A few friends have asked us if we are going to continue the blog. I had not really planned on it, but since they have encouraged me and since the kids are now fully involved in school, I think we might post updates every now and then.
We are doing really well overall. Dasha and Dima both love school, and Bob and I are so happy with Alpha Omega Academy. The teachers and administrators were very excited to meet our kids and to welcome them. They are flexible with us in terms of grading and assignments while the kids are working on learning English. Their peers at school have been just as fantastic, welcoming and befriending Dasha and Dima. Dasha received a birthday invitation from a classmate in the mail just a day after she met the birthday girl in class. It will be her first party without us! And Dima has expressed repeatedly how happy he is that the boys at school like him. (No talk about the girls yet, thank God!) Their English is coming along very well - we hear more from Dasha every day!
I am taking the semester off from school - an amazing blessing though I will miss my students. I can already see how it really is necessary, though, and how I will need to devote a great deal of time to our kids during the transition. Bob is having to rebuild his business, but the up side of that is that he also gets a good bit of "kid time" right now.
At home we are doing lots of homework but still have time to play together as a family. I think the kids really love being here. There are times when the adjustment is hard - difficult assignments, frustration with language, learning to live happily as siblings, and learning to live within the boundaries we set. All very natural and normal under these circumstances, but difficult since Bob and I are still getting to know the kids and just learning to be parents as well.
But I was reminded of something this morning as I was researching a little on the love of God.
Romans 5:10 says, "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
I'm not sure I ever got much from that verse before, but in thinking about the fact that we as believers were adopted into God's family by Christ's death and reconciliation, I realized that it didn't stop there. He not only reconciled us so that we would be in good standing with the Father, He also conquered death and rose from the dead to seal our futures, meaning life with Him now and eternally, essentially relationship. So the adoption is the first part. The relationship - the ongoing, permanent gift of life and love - is the rest.
And for us, our adoption was the beginning. Now we are called to give life and love through whatever comes, and to live in a relationship, a family, that will not be broken, as an example of what He did for us.
My brain is fuzzy now - thinking and writing and needing to clean the kitchen.
So off I go... As always, thank you for listening and praying and investing in our family!
Love,
Karen
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Home Sweet Home
And it really is. I can't believe we've been home for one week today! It's been a whirlwind - so much orienting, bonding, adjusting, visiting with relatives, catching up after a month away, and believe it or not, more paperwork! There's still much to do before we feel like we're caught up. But we're doing so well!!!
The flights home were fine - Dima enjoyed flying for the first time until the last 10 minutes or so - coming into Houston was pretty turbulent. But overall we did well and enjoyed our trip. We had to get the kids up at 2:30am on the morning that we left, but they were excited and ready to go. We landed in Houston at 2:30pm Texas time and were greeted by a few friends and family - a perfect welcome party complete with balloons and signs in Russian and English to welcome Dima and Dasha home. The party had to wait and wait for us to get out of immigration, and we very much appreciated their patience. We all headed straight for an ice cream shop - the perfect welcome spot for these particular kiddos. Dima and Dasha were a little shy but really enjoyed the people they met, the gifts, and making their first friends in America. They specifically remembered names of those at the airport after we left.
My parents have been here for a week and have been a great help with food prep, cleaning up after us, etc., while we spend time with the kids and take care of other things. And it's been wonderful for them to get to know their new grandparents. The other set of grandparents (Bob's side), has been able to talk to the kids on the phone and has sent boxes of clothes which the kids were thrilled to get!
By Sunday they were ready to get out and go to church, and we knew that so many of you would be there to greet them. They did great - shy and pretty overwhelmed by all the love, but they had a good time nonetheless. The first thing Dima said after he was able to escape to the car was, "I like your friends." So I think it was a success.
So during the past week we have gone to the pool almost every day, shopped a little, played games, gone to our first American birthday party (thanks for the invitation, Phoebe!), started on some English lessons, visited, canoed, introduced some chores, and played and played with cats and kittens. Dima and Dasha each have a kitten, and they LOVE them.
God is truly amazing - we see His work in our children and in our family. He has been faithful to bring us together and has brought us blessing after blessing already. We are humbled and in awe. At some point we would like to blog again, just to recap the miracles and victories we've experienced on this journey - but first we have to register children, get them on insurance, get them in school, go to see doctors and dentists...
Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for us, reading our long posts, and being friends and supporters of our family. We love you and thank God for you!
Blessings,
Karen, Bob, Dima, and Dasha
The flights home were fine - Dima enjoyed flying for the first time until the last 10 minutes or so - coming into Houston was pretty turbulent. But overall we did well and enjoyed our trip. We had to get the kids up at 2:30am on the morning that we left, but they were excited and ready to go. We landed in Houston at 2:30pm Texas time and were greeted by a few friends and family - a perfect welcome party complete with balloons and signs in Russian and English to welcome Dima and Dasha home. The party had to wait and wait for us to get out of immigration, and we very much appreciated their patience. We all headed straight for an ice cream shop - the perfect welcome spot for these particular kiddos. Dima and Dasha were a little shy but really enjoyed the people they met, the gifts, and making their first friends in America. They specifically remembered names of those at the airport after we left.
My parents have been here for a week and have been a great help with food prep, cleaning up after us, etc., while we spend time with the kids and take care of other things. And it's been wonderful for them to get to know their new grandparents. The other set of grandparents (Bob's side), has been able to talk to the kids on the phone and has sent boxes of clothes which the kids were thrilled to get!
By Sunday they were ready to get out and go to church, and we knew that so many of you would be there to greet them. They did great - shy and pretty overwhelmed by all the love, but they had a good time nonetheless. The first thing Dima said after he was able to escape to the car was, "I like your friends." So I think it was a success.
So during the past week we have gone to the pool almost every day, shopped a little, played games, gone to our first American birthday party (thanks for the invitation, Phoebe!), started on some English lessons, visited, canoed, introduced some chores, and played and played with cats and kittens. Dima and Dasha each have a kitten, and they LOVE them.
God is truly amazing - we see His work in our children and in our family. He has been faithful to bring us together and has brought us blessing after blessing already. We are humbled and in awe. At some point we would like to blog again, just to recap the miracles and victories we've experienced on this journey - but first we have to register children, get them on insurance, get them in school, go to see doctors and dentists...
Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for us, reading our long posts, and being friends and supporters of our family. We love you and thank God for you!
Blessings,
Karen, Bob, Dima, and Dasha
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
We're in Moscow!
We arrived Monday morning after riding the overnight train. Sunday went well - Dima had a good birthday. We had a Georgian feast with the 2 grandmothers, 2 friends, girlfriend, and Natasha. The kids' biological mother did not come but they spoke to her on the phone before leaving St. Petersburg.
The friends - 2 15yo boys that rode the train from the orphanage camp - brought a cake for Dima, such a thoughtful thing for 2 15yo boys to do. And he got gifts from the others. The grandmothers gave us ALL gifts, so much that we were very thankful to have just enough room in our luggage! We have all kinds of souvenirs from St. Petersburg, and even 2 family photo albums that include pictures of when the kids were young. These are priceless items that most adoptive families never get. The paternal grandmother and a great aunt came to the train station to see us off later that night, while the maternal grandmother went back to the hospital to be with their grandfather. The kids of course had mixed emotions leaving their friends and relatives behind, but they maintained their excitement about things to come.
They loved the train ride. Dima says he slept for about an hour - he was just too excited. He gets so excited about everything - not overly so, but he has such a boyish love of life, appreciates the small things, and isn't afraid to show it. We hope he never loses that. Dasha slept the most but also had a really good time.
When we got here Monday morning, we checked into the hotel and the doctor came to visit us for the mandatory examinations for the kids' visas. We were amazed that doctors still make house calls! Dr. Read, we'll be expecting the same treatment when we get back :-) The visits were quick and easy, and the worst we found out is that Dasha has cavities and needs to see the dentist. No big surprise there.
After long naps that we tricked the kids into, we went swimming in the hotel's indoor pool. The kids love to swim, so we'll be visiting there for the next 2 days, I'm sure. Today we have an appointment at the US embassy to order visas, then tomorrow we are free to do as we please while Buckner staff takes care of the rest. We plan to go to Red Square for a little while.
The natives get restless with our long blogs, and we are in the hotel lobby, so I think we will head upstairs to wait for our embassy appointments.
Over and over we are reminded of how wonderful our friends and family have been to us during this long process. We have really enjoyed blogging and reading your comments back to us! We'll plan on blogging at least one more time, either from here or after we get home.
The kids are looking forward to the flight but are a little nervous about it, so if you could pray for peace and safety, that would be great! We love you and can't wait to get home!!!
Karen, Bob, Dima, and Dasha
The friends - 2 15yo boys that rode the train from the orphanage camp - brought a cake for Dima, such a thoughtful thing for 2 15yo boys to do. And he got gifts from the others. The grandmothers gave us ALL gifts, so much that we were very thankful to have just enough room in our luggage! We have all kinds of souvenirs from St. Petersburg, and even 2 family photo albums that include pictures of when the kids were young. These are priceless items that most adoptive families never get. The paternal grandmother and a great aunt came to the train station to see us off later that night, while the maternal grandmother went back to the hospital to be with their grandfather. The kids of course had mixed emotions leaving their friends and relatives behind, but they maintained their excitement about things to come.
They loved the train ride. Dima says he slept for about an hour - he was just too excited. He gets so excited about everything - not overly so, but he has such a boyish love of life, appreciates the small things, and isn't afraid to show it. We hope he never loses that. Dasha slept the most but also had a really good time.
When we got here Monday morning, we checked into the hotel and the doctor came to visit us for the mandatory examinations for the kids' visas. We were amazed that doctors still make house calls! Dr. Read, we'll be expecting the same treatment when we get back :-) The visits were quick and easy, and the worst we found out is that Dasha has cavities and needs to see the dentist. No big surprise there.
After long naps that we tricked the kids into, we went swimming in the hotel's indoor pool. The kids love to swim, so we'll be visiting there for the next 2 days, I'm sure. Today we have an appointment at the US embassy to order visas, then tomorrow we are free to do as we please while Buckner staff takes care of the rest. We plan to go to Red Square for a little while.
The natives get restless with our long blogs, and we are in the hotel lobby, so I think we will head upstairs to wait for our embassy appointments.
Over and over we are reminded of how wonderful our friends and family have been to us during this long process. We have really enjoyed blogging and reading your comments back to us! We'll plan on blogging at least one more time, either from here or after we get home.
The kids are looking forward to the flight but are a little nervous about it, so if you could pray for peace and safety, that would be great! We love you and can't wait to get home!!!
Karen, Bob, Dima, and Dasha
Sunday, July 19, 2009
So we have the kids - now what do we do?
Just kidding - we're having a great time! We are sitting at McDonald's having pre-lunch fries and drinks in order to take advantage of the free internet. And we're finally on our own computer (which is easier because the Russian keyboard is different!) We are heading to lunch at a Georgian restaurant soon, to celebrate Dima's birthday with both of his grandmothers, 2 friends, a girlfriend (yes, you heard us right - YIKES!), and Natasha, with a probable brief visit from their biological mother. Their grandfather is in the hospital AGAIN, so we won't get to meet him. If you happen to be up reading this at 6am on Sunday, we'd love for you to pray for the birthday event!
Tonight we will head to Moscow on the overnight train. Should be fun. This time we'll actually have sleeping quarters on the train. Then Monday morning the kids will go to a doctor's appointment, a requirement to get their US visas. Visas should be ready by Wednesday, so we're flying home on THURSDAY!!!
When we were in Finland, our private sauna felt just like Houston, so when we were homesick, all we had to do was go in there. But here we don't have a sauna, and we are anxious to get home.
