people at the Inspector’s office and at the Orphanage were very nice, but I think it was just “the unknown” of it all. We got to Balta and the day quickly became one that I may never forget. You know how you think in your mind how things should go, but you are soooo wrong? It was that kind of day. The Notary's office was closed, so we headed over to the Inspector’s office. When we walked into their office they immediately informed us they were short of time that day because they had to leave at 11:00am for the Balta Freedom Day Parade. (Side note: Monday was the anniversary of the liberation of Balta during WW II.) They said they would start on our paperwork, but then they would have to leave. They asked us a few questions about why we wanted to adopt; and we answered them to the best of our ability. Then, they started the paperwork. About that time they said they needed to go to the parade. Oles was not feeling well, and he said he needed to go have some copies made, so he told us to go with them to the parade. Well I will tell you, what came next was so great. We got down to the parade and the next thing we know we are actually in the parade. We thought we were going down to stand and watch the parade. Instead, the local government workers were to walk in the parade so they told us to walk with them. How cool is that? Well it might have been even more cool if I was in black like almost everyone else, but, no, I am wearing, you guessed it, the white jacket. It was like, “Look at me. I am an American.” WOW... The news people were there, so we were filmed by at least three different camera crews. We never did hear if we actually were on the local news. After the parade we went back to the office to finish up the paperwork. The next thing you know, one of the girls starts boiling water. No big deal, right? It was cold out; and they wanted to warm up. There are five workers in this tiny office. When they brought out seven cups, though, I knew we could possibly be in trouble. You see, when you arrive here in Ukraine everyone warns you to only drink bottled water. Well, the water the girl used did come from a bottle, but I am sure it was a bottle they had refilled as the water was yellowish in color. And for those of you who know me you know, I don't do coffee, at all. One of the lady's motioned for me to come over and make a cup of instant coffee. I put about a half of teaspoon of coffee to two teaspoons of sugar. Then, I prayed, “Please don't make us sick!” In the midst of this, one of the ladies had put on her coat and walked out. When she came back she brought in two bags of cookies and invited us eat them with them. As it is usually considered rude to turn things down when in a foreign country, we immediately accepted their offer. They actually turned out to be some of the best cookies I have ever had, anywhere. I drank the whole cup of coffee and had two cookies. And for the person who doesn't like coffee, it was good! Thank you, God, for getting me through that. We then finished up the paperwork and headed to the orphanage. I was so excited I couldn't stand it. We will get to see Alyona for the first time since we arrived here in Ukraine. Once at the orphanage, we sat and listened to Oles and the Director talk back and forth, not having a clue what was being said. Through that time, God showed me glimpse what the girls’ lives will be like after they come home. Finally, the big moment arrived; and she came in the room with a big smile on her face. It was clear she was happy to see us. The Director and the social worker asked her some questions, then released her to get a medical exam. We left to find another Notary, but they, too, are closed. We then went back to the orphanage to finish up some more paperwork. Alyona came back in the room and she has to write a letter saying she wants to come and be a part of our family and than we are off. To take the long ride back to our flat. It was so hard to leave her. I know it is for only a short while, but it is still so hard.
We didn't get back to Odessa until about 7:00pm that night, so a quick trip to the store, ate, called home for a few minutes, then off to bed we went. The next morning we got up at 5:00am to be ready when Oles and Sasha came to get us. A side note: Oles' car is broken down so we have a friend of his driving us around. I really could get used to be chauffeured! We got almost all the way to Kiliya when the Director called to say he had an emergency and would be gone until 3:00pm. That was okay, though, as we had to go the Inspector’s office and do that paperwork. Then we went to the park and had a picnic. It was such fun with our new friends. We laughed and laughed. At a few minutes before 3:00pm we stopped by the Inspector’s office to pick up the social worker, then we headed out to the orphanage to meet Kristina for the first time. We got there and Oles and the Director talked for a few minutes; and the Director asked us a few questions. He wanted to know why we want to adopt Kristina. I guess he liked our answer because a few minutes later a beautiful young lady walked through the door. She was somewhat shy. She went over to the Director and answered his questions; and then she came over to sit with us. We had brought her a gift; and she loved it. We sat and hugged each other, then they allowed us to go outside with her. She was very proud to show off her new mama and papa. We were just as proud of our new daughter. I wish our sons were here to get to experience this with us. You could see that all of her friends were happy for her, also, but you know in the deep corners of their hearts they were asking, “Why not me? Why has no one come for me? Am I not good enough?” We learned today that in the time that specific orphanage has been open they have only had TWO children adopted. People come looking for perfect kids, and some of these kids so have learning problems, but with work they can get through it. I just wish I could take them all home with me. I can't, though, and that is what is so hard. So all I can do is pray for them.
Finally, we had to leave to come back to Odessa as it is a 3 1/2 hour drive. I thought the roads going to Balta were bad. They were good compared to the roads to Kiliya. We will go back to see her on Friday, then Sunday, and Tuesday. I can't wait. We are hoping to do some fun things with as many kids as would like to on Sunday as it is Easter. It should be fun.
Today will be spent doing more paperwork, then lunch with some friends from the states, and who knows what else. I am looking forward to see what God has for us.
