The shirts are the Ukraine soccer team uniform. It is a popular souvenir.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
WE ARE HOME! - June 3, 2007
(posted Monday, June 4 at 10 pm)
Friday, June 15, 2007
Heading Home!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
We are packed up and very ready to go! Here we are watching our last Ukranian TV early in the morning while waiting for our driver. We had an 11:00 am flight out of Kyiv.
God blessed us with very helpful Delta people at the airport. They showed our family of six right where to go and the process went very smooth. While waiting for our flight some young adults were practicing their English with a little help from us. It is fun to help others when so many people in Ukraine had been helpful to us .
Nine and 1/2 hours from Kiev to New York.
We got to New York at 1:30 pm EST. It was a 9 1/2 hour flight. We got through customs and Tanya and Lienna officially became US citizens. During our layover, I went to try to get some plane tickets from Cinncinati to Sioux Falls for Tanya and Lienna. After a long wait, they were no help. We boarded at 4:00 and sat on the runway again in New York for 2 hours.
We are packed up and very ready to go! Here we are watching our last Ukranian TV early in the morning while waiting for our driver. We had an 11:00 am flight out of Kyiv.
God blessed us with very helpful Delta people at the airport. They showed our family of six right where to go and the process went very smooth. While waiting for our flight some young adults were practicing their English with a little help from us. It is fun to help others when so many people in Ukraine had been helpful to us .
Nine and 1/2 hours from Kiev to New York.
We got to New York at 1:30 pm EST. It was a 9 1/2 hour flight. We got through customs and Tanya and Lienna officially became US citizens. During our layover, I went to try to get some plane tickets from Cinncinati to Sioux Falls for Tanya and Lienna. After a long wait, they were no help. We boarded at 4:00 and sat on the runway again in New York for 2 hours. We got in to Cinncinati and I started my search for the Delta ticket counter while Jon went for luggage. Again God provided for us weary travelers since it was now 3:00 am Kiev time and we had gotten no sleep. As I was trying to find my way around, a couple helped me find the ticket counter. The ladies there were also very nice and helpful and did get us some tickets to Sioux Falls - not cheap though. There were only four seats left on the flight so we were thankful to get them. I was so tired and ready to get home that I offered to sit in the bathroom if we could just get on the flight. If we would not have gotten the tickets, Jon or I would have had to get a later flight with Tanya and Lienna or rent a car and drive 20 hours home. Again, God provided.
We got a shuttle to our hotel and were surprised to find out our driver spoke Russian and very little English. I got a chuckle out of it. It was ironic because we were just looking forward to being in the US where we could speak easily. That is nothing against Ukraine of course, but after traveling for a month and being weary and in a foreign country we just wanted to know we could find food and water for our larger family. I have learned that it takes alot of energy and work to communicate. Of course, that is something we will all continue to experience over the next few months but at least we will have food and shelter in our home. We got in to our hotel at 10 pm (now 5 am Kiev time and time to wake up). The desk clerk also had a strong Russian accent. They were helpful in finding us find a bigger room for our larger family. The clerk smiled in surprise when I said "spezeeba" (thank you in Russian) out of habit. He was also probably glad to hear his native language.
We slept very little that night due to the time change and had to leave early to make our flight. We had a packed flight and we were seated all over the plane. (literally, Tanya in the front corner and Amber in the opposite back corner). We told the attendent that two of our daughters didn't speak English so he could come and get us if he needed something. Before we took off, he had all six of us sitting together! He was so nice and we had a great visit with him.
We landed in Sioux Falls at 10:45 am on Sunday morning! We were thrilled to see family and friends waiting for us!
Last day in Kiev
Friday, June 1, 2007
This was our last day in Kyiv and our mission was to get passports, find shoes, and souveniers. I did not even take the camera along for once-an indication that I was ready to go home I think. In the morning we found a mall about a mile away. It was modern, had a couple levels, and stores and prices like the US. After some searching, we found shoes in a sporting goods store for Tanya and Lienna! The walk home from there was much better for them. We headed back to McDonalds to have lunch and meet Dima who get our passports. This McDonalds will not be forgotten by Jon. It was a bad sign when he thought his McChicken tasted like the Filet O Fish. Before finishing his ice cream cone, he got sick. To top it off, the handle broke on the bathroom stall so he got locked in for a bit. Not a good feeling.
We still had our souvenier shirts and some Russian kids books we wanted to find. We knew where they were downtown but we had no idea how to get there. Our apartment was in a different part of the city than before. When Dima came with our passports, it turned out he was taking the subway downtown and would show us how to get there. This worked good since it would have been hard to get a taxi for a family of six. This was also a new experience for all of us. The subways only cost 50 grivnas per person - that is 10 cents. This subway started with a very long escalator ride going very deep down. We were told that Kyiv has some of the deepest in the world. Then like most subways I suppose, it was very crowded and a challenge to keep our group together. We came out at Independance Square which was good because it was familiar to us. We found the soccer shirts we were looking for and also gave the girls all some money to buy some souveniers.
While the girls were shopping, Jon was getting sick. He sat down and felt very weak and feverish. We got our shirts and decided to head home. This was not quick and it meant the subway again. On the standing room only subway, Jon was hanging on the bar and I thought he was going to pass out. Evidentally the lady below him on the seat thought so also and offered him her seat. It was nice of her but actually she could see the risk of sitting below him and could see his white face. God really protected us and gave Jon the strength to walk the last quarter mile to the apartment. He was having chills and wrapped up in the blanket in our hot apartment. That was the first time I saw him use a blanket in three weeks! Fortunately by evening he felt good enough to pack us up for the trip home in the morning.
