The Milkman Returneth

One of my favorite memories of our adoption trip was the day that Robert wiped out almost an entire milk section at the local "Kopeka" to bring back to the orphanage. So it came as no surprise to receive this as the opening in Robert's email this afternoon:

We went to the orphanage yesterday and I bought all of the milk in the store and brought it to them. I brought crab, ham, and caviar flavored chips and candy bars for them too.

He kills me! Robert said Matthew brought footballs to play with the kids during their visit. This was Robert's highlight of the time:

One of the boys, about fourteen or fifteen who had early on in life been badly burned and lost a few fingers, made friends with me. At first he was shy but we threw Matthew's football back and forth in the room and he opened up. I doubt that anybody has ever played catch with him before. He really enjoyed it.

I had the misfortune of being at my desk when I read that and it took a good deal to maintain my composure. I ached for this boy. Not necessarily because he carries the scars from a traumatic physical experience, but because he carries unseen scars that can be healed by the love and touch of another human being.

According to Robert's report, they returned to the orphanage today to play with and love on the children some more. He tells of Matthew getting on the floor and wrestling with the boys. They had dinner with Kristina's orphanage caregivers and a girl who was in Karina & Kristina's class. She has since run away from the orphanage because of circumstances that are beyond her control. Robert was troubled to hear her talk about her situation.

Kristina is obviously taking tons of photos that I can't wait to see. Robert reports she and Karina are sisters reunited and are having a wonderful time. He said she's not spending much time with him because she's so excited to see everyone. He understands though and is giving her space to reconnect. They plan on visiting another orphanage tomorrow and may get the chance to meet one of the boys. They're also taking the train to visit some of the more remote orphanages later in the week. I'll update you when I hear something again. You can also visit the Naseoks's blog and get a first hand update of what is happening on the trip!

Short & Sweet

Matthew's wife Sheila was good enough to call yesterday and confirm that Robert & Kristina are alive and well in Ukraine. Although I stalked their flights online, it was good to hear another person confirm what the monitor was telling me. I breathed a little easier knowing they were okay, but I still would like to hear their voices.

Just before midnight last night, my cell phone chimed to let me know a comment had been posted on the last blog entry. I was tickled to see that it was from Kristina who was wide awake and apparently looking for an nontraditional breakfast by both Ukrainian and American standards:

Mom we travelled safe and we have Internet access - I might write on the family blog soon. We are going to the orphanage today and I am so excited!
We are going to see Alyona today! It is 6:30AM here and Karina and I might go eat some ice cream!!! Karina is hungry and won't let me sleep!! Karina had to take a freezing cold shower because I used all the hot water up. I cut my finger and it bled for a while but it is fine now. Karina and I talked to one of our supervisors and we hope to see them.
Bye, Mom! I love you!

This is the first time she and I have been separated since she came home two years ago and it's strange. We're so much alike that some days I long for a little distance, but after only 2 days apart I am really missing her.

You know what struck me about the comment she left? The part where she says how excited she is to go to the orphanage. Understandably the orphanage holds a lifetime of memories for her, many bad. The fact that she is excited about returning confirms that she has claimed her place in our family and can face her past with new strength and even hope. Now for all I know, she may have had a meltdown when she got there today! I haven't received an update as of yet. But I think she will be fine. She knows that this trip wasn't really about her. It was about the orphans left behind. It was about bringing hope to those left behind.

Robert was able to send me an email early this morning, and in a fashion matching his daughter's short and sweet update he wrote:

When we found out that Matthew and Karina were delayed in Jackson due to weather, Kristina got worried and asked me if the planes would fly in the rain. On our fourth flight from Paris to Kiev we began to get a little excited. On our approach to Kiev we could see that the landscape was snow covered. When we landed we put on our coats and headed for the stairs. In an instant our faces were pelted by the snow flurries and our breath was as visible as smoke. It was freezing! The contrast was that we went from literally sweating in the Atlanta airport to stinging hands and faces. We love Odessa! Today we're go to the orphanage to visit the children.

Hopefully the two of them can manage to scratch together more than a few sentences on the next update. And hopefully they'll be able to access the blog and post some pics. Some of you have asked how short we were on having the funds for the trip. We were about $500 short of having what we needed and the team is helping to cover some of their costs, but some of the costs are a bit higher than they anticipated. So please pray that we can still find the funds to cover the deficit. And keep praying for all of them!

In Ukraine

Sorry for the delay in posting, but it's been a whirlwind couple of weeks. Robert AND Kristina are both in Ukraine this morning. They flew out yesterday and met up with the team in Atlanta where they caught their connecting flight. I am anxiously awaiting word that they are safe (and warm!) in Kiev and praying they had a uneventful crossing. Some of you may remember how much Robert loathes flying. Kristina was a bundle of energy on the way to the airport and I can only hope she calmed down a bit before being strapped in next to Robert for the twelve hour flight.