Lynn
Saturday, March 27, 2010
After the SDA appointment on Thursday we spent the afternoon with Oles. He took us back down to the Dnipro River to show us around. We had seen it the day before, but he was able to fill us in on some things we did not know or had not been able to figure out. He took us down into the catacombs at a church where the monks lived and died hundreds of years ago and are now laid to rest on display. The bodies were covered, but on some of them they left one of the hands visible. It was very different. I would tell anyone who came here that they need take time to go see it. Ladies, make sure you bring a hat or scarf as you will have to purchase one there if you don't already have one. And make sure you don't go in with toothpicks in your mouth! :-) Oles and the lady who took care of us had words. I had picked up the scarf I wanted; and she snatched it away from me. Then she yelled at Tim for his toothpick. Of course we had no idea what was going on. We just stood there like deer caught in headlights. The exchange only lasted a couple minutes, yet seemed like an eternity. In response to her harshness toward Tim & I, Oles was trying to get her to see the inconsistency between Jesus’ love and the Orthodox insistence on formality & ceremony. The churches here are so beautiful, but it is so sad to see how run down some of them are. Several are starting to be restored. Also, it breaks my heart to see all the poor people at the gates of the church begging for food or money, when these big, beautiful, ornate churches sit there. Tim & I discussed this the other day. I feel they should be taking care of the poor, instead of spending so much money on the buildings, but he says they spend the money to give their best to God. Somewhere there just needs to be a happy medium.
Once we were done looking around down near the river, we took a cab back to our flat; and Oles left to go to a meeting. Tim & I wanted to see Kiev after dark so off we went again. We stopped at the underground mall to eat at the food court. Then, we went out to take some pictures of Independence Square. It is very pretty at night. It was too cold to go walk very far, but I will tell you we could have gotten ourselves into a little trouble. Tim was taking some pictures; and the next thing I know, a young guy came up to me, and grabbed my hand, and put a white pigeon on it. I called to Tim, who turned around and took a picture of me. Then, the young man put a second bird on my other hand. He asked Tim for the camera and took a couple of pictures of me. Then he handed Tim a bird and took a few more picture of both of us together. Then a couple of only Tim with both birds. We knew there had to be some catch to this whole thing. When he took the birds back, he said we owed him 650 grivna ($80) for the SEVEN photos!! At that, Tim laughed and said we weren’t carrying that much money. The guy next tried to get us to pay 350 grivna. Again Tim laughed and pulled out his pockets to show him we only had 12 grivna, or $1.50. This went on for a couple minutes. Finally, he said, “I took 7 pictures. I guess they are for free.” Tim said, “I told you we have 12 grivna. We’ll happily give you it.” The guy took it, but wasn’t very pleased. Lesson learned: walk away from those kind of guys. I am just glad it worked out okay. After that, we went back to our flat for some fun on the Internet and talking to family and friends.
Once we were done looking around down near the river, we took a cab back to our flat; and Oles left to go to a meeting. Tim & I wanted to see Kiev after dark so off we went again. We stopped at the underground mall to eat at the food court. Then, we went out to take some pictures of Independence Square. It is very pretty at night. It was too cold to go walk very far, but I will tell you we could have gotten ourselves into a little trouble. Tim was taking some pictures; and the next thing I know, a young guy came up to me, and grabbed my hand, and put a white pigeon on it. I called to Tim, who turned around and took a picture of me. Then, the young man put a second bird on my other hand. He asked Tim for the camera and took a couple of pictures of me. Then he handed Tim a bird and took a few more picture of both of us together. Then a couple of only Tim with both birds. We knew there had to be some catch to this whole thing. When he took the birds back, he said we owed him 650 grivna ($80) for the SEVEN photos!! At that, Tim laughed and said we weren’t carrying that much money. The guy next tried to get us to pay 350 grivna. Again Tim laughed and pulled out his pockets to show him we only had 12 grivna, or $1.50. This went on for a couple minutes. Finally, he said, “I took 7 pictures. I guess they are for free.” Tim said, “I told you we have 12 grivna. We’ll happily give you it.” The guy took it, but wasn’t very pleased. Lesson learned: walk away from those kind of guys. I am just glad it worked out okay. After that, we went back to our flat for some fun on the Internet and talking to family and friends.
Friday, we got up; and I started to pack, as we were not sure what the day would hold. Tim did some work in the morning; and I played on the computer. We headed out about 11:00 that morning to go see some more sights. Oles called with great news early afternoon. He had been able to obtain us train tickets for the 10:00pm train; and the owner of the flat said we could stay in it until 7:00pm. We have had such had a great time with each other. We went to the SDA office at 3:00pm and met Yulia to get our referral papers. YEAH! We were the first in line. Everyone there is so nice and helpful. We waited a few minutes for them to open, but once inside were less than FIVE minutes signing receipt of our paperwork, then we were done. We did a little more sightseeing on the way back to the flat. By the time we got back to the flat my feet were killing me, but about an hour later we decided to go eat real quick so we would be ready when Oles came to get us. Everywhere you go in Kiev you are going up a hill or down a hill, but it seems like you are always on a hill. I wish I had known that ahead of time. I would have used the stair stepper more, at the gym. Oles came to pick us up in a cab. He told the driver to be careful, but the driver jokingly responded that he would drive like all Americans in the movies. Honestly, I thought he did real good. The train station is very beautiful architecturally, but the restrooms are not so aromatically lovely. It was the first time I had ever used a Turkish-style. With sore legs, it was quite interesting. I also had to use the bathroom on the train. MUCH harder than a plane. By the way, for those of you who are on the way here, the blue “WC” signs mean “water closet”, or bathroom for us Americans. I walked around for TWO whole days thinking I can't believe there is nowhere to go to the bathroom in this town. But there was. The other thing is you have to pay to use restrooms, anywhere from 2-4 grivna. If you want toilet paper, that is extra. So make sure you carry some with you. Theirs here is very rough.
