Introducing our new son!

On Saturday the 22^nd, Brandon, Kimberly, Grace, and Hanna boarded our 2 hour flight to Kiev from Treviso.  It was an early morning flight and the only one from Italy to Ukraine on that day.  We had a 6 hour wait in the Zuliany airport before we were picked up and taken to the train station.  Thankfully the airport had free Wi-Fi which helped make the wait not seem so long. It was snowing pretty good when we arrived and Hanna was thrilled to see, feel, and play in the snow.  Kim found a soft bench in a restaurant and happily snored through a much needed nap.  

The train ride was nice.  This is of course our opinion as most people have nothing good to say about the 14 hour train ride.  We have VERY low expectations…so in our case we were pleasantly surprised.  We were in a small room that had 2 bunk beds.  The motion sickness patches that Kim had prescribed to her, worked wonders and Grace did well with Dramamine.   We were able to get some sleep. 
The morning of the 23^rd, we arrived in Simferopol and were picked by two drivers to accommodate all four of us and our luggage.  We were taken directly to the apartment to freshen up and then an hour later we were packed into one car and taken to the orphanage.  Vitaliy was thrilled to see us and Mom got the first hug!!!  Grace and Hanna invited him into their arms and he accepted hugs from his sisters for the first time.  We spent some time indoors and then went outside to play on the ice covered driveways.  Afterwards we were able to engage in our first family snowball fight!  Grace and Hanna became instant targets in the snowball fight but they LOVED it!  The other boys at the orphanage were thrilled to play along with “Vitalik’s seesters”.  Then it was time for us to leave.  We slept pretty well that night and woke up early for our court appointment.  

Another family that is here adopting came and stayed with Grace and Hanna during the court time.  That was a HUGE blessing because we weren’t really sure that it would be a problem if we brought them along.  Thank you!!
We went to the court house and Vitaliy was already there with a representative from the orphanage.  He looked happy and nervous, same as us.  We were given the run down on what we would be asked and suggested responses to such questions.  Then it was time to go in.  There was a judge, dressed in a suit, two jurors, a prosecutor, the court cleric, our adoption facilitator, the representative from the orphanage, Vitaliy, Brandon, and Kim.  The atmosphere was serious but not cold.  We were asked to state our intentions and we heard many of our documents read out loud.  They asked about our daughters and what they thought.  We told them that they met him in person the day before and that they had their first snowball fight.  This lightened the mood of the room when everyone laughed.  Then they spoke with Vitaliy and asked him if he knew what was going on.  He looked so nervous but would soften when we smiled at him.  In the court, while he could hear they basically listed family members that have lost their rights to parent him and no family that would care for him.  Then they asked him if he wanted to be adopted and he replied, “Yes, I want a family”.  Kim had to keep her composure.  One of the jurors was in tears. 
It was so sad and so sweet at the same time.  We were there to be his new family but only because he had none.  This is the same situation the other 200 orphans are in at his orphanage.  They just long to be a part of a family.  The want to be loved. 
We were asked to leave the room to await the decision.  We offered Vitaliy a snack we brought for him and he was much more relaxed not having adults staring at him.

After about 10 minutes we were ushered back in and the judge announced us as Vitaliy’s new parents! 

His name will be changed to Vitaliy Neal Thompson.  We are now in the 10 day window of appeal.  We will return to Ukraine the 8^th of January to finalize the paperwork, get his new passport and birth certificate, and most importantly him.  Today has been the best Christmas Ever!  We will spend Christmas day with our new son tomorrow.  Thrilled to be a family at last.  

We are ALL off to Ukraine!

We finally have our court appointment, it is December 24^th! 
We will be having a Ukrainian Christmas this year. 

 Since it will be over the Christmas holiday and the girls will be out of school on Christmas break, we have decided to take them along with us on this trip.  We hope that this trip will have an eternal effect on our daughters.  During the coming months, Vitaliy will have to make many huge adjustments in learning to be part of a family, a new language, customs, foods, environment and so on.  We are anticipating a rough transition and we think that it will be beneficial for Grace and Hanna to see with their own eyes where their brother is coming from.  We hope that they will get a glimpse of his past and prayerfully to instill in them large amounts of grace and mercy for Vitaliy.  We also pray that this will prompt their hearts to be forever burdened by the plight of orphans around the world and will encourage them to seek justice and provide homes for these unwanted children.  Many of the orphans are their age.  We further hope that this will give them a deep gratitude for the fact that they have a family that dearly loves and cares for them.  We pray that this will show them that although they may be deprived of I-touches, I-pads, and other various “necessities”, that at least they are able to take more than one cold shower once a week and have clothes that fit them and haven’t been worn by 20 kids before them. 

Please join us in prayer as we prepare for this VERY exciting pivotal point in our adoption journey.  When we find out the exact time of the court, we will post so that you can join us in prayer that ALL goes well. 

What’s going on?

