Call us "Charlie Brown"

We have been here for 5 weeks. Remember when Lucy would let Charlie Brown try to kick the football. She would assure him that this time she REALLY would let him kick it if he would only try - only to pull the ball at the last minute so he would miss and fall. Well, we feel like Charlie Brown. We have not had internet access for the last 3 days so, even though not alot has changed, let me catch everyone up on what is going on. Things are starting to move, just very slowly. You may recall that Zhenia was supposed to call the court on Thursday to see about our court date. When he called he was told that a date had been set and he needed to pick up the paperwork on Monday. The clerk who he spoke with did not know the date, but said Zhenia could call back on Friday to find out. Of course, he called twice on Friday only to be told that the judge had the paperwork, a date had been set, and we will have to wait until Monday to find out what it is. Zhenia was told to come pick up the paperwork and deliver the documents to the people required for court(orphanage director, social worker, etc). Now, supposedly, having to deliver the paperwork may be a sign that the date is too close for the documents to reach everyone by mail. It is nice to say "I'm trying not to get my hopes up", but of course they are high. We are praying the court date will be sometime next week - the sooner the better.

Friday evening we went to a party at the Canadian Embassy. We met many Canadian and American families currently living in Ukraine. We had a very good time speaking english to others for a few hours and even enjoyed American-style pizza.

The good news is that we finally saw Viktor!! As the orphanage director would not let Viktor come home from camp early, we had to wait until everyone returned. The kids from orphanage 21 returned today @11:00 by train. We were there to meet the train at the station. It was so good to see him again. We were hoping that we could finally have him stay with us, of course, Alla said "no". At 8:00 a.m. Monday morning, all the of kids who have graduated will leave for trade school and live at the hostel. Since we won't find out the court day until tomorrow he will have to go with the other "graduates" to trade school in the morning and, if we have the papers, he will be able to go with us then. UNREAL. At this point I know there is a possibility that the papers will not be ready when we go get them in the morning. Viktor was not happy to be left again and does not want to go to the trade school, I don't blame him, not too happy myself. Even though we had sent many messages to him at camp - even spoken to staff who were supposed to communicate with him, no one told him we were still here working on the adoption. Alla would rather him have to go to the trade school and hostel instead of spending the night with the American Family who have waited 5 week in Kyiv working on this adoption. We have been approved by the SDA and inspector, completed all our paperwork so I don't think we pose any real threat. The insensitivity of the way these kids are treated is heartbreaking. We have assured him we will not leave Kyiv without him. We did get to spend a few hours with him and took him to lunch. Coming back to the flat, childless again, was very depressing. As I have said, many, many times, hopefully tomorrow will hold some promise. Right now we are flat on our backs looking at Lucy holding the football above our heads - OUCH!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO- Phillip & Cassie

To Cassie and Phillip

Just a shameless shout out to Cassie and Phillip. We love you and miss you very much. Mom's birthday would be much better if she had you two to spend it with, regardless the locale. Mom's pre-birthday Chocolate cake I bought last night was awful as well as the birthday cake I bought her tonight. Both looked great but let us down in the taste category. I fixed her french toast with strawberry syrup for breakfast and went out and got her a boquet of yellow roses. I even managed to find her an English B-day card at the Halmark store in the local mini-mall.

Cassie: We eagerly await our nightly recorder concert. Hot Cross Buns and Mary Had a Little Lamb never sounded so good. I hope you feel better after being sore from all of the busy weekend activities. Enjoy Horseback riding tomorrow.

Phillip: We loved hearing the report about the football game last night. You have to know its killing us not to be there to cheer you on. I wish I'd seen you recieve that Kick off and return it into Red Raider territory. Hope your thumb is better soon.

I forgot to add in the previous blog entry: xoxoxoxoxoCassie and Phillip

Birthday Blues and Other Ramblings

Today is Sharon's birthday. As such, I am handling the blogging duties today while she sits on the life raft and plays Zuma on her cell phone. I tell you so far today its been nothing but party, party, party. I got permission to tell all that we are celebrating her 42nd birthday. She is either very secure or has given up all hope of surviving our foray into international adoption so it doesn't matter who knows. We were both convinced that today was the day we would get our court date. What a wonderful B'day present that would be for Sharon. Wrong!!! Zhenia called a few minutes ago and told me that he was instructed to call back on Thursday. Sharon said that she definitely thinks her 43rd birthday will be much better. I have done a few things to try and make the day special, but we both realize its very much like scooping whip cream on top of a big pile of manure and calling it desert.