We have made it to Odessa this morning. Oles’ friend picked us up at the train station and brought us to our flat, our new home until we leave to go back home. It is very nice. We will post some pictures soon. We took our first much needed nap this morning. I died! Well, there is no more news for now. We will post when we have some more news.
As always, please keep praying for the court system to move quickly and for safe travel for us as we will be doing a lot of that on back roads. Also, for Oles’ car, as at the moment it is broken down. Post any comments or questions you may have and we will try to respond to them if we know the answer.
Lynn
We have made it to Odessa this morning. Oles’ friend picked us up at the train station and brought us to our flat, our new home until we leave to go back home. It is very nice. We will post some pictures soon. We took our first much needed nap this morning. I died! Well, there is no more news for now. We will post when we have some more news.
As always, please keep praying for the court system to move quickly and for safe travel for us as we will be doing a lot of that on back roads. Also, for Oles’ car, as at the moment it is broken down. Post any comments or questions you may have and we will try to respond to them if we know the answer.
Lynn
Friday, March 26, 2010
Here are a few photos from Wednesday, the 24th. We have many more on Tim's Facebook page, with descriptions. The link to see them is:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=166149&id=732820665&l=9848f1c591
And, no, you do NOT have to be a Facebooker to view them. The album is set for open viewing. Enjoy!!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=166149&id=732820665&l=9848f1c591
And, no, you do NOT have to be a Facebooker to view them. The album is set for open viewing. Enjoy!!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Deuteronomy 2:7 – ‘For the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.’
God has been so good to us throughout this journey. When we arrived at the SDA offices this morning, Yulia indicated they were ready for us to go right in. We walked in, exchanged introductions, read the paperwork regarding the girls’ background, showed the SDA worker several photos of our family and of the time Alyona was visiting over the holidays, and we were done. We were in & out of there in LESS THAN TEN MINUTES!! We can go back tomorrow, Friday afternoon, between 3:00 & 4:00pm to pick up our referral to go see the girls!
What does that mean? 1) We will leave by train on Friday night and arrive in Odessa on Saturday morning. 2) On Monday we will check in with the regional SDA office, then head to Balta to complete whatever local paperwork is necessary to see Alyona. Our prayers are that the director will allow Alyona to stay with us from that point on. 3) We will then travel to Kiliya and complete the same process to meet Kristina for the first time. (I so cannot wait to see her! I hope she will allow us to hug her, and show her we love her, and have since the first time we first saw her picture.) Please pray that she, too, can stay with us. 4) Then, we will have to make the decision of where to file the paperwork for court. There has been some question of whether it will be better to work through the Balta or the Kiliya court. Then, we wait until whatever date court gets scheduled. We will be staying in Odessa for most of the remainder of our stay in Ukraine. There will be periodic day trips out to whichever city we have court. Otherwise, we will get to do some traveling on the country roads and get to see some more of Ukraine. YEAH for us.
We have had a great time while in Kiev. Oles took us around yesterday for about four hours and showed us some beautiful sites. Then he had to go to the office to do some work. He left us alone in a foreign town. What was he ever thinking? He does not know us very well. (Joking!!!!) We came back to our flat for a few minutes, regrouped, then off we went, map in hand and sights to see. We wanted to go down to the Dnipro river. So we walked, and walked, and walked some more. Finally, we came around a corner and there was the start of what turned out to be some of the most beautiful churches and sites we have seen. We went in some places I am sure most tourists don't ever go, but we like to see what lies in those hidden places. You can find some great gems. After hours of walking & looking, it was turning dark, so we needed to head back toward our flat. Don’t know how far we walked yesterday, but it seemed like ten miles. So, let’s see. We walked: Sunday=6 Monday=10 Tuesday=6 Wednesday=10. Wow! That's 32 miles in four days. I am not sure Tim, or my feet, knew we were coming to train for a marathon. Hehehe!!
Please keep praying for safe travel, and a smooth process.
Lynn
God has been so good to us throughout this journey. When we arrived at the SDA offices this morning, Yulia indicated they were ready for us to go right in. We walked in, exchanged introductions, read the paperwork regarding the girls’ background, showed the SDA worker several photos of our family and of the time Alyona was visiting over the holidays, and we were done. We were in & out of there in LESS THAN TEN MINUTES!! We can go back tomorrow, Friday afternoon, between 3:00 & 4:00pm to pick up our referral to go see the girls!
What does that mean? 1) We will leave by train on Friday night and arrive in Odessa on Saturday morning. 2) On Monday we will check in with the regional SDA office, then head to Balta to complete whatever local paperwork is necessary to see Alyona. Our prayers are that the director will allow Alyona to stay with us from that point on. 3) We will then travel to Kiliya and complete the same process to meet Kristina for the first time. (I so cannot wait to see her! I hope she will allow us to hug her, and show her we love her, and have since the first time we first saw her picture.) Please pray that she, too, can stay with us. 4) Then, we will have to make the decision of where to file the paperwork for court. There has been some question of whether it will be better to work through the Balta or the Kiliya court. Then, we wait until whatever date court gets scheduled. We will be staying in Odessa for most of the remainder of our stay in Ukraine. There will be periodic day trips out to whichever city we have court. Otherwise, we will get to do some traveling on the country roads and get to see some more of Ukraine. YEAH for us.