Here are some pictures from our 8th floor apartment. There are rows of apartments like this in Odessa and Kiev. There is a little playground right below our window. Our apartment was remodeled inside with a newer bathroom and kitchen. The drawback was the old stairwells, tiny old elevator, and four deadbolt doors we went through to get in.
This was our last day in Kyiv and our mission was to get passports, find shoes, and souveniers. I did not even take the camera along for once-an indication that I was ready to go home I think. In the morning we found a mall about a mile away. It was modern, had a couple levels, and stores and prices like the US. After some searching, we found shoes in a sporting goods store for Tanya and Lienna! The walk home from there was much better for them. We headed back to McDonalds to have lunch and meet Dima who get our passports. This McDonalds will not be forgotten by Jon. It was a bad sign when he thought his McChicken tasted like the Filet O Fish. Before finishing his ice cream cone, he got sick. To top it off, the handle broke on the bathroom stall so he got locked in for a bit. Not a good feeling.
We still had our souvenier shirts and some Russian kids books we wanted to find. We knew where they were downtown but we had no idea how to get there. Our apartment was in a different part of the city than before. When Dima came with our passports, it turned out he was taking the subway downtown and would show us how to get there. This worked good since it would have been hard to get a taxi for a family of six. This was also a new experience for all of us. The subways only cost 50 grivnas per person - that is 10 cents. This subway started with a very long escalator ride going very deep down. We were told that Kyiv has some of the deepest in the world. Then like most subways I suppose, it was very crowded and a challenge to keep our group together. We came out at Independance Square which was good because it was familiar to us. We found the soccer shirts we were looking for and also gave the girls all some money to buy some souveniers.
While the girls were shopping, Jon was getting sick. He sat down and felt very weak and feverish. We got our shirts and decided to head home. This was not quick and it meant the subway again. On the standing room only subway, Jon was hanging on the bar and I thought he was going to pass out. Evidentally the lady below him on the seat thought so also and offered him her seat. It was nice of her but actually she could see the risk of sitting below him and could see his white face. God really protected us and gave Jon the strength to walk the last quarter mile to the apartment. He was having chills and wrapped up in the blanket in our hot apartment. That was the first time I saw him use a blanket in three weeks! Fortunately by evening he felt good enough to pack us up for the trip home in the morning.
Here are some pictures from our 8th floor apartment. There are rows of apartments like this in Odessa and Kiev. There is a little playground right below our window. Our apartment was remodeled inside with a newer bathroom and kitchen. The drawback was the old stairwells, tiny old elevator, and four deadbolt doors we went through to get in.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
More paperwork, May 31
Thursday, May 31, 2007
We went in search of breakfast and could only find McDonald's again. (which we were thankful for) We were in a different part of Kiev again so everything was a new search and we could not find a grocery store. Only the McDonald's drive-thru was open in the early morning so here we are walking through the drive-thru. Fortunately, some Ukrainians were doing the same thing.
It was a beautiful morning for breakfast outside.
Alexy picked us up and we went to get the official health check-up for Tanya and Lienna. We then went to the US Embassy to get the visas. We were thankful they took our US bills there. We have learned that when you travel to other countries, you should get newer, crisp bills. Any little tear or too much wear is cause for rejection when you try to exchange it. We had been concerned that we may run out of money because some of our bills were rejected.
The visas would be ready on Friday so now we could make plans to fly home. Our round trip tickets were for a return of June 6. We were ready to go home now!! So we started to call to get an earlier flight. No flight on Friday, no seats on Sat or Sun! The earliest tickets were possibly Monday and Tanya and Lienna's cost much more than expected. This was a cause of stress for us. Mentally, emotionally, and financially we hit the wall and had to get home. The fatigue of traveling with four girls for three days and finding no real food was taking it's toll. After much prayer, we did get flights to Cincinnati. The Delta lady in Kyiv said it would be cheaper to get a ticket in Cincinnati for the two one-way tickets from Cincinnati to Sioux Falls. It didn't make sense to us (and we later found out she was WRONG!) At that point we were just thankful to get flights to the United States. At least we would be able to find food and be able to communicate. Later, we found out just how bad she messed up our flights.
Later in the day we went for a walk around our apartment to see if we could find a store for shoes, clothes, and food. Tanya and Lienna were both given shoes that were too small for them and they needed some clothes also. Fortunately we made due on the clothes since Tanya and Morgan were close to the same size and Lienna had one wearable outfit. Just don't be surprised when we are in the same outfit in most pictures. We packed very light for this trip so had few outfits to choose from. (that meant more washing though) In our search for food, we did find one restaurant. It was Ukranian food and had an English menu! This was a treat for Tanya and Lienna since it was a little different than the orphanage food and it was a nice change from crackers and Nutrigrain bars. It was nice for us also. All we found that day were stands with food and miscellaneous items. We were told we shouldn't eat the food at these stands and wouldn't have known what to order anyway. We went back to our hot apartment for the night. We would continue our search tomorrow for shoes.
We went in search of breakfast and could only find McDonald's again. (which we were thankful for) We were in a different part of Kiev again so everything was a new search and we could not find a grocery store. Only the McDonald's drive-thru was open in the early morning so here we are walking through the drive-thru. Fortunately, some Ukrainians were doing the same thing.