Back at the start of the adoption process, I began keeping a journal to record all of the events and experiences we encounter as we work to bring Viktor home. I have decided that since I am at the helm of the blogging tug today that I would subject the readers to an excerpt from the journal, or as I have taken to calling it "The Viktor Chronicals". The following excerpt is from the train trip Sharon, Zhenia and I took down to Viktor's camp located on the Black Sea. This is the same trip that Sharon wrote about in an earlier blog.


"The first leg of the trip down to the camp we rode in semi-Ukrainian luxury. This meaning that Zhenia had secured for us our own Cupla. A Cupla is designed to sit/sleep four people, four very small people. Keep in mind that Sharon and I tell people all the time that we are freakishly tall people. The sleeping racks are arranged bunk style on either side of the cupla, perpendicular to the train tracks. We boarded the train and sat down in our cupla. Man it was hot. Zhenia tried to keep our minds busy while we waited for the train to leave by showing us all the features of the cupla, which lasted about two minutes. The majority of the cabin features centered around the redundant locking mechanisms for the door, all of which are meant to ensure that no one comes into your cabin while you are sleeping on the increadibly slow moving train and takes your stuff. After a thourough breifing on where to and where not to put your stuff in the cupla to safegaurd against someone coming into the cabin while you are sleeping on the increadibly hot train and taking your stuff, the train finally left the station. Did I mention the heat? While the train was moving there was an ever so slight contitioning of air eminating from the ceiling of the cabin. To call it air conditioning would be going to far. It was more like the promise of air-conditioning really, just enough to take the edge off the heat thus changing the temp from unbearable to uncomfortable. But, we were finally off to see Viktor, and at this point the trip was still very young.

It was an 11hr overnight train ride to Kherson, where we would depart the train and find other transportation for the remainder of the journey to camp. I slept fitfully in a pool of sweat, on a bunk that was a foot to short for about as long as I could take it so I got up at 5 am and greeted the morning from the window of the train. The train was scheduled to arrive in Kherson at 7:40 am and after a quick breakfast at the local Kherson McDonalds we would get a shuttle bus to camp and Viktor. It's funny what one's mind will reach out and cling to in order to get through a particular situation. A difficult period at work can be buffered with the thoughts of an upcoming vacation for example. The thing that I clinged to this particular morning was an Egg McMuffin and maybe a hash round or two on the side. A small bit of what I felt to be normalcy to recover from what I believed to be a very non-normal travel experience. So we readied ourselves as best we could, grabbed our bags and departed the train. On the way out of the station on the way to McDonalds, Zhenia decided to to stop and check on trian tickets for the return trip that evening. He was told that there was nothing available on any of the evening trains back to Kiev. The clerk told Zhenia to show back up around 6:00 pm and check because people were always cancelling their reservations and tickets become available. OK, our return trip plan established, lets get to Mickey Dees and salvage the morning with a little taste of home. Well on the way to Mcdonalds this time, Zhenia decides to check on shuttle bus service to the camp. What, no shuttle bus directly to camp? OK, we will have to take a shuttle bus to Skidoesk and then get a taxi from there to the camp, but hey who's complaining at least we will be headed to see Viktor, and have I mentioned that we've been in country for two and a half weeks and we haven't seen him yet. Now, with that decision made, lets get to McDonalds for an egg Mcnormal and a little taste of home on the side. Zhenia says its right down this street here. Hmmm, I don't see a McDonalds down the street, and I can see a pretty good ways. Zhenia begins asking the locals where the McDonalds is and is told that there is no McDonalds in all of the city. What!!!No Egg McNormal to turn this morning around. No hash browns to make me feel like John Curry, priviledged American, again. This morning was not progressing as well as we wanted and it was about to get a whole lot worse."

More from the military parade (for Phillip)

Phillip, As a father, this was an experience I would have would have loved to share with you. This stuff was right up your alley. I did my best to capture as much of the action as possible so that I could share it with you. Hopefully this can help you feel as though you were here with us enjoying the sights and sounds if only for a little while. I miss you like crazy (I miss Cassie like crazy as well) You're a great son, enjoy the pictures and videos.

At the beginning of the parade the "Prime Minister" rode down the street stoping in front of each company of soldiers. He would administer some type of oath at each stop and the soldiers would respond. I'll get Zhenia to translate.

As the Prime Minister made his way back up Khreschatyk, the companys of soldiers responded in waves that sounded like they were saying "Slaw,Slaw,Slaw".

Each company of soldiers marched a different way. Notice the "Goose Stepper", very cool.

Heavy equipment on the move. You could feel it in your feet when they came by. Almost as impressive as a fleet of Heil RCV's going by. (Shout out to my Heil friends. Can't wait to get back to Ft. Payne, truly God's country.)

