Chapter Seven - It's Official....We Have A Name!

"It's Morning Everyone...Today's the Day, The Sun is Shinning, the Tank is Clean..." (courtesy from Finding Nemo)

August 30, 2012:

It is amazing what sleep will do for your mind and body. Things aren't always as bad as they first appear. We got settled in for the night and got a good nights sleep. This morning was still awkward but we woke up  and got ready for the day. Down in front of our hotel were little booths set up like a farmers market, selling anything from laundry soap, clothes, food, just about anything you could imagine. We walked around while Sasha our facilitator was working on our documents to submit to the judge and get some papers signed. In the meantime we found several stores with bread and walked in each one of them, finding bees flying around everywhere. Not wanting to get stung...we left. However, we found a grocery store and got some breakfast there. Still no speaking was required at this point, so we could do this on our own. We could pretty much make out what was on the shelves and at the check-out we could see how much it was. We have noticed they want exact change for some reason.

The people here are such hard workers. We have been observing them as we drive around from place to place throughout the day. They farm from sun up to sun down. No equipment, except for an occasional horse and cart. The entire family is out in the fields. It reminds me of way back in the old days. Right now is harvest time for potatoes. We have noticed that most of the locals yards are gardens. This is how they live and how they feed their families throughout the year.  What they are harvesting now will supply them food for up to a year. We have never seen so many bycicles, they are everywhere. People either walk or ride a bike to get around town. No wonder they are so skinny and in shape. Eating on the healthy side has been kind of a challenge. As they have so many breads and rich foods, it's hard to find "healthy" in restaurants and with language berrier hard to explain what you want if not on the menu. We need to drink more water though, we have been drinking a local fav called Fanta.

We waited for Sasha to pick us up and go to the orphanage to meet with the director for her to sign some papers. We get there and they are wrong or not how she wanted them. So back to the inspectors office to have her change them.

In the meantime, we went to go eat lunch in Lutsk...

Like Rachelle said above, things appear alot better when you have a goodnight's sleep. It never hurts for God to listen to what you are struggling with either.  Last night I was asking Him what He wanted us to do for the week when we would be here by ourselves without being able to communicate.

Sasha called and asked if I wanted to go get a cup of coffee.  We went out in the streets and like Rachelle said there were people selling items out in the street.  It was a Market that was what I would describe as a cross between a flea market and some of the shops (booths) at the State Fair.  While we were walking in and out of shops, trying to find a coffee shop; he asked me what I thought about us going back with him to Kiev.  He explained that he would feel better knowing that if we needed any of his assistance that he would be 20 minutes away instead of a little over 4 hours.  Really???  I asked him if he had our room bugged in a laughing manner, he told me that he was busted and we both laughed.  I explained to him that Rachelle and I had been trying to figure out what we were going to do during the time he was gone, ordering items to eat, going to the grocery store, taxi, etc. without means of communicating.  I told him that I would talk to Rachelle about it when I go back up to the room and that we would discuss what we needed to do.  I told Rachelle and she couldn't believe that he brought it up.  We both agreed that we would think about it and let him know by the end of the day.

First on the list of Things to Do this moring was to go to the Orphanage for the Director to sign some documents. Apparently there were some things wrong, so the Inspector needed to revise the documents prior to her signing them.  She expressed how happy and excited she was that we were wanting to adopt the Super Boy.  She then told us (through Sasha's translation) that at one time, 30% of the children in this Orphanage were being adopted, however over the past couple of years this number has decreased, especially for the children with Special Needs.  Again, she was super excited and wanted us to stay in touch with her through email once we get him back home, and we told her that we would definitely send her pictures.

We took the Inspector back to her office to revise the documents, then we headed to the Camp for another visit. We stayed and visited for about 30 to 40 minutes, right before his lunch break.  He wanted to scoop beans from one bowl to another using a spoon.  This was an Awesome technique for him to learn for his motor development.  He did quite well regardless of what hand he had the spoon in.  Rachelle then introduced him to the games on her iPhone.  There was no doubt that he hadn't seen anything like that before.  One of the games you tap the screen and he kept hitting it with his fingers.  Trying to get him to understand to touch the screen instead of hitting was not going to happen this morning.  It was a great visit and we are unsure if he knows why we are coming around.  Rachelle did get a kiss from him when she said "Kisses".  The neat thing is that all of the people at the Camp when taking him back into his normal routine tell him to say Bye to Mum and Tato.

