Visit with the Clarks

A couple of days ago, Kim and the kids came to our area of Odessa to visit. The kids had a great time. We went to McDonalds and then to the park to play. There was a trampoline that the kids enjoyed jumping on and a playground. Do you remember the merry go rounds? They were always so much fun. Do you remember falling off of one? I think we all had to do it at least once. Well, Justin was no different. He looks worse than it actually was and don't worry I did comfort him. He didn't get hurt but he ended up covered in dirt! He laughed after he saw what he looked like! I think initally he was in shock that he flew off. Do you think that is why merry go rounds aren't around much more? We are still having a time of getting the orange face paint off his face. We had a fun visit with the Clarks.

Meanwhile, Back in California...

I wish that I had as much exciting news as Pam to report but it's been pretty mellow since I have been home. We had a great Thanksgiving with Pam's parents and her three sisters and their families. Our friends who have been watching the kids left for their own celebration so we are just hanging around "the ranch".

I am fighting every temptation in my body to start putting up Christmas lights, which have gone up the day after Thanksgiving ever since I was born. I have promised Justin that we will not start our festivities until Pam and he come home. I did buy new LED Christmas lights to save energy and give the house a new look this year but they will stay in their boxes until all of my kids can help me put them up.

We also did a little shopping today for CDs and cases and labels to make our latest "Believe" Christmas CD. I am a Christmas carol junkie and love to spread Christmas cheer with our favorite music. I scour Itunes and the CD racks to find fresh arrangements and new songs to give to family and friends. We only do it every few years so that there is always enough good material.

It rained cats and dogs the night before Thanksgiving so I don't have to worry about doing any yard work this weekend. Garrett and Morgan and I have just been quietly enjoying each other's company in anticipation of Pam and Justin coming home, hopefully next week!

"Magazine" or "Market" (How ever you spell it!)

Justin loves going to the "Magazine". He uses hand motions to describe going in the circular door and then down the elevator to the market. I think he thinks it is my favorite pastime too. He likes to speed around the store with the cart. I have to be careful he doesn't run my heels over! He doesn't understand slow down. He is such a big helper. He carries as much stuff as I do when we come back. He opens the door for me now and say "Madam" with his arm motion to enter. A gentleman last night taught him. It is so cute. He loves unlocking the door of our apartment too. When we came inside he got a yogurt out of the refrigerator to drink and then gave me a big hug. He looked up into my eyes and said "Good Mama"! I said, "me good mama?" He nodded his head and said, "DA (Yes)!"

The Washing Machine!

How many of you can say your child can be entertained by the washing machine? This was so funny. This morning I was washing some clothes. Justin thought it was really cool to watch the clothes through the glass door. He sat there watching when all of the sudden the washing machine went on the spin cycle and started moving across the floor. He yelled Mom! Mom! I looked and it was in the middle of the bathroom. and all the stuff on top was falling off. Justin leaped into the corner afraid it was going to get him or something. I laughed so hard. I don't even think he has seen clothes wash before! He was so curious about it. I had to keep telling him "It's o.k., it's o.k." and then he got a big smile and laughed too. :)

Thanksgiving in Ukraine!

If anyone would have asked me yesterday what I was doing for Thanksgiving today, I would have told them I would be wishing to have dinner with my family in CA. I had no plans. Last night Cindy Wolf commented on my blog about friends staying at the Odessa Suites where I am staying.

This morning we took it easy and didn't get showered or dressed until about 10:00am. I was just getting out of the shower when Justin yells Mama. I peek my head out of the bathroom door and Laurie Push was standing in the entryway of our room. Justin just let her in. I am glad it wasn't someone off the street! Anyway, with my hair sticking up all over I talked with Laurie, her husband Ed and daughter Maria for about half an hour and they invited me to go to dinner with them for Thanksgiving! What a wonderful suprise. The couple who hosted the party only live about a block up the street. Most everyone there was American. We had an amazing dinner, turkey and all the fixings. I felt like I was home with family. Everyone was extremely friendly, several were missionaries who helped in orphan ministry in Odessa. They welcomed Justin with open arms and could even speak Russian to him. They had several activities for the kids like face paint, pin the tail on the turkey, singing and even a movie. One of the ladies even explained to Justin what Thanksgiving was all about.