Independence Day

And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.
Galations 6:9 (thanks Cindy)

Okay, I believe my last blog entry certainly indicated I was "losing heart". One should probably not blog while distressed (hence the bus comment). Certainly things are not going as we had hoped, but they are still going. I would in no way, however, wish to convey that just because things aren't going our way, we think we have been abandoned. We know God is still in control of this situation and many prayers have already been answered. I also don't want to make it sound like it is not a worthy journey nor discourage others who might answer this call of international adoption.
Phillip and Cassie sounded really good when we talked yesterday and, I admit, that has alot to do with how I cope here. Cassie got a recorder this year in music class and we have been treated to "hot cross buns" and "mary had a little lamb" from 3,000 miles away (sounded perfect to us). Lucky, Lucky, Mema that she gets to enjoy the music ALL DAY!! Lisa & Bart got Phillip on Friday and they will spend the weekend with the kids again - we are so grateful as the kids love them and always seem to have a great time. It is a relief to know they are doing fun things to help keep their minds off our absence. Viktor knows we are still here, but I'm sure he is wondering what is taking so long. Hopefully, knowing he will be leaving, he is enjoying this time with the kids he has grown up with and won't see for a long, long time. I'm trying to think in this vein as it breaks my heart to imagine he thinks we might have changed our minds. We have reassured him, but he really has no reason to trust us yet.

Today John and I attended the military parade to celebrate Ukraine's Independence Day. The parade was VERY well attended and we crammed ourselves between thousands of Ukrainian to witness a impressive display of military power. The Ukrainian President presided over the parade. It would have been great if Viktor could have witnessed this as his last Independence Day (at least for a while) in Ukraine. John did take alot of pictures. It's a good thing he is so tall, because by the end of the parade, so many people had pushed themselves in front of us we could barely see. Phillip would have enjoyed this and John was able to get some great video of the soldiers goose-stepping and responding to the President. We will have to get Zhenia to translate what the soldiers were saying. It sound like "SLAAW", and we thought maybe he was asking what they would like with their BBQ - but probably not. I know I have said this before, but thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have sent encouragement and prayer our way. Please pray for an answer for a court date on Tuesday - that's alot of prayer power coming this way!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO- Cassie & Phillip

Company after company of souldiers were line up down Khreschatyk. We could not tell the branch of service however they all looked quite impressive in their class A uniforms.

Some of the rolling hardware. We got a look at just about everything their military has to offer. There were Humvees obviously bought from the US in the parade as well.

More hardware, Laser guided missle transporters from what I can tell. Any of you out there that know your Eastern Block military equipment better than I can set me straight on this one.

A couple of Sukois (jet fighters) and a refueler.

Four attack helicopters in formation. We couldn't tell what the announcer was saying so we just paid attention to the crowd. When they looked up we looked up, when they looked down the street, we looked down the street. When they left, we left as well.

Not yet

Please continue to pray to soften this judges' heart (or that she will get run over by a bus :) ). We completed our form and signed it today and Zhenia took it to the judge to see if she would give us a court date. She made him wait until the very end of business - 6:00. Today makes the 7th time she has told Zhenia to come back the next business day. In this case, the next business day is Tuesday, August 26th as Monday is a holiday. Our Appointment with the SDA was July 28th (30 days and counting). When she finally decides to grant us a court date we don't know how far out that will be. We do not have the resources or desires to stay in Ukraine indefinately.

DAY 26 of hostage situation

Still waiting. Yesterday when Zhenia went to court to check on a court date, the judge handed him the form he had prepared last week (remember said form from embassy) Well, turns out, she now wants it notarized and apostilled from the Office of Foreign Affairs. Would have been really nice if she had requested this or said so last week. So . . . still no court date, still no Viktor. The helplessness and frustration is not fun or funny. Initially we had expected to be in our 10-day waiting period by now. Morale is low and WE WANT TO COME HOME!!!!! We will go today and present the form which hopefully will be ready by 4:00, then it has to be interpreted (? it is already in english on one side and Ukrainian on the other) Tomorrow Zhenia will take it to court. I'm tired of waiting all day for THE phone call only to be thwarted again. At this point we are hoping for a date next week. Monday is a holiday - courts closed. There is a reason for this wait and frustration, but so far it has not been revealed to us. Cassie and Phillip have been so great. We love and miss them tremendously, I don't like missing one day of their lives - time goes so quickly. And the reason we are here - have only gotten to see him once - unbelievable!! Instead of living one day at a time, right now I am trying one-hour at a time.

On a positive note - the couple who came in on the 18th to find a child has been referred a 18-month old boy in Lugansk (sp?). We are so happy for them and enjoyed having another couple to hand around with for a few days. They are on a train now to go meet him, we can't wait to hear all about their family.

Please keep praying, we appreciate all of the encouragement and support you have been, and continue, giving. XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO - Cassie & Phillip

"Tomorrow" means "not today"!