Now to start where she left off earlier about lunch in Luts'k.  We had a really good lunch and it was definitely needed.  Our bill was only around $20.00 USD (US Dollars) which would have cost us close to $60.00 back in Oklahoma.

After lunch we went back to the Hotel room so Sasha could finish up some documents and make some phone calls, as well as pick the Inspector up to go get the revised documents signed by the Director at the Orphanage.  We reflected on the possiblity of going to Kiev on Saturday until next Wednesday to possibly Friday.  Trying to make sure that this possibility was the best for our situation, or was it to take us away from what we are here to do, to get to know our boy.  Then we discussed that Sasha brought it up without me even telling him what we were struggling with, we concluded that this was an answer to what we were struggling with the night before.  In Kiev, there are many who can speak English and there are coffee shops with free wifi.  Rachelle had some reports that she needed to work on so she did that and I read the rest of a book that I started on one of the flights over here.

After about 2 hours or so, Sasha called us when he was about 3 minutes out, so we went downstairs as he was pulling up.  We got in the car and the Inspector was in there with him and we picked the Administrator and took them back to their office building.  We went across the street to the Notary to sign some documents that he had dropped off earlier that afternoon.  All of the paperwork has been going off without a hitch, as far as we know.  If there was a small glitch, between Sasha, the Administrator, the Inspector or the Director they have all taken care of it seemlessly. 

We went back to the Camp for our afternoon visit.  On the way Sasha told us that he needed to know what we wanted to name him.  The paperwork that he was planning on finishing up during our visit, he needed to know that in 30 minutes or less.  So Rachelle and I started to bounce names off of each other.  We went into the Camp and they let us go into a room we hadn't been in before.  Our little boy had just woke up from a nap and I felt that he is starting to recognize us.  As we were playing with him, Sasha said that he was ready for the name.  In Ukraine, the name "Ivan" and "Vanya" are equivalent for "John" over in the United States.  Rachelle asked me what I thought about "Vanya (pronounced Vonya) Michael Fuller", and I told her that name is equivalent to my dad's name, since his name is "Michael". 

So there it is, his name will be "Vanya Michael Fuller". 

Rachelle played with him by picking him up and spinning around and he really liked that.  When it was time for us to take him back, I was holding him as we went down the stairs and he hugged me real tight, I know could be a coincidence, but I think he is getting used to us coming by.  He was not happy when I had to hand him to the workers there at the Camp as we left.

We went back to the Hotel and had dinner at the restuarant on the first floor.  We had another pizza along with some great conversations with Sasha.  As we sat down I told him how thankful we were for everything that he has done especially getting things done as fast and seemless as it appears.  He thanked us for what we are doing and that the documents have been really smooth for him and all of the people he has dealt with here are being very cooperative trying to get this expedited as fast as possible.  Again, we are very Thankful!!!

Ahhhh....Going to bed with a clearer head tonight then last night....Thank You Lord!!!

Chapter Six - It's A Test....Only A Test...

This post may not be the most exciting but it was the most challenging, thus far. The Lord is really stretching us and taking us out of our comfort zones and into completely trusting in Him to take care of all our needs and protection. We were at the point that if two plane tickets back to the USA were here, our flesh would have been on it in a heartbeat. We know that there is a greater purpose and we are on a mission and we are not quiters!

What was once strange and unfamiliar to us in Kiev when we first arrived, had become a source of comfort in just a few short days. Five hours out of Kiev and we are surrounded by strange and unfamiliar again. This time far more unsettling then we would have ever thought. We are finding ourselves not knowing what to do. But clinge to God and each other. At least in Kiev we could communicate with the local people at the stores and in the city. Here in a small town close to Lutsk, not one person that we met today speaks English. Our administator leaves on Friday for the weekend and will not return until the next week. As great as our administator is, he is here to make money and sometimes on the pushy side. We were unaware that his hotel bill would be out of our pocket. We were never told this before leaving the USA. So it came as a shock, I believe we have it covered, if not God will provide or we will eat less.  Mickey explained to him that we had no idea that his room was on our bill, however we would if we had too.  Sasha turned the page and confirmed with Mickey that he would pay for his hotel stay.  Whew, THANKFUL to say the Least!!!
Ok, now that I was able to vent a little and get that out of my system, Mickey will update how we got to this point on Wednesday Night.