After spending 12 days with our little man, we found out that the court date was going to be later than we thought.  Then we had to make a decision as to whether or not to stay in Ukraine visiting the orphanage once a day or return to Italy to finish up paperwork and allow Brandon some more time back at work.  We made the decision based on cost of staying versus leaving and decided it would be better to return to Italy until the court date.  We think the court date is going to be December 24^th but will get a confirmation on that hopefully today.  We let Vitaliy know that we had to return to Italy to finish paperwork and according to another family that is there, he is quite content.  We’ve had reports that he is happy and fine and knows that we will be returning soon.  It was a hard decision to make, it felt like a choice between spending time with which of our children.  We still have a long road ahead of us in this process and don’t want Brandon to be forced to take too much time off from work.  After court we will return to Italy once again since all of the offices responsible for finalization of the adoption will be out of work due to the holidays.  Nothing will re-open until January 7^th.  We are anticipating a longer stay on that trip than most families that are adopting.  Vitaliy will have his new Ukrainian passport with his new name on it.  Unfortunately, Ukrainian passport holders may not enter Italy without a Visa.  We will have to obtain a Visa from the Italian Embassy in Kiev in order to bring Vitaliy back to Italy with us. We are expecting this to take a while.  We could take Vitaliy straight to the USA but then we would have to obtain an American Passport for him.  This passport would only be valid for 90 days.  If an American  stays longer than 90 days in Italy, one MUST have an Italian Visa.  Visas for that type of a stay can ONLY be placed in an official “no fee” American passport, not just the regular tourist passport.  I know this is all very confusing, but this is our attempt to explain the complexity of the situation. 
We still know and rest in the knowledge that God is a Sovereign and a good God and worthy of our trust and obedience.
We ask for your continued prayers to settle Vitaliy’s heart, give us wisdom to make wise decisions, and for the paperwork to roll along smoothly for the rest of this process.  Many Thanks.

Simferopol Day 11

As we all get more familiar with each other, the time we spend together everyday moves faster and faster.  We’ve seen some of the moods and emotions that he is experiencing.  Most days Vitaliy is thrilled to see us and embraces us immediately.  Saturday he seemed a bit reluctant.  Sunday he was happy once again and was waiting for our car to arrive at the end of the long driveway that leads to the orphanage.  The driver let Vitaliy and his friend jump in the car with us and ride the rest of the way up to the building.  Everyday we have been able to spend an hour to 3 hours with him.  Some days it is just the three of us, doing puzzles, playing with toy cars, finding hidden pictures in books.  Other days we are joined by his friends.  When there are more than us three we play dominos, play outdoors, or do crafty type things.  Vitaliy has found his new super-hero in his father.  It is such a blessing to see a boy being able to belong to his father.  We know the road set out for us is difficult but we know without a doubt that this child is our son. 

The hardest thing to watch is the other children as they watch us.  These kids, just like Vitaliy are hoping and praying for a forever family.  They desperately want a family that comes and looks at them the way we look at Vitaliy.  Vitaliy’s closest friend N. watches Brandon and him play and Kim is brought to tears by the look of longing on his face.  These kids need families, all of them.  Who would go though all that we are, the expense, the travel, the long-suffering, the emotions just to bring a waiting child home?  We can assure you that it is not by our own strength that we have been able to endure all this time.  God has been gracious to give us what we need at the perfect time to continue to fight this battle.  We are most assuredly in a war here, a fight for the hopeless and unwanted. Our hearts ache as we see teenagers follow us around hoping beyond hope that we might notice them and maybe be their answer to a forever family.  How old is too old for a family, 12, 15, 17, 30?  Every person no matter their age longs to belong to a family, to have people that care about them, praying for them, and loving them.  If you want to be a part of this fight, to join the team of prayer warriors, and to give a home to the poorest of children, we want to be a part of your journey too.  We aren’t rich, we don’t have all the answers but we have Jesus and He is MOST capable of making a way when there seems no way. 

Simferopol Day 5

Another great day!  We were picked up by our driver at 10am and taken to the city authority that processed yet another application for adoption.  Afterwards, we were taken to another official type building and met with a social worker who asked us some questions about ourselves and Vitaliy.  Then we waited while another paper was drafted for us.  After these two appointments we went to lunch at an Indian Restaurant that was delicious! 
After the scrumptious lunch we went to the orphanage.  We went into the director’s office and the orphanage doctor came in and we were given the opportunity to ask questions about Vitality’s health history.  According to them, he is healthy and well.  We will have him evaluated more thoroughly once we are back in Italy.  Then after the doctor left, in bounded Vitaliy, we exchanged hugs and smiles.  Our coordinator, the director, and another woman spoke with Vitaliy and he seemed in agreement with what they were saying.  They led him to a table and gave him a pen and paper and he began to write.  We asked what he was writing and they said he was writing a letter stating that he wanted to be adopted by us!  He worked very hard on this letter and it took him awhile.  He’d look up at us every once in a while and smile. 

 

When the paper was done our coordinator and the other adults were speaking, so Brandon gave him a coloring book and crayons that they worked on together to pass the time.  The director commented again on how much Vitaliy looks like Brandon.  Vitaliy has to get some lab work done for the adoption and will have to leave the facility to do so.  The director said that while he was out he’d have to go and get his haircut to match Brandon’s.  They really do look a lot alike.  ;)
Afterwards, our coordinator had to take our documents to the city so we stayed with Vitaliy in a large room, playing, talking, and just being together alone for about 2 hours.  It was very nice. 

We aren’t sure of the plan yet for tomorrow but we are so thankful for how things have been going so far. 

