Air Travel Depart St. Louis: Monday, March 15, 2004 12:40pm (United/Lufthansa from St. Louis to Washington, DC to Frankfurt, Germany to Kiev Borispol, Ukraine) Arrive in Ukraine: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 1:10pm There is an 8 hour time difference between St. Louis and Ukraine Length of Stay Julie and Kevin plan to stay in Ukraine for two to three weeks. Ukraine's law states that you must stay 30 days after accepting your child, although some regions have been known to waive this requirement and they are hopeful that this will be the case. If not, they will likely return home and travel back from the court date after waiting for 30 days. Luggage Kevin and Julie will be traveling light, knowing that they will have to personally haul all of their luggage on planes, trains, and automobiles while eventually also juggling two children! Their plan is to take two rolling duffle bags and two backpacks. Ukraine Travel Julie and Kevin will begin their journey in Kiev at the National Adoption Center and will then travel to the city/region in which their prospective children reside. They will not know ahead of time to which cities or regions they will be traveling as they will receive the referral upon arriving at the Adoption Center. Accomodations Julie and Kevin will be staying with host families during most of their trip. While in Warsaw, they will be staying in a hotel. Adoption Plans Kevin and Julie hope to adopt two children, and are approved for three in the age range of 0 to 6 years old. Their preference is for a girl and a boy (siblings if available), followed by two boys or two girls. Adoption Process Julie and Kevin are adopting independently, using a facilitator from Florida (Cathy Harris.) She has assisted in the adoption of over 1,000 children from Ukraine. |
Details of Kevin & Julie's First Trip to Ukraine March 15-April 7, 2004 |
Julie & Kevin's Adoption Adventure! |
March 15th - The Adventure Begins The day finally arrives. Packing took longer than we expected (of course, typical for us). Not much sleep had by either of us, nervous, too many thoughts in our heads. We amazingly don't feel more tired than we should be. Peggy and Jorden Vesper graciously shuttled us to the College Metro stop. They arrived promptly at 8:15 so that we could catch the 8:37 train. A very quick goodbye and we are on our way. Time to regroup. After going through our lists "did you remember to bring this" "did we forget that?", it was time for a little silence and reflection. The support we have had from family, friends, and strangers has been amazing. Some of the things that have gone through our heads: do we really want to step outside our comfortable lives for a life of snotty-nosed kids, rebellious teens, orthodontist bills, and college tuition? Every one of the people we have discussed this with have always said it is worth it - they best be right! We arrived in plenty of time for our 12:40 flight. We had a chance to have a bagel and visit with Julie's brother Tim who works for Northwest Airlines. The last goodbye was said.....it is just God and us now. Scary but comforting. Our fifty-seat commuter flight from St Louis to Washington, DC is a full load. Not a bad flight, but the seating on the plane is tight and the seats could use more padding. Our plane from Washington to Frankfurt is BIG. The seating is ten across, 3 on the sides and 4 in the middle. Julie's seatmate was a man originally from Nigeria, now living in North Carolina. A proud American, who reminded us how fortunate we are as Americans. We sometimes take our freedoms for granted. We did think, however, it was strange that he napped with his blanket over his head. Not so unusual except it was not nighttime yet! Kevin's seatmate was an obsessive-compulsive that kept rearranging his briefcase and wallet. He also snorted throughout the flight. March 16 - We have arrived! Arrived safely. Our flights were good. We were very impressed with Luthansa Airlines. Good service, food, and complimentary drinks throughout the flight. Arriving on time in Kiev, we were met by Oleg, who whisked us through Customs in approximately five minutes. Felt a little guilty going ahead of everyone, but we hired this service. Once outside, we are met by Lena our interpreter and Kostya the man who does all of our paperwork. We are driven to our apartment. The drivers are very aggressive - they compare themselves to New Yorkers. As we were told before - no seatbelts for this interesting drive. A nice VW though! It is impossible not to notice how different things are here. There are no homes, just apartment buildings, many of which are very old and look rundown. The apartment where we are staying, though, is very nice. Olga is a nice babushka (grandma) who has assisted many families before us and is very gracious. She moved out so we could move in. It is very clean, hope to eventually send pictures. Everyone has left. Lena and Kostya will return later to show us the neighborhood: internet cafe, grocery store, restaurants, all we need to know. Both of us crash until then, we are still sleep deprived. A new feeling for Julie, a familiar one for Kevin. The apartment has a beautiful view of downtown Kiev. It looks across the Dnipro River and has a parklike area with playgrounds. It looks like many families use this area. We had dinner with our new friends - PIZZA! You travel half way around the world and have a chance to eat something familiar - unbelievable! Ordered two pizzas, a salad, and Coke in bottles, all for only approximately 51 Hryvnias which is about 10 U.S. dollars...not bad. Certainly less than Pizza Hut. We had leftovers and had to purchase a carryout box, however, that includes gift wrapping! It came to our table with a ribbon and bow around the box. I guess presentation is important here. Tomorrow Lena will take us sightseeing for the day. We look forward to learning more about this country and its' culture and history. It should be a good day. March 17 - Update We both slept well last night. The bathroom has no sink and the only