Please give Rachelle a little bit of a break for the MINOR (MAJOR) Freak Out BOTH of us have had the past couple of hours...we have only been up since 3:00 am.
We left the apartment in Kiev this morning a little after 6:15 am.  We started heading West and the entire time I could've sworn we were going East, Good Thing I wasn't driving!  They drive like Crazy here in Ukraine.  If someone is in front of you, you pass as long as you can make it around them.  There were a couple of times I was looking for a brake pedal on my side of the car! 

After we drove for close to two hours, we stopped at a small farming community where Sasha grew up.  His parents, sister, niece and niece's two year old were waiting on us for breakfast.  The table was covered with food; tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, meat balls, a few more items that I can't remember.  Yesterday was his Dad's Birthday.  They brought a plate of cold beef, that consisted of a roast that was boiled and then cooled to a jello with all of the juices that cooked out of the meat while boiling.  Yes I tried a bite, but couldn't eat more than that.  Thankful for Strainers!

After a period of close to an hour, we headed back West on towards Luts'k, yes I spelled it right this time.  We were about 10 Kilometers East of Luts'k when Sasha started heading North.  The Orphanage is actually located in a small community.  We stopped at the Orphanage first, meeting the Director and she was so thrilled that we were interested in adopting, her "Super Boy".  She informed us that he was not at the Orphanage, that the Doctor had sent him to a three week Camp that treats children with Special Needs, providing some Therapy.  Good News is that the Camp is between the Orphanage and the Municipal Building, just off the Highway.  We left after about 15 minutes and went on to the Administration Office.

We went in and met with the Administrator and she asked what we did for a living and how many other children we had as well as some other questions that I can't remember at this time.  Rachelle showed her a picture of Andrew as we were beginning to leave and she smiled as big as she could.  She went down the hall and got the Inspector on Board to go and observe us at the Camp.  The four of us loaded up in the car and off to the Camp we went.

The Camp is located in a really nice setting, especially considering the condition of the Community and the Orphanage.  We walked into the Building and after a few minutes we walked up to the 4th floor, then back down to the 3rd floor where he had just finished a Therapy session. 

WE FINALLY GOT TO MEET HIM!!!

He sat down at a table with a toy that the hammer pegs that were shaped like carrots through another piece of wood until they would fall out of the bottom.  He has some of the same serious mannerisms another little boy we are very fond of has.  He seemed to have really good motor skills regardless if he had the hammer in the left or the right hand.  We were only able to visit him for about 15 minutes until he needed to go eat lunch.  I think this was a perfect amount of time for the first meeting.  As the lady who was carrying him to the dining room, she turned around and told him to say "By Papa", that was really cool when he did and waved at the same time!

We then left to go meet with the Orphanage Director and the Doctor so that they could tell us of any and all known Medical Conditions.  His mother experienced enemia during pregnany, any other information on her was not released.  He was diagnosised with a Heart Murmur when he was born, but does not suffer from this condition because just like so many other children, the hole closed on its own.  Praise God!  She said that he is a little small (about the same height as Andrew, but skinny like Dylan) however she never met the parents so she has nothing to judge that by.  He arrived at this Orphanage after the age of two.  Around 3-1/2 he tried to talk.  He has been hospitalized twice a year since just for normal check-ups and therapy.  She told us that he has flat feet and ankle issues, similar as to what we are already used to with his Brother back in Edmond.  He doesn't get sick, he does really well compared to some of the other kids there in the Orphanage and he enjoys being with other kids.  She was very apologetic that he was at Camp, but we told Sasha to translate that it is no problem.
We left the Orphanage, took the Inspector back to her office and then made it to the Hotel.  We went upstairs to find our rooms and as previous stated, I was able to express to Sasha that we were not told that we would be covering his living expenses.  He seemed genuine when he told me not to worry about it and that he would pick up his own room expenses.  Thankful for that!!! 