Simferopol Day 4

Today was a Fantastic Interaction Day!  When we arrived at the orphanage Kim opened her arms to Vitaliy and he came into them and gave her a hug.  First time he has done that.  We went into a big room with him and 3 of his friends that he allowed in, and played with dominoes, Legos, and a word book.  Then we found a couple of balls and the silliness began!  Vitaliy and N. started to wrestle and Brandon took the opportunity to join in by grabbing Vitaliy and swinging him around.  From that point on, wrestling and laughter were the norm.  We were all hot and sweaty but full of joy at being able to play together.  We brought him a pomegranate, and he was thrilled! 

 

 

Since we have arrived he has referred to us as Brandon and Kim.  During all the fun today he called out to Brandon twice as Papa.  He wanted Kim to show him how to take videos with the camera to video tape Brandon playing with the other boys.  Then he decided he wanted to join in, and while handing her the camera back call her Mom.  We heard him talk, laugh, giggle.  We saw him, smile, relax, and show-off.  When it was time for us to leave, Kim leaned in and gave him a kiss on the forehead and he did Not pull away. 

It was a WONDERFUL day! 

Simferopol Day 3

This morning we woke up before our alarm with anticipation of seeing Vitaliy again.  We were picked up at 0850 and taken to Lozove.  We pulled up to the front and saw kids walking from one building to another and found out that they were finishing breakfast.  We didn’t see Vitaliy, so we took some time to take pictures of the outside of the orphanage.

  Natalya arrived and we went in search of Vitaliy.  About that time he came rushing out of the building looking in a hurry and concerned.  Kim asked him what was wrong and he told Natalya that he was instructed to change his clothes.  He had on the same clothes as yesterday but he looked fine to us.  We told him it was okay and he ran off at full speed to change and get back.   
After he was back, we went up to the activity room where they spend time on Saturday mornings doing crafts and drawing.  We brought out a pack of dominoes and the boys knew how to play a version of the game.  Brandon was dealt into the first game at Vitaliy’s insistence, and then the second game Kim was allowed to play.

 

 He really wanted to play with the I-Touch but we kept telling him no, with a smile. 
Then we got out a dinosaur coloring/activity book and crayons.  He was very excited about this!  There were stickers in the book and he spent some time trying to match the stickers with the pictures in the book.  The crayons we brought had a crayon sharpener on the back, all the boys were impressed with that.  He did some connect the dot pictures and colored. 

We brought some scratch and sniff book-marks with strawberries, cookies, and chocolate.  This was a big hit and he let some kids sniff but then quickly hid them back into the book.  They had a movie playing in the room we were in, and Vitaliy started to get distracted by it.  It was an action packed movie that we wouldn’t have let him watch had he been living with us.

 

Kim needed to use the bathroom and so she asked Vitaliy to show her were it was.  It was very small, no toilet lids, a waste basket in between the toilets, and no paper.  How different our bathroom will look compared to this. 

We had a few minutes to have Natalya help us talk to one another.  The only question Vitaliy asked us is if he would be going to school with his sisters?  We told him that he would be home with Kim and she would be his momma and teacher, but that we would enroll him in sports with boys his own age to play with.  He seemed satisfied with that.  We told him lots of things, like that he will have his own room and it will be decorated with soccer things.  At this, he smiled and laughed.  We told him about the shower and bathtub that is close to his room, and he told us he likes to go swimming.  We told him it is too cold now but we will take him in the summer time.  We told him that we will make a cake and have a party for his birthday, and he raised his eyebrows and did a small smile.  We asked him what other fruits he liked and he told us bananas, pineapples, oranges, and pomegranates.   So, on our way home we went to the store and bought more fruit to take to him tomorrow. J

He was excited to see us, he looked at our eyes and smiled much more today than yesterday.  We were allowed to stay at the orphanage for 2 hours and have been told this is a pretty standard amount of time we can stay per day.  When we left, Kim gave him a hug and a kiss on his cheek, he scrunched his face but he allowed it. 

Simferopol Day 2

Brandon and I were blessed with a very restful night’s sleep.  When we woke we were all smiles knowing that this was the day we would meet our son!  We tried to busy ourselves with, unpacking our bags, organizing donations, and making sure that we had the proper paperwork.  When we got ready today, I tried to imagine what a good mother would look like to Vitaliy.  I wanted to look, smell, and feel like a gentle mom.  At 2pm our driving came to pick us up from the apartment.  We drove though Simferopol to the orphanage/boarding school in Lozove.  It took us about 15 minutes to arrive, I recognized it from pictures as we pulled up.  We were so excited!  We were lead into a room and introduced to the orphanage director.  A young woman came in and she spoke some English.  We were just sitting in this room while the women spoke to each other.  The director showed us 3 pictures of Vitaliy and commented on how much he looks like Brandon.  We thought we were going to be asked a lot of questions and given information on Vitaliy, but we just sat there kind of awkward like as they spoke.  Another woman kept coming in and out of the room and they spoke.  I was facing away from the door and then the door opened again and in walked Vitaliy!  I jumped up from my chair, dropped to my knees and hugged him, probably a little too tightly and of course I was crying.  Brandon says that I hugged for 5 minutes before he got the opportunity to touch him.  ;)  Then he sat in a chair in between us and sort of had a stunned expression on his face.  The young woman and director spoke to him and while looking down he would sort of shake his head and say “da”.  He would look at us every little bit with a smile and look back down.  Brandon says I was petting his head too much, so I tried to control myself from over touching him. I brought a banana and clementine to give to him and we was thrilled.  Then they asked us if we were coming back tomorrow and how long we were staying then.  We said we would come everyday and for as long as they would let us each day.  Then we were lead to another room, that was referred to as the weekend activity room and we sat at a table with Vitaliy. In this room, we gave him a small lego set to put together and he and Brandon worked on it.  They were so cute! 

