December 28, 2006

The fight back to the United States makes for what seems like the longest day that could possibly be. We flew on AeroSvit at noon to JFK. The flight takes about 10 and a half hours and there is a 7 hour time change so you get in at about 4:00 PM New York time. Then we have a layover till our flight out to Richmond at 9:35 PM. We will get hom at about midnight.

Immigration started better than the last time - Elliott's entry was in the US Computer system. Unfortunately about 30 other folks needed to be fingerprinted at the same time so it took a couple of hours before we got to the Jet Blue Terminal. The layover is going fast - they have free wireless and plug ins for the laptop!!!

Elliott and I are both just beat!! Can't wait to get home and shower and sleep!

Thanks to all who prayed for us!! God is awesome!!!

December 27, Again

The crisis is over!! God is soooo good!! All afternoon I was concerned that we weren't going to make the flight but I KNEW that God had come through so many times! It's like I tell Nicky all the time "Trust Papa!" I called the embassy at 3:30 and they told me that there was a problem. I thought to my self - keep your cool! But find out what is going on - I will need to know the entire story! So I asked to talk to someone who was familiar with what the situation was. I was put on hold for about 20 minutes - all the while I was trying to pray - more for my anger than for a solution to the problem. After the hold, the lady came back on and apologized for the wait and said I could come down and pick it up!!!! I thought for a nano second that I wanted to know what was going on but then I had a divine revelation - Ignorance is bliss!!!! So we are outta here at noon tomorrow.

To cap it off - we met Olas for supper. I was sooo happy to see him. The evening just flew by - I would still bethere laughing and talking but he had to catch a plane. Here is a picture of all of us!!! Thank you, Lord for Olas!! He makes you want to adopt more kids just so you can spend time with him!!!

Next stop - JFK and US Citizenship for Elliott!

December 27, 2006

Got up early and went to the US Embassy at 8:30 AM. It was nice because only a few people have been given appointments over the holidays. We were expected and all went well until our interview. I was told that since Elliott was 16, a check with the Department of Homeland Security was needed. the Embassy had initiated the check last week and they still have not received the results. This is not the Ukraine Police Check that they require - Yuri had gotten that completed last week. The embassy official said that they had put an urgent trace on it yesterday and told me to call back at 4 PM. If it isn't there then we can check at 8 AM. Please pray that this is received as our flight is at noon tomorrow.

Elliott has been practicing his English using the Rosetta Stone software that his sister Tobi and brother-in-law Tommy bought for him. His pronunciation of all words except those with a 'th' in them is great!

Had lunch at McDonalds for a second day in a row!! Had supper at Da Mario's last night - I really love that restaurant!! The grilled salmon is to die for.

December 24 & 25, 2006

December 24 and 25, 2006
I left Richmond, Virginia, at 2:35 PM on Christmas Eve day. I arrived at JFK at 4:00, got my luggage and went to the AeroSvit ticket counter in terminal 4. I was through security and at the gate by 5:15. I thought the airport was crowded for Christmas Eve! The Flight to Kiev was packed. I had a middle seat in the last section - between two Ukrainians. I felt really crowded - they slept and I had a hard time sleeping! I think I got about an hour's sleep. I arrived in Kiev at noon on Christmas day which is actually just another business day in Ukraine! It took about 45 minutes to get through customs and Nicholi met me at the arrival area.

Nickoli took me to Steve Weber's home at the CBN complex where Elliott had been staying for the last four days. He had been in Kiev for about a week. I met Steve's wife and their six children (three natural and three adopted). Their kids are beautiful, very friendly and just a lot of fun. Their littlest one is Andre and he is three and a half - he is soooo cute! They made me feel so welcome that I forgot Nicholi was waiting for me! I was kinda punchy anyway from being up so long. Yuri called me and told me that we had an appointment at 8:30 AM for the medical.

This is a picture of a hotel across the street from our apartment. It was snowing lightly all night and it felt very Christmassy for being away from home probably cause I was with my son!

December 26, 2006
Elliott and I woke up at 7:30 and got dressed and went looking for a placed to have breakfast. I forgot all about the appointment - probably because of the jet lag. I figured I had my phone and they would call me if they needed me. When Elliott and I got back to the apartment, Yuri called and said we were late!!! He didn't have my cell phone number. Yuri got us in for the medical even though we were late and we completed that at noon.

We had lunch at McDonald's (See the picture) - different from the one I had been to before and Nicholi will pick us up at 2:30 PM to get the medical results. Embassy tomorrow and then we're outa here Thursday

Elliott is in Kiev

We received an E-Mail Saturday night from Steve Weber in which he said that Elliott was now in Kiev. That was such exciting news. I (Dave) was concerned that someone was going to have to take a copy of the Birth Certificate to Berdyansk before he could leave. I am sure we will have to ensure that a copy gets to the orphanage but there won't be a time constraint on it. I have E-mailed Yuri (Project Manager from SENSE) with my itinerary and things should go smoothly.

Praise God for his provision!!

Plans Made for Return Trip

We heard from Oles and made arrangements to return to Kiev to get Elliott. Unfortunately we won't return before Christmas but we know that God's timing is always perfect! Dave will fly to Kiev - leaving the 24th of December and arrive Christmas day. We will get the embassy and medical done on the 26th and have a grace day on the 27th. Our return flights are on the 28th! Kathie and Nicky are going to celebrate Christmas in Illinois. We are making the necessary arrangements to get Elliott to Kiev so that this will be a quick trip. Please pray that all goes smoothly!!!