We decided it was time to eat since it was close to 4:00 pm and we hadn't really eaten anything since around 9:00 am.  There is a restuarant just down the hall.  It is eligant and looks like it is set up for wedding receptions.  The menu is writen in Ukrainian, no English.  When we were in Kiev, there was ALWAYS English under their headings.  We told Sasha that we wanted a Pizza that had Cheese and Meat only.  We sat there and reviewed the days events.  Out come the pizzas and there is onions, tomatoes and mushrooms, not what we ordered.  I asked Sasha did he tell the waitress that we wanted Cheese and Meat, ONLY?  He thought that is what we wanted as the main portion of the pizza and that in Ukraine all of the other items are standard.   I explained to him that is not what we wanted and he then corrected our order.  When the correct pizza finally showed up, it was really good.  Rachelle and I are getting uncomfortable knowing that we are going to be here atleast a week trying to communicate with the locals who don't speak English, order food to eat that we can't read the menu's and order transportation from taxi's that we have no way of communicating.  Really could use the sound of a familiar voice from home, or atleast text or email; but that story is better detailed below.

The Hotel Room that we have is HUGE, and it's very cheap, less than $40.00 USD a night.  One issue, no Internet or Wireless, or is there???  You have to buy a card and use the login information on it.  After fiddling with it for close to an hour we were finally able to hook Rachelle's computer up.  However can't get the Magic Jack that my brother Blake bought us prior to our trip.  Both of the cell phones won't connect.  I know this sounds trivial, however it feel we have been dropped in the middle of a civilization that no one understands us, and vice versa.  Perhaps this is to teach us that this is what he will feel like when we first get him back home in Oklahoma, and maybe more than that all of those children out there who cannot talk and their parents can't completely understand what they are trying to tell them, in a way like Andrew.

Anyway; it's late, we are exhausted from the day and don't know what to expect for tomorrow.  Just pray and lean on God that he has prepared our path.  Good thing is that we plan on visiting him tomorrow for 30 minutes each both in the morning and in the afternooon if time will allow.  Looks like I will be sending this tomorrow if I can get the Internet to work.

Chapter Five - Pack Your Bags, We are Headed to Lutsk!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

We woke up this morning to an overcast, cool rainy day. I looked at the forecast and the high is only supposed to be in the lower 60's.  We ventured out again this morning to a bakery that was across the street from the coffee house we visited the night before. Many of those establishments have free Wireless if you buy something, just like it is back home.  We had a couple of pastry's and looked up pictures of the town where our boy was born. We soon realized that it was just as close to Warsaw, Poland as it is to Kiev, Ukraine.  The plan for the day is to wait for Sasha to come pick us up mid afternoon to get our Referral Letter.

As we were enjoying our breakfast, Sasha called telling me that the money we had wired him had not made it to his bank. THANKFULLY the gentleman at our bank made us a couple of copies of the transfer as well as from the initial transfer we had done a month or so ago.  We agreed that we would take a picture of it on our phone and email a copy of it for his records. Rachelle and I kept standing and believing that the money was there.  Knowing how much God has Blessed our path up to this point, he isn't going to stop now!  I called Sasha to confirm that he had received the email about the wired transfer.  He quickly told me that it had been found and ALL IS GOOD!  Thank You Jesus!!!

Ok, now it is time to do some laundry in hopes that it will be dry by morning. No, we don't have a Washer and Dryer. But, we have a bathtub and a clothes line out the back of the apartment in the balcony area where we can open the windows.  Rachelle turns on the water to fill up the tub and just starts laughing. She had forgotten that we have been leaving the lever up for the shower due to how hard it is to pull up to activate it. Her hair that she has fixed less than three hours before was soaking wet. She pushed the lever down and finished filling up the tub as we both laughed.  As we were finishing, I decided that it probably be a good idea to wash my pants that I have worn off and on since we had gotten here.  Rachelle had already let out the water while I was hanging the clothes. I turn the water on and out it comes from the shower drenching me and she started saying paybacks while we laughed yet again while drying off. I had forgotten that she was using the shower head to rinse the clothes, prior to me ringing them out and then drying. 

She fixed us a couple of ham, pepperoni and cheese sandwiches, of which were FANTASTIC!  

We rested for a few minutes and Sasha showed up an hour earlier than expected. At first we were a little out of sorts because we weren't ready.  We were early which made us first in line.  After about ten minutes or so of joking around, four more waiting parents walked in. One of those was the Kansas City couple I mentioned earlier. They were able to get approved for the little girl they were wanting to adopt. They were leaving out tonight headed closer to the Russian border. I was able to get his contact information so we will be able to check on them once we get stateside, if not before. There was another couple there from Birmingham, Alabama who had adopted a little girl back in January and they were back to adopt her sister. It was so AWESOME to be able to talk to each of them about their process and of course when there is a guy that was an Alabama football fan, we had to talk some College Football.