It was a beautiful morning for breakfast outside.Alexy picked us up and we went to get the official health check-up for Tanya and Lienna. We then went to the US Embassy to get the visas. We were thankful they took our US bills there. We have learned that when you travel to other countries, you should get newer, crisp bills. Any little tear or too much wear is cause for rejection when you try to exchange it. We had been concerned that we may run out of money because some of our bills were rejected.The visas would be ready on Friday so now we could make plans to fly home. Our round trip tickets were for a return of June 6. We were ready to go home now!! So we started to call to get an earlier flight. No flight on Friday, no seats on Sat or Sun! The earliest tickets were possibly Monday and Tanya and Lienna's cost much more than expected. This was a cause of stress for us. Mentally, emotionally, and financially we hit the wall and had to get home. The fatigue of traveling with four girls for three days and finding no real food was taking it's toll. After much prayer, we did get flights to Cincinnati. The Delta lady in Kyiv said it would be cheaper to get a ticket in Cincinnati for the two one-way tickets from Cincinnati to Sioux Falls. It didn't make sense to us (and we later found out she was WRONG!) At that point we were just thankful to get flights to the United States. At least we would be able to find food and be able to communicate. Later, we found out just how bad she messed up our flights.
Later in the day we went for a walk around our apartment to see if we could find a store for shoes, clothes, and food. Tanya and Lienna were both given shoes that were too small for them and they needed some clothes also. Fortunately we made due on the clothes since Tanya and Morgan were close to the same size and Lienna had one wearable outfit. Just don't be surprised when we are in the same outfit in most pictures. We packed very light for this trip so had few outfits to choose from. (that meant more washing though) In our search for food, we did find one restaurant. It was Ukranian food and had an English menu! This was a treat for Tanya and Lienna since it was a little different than the orphanage food and it was a nice change from crackers and Nutrigrain bars. It was nice for us also. All we found that day were stands with food and miscellaneous items. We were told we shouldn't eat the food at these stands and wouldn't have known what to order anyway. We went back to our hot apartment for the night. We would continue our search tomorrow for shoes.
Train to Kiev, May 30
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
The new fountain and gazebo.
This was the usual sit and wait. Not much waiting this morning though. We got our passports, found a notary, found a store for bananas and water and headed to the train station for our 11:47 train. Seroge helped us find our train and get settled in. The stewardess studdied our tickets a bit and we found out why later. Right after Seroge left, she came to check tickets again. She had a great concern and voiced it in Russian while pointing to our tickets. The tickets said June 30 instead of May 30! We panicked and searched for Seroge's phone number since the train was about to leave. God answered prayers again and Seroge wasn't too far away. He came back and after some discussion with her it was settled Ukrainian style. She was happy but no one had time to buy new tickets. We were thankful the car was mostly empty but were a little nervous when it did stop to board new passengers since we did not have an official ticket in our hand.
Leaving Odessa.
The trip to Kiev was eight hours. This is Tanya, Morgan, and Jon in their compartment. It sleeps four and was fairly comfortable. Amber, Lienna, and I were in the other compartment. The door latch was broken on ours so if we shut it we could not open it from the inside. That was a bit un-nerving for me. We tried to prop it open but it would sometimes slide closed and I would have to bang on the wall in hopes that Jon would hear and come let us out. It makes me ill just retelling it now so God was obviously calming my fears then. I was really thankful that we were about the only ones in the car so we could leave the door open.
Tanya and Morgan in their bunks. They had fun jumping from bunk to bunk and all around the cabin. The scene from the train was mostly trees with glimpses of the country in the breaks in the trees. I wish they had not planted all those trees along the tracks. The country there is so beautiful and would have made the trip go faster if we could have seen it. We did see each town as we went through. Every house in Ukraine has high fences all around their property. Every inch of the property is planted with garden, fruit trees and flowers. No lawn to mow. They don't waste it on grass when it can be used for food. 
These are not very good pictures. Most of the trip was trees so I didn't have my camera out.
Arriving in Kiev!
We got up and left the seminary at 7:30 to get downtown by 8:30 to the passport office. While Seroge went to stand in line, we went to find breakfast. We were just looking for a grocery store for something quick. After walking awhile we found a McDonald's. But of the six times we ate at McDonald's in Ukraine, they have never been fast food! They also do not have hot breakfast. Others there were ordering burgers. Fortunately they had muffins in the counter case which did make it easier to just point to order. On the walk back we went by a beautiful city park that has just been redone. We had been there eleven days earlier and there was black dirt. Now there were flowers and grass.
The new fountain and gazebo.
This was the usual sit and wait. Not much waiting this morning though. We got our passports, found a notary, found a store for bananas and water and headed to the train station for our 11:47 train. Seroge helped us find our train and get settled in. The stewardess studdied our tickets a bit and we found out why later. Right after Seroge left, she came to check tickets again. She had a great concern and voiced it in Russian while pointing to our tickets. The tickets said June 30 instead of May 30! We panicked and searched for Seroge's phone number since the train was about to leave. God answered prayers again and Seroge wasn't too far away. He came back and after some discussion with her it was settled Ukrainian style. She was happy but no one had time to buy new tickets. We were thankful the car was mostly empty but were a little nervous when it did stop to board new passengers since we did not have an official ticket in our hand.Leaving Odessa.
The trip to Kiev was eight hours. This is Tanya, Morgan, and Jon in their compartment. It sleeps four and was fairly comfortable. Amber, Lienna, and I were in the other compartment. The door latch was broken on ours so if we shut it we could not open it from the inside. That was a bit un-nerving for me. We tried to prop it open but it would sometimes slide closed and I would have to bang on the wall in hopes that Jon would hear and come let us out. It makes me ill just retelling it now so God was obviously calming my fears then. I was really thankful that we were about the only ones in the car so we could leave the door open.
Tanya and Morgan in their bunks. They had fun jumping from bunk to bunk and all around the cabin. The scene from the train was mostly trees with glimpses of the country in the breaks in the trees. I wish they had not planted all those trees along the tracks. The country there is so beautiful and would have made the trip go faster if we could have seen it. We did see each town as we went through. Every house in Ukraine has high fences all around their property. Every inch of the property is planted with garden, fruit trees and flowers. No lawn to mow. They don't waste it on grass when it can be used for food. These are not very good pictures. Most of the trip was trees so I didn't have my camera out.