The last few days have been great - good bonding time with the kids while we took care of some business, too. We went to the zoo one day and toured Catherine's Palace on another. We've had to sleep with the windows open in our 7th floor apartment because there's no AC and it's been a little warm. So for the last 2 nights, we've had a visit from the most unique domestic cat we've ever met. The kids have appropriately named him "Crazy" (said with a thick Russian accent.) We'll try to post a picture. He just waltzed in through a window one night and decided to stay for an hour or so, then did the same the next night. We had no idea how he managed to get into a 7th floor apartment window (apparently from the roof) until we saw him in action last night. This cat is amazing! He must be a cross between something domestic and something wild. Check out his markings. And he can jump more than 5 feet straight up with no problem at all. Last night he jumped from the window to the top of an open door and just balanced there for awhile for fun. But he is also very sweet and the family very much enjoyed his midnight visits.
So we are coming in Thursday on British Airways at 2:35pm. We are all excited! Mom and Dad, we'll call you on your cell later in the week to give more details.
God bless you all - have a wonderful week! We'll be back in touch soon since we can access e-mail from our Moscow hotel.
Love,
Karen, Bob, Dima, and Dasha
Tonight we will head to Moscow on the overnight train. Should be fun. This time we'll actually have sleeping quarters on the train. Then Monday morning the kids will go to a doctor's appointment, a requirement to get their US visas. Visas should be ready by Wednesday, so we're flying home on THURSDAY!!!
When we were in Finland, our private sauna felt just like Houston, so when we were homesick, all we had to do was go in there. But here we don't have a sauna, and we are anxious to get home.
The last few days have been great - good bonding time with the kids while we took care of some business, too. We went to the zoo one day and toured Catherine's Palace on another. We've had to sleep with the windows open in our 7th floor apartment because there's no AC and it's been a little warm. So for the last 2 nights, we've had a visit from the most unique domestic cat we've ever met. The kids have appropriately named him "Crazy" (said with a thick Russian accent.) We'll try to post a picture. He just waltzed in through a window one night and decided to stay for an hour or so, then did the same the next night. We had no idea how he managed to get into a 7th floor apartment window (apparently from the roof) until we saw him in action last night. This cat is amazing! He must be a cross between something domestic and something wild. Check out his markings. And he can jump more than 5 feet straight up with no problem at all. Last night he jumped from the window to the top of an open door and just balanced there for awhile for fun. But he is also very sweet and the family very much enjoyed his midnight visits.
So we are coming in Thursday on British Airways at 2:35pm. We are all excited! Mom and Dad, we'll call you on your cell later in the week to give more details.
God bless you all - have a wonderful week! We'll be back in touch soon since we can access e-mail from our Moscow hotel.
Love,
Karen, Bob, Dima, and Dasha
Monday, July 13, 2009
We Are Parents!!!
It's official - we got our adoption certificates yesterday! We arrived back in St. Pete on Sunday night and checked into the apartment we will be renting this week. (It is actually owned by Buckner and is a transitional home for orphans after they leave the orphanages. It's a small program - only a few orphans are accepted - but it allows kids to live there and work and/or go to school while learning crucial skills needed to live independently. It's a great program, but Natasha says it's funded solely by donations and they're not sure how long they can keep it going. The transitional kids are gone from the apartment for the summer, so it is used to house interns [like summer missionaries] who come and go, and it is available for rent by people like us.)
Just the bare essentials there, but Antoine, one of the house parents, takes great care of us. We have the place to ourselves until the weekend when 3 interns will come back from Dasha's orphanage, where they are spending the week doing vacation bible school. We met the 3 on Monday - great girls - Jessica, Melissa, and Courtney? Turns out Melissa is an A&M grad and first year teacher, and Jessica is a Sam Houston education student! Crazy! We've never met her before - she goes home to Houston every weekend to teach Sunday School at her church. But we invited her to visit UHBC and Truth. It's a small world after all! The third intern is from Illinois, and they are all very sweet.
Today we will go back to the camps and pick up our kids for good!!! We will have a going away party at Dasha's, then head to Dima's to do the same. Lots of cake today! Since the kids are officially ours, the rest of our time here will be spent trying to get them out of Russia and into the US. We are currently waiting on the kids' passports, which should be ready Thursday, possibly Friday. We could head to Moscow as early as Sunday night (Sunday is also Dima's 13th birthday!), which is earlier than planned. If that happens, we may be able to get the visas in Moscow a little sooner than expected, and maybe even bring them home a couple days early! The soonest would be Thursday, July 23, or it may still be Saturday the 25th, depending on lots of factors (hotel, airline, embassy appointments, etc.)
So we are now at an internet cafe in St. Petersburg trying to navigate through language barriers with Russian-only speakers. And we are not able to use our own computer (again), so can't post pictures. BUT we are happy and healthy and grateful.
Thank you for all your prayers - God has really been showing us that prayer is a crucial part of our faith and relationship with Him. We don't know what adventures await us, but just like He showed the Israelites His miracles over and over in Egypt to prepare them for the wilderness, we know that He has shown us miracles too, to prepare us for whatever He has next.
We have just been informed (we think) that wireless is available close by, so maybe we'll get back soon with pictures and more updates!
Much love,
Karen and Bob
Just the bare essentials there, but Antoine, one of the house parents, takes great care of us. We have the place to ourselves until the weekend when 3 interns will come back from Dasha's orphanage, where they are spending the week doing vacation bible school. We met the 3 on Monday - great girls - Jessica, Melissa, and Courtney? Turns out Melissa is an A&M grad and first year teacher, and Jessica is a Sam Houston education student! Crazy! We've never met her before - she goes home to Houston every weekend to teach Sunday School at her church. But we invited her to visit UHBC and Truth. It's a small world after all! The third intern is from Illinois, and they are all very sweet.
Today we will go back to the camps and pick up our kids for good!!! We will have a going away party at Dasha's, then head to Dima's to do the same. Lots of cake today! Since the kids are officially ours, the rest of our time here will be spent trying to get them out of Russia and into the US. We are currently waiting on the kids' passports, which should be ready Thursday, possibly Friday. We could head to Moscow as early as Sunday night (Sunday is also Dima's 13th birthday!), which is earlier than planned. If that happens, we may be able to get the visas in Moscow a little sooner than expected, and maybe even bring them home a couple days early! The soonest would be Thursday, July 23, or it may still be Saturday the 25th, depending on lots of factors (hotel, airline, embassy appointments, etc.)
So we are now at an internet cafe in St. Petersburg trying to navigate through language barriers with Russian-only speakers. And we are not able to use our own computer (again), so can't post pictures. BUT we are happy and healthy and grateful.
Thank you for all your prayers - God has really been showing us that prayer is a crucial part of our faith and relationship with Him. We don't know what adventures await us, but just like He showed the Israelites His miracles over and over in Egypt to prepare them for the wilderness, we know that He has shown us miracles too, to prepare us for whatever He has next.
We have just been informed (we think) that wireless is available close by, so maybe we'll get back soon with pictures and more updates!
Much love,
Karen and Bob
Thursday, July 9, 2009
We Found Them!
Reindeer - lots and lots and lots of reindeer! Can't wait until we can post pictures. This morning a whole herd decided to graze through our complex just as we were coming out. We hung out with them for quite awhile - amazing animals.
Yesterday we hiked for 20 miles! That's way more than we've ever done before, and we feel it today! But it was possible for 2 reasons. First, even though we're in a ski resort area, the mountains in Finland are very small and the hiking is easy. Of course it helps to not have 30-40 pound packs on our backs - there's something to be said for day hiking! The second reason 20 miles was possible is because we never had to worry about it getting dark, so we knew we had all the time in the world. It doesn't get dark here even for a minute right now. Not that we've stayed up all night to check - we opted to ask someone instead. But we hiked very leisurely from 10am-10pm, stopping to warm up in cabins built for hikers and skiirs, complete with firewood and a cook stove!
The scenery is beautiful - very green, with rolling hills, lots of water, and much hiking on balds above treeline, where the views are great. We even saw a couple patches of snow!
We'll do shorter hikes today and tomorrow and continue to catch up on our reading. Then it's back to St. Petersburg on Saturday, arriving Sunday evening!
Hope you're having as much fun as we are!
Love,
Karen and Bob
Yesterday we hiked for 20 miles! That's way more than we've ever done before, and we feel it today! But it was possible for 2 reasons. First, even though we're in a ski resort area, the mountains in Finland are very small and the hiking is easy. Of course it helps to not have 30-40 pound packs on our backs - there's something to be said for day hiking! The second reason 20 miles was possible is because we never had to worry about it getting dark, so we knew we had all the time in the world. It doesn't get dark here even for a minute right now. Not that we've stayed up all night to check - we opted to ask someone instead. But we hiked very leisurely from 10am-10pm, stopping to warm up in cabins built for hikers and skiirs, complete with firewood and a cook stove!
The scenery is beautiful - very green, with rolling hills, lots of water, and much hiking on balds above treeline, where the views are great. We even saw a couple patches of snow!
We'll do shorter hikes today and tomorrow and continue to catch up on our reading. Then it's back to St. Petersburg on Saturday, arriving Sunday evening!
Hope you're having as much fun as we are!
Love,
Karen and Bob
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Summertime in Lapland
It's evening in Finland's Lapland, here inside the Arctic Circle. This afternoon we sat by the fireplace in our homey condo (thanks, Mom and Dad!!!) warming the bones, watching the light drizzle and an occasional snow flake pass by our window. This is our kind of place!
This area is considered Santa's home, so we're on the lookout. Tonight we had reindeer pizza for dinner. No really, we did. More specifically, it was reindeer, salami, jalepenos, and "pickled cucumbers". All I can say is the salad was great!
We have had many travel adventures since our last post, but very limited internet access. Now we have access about a kilometer away from the apartment, so we'll be on every once in awhile. Sorry, Amy, can't blog every day!
Some highlights since we left St. Pete...
The train to Helsinki, Finland was great. It was a Russian train, and the Russians do trains very well. Good service and a nice lunch in the restaurant car. We spent a few hours in Helsinki before boarding our boat to Estonia Thursday evening. We thought we were getting on a ferry-type boat with maybe a couch where we could grab a few snoozes. But NO, this was a bonifide cruise ship - 10 stories high, supermarkets, restaurants, our own private cabin with private bath, and so much more, all for the 2-3 hour cruise over to Tallinn, Estonia. We docked in Tallinn and spent the night on the boat, then the next day in Old Town.
We are talking really OLD here! The town was settled in 1164. We saw fortress walls and towers and parts of buildings that were built in the 1200's. Tallinn is an amazing place - so much fun! The history is really interesting, too. The Estonians were defeated by the Danes in the 1200's, then the Germans came, then the Russians, and they were part of the Soviet Union until their Singing Revolution in the late 1980's. There are still song festivals every year, partially celebrating their freedom and commemorating the fact that they won their independence (twice, actually) by singing. We happened to be there at the same time as the annual song festival, but we were in a different part of town.
We were amused by the fact that we had to pay to go to the bathroom (actually not uncommon here, either) but then got to enjoy a private sink in every little stall. It was also interesting converting Estonian kroons to dollars then to euros so we could pay for things. We're still not very good with euros, either, since we just finished with rubles in Russia.
After a day in Estonia, we boarded another ship and started on a 22 hour travel marathon which brought us here. A couple hours on the ship to Helsinki, a few minutes on a bus to the train station, 13 hours on an overnight train to Roveneimi (Santa's official home town), then about 5 more hours into the arctic circle to Sääriselka on another bus. We made friends with Elimili and Katrin on the bus, Finnish college students with good English who helped us figure out what was going on and how to get where we needed to go. We taught them how to play Spades. Of course the girls won. Please pray for Elimili and Katrin - they need the hope that we have.