The lady walked down the stairs through the crowd and Sasha motioned for Rachelle and me to follow her into the office. We got our Passports out while she filled out some paperwork and went over our boys file. Everything was there and complete. She had us sign the sheet, handed Sasha the paperwork and out the door we went. We were in there for probably 5 minutes at the most. God's Favor and Continued Blessings are at every turn!!! 

We are truly grateful and in awe of it all. Thankful every step of the way. We may be out of our comfort zone and don't have all the creature comforts of life, but very thankful for a bed to sleep in, hot running water, food to eat, no car but legs to walk and my best friend to share it with. 

Chapter Four - SDA Appointment, Anxiously Awaiting

Monday, August 27, 2012

Rachelle and I have been up since around 5:00 am, yes she has been up since then.  We might have had too much rest and plus the anticipation of the SDA appointment is definitely on both of our minds.  It was really nice to be able to just lay in bed and talk about this and that.  I am confident that this trip is doing just as much for us and our marriage as it is doing for our new son.  God is using this time to bring us closer together and closer to Him so that we can be the parents to ALL of our Boys that He wants us to be.

Sasha came by and picked us up a little after 9:00 am this morning.  He and I seem to get along quite well.  Hopefully this will continue.  When we arrived to the Building where our SDA appointment was to be held, we quickly noticed that it was right next door to one of the buildings that we wanted to visit.  St. Andrew's Cathedral.  The Gold Accents on the columns with all of the other architectural features was really neat.

As we walked in to the Building, there was already another couple waiting in line.  I guess that since we were in the hallway talking to Sasha, they noticed that we were speaking English.  So the gentleman asked me where we were from and found out that they were from Kansas City and that they had family that lived in Edmond, pretty small world.   We were called up before they were, I wished them Good Luck and they did the same to us.

We walked into a cramp office area then back to another office where we meet Maria, or atleast that is what we will call her.  She asked us a few questions like what were our names, what do we do for a living and why do we want to adopt.  After I answered the questions, she started looking for his file.  

His profile was not in the first binder, it was in the second.  She, with Sasha's translation, told us a description of his background.  His father was born in 1964 and mother in 1973.  He has an older sister who was born in 1991.  Apparently the parents tried taking care of him for close to a year, however at some point it was decided to remove him from their care, and thus forfeiting their parental rights. 

Maria told us some of the medical issues that were present during birth.  Typical items like a heart murmur, and slightly undeveloped joints. However we believe that God has healed those items that were present at birth and that he no longer has those conditions!  Throughout this process we were able to see pictures of him from one year old to four years old. He appears to be tall and skinny, taking after his soon to be Daddy (Mickey); at least on the tall side of things. 

We had to sign that we were present at the SDA and then it was time for Maria to call the Orphanage to obtain an Approval Letter from them so we can go.  Things were a little tense between Maria and Sasha when trying to connect to the Orphanage.  I am not sure if the Orphanage was not answering the phone when Maria tried calling or what.  Sasha picked up his cell phone and made a couple of calls.  He finally was able to connector with someone and then he handed his cell phone to her for her to finish the conversation.  I guess he could tell that this back and forth started to concern me a little bit, so he leaned over an said that it was all good.  She got off the phone, smiled and then Sasha translated that we need to be back tomorrow (Tuesday) after 4:00 pm for us to receive our Approval Letter!!!  Praise God!!!  Another Step Closer!!!

Sasha took us back to the apartment where Rachelle and I briefly celebrated and then changed out of our nice clothes into a more casual attire and ventured out on the streets of Kiev.  We walked to a Pizzeria just around the corner that Sasha recommended and enjoyed lunch.  As we were eating, the music would switch from Ukrainian music to some American classics from Elvis and Jimi Hendrix.  The server seemed to be very shy, especially after she found out that we were Americans.  The  pizza was great and it was a great experience.  While we were sitting there, the Owner of the Pizzeria walked around the corner to check on things, however I think that she was being curious checking out the Americans that were eating at her restaurant.