First, let me say, I am thankful to anyone who is interested enough to read our blog. Both for the prayers being offered on our and Viktor's behalf as well as the plight of the children here in Ukraine - please feel free to share. It is so great to get comments from those we know, but when someone we have never met lets us know they are praying for us - truly God at work. The other night at the grocery store John and I heard some people talking english- YAH more Americans. Well, they were Canadians - but close enough for us! These two couples worked at the Canadian Embassey and they invited us to their flat for ice cream. We enjoyed the swanky digs where they resided (the government takes good care of their diplomats) and their hospitality. They have been here for 2 years so they had some interesting insight to the Ukrainan culture. They asked about our situation and we told of the frustrations of the delays - then we learned an important lesson - with Ukrainians "tomorrow" just means "not today". Yes, we had been figuring that out, but is was a very succient way to wrap it up. Still no court date, but each "tomorrow" we are assured it will be soon. Another couple has arrived from Ohio and they are staying in the flat next to ours. They are looking for a child under 5 years. They had their appointment with the SDA today, we are praying they will find their child. Sometimes it is more difficult to find a healthy, young child within the system. We have been attending the presbyterian church in kyiv and have met some wonderful people. We attended a professional soccer match the other night - Kyiv Dynamos. We felt a bit guilty as Vikor would have loved to attend with us - but we will be sure to go again when he is here. The fans were very enthusiastic, especially since Dynamo won. I enjoyed watching the crowd as much as the match. The stadium was very nice except for the cloud of smoke in which it was engulfed- I think just about everyone in Ukraine smokes! On the 24th, Ukraine will celebrate their Independence Day. They are going to put on a parade to display all of their military might to the world (especially to Russia). This is supposedly going to be quite a site - we will take lots of pictures. It would be great if Viktor were here to see it - Phillip would love it too, right up his alley. I want to give a shout out to Nana and Mema - they have their hands full now that school has started, homework needs to be done, and everyone is worn out by the end of the day. I don't think the kids really appreciate how lucky they are to have these grandmas - but we sure do! Although I miss my kids like crazy, at least we know they are in good hands. I wish I could say the same for Viktor - keep praying he will be able to join us soon. As my sisters have sagely pointed out, we are taking a soul from satan he thought was his, someone who would never know the love of a family or Jesus, so he is not making this easy! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO-Cassie & Philip

He will rescue their life from oppression and violence; and their blood will be precious in his sight. Psalm 72:14

Entering Dynamo stadium for Sunday nights game.

Game on....Dynamo won the game. They were up 2-0 when we left with about 2 minutes remaining. Soccer is alot of fun to watch in person. Not much scoring but alot of action, plus the fans are extremely entertaining to watch as well. Well worth the price of admission, about 5 dollars US each.

For some reason there are no garbage cans. People just stack garbage in clusters. I believe all the glass bottles are worth a few copics each so there were an abundance of people picking thru the remains.

Us at the Dynamo game. Sharon looking good as usual and me just happy to be there.....

Sitting on Ice

Time to play a little catch-up on my blogging. I wish I had great news to share but I do not. Things seem to be going in slow motion with promises of tomorrow or the next day only to be pushed out again. The judge we drew for court has posed a bit of a problem. We are supposed to be careful about what we put on the blogs - though most of you can read emotions between the lines. We did not get the judge that Zhenia likes to work with, instead another judge got our paperwork on Monday. (Remember we had rushed back from camp in order to be in Kyiv to get a court date - hopefully this week). The judge told Zhenia to come back on Thursday so she could have time to look over the documents. When Zhenia returned on Thurs she said she needed a letter from the US Embassy saying we had permission to bring an orphan into the US. Zhenia has never had to have this letter before and keep in mind we already had a (very expensive) form giving us permission, in our dossier. You may remember me mentioning that Zhenia had completed our necessary forms for court in record time. As the judge requested this new letter she told him "you won't be able to get this so fast". Well, the US Embassy did get it done by the end of business day on Thursday and Zhenia got it back to the judge that same afternoon. This morning we were anticipating the call about our court date - praying for one next week. She told Zhenia, "congratulations on getting the document so quickly, but I still need time to research the dossier and I don't know when I can give you a date". Zhenia will have to check back on Monday (8/18). After court is a mandatory 10 day wait, followed by 5-6 days of completing documents that can only be done after the waiting period. We are anxious for at least a court date. BTW LOTS of crying on my part - what a helpless feeling coupled with the fact the director will not let Viktor come to kyiv until we have a court date. Strung along a day or two at a time is no fun. Viktor is sitting on ice at camp, having already graduated, having no family - I'm sure they have his best interest at heart.