sink is in the kitchen and it has no mirror. Other than that we manage well. The toilet is really a watercloset, a toilet in a room no bigger than a closet. Lena arrives on time, the taxi is waiting, so off we go! There is much traffic, very little yielding to other drivers. Each man for himself and may the best man win. Fortunately as pedestrians we are reassured that if we are hit and killed the driver gets put away for a long time. Kevin feels better knowing that. There are many churches here, most of them with historical significance. The first we visited was St. Sophia's Cathedral, built in the 11th century. Gold top domes reflect from miles around. Exteriors of buildings in historic Kiev-Rus are painted in many colors. Many of the areas surround monuments and statues. Sometimes the same driving hazard as going around the Belleville square. This is such a culturally rich area. There are libraries, museums, symphonies, and shopping with name brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Hallmark (Danna would be right at home!). We have also seen 4 or 5 McDonald's but haven't eaten there. Speaking of food, we have had good experiences. Of course, this is with the help of Lena translating for us. The most unusual thing so far is - salad. Salad here has no lettuce. They consist of diced vegetables, cheese, and drizzled with either olive oil or with mayonaise. Very fresh and tasty. We visited the supermarket this evening on our own and managed well. Our purchase was 4 bottles of water, a box of aseptic juice, a roll of toilet paper, plus the bag to carry it home in. The grand total was about 1.50 US dollars. Not bad. Both of us are feeling more comfortable being out. Tomorrow is our appointment at the National Adoption Centre, just thinking about it makes us nervous. We wonder what they will think of us. We know God's hand is on us and that He will guide us to our children. Thanks for all the messages, thoughts, wishes and prayers. They encourage us, make us smile and connect us to home. March 21: Phone Call from Kevin! The following information was gleaned from a surprise phone call from Kevin, received early Sunday morning: It's a girl.....and a boy!!!!!!!! Kevin and Julie are to be the proud parents of "Sasha": a two-year old girl (she will turn three on April 2nd) and her ten year-old brother, "Dema." (Kevin and Julie indicated that they will likely be changing the kids' names.) Sasha and Dema have been living at an small orphanage (only 20 children) one hour outside Kiev for the past year and only became available for adoption this past March 4th. Julie and Kevin met them for the first time on Friday afternoon and spent several hours with them yesterday and are spending this evening with them as well. Kevin said the kids are already calling he and Julie "papa" and "mama" and they run up to them and hug and cling to them. Kevin said that Sasha and Dema are healthy and have no developmental delays. Kevin called Sasha a tiny "little doll" with dark hair and bright blue eyes. He described Dema as a quiet, spirited, polite boy who loves to read (the other children in the orphanage love to sit around and listen to him read) and is extremely bright. Dema already knows a little English and wants to be a doctor when he grows up and he is excited and ready to go to the United States . He is extremely protective of his little sister. Kevin and Julie are staying in a new hotel and the weather is "spring like" in the 40s and 50s (despite the fact that they took winter clothes!) Kevin said they will not return home for at least another week. They have to wait for all of the paperwork to be processed and the kids will need another check by a doctor before they are released. Kevin sounded ecstatic and said that everything has fallen into place and it is more wonderful than they could have imagined! Kevin does not expect that they will be in contact for several days, but is eager to share more details via e-mail when he has access to a computer. March 24: Brief Phone Call from Kevin! Kevin and Julie didn't have much of an update, but are just waiting for their court date. Kevin said that "things move very slowly." The best thing about the waiting, however, is that they are getting to visit and play with the kids every day. Julie and Kevin expect to be back in Kiev in the next day or two and will share more details then. March 27 : E-Mail Update Posted from Julie & Kevin Everything is going well for us. The children are wonderful, not only ours but all of them. We arrive at 4pm everyday and play and eat dinner with the children. We then play and teach the children English as best as we can. Some of them actually know more Spanish than English. Dima asked his English teacher to tutor him after class so that he can learn his English better before he arrives home. He still wants to be a doctor. Sasha is full of energy, giggles and smiles often. She is very tiny for her age, but does not let the bigger kids push her around. We wish we could send pictures but they lock the access ports. Dima likes to use the digital camera. Kevin showed him how to use it once and now it is difficult to get it back out of his hands. The children love to have their pictures taken. The orphanage is clean and brightly colored. Each child has chores to do. Since we have arrived, the trees in the orchard have been trimmed, the playground area has been raked, they take turns helping with serving and cleaning up after dinner, and the older children seem to always look out for the younger ones. Everyday we bring treats for the children and special treats for Dima and Sasha. The children love it and ask for more, especially sweet treats. We try to balance this with fruit but it is hard for us to access fruit everyday. The village where the orphanage is located is not large. Some of them have horse drawn carts. The homes are small and have fenced yards to contain the chickens. There are wells for water at many homes. We don't know if this is for the plants in the yard or for the homes too. The orphanage has hot and