Arriving in Kiev! This was the roomiest car we rode in. Seven of us with our luggage. No problem! Alexy drove us to our apartment and we arrived about 8:30 pm. Again we found no place for food. We were told that McDonald's is about the only fast food in Ukraine and we couldn't find groceries that late either. Our food for that day: McDonald's muffins and juice, crackers, a Nutrigrain bar, bananas, and beef jerky.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Tues May 29
I am now going back to try to recall what happened since we last had internet to blog. It seems like so long ago! We had no internet access for the last week so just called details to my sister to post.
On Tuesday, May 29 we got up early to go to the orphanage to pick up the girls. Jon posted most of the details that day but, of course, I have more to add. The huge blessing that day was our van. If you recall, our ride to Odessa was quite memorable(see May 16 post) and I did not want to repeat it. God provided a great van and driver this time! We were able to rent the van used by the baptist churches in the Odessa region and their driver. We were thrilled that morning to see such a spacious van! That was also such a blessing because the eight of us were in it so much during the day. Besides the driving we had to wait several hours in the van in the hot afternoon sun while waiting for Seroge to get our paperwork. Our driver was also better but when the time crunch came he did step it up to normal Ukranian driving. We had to race back to Odessa to try to get our passports done before the office closed and he broke plenty of traffic laws on the way(if there are any traffic laws that is). We really didn't notice though due to our previous experience. At least this driver drove as if he valued his life.
As Jon mentioned in the post last week, we were at Andrijevo on the last day of school to see their graduation. These were some of their ninth grade graduates.
The ninth grade graduating class. These children now leave the orphanage for the next stage of their life.
Flowers are a common gift in Ukraine. I think these went to the teachers. Of course, we did not understand anything said at their ceremony. These are some first graders.
This is how we spent most of our time during the adoption process.....waiting.
Some of Tanya's classmates
After much waiting around we finally got to pack the girls up and leave. We drove a couple hours to the town where their birth certificates were located. The official took her time reviewing our papers and finally got the birth certificates done. Here is the town we were in and Amber, Tanya, and Morgan are just trying to kill time.
We then went to Odessa but the passport office had already closed. We were able to get to another office and get a stamp on the birth certificates. Seroge took us to get our train tickets to leave the next day. Again we were thankful for our big van and safe driver because we could leave the girls in the van to wait. We saw a McDonald's and finally got to eat about 7:30 PM. Up til then we had only had some trail mix since our light lunch at the orphanage. Despite no food and little water and lots of time in a warm van, all four girls did great.
We had
to call and find a place to stay for the night since we had hoped to be on a train to Kiev. Thankfully the seminary had a couple rooms for us again. While at the seminary this time we were able to meet the seminary student our church is supporting. He helped us carry our luggage and find our rooms for the night. 
Sunset over the seminary as we were arriving.
On Tuesday, May 29 we got up early to go to the orphanage to pick up the girls. Jon posted most of the details that day but, of course, I have more to add. The huge blessing that day was our van. If you recall, our ride to Odessa was quite memorable(see May 16 post) and I did not want to repeat it. God provided a great van and driver this time! We were able to rent the van used by the baptist churches in the Odessa region and their driver. We were thrilled that morning to see such a spacious van! That was also such a blessing because the eight of us were in it so much during the day. Besides the driving we had to wait several hours in the van in the hot afternoon sun while waiting for Seroge to get our paperwork. Our driver was also better but when the time crunch came he did step it up to normal Ukranian driving. We had to race back to Odessa to try to get our passports done before the office closed and he broke plenty of traffic laws on the way(if there are any traffic laws that is). We really didn't notice though due to our previous experience. At least this driver drove as if he valued his life.
As Jon mentioned in the post last week, we were at Andrijevo on the last day of school to see their graduation. These were some of their ninth grade graduates.
The ninth grade graduating class. These children now leave the orphanage for the next stage of their life.
Flowers are a common gift in Ukraine. I think these went to the teachers. Of course, we did not understand anything said at their ceremony. These are some first graders.
This is how we spent most of our time during the adoption process.....waiting.
Some of Tanya's classmates
After much waiting around we finally got to pack the girls up and leave. We drove a couple hours to the town where their birth certificates were located. The official took her time reviewing our papers and finally got the birth certificates done. Here is the town we were in and Amber, Tanya, and Morgan are just trying to kill time.We then went to Odessa but the passport office had already closed. We were able to get to another office and get a stamp on the birth certificates. Seroge took us to get our train tickets to leave the next day. Again we were thankful for our big van and safe driver because we could leave the girls in the van to wait. We saw a McDonald's and finally got to eat about 7:30 PM. Up til then we had only had some trail mix since our light lunch at the orphanage. Despite no food and little water and lots of time in a warm van, all four girls did great.
We had
to call and find a place to stay for the night since we had hoped to be on a train to Kiev. Thankfully the seminary had a couple rooms for us again. While at the seminary this time we were able to meet the seminary student our church is supporting. He helped us carry our luggage and find our rooms for the night. 
Sunset over the seminary as we were arriving.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
They are in the United States!!!
posted by Lynette - Saturday, 9:30 pm
I just talked to Janell and they have arrived in Cincinnati. They are in their hotel room and they were able to get tickets for their whole family. Praise God! They will be coming into Sioux Falls at 10:45 on Sunday morning.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Coming Home Soon!
