Journey To Bring Our Kids Home From Ukraine

Our Blog is Moving!

2009-01-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

It is time to wrap up an old year and begin a new! Our blog is moving to Jamesone2.blogspot.com. We hope you will come and join us.

Bike Riding at the Beach

2009-01-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

On Monday the 29th we went down to Redondo to enjoy bike riding and the beach with the cousins. Justin learned how to ride a two wheeler in one day! He still has the training wheels for security but doesn't use them at all. He even rode his bike on the strand! He is a very fast learner for never riding a bike in his life! Teaching Justin to brake was the hardest part. We taught him the day after Christmas in the high school parking lot. He asks to ride his bike everyday now. It is one of his favorite things to do along with riding his scooter and jumping on the trampoline! He is having so much fun just being a kid.

Christmas Afternoon

2009-01-01T08:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas afternoon we went to my parents house for a wonderful prime rib dinner. The evening proved exciting as palm tree branches from my Dad's tree blew onto the power lines and caught on fire thus blowing all the electricity in the neighborhood. We know the neighbors were happy about it. There was a huge explosion and then poof out went the lights. This happened three times! Each time the fire dept., Edison and the police dept. had to come out. We never knew if the prime rib would finish cooking or the house would catch fire! In between episodes we had a great time together.

Christmas Day!

2009-01-01T08:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning was priceless! Justin told us in Ukraine St. Nick but no presents. We told him America presents! He was so excited to put cookies out for Santa the night before. When Justin woke up the next morning, he was amazed to see gifts. He used his hand motions to describe the chimney and the gifts left behind! He was sooo cute! It was definitely the best to see the happiness on his face.

After twelve years of saying no to video games we caved in this year and got the kids a WII. My parents got them a soccer table. We should be set for games this year!

A Letter From Dad

2008-12-31T11:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Justin,

Since this blog will end up in published form, I have decided to write you a letter that you can read a few years from now. You have only been home for four weeks but it feels like you never left our home since we hosted you last summer in 2007. I don't think that this feeling is strange; after all, God knew that we would be a family before He created any of us. You were always in my heart even when you were half a world away in Ukraine.

Someday, I hope that you understand just how much we endured to adopt you. Our enemy, the devil, used every physical, mental, emotional and spiritual weapon at his disposal to hurt us and get us to give up. I confess that there were times that I did want to give in but God gave me enough strength to stand through the trials. He blessed me with a godly wife, supportive family and a church of faithful friends.

Our hope and prayer is that we can love you enough to make up for the first nine years that you spent in the orphanage, that we can be the family that you wished for and that the miracle of your deliverance will lead you to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

I can't promise you a perfect life but I will promise that you won't be bored. The Greers are a loud bunch and we can be as different as peas and carrots but deep down we all love each other. America will be different than Ukraine but I hope you will grow to love your new home as much as I do. It's not the same America that I grew up in but it's still the best and most free country on Earth. Whatever you choose to do, put your whole heart into it and success will follow.

This letter is a mini time capsule from me to you. I don't know how old you will be when read this. Today is January 1, 2009. It's a new year filled with new hopes and dreams. May all that is good, free and beautiful come true in your life!

I love you, son. Dad

Grandpa and the Kids

2008-12-23T07:17:00.000-08:00

Justin on the neighbor's Harley.

Grandpa and Grandma got Justin a new bike for Christmas. They decided to give it to him early. Justin was very excited, he has never riden a bike before.

My Dad with all the grandkids! Trying to get a decent picture is futile.

Annual Christmas Lunch

2008-12-23T07:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my Mom took "The Girls" to lunch for our annual getaway. My Dad took care of all five of the boys. It is always a treat to enjoy lunch together, just the girls. Morgan is the only girl in the family so she gets to come with her Aunties, Grandma and me. Sometimes we go to a tea room, this year we went to Elephant Bar. We all enjoyed ourselves. Thanks Mom!

Sausage Making!

2008-12-21T17:21:00.000-08:00

Today we made 20 pounds of Polish sausage. The kids look forward to making it with Kevin every year. I like to be the photographer. We always have a sample sausage after it is all made. Our house smells like garlic for a week after we make sausage. We have learned from past experience going to church or any place in public after eating sausage is bad, really bad!

Christmas Sunday

2008-12-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

Wygillia

2008-12-21T07:38:00.000-08:00

Last night was Wygillia at Kevin's brother Tom's house. We had a very nice evening together with Kevin's family. Justin did very well and enjoyed meeting everyone. He said "Big family". I told him this isn't even half of it! Kevin's family has 12 children in it. We are hoping Justin will be able to meet most of the other next spring when we take a trip to North Carolina to meet his Nana.

We had a traditional Polish meal of Sweet Bread, fish, beans with sourkraut, perogis, baked potatoes, prunes and mushrooms. Justin loved the food, it probably reminded him of the food in Ukraine. Uncle Tom and Aunt Michaely did a fabulous job of cooking and decorating. We all had a great time! Thanks you guys for making this a special day for all of us, we love you!

Cookie Deorating and Ginger Bread House

2008-12-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

Today was a big baking day! Since I got short notice on Christmas, I am trying to make up for lost time. Every year we decorate cookies (usually cut-outs, too tired this year) and make a ginger bread house. Last year's ginger bread house didn't last long. Our dog Buster climbed up onto the counter, knocked the house down and had it eaten before we could make it to the kitchen! He was thrown out of the house only to be sprayed by a skunk! (What a day!) The kids love decorating, Justin was no different, he loved it too. Tomorrow night we have Wygillia (traditional Polish dinner, usually celebrated on Christmas Eve) a little early this year with Kevin's family. So Christmas officially begins for us tomorrow. Sunday after church we will make our homemade Polish sausage and Sweet bread. The days are packed from here on through the new year! Next week we will celebrate Christmas with my family. I usually have Christmas at our house and really enjoy doing it; however, this year I wasn't sure I could pull it off. My parents offered to have it at her house this year

and I didn't argue much. =)

Grandparents and Cousins

2008-12-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

We went to visit my parents and sisters last Tuesday. Justin had a fun time spending time with his new Grandpa, Grandma, cousins and Aunties. The kids were sweet to him. They taught Justin how to play handball.

Christmas Preparations

2008-12-19T08:56:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, we got my tree up last Saturday. We are trying our best to make this a special first Christmas with Justin. I feel like I got short notice this year in my preparations. It is so nice to have the decorations up. We all enjoy seeing them.

Justin is adjusting so remarkably well. He is very happy and gets along great. He is communicating better and better every day. He loves his sister and his brother and takes turns playing with each of them. Morgan loves having her independence to go into her room to draw and listen to her cd player. That is when Justin entertains Garrett. Garrett and I are the social ones in our family. He really reminds me of me. As Morgan would say "I am glad I don't have to be the only entertainment committee!" Garrett is a good big brother. He likes to help Justin with his English lessons. He is also teaching Justin how to build with the Legos. Morgan likes to read to Justin. Today, Garrett was up with Justin before I got up and I heard him on the telephone talking with Kevin. He was saying "I am trying to be the dad and it is hard." I called him into my room after he got off the phone and Garrett said "I was trying to get Justin to sit still and be quiet so he didn't wake anyone up. Being the dad is hard." I told him he didn't need to be the dad, just the big brother! Morgan said "he always trys to be the dad!" I told her that is what the oldest kid always does. I know because I was the oldest too!

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

2008-12-12T16:08:00.000-08:00

We went and picked out our Christmas tree yesterday. We always take a family photo. Unfortunately, they didn't turn out very good. Last Wednesday we all drove around the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights. Justin just kept saying "WOW", "WOW"! It is so fun to see Justin experience Christmas probably for the first time. He is at a great age and everything amazes him.

Justin loves to wear his Superman Costume that the Chavez family gave him. He barely likes to take it off. He wants to wear it every where. He looks so cute in it. He thinks he has big muscles when he wears it. He has Kevin zoom him around in it like he is flying. He also likes to ride the scooter while he wears it. The cape flies through the air!

The elf is Twinkles. Nana sent it to the kids. Every morning the kids have to find him. Justin thinks it is so fun.

Thoughts about adoption

2008-12-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share with you some thoughts on adoption that my friend Lynette at http://varnells.blogspot.com/ wrote on her blog the other day. Lynette is a mother 12 children! I have been so inspired by what an amazing family she has. I love the way she expressed herself in this post. I agree wholeheartedly with her. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things!

My heart is heavy for orphans today. I am so sad for the children who will never know the safety of a daddy’s arms or have their tears wiped by a mommy who cares. I look forward to heaven where we all will have a perfect Father and all are adopted. None will be orphans.Willie and I seem to have, “Tell me why adoption isn’t for you” stamped across our foreheads, because people often give us their reasons even though we haven’t asked. Maybe our family stirs their hearts toward orphans. I have my guesses why people often feel they have to give us their answers for not rising up and accepting the call to adopt, but that is my flesh and unprofitable. Adoption is inconvenient. We don’t want to be inconvenienced and we certainly don’t want our children to be inconvenienced. It is costly of time, money (in some cases more than others), and most expensive in the emotions department. Oh, if I could only express in words the joys of adoption! Our adoptions have brought me to my knees like nothing else I have ever experienced, but God has time and time again proven Himself so true to His character of faithfulness. Our seventh adoption, Elijah, should be finalizing in just a couple of months. The whole deal will most likely have taken two heart-wrenching years when it is all said and done. That is about average for our adoptions. Since Elisa (the 3rd adoption), I started saying, “We are never doing this again. It is just too hard.” By Isaac (the 6th adoption), I knew better. With Elijah (number 7 and counting), I couldn’t imagine persevering through another adoption. Those who are closest to me have heard my whining, complaining, and the anguish of my soul in some of our darkest valleys. I have had my faith shaken and have failed more tests than I would like to admit. By God’s grace, we may make it look easy, but it is not. Our adoptions have been some of the most demanding character training grounds we have ever endured. All that being said, in our adoptions we have received our greatest blessings. Of course the children are blessings. They are precious and bring us more joy than I could ever express, just like my biological kiddos. But I am not talking about the obvious blessings, but those which are not so apparent: God’s faithfulness in using our adoptions in the working out of our salvations. In saying “yes” to God’s children, He has poured lavishly His gifts into our family. It all has been more than worth it!We hope that God has more children out there for us. Today my heart breaks for the thousands and thousands of children that will go to bed tonight without a mommy and daddy that will love them forever “no matter what.” My flesh is frustrated with the American desire to live in luxury and pomp that seems to permeate all of us. We aren’t willing to be inconvenienced. I am exasperated with my own desire to live the easy life. I often struggle with the thoughts, “Things are so wonderful. We are so blessed. Why rock the boat?” However, by God’s grace on me, a sinner, He always keeps calling and beckoning my heart for orphans. I cannot be true to my God and look the other way. The task is daunting and seems insurmountable. It reminds me of the sand dollars and the sea story. We can’t save them all, but we can help this “one.” And to this "one" it makes all the difference by God’s grace.I rarely say anything about the call to adoption because I don’t want to sound ugly with pride. I know that only by God’s grace He has chosen to use our family. The only credit lies on Him. I don’t want to condemn, but encourage. But today I cannot keep silent. Children are waking up all over the world right now with no arms to run into. There are children who need to hear the gospel. There are children who need a hope and a future. Please understand my heart. I just want to encourage the few of you who may read this and have God nudging you gently (or strongly) to seriously pray and seek God about His will for adoption in your family. Adoption is hard. It isn’t easy, but the rewards are out of this world!