Good News on Thanksgiving Day

We heard from Oles on Thanksgiving day. He was able to get the Moldovan court to process an order to change Elliott's birth certificate. Now we are in the 20 day waiting period which will end on December 13th! We are now working on the schedule of events fro my return to Ukraine to get Elliott. I should be able to pick him up in Kiev and do the Medical and Embassy visits in just a few days and then fly home with him before Christmas. We are soooo excited!

I have gotten Nicky and Elliott added to my medical insurance and we got a SSN for Nicky - all you need for the SSN is your ID (driver's license or passport) and the child's passport. We went to the SSN Administration office so we wouldn't have to mail the original passport. Nicky got a physical for school last week and started in the fifth grade today!!

Please keep us in your prayers as we make arrangements to get Elliott - God has been so good to meet all of our needs this far that we know he will do an awesome job in this last step to get Elliott!

Nov 17, THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME…

We made it!!!!!!!! After an 11 hour flight from Kiev to JFK we will thrilled to be off the plane onto American soil! I can’t believe how excited I was when the immigration guy spoke English and welcomed us back! People were actually saying “excuse me and sorry” if they entered into your personal space and the highway and loving American restrooms! Customs and immigration was a breeze. We rented a car and drove the 7-hour trip to Williamsburg arriving exhausted and exhilarated at 1:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. in Ukraine). Nicky slept the entire time in the car and we woke him up about 15 minutes before we got to the house. He was so excited! Dave went straight to bed so he could get a few hours in before going to work (I know, he is a crazy man). Nicky and I stayed up for a few hours. I just reveled in being home and Nicky explored. He kept saying “Wow”! As we have said before, he has a very curious nature. I’ve decided that could be to our advantage and we are getting older and keep forgetting where we put things!

Nicky couldn’t wait to see Tyler and neither could we. He got off the bus and came running from down the street. Nicky yelled “Tyler” and Tyler yelled “Nicky”. They ran into each other’s arms and hugged what seemed to be a long time (especially for Ty). It was so good to see him. They immediately started playing, going from one thing to another and haven’t stopped since!

We prayerfully wait with hope to hear from Olas next week. He will be meeting with Moldova Vital statistics and possibly some judges on Tuesday.

Nov 15, CBN Visit

Today we were invited to go to the CBN offices. Karen Springs invited us but then she called this morning and said she was ill. Natalia called and said she would meet us there and to not tell Nicky – she wanted to surprise him. Karen gave us directions to take the subway and we were off! The subway is very crowded and busy all day long. It was easy to find the CBN offices and Nicky was very excited. He was here last year for practice prior to going to the states. He was very surprised to see Natalia and it was like old home night as he talked to everyone. Natasha (the narrator from the Old Russian Shoemaker) kept him while we met with Steve Weber. Steve was very interested in our experience and asked what was going on with Elliott. He offered to get Elliott from the orphanage and he or someone from CBN would keep him till we returned. He even called the orphanage director to pave the way. We went back to the apartment via the subway and got the court decree and headed back to CBN. When we went to the notary – she said we needed some Ukrainian tax ID number to complete the Power of Attorney and we were all stumped. We were late for a meeting with the SENSE people to get a power of attorney for Olas to go to Moldova and get the BC. So we asked if they could also do the Power of Attorney for Elliott to go to CBN. They did it and the P of A is at Sense’s office and Steve will pick it up tomorrow. God is good!!!

Nov 14, Tickets to Fly Home!

We have tickets to fly home!! We will be flying on Thursday 11/16. It is a direct flight from Kiev to JFK. We leave at noon and arrive in the USA at 3:30 p.m. We will rent a car and drive to Williamsburg. While getting the tickets, Nicky was right next to the agent and asking her questions and following her around as she processed our request. The next thing you know she was pulling out travel brochures of Finland and Alaska. Before we left, he asked for her business card. I think he swung a deal for his summer vacation next year! We have decided that he talks more than Grandma Snoz and Tyler combined! As much as we want him to learn English, we have our concerns!

Went to dinner with Karen Springs who works for CBN, Kiev with adoptions. She wanted to meet us and hear our adoption story. She is an American but speaks Russian so Nicky had a great time with her. When we departed he warned her about going back to her apartment by herself. He gave her some martial arts moves in case she was assaulted! Needless to say, she was entertained by him the entire night! See the picture!

We went to the US Embassy this morning to get a permanent Visa for Nicky. After submitting the forms and being interviewed by a consular, they kept Nicky’s passport until the process is complete at 4 PM. Nicky was not happy to leave without his passport. There was a lot of traffic around the embassy and the streets are narrow. The accepted protocol is to drive with one set of wheels on the sidewalk (see picture)! Great for the cars; not so great for pedestrians!
We are getting tickets for the Opera tonight – Don Quihote! If I can find the ticket office! I’m sure Nicky will help!

Nov. 13, Medical Approval Granted

Yuri (The project manager for our adoption agency) picked us up and took us to the Medical Center to get Nicky’s physical. Nicky had to have a Hepatitus B shot. Evidently, it is a new law for children over the age of 10. The Doctor said he will need to get 2 more Hep B booster shots when in America to complete the series. Hopefully, tomorrow Olas will arrive with the new birth certificate, we will go to the American Embassy and obtain a visa for Nicky. We have made a decision to all come home this week (hopefully) and Dave will return as soon as possible to get Elliott.

Here are two pictures, one is Nicky cooking yaitzak (eggs) for him and me and in the other I am teaching him to floss (I never did it much at that age!!). Nicky is soo good - he cooks, does the laundry and vacuums!

Once again, thank you so much for all your encouraging words and your prayers. We know God is at work and his ways are perfect. We may not understand His plan, but we know we can trust it to be better for us than anything we could devise for ourselves.