cold running water and good toilet facilities. We are staying in a new motel on the highway. The facility is next to a gas station, has a wonderful restaurant underneath it and a type of quick mart where we can buy bottled water and treats. Kevin applied for a frequent user discount card. We get 10 percent off the restaurant and motel and acquire points for prizes when we purchase items at the gas station. After 1000 points we get a scale, 2000 points is a TV. We are not sure how that will fit into our luggage, don't plan to stay that long anyway. The food in the restaurant is like a four star restaurant at home. Again, presentation is so important and the food is incredible! We are waiting to see when our court date will be. The local courts have merged and we don't know how it will affect our court date. Hopefully this will not cause any further delays. So far things have been going smoothly. Keep us in your prayers for things to continue in this way. The children will receive their American names at the court date. We had to have American names ready on Sunday so paperwork could be filed on Monday. We chose Lena Grace for Sasha because Kevin's grandmother was named Magdalena but was know as Lena by her friends. Also, because our interpreter's name is Lena and she was sent to us by God. Her middle name is because Sasha was sent to us by the Grace of God. Dima was more difficult but after much discernment and loss of sleep we decided on Ryan Matthew. It seems to fit him well. We don't know when our next update will be. The village does not have access to the internet. We had to travel to the next village to do this today. Hope it won't be too long. We appreciate everyones messages and prayers and can't wait to see everyone again and to introduce our children. April 1st April 1st is the long-awaited court date for Julie, Kevin, Ryan, and Lena. They will find out from the court when the kids will be allowed to leave Ukraine for the United States! April 2nd In a brief phone message today, Kevin reported that -- at 11:07am yesterday, April 1st -- he and Julie officially became the proud parents of Ryan Matthew and Lena Grace. Kevin said that everything is going well, but they still do not know when they will return home. It does appear likely that the children will not be released to come to the United States for 30 days, meaning that Julie and Kevin will most probably return home without the kids and will travel back to Ukraine in 30 days to bring the children home. April 3rd Julie and Kevin will be finalizing the adoption paperwork tomorrow and will then be making travel arrangements to return home later this week. Unfortunately, Ryan and Lena will not be released until after May 1st, so Kevin and Julie will return to Ukraine after May 1st to bring the kids home. April 6 We are losing track of what day it is here! Finally, we are back in Kiev and will be home soon. It was extremely hard to leave the children at the orphanage, but they will be well taken care of. Time will go by fast and before we know it we will be flying back as a family. Ryan is very anxious to come to America! We sorely missed having computer access in the village. In hindsight, Kevin wishes he had brought a laptop. The messages that everyone has left have been wonderfully uplifting and we are very touched by everyones care and concern. This trip has changed the way we see the world outside our own backyard. I think we see the big picture better now. Still, if we had ruby slippers to get us home faster, that would be great! As soon as we return, we will indeed post the pictures we have taken. Ryan loves the digital camera and has taken many of the pictures. The children are such hams. If the camera was out, they would run to form a group picture and then mob the camera to see the result. Many of the caretakers have asked if we know any single American men. If any of you are interested, let us know. From what we could understand in Ukrainian, they are good cooks and keep up the house well. Keith - Nina, the director, is interested in you from the picture we had brought along! We look forward to being home. There are sooo many more stories to tell that we just don't have enough time to log today before we leave. When we do get home, we will finish our story. Thank you all for the continued support - SEE YOU SOON! (Kevin and Julie will return home Wednesday evening on United FLT 8005 arriving in St Louis at 7:38pm! ). April 7 Julie and Kevin are home! Recovering from a little travel lag, but overall in good shape. Below are their most recent updates: April 6 - Warsaw We are in heaven! OK, it just seems like it. Our flight does not leave until the morning. We are staying at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel right across the street from the airport. You are able to walk there with the luggage. Kevin is thrilled with the king size bed, Julie is ecstatic with the toilet that actually has a seat! The flight leaves at 0940 and we think sleep will come easily tonight. April 7 - America We are thankful to be back on American soil! Our trip has truly been blessed! When the officer in Washington checking our passports said, "Welcome Home", it felt really good. We couldn't have made this trip without all the help and prayers of everyone - it does make a difference! Ryan and Lena were OK with us having to leave and return later, although they were disappointed. We are OK with it too. They are in good hands. The time will pass quickly and we have many things we will be able to finish prior to their arrival. Flights were again good. We have picked out the perfect seats for the return flight. Being on a flight for that many hours gives you opportunities to do these kinds of things. It's amazing all the mental notes one can make. We took up monitoring how families with children travel, what to take along for distractions, which children (age wise) slept, which did not, etc. etc. etc. If you have a suggestion be sure to let us know. As soon as we know when we will return for the children, we will update again. |