That mild weather that greeted us in Kyiv is gone - it is very hot here. No A/C, so we keep the windows open at all times and I am covered in mosquito bites although I slather myself with OFF before we go to bed - I am the sacrifice apparently because John hasn't received bite #1 and I look like I have the Chicken Pox. 3 days ago we had to contact the landlord because the internet was not working and we really needed a fan. She came today - interesting that when we called her last week to tell her we had the rent ready- she was here within the hour. John is still performing excellent cooking feats - even french toast with strawberry syrup he made from Jam. Phillip and Cassie started school on Wednesday. Cassie loves 4th grade and getting to ride the bus while she is staying with Mema. I don't think high school is as bad as Phillip thought it would be - but not as fun as summer for sure. He played in his first football scrimmage yesterday. Caught all the passes thrown to him(3) as the wide receiver, made a good tackle as defensive end and played a couple plays as a linebacker, which is a new position for him, breaks our hearts that we missed it. Both my kids have requested that I return home. If only they knew how I ached to do so. We still feel we are fulfilling God's desire for us to adopt Viktor. We are dismayed by the delays and uncertainties. Every night (and day) I play in my head greeting the kids at the airport. So far, this day, it is the nadir of our existence in Kyiv. Mom sent us some names of missionaries in Kyiv and I may try to contact them today. Zhenia also has another family coming in on the 18th so maybe we will have a little company. Have I mentioned I miss my kids. I will try to make future blogs a bit more uplifting, don't want this to become one big complaint log! Please keep us in your prayer as this is getting hard. XOXOXOXOXOXO- Phillip and Cassie

more pictures from our visit with Viktor at camp

Wish we could taken all of these little ones HOME, especially the little in green that kept smiling and waving at Sharon.
Showing family pictures to Viktor and Friends. Zhenia was a very tired translator after about two hours of explaining all the pictures.
Soccer exhibition at the camp. Viktor has the ball. They are exceptionally talented athletes.
Pardon me boy's, this ain't the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
Partial family camp portrait. True Curry kid smile. Zhenia assures us that Viktor does really like us very much.

Warning - this a a looong one!