After this he wanted to take us to the building where he lives, he was still holding the banana and I told him he could eat it.  He had the entire thing gone in about 30 seconds!  I guess we will be bringing a banana everyday to him.  We followed him up some stairs and he took us to a bigger room with some old couches.  Then other boys came in and he showed them his new lego toy. I started to take come pictures and then the boys and Vitaliy decided to show off for us.  Vitaliy and N. did hand stands and walked across the room on their hands, they did some breakdancing, some running and flipping.  It was very entertaining.

  I was instructed by them to video tape all their moves and then they would run over to watch what we taped.  Brandon brought out his I-Touch and one boy clicked on the Angry Birds icon, then Brandon game to Vitaliy and that is when he lost interest in us.  LOL

We let him play while the other boys took our camera and took pictures of us and anyone who walked into the room. After this we followed Vitaliy downstairs and back to the first building we were in. He let us know that it was snack time, and walked away to the cafeteria. We followed him and he got a cookie wafer and glass of milk. 

After snack we had to leave, but we told him we would be back in the morning.  Our driver met us in front of the building and called Vitaliy over and handed him a handful of hard candy to share.  Vitaliy smiled and walked away when our driver called to him and said to tell his momma and papa goodbye.  He giggled a bit and waved goodbye. 
No one was able to speak very good English, so we didn’t really get to talk to him or anyone for that matter.  But tomorrow we are being picked up at 0845 and taken back and our missionary friend Natalya will be there to help us communicate and spend time with him. I am thankful I brought toys and activities to do with him that don’t require spoken language. 
Vitaliy is ADORABLE, small, he smelled clean, his hair was so blond, and soft.  It felt SO GOOD to squish him.  Looking forward to tomorrow!!!

Simferopol Day 1

This has been one crazy week!  We left Kiev on the 23^rd, my sister arrived in Italy on the 25^th, and we fought with base personnel for 3 days about my sister being allowed to do what she needs to do to take care of our daughters in our absence.  That brings us to last night the 28^th when Brandon and I were still only 25% done with our preparation and packing for this trip.  At 2:30 in the morning, I was in a combination of laughing and crying at the same time, when Brandon insisted that we get some sleep.  3 hours later we were up and walking out the door heading for the airport.  We drove to the airport in Treviso, Italy and all went smoothly with our three bags weighing about 30 kg (70lbs) each.  We arrived at Zhuliany International Airport in Kiev which is 50 kilometers from Boryspil International Airport on the opposite side of Kiev.  When I booked our tickets, I had no idea that there were two airports and due to my lack of knowledge, put us in a tight spot.  We had only 1 hour and 15 minutes to get off our plane, get our bags, get across Kiev during lunch time traffic, and get checked in again.  We made it with 10 minutes to spare!!!  God is so Good!

On our last flight to Simferopol, Brandon and I were able to talk and reflect on what the next 24 hours would hold for us.  We knew that this was the time that we would finally be able to see, touch, smell, hold, and experience our son for the very first time.  It is an odd feeling, to love a child that you have never met, as deeply as we do.  The only way I could try to explain it is this, it is like our son was taken from us the day he came into this world, and we were never given the opportunity to kiss his little head, and count his little fingers and toes.  We weren’t able to squeeze him, and sniff his tiny ears, listen to his cries and be able to calm his fears.  We weren’t able to teach him to walk, and hear his first words, we weren’t allowed to send him off on his first day of school and be there when he came home.  All this time he has been our son, but he was lost and we didn’t know him.  Now, he has been found, we know where he is, we know that he knows that we have finally found him.  We are able to see our son for the first time, to hold his hands, and look at the beautiful creation that God has graciously brought to us.  Tomorrow we will find our lost son, and we will be together, a family.  I once was lost, but now am found, and Jesus has provided the way. 

Kiev Day 3

Woke up in a chilly apartment but the sun was shining bright for the first day since we’ve been here.  We were picked up at 1pm for a trip downtown to the TGIF’s for a Thanksgiving meal.   Brandon and I were so excited to have TGIF’s that I think our American companions must have thought us a little strange.  We haven’t had TGIF’s in 4 years so for us it was a meal to be thankful for!   After lunch, we went to the SDA to pick-up our referral to adopt Vitaliy.   All went smoothly and we were in the office for about 3 minutes.  While at the SDA we met several families who are also adopting.  One couple from Arizona adopting a boy and girl who are unrelated but who both need a mommy and daddy.  A couple adopting a 15 year old daughter another adopting a 14 year old daughter and an amazing family who is in the process of adopting their 12^th child with special needs.  What a testimony of what the church is called to do in loving the least of these in the world. 