Friday, June 1st - 8:00 am
posted by Lynette(Janell's sister)
I visited with Janell last night and they are very anxious to get home. They were going to spend the day getting their passports and getting rested up to begin the trip back home. They are leaving Kiev on Saturday and arriving in Cincinnati around 7:00 pm and spending the night there. Right now they only have 4 tickets to leave Cincinnati. They need all of our prayers so that they can all come home together that morning. The scheduled flight is suppose to be around 10:30. Janell will let us know any additional information as soon as she knows.
posted by Lynette(Janell's sister)
I visited with Janell last night and they are very anxious to get home. They were going to spend the day getting their passports and getting rested up to begin the trip back home. They are leaving Kiev on Saturday and arriving in Cincinnati around 7:00 pm and spending the night there. Right now they only have 4 tickets to leave Cincinnati. They need all of our prayers so that they can all come home together that morning. The scheduled flight is suppose to be around 10:30. Janell will let us know any additional information as soon as she knows.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
A Full Day
Tuesday May 29 at 9:30 pm
Got Jon writing this time...Janell will return soon :)
We were off early this morning at 6:00 am on our way to the orphanage. We arrived to see the last day of school ceremony take place. It was quite a presentation. The ninth grade class graduated as well. We then waited for Seroge and the Deputy Director of the orphanage to go and get the court decree signed. We have a story about that to tell when we get home. All went well and after they returned to the orphanage we packed up Lienna and Tanya's things. Mostly toys. They did not have many clothes with them. Another story to tell when we get home. The girls said their goodbyes and it was tough for us to know the reality of that situation for our girls and for the other kids still at the orphanage.
We headed to Bilivka, about a two hour drive, to get their birth certificates. We were there for over two hours as they checked every detail of the court decree. We then raced to Odessa trying to get to the passport office before it closed. We missed it by about an half hour. We did make it to the Odessa vital records office, just as they were closing, for another stamp on the birth certificates. We will get the passports first thing Wednesday morning and then board a train to Kiev at 11:47 am.
Thank you for the prayers today. We waited around for many hours but the girls have done well. We are hoping things in Kiev will go smoothly and quickly so we can make it home soon.
All for now.
Got Jon writing this time...Janell will return soon :)
We were off early this morning at 6:00 am on our way to the orphanage. We arrived to see the last day of school ceremony take place. It was quite a presentation. The ninth grade class graduated as well. We then waited for Seroge and the Deputy Director of the orphanage to go and get the court decree signed. We have a story about that to tell when we get home. All went well and after they returned to the orphanage we packed up Lienna and Tanya's things. Mostly toys. They did not have many clothes with them. Another story to tell when we get home. The girls said their goodbyes and it was tough for us to know the reality of that situation for our girls and for the other kids still at the orphanage.
We headed to Bilivka, about a two hour drive, to get their birth certificates. We were there for over two hours as they checked every detail of the court decree. We then raced to Odessa trying to get to the passport office before it closed. We missed it by about an half hour. We did make it to the Odessa vital records office, just as they were closing, for another stamp on the birth certificates. We will get the passports first thing Wednesday morning and then board a train to Kiev at 11:47 am.
Thank you for the prayers today. We waited around for many hours but the girls have done well. We are hoping things in Kiev will go smoothly and quickly so we can make it home soon.
All for now.
Monday, May 28, 2007
ten day waiting period over
Posted Monday, May 28, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Amber writes…Well it is hard to believe that we only have a few days left until we come home. I think I am ready to come home. I had fun at the orphanage spending time with the kids and getting to know some of them. Even though they have so little, they found things to give me as a gift to make my birthday special. I will miss some of them when I leave. I thank you for all your prayers. God has been really good to us on this trip.
Janell writes…..Yesterday Jon preached again at our sister church. We then had another meal and visited. We have really enjoyed the people we have gotten to know here and learned a lot about their church.
Pastor Alexander presented us with a gift at the end of the service.
Jon preached the second out of the three sermons at this Sunday morning service. If you think our Sunday services are long, try listening to three sermons with two in a different language. We have someone interpreting during the Russian message but with no pauses. It is hard to hear with two languages going at the same time and our interpreter has to talk fairly quiet. It amazes me how someone can interpret and listen at the same time. I have a huge appreciation for people who can do that and will do that. I was so thankful to our friends for interpreting. When Jon preaches he pauses after each phrase and the translator repeats in Russian. That is easier to listen to but harder for Jon to deliver the message. For those of you who have traveled to other countries and visited their church services, you know that we in America have no reason to complain about long services. Maybe we have it too easy as Christians in America if we are not eager to hear more teaching from the Bible.
This picture was taken after Wednesday night bible study. Their church has been under construction for several years. We know what that is like.
Pastor Alexander and his wife Lubov.
In the evening(Sunday), we walked to a salt lake with our friends, Tanya, Liza, and Dennis. Tanya is Vasily's wife and Liza and Dennis are 5 and 2. Tanya speaks English and has also been great to have as an interpreter as well as a friend. This lake is as salty as the dead sea. The salt and mud are therapeutic to people with all kinds of ailments. There is a large clinic here where people will come for treatments. The locals just go down to the lake and cover themselves with the mud. The lake is very large but shallow enough to walk across. The one drawback: the mud stinks. It was interesting but I opted out of the mud bath. Morgan, of course, loved it. I was mostly worried about her getting the coal black mud on her clothes because we have so few clothes along. I know, I know, I should just let the kid have some fun!
Today (Monday) we are preparing to leave. We walked several miles to a mall and found pizza. It tasted so good! We only order ham and pineapple because those are the only words we know. The other choices here seem to be salami, chicken, fish, and veggies. The crust has always been thin, very little sauce, and the cheese is a little different. We think maybe it is Russian cheese. We got a few other supplies and headed back to pack.