A birthday wish come true!

2008-12-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

You know every year on Garrett's birthday since I can remember, he has wished for a little brother! We have continued to tell Garrett that the only way he was going to get one was if God put one on our doorstep. This is practically what God did for us 17 months ago. God answered Garrett's prayer and he is so excited to be Justin's big brother. He is doing a fine job of taking Justin under his wing. The two of them have been inseparable since Justin has gotten here.

1st Haircut

2008-12-08T06:26:00.000-08:00

Justin really looks American now! He got his American hair cut from Garrett's barber Nathan. Justin looks so handsome.

Family reunion

2008-12-08T06:19:00.000-08:00

Yes, we made it home. We got to LAX and home by 2:00AM on Friday night. I have been a zombie ever since. I don't know if it is day or night. We had a nice reunion. I was so glad to get back to America with my family. Morgan had the house all decorated for us. The kids are doing well. Garrett and Morgan both have taken Justin under their wings. He loves them both.

Zostra America!!!!

2008-12-04T08:21:00.000-08:00

Yes! We got the Visa today. We went to TGI Fridays to celebrate and had dessert. Zostra simalute America! (Tomorrow, airplane, America!) Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! I am not even excited! We fly into LAX Friday night at midnight. We leave Kiev tomorrow morning at 11:55am. Here we come family and friends! We miss you guys sooooo much!

Leaving Odessa

2008-12-03T06:25:00.000-08:00

After 14 hours of riding the train we finally made it to Kiev this morning about 8:00am. The ride was something else. It had to be at least 100 degrees last night inside the train! I was ready to be sick. Kevin and I call this ride the "Shake and Bake Train". The windows in the cabin do not open and if you open your door it is even hotter. I walked down the hall to the "Toliet" and there were people sprawled out on their beds in just there underwear dying in the heat. Kevin called me this morning and said "I am so proud of you. When you get home, I am going to treat you like a queen!" I am going to take him up on that! Actually, he always treats me like a queen.

When we arrived in Kiev, "Nick" took us to the clinic for the medical exam. Justin seems to be in good health. The exam is required before you can get your Visa. It was about 1:30pm when that was accomplished and the Embassy is only open until noon. I went anyway and they were really nice. I told them I really want to go home on Friday and he took me anyway. Tomorrow we have our interview and hopefully will receive Justin's Visa. Justin and I are both so excited about coming home. It has been a long, hard journey.

Yesterday we had to check out of our hotel by 12:00pm. We weren't getting the train until the evening. I was concerned about what we would do all those hours. We were staying at the Odessa Executive Suites. Scott the owner was so kind he allowed us to stay in the two bedroom apartment for free so we had a place to hang out before we left. If you are ever in Odessa, I highly recommend this place. It is close to everything and they speak English. They are very helpful.

One More Tree To Kill

2008-12-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

Pam is supposed to pick up Justin's passport on Tuesday and take the ten-hour "shake & bake" train ride back to Kiev that night. From there, it's off to the US embassy for the last pieces of the Mount Everest sized pile of paper that the adoption process requires to be complete. It's not a very "green" system; we have killed a forest of trees in the last seventeen months. One more to go!

Pam and Justin are scheduled to fly home on Friday getting into LAX late that night. Please pray that God will allow the paperwork to be complete and for them to come home on Friday to the family that desperately misses them.

Visit with the Clarks

2008-11-30T00:57:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-11-28T15:47:00.000-08:00

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!)

2008-11-28T01:09:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-28T00:55:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-26T22:16:00.000-08:00

"Mega Block Guy"

Opera House

Good-Bye Belgorod!

Leaving Belgorod

2008-11-26T20:56:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-26T07:59:00.000-08:00

(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

2008-11-24T10:03:00.000-08:00

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?

2008-11-24T01:24:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-21T23:27:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-18T09:20:00.001-08:00

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!

2008-11-16T20:09:00.000-08:00

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!!

2008-11-16T14:52:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-16T07:37:00.000-08:00

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!

Cute Kids and Best Buddies!

2008-11-15T10:36:00.000-08:00

Cute Kids!

Justin's best Buddies!

Mommy, Son Bonding Day!

2008-11-15T10:12:00.000-08:00

I didn't get to the orphanage by 10:00am like I promised, but I did bring the suprise! There isn't much to cas much as hoose from at the local store so I brought a couple of bags of candy for Justin to share. I don't really like him having so much candy but what can I say... I was afraid he was going to end up with a stomach ache he ate so much. Today, the older kids did a show in the library for the younger kids and we watched. After the show, we went for a walk outside. "V" joined us and we had a blast. We only walked around the perimeter of the building but there were several kids outside working and playing. I think Saturday is chore day in Ukraine too. There were kids raking and sweeping up leaves like crazy. There were huge piles of leaves and the kids were jumping into them and wanting me to take pictures while they did. After every picture I took, they of course wanted to see themselves. I took over 100 pictures today. "V" and Justin took several pictures of the kids too. The boys were climbing the trees and running around having a great time. We were outside for a couple of hours. I am really glad I stayed here even though I miss my other two at home so much. Like my friend Mary said "It is good mommy and son bonding time." I do need to spend one on one with himJustin so he knows how much I love him! I wish I could download pictures faster than one about every 15 minutes! I have so many I want to share. I am going to try and download onto Flicker or something like that and see if it goes any faster.

Building Trust

2008-11-14T21:34:00.000-08:00

Justin is a ham who loves pictures of himself. Actually, all the kids in the orphanage love cameras and pictures. They are always wanting to see the image on the camera as soon as you take a picture. The soup picture was last week when Kevin and I got to take Justin out and buy him some clothes and a suit for the show. He is such a good eater. He ate every drop of his soup and even poured the last drop into his spoon. The other picture he is wearing Papa's new hat and playing cards. It is kind of hard to think of things to do when we visit him in the orphanage.

Yesterday I got to the orphanage about 3:00pm and found Justin crying again. I asked why he was crying (his teacher was standing there too) and he said they were going to make him go to a concert and he was waiting for me to come and visit. I am glad I got there in time. They didn't end up making him go. He is so afraid I am not going to come or forget him. As far as I can tell there are no attachment disorders here! It is hard for such a little guy to understand this whole process. None of us will be able to take the kids out of the orphanage any more because of some things going on here which I can't talk about on internet. Please keep us in your prayers there is still so much going on.

Later in my visit Justin said "Luda" and held his fingers to ears to make a call. He was trying to tell me something and wanted me to know what it was. Luda is my translator, I called her and she spoke to Justin. He told her he wanted me at the orphanage by 10:00am Saturday morning, he did not have school and wants me to take him some where. So sad, we had to explain about not getting to leave anymore. He was disappointed but understanding. He is so smart and funny. I love his personality. I will go and visit today and 10:00am and I promised him a suprise.

The Best Day Ever for an Orphan!

2008-11-13T20:11:00.000-08:00

The kids got home from their Winterfest at about 8:00pm last night and they were all excited because they took 1st Place in the festival. Our little Justin is a star!

We went over to the orphange right after they got back to tell Justin that he is offically now our new son forever! What a great day for him. I don't think it could get much better for a boy in an orphange who has never had a family. He leaped into my arms when I came walking into his room. His "teacher or caregiver" wasn't all that excited to see us that late and got mad at Justin for running over to me. He said something in Russian to her like "Americanskys" and she just shook her head and walked away.

I can't wait to get him out of there. The orphanage is nice for orphanage standards but certainly doesn't meet the mark for a real family. Please pray the caregivers and other kids don't give him a hard time now that they know he is leaving. Some of othe kids could get jealous and not be so kind. I am glad I am staying so I can observe what is happening. You just wouldn't believe how excited Justin is about coming to America with his "family". I had to ask Kevin this morning, how many kids do we have? He said three, two boys and one girl. It sounded like music to my ears. Like Kevin has said before, yesterday the court said what God knew from the beginning, Justin is now offically a Greer!

Early this morning Kevin had to leave by taxi to go to Odessa (an hour to two hour ride depending on the driver. I hope it is two hours!). He then will fly to Kiev, sign necessary paperwork at the Embassy and then fly home. Please pray for his safety. I was soooo sad to see him go. It is hard for me to imagine being here without the rest of my family. I am glad I have Justin nearby soon in my custody. Please also pray that we can get through the final stretch of paperwork without any glitches.

Thanks for your prayers and support. It means so much. By the way, I have been trying to post more pictures and of course my computer is not co-operating very well. Also, if you see spelling errors, sorry my spell checker doesn't work here!