We now have a document to take back to Italy with us to show the base that we are indeed adopting so we can get Vitaliy registered into the DEERS system.  This is a very good thing!
Afterwards, we were allowed a little time to look at the small market near the SDA.  We found a small souvenir for each of the kids. 

Tomorrow we return to Italy to finish paperwork, love on our daughters, pick up Kim’s sister from the airport on Sunday, and get ready to come back to Ukraine next Thursday.
On this unique Thanksgiving Day, we have much to be thankful for.  We are first and foremost thankful to our Heavenly Father who by His immense Grace and Mercy chose to send His Son Jesus to be the sacrifice and pay the penalty of our sins, and by that sacrifice and then resurrection has made possible for us to be adopted by Him and be His heirs forever and ever!  We are thankful for our beautiful daughters who have also chosen to follow Jesus even though the road is difficult.  We are thankful for our church family here in Italy and worldwide, who love, pray for, and serve in ways that are shocking to the world who doesn’t yet know Him.  We are thankful for family and friends that love and care for us and make sacrifices to show us their love.  We are thankful for the Stork International Team that has been and continues to be our advocates during this adoption process.  We are thankful for Vitaliy and any other children that God may have for us in our future that show us how much our Father in Heaven loves us, unconditionally when we are purchased by the blood of Jesus. 

Kiev Day 2

We went to bed fairly early last night and Brandon was thrilled to have found a soccer only channel. Even though it was only in Ukrainian, Brandon enjoyed watching his favorite sport.  We woke this morning and I made a hearty breakfast of bacon wrapped sausage, eggs, toast, and juice.  Brandon is going to want me to cook like this all the time. J 
We were picked up by our driver at 10am and driven to downtown Kiev for our SDA appointment which was at 11am.  The appointment was pretty fast, we were asked about our family and how we found out about Vitaliy.   Brandon gave a 2 minute answer, which was translator into about 2 sentences. LOL  It seemed to suffice.  We were told a few interesting things about Vitaliy’s family but we will find out more at the courts in Simferopol next week. 
We then were dropped off at a mall with another couple here adopting.  We got some Ukrainian Mall food and then walked to an outdoor market.  It was interesting, as our group was approached by a woman selling herself.  We are so thankful that we can adopt our children so that they don’t have to resort to this way of living. 
We found our way back to our apartment from the market and are now cozy inside.  Tomorrow we have Thanksgiving lunch at TGIF’s and then go and pick up our referral for adopting.  We will make a copy to bring back to the base to enroll Vitaliy into DEERS and Sasha will take the original to the region of Crimea where we will be next week.  Successful Day 2.

Made it to Kiev (trip one)

We are in Kiev!  It is amazing that we are here after waiting so long. 
You know how you hear people say, “I can feel your prayers”?  I have probably said it before too, but this time I truly can FEEL your prayers.  It has been a bit strange that this week, we find it easy to fall asleep and wake up refreshed.  Last night as we said good-bye to the girls and this morning as we woke up, I felt positively serene.  Such a strange peace and calm when normally I would be anxious, upset, and hurried.  This is definitely a super-natural peace that passes all normal understanding, and we are so grateful and humbled by God’s tangible presence. 
We arrived in Kiev’s airport and breezed through customs.  We were met by our driver Sergei who then drove us to get our American dollars exchanged for Grivna.  We did some food shopping and we felt like we did when we first moved to Italy, looking at pictures and hoping for the best. J  Then we were brought to our apartment where we will be staying until very early Friday morning.  Kiev looks very much like any European big city.  We may go do some sightseeing on Thursday as it will be our free day. 
Our SDA appointment is tomorrow, Wednesday at 11:00.  Please be praying for us at this time as it is our first big appointment in the final steps of this adoption.  We are assuming that Vitaliy knows that we are coming at this point but we haven’t heard for sure yet.  Our missionary friend has informed us that the social worker would have definitely let him know we are coming at this point. 

More to come tomorrow.

We are GOING!

After 14 months of adoption preparation we have FINALLY received our SDA (State Department of Adoption) appointment.  Our appointment is scheduled for November 21^st.  That leaves us only 9 days to make final preparations and only 5 work days to get paperwork done on base.  We knew that this would probably happen.  After months of sitting around and waiting, now everything must be done super quickly. 
We need to break down our trips into 3 separate trips to Ukraine.  Our first trip will only be for 3 days.  We are heading to Kiev on Tuesday, November 20^th and attending our appointment on November 21^st.  We will come back home on Friday (only available time to fly).  This trip we will NOT being seeing Vitaliy as he is 12 hours south of Kiev. 

Our first trip is basically our physical presence presenting our intention to adopt Vitaliy and to initiate the court appointments that will follow.  Since we are so close and the plane tickets are cheap from Venice to Kiev we are heading back to Italy so that we can be here to greet my sister Robin who has graciously decided to come to take care of the girls while we are gone for the 2^nd longer trip!