It certainly has been an eventful few days. I will try to describe in the order of events. When I last wrote, we were planning our trip to Kherson (pronounced hearson) in order to visit Viktor at camp. We left Kyiv Saturday night at 8:30 on the train for an 11 hour ride. The train station was so busy - like an airport. We had our own cupla which consisted of four bunks, a small table, and had a door for privacy. The bathrooms were indeed gross, but not unusable as long as you didn't breathe through your nose. John, Zhenia and I shared the cupla. We ate dinner we had packed, watched a DVD then went to bed. I was quite comfortable if a little warm. The train had air conditioning but the conductor refused to turn it on because another family was worried their kids might get cold (there were extra blankets available). Sleeping all the way was a little difficult as the train stopped often and was very loud. John was not quite as comfy as the bunks were really not made for someone 6'5", he gave up trying to sleep around 5:00 a.m. We arrived in Kherson around 7:30. I had waited until we were at the train station to use the restrooms again so I wouldn't have to use the one on the train. If only I had known the lovliness of the train bathroom!! The "restroom" (i use this term very loosely) was located in a seperate building away from the train station. I won't go into detail over the internet so everyone won't be subject to the grossness, but when I talk in person I'll try not to spare details. I'll just say there was some gagging involved and I wouldn't expect a dog to use these facilities. I would have rather gone behind the building, but there were too many people. Keep in mind this was a very busy station, I don't understand a country that would treat their people so. Well after that traumatic experience (did I mention I'm battleing a UTI - so I had to go frequently) we headed off to the McDonalds for breakfast as promised - wait a minute there was no McDonalds. We could tell Zhenia felt bad about this so we just ate leftover potatoe chips and cookies from the night before. I mentioned in the earlier blog that we were unsure about how we were going to get back to Kiev. When we arrived in Kherson Zhenia went to the ticket booth to ask about returning that evening. There were no tickets for the 5,6,7.8.9.10, or 11 o'clock trains. They told him to come back later as sometimes tickets became available right before departure. We found a taxi to take us to camp, supposedly about a 40 minute drive. We were tired and still a little hungry but our excitement about finally seeing Viktor gave us extra energy. Well the drive turned out to be about and hour and a half. We arrived at camp, met the director, and proceeded to Viktors building. He did not know we were coming but word spread rapidly as soon as we got to camp. Many of the kids knew Zhenia from his work at different orphanages. We heard "Zhenia, Zhenia" all over - they were so excited to see him. We finally see Viktor and it was a great reunion - hugs all around - alot of excited talking (that we couldn't understand). We headed up to his room with a full entourage of boys. Viktor ran up first and told Zhenia to wait becuase he had not made his bed and his room was messy - he will fit into our family just fine! Viktor had no idea we were in Ukraine (although we had tried to pass the message) but he had our family picture taped to his bed - sweet. We hung out in his room for about an hour - passed out candy, met many of the kids from Orphanage 21 and tried to catch up on what had been happening in his life since we were last in Ukraine. We were never alone with Viktor - always a group around. Zhenia certainly had his work cut out translating all day as everyone wanted to talk - some to try out their english and some just wanting someone to be interested in them. The boys showed us around camp which is located on the black sea. I asked if they swam alot, but they pointed to the people out in the water and said no matter how far out, the water was only up to their knees and they had all been stung by jellyfish. The beach looked nice though and there were plenty of people enjoying the water. The boys then put on a soccer match for us - they are all so good - then it was time for lunch. Viktor said that the food was very good and Zhenia confirmed that when he was an orphan they ate very well at summer camp. During lunch we got to see most of the kids - some were so young - it was just heartbreaking and it hit us pretty hard. It was not summer camp by U.S. standards for sure (conditions were very poor) and very loosely run - for the older kids at least. Besides lunch and rest time, they were pretty much left to wander during the day. During the soccer match we saw a few climb the fence and come back with cigarettes from the local store. We spent the rest of the day just hanging out with Viktor and the others - we had a great time. It was so sad to leave him there with promises that he will come join us in a few days. That concludes the good part of our trip - it kinda goes downhill from there. We decide to take a shuttle bus back to the train station in Kherson. Continuing with my bathroom theme - the "restroom" at the bus station was barely a step up from the train station one. Our first clue should have been when the bus driver had everyone get in their seats to see if the bus was filled. He did not turn on the a/c during this time and it was 100+ outside. When we finally got under way he stopped about 6 times during the first 20 min. Blared his music SO loud and stopped a couple of times to buy watermelons and canteloupe. After an hour with him we couldn't take it any longer so jumped out at a store and took a taxi to the train station. The hour and a half trip to camp turned into a 3 hour trip back to the station - so it was 8:30 by the time we arrived. There were no seats left for the remaining 4 trains that night and no buses leaving for Kyiv. It was quite to helpless feeling - so we started to pray - fervently!- just get us on a train by to Kyiv. I have to say God blessed us with Zhenia who remained positive during this whole process. Finally Zhenia said sometimes the conductors will let you on to their cars if they know they have empty bunks. we ran to the 9:00 train and the conductor said we could ride. We literally jumped on the train as it was starting to leave- not knowing what we would find. Now, before we had a cupla to ourselves. There is ,on these trains, coach class, pretty much a train car filled with bunks - that's where we were. It was agreed we could ride if I would sleep with the conductor - John said anything was worth it to get back to Kyiv. I know, sounds racy - but the story is not THAT entertaining. There were only 2 bunks in the main compartment and the conductor said I could sleep in the extra bunk in HER room (the only private room on the train). We were very grateful to be on our way back and Zhenia was so proud he could do this for us. I'm hoping Zhenia does not read this blog because it was possibly the most miserable 12 hours of my life. The train was so hot - I mean sweat dripping off of me and hardley being able to breathe hot. In addition I didn't have a seat just a bunk and it was about 5 inches too short for me with a wide shelf above me - think coffin. Well, knowing how I was faring I knew John was having a hard time too. I think his bunk was about a foot and a half too short and just as hot with all of those people around. The Ukrainians on board didn't seem fazed by the heat and were sleeping just fine - the soft, weenie Americans seemed to be the only ones suffering. My heart goes out to all of the families who travel so far and don't find a child. As much as I want to be home - we were so happy to just be back in Kyiv - seemed like 5 star accomodations compared to what we had just gone through. Again, so happy Phillp and Cassie were not with us - God is so, so, good - ALL THE TIME! We Americans have is SO good - i'm giving more money to foreign missions - what they must go through! Thank you to all who were praying for us - we were blissfully unaware of the situation in Georgia while we were gone - apparently about 400 miles from where we were. We were supposed to find out today of our court date - now we are supposed to find out tomorrow. I have finally figured out when you are given a date - add a day or two realistically. Lisa and Bart took the kids for the weekend and they had a great time - thanks! XOXOXOXO - Cassie & Phillip

Ready for departure from Kiev to Kherson. Full of anticipation about seeing Viktor and blissfully unaware of the trials and tribulations to soon follow. By the way, Sharon says it the choice of shirt that makes her look pudgy in the picture.

A mother and child reunion. AHHH...that's the ticket. About two weeks overdue.