Hebrews 11:1 says “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.
Until tomorrow…

Nov 12, In Kyiv

After an overnight train ride we arrived in Kiev at 6 a.m. We were greeted by a driver and taken to an apartment. It is so nice to have some room! It is very cold here and snowed today (but no accumulation). We spent the day getting settled, going to the grocery store, internet café and McDonalds! Nicky was very happy because he loves french fries! He has ordered them for every meal we have had with him since we got here! We can’t seem to talk him out of ordering them especially with the language barrier! For dinner we went to the Italian restaurant, DaMario’s that we enjoyed so much when first arriving in Kiev. The waitresses were all entertained by Nicky and WHATEVER he was saying to them. He had them teaching him fancy folds with the dinner napkins!

Nicky gets a Passport

Well, Olas got the Ukraine passport for Nicholas David Schweickert today. He still has to get the BC authenticated Monday and then he will carry it to Kiev. We got tickets for tonight’s train to Kiev (we left Olas behind to finish BC) and are headed there to get Nicky’s medical and get a VISA for him from the US Embassy. Olas will come to Kiev on Monday with the BC and go to Moldova on Tuesday and see what is up there. If he can get Elliott’s BC done in a few days we may all wait. It is a possibility that Kathie and Nicky will come home later this week.

Nov. 10, Nicky says "Goodbye Berdyansk!"

What a day!! I have to start with what Olas did last night. He searched out a cab that would take us to Zaporozhye, back to Berdyansk, and then a final trip to Zaporozhye. The cab had to be reliable and big for all us and our luggage. Here is the proposed itinerary: (keep in mind that it normally takes 2 ½-3 hours to get to Zaporozhye!) Olas and I would embark on this journey at 6 am to go to the Birth Certificate (BC) lady in Zaporozhye to get her written approval to make a new BC for Nicky. Go Berdyansk to court house, vital statistics and get Nicky out of the orphanage in time to make a 2nd trip to Zaporozhye to finalize Nicky’s passport and make the 7 p.m. train to Kiev.

Olas found the perfect cab, so we all headed to bed to rest for our big day. At 0600, Olas and I went out of the hotel to find two different cabs there. Evidently the guy from the night before couldn’t make it. Instead there were two “not so nice cabs” (I’m being gracious) there. After talking to the drivers, I found out these weren’t the second or third choice either!! We ended up in a LADA (wonderful little cars that they are!!) that only ran on propane. We got to Zaporozhye at 9:30 got the paperwork done and Olas hired Berdyansk in 2 hours flat, hightailed it to court and then ran to the hall of records had just closed for lunch! We did not get Nicky and the luggage till 2 PM. But should be no problem getting back to Zaporozhye by 4 PM with the cab driver we had. Well, not exactly – The engine started to overheat as we left Berdyansk. After 5 stops to fill the radiator we realized that the water pump was shot. This guy still drove the car all the way to Zaporozhye with the temp gauge pegged although he could only get it up to 10 MPH. Not too mention that he also took a wrong turn and we went 100 kilometers out of the way! The cab driver finally gave up and order us another cab on the outskirts of the city. Needless to say, the BC authentication is on hold till Monday. We arrived at 7 p.m. and waited 30 minutes to get our room at the “Hotel Intertourist”.

Leaving Elliott was very sad. We all tried to be brave but it wasn’t easy. We are still trusting God to bring it to fruition and are thankful he we were able to go to court and adopt before his 16th birthday.

We met American families (in hotel lobby)from Indiana & Ohio in process of adoption. They are still waiting on paperwork and they came just to visit their soon to be adopted children.
Nicky has been so excited since he left the orphanage he can hardly stand it. The 3 of us were in a half of the back seat in the taxi to Zap for 5 hours and he didn’t even care. He kept saying “Hello America” with tons of hugs, kisses and smiles! Our first night in the hotel with him was priceless. When it came time for bed, he got out his Bible and read for about 15 minutes, knelt by the bed and folded his hands and prayed. God was smiling and so were we.

Nov. 9, Miss Autumn Contest

Today was a fun day at the orphanage. We went to the auditorium to watch the crowning of “Miss Autumn”. There were many performances and forms of entertainment. The ballet performed (Olga was beautiful), a solo from their beloved “Tolek” (Elliott), volunteers from the audience who came up and spoke, not sure what they said. It was a lot of fun to watch but Olas wasn’t there so I’m not sure I have the big picture! The boys also got their passport pictures taken today and were excited. Nicky has been asking when we are we going to America all the time now and Elliott ask today for the first time. I shrugged my shoulders and he shook his head to say he understood. It is heartbreaking. The passport issued was resolved FINALLY after Olas spent 3 hours with the notary. He is working hard all of our behalf. Tomorrow, we try to finalize paperwork in Zaporoshe and get Nicky out of the orphanage. It doesn’t look like Elliott will be leaving with us.

A BEND IN THE ROAD

Yesterday when went to the Notary to sign a petition. When verifying our passports the notary found a discrepancy. FYI: Our old passports expired Nov 4, 2006, so we renewed them over the summer. We didn’t want to worry about not having them updated when we received an appointment to travel over here. When we started the adoption process in December 2005, we used our old passports for all the legal documents we had to complete and a copy of the old passports was included in our dossier. When the Notary was verifying our passports she found that we had renewed them. The Ukrainian law says that the passports have to match. Olas is trying to get around this today by creating and translating a petition with a copy of our new passports and running it though the legal system so that everyone is aware. Please pray for favor, that the new petition is accepted on every level and does not take us back to square one. The phone calls to Moldova continue.