After checking into our condo in Sääriselka, we went grocery shopping. THAT was interesting. All of the food labels are translated...from Finnish into Estonian and Swedish. Not helpful. But in spite of sleep deprivation and language barrier, we made it out with food. Went back to the condo and I got to try out our own private sauna after dinner! Then today we did laundry - another hilarious process trying to use a tiny German-made washing machine with a ferris-wheel style tub and instructions in who-knows-what language. I THINK our clothes are clean. Then there is the drying closet...
Tomorrow the high will be in the high 30's or low 40's again, and Bob is hoping for snow! We'll do some good long hikes probably starting on Tuesday when it warms up to about 55-60. We seriously hope to see a reindeer. We are looking forward to relaxing this week, spending some quality time with each other and communing with our Creator, and reading up on parenting!
You are such a good praying group - please continue to pray for the kids during this appeals period - that they will be patient, at peace and prepared for what is coming. And pray that we will have everything in place to take care of visas, and that nothing unexpected, specifically appeals, will happen before our adoption decrees on July 13.
And have a wonderful week!
(Sorry, no new pic's for awhile since we are not using our own computer. And Dad, we got your e-mail - Bob says the glue stuck. Thank you!)
Lots of love,
Karen and Bob
This area is considered Santa's home, so we're on the lookout. Tonight we had reindeer pizza for dinner. No really, we did. More specifically, it was reindeer, salami, jalepenos, and "pickled cucumbers". All I can say is the salad was great!
We have had many travel adventures since our last post, but very limited internet access. Now we have access about a kilometer away from the apartment, so we'll be on every once in awhile. Sorry, Amy, can't blog every day!
Some highlights since we left St. Pete...
The train to Helsinki, Finland was great. It was a Russian train, and the Russians do trains very well. Good service and a nice lunch in the restaurant car. We spent a few hours in Helsinki before boarding our boat to Estonia Thursday evening. We thought we were getting on a ferry-type boat with maybe a couch where we could grab a few snoozes. But NO, this was a bonifide cruise ship - 10 stories high, supermarkets, restaurants, our own private cabin with private bath, and so much more, all for the 2-3 hour cruise over to Tallinn, Estonia. We docked in Tallinn and spent the night on the boat, then the next day in Old Town.
We are talking really OLD here! The town was settled in 1164. We saw fortress walls and towers and parts of buildings that were built in the 1200's. Tallinn is an amazing place - so much fun! The history is really interesting, too. The Estonians were defeated by the Danes in the 1200's, then the Germans came, then the Russians, and they were part of the Soviet Union until their Singing Revolution in the late 1980's. There are still song festivals every year, partially celebrating their freedom and commemorating the fact that they won their independence (twice, actually) by singing. We happened to be there at the same time as the annual song festival, but we were in a different part of town.
We were amused by the fact that we had to pay to go to the bathroom (actually not uncommon here, either) but then got to enjoy a private sink in every little stall. It was also interesting converting Estonian kroons to dollars then to euros so we could pay for things. We're still not very good with euros, either, since we just finished with rubles in Russia.
After a day in Estonia, we boarded another ship and started on a 22 hour travel marathon which brought us here. A couple hours on the ship to Helsinki, a few minutes on a bus to the train station, 13 hours on an overnight train to Roveneimi (Santa's official home town), then about 5 more hours into the arctic circle to Sääriselka on another bus. We made friends with Elimili and Katrin on the bus, Finnish college students with good English who helped us figure out what was going on and how to get where we needed to go. We taught them how to play Spades. Of course the girls won. Please pray for Elimili and Katrin - they need the hope that we have.
After checking into our condo in Sääriselka, we went grocery shopping. THAT was interesting. All of the food labels are translated...from Finnish into Estonian and Swedish. Not helpful. But in spite of sleep deprivation and language barrier, we made it out with food. Went back to the condo and I got to try out our own private sauna after dinner! Then today we did laundry - another hilarious process trying to use a tiny German-made washing machine with a ferris-wheel style tub and instructions in who-knows-what language. I THINK our clothes are clean. Then there is the drying closet...
Tomorrow the high will be in the high 30's or low 40's again, and Bob is hoping for snow! We'll do some good long hikes probably starting on Tuesday when it warms up to about 55-60. We seriously hope to see a reindeer. We are looking forward to relaxing this week, spending some quality time with each other and communing with our Creator, and reading up on parenting!
You are such a good praying group - please continue to pray for the kids during this appeals period - that they will be patient, at peace and prepared for what is coming. And pray that we will have everything in place to take care of visas, and that nothing unexpected, specifically appeals, will happen before our adoption decrees on July 13.
And have a wonderful week!
(Sorry, no new pic's for awhile since we are not using our own computer. And Dad, we got your e-mail - Bob says the glue stuck. Thank you!)
Lots of love,
Karen and Bob
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Today we Hydroplaned!
The morning started off with breakfast at a coffeehouse on Vasilevskiy Street. The kids and Karen had pancakes and ice cream and I had a croissant with an Americano, so we all started off happy. Sasha picked us up for our planned day at the Peterhof Palace. We bought tickets for the hydrofoil which is by far the most exciting and scenic way to reach the imperial summer palace. The trip took 45- min. across the Bay of Finland and the kids' eyes were as big as half dollars as we hovered across the ocean to reach our destination. Once we arrived we toured the gardens and parks for several hours. The kids played in the water fountains - there are almost 70 fountains in all - as we took in all the amazing sites. From there we took the kids back to summer camp where we all will wait out the mandatory ten day appeal process. As we pulled up to Dima's camp his friends were eagerly awaiting his arrival. Unexpectedly and surprisingly to me, Dima gave both Karen and I a big hug in front of his friends. Dasha's departure was equally as rewarding with a big smile and hug.
So we're off to Finland by train at 6am and have to get some sleep! Hope the rest of you have a great day while we're off in dreamland.
Love,
Bob
So we're off to Finland by train at 6am and have to get some sleep! Hope the rest of you have a great day while we're off in dreamland.
Love,
Bob
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
SHE SAID YES!!!
The verdict is in, and we will be parents officially in 13 days! Court was not anti-climactic afterall. We were plenty nervous and excited, and kept in suspense. Afterward Natasha, who was incredibly relieved, told us that if it had been any of the past judges she knows, we would have had a "no" verdict, or not had an invitation to court at all, due to the mistakes and issues that came up at the end. So God knew exactly what authority to put in place at what time in order for His purpose to be accomplished. Wow.
The judge asked us some good questions, but fewer than expected, and she did not harp on any particular subject like religion or Bob's history or our parenting plans - only asked brief questions and was satisfied to move on. To those of you who wrote character references and various letters this month, you should know that those letters were crucial to our success. The judge, and everyone we had to convince yesterday, mentioned the difference the letters made. They really did turn things around for us. The orphanage social workers and municipalities gave wonderful recommendations and really focused on the fact that this is a good match, and that in their eyes it is the last chance for these children.
The kids were great - the judge brought each in separately - we didn't know Dasha would be involved at all because of her age - but she asked them briefly whether they wanted us to adopt them. Dima was so nervous beforehand and evidently prepared for much more than he had to do. The way things have turned out, his strong confidence in his own decision and unwillingness to waiver even when questions arose have made all the difference. The orphanage director, municipality personnel, and judge all put a great deal of stock in his resolve. And it means so much to us to know that he is confident in what he is doing. Dasha was cute as ever and basically tongue-tied in front of the judge.
It is all so hard to believe! I think we're just trying to take it in. After we blogged last night I felt like we were just giving the facts and there is so much more - but I'm sure you don't have all day to read anyway! Suffice it to say we are overwhelmed, grateful, excited, and a little tired, but we are all those things as a FAMILY!
Dima and Bob are passed out on the bed behind me - it's all just too much I guess. But we need to go to dinner, so I'll wrap it up soon. We had ice cream to celebrate today, and tonight we will eat Georgian food, which is yummy, for our celebration dinner - just the 4 of us with no interpreter and no English menu - always an adventure!
Then tomorrow we will ride the hydrofoil boat to Peterhof and Natasha will go along to translate. Since we have now begun the 2 week appeals portion of the process (where we fully expect NOTHING to happen), we will take the kids back to their "camps" tomorrow then head off to Northern Finland to wait things out there. Our official "gotcha day" where we get the adoption decree is July 13!
So many of you have been gracious and loving enough to pray us through this - we can only hope to be the kind of support for you that you have been for us. As I've said a million times, and not enough, thank you.
To God be the glory - he has put together our family!
Karen (and Bob, in between sleeps)
The judge asked us some good questions, but fewer than expected, and she did not harp on any particular subject like religion or Bob's history or our parenting plans - only asked brief questions and was satisfied to move on. To those of you who wrote character references and various letters this month, you should know that those letters were crucial to our success. The judge, and everyone we had to convince yesterday, mentioned the difference the letters made. They really did turn things around for us. The orphanage social workers and municipalities gave wonderful recommendations and really focused on the fact that this is a good match, and that in their eyes it is the last chance for these children.
The kids were great - the judge brought each in separately - we didn't know Dasha would be involved at all because of her age - but she asked them briefly whether they wanted us to adopt them. Dima was so nervous beforehand and evidently prepared for much more than he had to do. The way things have turned out, his strong confidence in his own decision and unwillingness to waiver even when questions arose have made all the difference. The orphanage director, municipality personnel, and judge all put a great deal of stock in his resolve. And it means so much to us to know that he is confident in what he is doing. Dasha was cute as ever and basically tongue-tied in front of the judge.
It is all so hard to believe! I think we're just trying to take it in. After we blogged last night I felt like we were just giving the facts and there is so much more - but I'm sure you don't have all day to read anyway! Suffice it to say we are overwhelmed, grateful, excited, and a little tired, but we are all those things as a FAMILY!
Dima and Bob are passed out on the bed behind me - it's all just too much I guess. But we need to go to dinner, so I'll wrap it up soon. We had ice cream to celebrate today, and tonight we will eat Georgian food, which is yummy, for our celebration dinner - just the 4 of us with no interpreter and no English menu - always an adventure!
Then tomorrow we will ride the hydrofoil boat to Peterhof and Natasha will go along to translate. Since we have now begun the 2 week appeals portion of the process (where we fully expect NOTHING to happen), we will take the kids back to their "camps" tomorrow then head off to Northern Finland to wait things out there. Our official "gotcha day" where we get the adoption decree is July 13!
So many of you have been gracious and loving enough to pray us through this - we can only hope to be the kind of support for you that you have been for us. As I've said a million times, and not enough, thank you.
To God be the glory - he has put together our family!
Karen (and Bob, in between sleeps)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Miracles
hello i Dima and my sister Dasha from St.Petersburg
You can probably tell from the message above (and the fact that Dima is with us at midnight) that today was amazing!!! It started out bright and early with medical appointments. We saw our 8 doc's and found out we are healthy, not even any major psychological problems! They even had coffee, tea and cookies for us, which they kept insisting we go back to between doctors. So that was the easy part.
Then we went to Dima's orphanage to meet with a government representative from the municipality that had opposed our adoption and Dima's orphanage director, who had adamantly opposed us after looking at our paperwork and had told Natasha she would not change her mind. Dima and his social worker were also in on the meetings. Unbeknownst to any of us, the director had visited with Dima yesterday, asked him some questions, then Dima was awake most of the night nervous about today because he knew there were problems.
All we can say is that Natasha had done her homework (painful as it was) to even get us to this point, and God honored and answered all of our prayers! They asked us some questions, much less about Bob's past than we had expected, but much more about our household income, which was completely unexpected until we got here. But at least it was a little easier to defend that issue by explaining Bob's new business and start-up costs. God had definitely gone before us and prepared the way. His Spirit gave us the words to say and the right attitude, and it was awesome to see Him work.
By the end of it, both the municipality and the director stated that they understood there were some mistakes in the paperwork and that they would change their conclusions from negative to positive!!!