This is about as alone as we ever got with Viktor during the visit. Most of them just wanted us to know that they existed

More friends and care givers. So many beautiful young people. Wish we had the ability to bring them all HOME.

ALL ABOARD!!!!!

Well most of you who know me are aware that a train ride was not on my list of things to do before I die - or even before I leave Ukraine. So, guess what, that's right - A TRAIN RIDE!! 11+ hours overnight in fact. The Orphanage Director will not let Viktor come back to Kyiv until our court date. If we want to spend time with Viktor - we go to him. Tonight at 8:30 we leave Kyiv and we will arrive in Kherson sometime Sunday morning. The interesting part about this is that we are not sure how we are returning. Zhenia could get tickets for going but not coming back. We have to be back by Monday to go to file in court (not our court hearing). Zhenia says we will just take our chances at the train station or we may come back by bus. Not ideal, but since we have not seen Viktor the whole 2 weeks we have been here, we feel we need to at least let him know we are here and working on bringing him home. My biggest fear is getting Viktor back in time for a court hearing. Zhenia will find out Monday of our actual court date. He optimistically believes it could be Tuesday or Wednesday. Great for us but if Viktor is still at camp we hope he can get back in time. Viktor's camp is in Kherson - the poorest region of Ukraine. I was hoping maybe some mission teams from the U.S. might be working there, but Zhenia reports he has never seen any Americans at the camp. It reportedly is not a great place and I'm sure leaving Viktor there will be difficult. Zhenia said there were about 400 total kids at the camp - there goes our plan to take them all something. We did buy candy/gum and some other treats for the 35 kids from Viktor's orphanage. Please pray for our journey (clean bathrooms on the train being the most important) . Seriously, I am a bit anxious about leaving Viktor there and how we will be returning. Basically we will arrive Sun. morning, spend the day with Viktor, and leave Sun. night -probably not alot of opportunity for sleep in the next couple of days. This is about the first time during this trip I have been truly glad Phillip and Cassie are not with us. While Phillip would probably be fine with the less than luxurious conditions, Cassie would definately not be. Neither of them would be thrilled with the lack of sleep or bathing (then again not something I am looking forward to either). Lisa and Bart are taking the kids to do some fun stuff this weekend and we so much appreciate the generosity of their time. We will probably be out of internet and phone range for the next couple of days. Will publish pictures when we return. BTW you can still tell what is going on when you watch the olympics with russian commentary.
XOXOXOXO- Phillip & Cassie

Adrift in Kyiv

If you have ever seen the movie "Groundhog Day", this is the odd life we are living right now- same routine every day. Nothing new to those of you who have gone through this, but a weird existence as we wait in limbo for further adoption action. We are kind of getting used to this new "normal". I am getting better at lighting the stove without burning my thumb, getting used to rough towels from drying on the line (good loofah), washing dishes by hand is not so bad when it's only for two, and not knowing exactly what kind of meat you are buying can be adventurous. We sleep on the sofa bed in the living room because the real bed is not an option - feels just like sleeping on box springs - wood, wire springs, no cushion. In fact, we call the sofa our life raft. We eat, sleep, watch DVD's, play games on this life rift - adrift in Kyiv while we wait for the rescue ship to take us back to civilization. I am very lucky to have a great cook with me. John has whipped up some tasty meals - even with mystery meat! I have mentioned that we try to get out and walk/explore the city every day. You would probably think by these writings that the walks were consensual. They are more like forced marches inflicted upon me every night by my husband. First of all, I could easily stay inside for a couple of days - almost agoraphobic. Mostly, it is the freak show I provide the people of Kyiv every time I walk out the door. We didn't really notice the first few days as we were awed by the city and its sights. Gradually it dawned on us the strange looks I would get as we walked. The women would stare at my shoes (walking sandals not stilettos) and the men would just stare - not sure why as I am kind of plain compared to the Ukrainian women. John does not get these strange looks so I must just look very, very American. We try to keep our voices down in public so I don't think our speech gives it away. John stated tonight that he would be lucky if I didn't go "postal" before the trip was through. I would really prefer to blend, and try to except for the aforementioned sandals. I really miss the kids though John and I are enjoying the time together - we will have been married 20 years in September and we are fortunate to have this opportunity to remember why we like each other. Sometimes God's ways are not too mysterious!! Thanks to all of you who are loving on our kids while we are away. The emails I get usually come at the exact time we need encouragement (thanks Mrs. Wilson , Mary Kay, and my sisters). No new news on the adoption front (oh yeah, that's why we are here). Zhenia did get word to Viktor at camp that we are in Kyiv and working hard to get him here with us. We are supposed to find out about a court date by Monday (hopefully 11th or 12th). The orpanage director won't let Viktor come back from camp until we have a court date. Technically, I understand due to liability issues, but he has graduated and will be turned out in September so we are really fighting the "it's not fair" feeling. We'll keep you posted. XOXOXOXO- Cassie & Phillip