Edit to this post: My friend Melissa commented that this song "Mighty to Save" makes her cry when she hears it. I just want everyone to know this song really says my heart. I heard it when I followed a friends blog to China. I didn't really want to copy at first, but thought nothing else says it like this song does. EVERYONE NEEDS COMPASSION, THE KINDNESS OF A SAVIOR HE IS MIGHTY TO SAVE and believe me he has MOVED THE MOUNTAINS! I have a learned so much on this journey and drawing myself nearer to Him everyday. God has truely shown compassion on Justin and He wants to do the same for you, if you let Him! My Savior is kind, compassionate and full of forgiveness!!!! This adoption is exactly His heart and a picture of how He adopts us as His children in our weakness and distress.

It's Official!!

2008-11-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

It's official! Introducing our new son, Justin Frank Greer!! Court went smoothly and quickly for us, thanks to all of your prayers to our faithful God. We were in and out in half an hour and can't wait to tell Justin who is performing today at the Winterfest in Odessa.

I will be flying home Saturday after signing final papers in Kiev on Friday. Pam will stay for the ten day waiting period and leave once she gets Justin's passport and travel papers. Please continue to pray that things keep moving and for their safety to get home in time for the holidays.

We will post more pictures tomorrow!

Standing Firm

2008-11-12T09:12:00.000-08:00

We just got the news a few minutes ago that our court date is still on for tomorrow. Our appointment is at 10:00am. Please keep this process in your prayers. Satan is doing his best right now to cause trouble. We have had severe spiritual warefare these past couple of days. We keep going back to Ephesians 6:10-13. Our Pastor spoke about this before we left. This is not a solo battle and we need you all along side us in prayer. We have reported to our Commander and are standing firm in His strength!

We will let you know how court goes tomorrow. If all goes well, Kevin will be heading out on Friday. I will be sad to see him go. :-( I feel more secure with my strong husband near me! Don't worry I will be fine, Kim Clark will still be with me. The Vanderburg family will be here next week too. It has been a huge blessing to have friends here with us to pray with, laugh with and watch movies with.

This all my material for now. So ta ta for now!

Ephesians 6:10-13 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm."

On line again!

2008-11-10T20:53:00.000-08:00

We think we finally got an internet connection. The problem is it only works sometimes! It is so frustrating. We are out in the sticks, literally. The signal was strong enough today to skype our kids and receive 60 e-mails. What a treat to see the faces of our kids and t0 speak with them. We miss them so much. We are so blessed to have the Selby Family, the Chavez Family and the Onareckers helping us out.

We went to church yesterday. What a blessing it was to be on the otherside of the world gathering with other believers. Our interpeuter sat behind us. The sermon was wonderful. There were about 80 people in the congregation. There was something about being in the presence of these people who do not take their freedoms for granted! Their worship was so sweet it nearly brought tears to my eyes.

Yes, we have seen "V" and "M" Michelle. I have taken several pictures. I think "M" and Justin are best friends. We had Justin take them a treat on Sunday (some M&M's). The are such sweet boys. I want to tell them Papa and Mama are coming! No, I didn't I don't want to get their hopes up. I do believe after visiting them that they are great kids. Yes, we have seen "T", "V" and "I" Tierney's. They are as beautiful as ever and the two older ones are great dancers! We have said hi to them as well. Melissa, we have told Auza and the other two you are on your way! You can tell they are very excited! I have tons of pictures and after our court date I will post some. Clarks were suppose to have their court date yesterday and it had to be rescheduled. They don't know when it might be rescheduled yet. Our court is scheduled for Thursday, we will see if it happens. I guess it is common to be rescheduled. They haven't received the "Papers" from Kiev yet.

Thanks to everyone who has commented on the blog. It makes us feel loved and prayed for. Please keep the prayers coming our way.

The Market

2008-11-08T08:04:00.001-08:00

Kevin and I have a competition going on to see who gets the most comments on their post. I want to win so please comment! I know I don't have ground breaking news on this post but I am homesick okay?!

We went to the outdoor market today with Justin. We found a nice black suit, shoes and a winter jacket. We will have to shop again for comfortable clothes. It was great to have him to ourselves today. He is such a sweet boy. I figured he might start asking for everything we walked by but did not ask for anything. We took him out to lunch and had greek salads and beet soup (I haven't any idea how to spell the name of it in Ukrainian). It was delious. Justin ate every bite without any complaint! He even poured the last drop into his spoon. He is so skinny, we need to put some meat on that boy. I can't wait to bake him some homemade cookies.

Tomorrow we will go to church. Our translator Luda's husband is a pastor at a Presbyterian Church here in town. She said she will help us to interpret. She is very helpful and nice. After church we will do our usual visit to the orphanage to see Justin.

Thanks for all of your prayers and comments, it helps us feel like you haven't forgotten us!

His Name Is...

2008-11-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

We went to the court lawyer's office two days ago to file our petition to adopt "V". The lawyer asked us if we are changing his name and what the new name is. We hadn't talked to "V" about it, but after months of debating at home, we told the lawyer "V's" new name is Justin Frank Greer.

When we met at the orphanage, we told "V" he was getting a new name and asked if he liked it. He was so excited! He kept saying, "Me, Justin!" Everytime we see him, he repeats his new name for us. He finally gets it that we are not just visiting, that we are going to be a family, something he has never had.

Our interpretor came to the orphanage last night to explain the adoption process and when we are leaving for America. When we sat down, the first thing he asked was, "okay, when do we leave?" He had been asking us "zofstra?" (tomorrow) everytime we were together and it's obviously the million dollar question on his (and our) minds. We cleared a lot of things up and explained to him about "D", which was confusing him about leaving.

We Have Our Court Date

2008-11-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

We have been having a lot of trouble with internet access lately, which limits our contact with our kids at home and our ability to access our blog and e-mail. I got up this morning before everyone else (always last to bed and first up) and I am posting while the web is up. Now I know why they call it "surfing"; you jump in when it's up.

I can relate to Dr. David's post regarding "the paper" yesterday. All of our paperwork is done, we met with the mayor's assistant yesterday for about five minutes and our court date is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, November 13. I say "tentatively" because when I asked our translator if I could start arranging my trip home, she said I should hold off in case Kiev doesn't get all the "papers" to the court in time. They handed us an armful of papers to bring down with us but, apparently, there are even more papers that need to be sent.

We had a good day with the kids yesterday. The Clarks and our kids are involved in a "winterfest" competition, where the kids perform against other troops from the region. Justin is a soloist in their singing group, with a clear strong singing voice. If they win the local competition, they are supposed to move on to another competition in Kiev. The orphanage puts a lot of emphasis on this and they practice a lot. The director asked us to buy Justin a new suit, shirt and bow tie for the show, so we get to take him out of the orphanage to the outdoor market today. The Clarks will be going with their kids to do some shopping as well.

We saw "D" yesterday and she sat with us while we watched the practice. She seemed in better spirits. We were told that she didn't know anything about what was happening, that she withdraws from change like new people in her environment. She may have been frightened that she might have to leave with us. Who knows, we are just happy that we had a nice visit with her.

Moving Along

2008-11-05T19:46:00.000-08:00

Things continue to move according to schedule on our adoption journey. Our papers are all in order and getting filed with the court today. We should have our court date sometime next week, which will officially make "V" our son. "D" is lost to us and there are no other single girls available, so we will grieve the loss but rejoice the addition of our son.

Last night, "V" showed us around to his group area and we saw where he sleeps and plays and studies. He is a very tidy boy and it was funny to see him shake his head at a bed that wasn't made and then proceed to make it. Garrett and he will definitely be the odd couple rooming together, since Garrett isn't exactly known for an organized room.

Our suspicion that the orphanage told "D" that she was not coming with us was confirmed when we saw her while touring with "V". Pam called her name and opened her arms but "D" did a 180 and went the other way. "V" looked up at me and said, "D, no?" I told him no and then he asked, "V, yes??" I smiled and told him yes and he gave me a big hug of relief. After nine years in the orphanage, I am sure that he has seen many friends come and go and his biggest fear is that he would be left there.

Once we get past the court decree, I will be returning home. Pam has chosen to stay rather than endure the grueling ten hour train ride back to Kiev and twenty-four hour flight home three times in three weeks.

This trip has been the experience of a lifetime. So much beauty surrounded by so much poverty. A good people trying to rise out of the wreckage of communism. Sweet kids looking into my eyes hoping that I could be the one who rescues them from the orphanage. My heart has been broken for this people and their country over and over. Whenever I look into my son's eyes, I will say a silent prayer for Ukraine and I hope he will too.

I miss the USA. I miss my kids and my home. I miss our family and friends and the fellowship of our church. I long for the happy day when Pam and "V" land in California and we are all together again. Until then, give each other a hug from Pam and me.

"For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart...For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:7a,8

A Bittersweet Reunion

2008-11-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

Today was probably one of the most draining days I have ever had. We went to the local offical's office in Belgorod to get the letter we needed to visit the orphanage. Our SDA referral letter had not only "V's" name on it but "D's" name too. We let the lady know we couldn't go further with "D" because of her brother. The official then broke the news that "D" has TWO brothers. She said she thought it would be in the best interest of "D" to be adopted by us instead of waiting for her and her brothers to be adopted together, which got our hopes up again. She said she would make some calls to the region where "D" was born and check with the officials. If they agreed and the director of the orphange agreed, then "D" could be separated from her brothers and we would be able to adopt her too. We went to the orphange and met with the director who also agreed it would be in "D's" best interest. She said she wanted us to visit with her too since "V" and "D" were in the same group.

After finding out all of the kids backgrounds and medical history, the kids came in and greeted us. They both jumped into our arms with excitement! It was like we never missed a moment with them. They grabbed our hands and off they took us to show us where they live. After about an hour with high hopes in my heart, we received a call from our interpreter that the region where "D" was born said that they will not separate the children. My heart is being torn out of my chest and I am dealing with all the emotions all over again. We did not pursue this again and I have a hard time understanding it all. I do know it made a difference to "D" to feel that love from us again.