We have had a great time while in Kiev. Oles took us around yesterday for about four hours and showed us some beautiful sites. Then he had to go to the office to do some work. He left us alone in a foreign town. What was he ever thinking? He does not know us very well. (Joking!!!!) We came back to our flat for a few minutes, regrouped, then off we went, map in hand and sights to see. We wanted to go down to the Dnipro river. So we walked, and walked, and walked some more. Finally, we came around a corner and there was the start of what turned out to be some of the most beautiful churches and sites we have seen. We went in some places I am sure most tourists don't ever go, but we like to see what lies in those hidden places. You can find some great gems. After hours of walking & looking, it was turning dark, so we needed to head back toward our flat. Don’t know how far we walked yesterday, but it seemed like ten miles. So, let’s see. We walked: Sunday=6 Monday=10 Tuesday=6 Wednesday=10. Wow! That's 32 miles in four days. I am not sure Tim, or my feet, knew we were coming to train for a marathon. Hehehe!!
Please keep praying for safe travel, and a smooth process.
Lynn
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Deuteronomy 1:6-7 -- "When we were at Mount Sinai, the Lord our God said to us, 'You have stayed at this mountain long enough. It is time to break camp and move on.
Well, the day finally arrived for us to move on in this journey. We got up early Saturday morning to finish all the last minute things which had to be done. (It is now Wednesday; and I am amazed. At this moment I have not come up with anything I forgot to do, or left at home. I am sure I will come across something.) I had taken our suitcases to the airport on Saturday morning to weigh them, to make sure we were OK on weight. It was a good thing because both had to go back home and quickly lose some weight. Tim’s needed to lose 1.8 pounds and mine needed to lose 1.6 pounds. In the overall scheme of life 3.4 pounds doesn't sound like much, but when struggling to fit in everything one might need for six weeks, well... When I got back home my parents were waiting for me to take us to breakfast, then to the airport. We finished up the last few things, then as we were going to get in the car my mom said she wanted to take a picture of us. Next thing you know, she pulled out a sign she had made that said “GO GET OUR GIRLS”. So, we took a picture of all of us with our stuff; and then off we went to breakfast. Later, when we got to the airport, we went to check in and weigh the suitcases again. This time Tim’s was 50.0 pounds on the nose; and mine was under by 1.3 pounds. We let out a big hoot. After all our goodbyes we were off to go through security. What an experience that was. We had a good flight from Jackson to Charlotte, NC. When we got there we found an outlet to plug in our laptops and got on line for a little while. That was a good thing. Our flight from North Carolina to Munich was okay. We did not get to sit next to each other, which was not good, but I made it. For those of you who have prayed for me for the plane ride I THANK YOU. It worked! Lufthansa is the only way to fly. The service was great, and for the food was awesome. When we got to Munich we went right through customs, found our way to the Subway, and to the hotel.
I now have a new appreciation for what the girls will feel like. When we got off the plane and everything was in German, which of course we can't read or speak, it really highlighted what the girls’ life will be like. We had a good time, though, and never got lost. They have good maps that are easy to read.
After we checked into our hotel we were off again. We took the subway out to Olympic Park and BMW Welt (World). They have some real cute BMW's there that we don't have at home. From there we went all over the park. The Olympics were held there back in summer of 1972; and Munich has put in a bid for the winter of 2018. They were doing a lot of work on the buildings to start getting ready. We hiked up to the top off the high hill overlooking the park and all of Munich. The view was out of this world. One thing that amazed me is how many bikes and walkers there are there. You don't see many heavy people around. After we finished that we got back on the subway and went back to the hotel so we could go and eat. We had authentic German food in a cute little place down the hill from the hotel. Tim was so tired after we ate, but I had a new burst of energy. So we were going to walk across the street to get a couple of pictures of a church. Well, that walk ended up into about a THREE mile hike through the park and streets. When we got back to the hotel we discovered Internet access was NOT included. We had to pay separate for it. €20 (Euros), or THIRTY DOLLARS, a day!! At that, Tim decided to just lay down on the bed. I went in to wash my face; and he was right about being tired. In less than two minutes I heard him snoring. He slept great all night. Me, on the other hand, not so good.
The next morning we got up and took the subway again, but this time we went and got on a “hop on/hop off” bus tour. You ride around as they describe the famous and/or interesting sites throughout the city. Whenever you want, you can hop off to go investigate something more closely. Then you can go back around as many times as you would like and get on and off at different stops. That was a fun day. The last stop dropped us off “somewhat” close to the hotel. So we just walked back to the room that night. We also had some good German food that day, but I can honestly say we did not over eat any. The food is very costly there. In fact, everything seemed costly. We could not figure out how people can afford to live there. The salaries have to be high. By the time we were back to the hotel we figure we walked about ten miles that day. Then, on Tuesday morning I got up went for my three mile walk. Then, back to the hotel to pack, so we could continue on with the adventure. The flight from Munich to Kiev was good. The service at the Munich airport ticket counter was outstanding. We Americans sure could take some lessons from them. Even with literally hundreds of people attempting to get boarding passes and turn in luggage, our total wait in line was less than TEN minutes. Chalk one up for German organization & efficiency!!