We were all SOOO relieved, not just Bob and I, but Natasha, Dima's social worker, and Dima himself. So we took Dima and headed out to Dasha's summer camp (camp is where Russian orphans spend every summer, for a change of scenery but also so that orphanage repairs can be made - it's not camp in the sense that you and I know it.) We picked her up - did I mention that seeing the kids again was amazing??? I should have.
We brought them back to the hotel after making a brief stop at the Bay of Finland - it was so beautiful! I wish you Texans could have been here to feel that cool air and cooler water!
And here we are! It's midnight - shame on us for keeping the kids up this late - but it's not dark outside! We're about to go to bed anyway. Those up here who wait for dark don't sleep this time of year.
Our court appointment is at 2pm tomorrow, so we are free until 1pm and will sleep in, I'm sure. We honestly feel like our court battle was won today since now there is no one left to oppose us! Never thought court would be anti-climactic, but believe me, we're FINE with that!!!
We know that God has honored our prayers and yours once again. Now we need to pray these kids to sleep. We will have official word tomorrow!
Love,
Karen and Dima (and Bob - and Dasha, because Bob doesn't want to leave her out)
You can probably tell from the message above (and the fact that Dima is with us at midnight) that today was amazing!!! It started out bright and early with medical appointments. We saw our 8 doc's and found out we are healthy, not even any major psychological problems! They even had coffee, tea and cookies for us, which they kept insisting we go back to between doctors. So that was the easy part.
Then we went to Dima's orphanage to meet with a government representative from the municipality that had opposed our adoption and Dima's orphanage director, who had adamantly opposed us after looking at our paperwork and had told Natasha she would not change her mind. Dima and his social worker were also in on the meetings. Unbeknownst to any of us, the director had visited with Dima yesterday, asked him some questions, then Dima was awake most of the night nervous about today because he knew there were problems.
All we can say is that Natasha had done her homework (painful as it was) to even get us to this point, and God honored and answered all of our prayers! They asked us some questions, much less about Bob's past than we had expected, but much more about our household income, which was completely unexpected until we got here. But at least it was a little easier to defend that issue by explaining Bob's new business and start-up costs. God had definitely gone before us and prepared the way. His Spirit gave us the words to say and the right attitude, and it was awesome to see Him work.
By the end of it, both the municipality and the director stated that they understood there were some mistakes in the paperwork and that they would change their conclusions from negative to positive!!!
We were all SOOO relieved, not just Bob and I, but Natasha, Dima's social worker, and Dima himself. So we took Dima and headed out to Dasha's summer camp (camp is where Russian orphans spend every summer, for a change of scenery but also so that orphanage repairs can be made - it's not camp in the sense that you and I know it.) We picked her up - did I mention that seeing the kids again was amazing??? I should have.
We brought them back to the hotel after making a brief stop at the Bay of Finland - it was so beautiful! I wish you Texans could have been here to feel that cool air and cooler water!
And here we are! It's midnight - shame on us for keeping the kids up this late - but it's not dark outside! We're about to go to bed anyway. Those up here who wait for dark don't sleep this time of year.
Our court appointment is at 2pm tomorrow, so we are free until 1pm and will sleep in, I'm sure. We honestly feel like our court battle was won today since now there is no one left to oppose us! Never thought court would be anti-climactic, but believe me, we're FINE with that!!!
We know that God has honored our prayers and yours once again. Now we need to pray these kids to sleep. We will have official word tomorrow!
Love,
Karen and Dima (and Bob - and Dasha, because Bob doesn't want to leave her out)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
We are here and exhausted but we will be fine with a good night's rest! On the way to the hotel from the airport Natasha briefed us on some details for tomorrow. First we have an "eight" doctor medical exam at 7:15 AM. Then we will go to Dima's orphanage (which has opposed our adoption} for an interview to discuss some concerns about my past! This meeting will take place between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM ( 3:00AM and 4:00 Texas time} this is where i will put on my Jack Bauer face. Here we will get to see Dima for a brief period. If this meeting goes well we will go to summer camp and pickup Dasha and the two of them will get to stay the night! All kidding aside I will need to conduct myself with respect and great humility, self control that can only be given to me by God's Holy Spirit.
PLEASE BE IN PRAYER FOR TOMORROW!
love,
bob
PLEASE BE IN PRAYER FOR TOMORROW!
love,
bob
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
And it keeps on comin'...
Attack that is. Crazy stuff. I have never been more aware of spiritual warfare in my life. So we must be doing something right! You may have read the past few blogs and, if so, you have some idea of the ordeal that has been going on in Russia. You also know that we got our court date anyway!!! So we are headed to St. Pete this Saturday - we ARE going , we will not be stopped, and we will not go exhausted or discouraged!
Having said that, I should fill you in on some events of the last few weeks. Some of it may seem coincidental or unrelated, but I don't think so. To make it relatively brief, here are the highlights (and if you feel the need to laugh when you see how ridiculous it gets, it's OKAY):
Toward the end of May, while we were awaiting our travel dates, the AC went out in our house due to what we hoped was a slow leak. In the process of trying to fix it, we had a ceiling leak. Not a big deal, we thought, but unexpected time and expense to add freon and fix the ceiling. Around that time we had a couple unexpected vet bills, and one new addition to the feline family. Then the dishwasher went out. So we replaced it. Then we got the news about the adoption being in jeopardy and needing more documents, so we got on that. In the meantime, the dryer broke. At this point we ignored it.
We got our documents together, sent them to Russia, and got the court date. Then Bob fixed the dryer (yay, Bob!) and we had a couple good meetings regarding work and school next fall. School will be a major financial investment (read "more financial stress" here), but we're excited anyway. Then last Wednesday while I had a major migraine that took me almost out of commission for the day, we got rear-ended on the way to get our visas ordered at the Russian consolate. But we were fine, and we think the car is fine too. That same evening, our air condition went out again, and was out for 6 days - $900 to fix it, even under warranty! (Last night was the final night without AC, we pray, and we had to get out of bed at midnight, take cold showers, then use ice packs to get to sleep. I'm not so good with heat, and it was still almost 90 degrees inside at midnight.)
In the middle of that, we had a meeting with Buckner where we learned that the officials who had the original problem with our documents are still contending with us and now want to interview us before our court date. So we will arrive in Russia on June 28, have medical exams and interview with these orphanage directors and officials on June 29, and go to court on June 30. The interviews will determine whether the officials testify for us or against us in court. (HEREIN LIE THE MAJOR PRAYER REQUESTS.)
Then Sunday night our internet service went down, which in our case means we lost all contact with the outside world - phone and e-mail. It's now Tuesday - the AC guy came this morning, and the house is cool again! And the AT&T guy is scheduled to come out tomorrow - we still don't know what the problem is there. Other than that, dare I say that all appliances in the house are now in good working order???
It's 9:10 and I'm writing this from my office where I CAN, but I should really get home to my very cool house so that I can help Bob hang curtains in the kids' rooms. Still much to do, but it is the Lord who goes before us, and it is the Lord who will win this-
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers - if I have learned anything through this, it is that God honors prayer, and He is the one in control. No really, He is.
For His glory,
Karen
Having said that, I should fill you in on some events of the last few weeks. Some of it may seem coincidental or unrelated, but I don't think so. To make it relatively brief, here are the highlights (and if you feel the need to laugh when you see how ridiculous it gets, it's OKAY):
Toward the end of May, while we were awaiting our travel dates, the AC went out in our house due to what we hoped was a slow leak. In the process of trying to fix it, we had a ceiling leak. Not a big deal, we thought, but unexpected time and expense to add freon and fix the ceiling. Around that time we had a couple unexpected vet bills, and one new addition to the feline family. Then the dishwasher went out. So we replaced it. Then we got the news about the adoption being in jeopardy and needing more documents, so we got on that. In the meantime, the dryer broke. At this point we ignored it.
We got our documents together, sent them to Russia, and got the court date. Then Bob fixed the dryer (yay, Bob!) and we had a couple good meetings regarding work and school next fall. School will be a major financial investment (read "more financial stress" here), but we're excited anyway. Then last Wednesday while I had a major migraine that took me almost out of commission for the day, we got rear-ended on the way to get our visas ordered at the Russian consolate. But we were fine, and we think the car is fine too. That same evening, our air condition went out again, and was out for 6 days - $900 to fix it, even under warranty! (Last night was the final night without AC, we pray, and we had to get out of bed at midnight, take cold showers, then use ice packs to get to sleep. I'm not so good with heat, and it was still almost 90 degrees inside at midnight.)
In the middle of that, we had a meeting with Buckner where we learned that the officials who had the original problem with our documents are still contending with us and now want to interview us before our court date. So we will arrive in Russia on June 28, have medical exams and interview with these orphanage directors and officials on June 29, and go to court on June 30. The interviews will determine whether the officials testify for us or against us in court. (HEREIN LIE THE MAJOR PRAYER REQUESTS.)
Then Sunday night our internet service went down, which in our case means we lost all contact with the outside world - phone and e-mail. It's now Tuesday - the AC guy came this morning, and the house is cool again! And the AT&T guy is scheduled to come out tomorrow - we still don't know what the problem is there. Other than that, dare I say that all appliances in the house are now in good working order???
It's 9:10 and I'm writing this from my office where I CAN, but I should really get home to my very cool house so that I can help Bob hang curtains in the kids' rooms. Still much to do, but it is the Lord who goes before us, and it is the Lord who will win this-
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers - if I have learned anything through this, it is that God honors prayer, and He is the one in control. No really, He is.
For His glory,
Karen
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!!
God is truly amazing and so often gives us more than we could ever ask or imagine. Our paperwork arrived in Russia on Monday, was translated quickly, and was taken straight to the judge by the Buckner staff in Russia. The judge looked over the paperwork and immediately set a court date!
We will be in St. Petersburg for court on June 30 - leaving home just 2 1/2 weeks from now!!!
We will update as more details are put in place, but right now we just wanted you to celebrate with us. God has answered our prayers and yours, and we are going to Russia! If all goes well in court - and we are convinced that it will - we will bring our kids home near the end of July, after about 3 1/2 weeks overseas.
THANK YOU for praying - through this adoption experience, I am thoroughly convinced that God hears our prayers and blesses us through them.
More later!
Love,
Karen and Bob
We will be in St. Petersburg for court on June 30 - leaving home just 2 1/2 weeks from now!!!
We will update as more details are put in place, but right now we just wanted you to celebrate with us. God has answered our prayers and yours, and we are going to Russia! If all goes well in court - and we are convinced that it will - we will bring our kids home near the end of July, after about 3 1/2 weeks overseas.
THANK YOU for praying - through this adoption experience, I am thoroughly convinced that God hears our prayers and blesses us through them.
More later!
Love,
Karen and Bob
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Struck down, but not destroyed...
This has been one of the more challenging weeks of our lives, and Friday was the culmination of it all. Earlier in the week, we had been notified that certain officials in Russia do not want to proceed with our adoption due to some information they received in error, and the judge needs their approval to proceed. So in order to attempt to convince them to reconsider us as prospective parents, we have been asked to gather evidence in the form of all sorts of letters and reports. Some of that required extensive research, so that was my week last week. It is a very serious situation, and pretty hard to handle at times. We do not know what the outcome will be, but we know God has not brought us this far to abandon us or His own plan.
In order to get all of our documents to Russia in a timely manner so that they could be translated and given to the judge and others, we needed to mail it off to Russia on Friday. I have said several times I could write a book about Friday alone. But instead I'll write most of the details here. You may find it frustrating, or stressful - we find it a little comical - but either way, we have been reminded of God's faithfulness and His control of the situation against all sorts of odds, and that we truly are in a spiritual battle in a war that He has already won.