The good news is that the Bruce’s were able to take their daughter from the orphanage last night! They left Berdyansk early this morning and are onto the final steps in Zaporozhye and Kiev and then home! We will really miss them and loved watching God’s hand at work in the adoption of Erin Taylor Bruce!

Included are some pictures of some children at the orphanage. I don’t think our suitcases are big enough to bring them all back but we would love to!

November 6, 2006, Happy 16th Birthday Elliott!!

One day, when we walked into the restaurant for breakfast, a guy heard us talking and said in perfect english, "where are you from?" We were surprised so we invited him to sit at our table. His name is Yaroslav Ovsienko and he is actually a native Ukrainian!! He has a home in Washington state and Britian. Now get this – he is an interpreter for Scientech – a nuclear consulting company!! He has to translate terms like "Probabalistic Risk Assessment" and "HPSI"! How interesting that we run into someone from the nuclear industry in Berdyansk! He and his wife took Kathie and I to get a present for Elliott for his birthday, to get Kathie’s hair done (color & cut for $30) and to order pizzas for Elliott’s party at the orphanage.

Elliott had a great birthday! We got him couple of DVD’s and he wore his new coat and shoes back to the orphanage for his pizza party. (Can you tell he really loved his new clothes?) His classmates gathered for the celebration with, of course Nicky, who thinks he is as old as the others! You could tell the kids all loved each other a lot as they ate, talked and joked around. They gave Elliott a hand-made booklet. Each page was an outpouring of their love for him, including pictures, words of encouragement and past memories together. It will be a sad day for many when he leaves the orphanage.

These children, even though they are older, still long to have their own Mama and Papa and they all dream of coming to America. Unfortunately, in America you cannot be adopted from a foreign country after you reach the age of 16.

Olas called Moldova again and was told to call back tomorrow….

November 4, 2006, Lunch with the Orphan Director

Galina the orphage director invited Olas, the Bruce’s and us for dinner. We ate together is a tiny room and some were not able to put their legs under the table. Tons of food was displayed on the table and the cook kept bringing more! Dave, being the good eater that he is, ate and ate and ate, accompanied by all the correct moaning noises. Galina watched in amazement, but with great approval! I really thought she liked me before the luncheon, but when she found out I was vegetarian and didn’t eat nearly as much as my husband she was concerned. Olas assured her that the boys would be able to eat meat and everything would be fine! (No smart comments back on the blog about my cooking or lack of it!)

Tobi has had trouble calling us and discovered that the phone number I posted ealier was missing a 3. The correct number is 38 (095) 849-91-70.

Fall Break Continues...

November 3, 2006

The days are getting colder as we walk to and from the orphanage. Once again, we retrieved the boys and brought them back to the hotel for the day. When I was going over English words with them I had to lie between them on the bed because they would not quit wrestling and teasing each other! They also love to TRY to teach me Russian words as I am teaching them English. They say the word, I try to repeat the word. They fall out laughing! They repeat it slowly syllable by syllable, I repeat it again slowly syllable by syllable. Now, they are howling!! The picture is of Olas with the boys on our walk back from the orphanage. He really loves them and told us that they are such good boys he would have adopted them if we wouldn’t have!

The birth certificate issue is still an ISSUE that Olas continues to work on. He has called Moldova two days in a row and keeps getting the run around and told to call back tomorrow. He will call back once again on Monday. It continues to be a concern and a prayer request as we stand in faith and trust God.

As we walk through the orphanage each day we occasionally run into the toddlers. There are about 68 of them and they are in a section of the orphanage on the first floor. They are so adorable – they walk up to you and smile and grab your hand and call you mama and papa. Here is a picture of their lunchroom as they were setting it up.

When we shop for bananas and oranges for the kids, we found this indoor market not far from the hotel. They set up tables in the aisles and sell tea, candy, nuts, and all manner of commodities. On the far side they sell fish – we stay away from there because it smells a little rank. Here is a picture of Kathie’s favorite section!!

Day 2 of 10

We have settled into a routine now in the city of Berdyansk, which is starting to feel like home. We picked up the laundry, had breakfast, shopped at the market and did our usual walk to the orphanage. We brought the boys back to the hotel spent the day just hanging out together. Every night we have dinner with the Bruce’s, Olas and all the kids. The cook’s specialty is a Caesar sald (different than in the States) but pretty good and a killer banana cake (with small cubes of ice cream and raspberry sauce). It is hard for any of us to pass on it. The size of the portion is the same as for ordering wine – either 100 or 200 (grams for cake, ml for wine). I’ll let you guess what size of cake Dave orders.

Transportation in Ukraine:
No Pickup trucks - only old little cars that have seen better days (like the hearse in the picture). There seems to be two kinds of busses – large busses like city buses and overgrown vans that appear to be private ventures. I have seen one or two large buses like tour busses but there were no markings on them. Many of the busses and cars run on LNG – you can see the cylinders attached to the top of the busses, the cylinders in the taxis are in the trunk. Vehicles have the right of way unless you are in a crosswalk – always look both ways before venturing out on the street. Twice I have been a few feet from the curb when the light changed and the car waiting on me honked and started moving toward me – one of the two actually ran into me before stopping with the horn going all the time (it is a little unnerving!!). They will hit you with their car but they don’t want to harm you – that is against the law! I have only seen one cop since I’ve been here. If they stop you for speeding, you give them 10 grivnas ($2) and you’re on your way again. No one parks on the sidewalk in Berdyansk, they only do that in Kiev (pronounced "keve"). Many people walk or ride these very old bikes. It seems to me that all the bikes have about half the tire pressure they really need (maybe because the roads are so bad). Many of the manholes are missing the covers – in these situations, someone has placed some tree limbs or long boards in them sticking up so they are noticeable.