We leave tomorrow morning very early for the orphanage to pick up the girls. If all goes well, we will be on an overnight train to Kiev Tuesday night. On Wednesday we could complete documents and be ready to leave on Thursday. Then we will have to try to get two plane tickets for Tanya and Lienna and change our four for an earlier flight home. That may be the toughest step. So we don't know when our next blog post will be. Maybe we will be headed home when you see it next! Hopefully we won't be in Kiev another week.
Amber writes…Well it is hard to believe that we only have a few days left until we come home. I think I am ready to come home. I had fun at the orphanage spending time with the kids and getting to know some of them. Even though they have so little, they found things to give me as a gift to make my birthday special. I will miss some of them when I leave. I thank you for all your prayers. God has been really good to us on this trip.
Janell writes…..Yesterday Jon preached again at our sister church. We then had another meal and visited. We have really enjoyed the people we have gotten to know here and learned a lot about their church.
Pastor Alexander presented us with a gift at the end of the service.Jon preached the second out of the three sermons at this Sunday morning service. If you think our Sunday services are long, try listening to three sermons with two in a different language. We have someone interpreting during the Russian message but with no pauses. It is hard to hear with two languages going at the same time and our interpreter has to talk fairly quiet. It amazes me how someone can interpret and listen at the same time. I have a huge appreciation for people who can do that and will do that. I was so thankful to our friends for interpreting. When Jon preaches he pauses after each phrase and the translator repeats in Russian. That is easier to listen to but harder for Jon to deliver the message. For those of you who have traveled to other countries and visited their church services, you know that we in America have no reason to complain about long services. Maybe we have it too easy as Christians in America if we are not eager to hear more teaching from the Bible.
This picture was taken after Wednesday night bible study. Their church has been under construction for several years. We know what that is like. Pastor Alexander and his wife Lubov.In the evening(Sunday), we walked to a salt lake with our friends, Tanya, Liza, and Dennis. Tanya is Vasily's wife and Liza and Dennis are 5 and 2. Tanya speaks English and has also been great to have as an interpreter as well as a friend. This lake is as salty as the dead sea. The salt and mud are therapeutic to people with all kinds of ailments. There is a large clinic here where people will come for treatments. The locals just go down to the lake and cover themselves with the mud. The lake is very large but shallow enough to walk across. The one drawback: the mud stinks. It was interesting but I opted out of the mud bath. Morgan, of course, loved it. I was mostly worried about her getting the coal black mud on her clothes because we have so few clothes along. I know, I know, I should just let the kid have some fun!
Today (Monday) we are preparing to leave. We walked several miles to a mall and found pizza. It tasted so good! We only order ham and pineapple because those are the only words we know. The other choices here seem to be salami, chicken, fish, and veggies. The crust has always been thin, very little sauce, and the cheese is a little different. We think maybe it is Russian cheese. We got a few other supplies and headed back to pack.We leave tomorrow morning very early for the orphanage to pick up the girls. If all goes well, we will be on an overnight train to Kiev Tuesday night. On Wednesday we could complete documents and be ready to leave on Thursday. Then we will have to try to get two plane tickets for Tanya and Lienna and change our four for an earlier flight home. That may be the toughest step. So we don't know when our next blog post will be. Maybe we will be headed home when you see it next! Hopefully we won't be in Kiev another week.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Shopping in Odessa
Saturday, May 26, 2007 at 5:00 pm
We got final word today that Monday is a holiday here. We are not sure what holiday though. Therefore, we will be going to get Tanya and Lienna very early on Tuesday morning. Seroge, our facilitator said Lienna has called him and is anxious for us to come and get them. Seroge and the deputy director will go Tuesday morning to get the court decree signed and you can pray that it will go smoothly. That should be about 1 am Central time so you can just include it in your bedtime prayers. We will get to stay at the orphanage to pack up the girls and say good-byes while they get the paperwork done. An answered prayer: we have found a van to take us to the orphanage and drive us around Odessa to do paperwork on Tuesday. It shouldn't be as exciting (nerve-wracking, treacherous) as the taxi here.
We got final word today that Monday is a holiday here. We are not sure what holiday though. Therefore, we will be going to get Tanya and Lienna very early on Tuesday morning. Seroge, our facilitator said Lienna has called him and is anxious for us to come and get them. Seroge and the deputy director will go Tuesday morning to get the court decree signed and you can pray that it will go smoothly. That should be about 1 am Central time so you can just include it in your bedtime prayers. We will get to stay at the orphanage to pack up the girls and say good-byes while they get the paperwork done. An answered prayer: we have found a van to take us to the orphanage and drive us around Odessa to do paperwork on Tuesday. It shouldn't be as exciting (nerve-wracking, treacherous) as the taxi here.
Morgan being Morgan!Today we were blessed with some clouds and a cooler breeze! We did the Ukrainian thing and walked lots of miles today. We did some shopping for gifts for the kids at the orphanage and found McDonald's. McDonald's is a good 45 minute walk. We succeeded in ordering our meal. We also got some more feel for the city life here.
Outdoor rumage sale, Ukraine style. People lined the sidewalks and streets with their items for sale. The clothes are not drying, they are for sale.
If you don't have a table, you put down a sheet and open for business. We saw hundreds of entrepreneurs like this.Morgan writes.....
I am going to miss all the kids at the orphanage. It will be hard to say goodbye. I made a lot of friends when we were there for six days. Especially in school. It has been fun staying in Odessa. Pastor Alexander and Lubov found out I liked oranges and have three plates at every meal for me. I miss you all. Thank you for your prayers.