Deuteronomy 1:30-33 -- The Lord your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt. And you saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.' "But even after all he did, you refused to trust the Lord your God, who goes before you looking for the best places to camp, guiding you with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.
When we got to Ukraine we got off the plane and there was a gentleman waiting for us to take us through customs. We went right on through. While he was doing our paperwork another man took us to go get our bags. We finished at about the same time. All told, less than ten minutes; and we were done! God keeps showing me over and over how He has it all under control. I just need to trust Him. It was nice to come around the corner and see a smiling face we recognized. Oles and Julia were waiting for us. Oles had car trouble getting to Kiev, so he had to fly in from Odessa to meet us. Then, we were off to our flat which will be home for the next few days. We had looked at some places online. Some were nice; and some were not so nice, but where we are is nice. (Thank you, Oles! You did good!) We will get pictures posted soon. We sent the evening with Oles. He showed us around Independence Square and the underground mall. We went for authentic Ukrainian food. It really was good. Then, back to the room and onto the internet. It’s amazing, nowadays, how disconnected you can feel without Internet access. I would not have wanted to go through this ten years ago without Internet availability and mobile phones. Later in the evening we Skyped with my mom & dad, and Christopher. Then we called my best friend Vicky. It is something to think you can call around the world and it cost nothing.
Well, we have a busy day of sightseeing planned for today and whatever else we can find to do.
Lynn
Well, the day finally arrived for us to move on in this journey. We got up early Saturday morning to finish all the last minute things which had to be done. (It is now Wednesday; and I am amazed. At this moment I have not come up with anything I forgot to do, or left at home. I am sure I will come across something.) I had taken our suitcases to the airport on Saturday morning to weigh them, to make sure we were OK on weight. It was a good thing because both had to go back home and quickly lose some weight. Tim’s needed to lose 1.8 pounds and mine needed to lose 1.6 pounds. In the overall scheme of life 3.4 pounds doesn't sound like much, but when struggling to fit in everything one might need for six weeks, well... When I got back home my parents were waiting for me to take us to breakfast, then to the airport. We finished up the last few things, then as we were going to get in the car my mom said she wanted to take a picture of us. Next thing you know, she pulled out a sign she had made that said “GO GET OUR GIRLS”. So, we took a picture of all of us with our stuff; and then off we went to breakfast. Later, when we got to the airport, we went to check in and weigh the suitcases again. This time Tim’s was 50.0 pounds on the nose; and mine was under by 1.3 pounds. We let out a big hoot. After all our goodbyes we were off to go through security. What an experience that was. We had a good flight from Jackson to Charlotte, NC. When we got there we found an outlet to plug in our laptops and got on line for a little while. That was a good thing. Our flight from North Carolina to Munich was okay. We did not get to sit next to each other, which was not good, but I made it. For those of you who have prayed for me for the plane ride I THANK YOU. It worked! Lufthansa is the only way to fly. The service was great, and for the food was awesome. When we got to Munich we went right through customs, found our way to the Subway, and to the hotel.
I now have a new appreciation for what the girls will feel like. When we got off the plane and everything was in German, which of course we can't read or speak, it really highlighted what the girls’ life will be like. We had a good time, though, and never got lost. They have good maps that are easy to read.
After we checked into our hotel we were off again. We took the subway out to Olympic Park and BMW Welt (World). They have some real cute BMW's there that we don't have at home. From there we went all over the park. The Olympics were held there back in summer of 1972; and Munich has put in a bid for the winter of 2018. They were doing a lot of work on the buildings to start getting ready. We hiked up to the top off the high hill overlooking the park and all of Munich. The view was out of this world. One thing that amazed me is how many bikes and walkers there are there. You don't see many heavy people around. After we finished that we got back on the subway and went back to the hotel so we could go and eat. We had authentic German food in a cute little place down the hill from the hotel. Tim was so tired after we ate, but I had a new burst of energy. So we were going to walk across the street to get a couple of pictures of a church. Well, that walk ended up into about a THREE mile hike through the park and streets. When we got back to the hotel we discovered Internet access was NOT included. We had to pay separate for it. €20 (Euros), or THIRTY DOLLARS, a day!! At that, Tim decided to just lay down on the bed. I went in to wash my face; and he was right about being tired. In less than two minutes I heard him snoring. He slept great all night. Me, on the other hand, not so good.
The next morning we got up and took the subway again, but this time we went and got on a “hop on/hop off” bus tour. You ride around as they describe the famous and/or interesting sites throughout the city. Whenever you want, you can hop off to go investigate something more closely. Then you can go back around as many times as you would like and get on and off at different stops. That was a fun day. The last stop dropped us off “somewhat” close to the hotel. So we just walked back to the room that night. We also had some good German food that day, but I can honestly say we did not over eat any. The food is very costly there. In fact, everything seemed costly. We could not figure out how people can afford to live there. The salaries have to be high. By the time we were back to the hotel we figure we walked about ten miles that day. Then, on Tuesday morning I got up went for my three mile walk. Then, back to the hotel to pack, so we could continue on with the adventure. The flight from Munich to Kiev was good. The service at the Munich airport ticket counter was outstanding. We Americans sure could take some lessons from them. Even with literally hundreds of people attempting to get boarding passes and turn in luggage, our total wait in line was less than TEN minutes. Chalk one up for German organization & efficiency!!