We went around the room and talked about things we are thankful for. I am thankful for firstly my salvation, my husband, all three of my children, my parents, sisters and their families, my amazing friends who have been helping with Garrett and Morgan, praying for us and supporting us in so many ways. I feel blessed beyond words! Although my time in Ukraine has had its moments of disappointments, I am so glad I have had this opportunity of a lifetime to meet my new son and new friends I have found half way around the world.

Good-bye Belgorod, Hello Odessa!

"Mega Block Guy"

Opera House

Good-Bye Belgorod!

Leaving Belgorod

Firstly, I thank my Heavenly Father who never left me and is teaching me not to worry. From the Vital Statistics Office not cooperating to not having power all day yesterday, Justin and I still had a fabulous day.

Kevin was fully correct in all he reported on the last post. I have an amazing facilitator who "Gets the Job Done!" I could not believe he went to a building next door, got a long power cord and drug it up to the statics office so proudly and said "Now you have power" or what ever he said in Russian to them. I just sat in amazement, shaking my head to myself. Yesterday at the passport office same kind of thing. The place was packed, we could have been there for hours, we walked in and had Justin's picture taken and out we went. If anyone needs a good facilitator let me know, he is your guy. When Serge walks in people listen!

As I said, we were without any kind of power from 11:00am until 11:00pm last night. We spent our day after our passport appointment walking around the town. We went back and forth to the market at least four times each time remembering something else I didn't have. Justin said "Mama, magazine, magazine, magazine (I don't know if this is how you spell it, Russian for market. This is how it sounds to me!) We had McDonalds for lunch! I never thought I would see the day that a McDonalds hamburger would taste great! We took a long nap. Justin just loves cradling his little head into my armpit with his arm wrapped around me. That is how we slept the entire first night. I don't think he slept that great because I know I didn't. He kept waking up and making sure I was still there. Sooooo cute! Last night with no power we went to bed at 7:00pm and both slept soundly. He wanted to hold my hand all night after snuggling. This is really good for us to be alone. We are bonding well. It is like he has always been mine already. God so made him to be my child!

Odessa is beautiful. The streets have beautiful lights decorated like Christmas (I think they are always there), amazing architecture, great places to eat. My bed is comfortable, my room is clean and Americans own my hotel! How much more can I want?

As I type, Justing is playing with his Mega Block guy I bought him last night. The poor kid has been so patient with no toys. I also bought him a coloring book and crayons. He colored next to a candle in the dark last night. He is so content to just be with me. He is very happy and so am I. I still miss my other two babies so much though. Maybe next week we will be able to come home. I told Garrett I will make Thanksgiving for him again when I get back. He said he was going to miss my cooking. He gets to go to Grandma and Papa's house for dinner and he is looking forward to that too. I really enjoy making Thanksgiving dinner. I can tell they both miss me and I miss them. Morgan was so sweet on the phone yesterday. She told Justin she is his big sister and that she loves him very much. Justin told her "I love you".

The Great Escape

(I know that I will get some of the details wrong since I am reporting what Pam told me on the phone. She can't do the post herself since power is out on the block of the hotel in Odessa.)

Tuesday was a miracle. Pam and our facilitator picked up the finalized court decree in the first step to get Justin out of the orphanage. They then left Belgorod to travel two hours to Justin's birth place near Odessa to get his revised birth certificate. When they got to Justin's village, the building where the records are kept was a "building" in name only. Dark steep stairways led upstairs to the office but the holes in the exterior walls provided some light. The records people were at lunch when they got there so they waited an hour for them to get back only to be told they couldn't provide the birth certificate because the power was out from nearby construction work. Our facilitator pointed at the manual typewriter and asked them to use it to get the birth certificate done. The supervisor started yelling, "nyet, nyet!" so our facilitator hunted down a live power cord in the building and brought it in so they could use their computer and printer! Mission accomplished!

Jump in the car and drive two hours back to Belgorod and pack in fifteen minutes to go to the orphanage. Our facilitator wanted to get Pam and Justin to their hotel in Odessa that day! Run into the orphanage, get Justin's clothes changed, say a quick goodbye, and jump in the car for the two hour drive to Odessa (again)! He is officially sprung from the joint!!