After lunch we walked back down to the area where our SDA appointment was just a few hours earlier.  Initially we got turned around, however we were able to find our way down there.  Rachelle saw a Bakery that she wanted to go in, so we did and purchased a couple of items.  As we were walking down the hill to approaching our destination, there were many souvenir shops lining both sides of the street.  After some brief window shopping, I noticed that Sasha was back down there talking to one of his acquaintances.  He shot us a puzzled look and asked if we wanted him to take us back to the apartment.  We declined that we needed to walk off lunch.  As we were talking to him, I noticed the couple from Kansas City standing at the steps of St. Andrew's.  We walked over there and talked to them striking up a conversation.  

It was clear to see that their day hasn't been as pleasant as ours had been.  They told us that they had come to adopt a girl.  Unfortunately they were not able to adopt the little girl that they had hosted a couple of times over the summer.  During their paperwork process they received an email telling them that the little girl had been adopted by an Italian family.  Still feeling lead to complete their adoption process, they had picked out another girl this morning and were waiting on their Adoption Administrator, similar what Sasha is to us. They asked us about our situation.  During the conversation we found out that he is part ownership to a family owned construction company.   They also have five boys and were ready for a daughter, they were done trying for one.  Their Adoption Administrator walked up, we wished them the best.

We walked back to the apartment, Rachelle still window shopping.  We were planning on stopping at a Market, however where we thought one was, turned out to be a restaurant.  We continued on the apartment were we decided that we needed to take a nap since both of us could not keep our eyes open sitting on the couch.

I woke up from our nap with a HUGE headache. My jaw and ear were not hurting near as much as they had been, but were still uncomfortable.  We got up and out and tried to find the Market again.  Funny thing, it was the same area we had looked earlier, just located at a different entrance.  Nice!  Anyway, they did not have any Ibuprofen so out the door we went.  I called Sasha on the cell phone and asked him were we could find a store that would sell some.  He asked me if I wanted him to come pick us up to take us there.  I told him that if there was one close, to just give me the directions and we would try to find it.  He was able to give me perfect directions and we found a 24 hour Pharmacy that sold Ibuprom.  

Just down the street from the Pharmacy was a Coffee Shop that was very similar to Starbucks, so we sat down and had a drink and enjoyed some of their free Wireless.  As we were sitting there, Rachelle was able to work a little and I sat there watching people.  After 30 minutes or so, it became apparent that something was wrong down the street because the people in the street would keep looking up.  Sure enough, there was smoke coming out of a four story apartment halfway up the block from where we were.  The Firefighters showed up, and appeared very unorganized.  Not a judgement, just an appearance.  People were still driving down the street as they tried to get the trucks set up.  The water connection for the mobile Fire Hydrant was actually below a manhole, interesting.  They fiddled with it and then ran hoses to the pump truck.  All of this time, the Ladder Truck finally arrived.  People, including myself lined the street watching this play out and many of us were taking pictures.  Yes I took pictures as well, I know Typical Tourist, Right?  I never saw any flames, however I know that usually where there is smoke, there is fire.

I went back into the coffee shop and Rachelle and I each ordered a croissant sandwich, and it was GOOOD!  We sat there and ate and just enjoyed the time.  We walked back to the apartment in the rain, which was nice.  I turned on the TV for the first time and we watched Extreme Makeover, Home Edition with Ukrainian voice over.  We were still able to understand the gist of what they were saying.

Chapter Three - Can We Just Get to Kiev Already?

Sunday - August 25, 2012

It was raining on us when we left the Hotel to walk to the Airport.  The Guy in front of us @ Security Checkpoint had 5 bottles of juice and water.  When he was asked to remove them, he decided to hold up the line so he could drink one of the juice's prior to walking through the metal detector, where then the Security forces (Looked like Poland Army) frisked him.  Then once we were through the check point, he decided to take his sweet time getting his stuff off of the Conveyor Belt.  Personal space is an item that is not believed in here.  They don't say "Excuse Me", they just barge right in... 

Fight 751 boards for Kiev @ 10:20 am and needless to say, Rachelle and I are ready to get to Kiev!!!  Wait a minute, the flight is delayed 30 minutes.  I just want to get to Kiev, meet up with Sasha, find an apartment to stay in for a few days, get some groceries......

The flight finally came and Rachelle says "We are Really Doing This!"  I told her that we aren't backing out now....

After a bumpy flight, we arrived in Kiev and after going through Customs we met up with Sasha.  He is a SUPER NICE MAN and he had his 10 year old daughter, lets just call her Angel  was with him.  We drove from the Airport to find a place to stay, then on to the Grocery Store.  I am definitely out of my comfort zone.  Sasha starts giving me a hard time while Rachelle and Angel were trying to communicate with with one another in the back seat.  We get back to the Apartment, and is bigger than what a hotel room would be, we have a living room, kitchen with a refrigerator, hallway and a bedroom.  There isn't any air conditioning, however opening the windows has really helped.

