Monday June 4, 2007

 

Happy Birthday James! I'm so sorry we are not there with you to celebrate the big number 10. Hope you have a great birthday today and have a great family party this weekend!

 

I wish I had better adoption news today—I do not.

 

We will have court at 9am on Monday June 11, 2007. There was a chance that we could snag a cancellation this Wednesday, but all the people who need to be in court cannot be there. So there it is—better than the 14 ^th, but not what we had hoped for. We have a very strict and scrupulous judge. When we came here in 2004 we decided that we would not be a part of any of the "culture of the bribe" and we still feel the same way. We will not make any payments to anyone outside the law. Thankfully that is NOT what this judge was looking for—she is just very much "by the book". And the book says she has this much time to review paperwork—she's using it.

 

So here is the timeline as it stands today: (this is Not written in stone, but I think it's a pretty realistic expectation)

 

Monday June 11, 2007 Court. (time starts ticking for the 10 day wait)

Friday June 22.  We can pick him up from the Orphanage early in the morning. Then need to go to the village where he was born and get his birth certificate redone. Go to Donetsk and get the birth certificate certified and get his passport.) Hopefully we can get all of this done that day but probably more realistic to think that will be on Monday June 25.

Overnight train June 25 to Kyiv

June 26 Physical at the American Medical Center

June 27 US Embassy Visit for US Visa

Thursday June 28 fly home.

 

It's scary but that is actually the day we bought our tickets for the return based on other people's timelines.

 

We sent Max back home to Kyiv on the train tonight and it's just us again in the thriving burg of Sla'vynsk.   Our life for the next week;

 

Up at 8, eat breakfast, shower.

9:30 leave hotel for the walk to the bus

9:40 Bus to Orphanage

10 visit with Daniil

12n Catch the bus home

12:30 lunch in hotel, write journal, read, nap

3 leave for internet café to post to blog

3:40 catch bus to orphanage

4pm visit with Daniil

6p catch bus home drop off bags and head out to get dinner.

9p back to hotel for reading, writing and bed

 

The routine is easy. Thinking about everyone at home is hard. We really do have it pretty simple here right now. Our days are fairly lazy.

 

Some projects we are working on to make a difference while we are here:

 

• We are either going to get and install some blinds or slides for the Orphanage.
• We are helping the Peace Corps worker with her English club at the University. (Tomorrow night is scrabble night!)
• We are planning to help the Peace Corps worker with her "social Club" for young adults with disabilities.
• Tutoring Lera in English
• I plan to take an afternoon to visit and lend a hand to Radio station "Focus" in Kramatorsk.
• Still waiting to meet with the Independent Broadcasters of Ukraine in Kyiv. (we had to fly out before our last scheduled meeting)

 

Thanks to all for the prayers and warm wishes. Keep them coming. Reading comments from you all is a highlight of our day—after visiting with Daniil!

 

Peace,

 

Jim and Mary