"V" just could not stop talking about his Papa. He is a boy who really needs a Papa! He kept pointing out Kevin's muscles and saying that "Papa is very strong!" It was great to see them both today. We will continue to see "D" I am sure. I don't know who or how the news that we can not bring her back with us is going to happen. I do feel that we did everything in our power to try and give it our best shot with her. I am not questioning God's sovereignty I am just feeling sad. She has had a very hard life in a very short period of time and I hate to have to disappoint her again. Please pray that God will allow her to have a family someday even if that family can't be us.

Adoption is not for the faint-hearted. These kids are our fourth and fifth attempts. We have been taken to the breaking point everytime and lost one between Garrett and Morgan. God has used this process to bring us to our knees in total dependence on Him whenever we think that we are in control. We need to rejoice both when The Vinedresser prunes us and when He grafts a new branch to our family. We are sure that He will explain it all to us someday.

"The Internet Cafe"

2008-11-02T03:51:00.000-08:00

Before we got on the train
Train Cabin

nside our cabin of the train
The Ukraine Train
The Clinic where we ar staying
open market
Our beautiful bedroom with our homemade clothesline
Internet Cafe
downtown Belgorod
open market
Got a great night sleep on beds that groaned every time you turned over. Robert and I went to the market to get some supplies and we had eggs and perogis for breakfast. The Clarks weren't too sure about the perogis but chowed down after tasting them. We had a quiet morning and did a morning devotion rather than going to church today. We will try it out next week.

We are posting from an internet cafe today, so we won't be able to Skype with our kids or communicate except through this blog or our e-mail. We have to use their computer and can't use the laptop that we brought.

Our Formula One race driver, Eugene, got us here in record time at 120k/hr on city streets, even passing ambulances. We have learned that taxi driving is considered an extreme sport in Ukraine.

Pam and I are going to do a little exploring of Belgorod today and find a market to make dinner. Shopping is a new experience here. Sort of like Mexico meets Eastern Europe. The people are nice and the produce is very fresh out of the ground (with the dirt still hanging on to it). Pam is struggling with a meat aversion after seeing one of the local markets our first night here. I'm not so squeamish. When I'm hungry, I eat what they put in front of me.

Garrett and Morgan, we miss you and love you very much! Sorry we can't Skype and see your faces but we are holding you tightly in our hearts! We found your book in Mom's suitcase and it made me cry. You know your Dad is a softy.

Tomorrow, we go to the orphanage and hope to see "V". If all goes well, we will post his picture! The Clarks said that he has grown a lot and that his face beamed when he heard we are here. Our faces are beaming too thinking about our joyful reunion!

To our family and friends, PLEASE post in this blog. We are eventually going to have it published in book form and it will be a great momento (almost like a scrap book). Some of you are e-mailing; it's just as easy to post. We treasure what you have told us and so will the kids.

2008-11-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

We made it to Belgorod! After a long eight hour train ride all night long, we got picked up by a driver. He drove about an hour to get us here. I am not sure which ride was more exciting, the train ride or the crazy driving. Our drive drove over 120k an hour to get here. He passed very car on the road and scared both Kevin and me to death! I had to close my eyes, luckily I was tired.

We are staying at a missionary clinic here in Belgorod. The place is very modest but clean. Our friends the Clarks are staying here too. It is nice to have other Americans to talk with and pray with. We are going to try going to church tomorrow. On Monday we see the lawyer and get permission to see "V" in the orphanage. We will inquire about another little girl that is available at that time. If the answer is no, we will just get "V" and believe this is the way God wants to leave things.

We cannot get internet access on our own computer here. We are using the Clinic's computer. Our broadband doesn't work and so we will try and buy a card later. We will also look for an internet cafe. I will post some pictures then. I won't be able to get my e-mail until I can figure out how so keep the comments coming. The comments make us feel like we are closer to everyone we know. We miss calling you tonight Garrett and Morgan. Daddy and I love you and miss you very much. Morgan, we opened your little book you made for us and it made big tears in my eyes. It was so sweet. We will try again as soon as we can to call you.

We went shopping at the open air stores today. Very different is all I can say. We bought chicken and vegetables for dinner. It tasted really good. We haven't seen any restaurants yet. We hear there is a McDonalds in Odessa (about an hour from here). I never thought it would sound so good. I thought I was going to become vegatarian lately. Seeing the meat laying out like it does, makes my stomache do funny things! The chicken we bought was in a refrigerated case.

Heading Out

2008-10-31T08:35:00.000-07:00

We are packing our bags getting ready to get on a train to our region. We have a wireless broadband card but we have heard that we may be heading into no-man's land. We will post up as soon as we can re-establish contact with the "real" world.

Greers are go!

Lastest update, Day 4

2008-10-31T04:48:00.000-07:00

The news we have at this point is "D" is definitely not going to be available for us to adopt. There is a new law that starts on November 1st that makes it even harder to separate siblings. Although we are saddened that we will not be able to adopt "D", we will accept it and continue the process with "V". We are being told that the SDA is not aware of any other girls available in our region. However, the local orphanage director may have better information so we will pray we can still find someone. We just go through it one minute at a time; that is all we can do. Please keep praying that God will show us the way. We are at peace over losing "D" and pray that God will find a good home for her and her brother.

We had a chance to meet Stephanie and Zach along with their two new girls from "Beautiful Journey" today. We had lunch at "Papa Ivan's" (John's) pizza where their pizza is a lot better than Papa John's in the states. Their girls are beautiful and they will have a wonderful life as part of their family. They gave us a bag of Ukrainian New Testaments to pass out at the orphanage. We wish them a safe journey home this weekend and pray that we will be able to see them again someday.

We leave tonight on an eight hour train ride to our region where we will be staying at the same place with the Clarks, who are a couple days ahead of us on our adventure. The Clarks have seen their kids and got a glimpse of "V", who gave them a wave so we hope he knows we are coming.

Don't get comfortable!

2008-10-30T10:50:00.001-07:00

Don't stop praying! Things change fast around here! Just when you think things are going well....think again. We won't go into alot of detail right now because things could change again in five minutes. What we thought could be doable probably isn't. Pray for clear direction and that God will pave the path before us.

Our SDA Meeting

2008-10-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

Pam and I paced the floor of our apartment today waiting for our 2:00 SDA appointment. Yulia told us to go downstairs to take a taxi that she was sending at 1:40. We went down at 1:30 and the taxi was waiting for us. It's a good thing we left ten minutes early because we arrived five minutes late. However, the SDA hadn't returned from lunch so no harm no foul.

The SDA official, Irena, was very nice and asked us why we wanted to adopt from Ukraine. Pam gave an emotional explanation of how we had hosted "V" and "D" last summer and fallen in love with them. Pam was a bit embarassed by her tears but Irena told her that she was much more composed than a lot of the mothers she meets.

Irena told us that "V" had no siblings and was available for us. She then confirmed what we already knew, that "D" has a younger brother, and that unless they can be separated, we would have to adopt her with her brother or not at all. She also told us that since we were pursuing known children, we would not be given a referral to find another girl. This was an answer to our prayers, that God would help us know beyond a doubt which child(ren) to pursue.

We have come this far and will now travel to the region to make the request to separate siblings. The younger brother is not available yet for adoption and they have not been in the same facility since they were brought to the orphanage. We were told that we have a good chance of success. If the judge rules against our request, then we will only come home with "V".

Please pray that God will make His decision clear to us. We are grateful that He answered our prayers today to continue pursuing "D" and not give up on her for an unknown child.

We will travel to our region by train tomorrow night and get there at 6:00am Saturday morning. We will have our meeting Monday morning to get our letter to visit the orphanage and find out if "D" can be separated from her brother. So all in all things are as clear as mud!

Site Seeing in Kiev

2008-10-30T02:10:00.000-07:00

Michael the Arch Angel

Wedding Carriage

Notice anything strange about this picture? This is a food court.

War Memorial

Clinton's book next to Stalin

Yesterday, we got a chance to walk around and site see. It was brisk weather and beautiful. We are enjoying our adventure so far. Today is our SDA appointment (2:00pm). We will post again after we find out what is happening!

Kiev in the daylight

2008-10-29T03:56:00.000-07:00

We are trying to acclimate ourselves to this new area and apartment. Last night we went to the grocery store, as we told you before, thinking we bought water to make tea this morning. What we bought was soda water so therefore we had fizzy tea this morning. Who would have known. Today we went back to the store to buy water again and got some other funky water that isn't very good water! Next time will probably be Vodka! I now know why you should be able to read the Russian alphabet. I may die of dehydration before I find suitable plain water.

When we got lost last night, we walked by a restraunt. This morning we walked back to it via the grocery store where we made our wrong turn last night. It looked like an ice cream parlor from the outside yet it had a bar in it and a pastry shop. We went inside figuring we could only have dessert. They actually served breakfast off a menu that had English and Ukraine writing in it. We order Americano Espresso (very tasty, I like it better than coffee) and ham and egg omlete, also very good!

Kevin slept like a baby last night snoring as loud as ever. I on the other hand woke up at 11:00pm wishing it was daylight. I should be the one taking a nap right now but Kevin is snoring as loud as ever again!

Thought I would give you an idea of what our apartment is like. I took a picture of the outside so if we get lost again we can remember the surroundings. It all looks the same here.

We're Here (Where Are We?)

2008-10-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

After nearly twenty-four hours of sitting in airports, flying and going through customs, we are in Kiev! The flight was uneventful except for Pam spilling a whole glass of water in her seat. To say that we are tired, sore and smelly is an understatement. We were picked up by a very nice gentleman named Igor who spoke no English; he got us to the bank to exchange some money and then to our apartment. He walked us to the supermarket (which was only a block and a half away) and left us after we told him that we could find our way back no problem! We bought some bread, cheese, water and tea, and then proceeded to get lost on our way back to the apartment. Pam stayed calm and we backtracked, got our bearings and found our way.

The apartment is pretty nice and very clean inside; most importantly, it has internet, an iron and a hair dryer! The elevator is the size of a phone booth and the apartments have steel security doors. We will let you know what the outside looks like in the morning. We are anxious to see more of the city in the days ahead.