Deuteronomy 1:30-33 -- The Lord your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt. And you saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.' "But even after all he did, you refused to trust the Lord your God, who goes before you looking for the best places to camp, guiding you with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.
When we got to Ukraine we got off the plane and there was a gentleman waiting for us to take us through customs. We went right on through. While he was doing our paperwork another man took us to go get our bags. We finished at about the same time. All told, less than ten minutes; and we were done! God keeps showing me over and over how He has it all under control. I just need to trust Him. It was nice to come around the corner and see a smiling face we recognized. Oles and Julia were waiting for us. Oles had car trouble getting to Kiev, so he had to fly in from Odessa to meet us. Then, we were off to our flat which will be home for the next few days. We had looked at some places online. Some were nice; and some were not so nice, but where we are is nice. (Thank you, Oles! You did good!) We will get pictures posted soon. We sent the evening with Oles. He showed us around Independence Square and the underground mall. We went for authentic Ukrainian food. It really was good. Then, back to the room and onto the internet. It’s amazing, nowadays, how disconnected you can feel without Internet access. I would not have wanted to go through this ten years ago without Internet availability and mobile phones. Later in the evening we Skyped with my mom & dad, and Christopher. Then we called my best friend Vicky. It is something to think you can call around the world and it cost nothing.
Well, we have a busy day of sightseeing planned for today and whatever else we can find to do.
Lynn
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Joshua 4:1 -- Now when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua…
After the people safely crossed the river what would be next? Conquering the land? Not yet. First God directed them to build a memorial of stones drawn from the river. It may not have seemed important in their mission, but God did not want His people to plunge into a task unprepared. They were to focus on Him and remember who was guiding them. As we are busy going about our day doing our God given tasks, set aside quiet moments, times to build our own memorial to God's power. Too much activity may shift your focus away from God.
I cannot believe how faithful God has been in this whole adventure. When I can't see it working, He comes in and shows me who is in control. And I am learning to “leave it at the cross”. When I submitted to God on doing this, I thought GOD was crazy. I am too old. I can't afford this. Why me? My kids are grown and out of the house. And the list can go on and on. But while I cannot do it on my own. I can with God.
Tim and I mailed out some fundraising letters several weeks ago to family, friends, and co-workers; and we waited, most of the time patiently, but not always trusting God. In just the last few days, though, GOD provided more than $1000. We still have not reached the goal for what we need, but I can see how God is bringing us closer to it. Tim reminded me several weeks ago that the Israelites had to step into the Jordan for the water to stop flowing, and that we quite probably would need to step on the plane for the rest of the funds we needed to come in. So we wait on the Lord, and He IS providing. It is THREE hours until our plane leaves; and I sit here at peace. I am not worrying about anything. GOD is working over there, as I sit here.
I am not sure of how much Internet access we will have once we are in Ukraine, but I will post as often as I can. Thank you again for all the prayers you all have said for us. We now are going to bring the girls home to the “promised land”, a land of milk and honey, a nation which is clearly the richest on earth. Let them shine bright for the LORD. Let them learn their plan that God wants them to take; and let no man stand between them and God. Talk to you all when we get over the BIG pond.
Lynn
After the people safely crossed the river what would be next? Conquering the land? Not yet. First God directed them to build a memorial of stones drawn from the river. It may not have seemed important in their mission, but God did not want His people to plunge into a task unprepared. They were to focus on Him and remember who was guiding them. As we are busy going about our day doing our God given tasks, set aside quiet moments, times to build our own memorial to God's power. Too much activity may shift your focus away from God.
I cannot believe how faithful God has been in this whole adventure. When I can't see it working, He comes in and shows me who is in control. And I am learning to “leave it at the cross”. When I submitted to God on doing this, I thought GOD was crazy. I am too old. I can't afford this. Why me? My kids are grown and out of the house. And the list can go on and on. But while I cannot do it on my own. I can with God.
Tim and I mailed out some fundraising letters several weeks ago to family, friends, and co-workers; and we waited, most of the time patiently, but not always trusting God. In just the last few days, though, GOD provided more than $1000. We still have not reached the goal for what we need, but I can see how God is bringing us closer to it. Tim reminded me several weeks ago that the Israelites had to step into the Jordan for the water to stop flowing, and that we quite probably would need to step on the plane for the rest of the funds we needed to come in. So we wait on the Lord, and He IS providing. It is THREE hours until our plane leaves; and I sit here at peace. I am not worrying about anything. GOD is working over there, as I sit here.
I am not sure of how much Internet access we will have once we are in Ukraine, but I will post as often as I can. Thank you again for all the prayers you all have said for us. We now are going to bring the girls home to the “promised land”, a land of milk and honey, a nation which is clearly the richest on earth. Let them shine bright for the LORD. Let them learn their plan that God wants them to take; and let no man stand between them and God. Talk to you all when we get over the BIG pond.
Lynn
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Exodus 13:21 -- The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they may travel by day and by night.