Robin will be arriving in Italy on the 25^th and we will have a few days to get her paperwork finished for her to have a pass to get onto the base and get her the approval to drive our car while we are gone.  This also gives us time to enroll Vitaliy into the DEERS program to initiate the Command-Sponsorship approval.  We will have “official” papers from Kiev at this point to present to the base proving that we are in-fact adopting. 
Right now we are planning on leaving for Simferopol on the 29^th, this time we will be able to hold our son for the first time!  We will also be there for his 11^th birthday on December 15^th!  How awesome is that?  We are not sure how long we will be in country this second trip but we are figuring about 2 ½ weeks. 

The third trip, the one where we get to bring Vitaliy home, will likely be after the New Year.  Due to the holidays, the offices will all be closed and we probably won’t be able to get anything done until after they re-open.

Please continue to pray that the travel plans go perfectly, that the remaining $1,950 we need will be donated, that all the appointments are problem-free, and that ALL of us are healthy for all the trips and those who are helping take care of the girls will be Abundantly Blessed for their time and love. 
Can’t wait to post pictures of our adventures.  Thank you for praying with us throughout our journey!

The Wait

    As the wait goes on and on, without a finish line in sight, our hearts continue to grow heavy.  I have been trying to sort through the emotions of this wait and have been trying to find a way express them to others.  I am reading the book “Adoption as a Ministry, Adoption as a Blessing” by Michelle Gardner.  In chapter 9 titled How Churches Can Minister to Adoptive Families, there is a section called The Wait.  As I read, I cried tears of sadness and tears of relief as I found something that I could identify with.  I thought about writing about what the section said but she so clearly wrote, I thought it would be more appropriate to just quote her. 

“Pregnancy is a wonderful time of dreaming about the future, learning to love the little one carried inside, and sharing experiences with other women.  Even the inevitable pains and discomfort seem somehow easier when the experiences are shared.  Most people, when seeing a pregnant woman, feel comfortable striking up a conversation about when the baby is due, whether it is a boy or a girl, and how the mother is feeling.  It’s a special time.

     The wait for an adoption is similar to a pregnancy but, in my opinion, much, much more difficult.  Having been through three pregnancies and three adoptions, I’d take the physical discomfort of a pregnancy any day over the emotional stress of the adoption wait.  A pregnancy has an expected due date.  An adoption wait can go on for months or even years.  When I was pregnant and wondered how my baby was doing, I’d poke my enlarged belly until I felt my baby move, which I took as assurance that he was just fine!  When I was wanting to meet my adopted-child-to be, I’d stare and stare at her picture and wonder if she had a cold, if she was getting enough to eat, if anyone was tucking her into bed at night.  I wondered if she’d been told that she had a family who loved her and was working as hard as possible to bring her home.  When I was pregnant I wondered how soon my child would sleep through the night.  While waiting to adopt a frail child from a threadbare orphanage I wondered if my child would live to sleep through the nights until she was in our home. 

     The camaraderie between pregnant women is fun to watch and a special group in which to participate.  It doesn’t end after the child is born, either-women enjoy telling their pregnancy stories the rest of their lives!  But because a few women adopt, it’s difficult to have anyone with whom to share excitement, cry over disappointment, and discuss every little detail.

     A church body can help by being aware that when a family is waiting for the child they plan to adopt it is a very emotional time.  Families are given pictures and other information about the child sometimes even a video, and the child becomes part of their family in their minds and hearts long before any paperwork makes it legal.  It is a very surreal feeling to love and long for a child who is states or worlds  away.  It helps when people express an interest in the status of the adoption.  Even more helpful is knowing that people are praying for all the details involved.

    Simple awareness that the adoption wait is stressful and that adoptive parents-to-be would enjoy talking about it as much as pregnant couples do can go a long way toward making the wait easier.”

    Our local church body here in Italy is amazing.  Their love and support for our family as we travel this difficult path is precious beyond compare.  This blog post is more of a public service announcement for you who are involved in the lives of people adopting.  It may help you and others to love and encourage those who are in the wait. 

Are we there yet?

The chill of fall is in the air here in Italy.  The days have grown shorter and the business of our schedules has picked up with school, ministry, and our daughters band commitments.  In all of this, we had hoped to have Vitaliy here with us.  His place still remains empty at the dining room table but the reminders that he is coming are still around.  The word-label cards that are taped on all the things in our house that identify the item in both Russian and English, a back-packed stuffed with English for beginner books, the basket filled with strange boy toys, action figures that we are told are all the rage, super-hero coloring books, little boy clothes washed and folded, soccer shirts with his name displayed on the back, a Russian children’s picture bible on our bookshelf, new linens and bed-set ready to be snuggled in, but all these things remain dormant.  Like Christmas presents under the tree, they sit there, filling us with hope, excitement, and a little fear.  The day is coming when they will be opened and discovered, but will it be all that we have imagined? 
Expectations are the things that have my head swirling and my stomach churning.  Reading blogs, commentaries, books, and articles on all things adoption have me feeling like we are so unprepared for what comes next.  Will he hate us when he realizes that we can’t live up to his expectations?  Will he wish that we’d never adopted him in the first place?  Will our daughters resent the fact that we brought a hurting boy into our family that will cause our lives to flip upside down?  Have we completely lost our minds in choosing the road less traveled by? 
As these questions and fears come, I am reminded of our Lord that came and gave ALL so that it was possible to be adopted by God.  He came fully understanding His purpose and His plan.  Adoption was the plan from the beginning.  It wasn’t Gods second choice, it wasn’t as if this was Plan B, adoption was God’s plan from the start.  He is a family building God, His first command was telling Adam and Eve to make a family.  He promised Abraham and Sarah an offspring that would be as numerous as the sands on the beaches.  His promise spread through His chosen ones, and even our precious Savior was adopted by Joseph who followed God’s command to raise Jesus as his own.  This is God’s plan, His command, His promise, and His way. 
Brandon and I cannot doubt how very real and clear God’s command to adopt is for us.  He has unmistakably spoken to us through His Holy Spirit that this is an area of obedience for us.  So we will follow, we will continue to press through, and as we tell Vitaliy in every letter, we will not give up until we can bring you home.  Isn’t that God’s promise of love for us?  He gave everything, He left heaven and came to earth to be hated, tortured, and purposely laid down His life to make it possible for us to be grafted into His Family. 