Day 1 of 10

We went to the orphanage around 1100. We needed to fill out a petition that would allow us to get the boys each day this week – it is fall break for school! We picked up the boys and walked back to the hotel. We found out that the boys can go to town whenever they want to. If they are going to be gone for a meal they need to let the caretakers know. So they have walked this route many times – I thought we were giving them a new experience!!!

We taught the boys to play Rumikub – a tile rummy game. Olas helped us – he has a great sense of humor and he is very competitive. The boys loved the game and we didn't need to speak the same language to play!

Elliott had to leave a little early because he had a league basketball game. So he left about 40 minutes before we had to take Nicky back. Elliott wanted to walk back alone – he knew the way and he had done it many times. Kathie stayed at the hotel and I walked Nicky home around 5:30. He wanted to lead and show me the way he goes to the orphanage. He is so independent!!! I’ll bet he feels like he is adopting us!!! I guess it is all in your point of view.

SUCCESSFUL COURT DATE!

This picture was taken waiting outside the courtroom. After a tedious and very interesting court hearing the judge deemed us fit parents and granted the adoption of Elliott Andre Schweickert and Nicholas David Schweickert! We are all thrilled! We still do not know how the birth certificate situation for Elliott is going to play out. It is too complicated to journal but we are standing in faith that it will work out for the good of our entire new family and for the glory of God, who IS in control! Our facilitator, Olas will start making inquiries to Moldova today. He told Elliott that it is possible that he could have to stay here for a while why the birth certificate issue gets straightened out. I ask Elliott how how he felt about that and he said he has waited 15 years, he can wait a few more months if he has to. I love that kid! While we wait…we have peace. I know that probably seems crazy…but that’s God for you! Giving you peace when you shouldn’t have any. Please continue to stand in faith with us and believe that God is going to finish what he started.

Happy 10th Birthday Tyler!!!

Hi Tyler!!

The picture is of the boys holding a sign that says "Happy Birthday Tyler" in Russian. Notice the boys have the hats on that you picked out for them! We love you so much Ty and are sorry we are not there to help you celebrate your birthday! God has truly blessed us with the BEST grandson in the world!! We will all celebrate when we get home and I’ll make you fudge.
Love,
Nan Nan and Papa

October 28, 2006

The children spent the day with us took them to the waterfront, as the sea is a big tourist attraction in the summer. It is the first time we have ventured there. It is the upscale section of the city (you wouldn’t know you were in Berdyansk) with shops, restaurants and monuments. As we walked past the Vital Statistic Office, we saw several wedding couples coming and going. Olas informed us that in the Ukraine you have to go to Vital Statistic and do a legal wedding ceremony first, then if you choose you can have a church ceremony afterwards. The first wedding ceremony is not optional.

We got our pictures taken in the "wishing chair." The idea is to sit in the chair and touch a place (that is marked) that is about where your shoulders would be. I was just wishing I could get my hand back there!

We tried a couple of restaurants at the waterfront but couldn’t get in because of preparing for big parties, probably the weddings we saw earlier so we went back to our safe haven – the hotel restaurant!! It was the first time we had ate a meal with Elliott and were interested to see what he liked and how much he ate. Remember he is a very active teenage boy! He ordered 4 courses and we watched as he enjoyed it all! Nicky is not quite as big of eater but really enjoys his food. They ate until they were stuffed! Olas translated to us that he told them that they ate like horses and they laughed. I had them tell them that Mama was worried, and that really made them laugh! They really thought that was funny. We went back to our tiny abode that we now know as home and hung out together. We looked at pictures, played music, watched soccer and worked with beginner flashcards in English. It was really fun just relaxing together.

We walked the boys back to the orphanage around 5. Elliott showed us a few more short cuts – they both seem pretty familiar with the area. We all four held hands all the way back, the boys between us and and they sang the whole way! I raced Nicky up to the top of the bluff – I’m not fast but I have more brute force in the short haul – I even beat him (not by much though). There are acting like true siblings…teasing each other. They were calling each other Blondeska and Brunetteski (I’ll let you figure out which was which). As we got close to the orphanage, we came upon two of their friends. They wanted to show us their talents! It was dusk out but that did not keep these boys from performing all kinds of acrobats on the roofs of some very old & rusty metal garages! The finale was when one of them dismounted with a back flip from the roof! It scared us to death!

A little more about Berdyansk:
There are stores everywhere. They all consist of small shops that deal in one type of commodity except there are some small stores that sell a variety of items – like a 7-11 only much, much smaller. Even the mall consists of small shops. The marketplace opens at 7 so they set up starting at 5 or 6 and then they close shop at 2. Since the marketplace is huge and each booth has to set up, it is pandemonium while that is going on – all the proprietors are pushing these carts to their cars/houses/storage areas. You can get really good deals on clothes – a coat for the boys cost about $20 US and a leather woman’s coat cost about $80. The women’s coats are absolutely gorgeous and a huge variety to choose from. They have vendors on the street that sell these gorgeous flowers – roses and several others that I cannot name. They sell parakeets and other pets along the roads also. Old women sell baked goods (mostly large cakes that look like carrot cakes) and they sit at the same place every day and probably have for years. I wonder what would happen if someone new would try to move into their territory!

October 27, 2006

Today all of us (the Bruce’s and the Schweickert’s) walked to the orphanage through the cemetery. Olas explained to us the significance of the tables in the plots. Around Easter each year, the families of the deceased bring food and vodka to the plot. They set a place for the deceased and then they eat and drink. Then they leave food and a drink for the deceased when they leave. Kinda like leaving cookies for Santa but I wonder who ultimately drinks the "wodka"???