We had a tight schedule Friday, planned as follows:
7:50am - print out our last reference letter at SHSU
8am - meet our last reference at SHSU for notarization
from there, drive to Meridian, Texas (my thought was 'what IS Meridan, TX???'), about 45 miles northwest of Waco, to obtain a letter from the Justice of the Peace
compose a letter from Bob during the drive
drive to Austin and research some records at the Travis County Court House
copy appropriate records or beg for a letter with the information we needed
find a place to print the letter we composed on the way
notarize some documents
go to the Secretary of State's office to apostille all documents before 4:30pm
copy all documents
go to a mailing center in south Austin to mail documents by pick-up time - 5:30pm
This required approximately 6 hours of driving and 7 different locations before the 5:30 deadline.
We started out one hour late because our reference was delayed due to circumstances beyond anyone's control (hmmm - a metaphor for this whole thing???)
Linda, the nice lady at the Meridian location, had told us on the phone that they close the office from 12-1pm for lunch. So now it appeared that we were going to arrive there at 12:30, and we could not afford to wait until 1pm. I called and she said we could just knock on the door and someone would hand us the letter she composed for us.
So we got to Meridian, found the Justice of the Peace office after some searching, and knocked on the door. The Justice himself, a nice older man in jeans and plaid shirt, cheerily let us in and stated that he just plays solitaire in the office during his lunch hour anyway. So we chatted for a minute, thanked him, and took the nice letter and headed to Austin.
We made good time in spite of traffic and arrived at the Travis County location with over an hour to do what we needed to do. Bob dropped me off and headed to a printing place to print out his letter, then came back. We did our research - looked at some records we had had someone named Margaret Ann order earlier in the week (Margaret Ann was another sweet, God-sent helper like Linda), looked at some microfiche, and concluded that we did not have what we needed. So we found Margaret Ann in the flesh and asked her if she could compose a letter. She was able to give us ALMOST what we asked but was limited by what the system would allow. So she printed and certified a letter for us.
Up until this point we were happy with the amount of time we had made up and were going to make it to the Secretary of State by 4:30 without a problem. But just as we were about to leave, we noticed a MAJOR error on the document. It was now about 4pm. This was not an easy fix, and not within Margaret Ann's authority. Fortunately we did have proof of the error.
So she went to find a supervisor who could call around town for help, and Bob and I snuck out and went to another floor of the court house to find a notary for some other documents. Nice guy, but the SLOWEST notary in history - unbelievable. So I signed my part and ran back upstairs to Margaret Ann while Bob finished. Margaret Ann et al were able to correct the document - another miracle - and Bob FINALLY finished with the notary. We got out of there about 4:25.
We made it to the Secretary of State's office by 4:30 and were happy that it was all going to get done! But not so fast. When the apostille people got to Margaret Ann's documents, they were unable to apostille because she was not in their system. One worker stated that they could normally fix it and add her in EXCEPT that the people who had the authority to do so were PROBABLY already gone because it was late on Friday afternoon (so after all we had been through, now we were being subtly scolded for showing up late Friday afternoon???) She was going to leave it at that, and we were going to be stuck. But once again, God had other plans, and her wonderful co-worker Elizabeth stepped in and started asking questions like "Did you try...?"
After several attempts to call someone, they found out that the person with the authority we needed, who had been assumed to be AWOL, was just in the bathroom. So Elizabeth called and talked to Margaret Ann, who thankfully was still in her office a few blocks away and was still available, and they added her to the system and apostilled ALL of our documents.
It was now 5pm, and there we were in 5:00 Friday rush hour traffic in downtown Austin, with a 5:30pm pick up time at the mailing place in South Austin. So we skipped the Kinko's step, hoping there would be a copy machine at the mailing place. In spite of traffic, we got there at 5:20, incredibly relieved once again.
We walked in and stated that we had a package for the 5:30 DHL pick-up, and the nice guy there (failed to get his name) said the DHL guy was not coming!!! Again, unbelievable. He had called at 5:15 and decided not to come since there wasn't a package for him at that time. Our guy promptly picked up the phone and called him, reminded him that his pick-up time is 5:30, and persisted in asking if he could be there by 6pm, closing time. After several "no's" on the other end, he said, "If you promise me that you will be here by 6:30, I will stay and wait for you." BIG tip for the mailing center guy! So we talked to him about adopting from Russia, something he and his wife want to do, and left our package with him. We tracked it later and found that it was picked up after all, at 6:35pm. It has now made it all the way to Europe and should be in St. Petersburg in great time.
So God sent us just the right people at just the right time, and some of those people were some of YOU who wrote letters or notarized things on our behalf. THANK YOU for advocating for us and for our children.
So now we pray. And wait. And ask you to pray harder than ever when you think of us. Pray for Natasha and Andre and any other Buckner staff in Russia who will speak to these officials on our behalf. Pray for the hearts of the officials and the judge to be softened toward the children and pray that they will see who we really are, even before meeting us face to face. At this point, pray for just the invitation to court - that our documents will be interpreted correctly by all who read them so that the misunderstandings and false impressions will be cleared up, at least enough to give us a chance. And pray for Dasha and Dima as they wait without knowing what's going on.
In closing, these verses keep coming to my mind:
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."
2 Corinthians 4:7-10
Praise be to God who still works miracles - and love to you, our family and friends,
Karen (and Bob)
In order to get all of our documents to Russia in a timely manner so that they could be translated and given to the judge and others, we needed to mail it off to Russia on Friday. I have said several times I could write a book about Friday alone. But instead I'll write most of the details here. You may find it frustrating, or stressful - we find it a little comical - but either way, we have been reminded of God's faithfulness and His control of the situation against all sorts of odds, and that we truly are in a spiritual battle in a war that He has already won.
We had a tight schedule Friday, planned as follows:
7:50am - print out our last reference letter at SHSU
8am - meet our last reference at SHSU for notarization
from there, drive to Meridian, Texas (my thought was 'what IS Meridan, TX???'), about 45 miles northwest of Waco, to obtain a letter from the Justice of the Peace
compose a letter from Bob during the drive
drive to Austin and research some records at the Travis County Court House
copy appropriate records or beg for a letter with the information we needed
find a place to print the letter we composed on the way
notarize some documents
go to the Secretary of State's office to apostille all documents before 4:30pm
copy all documents
go to a mailing center in south Austin to mail documents by pick-up time - 5:30pm
This required approximately 6 hours of driving and 7 different locations before the 5:30 deadline.
We started out one hour late because our reference was delayed due to circumstances beyond anyone's control (hmmm - a metaphor for this whole thing???)
Linda, the nice lady at the Meridian location, had told us on the phone that they close the office from 12-1pm for lunch. So now it appeared that we were going to arrive there at 12:30, and we could not afford to wait until 1pm. I called and she said we could just knock on the door and someone would hand us the letter she composed for us.
So we got to Meridian, found the Justice of the Peace office after some searching, and knocked on the door. The Justice himself, a nice older man in jeans and plaid shirt, cheerily let us in and stated that he just plays solitaire in the office during his lunch hour anyway. So we chatted for a minute, thanked him, and took the nice letter and headed to Austin.
We made good time in spite of traffic and arrived at the Travis County location with over an hour to do what we needed to do. Bob dropped me off and headed to a printing place to print out his letter, then came back. We did our research - looked at some records we had had someone named Margaret Ann order earlier in the week (Margaret Ann was another sweet, God-sent helper like Linda), looked at some microfiche, and concluded that we did not have what we needed. So we found Margaret Ann in the flesh and asked her if she could compose a letter. She was able to give us ALMOST what we asked but was limited by what the system would allow. So she printed and certified a letter for us.
Up until this point we were happy with the amount of time we had made up and were going to make it to the Secretary of State by 4:30 without a problem. But just as we were about to leave, we noticed a MAJOR error on the document. It was now about 4pm. This was not an easy fix, and not within Margaret Ann's authority. Fortunately we did have proof of the error.
So she went to find a supervisor who could call around town for help, and Bob and I snuck out and went to another floor of the court house to find a notary for some other documents. Nice guy, but the SLOWEST notary in history - unbelievable. So I signed my part and ran back upstairs to Margaret Ann while Bob finished. Margaret Ann et al were able to correct the document - another miracle - and Bob FINALLY finished with the notary. We got out of there about 4:25.
We made it to the Secretary of State's office by 4:30 and were happy that it was all going to get done! But not so fast. When the apostille people got to Margaret Ann's documents, they were unable to apostille because she was not in their system. One worker stated that they could normally fix it and add her in EXCEPT that the people who had the authority to do so were PROBABLY already gone because it was late on Friday afternoon (so after all we had been through, now we were being subtly scolded for showing up late Friday afternoon???) She was going to leave it at that, and we were going to be stuck. But once again, God had other plans, and her wonderful co-worker Elizabeth stepped in and started asking questions like "Did you try...?"
After several attempts to call someone, they found out that the person with the authority we needed, who had been assumed to be AWOL, was just in the bathroom. So Elizabeth called and talked to Margaret Ann, who thankfully was still in her office a few blocks away and was still available, and they added her to the system and apostilled ALL of our documents.
It was now 5pm, and there we were in 5:00 Friday rush hour traffic in downtown Austin, with a 5:30pm pick up time at the mailing place in South Austin. So we skipped the Kinko's step, hoping there would be a copy machine at the mailing place. In spite of traffic, we got there at 5:20, incredibly relieved once again.
We walked in and stated that we had a package for the 5:30 DHL pick-up, and the nice guy there (failed to get his name) said the DHL guy was not coming!!! Again, unbelievable. He had called at 5:15 and decided not to come since there wasn't a package for him at that time. Our guy promptly picked up the phone and called him, reminded him that his pick-up time is 5:30, and persisted in asking if he could be there by 6pm, closing time. After several "no's" on the other end, he said, "If you promise me that you will be here by 6:30, I will stay and wait for you." BIG tip for the mailing center guy! So we talked to him about adopting from Russia, something he and his wife want to do, and left our package with him. We tracked it later and found that it was picked up after all, at 6:35pm. It has now made it all the way to Europe and should be in St. Petersburg in great time.
So God sent us just the right people at just the right time, and some of those people were some of YOU who wrote letters or notarized things on our behalf. THANK YOU for advocating for us and for our children.
So now we pray. And wait. And ask you to pray harder than ever when you think of us. Pray for Natasha and Andre and any other Buckner staff in Russia who will speak to these officials on our behalf. Pray for the hearts of the officials and the judge to be softened toward the children and pray that they will see who we really are, even before meeting us face to face. At this point, pray for just the invitation to court - that our documents will be interpreted correctly by all who read them so that the misunderstandings and false impressions will be cleared up, at least enough to give us a chance. And pray for Dasha and Dima as they wait without knowing what's going on.
In closing, these verses keep coming to my mind:
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."
2 Corinthians 4:7-10
Praise be to God who still works miracles - and love to you, our family and friends,
Karen (and Bob)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Less Happy Updates
We found out yesterday that the Russian judge has looked over our paperwork but needs clarification on a couple issues. So we are writing letters and gathering reports to attempt to satisfy the judge so that she will feel confident placing children with us. We were told that this is a pretty serious situation. Please pray that the judge will understand and trust the clarification we are sending her and that she will look favorably on us as prospective parents.
Blessings,
Karen and Bob
Blessings,
Karen and Bob
Monday, May 18, 2009
Waiting
Just a quick update to let you all know that our paperwork is now in the hands of the judge in St. Petersburg. They have been on a 2-week holiday but are back to work now, so we could hear something very soon. My prayer is that we don't need to submit any more paperwork and are just given a court date. We'll update again as soon as we know something!
Love to all,
Karen
Love to all,
Karen
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
happy updates!
We are thrilled to report that our foreign dossier is COMPLETED, submitted, and has already arrived in Russia!
