Well guys, time flies. Almost a month on the ground and we are almost going native. After a week of mid Teens below Celsius, its a heat wave of minus 4 (24.8°F) and snow! Kinda makes you want to want to grab a beach towel and run down to the frozen fountains! Just a few words on our life.
Our court date is set for the 19th and the 10-day waiting (appeal) peariod ends the 28th or 29th. At that point, with a blessing, we shall be able to get the kids out of lock up and get moving on to the birth ceritficate and passport process.
That would put us heading to Kiev in the first week of February. Your prayers for the continued process and thankgiving for so many of you who have stepped up in material ways, hustling documents for us, getting information and pictures posted or preparing the nest for all the extra chicks.
Now just a few words on our life here:
We live in a modernized but minimal hotel. We have an electric heater now so we don't need the jackets on the bed anymore.
Cab rides are a buck, a great dinner for 3, with drinks, is $30 and we have found two restaurants that have English menus. There is a new shopping center tha has a small indoor skating rink, bowling alley and one of the two pizza parlors Heidi has found so far.
A little more info: (right click to open this link in a new window)
http://ukrainetrek.com/severodonetsk-ukraine-city.shtml
The first picture is of part of the central square, our hotel is the blue building at the left edge of the picture. Of course it has been snow-bound since we have been here, so we have to squint to recognize anything.
The 17th photo (just below the headline "Severodonetsk Ukraine city views") is of the Internaut's central building. The building has Roman numerals for 1959 across the top and School-"Internaut" in Russian on its face. This has the library, offices and assembly hall in it. The building is flanked by two dormitories and has an attached classroom wing and dining facility. The Kindergarten is a separate facility on the same grounds.
We love you all and look forward to sharing our four new hard heads with ya, the sooner the better!
The Blessed, Erik and Heidi
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Birthdays in the Internaut - Photos
Birthdays in the Internaut are generally held the last Friday of each month for the the kids with birthdays that month. We held a special Birthday Party for Christina Yesterday (7 January, her 8th). The "care givers" gave us a classroom and we set up a little surprise party for her.
Max is very studious, working on English.
This has and continues to be a tough process!
We are still getting to know the kids and they are still learning to trust! I think we have made good headway with Sasha (almost nine year old boy) and Tania (6 year old) has been coming around too! Christina turned eight yesterday and we threw her a huge birthday party - well it was a big thing that I would have been impressed at eight and especially being in the place she is in. The caregiver played along and even put on a princess crown and then when it was all over the caregiver hung the princess birthday banner in Christina's room - so we think we are even making improvements with the caregivers! Maxim is wonderful to start and he just wants to know when we can take him with us? We visit him again tomorrow.
The thing is now to stay moving forward and for us to stay positive! It wears you down, so we appreciate your emails and prayers!
We were able to get the immigration form approved for four children so it is enroute now. That was a huge win! And will be needed at the court date which we should hear a date today or tomorrow.
We thank you all for your support, kindness, encouragement in all of this!
Special thanks to Clinton for running out to VA again for updated paperwork and FedEX/DHL mailings to Ukraine! Our hats and hearts go out to you!
Thanks for your continued prayers and encouragement!
-Heidi and Erik
The thing is now to stay moving forward and for us to stay positive! It wears you down, so we appreciate your emails and prayers!
We were able to get the immigration form approved for four children so it is enroute now. That was a huge win! And will be needed at the court date which we should hear a date today or tomorrow.
We thank you all for your support, kindness, encouragement in all of this!
Special thanks to Clinton for running out to VA again for updated paperwork and FedEX/DHL mailings to Ukraine! Our hats and hearts go out to you!
Thanks for your continued prayers and encouragement!
-Heidi and Erik
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Hightlight of the Week
Great visit with Maxim - especially when the head instructor tells us she has taught him to pray to God since he came to their orphanage - for a mother and father to be a family, and when Maxim asks - when can you take me? He also continuously asks, when will you be back?
Good visits with Tanya - when she wants to go play with us instead of her kids group when we show up today. They where dressed out to play outside (only -5 degrees celsius but with sun shining). So we are outside and she throws snow at me and I return a pile of fresh snow at her and she turns just in time for it to hit her in the face and she simply wipes it off and spits it out and rolls over, gets up, and keeps going without a fuss!
Then, when we return to the building and can't find her group and the head caregiver who always gives us trouble tells us you should of checked with your caregiver where they would be when you returned and Tania responds for all of us - "I did do that!"
Last night, when Sasha and I played hit the balloon back and forth for a while, dancing to the audio file from a cell phone, great fun. Then he has to go take a bath and returns to us finally clean and combs his hair nicely in front of us and then proceeds to pull out the English learning book and goes thru it slowly and confidently with Vova (Masha's brother) and is now asking us when we will return?
With Christina - she has begun to return to being like Papa's little girl again. She is a lively one and the language barrier I think is harder on her, but she is coming around.
Thanks all for your continued encouragement and prayers!
Love and miss ya
-Heidi and Erik
Good visits with Tanya - when she wants to go play with us instead of her kids group when we show up today. They where dressed out to play outside (only -5 degrees celsius but with sun shining). So we are outside and she throws snow at me and I return a pile of fresh snow at her and she turns just in time for it to hit her in the face and she simply wipes it off and spits it out and rolls over, gets up, and keeps going without a fuss!
Then, when we return to the building and can't find her group and the head caregiver who always gives us trouble tells us you should of checked with your caregiver where they would be when you returned and Tania responds for all of us - "I did do that!"
Last night, when Sasha and I played hit the balloon back and forth for a while, dancing to the audio file from a cell phone, great fun. Then he has to go take a bath and returns to us finally clean and combs his hair nicely in front of us and then proceeds to pull out the English learning book and goes thru it slowly and confidently with Vova (Masha's brother) and is now asking us when we will return?
With Christina - she has begun to return to being like Papa's little girl again. She is a lively one and the language barrier I think is harder on her, but she is coming around.
Thanks all for your continued encouragement and prayers!
Love and miss ya
-Heidi and Erik
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Maxim Playing Computer Game Video
The adoption continunues... but some parts are fun...
This one's a hoot. This was 2 minutes into Maxim's first time on the computer. He is playing a pinball game on my laptop on his bed in his room. I think he may need some glases.
This one's a hoot. This was 2 minutes into Maxim's first time on the computer. He is playing a pinball game on my laptop on his bed in his room. I think he may need some glases.
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