                Ephesians 1:3-14 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

                In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

One Step Forward, Five Steps Back

Our last post was a hopeful anticipation of approaching our travel date to Ukraine, a giant step forward.  This past week however, we took several steps back.  A very slight imperfection in a handwritten date on one of the documents caused the SDA to question the entire dossier.  While they tried to figure this out, our home-study and our medical clearances expired.  This means that these have to be redone.  It was sort of like finishing a race, only to be told to run it again because it didn’t count.  Our initial reaction was anger and frustration at the system and the process, but as a couple of days went by I (Kimberly) realized that my anger was directed towards God.  I mean doesn’t He care that we have been going through this process for a year now, doesn’t He see that we are trying to fulfill a promise to care for the orphans, doesn’t He know how much our family wants to be united, what is the major malfunction??  I had taken a step towards the deep end of bitterness and resentment towards my Heavenly Father, I had forgotten that God is Love.  I had forgotten, Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And most importantly I had forgotten, Romans 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I needed a reminder of why we were adopting.  Were we adopting to rescue an orphan?  That’s God’s job to be the rescuer.  Were we adopting because we wanted people to think what wonderful people we are?  The only good we do is what God has purposed for us.  The entire process from beginning to whatever the outcome, is completely under the careful, attentive, and loving hand of our Great God.  

We are redoing the needed paperwork and being ever aware that we haven’t been abandoned, nor has Vitaliy.  There is always a purpose for everything that happens when you are a child of God.  We may not be privy to the reasons and our understanding may be limited but we need not fear or fret because we know who our God is. 

Getting closer

It has been a long while since I have made an entry on the blog because we have been in a very long wait time.  Due to some issues with Brandon’s work situation and last minute documentation issues we have just been waiting for our dossier to be submitted to the SDA.  We were told the SDA was given our dossier on Wednesday this week!  This means that they have our request to adopt Vitaliy and we are waiting now for them to invite us to come to Ukraine to start our many appointments but most importantly for us, TO MEET OUR SON! 
We were told that there was some kind of issue with one of the documents but we don’t know the nature of the issue or how easy or difficult it would be to resolve.  We are asking for your prayers over whatever this issue is that it would NO longer be an issue. 

We were told that we could possibly travel as early as September 25^th.  Please continue to keep us all in your prayers.  The girls will start school the end of this month which means that in our absence they will have to be cared for by friends.  We don’t have solid plans yet for our girls or for our cats (minor detail on the cats) but we’d like to make sure that we have this all worked out soon so that we do not have to worry about two of our children as we go to be with our other child.  Please pray with us that these gets worked out soon, that the girls stay healthy physically and emotionally while we are gone.  This will be the longest separation we’ve ever had.  Pray that whoever cares for them will be blessed abundantly for their care and love for our family as we work to grow. 

Redline United brought another group of kids from the orphanage to the states in hopes of finding them forever families.  Right now, this adorable sibling pair are the only ones who haven’t had a family step up yet.  We wanted to feature them on this page and invite you to pray for them and maybe considering even being their family.  Ask us if you want more information on them.   Thank you for your support for our adoption and for pleading the case for orphans everywhere.

Our Story in a Children's Book

Check out this link.  

http://www.rockethub.com/projects/9479-help-me-discover-the-ending-to-my-book 

Someone has heard about our adoption and wants to write a children's book about our story!  Go to this site to see how you can get a 1st edition copy of this adorable book while helping us reach our financial goal and also fund future international adoptions through the purchase of this book. :)  The site gives all the details and we are thrilled that our story can encourage other adopting families and their children while making a way to fund international adoptions. 

Facing The Darkness

For those of you who have been checking this blog you may have noticed a rather disturbing comment to our latest post. This isn't the first time we have had random so called Christians post things like that on the page. Usually we are able to find them first and delete them before anyone sees them, but I didn't catch it in time. I considered deleting it but I saw that someone replied already (with kindness). I thought about leaving it and letting that person see it but on the other hand, I thought about deleting it because as my friend said "they probably won't bother to read the reply". There are many people that call themselves Christians who act nothing like The Christ that they claim to represent. I know this and it is evident all throughtout the world. That is why it is so hard to show the actual, true, love of Jesus Christ because so many have been abused by those carrying the banner of Christ falsely. When people say that there are hypocritics in the church, I say "You are absolutely right." It doesn't mean we all are, however.