At dinner in Odessa, Justin told Pam through our interpreter that he wished that he been born into and had always been a part of our family. Pam told him that God had planned for him to be part of our family and that he had been born in our hearts. Even though we missed his first nine years, we will always be his family now. Justin spent his first night as part of our family in his mother's arms.

The New Plan

We got a call on Sunday night that said we weren't going to Odessa to get the birth certificates on Monday as planned. We were told our facilator would be here on Tuesday morning to get the court decree. So the new word is we go tomorrow morning and pray the court decree is correct. If the court decree is completely correct then we can travel to Odessa to get the birth certificate. After that we have to come back to Belgorod and pick-up Justin on Wednesday. We then will go back to Odessa to work on the Ukraine passport and social security #'s. All of this is BIG ifs. Again, I hold the plans loosely and pray God will bring Justin and me home in the near future. I am growing very weary! Please pray that everything is correct on the decree and we can get through the rest of the paperwork without any glitches!

My wonderful husband has given me permission to treat Justin and myself to a comfortable hotel when we get to Odessa. The hotel is run by Americans. I even called and made my own reservation! I am really looking forward to just being alone with Justin. I believe this will be great bonding time between us. He is growing weary also. He was really looking forward to coming with me on Monday, then Tuesday and now Wednesday! I do think the director told him that it could take until Wednesday so I don't really think he thinks it is me. Still he is just a little guy and wants his mommy. Tonight he curled up in my arms and snuggled for a good hour. He didn't want to play or even talk. He also had very dark circles under his eyes from either lack of sleep or crying maybe both!

I will definately be advocating for the kids I leave behind after I return to the States. I am glad some of you are thinking about these children. Prayer for them is good too!

How Do I Say Good-Bye?

How do I say good-bye? What about the ones left behind? How do you know who they are and not feel responsible to help? How do you tell them I know you want to be part of a family but I can't take you? As hard as it is to let go I know I have to. I will tell others about the wonderful kids I have met. In some ways for me it is like mourning a death. The pain of knowing where they are headed is almost unbearable.

One child is 8 years old with two little brothers. She has been through unthinkable pain and rejection. She has no idea she even has 2 brothers. All she knows is she is rejected again. The other is 15 and will age out of the system next October on her 16th birthday. She sings and plays the piano so sweetly. These are only two of the thousands of orphans who need families. I beg you to pray God will show you how he can use you and your family in the lives of orphans. They are real children who need real families to care for them. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things! He isn't looking for perfect families or perfect parents. Our weakness is perfected in His strength.

Still Here!

Yes, I am still here. I haven't had much to say so I haven't posted in awhile. I am at day 9 in my 10 day wait. Monday, I will go with the translator to Odessa where Justin was born get his birth certificate and we should get the court judgement on Monday as well. After that I can get Justin out of the orphanage and then be off to Odessa again on Tuesday where we will get the Ukraine passport. This will take approximately 3-4 days. Then we will go by train to Kiev to sign paperwork and get an American passport for Justin. Then hopefully in a few days we will be off to America! Of course anything can change between now and then and I have learned to not hold on too tight to "my plans". I am learning to live minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day. This is how God is teaching me to lean on His strength and not my own.

I think I officially have a cold. I have been taking Zicam to try and kick it but it isn't going away. I am hoping I don't have "Pink Eye" and that it is just red from the cold. Please pray it doesn't get me down. The kids cannot leave the orphanage if they are not healthy. Even though I am sure I got the cold at the orphanage, please pray that Justin doesn't catch it. That would be a real bummer to not get to leave because of a cold! Thanks to everyone for showing me your support with your comments. I really look forward to reading them each morning!

The Isolation Ward

Our court decree will be finalized on Monday. In anticipation of leaving, the orphanage has removed Justin and the Clark kids from school and the "general population". The kids are couped up in the infirmary waiting to be sprung from "the joint". It sounds like a bad prison movie, doesn't it? Nobody will tell Pam for sure why they are being separated; we can only guess that it's for their health and safety. We know that kids at school treat Justin badly for being an orphan, and the other kids in the orphanage can get mean and say all sorts of things when someone gets adopted.