Friday, May 25, 2007
A Day at the Docks
Friday, May 25, 2007
Thank you so much for all the emails you have sent. Hearing from home is such a blessing to us and helps us keep going. In case you have tried, you can’t put responses on our blog site but you can email us with our normal email addresses. Unfortunately, each day brings frustration though as we try to connect with the internet. So we never know if we will get our blog updated or get our emails.
On Thur May 24, 2007
Yesterday, (Thursday) we went for a boat ride from the Odessa dock. While waiting for our boat, we saw a large ferry from Turkey come in and watched it dock. While sitting on our boat we watched other large ships (above) come in and saw how the tugboats maneuvered them in the port. We sat on our boat for two hours. Pastor had driven us down to the port and does not speak English so we could not ask what was happening. He was a little frustrated too. But it was a nice day with a breeze off the sea so it was comfortable. The girls also watched the jellyfish. Morgan however found a Ukrainian girl her age to befriend. It took a whole hour before she talked to her though which is longer than usual for Morgan. When the boat finally took off we got a nice ride along the coastline of Odessa.
In the evening we went to Vasily and Tanya’s home and ate and visited. The girls played and picked fresh strawberries. The gardens in Ukraine are huge and they can grow such variety. They produce grapes, cherries, pears, and strawberries along with their many veggies. Jon wants everyone to know that he has eaten quite a variety of veggies. Most of the food here is homegrown and we are told some Ukranians get sick from American food due to the preservatives.
Today (Friday) is laundry day, rest, and try to stay cool. For those I asked to pray for warm weather for me, Jon says you can quit! We are trying to get some breeze blowing through our dorm to cool it down at night.
Our room is second floor on the far left. This is a new building with ongoing construction all around it at the seminary.
Thank you so much for all the emails you have sent. Hearing from home is such a blessing to us and helps us keep going. In case you have tried, you can’t put responses on our blog site but you can email us with our normal email addresses. Unfortunately, each day brings frustration though as we try to connect with the internet. So we never know if we will get our blog updated or get our emails.
On Thur May 24, 2007
Yesterday, (Thursday) we went for a boat ride from the Odessa dock. While waiting for our boat, we saw a large ferry from Turkey come in and watched it dock. While sitting on our boat we watched other large ships (above) come in and saw how the tugboats maneuvered them in the port. We sat on our boat for two hours. Pastor had driven us down to the port and does not speak English so we could not ask what was happening. He was a little frustrated too. But it was a nice day with a breeze off the sea so it was comfortable. The girls also watched the jellyfish. Morgan however found a Ukrainian girl her age to befriend. It took a whole hour before she talked to her though which is longer than usual for Morgan. When the boat finally took off we got a nice ride along the coastline of Odessa. In the evening we went to Vasily and Tanya’s home and ate and visited. The girls played and picked fresh strawberries. The gardens in Ukraine are huge and they can grow such variety. They produce grapes, cherries, pears, and strawberries along with their many veggies. Jon wants everyone to know that he has eaten quite a variety of veggies. Most of the food here is homegrown and we are told some Ukranians get sick from American food due to the preservatives.Today (Friday) is laundry day, rest, and try to stay cool. For those I asked to pray for warm weather for me, Jon says you can quit! We are trying to get some breeze blowing through our dorm to cool it down at night. Our room is second floor on the far left. This is a new building with ongoing construction all around it at the seminary.Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Going Underground
Wednesday May 23, 2007 (posted Thursday at 9:30 pm)
Today we traveled with Sasha and his cousin Julia. Sasha is a deacon at Good News Church and also the AWANA missionary for this region. Julia came along to translate for us.
They took us to visit some of the Odessa catacombs which run underneath much of the city. They are actually unable to build a subway system in Odessa because of all the catacombs that exist. The city may collapse if they tunnel anymore. It was very interesting to see how and where these people lived in the catacombs.
We had lunch at the church and then were able to spend some time in the afternoon resting in our room.
In the evening we attended a Bible study and fellowship time at Good News Church. Jon led the Bible study and answered many questions about our church in South Dakota. It was a more casual experience and interesting to see that Ukrainian Christians wrestle with many of the same issues that American Christians do.
We have been well taken care of by the Christians here in Odessa. They have been very hospitable and kind to us.
Much of the following is copied from another person’s blog. He wrote such a good summary of our tour and I don’t have time to write that much.
Odessa is said to have two cites. One above ground and the other below the surface. Odessa is built on a thick bed of limestone. For well over a century, the builders of Odessa mined blocks of limestone from below the surface to construct the city above the surface. Over time, the mine shafts formed a labyrinth of tunnels, or catacombs, below the city. There are three layers of tunnels. The first, or top most layer consists of softer limestone mined for roads. The second and third layers were comprised of harder stone and used for construction of buildings.There are over 3,000 kilometers of tunnels under the city. If laid end to end, there would be enough tunnel to stretch from Odessa to St. Petersberg. Catacombs run anywhere from 12 to 20 meters below the surface. The third, or bottom layer has been flooded by water. At one time, the catacombs were mapped but, during WWII, the maps were destroyed to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Nazi’s. Today, the catacombs are sealed to prevent curiosity seekers from becoming hopelessly lost and to curtail criminal use. In 1941, the Nazi army laid siege to Odessa. For 109 days, citizens could not receive food and supplies by either land or sea. Odessa's waterworks were destroyed by bombardment. The regular Soviet Army and citizens of Odessa used what ever means possible to hold off the invaders, including, the catacombs. The vast, network of tunnels were perfect to launch attacks and move both fighters and supplies. Eventually, the city fell to the Nazis and for the next 3 ½ years, the resistance or, partisans, used the catacombs to harass the occupying force. Many children, some as young seven years old, fought against the Nazi’s. Odessa was home to many Jews and the catacombs were used to shelter them from Nazi patrols.The Nazis used specially trained dogs to pick up on the scent of the catacombs. Anyone on the surface who was identified by these dogs was assumed to be part of the resistance and killed immediately.