Our appointment with the SDA is at 2:00 on Thursday. We hope that we will have caught up on some of our sleep before then. Tomorrow we hope to check out the city and leave a trail of bread crumbs from the apartment. We are having a great time so far. Will try and post again tomorrow with some pictures.

Greerwald's Adoption Vacation

2008-10-27T03:43:00.000-07:00

It is 3am in the morning not a soul in sight...and the thunder rolls... Well not really, but I have been singing that song in my head since 3am. It is 3:45am now. I can't sleep anymore and besides that is all we will be doing for the next several hours. I am excited to travel. We had a group sleep over in our bed last night with the kids. Garrett said we were going to need a bed upgrade to a king bunk when we bring two more kids home! Morgan got choked up about us leaving and said how much she was going to miss us. That almost made me start crying too. We reminded her that it was only going to be a few weeks. We also shared with her that, that is what "V" and "D" feel all the time. They miss having a mommy and daddy. We reassured her she was doing a good thing by allowing God and friends to comfort her during this time. Garrett will probably throw a party for a couple of days and then he will start missing us too. Funny how they are both so different!

The new chapter in our journey begins today. We will be in Ukraine by 4:20pm on Tuesday. We should have a day to recover from traveling before our SDA appointment if all goes according to plans. We were told someone should pick us up at the airport and if someone isn't there ask someone to help us call him. It just occurred to me we speak English!

We have decided to take Matt's advice and be in the 3rd person, spectators! This way nobody gets hurt. Our vacations always resemble National Lampoon's Vacations and we call ourselves the Greerwalds! Why should our adoption be any different. This time we will call our adventure National Lampoon's Adoption Vacation. We are sure we will meet lots of Cousin Eddies along the way! Sorry this isn't a deep spiritual post but what do you expect at 3:00am. Stay tuned for the adventure, you won't want to miss it.

What!!! The Chicken Pox???

2008-10-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't think things were going to go perfectly smooth getting ready but I didn't expect my kids would catch the Chicken Pox right now either! Yes, yesterday my daughter Morgan kept complaining of bug bites on her body. She had the vaccination for Chicken Pox and so did Garrett. I didn't think twice about Chicken Pox but didn't think it was bug bites either. I took her to the pediatrician and she confirmed yes, it is Chicken Pox. We had a very relaxing day yesterday watching Ann of Green Gables (I love those movies). It was a nice day to just snuggle together on the couch. I kept falling asleep. I made chicken noodle soup for dinner. Today Garrett woke up with a really bad stomach ache. He is still laying in bed (very unusual for him). Even though Morgan has the spots, she is reading to Garrett trying to comfort him. Last night I had a fever and today I have a stomach ache too! I have had the Chicken Pox and so has Kevin. Fortunately, I have most things ready to leave so I don't have much to do except clean my house.

I contacted all the people who will be caring for my children while we are gone and they said it was no big deal to them. They have all either had the virus or the vaccine. I was relieved to hear that. I prayed last night that if Kevin or I were to get sick, please let it be before we leave. I certainly don't want shingles or something like that in Ukraine! We plan to take it really easy again today. The doctor put Morgan on an antibiotic to help shorten the time of the virus.

We would appreciate your prayers for our family. I still believe everything will be fine by Monday when we leave. :)

The Time is Approaching!

2008-10-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

Our plane tickets are purchased, arrangements for Garrett and Morgan have been made, pantry is full, bedrooms organized, septic tank emptied and waiting on furniture! WOW! I can't believe all the things you have to do to go away for a few weeks. I have two overflowing suite cases on the floor of my bedroom. I planned on packing light! I have been throwing my wish list of items into the suite cases. I will go through it all right before we leave. How do you pack light for three weeks? I figure if I can fit it, why not?

One week from today we board the plane! One week from Thursday we will finally get answers to questions we have had for months. Will we get the children we have been asking for? Soon after our appointment we will get to see the children we have been longing for, for 15 months! We hope to update good news very soon. We would appreciate your continued prayers.

Hands In the Air!

2008-10-12T16:17:00.001-07:00

We got to speak with "V" today and tell him we are going to be on our way real soon. He didn't say much. After fifteen months, he must be as numb as we are to waiting. We told him that we would be there in a couple of weeks. This has to be an eternity to him. He is only 9 years old.

We told "V" we should be home for Christmas. Won't that just be so cool?! We can make Christmas cookies together, homemade Polish sausage and pierogies and a Gingerbread House! The Christmas holiday is a big deal in our home. We have many traditions. Kevin is already worried about getting more stockings and downloading Christmas music. He would play it all year if I let him!

Sadly, we tried to speak with "D" just to say hi. She wasn't able to come to the phone again. Not real sure what is going on with her. This is the third time we tried to speak with her and we couldn't. It is not looking very positive with her. Please pray God will give us clear direction as to what to do about bringing home a second child.

I have so much to do in getting ready I don't even know where to start. The hardest part I think is getting everything situated for my two kids being left at home for three weeks. I am getting really excited to go.

Kevin and I have compared this trip to a roller coaster ride with your hands up in the air. We just want to let go and let God direct us. We are going into it knowing it is all out of our control. It is all in God's hands so why fight it! (Good at least in theory I know) I have a feeling God is going to try and stretch us and teach us more.

Hebrews 12:7-11 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it , afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Travel Date!

2008-10-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

We leave for Ukraine on Monday, October 27th for our SDA appointment on the 30th!! It feels like a weight has been removed from our shoulders and now we can prepare in earnest. I prayed in our last post, "Please, dear God, set the date" and He has answered us. After fifteen months of pruning, He is ready to let us go.

Pam and I talked about this last night and she said, "can you imagine if we had been allowed to go three months into the process? What a mess that would have been with our impatience and inflexibility!" We are not the same people that we were when we hosted the kids last July. Our joy was in our little family, our home and what the world had to offer. God has used this time to change us.

I am confident that He isn't done shaping us and that we are racheting up for the next curves and loops on the roller coaster. I just pray that I can let go, put my arms in the air and shout for joy when it starts!

Psalm 57:7-11 "My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises! Awake, my glory! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations. For your lovingkindness is great to the heavens and Your truth to the clouds. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory be above all the earth."

Happy Birthday "V"

2008-10-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

Job 42:2 I know that "You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted."

Today, there is a little boy in Ukraine, turning nine. I know his birthday wish. His wish is to have a family to call his own. He wants a Papa and a Mama who will love and care for him. Today, there is a Mama whose arms want to hold this little boy with all of her heart! I am so sorry "V" that we aren't there to be with you on this very special day. Happy Birthday!

When "V" was here a year and a half ago, we went to a BBQ. I made chocolate chip cookies before we left. You know, this was the first time "V" or "D" had a warm cookie straight out of the oven! I think I could have let them eat all 4 dozen of those cookies. It was so satisfying to watch them enjoy such a seemingly, small treat. We went to the BBQ and brought the cookies. "V" walked around serving cookies to everyone who would take one. He said "My Mama made these cookies" with a big, proud smile on his little face.

One of our friends was able to visit Ukraine a few months back. He took a picture of "V" with tears in his eyes after receiving the gift. He wrote us a letter that said "I wait for you impatiently". He wants a Mama and a Papa. (Kevin adds, "V" also said, "I want to be taken by you as soon as possible." Please, dear God, set the date.)

Today my prayer is that "V" knows "We wait for you impatiently also". Our prayer is that we will have a good word soon and can come and get you. We love you so much. We pray today that someone will show you kindness and wish you a Happy Birthday with a big hug!

Clarks Fundraiser

2008-09-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

Robert and Kim Clark

Lauren, she is the one I thank for helping me put this whole thing togetherI had to take a picture of Lauren after the fact because I forgot about pictures during the party!

Liberty and Morgan

Meredith made these yummy bunt cakes!

These two stood at the hot BBQ in 100 degree weather and cooked Carne Asada. Thanks Chad and Jim!

It is just a picture, you don't have to marry him!

Matt played piano

What a blast we had at the Clarks fundraiser last night. We had a nice turn out and people gave sacrificially! We were able to raise well over $2,000 for them. Everyone was such a blessing, and helped in making this event a success. How many people do you know that would pay to come to the event and then help in service??? It was a great testimony of the Lord's love in each of these individuals. Thank you everyone who contributed in cooking, music, serving, clean-up, financial giving, silent auction donations, balloons, Kalieo BBQ, tables, chairs, helping to get supporters and prayers. One picture I regret not getting is my friend Lauren, who is 9 months pregnant. She did a lot of the shopping and cooking. She made awesome homemade salsa and mexican rice. Without her help I would have been lost! It was hard to host and take pictures at the same time. Thanks Lauren!!!!! Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Fulfill the law of Christ

2008-09-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, we are having a big party at our house. We will be trying to help raise money for our friends the Clark family. (Their blog is on the side bar of of our site, Clark Connection) They have become great friends. They are a missionary family in the midst of trying to raise support for their mission, as well as trying to come up with money for their adoption of two kids. They are adopting from Ukraine too. It is our hope we can have at least 50-60 people come and support the cause.

The Clark Family have been a wonderful example of faith to Kevin and me. They have so faithfully trusted the Lord to provide for them and He has and is. If you feel led, you can go to their site and give a gift too! We are honored the Lord is allowing us to be used in this way. Besides, I am always looking for a reason to have a party! I will post some pictures sometime this weekend of how it all went.

Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Preparing for a Good Word

2008-09-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

After reading some other blogs and seeing short notice for travel, I have decided I should start some preparations. If Ukraine gives only a couple of days to travel I want to be prepared. The last thing I would want, is to say we can't get ready that fast. After praying for several months about what to do with my kids, God has made it clear. Some homeschooling friends are in between homes right now and have been gracious enough to agree to watch the kids and house sit. This is an ideal situation for us. The kids can stay in their own home, our pets can be cared for and the house doesn't have to be empty. They homeschool so that dilemma is solved. I have another family who is willing to take the kids on weekends to give some relief to my friend Mary's family. This is really a relief to me to know that my kids will be loved and well cared for. I have begun my lists of emergency numbers, bought luggage, started gathering various items other people who have traveled recommended. We ordered new kids bunk beds which should arrive in the next couple of weeks. We checked into getting new bills (Used bills are unacceptable) from the bank and were told they have to be ordered from the Federal Reserve and that they won't be available until December! Tomorrow, Kevin will check further into that. There has to be a way to get them sooner than December. We have even checked into flights! In order to get an adoption discount, there are some preliminary things to get together. It will be nice to have some of this done ahead of time. I know when we get word, my mind is just going to go blank. I am finally excited again, knowing our dossier has been resubmitted.

Trying to get myself organized with some of the packing and long list of "To dos" helps me keep my mind off the frustration of the process. I can look at this two ways, I will be prepared to go or I could be crushed if we don't get to go. I am choosing to believe God has a plan and I am part of it. I really think we will get notice very soon. I am praying that way anyway.

Colossians 3:23, 24 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Hurry Up & Wait (Again)

2008-09-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

I reached the end of my endurance last week after the midnight call that "V" was being interviewed by an Italian family and our paperwork was rejected over one phrase on one document. I took Friday off to rest and regroup and we had our adoption support group over that night. One of our church elders came with his wife to offer counsel and prayer for us. We all told them the stories of the last fourteen months and they were genuinely amazed that we had perservered this long.

Well, now we know that the Italians didn't take "V" and that our revised paperwork is being resubmitted this week. No one can tell us whether or not we are still in line, how long it will take to review, blah, blah, blah. Same old story, different day. Pam and I are doers by nature, not waiters, but we are learning the fine art of hurry up and wait.

We seem to valley and plateau in opposite times so when one of us is up, the other is down, which actually works well to pull the other up. We would probably give up if we both hit bottom together. We have decided not to worry about when it happens, we are starting to prepare for the trip, so that if necessary, we can be on the next plane to Kiev. And when we get there, I am sure that we will hurry up and wait some more.

James 5:7 & 8 "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near."

"V" isn't going to be Italian!

2008-09-11T11:19:00.001-07:00

"V" isn't going to be Italian! That was great news to us. God protected him for now. This was some confirmation that we needed to see. We wanted to make sure God's hand was still in this process and that we should continue to pursue this adoption.

There is more drama for today though. I glanced at the paperwork we did yesterday and found another error UGH!! It said my passport expired in August, 2007. It should be 2017. This is sooooo frustrating. We already had it notarized and sent it to be appostilled, yesterday. Our agency caught it in Sacramento before it was done and she will hold it until the new document gets there tomorrow. Glad we caught it before it was in Ukraine. Bottom line is if SDA is looking for an error, they will find one. No matter how hard we try not to make a mistake it seems there is always something. There are so many documents to be done. God has to be in this or it is just going to be futile.

Kevin is completely drained and physically feeling it. Please uplift him in your prayers.

Another verse from my friend and fellow blogger "Beautiful Journey" Stephanie:
Galatians 4:4. It starts off, "but when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son...so that we might receive adoptions as sons." 'Fullness of time' means at just he right time...at the exact moment when God knew it was right. Let this encourage you that in the 'fullness of time' God will let this adoption come through. It might be crazy and the timing may look like anything but right, but I'm praying that God will give you such calm assurance that you will continue to see His might hand showing strong on your behalf.

Thanks Stephanie, you have been a big encouragement to us.

Twists and Turns at Every Corner!

2008-09-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

Romans 4:17-20 (as it is written, "A father of many nations have I made you") in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "So shall, your descendants be." Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

My friend Stephanie sent me this verse in due time! This verse has given me strength. I believe in the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist! He can do all things. What God promises, He is able to perform! This does not say He promises I can have what I want but does say He can do what He wants. He gives me hope when there is no hope.

It has been a few days of what I believe spiritual warfare. I have had to decide if I am willing to trust or be frazzled. I have to admit, I have been both. A couple of nights ago we got a call at 11:00pm that an Italian couple was going to look at "V". This means that if he chooses, he can go with them and they can adopt him. There is a preselection law in Ukraine. There is no guarantee the children you want will still be availiable. We have always known this. The couple were suppose to meet him sometime this week. We do not know what has happened yet. We hadn't spoken with "V" or "D" in three months. The kids have been away at camp. We have been waiting to find out how to handle the situation with "D" so we hadn't called them yet. Our translator told us we should call "V" first thing and say hi. Kevin and I talked about it, we would tell him we loved him but not talk about him coming back with us. Things are very volatile in Ukraine right now and I am afraid for all the kids over there. If he has a chance with a family maybe this is how God will do it. We had to let go. We did make the call, it was good to hear his voice. He had not received the letters we sent or the package. He was somewhat distant, thinking we may have forgotten him. He came alive when Kevin spoke to him.

Yesterday, we were waiting for the news for a travel date. Instead we got the news our dossier was rejected! We fixed the problem and sent it back as quickly as we could. We do not know what this will do to our status at the SDA. We are being told that if it is back at the SDA within the week we won't lose our place in line.

As you can see we have gone from 2 kids to 3 kids to 1 kid to possibly 0 kids. You can't help but ask yourself God what are you doing? We may never know. One thing I do believe is that He has brought us this far and even though I don't get it, He does have a plan. I do have peace, a peace I can't explain. I know God is in control and this is a spiritual battle that belongs to Him. I have that song "A Mighty Fortress" running through my head!

This is a time we could really use your prayers. Pray God will firstly do what is best for "V" and "D", pray our faith will continue to strengthen through this, pray God's will, will be done. Thank you in advance for praying. Pam

Rejected!

2008-09-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

Pam called me at work today to tell me that our dossier along with our two friends were rejected by SDA. One document, the promise to send post-adoption follow-up reports, was incorrect. A small, stupid technicality.

I'm sorry to report that I handled it badly. Mr. Type AAA personality snapped. All that work and waiting for a REJECTION?? In between fits, I managed to ask our facilitator what we needed to do to fix the mistake. She e-mailed us the corrected forms, all three families met at the notary and we got the new forms FedExed to the apostille and faxed to our facilitator.

We pray that if the paperwork is turned around quickly that we won't lose our place in line. I am also praying that God will give me the grace to hold my temper and not act like a fool the next time, and there will be a next time, that I am placed in a stressful situation.

1 Peter 2:12-14a "Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, the may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution whether to a king as the one in authority or to governors as sent by him..."

Adoption Roller Coaster Ride, An "E" ticket!

2008-09-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

I wish I had good things to say today but I really don't. I must admit, I am really struggling with trying not to go out of my mind right now. The waiting on this whole adoption process really takes a toll on the rest of your life. I have very little tolerance left in me to deal with the pressures of day to day life! The emotional roller coaster ride just keeps going.

Our agency said they have been checking daily to see if our date has been posted. She also mentioned we have to get permission from "V" to see if he wants a non-biological sister! I am not the kind of a parent who thinks a child should make adult decisions. She said this was a law? I don't believe he will object (our other two kids will not be biological) but I am having a hard time with all the crazy laws! At least if we had a date, we would know how to plan. I like things cut and dry, planned out and business taken care of! I know this is probably just preparation for how unsure everything will be when we get to Ukraine. I guess it is that whole character, patience thing again...

For those of you who are praying for our family, please pray God will help me learn to be content even when things aren't going my way. Kevin and I will both need prayer not to go crazy with all the bureaucracy. Thanks in advance for your prayers.

Pam

Perfect and Complete, Lacking Nothing!

2008-09-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well, this was a challenging weekend to say the least. Garrett, Morgan and I went down to stay with my sister's two boys, while she had surgery. I left the kids with her when I first got there, to go buy some groceries. On my way to the store, I got into a car accident. I am so grateful that nobody was hurt. I am also grateful, nobody was in the passenger seat where I got hit! My car doesn't look very good. I am hoping it can be fixed at all. I also hope it will be done before we leave for Ukraine. My faith is being strengthened by the trials that come. GOD IS SO GOOD!

We have been waiting patiently to hear back from Ukraine with a date. I thought for sure we would have heard by now. In the meantime, we have been taking advantage of the time getting our home ready. "D" is still on my mind and I am really hoping to experience a miracle. If God wills her to be in our family, not even the Ukraine government can keep her there!

Thanks to those who have commented about adopting as an individual. I know we could do that but the problem is more complex than that. As badly as I want "D" I still don't see this as the way to go for various reasons.

We are still praying about what to do with Garrett and Morgan when we go to Ukraine. I have been surprised to see people I hardly know willing to step forward and help us out. I know God will provide.

James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Pam

The Softened Blow

2008-08-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

After taking several days to sort through my emotions and seek the counsel of our church elders and friends, I have come to see the news that we may not be able to adopt "D" as a comfort from God. I keep reminding myself that if God had not prompted us to inquire about the kids' adoption status, siblings and health issues, we would have found out when we got to our SDA appointment. Considering how the world crashed around us last week, I can't imagine learning such news without having the immediate support of our friends and our church. While the news that she is probably not going to be our daughter is devastating, God has softened the blow and allowed us to grieve and for loved ones to gather around us before we leave for Ukraine.

I have considered "D" to be my daughter for over a year and as a father, I have not given up. I hope to ask for special consideration that we can still adopt her when we get to our SDA appointment. If the answer is no, I will accept it as God's will. If the answer is yes, then I will witness a miracle. Either way, I will rejoice in God's love and mercy.

"As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful." James 5:10,11

Kevin

New To The Blog World!

2008-08-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

We hope you notice the new link to the "Clark Connection" on the side bar of our blog. They have just set up their blog. They are a wonderful family who go to our church and have become great friends. They have submitted their dossier on August 11Th and are also waiting for a travel date. Please take the time to show them your support by reading their blog. I am sure you will be blessed. Our family has been blessed just by getting to know them and praying for our adoptions together.

God has blessed us with a three families who have been part of our support system during this long process of adoption. We have formed an adoption support group. We have been able to support each other through the ups and downs of adoption. God has also blessed our family with an amazing church family. We feel so loved by them. We know they are praying us through this process.