Thank you for your encouragment. I know that there are naysayers and agents of the devil at work trying to discourage all who truly follow the way of Light. We are not overwhelmed by these comments as we know who is on our side. His story will be told and we are but His servants and grateful ones at that. :)

We will press on in love and devotion to our son Vitaliy.  God has been ever generous in giving us a parental love for this boy we have never met in person but with whom we've developed a relationship with over the past 10 months.  Just as we longed to see and hold our daughters, Grace and Hanna, as I carried them in my womb, Brandon and I long to see and hold Vitaliy who God has predestined to be our son from the beginning of time. 

Sin affects all areas of this world and our lives.  Sin permeates the very fibers of creation.  Children should be raised by their "natural" parents but sin has broken even the blessing of family.  Poverty, death, sickness, mothers abandoned by their partners, drugs and alcohol, all play a part in a child being orphaned.  Adoption isn't "natural" but God created it into His story after the fall of mankind into sin.  He created adoption by first adopting us, even though we are totally undeserving.  Though it may not make since to those who scoff and berate, we choose to follow God's calling and make sure that Vitaliy is an orphan no longer. With your love, support, encouragement, and prayers you play a part in this too. 

Difficult Trials

This post is one of the most difficult to write.  It is hard to express our grateful appreciation for the help we have been receiving along with our disappointment of the recent news we’ve received.  First I will start with the good news. 

We were told that we would be traveling to Ukraine the end of this month and that we needed to have $13,500 in cash with us for various adoption needs.  At the point when we found out this news, we only had about $2,000 of that in our savings account set aside for the adoption.  My cousin Matt and his wife Tara decided to start a FaceBook page called $50 for Vitaliy.  The point of $50 for Vitaliy was to give one final push in the month of July to help us with our financial adoption goal.  At this point we have $3,748.80 and that is quite a big jump in only a week!  What we are most surprised about, and perhaps we shouldn’t be, is the fact that those who have the least are giving the most.  We have seen this repeatedly throughout this process.  We’ve had young families with meager means giving large amounts because they believe that acquiring wealth and things are not as important as eternal things such as giving an orphan a family. On the other hand, we know some who have much, find it nearly impossible to give even a small amount.  I debated on discussing this on our blog but it is interesting to see what people value most in life.  It isn’t about a few giving a large sum but a lot giving a small amount.  When I discussed what people might think about donating $50 with Tara.  She told me, “$50 is nothing, most families would just have to sacrifice going out to dinner a couple of nights in the month of July.” We are grateful for everything that people have sacrificed for our family, especially your prayers.

Now for the not so great news, as I mentioned before, we were told and planning on heading to Ukraine the end of July or beginning of August.  We were informed last week that we aren’t going to be able to travel that soon after all.  There are several factors, so I will try to make a long story short.  First of all, there are 12 other families besides ours that are in this final stage, ready to travel and finalize the adoption of our children.  The number of families that are going to overwhelm the existing assistance in place in Ukraine.  Also Ukraine is very similar to Italy in that August is vacation month.  Basically in August, Ukrainian families take their vacations, which means that government offices that are essential for adoption procedures will be sparsely manned.  We were told we could travel the beginning of September but Brandon’s job is unable to let us travel until the end of September.  Our new timeline is: we will travel around the last week of September for our required 23 day stay in Ukraine then come back for our 10 day wait then return to Ukraine for our final adoption the end of October or beginning of November.  We have not told Vitaliy yet about the delay and I am not sure how we will.  Please pray with us that he doesn’t lose hope, but that this will show him that God is his savior and not us.  

Thoughts for today

I found out this morning that my cousins Matt and Tara Risser created a FaceBook event called "$50 for Vitali". We are so thankful for all of you who have already helped so much and those we are helping now.

 I would like to share with you a few paragraphs from the book "Adopted for Life" by Russell D. Moore.
"It's true that adoption isn't 'Natural'. We have adoptions because we live in a world groaning under... the curse of sin and death. Fathers abandon mothers. Mothers get pregnant without marriage. Parents are killed. Diseases ravage villages. It was not so from the beginning. The hard questions about adoption-and the easy ones too-are only with us because something's gone wrong with the world.
Adoption is modeled after a natural family. But the biological family is also modeled after something-the kingdom of God in Christ. King Jesus tells us his reign is hidden from 'the wise and understanding' but is revealed to 'little children' Matthew 11:25.
The childlike kingdom we've come into is filled with transracial adoptees like you and me. It's made up of 'special needs' orphans. Sometimes adoptions turn out with families that look remarkable similar-almost 'natural', you might say. But let's not fall for the carnality that values boys over girls, that pits ethnicities against one another, or that is replused by physical or emotional weakness. Let's be the people of Christ, and, like him, let's teach ourselves to welcome children into our homes, even those our culture tells us we're not supposed to want."

Many of you may not understand why Brandon and I would choose to make our lives uncomfortable by bringing this child into our home.  We do not feel that God has called us to live a comfortable life, after all Jesus didn't and we are commanded to reflect him.  We love Vitaliy like we love Grace and Hanna, we long to have him in our home as we longed for Grace and Hanna to be born, we miss this child we have never met.  God has given us a parent's heart for him and we are so grateful for those of you who support us.  Your encouragement is a blessing in our lives.