We didn't know if this trip was actually going to happen, but last Monday we were only a few hundred short of having the funds necessary for both of them to go. Granted, we didn't even have a US passport for Kristina. When we made the leap of faith to move forward, I scheduled an appointment with the passport office in Miami to apply for the expedited passport. On Wednesday of last week, we made the four hour trip south and sat in a government building for most of the day waiting on clearance and for her passport to be printed. Add the influx of rescue and recovery workers applying for expedited passports to get into Haiti, and we were a little nervous about it happening. But happen it did and Wednesday night we headed back to Orlando with passport in hand.

Please join me in praying for Robert, Kristina, and the rest of the mission team for the next 10 days. Pray for safety, wisdom, and favor with God and man. I'm not sure if they will have Internet access, but if they do you will likely see updates from them posted here soon enough. Check back!

Bok Gardens

This weekend we visited Bok Tower Gardens and wandered the estate to look at blooming flowers and listen to the bells ringing from the Singing Tower. The property offered stunning views from an elevation that I didn't know existed in mostly flat Florida. We even made a friend along the path as a squirrel ate right out of our hands!

Orphan Mission Trip Update!

We have received $400 towards Robert's trip!!! We are so excited and so blessed to have you partnering with us! Thank you Stephanee and family! Thank you Lynn & Carmen! Robert spoke with a couple this morning that will match funds for him up to half the cost of the trip. So technically, he has $800 at this point!!! Praise God!!!

Matthew called yesterday to let us know that he has already purchased his and Karina's ticket. Kristina decided that she needed to escort Robert on this trip since her best friend Karina was going with her dad Matthew. I would love for her to go back to Ukraine with Robert. She is as much a part of this vision of orphan ministry as any other part of our family, but of course she has been there and can minister in a poignant way. She wants to go and asked if we would pray with her. We agreed to do that. It will be another $1500, but if it is God's will it will come to pass. So please add that to the prayer requests we've asked of you already. We'll keep you posted!

Going to Ukraine

I know, I know. We fell off the face of the planet for a little while. I started to tell the story of how our family came to be and two installments into things, I disappeared. There have been lots of changes happening with work, school, and family and we've had to make adjustments. Add to that the fact that both laptops died within a week of one another and the ability to blog came in at the bottom of our "to-do" list. But with a few days left in holiday break, I wanted to let you know what's going on.

Those of you on our mailing list, or those who were able to read the previous post with our newsletter, already know about the upcoming trip to Ukraine. We are very excited about the possibility of Robert traveling to Eastern Europe in less than a month. If things work out, he will be leaving with Matthew Nasekos on January 17th. The Nasekos adopted Kristina's best friend Karina from orphanage #4 last year and the girls were able to reunite for the first time back in April of this year. The Nasekos have a real heart for missions and the orphan. Matthew and Robert will be traveling to Ukraine to visit several orphanages, meet with missionaries in the field, and assess how they can help meet the needs of both of these groups.

It sounds very much like my first trip to Ukraine back in the Spring of 2006. It was a life changing experience for me to see orphans in several orphanages and meet with individuals who were giving their lives to practice pure religion. It was on that trip that I met Kristina for the first time. And coincidentally enough, if Robert is able to go on this trip he will meet the two boys we are hoping to adopt.

There, I said it. You wouldn't think saying that would be so hard, but it has been. We have really hesitated to share about our hopes of adopting two specific children for several reasons. We haven't received a lot of encouragement from those around us. Looking at surface circumstances, it isn't the best time to adopt. But we have faith that if God intends for these boys to be part of our family, then He will order things to that end. If not, then we will graciously accept His will and rest in the confidence of His perfect plan. We have been praying for the boys for several months and receiving updates on them periodically.

Let me share what we know. We initially heard about Sasha back in April. It was his red hair and blue eyes that reminded us of our own three boys. We soon learned that while Sasha didn't have any biological siblings, he had the next best thing: Vitalik, his best friend. Both boys were abandoned at birth and have been together since the baby house. We couldn't stand the thought of separating the two of them, so we began praying about adopting both. It didn't take us long to wrap our hearts around the idea.

Sasha is seven and Vitalik just turned eight and they share the same medical condition. I spoke with our pediatrician yesterday and he was able to give me the contact information for a specialist in our area that he recommended. In time, when we are further along in the process and are closer to the adoption coming to pass, I hope to share more about the boys' condition. But for now, I'd ask that you'd pray for them and pray for us that we would have wisdom.

So if Robert is able to go on this trip, he will have the opportunity to meet the boys and spend a little time with them. Unfortunately, Sasha was moved to a different orphanage a few weeks ago. He is very sad at having been separated from the caregivers he knows and the best friend that he loves. We grieved over this news and wish that it had not happened, but we are confident that God has a reason for even this in Sasha's life.

There is a long way to go in this journey. We've been down this road before and are excited to see God work again. Our immediate hope is that Robert can travel to Ukraine in a few short weeks and minister to Sasha, Vitalik, and hundreds of other orphans. Please pray that God will provide the funds necessary to do this.

Christmas Newsletter

Newsletter 1209