Behind this door is a path to the center of Odessa. Above ground it is 15 km. Through the path of catacombs it is 100 km.
This is an office for planning. They had a phonograph for music, typewriter, library and an oath to fight to the death.
Bedroom. It appears as if bedding consisted of mats made from dried reeds or straw. Living quarters were divided into three sections: men, women and families.
A barrel used for an oven.
Kitchen. The occupants of the catacombs ground flour using a small, stone wheel and baked bread in a 55 gallon barrel that was converted into an oven. Smoke from the oven would give away their position so the oven was vented into the first level of tunnels, directly above the kitchen.
A memorial to those who died from either direct military action, starvation or disease. Limestone carved into the shape of two hands, cupped together. A lantern rests in the open palms of hands.
As part of the memorial, the face of a weeping woman was carved into the tunnel wall. When enough condensation forms in the hallow of her eyes, it trickles down her face to appear as if the woman is weeping in sorrow. It is damp and chilly in the tunnels. On the right is a barrel used to heat water for their bathroom. The heat also dried their clothes.
Views of city surrounding the museum and entrance to the catacombs. It appears much as it did in the 1940's. Though it might appear like a rural village, this area is within the boundaries of Odessa.
Today we traveled with Sasha and his cousin Julia. Sasha is a deacon at Good News Church and also the AWANA missionary for this region. Julia came along to translate for us.
They took us to visit some of the Odessa catacombs which run underneath much of the city. They are actually unable to build a subway system in Odessa because of all the catacombs that exist. The city may collapse if they tunnel anymore. It was very interesting to see how and where these people lived in the catacombs.
We had lunch at the church and then were able to spend some time in the afternoon resting in our room.
In the evening we attended a Bible study and fellowship time at Good News Church. Jon led the Bible study and answered many questions about our church in South Dakota. It was a more casual experience and interesting to see that Ukrainian Christians wrestle with many of the same issues that American Christians do.
We have been well taken care of by the Christians here in Odessa. They have been very hospitable and kind to us.
Much of the following is copied from another person’s blog. He wrote such a good summary of our tour and I don’t have time to write that much.
Odessa is said to have two cites. One above ground and the other below the surface. Odessa is built on a thick bed of limestone. For well over a century, the builders of Odessa mined blocks of limestone from below the surface to construct the city above the surface. Over time, the mine shafts formed a labyrinth of tunnels, or catacombs, below the city. There are three layers of tunnels. The first, or top most layer consists of softer limestone mined for roads. The second and third layers were comprised of harder stone and used for construction of buildings.There are over 3,000 kilometers of tunnels under the city. If laid end to end, there would be enough tunnel to stretch from Odessa to St. Petersberg. Catacombs run anywhere from 12 to 20 meters below the surface. The third, or bottom layer has been flooded by water. At one time, the catacombs were mapped but, during WWII, the maps were destroyed to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Nazi’s. Today, the catacombs are sealed to prevent curiosity seekers from becoming hopelessly lost and to curtail criminal use. In 1941, the Nazi army laid siege to Odessa. For 109 days, citizens could not receive food and supplies by either land or sea. Odessa's waterworks were destroyed by bombardment. The regular Soviet Army and citizens of Odessa used what ever means possible to hold off the invaders, including, the catacombs. The vast, network of tunnels were perfect to launch attacks and move both fighters and supplies. Eventually, the city fell to the Nazis and for the next 3 ½ years, the resistance or, partisans, used the catacombs to harass the occupying force. Many children, some as young seven years old, fought against the Nazi’s. Odessa was home to many Jews and the catacombs were used to shelter them from Nazi patrols.The Nazis used specially trained dogs to pick up on the scent of the catacombs. Anyone on the surface who was identified by these dogs was assumed to be part of the resistance and killed immediately.
This is the entrance to the catacombs. To the left is a door in, in the middle you can see layers of shellstone as it is called here. Also in the middle is a memorial. To the right you can see how blocks of shellstone are used to build.
Behind this door is a path to the center of Odessa. Above ground it is 15 km. Through the path of catacombs it is 100 km. This is an office for planning. They had a phonograph for music, typewriter, library and an oath to fight to the death. Bedroom. It appears as if bedding consisted of mats made from dried reeds or straw. Living quarters were divided into three sections: men, women and families. A barrel used for an oven.Kitchen. The occupants of the catacombs ground flour using a small, stone wheel and baked bread in a 55 gallon barrel that was converted into an oven. Smoke from the oven would give away their position so the oven was vented into the first level of tunnels, directly above the kitchen.
The well was also used to smuggle supplies and information to the partisans who were living in the catacombs. Partisans who remained on the surface, would go to the village well at the prearranged time to draw water. They would lower food and supplies in the empty bucket to partisans waiting below who would remove the supplies and fill the bucket with water (about six feet below this level) for the return trip to the surface.
A memorial to those who died from either direct military action, starvation or disease. Limestone carved into the shape of two hands, cupped together. A lantern rests in the open palms of hands. 
As part of the memorial, the face of a weeping woman was carved into the tunnel wall. When enough condensation forms in the hallow of her eyes, it trickles down her face to appear as if the woman is weeping in sorrow. It is damp and chilly in the tunnels. On the right is a barrel used to heat water for their bathroom. The heat also dried their clothes.
Views of city surrounding the museum and entrance to the catacombs. It appears much as it did in the 1940's. Though it might appear like a rural village, this area is within the boundaries of Odessa.
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