It has been a great relief for me to have those pieces of paper completed - something I've looked forward to for 2 years now. Thanks to Dr. Reed (our doc), Mr. Davis (our CPA), Dr. Bankhead (SHSU SoM Director), our mortgage person (name unknown), Jennifer (my Close Personal Friend and favorite notary), Jacel (my favorite LOCAL notary), Diane (owner/manager/hostess of 'The Treehouse', fine Austin lodging establishment, i.e. friend's house), our three different fingerprint ladies, the Texas Secretary of State (should know HER name by now!), Anyra and Irina at Buckner - oh, the list goes on and on but the overhead music is about to start and I'll have to rush off stage...
Seriously, so many people have contributed to this part of the process going amazingly smoothly and quickly. Everyone has been so quick to respond to our strange and unusual requests - blue ink only, sign here and only here, gold sticker please...
So here we are! Our paperwork now has to be translated and submitted to the Russian committee, then to the judge. Either could ask for revisions or more information, but I'm not worried about that. At least the bulk of it is done.
In other news, we hear that the kids are doing well and asking about us. We may even get letters from them soon! Their grandfather is still in the hospital but doing better. Bob is busy building a dresser for Dasha and a bed and desk for Dima. We're working on other preparations as well.
In non-adoption related news, we said good-bye to our precious feline friend Peanut a couple weeks ago. Tragic loss, and we miss him. Maybe Dima and Dasha will get a kitten to raise while Bob and I continue to spoil the other two.
We appreciate your prayers, as always! We're praying especially that the paperwork will go through smoothly so that we won't be delayed and can get the kids here with lots of summertime left! We are more confident than ever that God is completely in control of our situation and the timing, yet we know He wants us to pray and He responds to our prayers, so we thank you for talking to Him on our behalf.
Until next time,
Karen
It has been a great relief for me to have those pieces of paper completed - something I've looked forward to for 2 years now. Thanks to Dr. Reed (our doc), Mr. Davis (our CPA), Dr. Bankhead (SHSU SoM Director), our mortgage person (name unknown), Jennifer (my Close Personal Friend and favorite notary), Jacel (my favorite LOCAL notary), Diane (owner/manager/hostess of 'The Treehouse', fine Austin lodging establishment, i.e. friend's house), our three different fingerprint ladies, the Texas Secretary of State (should know HER name by now!), Anyra and Irina at Buckner - oh, the list goes on and on but the overhead music is about to start and I'll have to rush off stage...
Seriously, so many people have contributed to this part of the process going amazingly smoothly and quickly. Everyone has been so quick to respond to our strange and unusual requests - blue ink only, sign here and only here, gold sticker please...
So here we are! Our paperwork now has to be translated and submitted to the Russian committee, then to the judge. Either could ask for revisions or more information, but I'm not worried about that. At least the bulk of it is done.
In other news, we hear that the kids are doing well and asking about us. We may even get letters from them soon! Their grandfather is still in the hospital but doing better. Bob is busy building a dresser for Dasha and a bed and desk for Dima. We're working on other preparations as well.
In non-adoption related news, we said good-bye to our precious feline friend Peanut a couple weeks ago. Tragic loss, and we miss him. Maybe Dima and Dasha will get a kitten to raise while Bob and I continue to spoil the other two.
We appreciate your prayers, as always! We're praying especially that the paperwork will go through smoothly so that we won't be delayed and can get the kids here with lots of summertime left! We are more confident than ever that God is completely in control of our situation and the timing, yet we know He wants us to pray and He responds to our prayers, so we thank you for talking to Him on our behalf.
Until next time,
Karen
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Preparing...again
It has been 2 1/2 weeks since we returned from our first trip to Russia. We miss the kids and can't wait to go back. At the same time we are busily preparing Part 2 of our foreign dossier (including doctor visits, accountant visits, letters, forms, mortgage reports, background checks, 2 different kinds of fingerprints, a home visit, notarizing, appostilling,...) Once all that is completed, which will hopefully be within a week, we will submit everything to Russia and wait for a court date. The court date determines when we will get to go back. During the second trip, we will go to court, then spend 2 weeks or more in Russia or somewhere nearby while we wait to bring the kids home.
In the meantime, there will be furniture to make, rooms to paint, clothes and household items to purchase for the kids, books to read, rules to post, items to label in English, resources to compile...I'm not sure what people mean when they talk about the "wait" between trips. When will we have time to "wait"? I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, though - all of this is FUN when we picture Dima and Dasha and remember what it is all for.
We have been incredibly blessed by friends and family who have contributed to this process! The majority of expenses for our first trip were paid for by donations, and we are eternally grateful for the investment many of you have made in the lives of our children. We would love to thank you all individually, but thus far we do not have records identifying individual donors to the Miller Adoption Fund. So if you are reading this and we haven't thanked you personally, please know that your contributions have made all the difference in the world.
Some have asked how they might contribute to the second trip and the remainder of the process. Donations can be sent to the following:
Miller Adoption Fund/Robert E. Miller
First National Bank of Huntsville
PO Box 659
Huntsville, TX 77342-0659
Checks can be made out to 'Miller Adoption Fund/Robert E. Miller'
Thank you again for reading and praying and keeping up with us, and contributing in whatever way you are led. We hope to have our family together within a couple months!
Love,
Karen
In the meantime, there will be furniture to make, rooms to paint, clothes and household items to purchase for the kids, books to read, rules to post, items to label in English, resources to compile...I'm not sure what people mean when they talk about the "wait" between trips. When will we have time to "wait"? I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, though - all of this is FUN when we picture Dima and Dasha and remember what it is all for.
We have been incredibly blessed by friends and family who have contributed to this process! The majority of expenses for our first trip were paid for by donations, and we are eternally grateful for the investment many of you have made in the lives of our children. We would love to thank you all individually, but thus far we do not have records identifying individual donors to the Miller Adoption Fund. So if you are reading this and we haven't thanked you personally, please know that your contributions have made all the difference in the world.
Some have asked how they might contribute to the second trip and the remainder of the process. Donations can be sent to the following:
Miller Adoption Fund/Robert E. Miller
First National Bank of Huntsville
PO Box 659
Huntsville, TX 77342-0659
Checks can be made out to 'Miller Adoption Fund/Robert E. Miller'
Thank you again for reading and praying and keeping up with us, and contributing in whatever way you are led. We hope to have our family together within a couple months!
Love,
Karen
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Home Again
Well, we managed to tear ourselves away from St. Pete and the kids and are safely back at home. We miss them already! It has been good to start sharing some of our experiences with friends in person, and we look forward to more of that. Dasha and Dima stayed strong as we said our goodbyes, which made it easier for us to hold it together, too. We will be able to communicate with them via e-mail through Natasha, who has graciously offered to translate our e-mails.
Saying goodbye to Dima went quickly since we were late getting him back to the orphanage after our meeting with family members. So a quick picture and he was off. Dasha spent one more night with us. She was more melancholy on Friday, and Natasha mentioned several times that she did not want to return to the orphanage. The 4 of us had a late breakfast together, then made a quick grocery store stop, where Bob got scolded by an employee for taking a picture (I thought that was funny, so just had to add it in there.) Then we took her back to the orphanage and spent a few minutes with the other children in her group before heading out. We sang a couple songs, then gave Dasha the heart-shaped locket we had bought her. We showed her our pictures inside and reassured her that we love her and are coming back for her. She took it all in stride and gave us sweet hugs as we left.
Then we were off to Paris where we met my friend Amy for a great French dinner and a walk around downtown Paris. We saw Notre Dame, The Louvre, and the Arc de Triumph and Eiffel Tower from a short distance. We then headed back to Amy's place for a few hours of sleep before catching the metro back to the airport the next morning. Paris was beautiful, and Amy was a fantastic hostess! We had a good time talking about what God is doing and realized that just a couple months ago we had talked on the phone about God's timing, not understanding why things didn't seem to be working out for her to be in France or for us to be in Russia - and now look where we were!
Bob and I were serenaded on the Paris metro by an accordian playing opera singer - what a great final impression of Paris! Then we boarded the plane and headed for home. Ten hours and lots and lots of French food later, we were in Houston again where Jacob and Sarah picked us up. We've spent the day resting but did make it to church this morning - there was nothing we wanted to do more than worship with our church family after such an amazing week.
So what's next? A few more pieces of paperwork, which will include another trip or two (or 3 or 4, if history repeats itself) to Austin, then our PW gets registered with the courts in Moscow, then we wait for a court date to be set. We are expecting to be invited back in as soon as 6 weeks, hopefully not more than 3 months.
But we will be patient, because we are learning over and over that God's timing really is perfect.
Thanks for reading - lots of love,
Karen and Bob
Saying goodbye to Dima went quickly since we were late getting him back to the orphanage after our meeting with family members. So a quick picture and he was off. Dasha spent one more night with us. She was more melancholy on Friday, and Natasha mentioned several times that she did not want to return to the orphanage. The 4 of us had a late breakfast together, then made a quick grocery store stop, where Bob got scolded by an employee for taking a picture (I thought that was funny, so just had to add it in there.) Then we took her back to the orphanage and spent a few minutes with the other children in her group before heading out. We sang a couple songs, then gave Dasha the heart-shaped locket we had bought her. We showed her our pictures inside and reassured her that we love her and are coming back for her. She took it all in stride and gave us sweet hugs as we left.
Then we were off to Paris where we met my friend Amy for a great French dinner and a walk around downtown Paris. We saw Notre Dame, The Louvre, and the Arc de Triumph and Eiffel Tower from a short distance. We then headed back to Amy's place for a few hours of sleep before catching the metro back to the airport the next morning. Paris was beautiful, and Amy was a fantastic hostess! We had a good time talking about what God is doing and realized that just a couple months ago we had talked on the phone about God's timing, not understanding why things didn't seem to be working out for her to be in France or for us to be in Russia - and now look where we were!
Bob and I were serenaded on the Paris metro by an accordian playing opera singer - what a great final impression of Paris! Then we boarded the plane and headed for home. Ten hours and lots and lots of French food later, we were in Houston again where Jacob and Sarah picked us up. We've spent the day resting but did make it to church this morning - there was nothing we wanted to do more than worship with our church family after such an amazing week.
So what's next? A few more pieces of paperwork, which will include another trip or two (or 3 or 4, if history repeats itself) to Austin, then our PW gets registered with the courts in Moscow, then we wait for a court date to be set. We are expecting to be invited back in as soon as 6 weeks, hopefully not more than 3 months.
But we will be patient, because we are learning over and over that God's timing really is perfect.
Thanks for reading - lots of love,
Karen and Bob
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Final Blog from St. Pete (for now)
It's 11:30pm and Dasha is sleeping here in the hotel room - one last time before we have to leave her! Dima stayed last night, and as you could tell, we had a great time. We are so grateful that his orphanage allowed it. Today we walked to a cafe for breakfast, went and took care of more paperwork (twice as much PW for 2 kids), then toured part of the Hermitage, ate fantastic food at a Georgian restaurant, met with some of their relatives (a grandmother, step-grandmother, and 2nd cousins), said good-bye to Dima for now, and brought Dasha back here for one more night.
We don't have time for details now before our internet runs out and we need sleep, but a couple significant things...first, we had great bonding time with both kids today. Again, no details right now, but it was a perfect last full day in terms of that, as there were some breakthroughs. Then, the meeting with the relatives went really well. No one knew what to expect there, since the meeting was initiated by them, but it was really great. God's spirit was felt there. Tomorrow, saying good-bye will be very difficult. We will try to make it special with a couple parting gifts and the clear message that we will be back.
And tomorrow night we look forward to spending time with my precious friend Amy in Paris!!!
Ok, we'll try to upload a couple pictures and fill in details later. Thank you for your continued support and for the special comments you have made all week - we always look forward to them!
Bob and I have really been learning to choose trust and love over fear. To God be the glory for that.
We don't have time for details now before our internet runs out and we need sleep, but a couple significant things...first, we had great bonding time with both kids today. Again, no details right now, but it was a perfect last full day in terms of that, as there were some breakthroughs. Then, the meeting with the relatives went really well. No one knew what to expect there, since the meeting was initiated by them, but it was really great. God's spirit was felt there. Tomorrow, saying good-bye will be very difficult. We will try to make it special with a couple parting gifts and the clear message that we will be back.