There is no place to sit on the playground so when we sit with the boys we sit on a pipe that is mounted about 6 inches above the ground (see pic). Yesterday we spent the majority of our time at the orphanage sitting on the pipe trying to communicate with the boys through our Russian/English dictionary one word at a time! It will be so good when we speak the same language!

Today we spent our day at the orphanage on the playground in the gym with the boys. A group of boys (around Nicky’s age) hang out with us everyday and we are getting better acquainted with them. They all are calling us Mama and Papa and one of them gave us a hand written card with all four of our names and the words love, family and happiness. They really are happy for the boys and dream that someday it will be their turn.

PLEASE pray for God’s favor for court on Monday. Olas is going to ask for "immediate execution" so he can proceed with the birth certificate issue during the 10 day waiting period. Many thanks and blessing to all for BELIEVING GOD with us in this!

Just a little info about the Hotel Berdyansk:
They haven’t turned on the heat (hot water) in the hotel yet (still mild outside – 45 to 70). I heard they were working on it yesterday. To compensate, they have these neat sheets that are like an envelope and a blanket fits in them – they are very warm but you don’t want to get out of bed in the morning! The hotel room is the size of a cruise ship room except there is no place to put your clothes. There is a small wardrobe that barely holds the coats. We are getting the room for about $28 a night and that includes breakfast. They have laundry service but it is expensive so I do the underwear and hang it to dry and send out the pants and shirts. It appears that all the rooms on this floor (11th) have been remodeled recently. They have two elevators but the operating mechanism has no intelligence – when you press the call button only that elevator will come and if it is in use, you may have to press it again! We have a TV that gets 30 channels; mostly US reruns dubbed in Russian. They do have Discovery and Animal Planet – Its funny to see Orange County Choppers with the characters speaking Russian!!! There is an Internet area in the lobby with 5 computers. It is slow – about the speed of dialup, but it is cheap – about one dollar per hour. They also have wireless set up on the 10th floor. I can pick up the signal by the elevator but if I walk down to the 10th I get 52 mbs. It is more expensive - about five dollars per hour. The restaurant in the lobby is good – just need to order at least an hour before you want to eat and they have it already to go – if you wait till you want to eat it takes a long time – they only have a four burner stove. There are many good restaurants in Berdyansk. Dinner with a glass of wine costs us about $20 to $30 with tip. Tips of 10% are huge!!

COURT HAS BEEN DELAYED

Our court date has been delayed until Monday, October 30th. Unfortunately, the SDA could not read the Moldovian birth certificate of Elliott’s. It is neither in Russian nor Ukrainian. After jumping through some hoops, it was submitted correctly this past Monday. It takes one week from the time submitted, so hopefully it will arrive by train next Monday. We are disappointed, as this delays the process at least 3 more days. We haven’t told the boys yet and we are not looking forward to it as they are so anxious to go! We believe God’s hand will be moved as we pray about the completion of this birth certificate issue. Please join us.

We found a short cut to the orphanage through the cemetery. It only cut off about 5 minutes but Kathie didn’t have to look down the entire time for potholes and broken sidewalks and their cemetery is very interesting. The bigger plots (10’ X 10’) have a little table and bench in them – I guess so you can have lunch with your deceased relative or friend. Some of the smaller ones don’t include the bench but a high (bar) table – maybe for just sharing a beer and shot of vodka (very ukrainian)! I don’t know how they get to some of the plots as other plots surround them and most of them have fences. Most of the monuments are made of metal and many of them have pictures of the deceased on the monument. The picture makes the cemetery look nicer than it really is – most of the plots are overgrown with weeds and the monuments are rusty. The entire cemetery is surrounded by metal garages. Since most people live in apartments, this is where they park their cars.

These girls were watching on the playground as Kathie hung out with Nicky and Elliott’s friends. As soon as all the boys went off to play soccer she motioned for them to come over and they came running. As with the boys, they just wanted to be show love.
The girls are all 11 years old.

October 23

When adopting boys from the orphanage your days as you wait tend to be centered around physical activity! It was a nice day so we spent our time again outside on the playground!
Many of the boys hung out with us. The average age was 11 years. They want smiles, hugs and just to be noticed. They saw Dave give me a Listerine Breath Strip and the next thing you know they all wanted one. It was hysterical watching their reaction as they let it dissolve in their mouths! It was a big hit and Nicky pleaded with us to bring more with us tomorrow.

I was starting to get concerned because Elliott was still not back yet from going to see his sister, Roslanna. Then, out of nowhere, someone was tapping on my shoulder from behind and I turned around to see Elliott with a big smile! I screamed and he laughed! We were so happy that he returned safely. Nicky was like an appendage to his side, jumping on him and talking a mile a minute, telling him everything that had happened since he left! Elliott told us his sister signed a paper saying she had no objection to him being adopted, which made me feel both happy and sad. Roslanna is 4 years older than Elliott which is the same age difference between Tobi and Spencer. I think of how sad Tobi has been without her brother around. Elliott’s Mother died from a blow to the head when he was only 4 years old. Roslanna was taking care of him because the Father wasn’t. They both ended up in the orphanage (the Father has since passed away). Roslanna is now married with a baby girl but not able to take care of her little brother. Even if you have not been orphaned, it is very difficult to survive here. His sister would not object, because she knows there is no hope for him here, but how hard it must have been to say Goodbye.

The picture is of Sasha, Nicky’s best friend at the orphanage. He is also 12 years old. He has been in the orphanage since he was 3. He is as sweet as he looks. Please pray for a family for him. May God in His great mercy rescue them all.