After the stress of this past week, we have thought twice about having our other two Garrett and Morgan, join us in Ukraine. If we are to look for a little girl to be part of our family, we may have to do extensive driving around to find her. The costs would be considerably more to bring them also. We are feeling that it might not be our best option. Please pray God will give us peace as to what we should do. Please pray God will provide a family or families to help us out while we are gone for the three weeks. That is a long time to leave our kids, not to mention a long time for someone else to be responsible for them! We thank you for your prayers and kind words.

Pam

Conversations with Morgan

2008-08-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

"Mommy, I hope we can adopt D." Morgan had big tears in her eyes. "I do too", I said. "We have to keep praying God will do a miracle." "I have been, Mommy." "I have been praying my whole life for a little sister." "I know honey." "Maybe God will give you a different little sister if D. isn't the one." "But she was my little buddy."

Adoption is hard. I can't describe it any other way. It was hard before we had kids and began adopting and it is even harder now having older kids who have to be involved in the process with us. I can only hope Garrett and Morgan will see how much we love them through all of this. I hope they can see what a gift they are to us. I used to tell them when they were babies, "You are my little present from Jesus." I realize what a privilege God gave me, by allowing me to raise these babies. With all my imperfections, He blessed me with them. If He chooses to bless us with more, I am all the more honored!

God is good all the time! I know this.

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character, and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Pam

A Closed Door

2008-08-21T06:58:00.000-07:00

I barely slept last night. I think I was trying to process all of my emotions. I am not very good at articulating them. It does help to try.

We woke up this morning to an e-mail that said the SDA will not consider D. as "Special Needs" and they will not separate sibling groups. This is appearing to us as a closed door. My heart breaks! We have loved this child for a year, imagined her as part of our family, dreamt about her growing up with us and then everything changes in a day! The hardest part is going to be seeing her when we go to Ukraine to get V. Somehow, we will have to tell D. we can't take her too. How do you tell an eight year old "Sorry you have a brother and Papa is a year too old to adopt him"? Please pray God will provide another family who can take D. and her little brother. I know God loves D. far more than I ever could. He will be her "Daddy and Mommy" right now. She is part of His very heart. I really wanted to be her Mommy. I know Kevin really wanted to be her Daddy. Garrett wanted to be her brother and Morgan wanted to be her big sister, God has other plans. I always knew adoption takes many twists and turns but this wasn't a turn I expected or could have prepared myself for.

Our SDA appointment will be coming up soon... We barely have time to grieve our loss. We are faced with decisions we need to be thinking about now. We are approved for two children. Even though D. cannot be replaced, there are many children who need homes. Does God have someone else for us? Did God use D. and V. to open us up to going to Ukraine? We never would have gone this direction without them. Please pray for our family as we continue walking through this journey. Please pray God will keep us flexible and open to His will and not our own desires.

Psalm 23 quiets my soul today. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads my beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.

Pam

Heavy Hearts

2008-08-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

Our hearts are so heavy, I don't know where to begin. Things come to mind like "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 The battles isn't ours to win! Anyone going through this process will I am sure agree that Satan doesn't want these kids to come to a Christian home. A home where they will hear the gospel and possibly become Christians. He knows they are no threat to him, when they are stuffed away in an orphanage.

We got word today that the little girl we so want to adopt will not be available for us unless God performs a miracle. She has a five year old brother that apparently no one was aware of until we asked last week. Once we got over the shock of that, we found out that we would not be able to adopt him because Ukraine has a law that you can't be more that 45 years older than the child. Kevin happens to be one year older than that. They also will not split up a sibling group. The kids are in two different orphanages. I am not sure they have had much contact with each other so we are hoping that the authorities will consider splitting them. We have done everything we can to afford two adoptions, three would take another miracle. We were also told you don't want to adopt D anyway, she is "slow" and "doesn't do well in school". We had her in our home last summer for three weeks. We did notice she was quiet, shy and fragile. She responded well to love and attention. We don't care that she may not be an "A" student. She is perfect in our eyes. Our last hope and our prayer is that maybe the government will consider her "special needs" and allow her to have a family. A five year old has a much better chance of being adopted than an eight year old with special needs. We do want what is best for her and her brother. We are waiting now and praying that God will direct us and open and close doors. We will walk through this journey without fear because HE WILL WIN THE BATTLE! If we aren't the right family, please pray God will find a family willing and able to take "D" and her brother.

Pam

Pins & Needles

2008-08-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

Our submission has been with SDA for almost a week and we are on pins and needles waiting for our appointment date. We wake up every morning and rush to the computer to check our e-mail. We scour the mail through the coupons and credit card offers for a letter with a foreign stamp. It's kind of like sending boxtops when you were a kid and waiting for the cereal company to send you the prize.

In the meantime, like Pam said in her previous post, I am consumed with the desire to spruce up the house, especially the kids rooms. I work with a smile on my face imagining their faces when we walk into the orphanage, holding them in my arms, hearing the judge approve of the adoption and all of us getting on the plane to come home. I pray that the reality will match the dream.

Psalm 146:17-19 "The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds. The Lord is near all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them."

Kevin

Submission Accomplished!

2008-08-08T06:18:00.000-07:00

We have confirmation that our dossier has been submitted. Now once again, we wait... Within a three week period we should know if we get travel dates. In the meantime, I have been reading other blogs and seeing travel dates within one week of submission and then traveling within six weeks! Please keep praying God will open those doors as soon as possible.

It is a very exciting time right now. It is also time to get serious about all the things we need to prepare for. I think Kevin is more in a nesting mode than me. He keeps wanting to remodel! We are waiting prepare the kids rooms until we get word we are actually going. I wanted to start months ago but Kevin didn't think it was wise to invest in bedroom furniture we might not actually need....he is so practical!

The time should go by fast. School starts on Monday. We will begin our routine again to fill our time. We are starting early this year to make up for the time we will lose while in Ukraine. Another prayer request would be, that we can take Garrett and Morgan with us. If anyone has experience with this, any input would be helpful. They are 12 and 10 years old. I think it would be a great life experience for them and helpful in bonding with their new siblings.

Pam

Prayers, Prayers, PLEASE!

2008-08-06T07:37:00.000-07:00

If you could all start praying now! August 7 is tonight in the Ukraine (an 11 hour time difference). Please pray that our paperwork is accepted without error and looked upon favorably. Please pray that we will get a quick appointment.

I just read on someones blog that the SDA is expediting appointments for known and older children. They submitted their paperwork on July 18 and have an August 28 appointment in Ukraine. WOW! This could happen to us too. Wouldn't that be great???!!!!

Thank you so much for reading our blog and following our journey. We covet your prayers.

Psalm 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Your works.

Pam

So Blessed!

2008-08-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

People may think we are crazy but I think we are so blessed! I find it amazing how God has done a mighty work in our family over this past year. I think about all the blessings we would have missed if we said "no". Some people say the kids are the blessed ones but I disagree. I believe God will continue to mold us into His own image through the trials and blessings of these children. I encourage you to watch the video I just uploaded called the "Gift of Adoption". I think it says so much about the blessings of adoption.

Pam

"People Think We Are Crazy"

2008-07-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a lot of other blogs lately that Pam has linked to ours or of those who have commented to our posts. I see a recurring theme. Most of us have been told by family, friends and co-workers that we must be crazy to want to adopt these kids. "It's a lot of money." "These kids have problems." "They will disrupt your lives." "Why are you doing this at your age?" "How are you ever going to retire?"

If we thought like the world, then we wouldn't adopt. We would be worried about climbing the corporate ladder and our 401k account. We would be keeping up with the Joneses and going on vacations in Hawaii.

In Romans 12:1 & 2, Paul writes, "...present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Doesn't James 1:27 tell us what is "good and acceptable and perfect" in God's eyes? We are to care for the widows and orphans!! That is our living and holy sacrifice. Those of us who are adopting are merely mimicking what our Father in heaven has already done for us. He paid the price Himself by the sacrifice of His Son, brought us into His house and adopted us as His sons and daughters. Shouldn't we sacrifice, bring them into our homes and make them part of our families?

I'm not crazy. I'm just doing what my Father taught me.

Kevin

Bittersweet

2008-07-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today is a wonderful day! It is our daughter Morgan's 10th birthday. We had the opportunity to throw her a birthday party yesterday and celebrate the day of her birth. Today is our future daughter ______'s birthday also. Last year we got to celebrate it with her, while she was visiting America. I am celebrating and sad at the same time. I wonder if anyone said "Happy Birthday" to her? I wonder if she got our gifts? I wish we could call her but she isn't available because she is at camp. Little one, we want you to know you are in our hearts right now. We are thinking about you on this day. We love you so much already and can't wait to be together as a family forever!

This is my prayer for you my little ones. I want you to know this always and take comfort that your life was not an accident. God surely does cares for you too! Someday I will read this to each of my children and prayerfully it will be a great comfort to them as it is to me.

Psalms 139:1-18 O Lord, You have searched me and know me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged my behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me. When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

Pam

Little Wonders

2008-07-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

I have been frustrated by our choice of music on our blog. That might sound trivial but I am the kind of guy who remembers special moments and times by the music of that period. I really like Third Day and other Christian rock bands and Steven Curtis Chapman's "When Love Takes You In" and "Cinderella" can make me cry but they are on everyone else's blogs. I wanted a song that was ours that expressed my feelings about life and family. We chose Rob Thomas' "Little Wonders" from "Meet the Robinsons", which is one of our family's favorite movies. I hope that you will pay attention to the lyrics, especially when he sings:
"Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders
These twists and turns of fate
Time falls away
But these small hours
These small hours still remain

Let it slide
Let your troubles fall behind you
Let it shine
Until you feel it all around you
And I don't mind
If it's me you need to turn to
We'll get by,
It's the heart that really matters in the end"

Our lives here on Earth are small hours in our Lord's hands and these orphans are some of His little wonders.