Pam has noticed that the kids are getting quiet and less talkative as the reality of leaving is hitting them. This is the only life and the only friends and caretakers that Justin has known. He won't even be allowed to wear any of his clothes out of there to remind him since he has to give them back to the orphanage.

Praise God that he got a glimpse of family when he stayed with us last year. I pray that he will change into new clothes and start his new life with a grateful heart for those who cared for him thus far and for the family that now loves him. Pam's journey is near the end; Justin's is only beginning.

Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone

I have been home for five days and I'm finally shaking the jet lag. I just can't shake being lonely without Pam. I miss Justin too and I am happy to be with Garrett and Morgan, but now I know why Bill Withers sang the song, "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone":
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
It's not warm when she's away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long anytime she goes away

I just wanted you to know, Pam, that I love you and miss you desperately and that I am praying for the day that I will hold you in my arms again. I am so proud of you for staying to wait with Justin and bring him home. I know that you are anxious to get home but your love and faith will sustain you until we are all together as a family.

The Fort

Yesterday, Kim and I went to "The Fort". It was a pretty amazing and beautiful. The fort is over 2500 years old! Can you imagine that it was built before Christ even walked the earth? We even saw original cannon balls lying around and the cannons. The fort is right alongside of the Black Sea. It was cloudy out and cold. Kim took a picture of the "Original Restroom". It was too gross for me to ever want to remember! A disgusting hole in the ground that smelled worse than horrible!!!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Justin 16 months ago!

WoW! That was a fun suprise. My family knows me. I was wondering how Alan knew it was my birthday? I checked e-mail to read my mail and unmoderated comments and then went to the blog. I didn't think anyone would remember... Lone behold there were my husband and two other favorite kids wishing me Happy Birthday! Thanks guys! Dad, I am going to miss your singing this year. It could be the first year in my life I don't get to hear your beautiful voice! Wish we could all be together but we have a good cause.

Happy Birthday Pam!!

I have arrived safely home in the US of A. I'm not quite sure what time zone I am in but the kids and I wanted to send birthday greetings to Pam who is turning 29 (again) this year. The signs say it all, happy birthday, we love you and come home soon!!

Some Good Reasons to Consider Older Child Adoption in Ukraine

After being asked many times why we would adopt from Ukraine, I came across these statistics on hoffmanclan.blogspot.com. There are so many beautiful kids here in Ukraine desiring a family.

*There are are over 100,000 children in Ukraine's orphanages.
*There are more than 450 orphanages in Ukraine.
*90% are orphaned due to their parents' alcoholism, imprisonment, or abandonment.
*10% are orphans because of the death of their parents.
*After "aging out" of the orphanage system at age 16,* 10% of orphans commit suicide before *the age of 18.
*60% of the girls end up in prostitution.
*70% of the boys end up in crime.
*Only 27% are able to find work.
*The older a child gets, his or her chances for adoption drastically decrease.
(Statistics from Ukraine Orphan Outreach)
*When children age out of the orphanage at the age of 16, most are completely on their own, with no family or support of any kind and lacking the education necessary to provide for themselves.

We have been so touched by Orphans of Ukraine, a video Leslie Landrum made of the time she spent in Ukraine. Please watch it to see the precious faces of the chidren.

(I took this post from HoffmanClan.blogspot.com)

Camera Shy? I Don't Think So!

The Clarks and I went to church this morning. Immediately after, we went to the orphanage to see the kids. Today was the day Robert had to take off back to America. Kim and I are here alone right now. A few more days and the Vanderburgs will be here.

I am going to have a hard time leaving so many of these kids. I could take dozens of them home with me. They all just love adult attention! At first they were shy around the camera, now they beg me to take a picture of them every time they see me. Most of these kids seem happy on the outside but are very fragile on the inside. So many of them have heartbreak stories, it is hard to even imagine.

We are on day 3 of our waiting period. Next Sunday and the wait is over. It looks like we will be moving on to Odessa immediately for the next step, getting birth certificates with their new names and Ukraine passports. They have to get Ukraine and American passports. They aren't citizens of the U.S. until they are on American soil. Oh how I am looking forward to that day!