Until tomorrow…
We love hearing from everyone and asking the Lord to bless those who are praying so diligently for us.

October 21, 2006
We had a grand time today. We took Nicky out of the orphanage for the first time! We arrived at the orphanage with Victor and the Bruces at 10 AM and met with the orphanage director, Galina. She had us fill out a petition to take the children Saturday and Sunday. The Ukrainians seem to have a thing about these petitions – and they have to be hand written. I would have thought they would have a standard form as each couple that comes to adopt has to complete one. After many instructions we were finally free to take them with us for the day!
We all went shopping at the market. The open-air market is huge but very cramped. There are several hundred individual, small, tented shops (10 ft square) in the market and they sell everything from clothes to building materials. There are a few small buildings in the middle that were heated. Nicky told us he knew the market (when he was on the streets) like the back of his hand . We were on a quest to get him some shoes to wear home. He was VERY particular (not surprising after the whole Leonardo thing) and ended up at the end of the day with a pair of "Puma" tennis shoes for 60 grivna (12 bucks) and absolutely thrilled! He put them on immediately and could not stop grinning from ear to ear!
All of us had lunch together at the hotel café. There were 8 of us in all and it took about 2 hours to complete. No one eats together as the food comes out as it is individually prepared… and there was only one cook!

Testosterone

October 20, 2006 We have a Court Date!

It’s me, Kathie. Praise be to God we will go to court on Friday, October 27th at 4 p.m.
The 10 day waiting period following will be up on November 7th. Elliott’s 16th birthday is November 6th! We did not expect to be able to get the court date until Monday, October 30th, so once again God’s timing is perfect and He has granted us favor!

My prayer request today concerns my husband. He is trying to keep up with the boys and behaving like he was 16 again. So far he has played soccer, basketball, did cartwheels in the orphanage hallways and climbed a rope 20 feet up straight up! I realize we are not yet “Abraham and Sarah” but neither are we TARZAN and Jane!

Yesterday we walked to the orphanage (45 minutes) and played with the boys. Elliott left last night to go to Mariupol (1 hour away) to visit his sister at her request. He went with our facilitator, Olas by cab, as Olas was leaving on the train to Kiev (with our paperwork). I was immediately concerned about this trip. Has he ever done this before? How would he get back to the orphanage, would he know phone numbers to call if he got lost, etc. It is not that we aren’t happy for him to go but the “Mama” thing kicked in! Then I remembered that God knew exactly where he was going and how he would get back and I just needed to pray and TRUST. Will I ever really grasp that concept?

Medicals

October 18, 2006 Yesterday was a great day. I (Dave) went with Olas to get the boys their medical exams. The picture is of the boys as I waited with them at the hospital. We spent the better part of the day going different places for different signoffs. The picture of the little girl was in the morning at the orphanage dispensary after she got a shot. She was crying a little. I wanted to pick her up and comfort her but I didn’t know if that was allowed. After I took her picture, she walked down the hall by herself to another room. It was so sad to see her so alone. As we were leaving a group of three-year-olds was going down the hall to another room. The little boys had shorts on with leggings on under them (it is rather chilly in the orphanage as they haven’t turned the heat on yet). They were all smiling and they were so cute!!! I can see why they say to fill out the paperwork for one more than you think you’re going to get! I’d have a half a dozen by now if it weren’t for the fact that I wouldn’t leave until March!

We found out this morning that our paperwork will not make it to Kiev until Friday, which could delay our court date until Monday (10-30) instead of Friday (10-27). Please pray that the judge will grant us favor to have court on October 27th, as well as the birth certificate issue for Andre….oops, I mean Elliott! By the way, Nick wants to be called “Nicky”, not Nicholas or Nick. Kathie says she doesn’t care what he is called as long as it isn’t Leonardo! By the way, Leonardo isn’t the Decaprio or Devinci Leonardo; it’s the teenage mutant ninja turtle Leonardo!! Just wanted to set the record straight.

We can receive e-mails through our cox accounts. Thanks for your comments and prayers!

Time with the Boys!

We got to see the boys!! We were taken to the orphanage about 2 PM and we met with the orphanage director. We went over the boys files. The director (Galena) started to cry when she opened Andrey's file (she was very happy he was being adopted. She has a real heart for getting the boys adopted. Then they brought the boys in and they were shocked!! I hugged Andrey so hard I thought his head would explode!! Then the boys had to write a document stating that they wanted to be adopted in their own handwriting. They also had to pick a name cause the name had to be in the document. Kolya wanted "Leonardo" but we talked him into "Nick". Andrey liked Elliott so... from now on they are Nicholas David and Elliott Andre Schweickert!! We are so happy we haven't stopped smiling all afternoon!

Tomorrow will be Medicals for the boys.!!

Praise God for the joy we've had today!!!!!

Berdyansk

This morning we went to the Inspector's office with the Bruces. The inspector took the Bruces to the orphanage and said we had to wait till they get back - about 11 AM. Our facilitator went to the orphanage to get some paperwork that needs to be notorized and will meet ua back at the hotel around 10. We should be able to see the boys today!! They still don't know we are here!

Here are a few pictures. The view of Berdyansk is taken from our room on the 11th floor and the Restaurant is in Kiev were we ate supper all three nights (they had an english menu and lots of vegetarian selections!).

Please pray that we find a notory this morning and that we get to see the boys today! God is great!!

In Berdyansk

October 15, 2006 We arrived in Berdyansk at about 10 AM. We can't believe we are so close to the boys! We won't be able to see them until tomorrow because we have to see the Inspector\Social Worker\Lawyer. It's a real taese being this close. We may go check out the orphanage and maybe we'll see them!