Psalm 127:3-5. "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed

Kevin

Looking for name suggestions

2008-07-21T16:08:00.001-07:00

Not much exciting to post right now, still waiting for the filing. In the meantime, we have been trying to come up with names for the kids. Garrett and Morgan are so frustrated with us because we change the names constantly. It is common for people to change the children's names to an American name. We also would like, as their parents, to be the ones to name them. The children usually look forward to having American names. So we have gone from Joseph to Daniel from Tara to Jesse to Jena to Paige to Ana to Hannah to Rachel to I don't know! I am looking for good name suggestions if you have any!! I am out of ideas. This is what I do in my spare time. Sad isn't it? I do have two middle names: ________ Frank Greer and ________ Hope Greer.

Well, today I hit a milestone in blogging. I figured out how to insert pictures in my blog. I can't believe what I was doing before. I was going to the layout and adding a page element and couldn't figure out how come all my posts were together! Now I realize the insert picture is right on the posting screen. When all else fails, listen to the tutorial.

Pam

Round Three Finished!

2008-07-15T07:38:00.001-07:00

I think I got our dossier complete again! I shipped off the last of my paperwork yesterday and hopefully everything is good. Now we just wait for August 7th to get here. Please pray that the paperwork passes and that our dossier is accepted the first time.

Kevin and I just got back from our vacation in Mazatlan and are refreshed and ready to go! (You can read more about that on our other blog) We couldn't help but imagine how our family will change in the near future. We are excited to see what God is going to teach us in our journey. It amazes me to see how He has softened our hearts in so many ways. He has challenged our thinking about what is truly important. I am going to start a blogroll which has some very inspiring stories. You can see what I am talking about when I say God is speaking to our hearts.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Pam

Mercy & Grace

2008-07-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

Pam just called me to tell me that we have our submission date on August 7. I don't have much to say since I am in shock with the reality that we could be going to Ukraine this fall. I am overwhelmed with emotion and can almost feel them in my arms and hear them say, "Papa!" God proves again his mercy and grace!

"Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

Kevin

We Got Our Date!

2008-07-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

Wow, we have waited so long to hear that we have an actual filing date! I am so excited I can't believe it. We are going to file our paperwork on August 7Th! Please pray everything is good on it and there are no other delays. This is the real beginning of this whole long process. After we file our dossier on August 7Th we will get an invitation to go to Ukraine. Hopefully, that won't be too long. It can be as soon as two months and as long as five. We would love to have the kids here before Christmas. It was hard enough celebrating the 4Th of July without them. Thanks for your prayers. Did I tell you we really get to file on August 7th?

Pam

Anxious

2008-07-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

I am sitting on the edge of my chair waiting to find out if we get to submit in August! I know the list is out. I know people who have heard. I can't stop checking my e-mail. Things seem to be moving faster at the SDA now. I wrote an e-mail to our agency asking if we are on the list. I hope to hear back soon. Pray, pray, pray!!!!

Phillipians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This is a reminder to me to settle down:)

Pam

Still Waiting...

2008-07-07T09:25:00.001-07:00

We are still waiting for the FBI prints to come back and after that our dossier will be shipped off to Ukraine and hopefully filed soon. I sit holding my breath, that our agency will contact us shortly about when this will happen.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Pam

Happy Birthday America!

2008-07-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

It is so fun to write these blogs and make so many new friends. I appreciate so much all of the comments. It is great to get all the support and prayer especially from people you don't even know. I love reading about people who are just getting ready and beginning to travel. I love following their journeys. It helps me to become familiar with what I can expect. Although, I know anything can change at any given moment! I am finding the best thing to expect when you travel is don't expect anything to be predicable.

I love seeing the pictures on a couple of the Texas blogs! For all of you who know me, you know how much I loved being a cowgirl! Maybe TX for our next move someday? Just kidding, my daughter Morgan would have a melt down at the thought of moving again! Personally, I love the adventure. We are happy here on our mini ranch in Southern CA. We love our church , family and friends we have made here. That would be hard to leave. The CA part wouldn't be that hard. Times are very uncertain here, to say the least.

Getting ready for a relaxing 4Th of July. We decided to go to a fireworks show this afternoon and relax instead of a party this year. Mixed feeling on that but it should be a great time. I still have to make homemade ice cream today (Family tradition)! Time to remember what was fought for and what we are still fighting for, by all of our soldiers and celebrate the United States of America! Happy Birthday America!

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Pam

Almost ready for round three!

2008-07-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

Well, today we got everything notarized and got all the medical stuff done. The doctor noticed I have gained weight again... I said what do you expect when you are carrying twins and twelve months pregnant! I promise to start trying to lose weight soon and stop the stress eating. All we are waiting for now is the FBI clearance to get here. I go on a mission when I have to do these updates. Stay out of my way! :) I am getting quicker, but I hope I don't have to do it again. If anyone would have told me all the hoops you have to jump through, I would have felt very overwhelmed. God has given me my strength everyday. I can't forget those sweet faces and their hope for a family.

John 15:5-11 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be my disciples. As the Father loved Me I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."

Pam

What is God teaching us?

2008-07-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

I hit rock bottom a few weeks ago. The roller coaster emotions and delays of the adoption, anxiety over my job, and a nagging bad back left me a wreck. I was cross with Pam and the kids and ready to chuck it all for another geographic move to who knows where. Pam's nerves were a frazzle too and we asked each other one morning, "what is God teaching us?"

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks: contentment. We were so anxious to get the adoption done and bring the kids home that we were not content with each other and the two beautiful children we already have. We let the world rob us of our joy and contentment that only comes from our relationship with Christ. We wanted it in our time instead of God's time.

Once we got that straight, we realized how God had used this time to prepare us and our home. He put us on a more stable financial footing and gave me reassurance at work. He gave us time to do some much needed home repairs. He helped me to lose weight which has taken some of the strain off my back. He put us in a wonderful church family that teaches, disciples, prays for us and loves us. He deepened our love for Him, for each other and Garrett and Morgan. Since that realization, we see with different eyes and wait on the Lord to lead us.

"Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11-13

Kevin

Paper Chase

2008-06-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

Well, we start the paper chase again today. All of our documents are expiring. Is having your fingerprints taken for the tenth time too many? I am not kidding! We could work for secret service at this point. We also need to have our 3rd TB test done. The deed to our house isn't enough, now we have to have our lender write a letter describing our house. Anyone under any circumstances can have a baby and live where ever and nobody asks any questions. Try and adopt and you are told if your house is good enough or big enough. Hopefully this is the last time and it is most likely we get to file our paperwork in Ukraine mid August.

Kevin and I won a vacation to Mazatlan, Mexico at a charity auction a couple of weeks ago. It will be fun to get away for a few days kid free. We will rest up because we know it will be the last couples vacation for awhile. We are going in July. The next trip will be Ukraine, hopefully. Chances are we will be going around Christmas. We plan to take Garrett and Morgan with us so we don't mind.

I found a really cool web-site for those of you who love to take pictures and keep journals. You can also use your blogs. It is called blurb.com. "Book Smart" You can make your own book. It is a free site, you download your stuff and then they publish it like a book! You get charged for publishing, but it is very reasonable. I am going to use my blog as my journal and make a memory book for the kids. Eventually I will download pictures. I don't feel comfortable doing that right now. After the kids are ours I will post them.

My verse doesn't have anything to do with my post today. Last Sunday was an awesome reminder of who God is.

Acts 17:24-31 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone something shaped by art and man's devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. he has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.

Pam

Disappointed

2008-06-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like August is more likely for us to file than July. I have learned not to get my hopes up but must admit I am disappointed. When we first started this process, I was told when the adoption is over you will become one of the most patient people ever! I am learning but still have a long way to go. I can't imagine not having two more kids in my home by the end of the year. I don't even care if we are traveling to Ukraine during Christmas!

James 1:2-4 Count it all joy when you fall into various trial, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing.

Pam

Hoping For a Good Word!

2008-06-18T07:22:00.000-07:00

It's about that time of the month again when we start wondering if we will get submitted next month. We have heard of numbers close to ours getting a date. It is getting exciting! That is the first hurdle. The second one is that our dossier is accepted and not rejected due to an error. Ukraine government can be very picky about the slightest error. After the dossier is submitted, we will get an appointment date to go to Ukraine! That usually happens within a month or two. This may still seem far off to some of you but to us, it is the date we have been looking forward to.

For those of you who will pray for us, please pray that our dossier is accepted the first time. Next pray that the other two couples in our group will get to travel at the same time as us. It would be great to go as a group so we can encourage each other. And of course, please pray that the kids would still be available to us and that they would be kept safe.

You may have noticed that I added music to our post. There are other favorite songs on the play list. One of my personal favorites is "Might to Save". Every time I hear it I cry. I am so moved by the words "He can move the mountains". It is so real to me every time I see things progress in this adoption and in our past ones. It can be like moving a whole mountain and you just can't do it yourself. God is the might one and when He wills it, there is no stopping!

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.

Pam

God is Good!

2008-06-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

Well today was a miracle. Truly, we had to try and update our fingerprints for the USCIS today. The fingerprints don't expire until January but they have to still be good for six more months when we file our dossier or the Ukraine will reject the dossier. Our agency told us to try and take care of this but she didn't think we would be able to yet. We may file at the end of July and we need to be prepared. Kevin got to the USCIS before I did and they told him we could not go in without an appointment with a referral. When I got there I gave them our old referral, I had two. One of them was a mistake with my maiden name on it and it was replaced later. It had not been stamped yet. I did not remember this. The officer at the door went ahead and let us in to proceed. When we got to the point of the fingerprinting they told us they could not do it because our fingerprints were still good. I explained that Ukraine has the stipulation that all dates must be good for at least six months before the expiration date. The fingerprinter got the immigration officer who made a phone call and finally pulled it off. We are relieved to have this accomplished. After waiting this long to file with Ukraine I don't want to be rejected now!

I think this is just one more way God lets us know He is paving the way and making our paths straight. Time and time again He proves He is in control. I am so glad because it give me confidence that all things can be accomplished through Him according to His will.

John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.