And tomorrow night we look forward to spending time with my precious friend Amy in Paris!!!
Ok, we'll try to upload a couple pictures and fill in details later. Thank you for your continued support and for the special comments you have made all week - we always look forward to them!
Bob and I have really been learning to choose trust and love over fear. To God be the glory for that.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
And Then There Were Two!!!
We had unexpected news today - Dima said yes to adoption!!! After Natasha picked up Karen, Dasha and I, we drove to pick up Dima. Shortly after we got there, Natasha ask Dima if the orphanage had made a decision for him to stay overnight with us, and Dima replied with, "I made a decision," and proceeded to tell her that he wants to come to America and be a part of our family. We were shocked because we thought that he would need more time. But God had arranged for Natasha and Sasha to be stuck in traffic with Dima for a long time last night, so they had had a good heart to heart. We had really felt it was not God's intention to separate the children, and it has been amazing to see how He has worked it all out.
To top it all off, Dima briefly talked with his very ill grandfather over the phone AFTER he had already made his decision. The grandfather, who is the biggest influence on Dima's life and the only involved family member, had been unsupportive of Dima being adopted, but when they talked today, the GRANDFATHER approved of his decision!!! We could not have been happier. We were praying so, so hard while he was on the phone -again, it's amazing to see God work.
We have 2 tired children here, up way past their bedtimes due to dinner on the town, more Uno, bath time, guitar lessons, computer time, silliness, etc., so we must sign off and let them sleep.
We will be a family of FOUR!!!
God is good,
Bob and Karen
To top it all off, Dima briefly talked with his very ill grandfather over the phone AFTER he had already made his decision. The grandfather, who is the biggest influence on Dima's life and the only involved family member, had been unsupportive of Dima being adopted, but when they talked today, the GRANDFATHER approved of his decision!!! We could not have been happier. We were praying so, so hard while he was on the phone -again, it's amazing to see God work.
We have 2 tired children here, up way past their bedtimes due to dinner on the town, more Uno, bath time, guitar lessons, computer time, silliness, etc., so we must sign off and let them sleep.
We will be a family of FOUR!!!
God is good,
Bob and Karen
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Parenting
Today was a wonderful day. It started out with a little free time, and we found a nearby cafe for breakfast and got to walk in the snow. Then Natasha and Alexander (Sasha) picked us up and took us to pick up the kids and take care of some paperwork. Before we even made it out of the hotel, Natasha told us she needed the middle names we had picked out for the kids. The only problem with that was that we HADN’T yet picked out middle names for the kids. We had decided that we would give them ‘American’ names, or names MORE common in America, as middle names, in case they wanted to use them, but we didn’t think we would need them until the second trip.
Natasha really did need the names right then, so we had to think FAST, not Karen’s specialty. We had considered the name Desirae for Darya’s (Dasha’s) middle name, and we decided on that with that spelling so we wouldn’t have to bother with the French character in the usual spelling. We like it partly because it means “desired”, and we desperately want Dasha to know she is wanted and loved. So Darya Desirae Miller it is, or will be (Dasha is the informal form of Darya.)
We had not even THOUGHT about a middle name for Dima. We threw out just a couple ideas and didn’t agree, then Karen started looking around in desperation and exclaimed, “Alexander”, pointing to our driver. We both liked Dimitry (Dima) Alexander, so we went with it. It also has some nice historical reference here in Russia. We haven’t even looked to see what it means yet.
Then we had to notarize/apostille paper work for the court and take care of some adoption business that took longer than expected, but we were able to take the kids out to a late lunch and to St. Isaac's Cathedral. The time with Dima was quality time - he laughed and enjoyed using the video camera. He is a very smart boy. He was able to figure out most of the camera functions. We feel more bonded to him after our visit. He is very respectful and enthusiastic. He opened doors for everyone and even helped Karen out of the back seat of the van on his own initiative. We enjoyed watching him and Dasha interacting together. He is very protective of his little sister as a big brother should be. He kept a good eye on her in the crowds and while crossing the street.
We have officially accepted the referral for him as well! We believe that the Lord does not want these kids separated. So now Dima gets to decide. Please continue to pray for Dima and God’s direction for him so he will make the correct decision to be in God’s will.
As for Dasha, Wow, what can we say! Karen and I are ecstatic and overjoyed! We Love her! We don’t have the words to say how much we already care for her. It really does bring tears of joy to our eyes! The orphanage has allowed her to spend the night. We have laughed, played Uno, colored in coloring books, and directed bath time. What an amazing experience! We are having so much fun!!! Right now Karen is showing her how to use the blow dryer. I don’t think she has ever used one before. We have asked permission from #46 orphanage to see if Dima can stay over tomorrow night. It is not customary at all, but Dima would like to do it, so we pray that we do get permission.
Dasha is now trying to sleep (after too much Pepsi and just a little excitement), so we will sign off for now. We had a nice ‘first prayer time’ with her and over her, and she seemed to understand and respond to what was going on.
Praise God for adoption and His amazing blessing of children. There is nothing like this...
And we praise Him for you, too, the way you are supporting us. Have a blessed day-
Bob and Karen
Natasha really did need the names right then, so we had to think FAST, not Karen’s specialty. We had considered the name Desirae for Darya’s (Dasha’s) middle name, and we decided on that with that spelling so we wouldn’t have to bother with the French character in the usual spelling. We like it partly because it means “desired”, and we desperately want Dasha to know she is wanted and loved. So Darya Desirae Miller it is, or will be (Dasha is the informal form of Darya.)
We had not even THOUGHT about a middle name for Dima. We threw out just a couple ideas and didn’t agree, then Karen started looking around in desperation and exclaimed, “Alexander”, pointing to our driver. We both liked Dimitry (Dima) Alexander, so we went with it. It also has some nice historical reference here in Russia. We haven’t even looked to see what it means yet.
Then we had to notarize/apostille paper work for the court and take care of some adoption business that took longer than expected, but we were able to take the kids out to a late lunch and to St. Isaac's Cathedral. The time with Dima was quality time - he laughed and enjoyed using the video camera. He is a very smart boy. He was able to figure out most of the camera functions. We feel more bonded to him after our visit. He is very respectful and enthusiastic. He opened doors for everyone and even helped Karen out of the back seat of the van on his own initiative. We enjoyed watching him and Dasha interacting together. He is very protective of his little sister as a big brother should be. He kept a good eye on her in the crowds and while crossing the street.
We have officially accepted the referral for him as well! We believe that the Lord does not want these kids separated. So now Dima gets to decide. Please continue to pray for Dima and God’s direction for him so he will make the correct decision to be in God’s will.
As for Dasha, Wow, what can we say! Karen and I are ecstatic and overjoyed! We Love her! We don’t have the words to say how much we already care for her. It really does bring tears of joy to our eyes! The orphanage has allowed her to spend the night. We have laughed, played Uno, colored in coloring books, and directed bath time. What an amazing experience! We are having so much fun!!! Right now Karen is showing her how to use the blow dryer. I don’t think she has ever used one before. We have asked permission from #46 orphanage to see if Dima can stay over tomorrow night. It is not customary at all, but Dima would like to do it, so we pray that we do get permission.
Dasha is now trying to sleep (after too much Pepsi and just a little excitement), so we will sign off for now. We had a nice ‘first prayer time’ with her and over her, and she seemed to understand and respond to what was going on.
Praise God for adoption and His amazing blessing of children. There is nothing like this...
And we praise Him for you, too, the way you are supporting us. Have a blessed day-
Bob and Karen
Monday, March 23, 2009
Big Decisions
We can not stop laughing and crying at the same time - needed a little stress release, I guess!
It’s been another very, very eventful day. We can’t believe it’s only Monday! Today we had to take care of some adoption business, then went back to Dasha’s orphanage to talk with her caregivers there and to pick her up. We took her over to her brother Dima’s orphanage (we have now been advised that it is okay to post first names and pictures) and met with him, then took them both to lunch, which ended up as a bowling outing. It was the first time either of them had been bowling and it was Dima’s idea - we had a great time!
So I mentioned adoption business. Part of our business included officially accepting the referral to adopt Dasha! So unless something crazy happens (never count out the possibility), she is ours! When we went back to see her this morning, she accepted us with open arms and was obviously happy to see us. Apparently she couldn’t stop talking about us the night before. She showed us around her area of the orphanage and we got a glimpse of her more outgoing and nurturing side as she handed out snacks and interacted with the other children. The more we see her, the cuter she becomes - she is really great and we can see why everyone loves her so much!
Going to visit Dima was a roller coaster ride, to say the least. Natasha had prepared us by letting us know it did not look good. Dima had agreed to meet us but had not come anywhere near saying that he wanted to be adopted. So we had guarded our hearts and prepared for his rejection of our offer to adopt. We were all heartbroken when we saw how he tightly embraced his sister and treated her with so much care and affection, then gave little indication of interest in adoption during the initial conversation.
Our impressions of Dima were very positive. He is not only affectionate, but also polite, considerate, humble, social, fun, highly intelligent, and mature for his age. (That is a lot of adjectives...) He seemed serious and guarded at first but loosened up as he got to know us. Over the course of the afternoon, he expressed more and more interest in being adopted, to the point of telling Natasha that he will probably say ‘yes’ but is not quite ready.
So knowing he may change his mind, we are changing gears again! We have been praying for God’s direction through the Holy Spirt all day, that He would speak His will to our hearts and Dima’s as well, and we trust God has answered in leading us into His plan!
We are excited about the rest of the week! Starting tomorrow Dasha will get to spend the night with us at the hotel, and the hotel is being gracious in bringing in an extra bed free of charge. Starting the next night, Dima may spend the night as well - slumber party at the Miller’s!
We’ll try to post a few pictures here - thanks for enduring our long posts and continuing to pray for us!
Current prayer concerns: trust for financial provision, that we will choose trust over fear in all areas; continued direction as Dima makes his decision, that his decision will be based on healthy motivation and realism, and that he will continue to be confident in that decision once it is made; Dasha’s ability to cope with all of the change, exciting as it is; and continued bonding between us and both children.
We love you!
Bob and Karen
It’s been another very, very eventful day. We can’t believe it’s only Monday! Today we had to take care of some adoption business, then went back to Dasha’s orphanage to talk with her caregivers there and to pick her up. We took her over to her brother Dima’s orphanage (we have now been advised that it is okay to post first names and pictures) and met with him, then took them both to lunch, which ended up as a bowling outing. It was the first time either of them had been bowling and it was Dima’s idea - we had a great time!
So I mentioned adoption business. Part of our business included officially accepting the referral to adopt Dasha! So unless something crazy happens (never count out the possibility), she is ours! When we went back to see her this morning, she accepted us with open arms and was obviously happy to see us. Apparently she couldn’t stop talking about us the night before. She showed us around her area of the orphanage and we got a glimpse of her more outgoing and nurturing side as she handed out snacks and interacted with the other children. The more we see her, the cuter she becomes - she is really great and we can see why everyone loves her so much!
Going to visit Dima was a roller coaster ride, to say the least. Natasha had prepared us by letting us know it did not look good. Dima had agreed to meet us but had not come anywhere near saying that he wanted to be adopted. So we had guarded our hearts and prepared for his rejection of our offer to adopt. We were all heartbroken when we saw how he tightly embraced his sister and treated her with so much care and affection, then gave little indication of interest in adoption during the initial conversation.
Our impressions of Dima were very positive. He is not only affectionate, but also polite, considerate, humble, social, fun, highly intelligent, and mature for his age. (That is a lot of adjectives...) He seemed serious and guarded at first but loosened up as he got to know us. Over the course of the afternoon, he expressed more and more interest in being adopted, to the point of telling Natasha that he will probably say ‘yes’ but is not quite ready.