It is a four story unit with bars on the windows, and a combination lock to get into the hallway, but from what Sasha has told us, it is a very safe place to stay.   The sounds of people talking in the streets and cars driving by are something that we are not accustomed to.  It does get relaxing after awhile.

We got settled, and realized it was time back home for us to login and watch the 8:30 am Experience of Victory Church in Oklahoma City. It brought a piece of home to us half way across the world!!!  So awesome to have the opportunity to get our church on via a Wireless Internet connection!!!

With the use of Apple technology and Apps, we were able to Tango (Face Time App) Jessica where we were able to see Andrew playing with his cousins.  He wasn't much for sitting still wanting to talk, however it was so AWESOME to be able see him, especially for Rachelle.

We then used the MagicJack App on my iPhone and called my mom.  We discussed with here the latest adventures and she told us how excited Dylan has been about Daddy and Momma Chelle going to get him another brother.  It is a relief for me especially knowing how much he is looking forward to the addition to our family.

We also Tango'd Rachelle's friend Jackie, who her and her family live in Elk City, OK.  Again just the thought of talking, much less Face Timing a familiar face half way across the World is Awesome!!!

We also Tango'd Vernon, DeeAnn and Joshua in there somewhere.  Leave it to me to forget the exact sequence. :)  It was very comforting talking to them as well as we were able to discuss both the Beautiful Conference and Fierce Conference that we hosted by Victory and Victory Edmond on Friday and Saturday.

There are so many that have commented on Facebook posts, Viber text messages and Emails, that in itself has been truly Humbling!  We learn more and more everyday how much people back home mean to us, and it is apparent that those feelings are very mutual.

Chapter Two - Detour in Warsaw, Poland

Saturday - August 25, 2012

The plane flinally touches down in Poland, and are we ready to get up and walk around.  Rachelle's knee started hurting her with about 3 hours left in the flight and she told me that she wasn't looking forward to boarding another plane for two more hours onto Kiev.  I told her that I can understand, especially since my ear and jaw were still hurting, but that we had to press on.

Directly before we exited the plane, the stewardous came over the intercome stating something about reporting to the Check-In desk to see what the new assignments are for those traveling to Kiev, as that plane has already departed.  Are You Kidding Me?  We get off the plane not knowing what to expect, we follow the crowd like a herd of cattle.  The guy behind the counter hands us two boarding passes for tomorrow (Sunday), as well as a voutcher for a Free Nights Stay @ the Marriott that was within walking distance to the Airport.  This voutcher also included two free lunches, two free dinners and free breakfast in the morning.  Looks like Rachelle got her wish and we didn't have to pay a dime.  "Thank You JESUS1"  

As we were sitting at the Baggage Claim, it became obvious that our bag had not made it.  We sat there and sat there contemplating on how we were going to let Sasha know that we are not on that flight, and that we would be a day later.  THANKFULLY Rachelle made the decision on flying out on Friday instead of Saturday, or we would have missed our SDA Appointment.

After the sign changed to a different flight at the conveyors, I found a "Lost and Found" representative who radioed the Airline and told me to go sit at another Baggage Claim conveyor.  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, Let our bag be here in Poland and not on to Kiev.

After about 20 minutes when everything seemed to have all of a sudden turned a different direction, here it came.  WHEW11!

Ok, now let's find this Marriott so we can go get some lunch, take a shower and perhaps a nap for a few hours before dinner.  After about 15 minutes of asking and re-asking and walking and asking and re-asking we finally found our way out of the Airport, and the Marriott is literally right across the street.

We go check-in, make it the room and take a few moments to breathe.  We then go back downstairs to have lunch.  The food was fantastic and we probably drank 3 or so glasses just trying to quench our thirsts.

The Hotel had free Internet on their computers where I was able to logon and atleast post the change of plans.  Facebook does so many things to keep family members from talking, communicating and unfortunately it is responsible for rekindling old flames, which turns into broken homes and marriages.  However this was not the case for us.  Our friends and family provided words of encouragement that I DEFINITELY NEEDED.