God gave the Hebrews pillars of cloud and fire so they would know day and night that GOD was with them on their journey to the promised land. God has given me the same assurance of this morning. The Bible was not something the Israelites had, but we need to look at it for GOD’s direction in our life. We can look at God’s Word as a map on how we are to live out the life He calls us to. I have been struggling the last week with hear what I was not sure was not God, but after much prayer I have settled it. I was hearing, “Are you sure you heard right?” “Are you really supposed to adopt?” See, at first, everything went so fast and smoothly, but then there were some bumps. It has been difficult to remain confident that God’s timing is always the best. I am so looking forward to going and bring the girls home, to show them God’s love for them.
We are down to just 1 1/2 days before we leave. It seems surreal. We have waited a long time for this to come. I had a friend say, ”It is just like being pregnant, but only on paper. You still go through all the hormone changes, and the nesting, wanting everything to be perfect when you bring the baby home. Then, you have the papa who does not get it. We want the house clean, their room done just right.” (I think they say the first 15 seconds is the best impression; and I want to make the best one I can.) The thing is, I can leave the house clean, but I am not coming home with Tim. He will be here for 3-4 weeks by himself. Not that he is not clean. It is just he does not run the vacuum and dust. But he will be busy with work, getting the pool ready for the summer, and hopefully putting in my new cook top. Hint, hint! So in the scheme of life is it a big deal? NO. That is why I am not going to let it get to me. Or at least try not to.
I feel ready to go. Both boys are taken care of. Parents have new phone, TV & Internet. It may have been too much to give them all at one time, but my mom is doing great. We will be able to Skype with them and make phone calls as long as we have Internet, so that made her happy, and me, too! Cats have someone to come and feed them every day. Everything is pulled together, just waiting to close and zip the suitcase shut. And, then, we will be off, and the next part of this Journey begins. So make sure you follow along.
Thanks again for the prayers. I can feel them all as I am sure Tim can, too.
Lynn
God gave the Hebrews pillars of cloud and fire so they would know day and night that GOD was with them on their journey to the promised land. God has given me the same assurance of this morning. The Bible was not something the Israelites had, but we need to look at it for GOD’s direction in our life. We can look at God’s Word as a map on how we are to live out the life He calls us to. I have been struggling the last week with hear what I was not sure was not God, but after much prayer I have settled it. I was hearing, “Are you sure you heard right?” “Are you really supposed to adopt?” See, at first, everything went so fast and smoothly, but then there were some bumps. It has been difficult to remain confident that God’s timing is always the best. I am so looking forward to going and bring the girls home, to show them God’s love for them.
We are down to just 1 1/2 days before we leave. It seems surreal. We have waited a long time for this to come. I had a friend say, ”It is just like being pregnant, but only on paper. You still go through all the hormone changes, and the nesting, wanting everything to be perfect when you bring the baby home. Then, you have the papa who does not get it. We want the house clean, their room done just right.” (I think they say the first 15 seconds is the best impression; and I want to make the best one I can.) The thing is, I can leave the house clean, but I am not coming home with Tim. He will be here for 3-4 weeks by himself. Not that he is not clean. It is just he does not run the vacuum and dust. But he will be busy with work, getting the pool ready for the summer, and hopefully putting in my new cook top. Hint, hint! So in the scheme of life is it a big deal? NO. That is why I am not going to let it get to me. Or at least try not to.
I feel ready to go. Both boys are taken care of. Parents have new phone, TV & Internet. It may have been too much to give them all at one time, but my mom is doing great. We will be able to Skype with them and make phone calls as long as we have Internet, so that made her happy, and me, too! Cats have someone to come and feed them every day. Everything is pulled together, just waiting to close and zip the suitcase shut. And, then, we will be off, and the next part of this Journey begins. So make sure you follow along.
Thanks again for the prayers. I can feel them all as I am sure Tim can, too.
Lynn
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Colossians 1:16-17: For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
I have been thinking of this verse all week. With so much going on in our lives, so many changes over the horizon, and so much weakness on my part, I find peace and courage in this verse. I feel so overwhelmed and fearful at times, uncertain of my calling, then I remember that I do not have to hold it all together. He does. I have had a few moments the past few days when I think, “I can't do this,” or, “Why me, God?” Then, He reminds me that I cannot do it, but He can. Sometimes am so selfish. I want to put my flesh before Him and others. I guess it was like when I was pregnant… I could not see how much joy my children would bring into my life. Now, I can't imagine my life without them. Thank you, JESUS, for giving them to me.
I had a friend from church post something on Facebook the other night about not being able to adopt because of her age, but she said she would like to help with some funding as she was sure it cost a lot. Then, she said if everyone we knew gave a little it would add up to a lot. Well, yes, it would. By the time we all get home we will have spent about $30,000. That is a mind blowing number. Then I sat down and did some math. I figured out how many days we would have each girl until they turn eighteen and divided that number by the total adoption expense. It came to $5.75 per child per day to change their lives forever. That seems like so little when compared to the life they would have if they stay where they are at. We are going to change their eternity. I am so thankful helping with that. We live in such a blessed world and yet take it so for granted.
Prayers:
- I have a plan which includes cooperation by judges and other Ukrainian officials. My plan may fail, but that is OK, for every authority in Ukraine was created by Him and for Him. Thus, I can be at peace, knowing His timing will be perfect.
- Travel to and from Ukraine. Tim will be staying three to four weeks, then I will be in a foreign country by myself. For those of you who know me, that could be scary for all involved! :-)
- God’s direction on where we are to stay while there. Tim needs the best Internet access he can get in order to be able to work while over there.