Our first Setback

Saturday evening, we were getting ready for Viktor to join us the next day. We received a call from Zhenia with some disappointing news. Viktor would not be on the train on Sunday and probably would not come to Kiev until Wednesday. Now, we have been told enough and have read enough blogs to know that international adoption is unpredictable and wrought with uncertainties. Maybe since the paperwork was going so smoothly we thought we were immune to what others had experienced - apparently not! We don't know the real reason for the change of plans, but are praying that he will be able to come on Wednesday. Usually families who are adopting get to spend at least a couple of hours with their kids each day at the orphanage - we haven't seen or talked to Viktor yet at all during this trip. I have never prayed for patience- I know better. But just because I didn't pray for it doesn't mean that God would not see this as a need for me. Or, it could be that John needs more patience and it is all his fault (i like that one). We have been getting out more and even went shopping for some essentials for Viktor. It is amazing how much you can do with a few russian words and creative charades with the sales people. We attended church yesterday and enjoyed the fellowship with some fellow Americans who were here on a mission trip. The church we attended is holding a VBS next week and another group of Americans are supposed to come help, maybe we will be able to help too. Have I mentioned that I miss my kids? We talk every day - some days are good and some are not. I know that soon this will all be a memory of our time apart but every day when we pass the Aerosvit office on our walks, I think of the day we will go buy a one-way ticket for Viktor and schedule our flight home. Thanks to everyone we have heard from. I eagerly check our blog and e-mail each morning for any communication from home. All our love to Cassie and Phillip. Phillip, dad is really missing someone who appreciates the high-end cars driving around Kiev. I know you are a tough kid, but don't do too much too soon until your foot heals. Cassie - I keep your card with me and read it every day- everlasting sun in my heart!

Taken from the window of our flat for Phillip. The car in the rear is a Mercedes 550 AMG and the car in front is a Maybach 57 (or 67). Together these tow automobiles costg more than most of our homes.

Stone statue street performer along Khreshatyk. Cassie, we know you will like this one.

Hanging out some laundry at the flat.

Lots of beautiful parks that we pass during our evening forced marches around the city. Sharon just loves our evening strolls.

Socks?

Yesterday was uneventful, thus no blog. Not that today will be any more exciting, but for those of you interested - here is what's happening. We have all of our documents ready to submit to the SDA. It took a week and Zhenia (our facilitator) says that is pretty quick. By Wednesday the SDA should return the paperwork needed to submit for a court date. John and I have been trying to get out every day to walk around Kiev. The weather is wonderful. Yesterday we happened upon a pizza place, mama mias, on our walk. While they didn't speak any english, we managed to order a bbq pizza that was very tasty. Today we are going to try to make our way into town to buy Viktor a few items of clothing. We might also eat at McDonalds - I have been craving a hamburger. John bought hamburger meat the other night to make cheeseburgers, when he opened the package the meat smelled so bad I just couldn't do it. While they looked like cheeseburgers and John said they tasted fine, I couldn't get past the smell. Maybe I will lose weight here, doubtful as I am only walking everywhere and have not run since about 3 weeks before this trip. Don't know if I mentioned before that our facilitator, Zhenia, grew up as an orphan. In fact, he graduated from the same orphanage as Viktor is coming from. Zhenia was hosted in the states to complete high school. He could not afford college so returned to the university in Ukraine. He now helps families with their adoptions. Having been an orphan he gives us a unique perspective on the life Viktor has led in the orphanage. When we visited Viktor in December we went shopping and bought him some socks. He only wanted dark socks as they must do their own laundry and white socks get dirty too fast. I mentioned to Zhenia that I would buy Viktor some white socks like other kids wear. He said, "Oh, yes, when I was an orphan that was my biggest wish, to have socks that I could change every day - white ones!". Hmm, a little humbling. While I have been educated and advised not to give too much too soon as far as material things go, I thinks socks I can fulfill to Viktor's hearts content. Thursday was a tough day as far as missing Phillip and Cassie. I cried alot and moped for most of the day. They are doing fine at home and adjusting to the changes, but I can't wait until we are home with them. Phillip has his first football scrimmage next week - I have NEVER missed his football games. Tomorrow, Sunday, we are supposed to pick Viktor up from the train station. We are looking forward to getting to spend some time with him finally. Please pray for us as I know it will be awkward for awhile with the language barriers and his uncertainties. He would probably be much happier if the kids were here too, but he will just have to put up with the old people for a while. Mom and Dad bought a ping-pong table for us yesterday, so I know that will be something Viktor can look forward to when we get home.