So knowing he may change his mind, we are changing gears again! We have been praying for God’s direction through the Holy Spirt all day, that He would speak His will to our hearts and Dima’s as well, and we trust God has answered in leading us into His plan!
We are excited about the rest of the week! Starting tomorrow Dasha will get to spend the night with us at the hotel, and the hotel is being gracious in bringing in an extra bed free of charge. Starting the next night, Dima may spend the night as well - slumber party at the Miller’s!
We’ll try to post a few pictures here - thanks for enduring our long posts and continuing to pray for us!
Current prayer concerns: trust for financial provision, that we will choose trust over fear in all areas; continued direction as Dima makes his decision, that his decision will be based on healthy motivation and realism, and that he will continue to be confident in that decision once it is made; Dasha’s ability to cope with all of the change, exciting as it is; and continued bonding between us and both children.
We love you!
Bob and Karen
Sunday, March 22, 2009
She is everything we had hoped for
(This is an attempt at a re-write of a blog we tried to post last night. We are paying for internet by the hour and unknowingly ran out of time before we posted! Sorry to keep you in suspense...)
God is good! Our meeting with Dasha was everything we could hope for in a first visit. We arrived at the orphanage around 1:30 while the children were having nap and quiet time. Natasha told Karen she could go to Dasha’s room while she got ready to spend the afternoon with us for lunch and a little site seeing. I waited patiently while Dasha got ready. Karen said when she walked into the girls’ bedroom, all she could do was stand there and smile at Dasha and the five other smiling faces that were looking at her with excitement and interest. She wanted to bring all of them home. Dasha smiled back constantly as she was getting ready, helping to ease the tension.
As I stood in the commons area I saw lots of toys and the room was decorated nicely, it was very cozy looking. I stood there with gift in hand until Dasha and Karen finally appeared. Dasha quickly ran to fix her hair and smiled really big in passing. When she came back I gave her a little hug and the gift. She reached into the bag and pulled out a photo album and graciously looked at each page. Then she reached in again and pulled out a pink CD player and Karen’s two CDs. When she realized Karen was a musician, her face lit up with excitement. Right then I knew Karen and Dasha were quickly bonding.
Then we left for lunch. Sasha, our driver, drove us for some Russian pastries, then we toured the Church on Spilled Blood, one of the most monumental and beautiful cathedrals in the country, very Russian. We took Dasha’s hand walking from place to place - by the end of the tour, she began to take ours. We finished out the afternoon by bringing her to the hotel for a little while before taking her back to the orphanage.
Dasha hardly said a word for most of the afternoon (we had been told she would be shy at first), but she smiled every time anyone looked at her. When she smiles, her eyes twinkle and she lights up the room. She is really beautiful.
When we went back to the hotel, we went through the photos and explained things in more detail, with Natasha interpreting. Dasha smiled some more. Then Karen got out her guitar and played a Russian folk song, the only one she knows (thanks to Olena!) That seemed to be really special for Dasha - she seemed touched and maybe even a little emotional. Then Karen played one of her original songs which Dasha and Natasha liked very much. Lots of smiles. Dasha made it clear that she is ready for guitar lessons. We showed her pic’s of Sarah and Erin and told her that they would be happy to give her ballet and English lessons, which made her smile, of course.
Then we showed her videos of her cousins, aunt, uncle, and grandparents saying “Priviet, Dasha”, and videos of the UHBC worship team celebrating her birthday in her absence. She loved every minute of it and was glued to the tiny screen. She also smiled over the snacks we gave her - M&M’s and a fruit roll-up. She seemed to be having a great time taking it all in. Even through the language barrier, she and Karen bonded over the color blue, things that are soft and furry, Pepsi, and music. I knew that the visit was a very good one when Dasha ran to give us tight hugs as we left for the day.
So on to day 2! Today we will pick up Dasha and go to Dima’s orphanage. Please pray for the visit - God is amazing and He is in control. We trust that He will direct us in His will, and we really feel like we will be fine and full of joy whatever the outcome.
Love,
Bob and Karen
God is good! Our meeting with Dasha was everything we could hope for in a first visit. We arrived at the orphanage around 1:30 while the children were having nap and quiet time. Natasha told Karen she could go to Dasha’s room while she got ready to spend the afternoon with us for lunch and a little site seeing. I waited patiently while Dasha got ready. Karen said when she walked into the girls’ bedroom, all she could do was stand there and smile at Dasha and the five other smiling faces that were looking at her with excitement and interest. She wanted to bring all of them home. Dasha smiled back constantly as she was getting ready, helping to ease the tension.
As I stood in the commons area I saw lots of toys and the room was decorated nicely, it was very cozy looking. I stood there with gift in hand until Dasha and Karen finally appeared. Dasha quickly ran to fix her hair and smiled really big in passing. When she came back I gave her a little hug and the gift. She reached into the bag and pulled out a photo album and graciously looked at each page. Then she reached in again and pulled out a pink CD player and Karen’s two CDs. When she realized Karen was a musician, her face lit up with excitement. Right then I knew Karen and Dasha were quickly bonding.
Then we left for lunch. Sasha, our driver, drove us for some Russian pastries, then we toured the Church on Spilled Blood, one of the most monumental and beautiful cathedrals in the country, very Russian. We took Dasha’s hand walking from place to place - by the end of the tour, she began to take ours. We finished out the afternoon by bringing her to the hotel for a little while before taking her back to the orphanage.
Dasha hardly said a word for most of the afternoon (we had been told she would be shy at first), but she smiled every time anyone looked at her. When she smiles, her eyes twinkle and she lights up the room. She is really beautiful.
When we went back to the hotel, we went through the photos and explained things in more detail, with Natasha interpreting. Dasha smiled some more. Then Karen got out her guitar and played a Russian folk song, the only one she knows (thanks to Olena!) That seemed to be really special for Dasha - she seemed touched and maybe even a little emotional. Then Karen played one of her original songs which Dasha and Natasha liked very much. Lots of smiles. Dasha made it clear that she is ready for guitar lessons. We showed her pic’s of Sarah and Erin and told her that they would be happy to give her ballet and English lessons, which made her smile, of course.
Then we showed her videos of her cousins, aunt, uncle, and grandparents saying “Priviet, Dasha”, and videos of the UHBC worship team celebrating her birthday in her absence. She loved every minute of it and was glued to the tiny screen. She also smiled over the snacks we gave her - M&M’s and a fruit roll-up. She seemed to be having a great time taking it all in. Even through the language barrier, she and Karen bonded over the color blue, things that are soft and furry, Pepsi, and music. I knew that the visit was a very good one when Dasha ran to give us tight hugs as we left for the day.
So on to day 2! Today we will pick up Dasha and go to Dima’s orphanage. Please pray for the visit - God is amazing and He is in control. We trust that He will direct us in His will, and we really feel like we will be fine and full of joy whatever the outcome.
Love,
Bob and Karen
Saturday, March 21, 2009
We Made It!!!
Bonjour and 'Zdrustwui' (very approximated phonetics),
Where do we begin to tell you about this eventful day? It's been a great trip so far! We are settled into our hotel room in St. Petersburg, and Bob-who-doesn't-sleep-on-planes is lying on the bed "trying not to go to sleep" as we were advised not to sleep until 8pm. Why one would lie on a bed to "try not to go to sleep" is beyond me.
In any case, yesterday our good friend Sarah came all the way from The Woodlands to pick us up and drive us to the airport, so we were spoiled right off the bat. We had a GREAT experience with Air France, other than a particular segment when we were over the Atlantic that was...um...turbulent, to put it mildly. But the airline was great. Good food, French coffee, and really cool personal TV's on every seat back where we could watch anything from our choice of movies, to what was going on right in front of and below us through a camera mounted on the front of the plane. Maybe all that is standard, but we don't get out much. Not a lot of leg room, but we're short, so we were fine.
We flew for about 9 hours, then had a plane change in Paris. As we were coming into Paris admiring the landscape and a few beautiful old estates of some sort, we looked and there it was...the Eiffel Tower emerging through the morning mist. I got so excited I about jumped out of my seat. The changeover was uneventful and timed perfectly, and we were off to St. Pete!
(OK, now Bob is watching The Simpson's dubbed over in Russian...maybe he should just go to sleep.)
After just 3 more hours of flying, we landed in beautiful, snow-covered St. Petersburg. The city is amazing. Small airport, easy to get through customs and such, even though the city itself is about the size of Houston. We were picked up at the airport by Natasha, who works with Buckner and will be our case manager, translator, and so much more while here in country. We couldn't wait to meet Natasha, and all those wonderful things people say about her are true! She is warm and welcoming and organized and knows everything there is to know about the city, having been a professional tour guide in the past. She has a heart for orphans and loves to see them adopted, and her English is perfect.
She and her driver Alexander (Sasha) brought us to the hotel and briefed us on the current situation and the next couple days. The day after tomorrow we will visit both children, as planned. But the great news is that we found out we will be able to meet Dasha TOMORROW! She has known about us for quite some time and is really looking forward to meeting us - we are thrilled that it will be a day sooner than expected. Her brother has agreed to meet us but seems doubtful that he will want to leave Russia.
(Bob is asleep.)
However, there has been a new development, and something else to pray about. Their grandfather has been very ill and is in intensive care. He may not recover from the recent surgeries he has had. When he does die, there will be no family here for these kids. I'm sure his illness is very hard on his grandson right now, and we do not know how that will affect his decision regarding adoption. It could go either way. Please pray for clarity of mind for him, and that he will not be torn between loyalty toward his grandfather and prospects for his future.
I got Bob awake again, and I think we will go try out the hotel restaurant. By the time we get back, it should be close to his recommended bedtime.
We would love for you to pray for us tomorrow as we go meet Dasha for the first time! And I'm sure you will hear from us again soon.
Love you,
Karen (and Bob, who is awake and hungry.)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
It's 5:45am on Tuesday - very early for us, but we're trying to go to bed and get up as early as possible to help prepare for the time change. Only 3 more days and we're off to the Great White North!
Yesterday we picked up our visas from the Russian Consulate. It was so easy that we made it to Houston and back in less than 3 hours during rush hour! For those adopting, we highly recommend ordering and picking up visas in person if you're anywhere near a Consulate. We were going to practice a little of our Russian but we chickened out for the most part. Oh well - there will be plenty opportunity for that.
We are still extremely excited - and still a little in shock. I just pray that we will be able to be fully present during the trip so we can actually remember it. Today we will create little photo albums for the 2 kids to keep - pictures of our lives here in Texas so they can see what they might be in for, and so they can have something to hold on to during the long wait between our 2 trips.
3 more days!!!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
We're Going to RUSSIA!!!
It would be inaccurate to say the journey starts here because for us it all started several years ago. No time for the full story now, though, because we are finally preparing to go to Russia to meet our prospective kiddos! We will refrain from posting pictures or revealing their full identities for now, in order to maintain appropriate confidentiality. But we do hope to post pictures from our trips as appropriate.
We received our invitation to travel to Russia on Wednesday, March 4, and we will catch our flight to St. Petersburg next Friday, March 20! We will meet a beautiful 9 year old girl who was referred to us in November. We will also meet her 12 year old brother, who will have to decide whether or not he wants to leave Russia to be adopted. We will have the opportunity to spend time with them at their orphanages and get to know both of them, and hopefully their elderly grandfather as well.
Please pray for us whenever we come to mind - pray for God's intervention in every aspect of our trip - from our physical health and safety so that we will be able to function at full capacity when spending time with the children, to wisdom and discernment for all 4 of us as we determine God's will for our family.
We are so blessed to even get to embark on this long-awaited phase of our journey! We pray that all we do will bring glory to our Father and will share His love and His light to the people in St. Petersburg, and especially to these children.
Will try to update often! Thank you for your prayers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