We then went upstairs to login to the Wireless Connection and couldn't get anything to work.  We really needed to email Sasha and explain to him how the plans have changed.  I couldn't get my iPhone to connect to the Wireless, so we decided to try the laptop.  As I connected the surge protector to the power converter so we could plug Rachelle's computer in, I heard a loud "POP!" and then followed the smell of plastic burning.  I just blew up the surge protector as her computer battery dies...Common On...could really use something right to happen.

So kept trying with my iPhone and kept trying....Then it finally connected and i was in to the communication world.  We emailed Sasha and about half an hour later we received a response and he would see us on Sunday.

I was able to text a few guys from church.  Then I downloaded the MagicJack app for iPhone.  My brother Blake had bought us one, but since Rachelle's laptop battery was dead and we didn't want to take any chances of plugging it in and burning it up.  The good thing is that I had already set up a MagicJack account prior to us leaving Edmond, so just logged in and we were ready to make a phone call using the Wireless Connection.

The first call we made was to Billy, checking on the house and to let him know that our plans had changed so that he would be up to speed.  He was driving to Martin & Jessica's, whom are taking care of Andrew, for a cookout.  Rachelle got to say Hi to Andrew and he said "Hello" back, but was off to go play with the kids.

The second call we made was to my parents and during the conversation I was able to talk to Dylan, whom they were watching during the visitation weekend.

The Hotel that we stayed at was nothing short of Amazing!  The guys behind the counter, the people behind the bar taking food and drink orders and those whom did the serving we so polite.  The Hotel was beautiful and so many ways.

We figured out what outlet would atleast charge our phones, so we would alternate charging them until they both were completely charges.  We tried out our Alarms several times making sure that they would work for us in the morning so that we wouldn't miss our flight.

We went downstairs to Eat Dinner, and prior to us going back upstairs, I informed the guy behind the counter that the hair dryer didn't work and I think that I threw a breaker when I was trying to hook up a power adapter.  As we turned the corner to our room, there was a Representative standing in the hallway waiting for us prior to entering the room.  They seemed to pay special details when it came to peoples time and needs and this was just an example.  Sure enough, I threw a breaker, he switched it back on and Rachelle was in business for blow drying her hair in the morning.

We then decided to go back downstairs for a drink, and then to walk outside.  This was not in our plan, however I firmly believe that it was God's plan.  To provide us a free night stay were we could relax and get acclimated to the time change, as well as get a few meals for free.  

"Thank You for Providing and Protecting Us through this Journey that You have already laid out the path!!!  In Jesus Name, AMEN!"

During the middle of the night here in Poland, my Weather Radio App starts talking about "Severe Weather" in Oklahoma.  And then about an hour or so later it starts talking about flash flooding in the OKC Metro and surrounding areas.  That Apps simply Rocks!!!

Chapter One - Journey Out of the Country

Friday - August 24, 2012

Initially our bag was too heavy, however with some slight modification and a 1.5 lb of Favor from the baggage attendant saving us $100.00.  God has already prepared the path by selectively putting those in our path for our Good!

The flight from OKC to Chicago was peaceful.  It did start to dawn on us that we were "FINALLY" going to make the trip!  Since we flew American Eagle we had to go to a completely different Terminal once we arrived @ O'Hare.   However on the decent my right ear started hurting and chewing gum or holding my nose and blowing only made it worse.  It started hurting all of the way from my ear to my jaw.  Need to find some Ibuprophen!  There was a minor mixup on what Gate we had to go to, however after asking directions and taking the Tram, we made to the "International" side of the Airport.  

We made to the Gate in time to see that our flight had been delayed.  This however is not the news that we wanted knowing that there was a short time between the connection flights once we would arrive in Poland to then go on over to Kiev.  One thing that was really starting to become apparent that we were no longer the Majority, especially when it came to communication.  I guess we better get used to it the best that we can, huh?

For an International Flight of more than 9 hours, it went as well as can be expected.  However, there was more leg room in the American Eagle Jet than there was on this one.  Whenever they would make announcements, it of course would be in the native language which would seem to go on and on, and then they would try to make the same announcements in broken English.  We learned real quick to do the best we could to listen when they would say "Dear Ladies and Gentlemen" and then would continue on with a very short version.

During the flight we were given very small portions of beverages, less than 6 oz. at a time and if i can remember correctly just for a couple or three times.  It was so hard to sleep in the limited amount of space...