We took the train from Kiev to Mariupol and then took a car to Berdyansk. The train was different from any train I rode in the US. The room had two bench seats and two bunks up above. There were rolled up mattresses and pillows and we rented bed linens and towels. The real kicker was the restroom. The toilet dumps right on the track and you are not supposed to use it while stopped at the station. Because the train bounces all over the place, it appears that most folks have a hard time hitting the stool - in other words the floor is always wet and stinks!! You have to hold onto the bars on the window to maintain your balance.

The car to Berdyansk was a real introduction to Ukrainian driving. To pass you get right behind the car in front of you and that person moves to the edge of the road and then you zip around him - if a car or bus is coming in the other direction then they also move to the edge. Then you floor the peddle and see how fast you can go. We road in an old VW rabbit that didn't quite have enough room for our luggage and the facilitator. So we had to pack luggage in the back seat with Kathie and I. It was an intimate ride. If we were gonna die, we were going together for sure!! Speed limit signs are mere suggestions and this guy was going double + the limit. It took less than an hour to go the 62 miles and that included stopping to get directions to the hotel.
The Hotel is fairly nice. We are on the 11th floor and have a stunning view of the sea of Azov. It is a sunny day and the bay that Berdyansk is on is beautiful!. The Bruces are right next door and it is a blessing to have them so close!

We can only praise God that we made it this far and are this close to meeting with the boys!

Going to Berdyansk

We are waiting for the 3 pm train to berdyansk. We will arrive there about 11 am Sunday. We are praying that we can see the boys right away! Normally you have to get permission from an official on a working day. Praise God either way - He has gotten us this far He will complete the good work He has started!

In Kiev

October 11, 2006
We arrived in Kiev on time as well as our luggage! We did not use the VIP service from the airport and yet we zipped in and out of the airport within an hour! After going to the SRC and meet Yuri and the gang we got settled in our apartment, which is fairly nice and spacious but have to agree with the Bruce’s…the elevator was interesting to say the least! We met the Bruce’s for dinner at a Italian restaurant (with an English menu) that met our dietary issues! We went to bed exhausted but amazed at the favor God has given us! Thank you for your prayers!!
October 12, 2006
We had our appointment with the SDA today. The good news is both boys ARE available for adoption now. The bad news is Andre does have a birth certificate from Moldova. We covet your prayers on this issue. A family adopting a girl from Russia found out today that her birth certificate may delay her coming to the states for up to 8 months. In the meantime she has already been adopted but unable to go home with her new parents until this birth certificate matter is taken care of. The Mother is coming back to the states tomorrow without her. We do not know if Moldova will have the same issue as Russia, but covet your prayers on this matter. We are praying there are NO hindrances and delays because of Andre’s birth certificate. Please join with us in prayer. Tomorrow we take the overnight train and hopefully will get to see the boys on Sunday afternoon!.
We had our cell phone activated. Our number here is 8 (095) 849-91-70. There is no charge to us for incoming calls. Please be mindful of the time change (7 hours) – call between 2 am and 2 PM your time!

In Vienna

Here we are in Vienna! Seems like we flew all night but it was just 8 hours! It is 3 am in Virginia and 9 am here! The flight was great - good food, great service, lotsa movies and not much sleep. It is easy navigating the airport as all the signs are in English. Feels like we are home! One more flight at 10:30 and we will be in Kiev. Can't wait! Please pray for sleep for both of us - I feel like we will crash hard and soon!

On the road Tomorrow!

We spent the weekend packing our suitcases. We still aren't finished but we have a very good start at it! What to take? That is the real question. We have food, clothes for the boys and some games that will help them with their English. Also, lots of books to read in our spare time. We hope to be able to spend time in Berdyansk with Gary and Beverly Bruce who left on Saturday. It is a special blessing to have someone we know there to share with. The Timmers let us borrow the cell phone they had purchased in Ukraine last year. When I get the simm card and know the phone number I will post it. Incoming calls are free for us!

Our church prayed for us at Sunday Services and we were really blessed by it.

We leave from Richmond at 2:30 PM Tuesday - Please pray for traveling mercies!! I understand that getting through customs is going to be a two hour ordeal!!

Continuing Preparations

We are packing and planning! Thank God we know people that have been through this already! We bought a 29" Samsonite hardshell suitcase only to find out it won't fit into the taxis in Ukraine! We are returning that and borrowing some large duffles to take.

Food is also a concern. We have been told not to eat fresh vegetables while we are in Kiev because of the Chernoybl contamination. Kathie is a vegan and the only meat I eat is fish. We are taking energy bars and some freeze dried meals. I don't think we will starve!

We will be flying from from Richmond to dulles to Vienna to Kiev.

The unknown schedule of events is driving me nuts! Kathie keeps telling me that God has answered all of our prayers up to this point, there is no reason to believe that he won't continue to bless us as we travel. His timing for all the events to this point as been perfect! We were able to focus on the wedding without being bothered with the adoption and as soon as the wedding was over we received our appointment! I was concerned about the amount of time I needed to be off work and my supervisor and managers have been very supportive. I just need to calm down and know that God is in charge (Psalm 46:10, Be still, and know that I am God)

We Received An Appointment

Kathie and I have been waiting since the end of March 2006 to receive an appointment from the Adoption Agency in Ukraine to start the adoption process. We have prayed for this opportunity every day! On September 19th, 2006, God answered our prayers and we were given an October 12 date. We will be setting out to adopt Kolya (age 12) and Andrey (age 15) on October 10th. We made our flight arrangements today and will be very busy for the next three weeks getting ready to go. Keep us in your prayers! Please pray specifically that we will be given an early court date and that the judge gives us favor.