- The rest of the funds to come in. We have purchased the tickets, believing in faith.
Lynn
I have been thinking of this verse all week. With so much going on in our lives, so many changes over the horizon, and so much weakness on my part, I find peace and courage in this verse. I feel so overwhelmed and fearful at times, uncertain of my calling, then I remember that I do not have to hold it all together. He does. I have had a few moments the past few days when I think, “I can't do this,” or, “Why me, God?” Then, He reminds me that I cannot do it, but He can. Sometimes am so selfish. I want to put my flesh before Him and others. I guess it was like when I was pregnant… I could not see how much joy my children would bring into my life. Now, I can't imagine my life without them. Thank you, JESUS, for giving them to me.
I had a friend from church post something on Facebook the other night about not being able to adopt because of her age, but she said she would like to help with some funding as she was sure it cost a lot. Then, she said if everyone we knew gave a little it would add up to a lot. Well, yes, it would. By the time we all get home we will have spent about $30,000. That is a mind blowing number. Then I sat down and did some math. I figured out how many days we would have each girl until they turn eighteen and divided that number by the total adoption expense. It came to $5.75 per child per day to change their lives forever. That seems like so little when compared to the life they would have if they stay where they are at. We are going to change their eternity. I am so thankful helping with that. We live in such a blessed world and yet take it so for granted.
Prayers:
- I have a plan which includes cooperation by judges and other Ukrainian officials. My plan may fail, but that is OK, for every authority in Ukraine was created by Him and for Him. Thus, I can be at peace, knowing His timing will be perfect.
- Travel to and from Ukraine. Tim will be staying three to four weeks, then I will be in a foreign country by myself. For those of you who know me, that could be scary for all involved! :-)
- God’s direction on where we are to stay while there. Tim needs the best Internet access he can get in order to be able to work while over there.
- The rest of the funds to come in. We have purchased the tickets, believing in faith.
Lynn
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Well... the call I have been waiting for came in today at 10:03a.m. I was upstairs at a customer’s house when I heard the cell phone ring downstairs. Off I ran. I definitely was not going to miss it. We had expected the call would come in on March 2nd. Then, we were told to expect it on March 4th, but it took until today, March 9th. Every evening, for the last five weeks, I have asked my Tim, “Did you hear from Oles today?” Some days the answer would be, “Yes,” but not with the information I was so waiting to hear. Our SDA appointment will be March 25th at noon. I almost cannot believe it. It was like being told when you are going to give birth, only with no diapers and bottles! I have had to keep pinching myself all day to confirm I was not dreaming. I cannot believe we will be leaving in less than two weeks. I have most of my stuff ready to go. Or at least I hope I do. I will need to repack a few things, as we will have warmer weather than we had first anticipate. I hear Ukraine is beautiful in the spring time. I am so looking forward to learning more about the country our girls come from. I want them to be able to see a little of it while we are there. We have some friends who are over there adopting right now; and they went to see the Nutcracker the other night. They said it was fantastic. I would love to get to take the girls while we’re in Odessa.
On a sad note, we will not be here for Easter this year. We will also miss the 21st birthday of our youngest son. Somehow we will find a way to make it up to him. I am not sure telling we are giving him two sisters would be much of a gift! I know he understands, or at least that is what I am telling myself. Hehehe!!
Please continue to pray for us. Safe travel, finances, sleep, and always seeking Him...
Lynn
On a sad note, we will not be here for Easter this year. We will also miss the 21st birthday of our youngest son. Somehow we will find a way to make it up to him. I am not sure telling we are giving him two sisters would be much of a gift! I know he understands, or at least that is what I am telling myself. Hehehe!!
Please continue to pray for us. Safe travel, finances, sleep, and always seeking Him...
Lynn
Monday, March 08, 2010
I received this verse a couple weeks ago, as a devotional. It reminded me of two points. First, as believers, we are ALL adopted into the family of God. Second, God has demonstrated His love for us by sending His own Son for us. We demonstrate our love for Him by loving those the world considers unlovable, or unworthy...
Tim
VERSE: This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. -- 1 John 4:9
THOUGHT: Love is an action. The Bible stresses this truth again and again. Love must not only be spoken, it must also be shown. The beginning of love is God. He showed his love in the most sacrificial of ways so we could know our incredible value to him. The price of our adoption was the emptying of heaven of its greatest treasure, God the Son, who is our Savior.
PRAYER: Loving Father, thank you for adopting me into your family. I can never thank you enough or repay you for your kindness, but please receive the service of my life as my ongoing thanksgiving for your grace and my small way of trying to share the love you have given me. Through my Brother and my Ransom I pray. Amen.
Tim
VERSE: This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. -- 1 John 4:9
THOUGHT: Love is an action. The Bible stresses this truth again and again. Love must not only be spoken, it must also be shown. The beginning of love is God. He showed his love in the most sacrificial of ways so we could know our incredible value to him. The price of our adoption was the emptying of heaven of its greatest treasure, God the Son, who is our Savior.
PRAYER: Loving Father, thank you for adopting me into your family. I can never thank you enough or repay you for your kindness, but please receive the service of my life as my ongoing thanksgiving for your grace and my small way of trying to share the love you have given me. Through my Brother and my Ransom I pray. Amen.
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