Chernigivka and a NEW NAME!

April 29, 2011

We have spent all day with Vika and some of her friends – especially Natasha.  Thomas is in heaven and getting all of the attention a 4 year old can take.  We have eaten like kings (yes, in an orphanage!) and have really had a good day.  They haven’t sent Vika to classes (really at this point it is immaterial) so she has played games with all of us and her and her friends have played ball today a lot today.  I will post some pictures from our day today when (and if) the internet will speed up!

Paperwork:  We received the paperwork from the Director of the orphanage today.  He was beyond helpful in getting it completed quickly.  Sergey took Vika’s brother’s letter to the inspector today.  She faxed it to the inspector in the region where he and Vika were born.  Now we are waiting on the Mayor and a committee in that region to issue final approval (probably Tuesday), then we get to drive there next Wednesday and pick it up (yippee…more driving…more on this in the driving/roads section!).  After that, the file is put on the train (they pay the conductors to carry letters/mail addressed to a specific individual for a specific stop and it gets hand delivered the next morning) back to Kiev where SDA has to issue final approval.  In the meantime Sergey will get the court petition typed and start begging for a court date (seriously… he is begging!).  At this point, the earliest date we can hope for is 5/10.  This would be PERFECT because our tickets are issued home for the 11^th.  PRAY FOR THIS TO WORK OUT PLEASE!!!  When all is said we will have a 2-3 day delay due to the issue of her brother being required to sign and we have 3 holidays (5/2, 5/3, 5/9) between our arrival and court.  Yuck for delays!  I will say this…no one could be working harder for us than Sergey and he is also a delight and a class act!

Driving/Roads:  OK, they are NOT for the faint of heart.  I will tell you about the roads on the routes we have experienced.  So for recap, we flew into Kiev then took a regional airline to Zap.  From there we drove to Chernigivka.  The roads in Kiev are fine…you won’t do a lot of driving there anyway.  They are crowded and you will think you about to hit another car when you are squeezing through somewhere with another oncoming car, but the drivers there are better than NY cabbies.  Just close your eyes in the tight spots and you will be fine!  Now if you have Sergey and have a distance to drive with him, hang on!  He is a fantastic driver, but once he gets out of Zap to another area with open road he moves…up to 160km/hr (especially when passing…again, close your eyes).  The biggest issue for us was is close to Chernigivka.  About an hour outside of the village the roads are awful.  There is more pothole than road most of the time causing the car to swerve and weave (you are still going at fairly high speed).  Thomas is prone to carsickness.  He was asleep on the way to and out of Chernigivka yesterday so it was no problem.  Today he was not and he didn’t feel good at all for that portion of the drive.  But we made it!  Dramamine for him next time!!  All I can say is trust your driver, sit back, and relax!

Chernigivka:  is SMALL!  When we arrived yesterday some of the kids from the orphanage were out on the main street sweeping the streets and sidewalks for a couple of hours.  Some went out today as well for this.  It was a strange sight, I will say.  It really is a village…I believe you can walk the entire area.  It is warm here…between 21-27C (much like Kiev, maybe a tad warmer) and it is VERY windy here.  We are told this time of year it always is.  Pants and a light sweater are comfortable right now.  If it wasn’t windy short sleeves would be better.  The buildings are mostly block and, truly, none are in good repair.  I am going to say a little about the orphanage, but I want you to understand a frame of reference…it is as nice as other buildings we have seen or been in here…it is just that mostly everything we have seen is dirty (a huge hose wash-down is needed EVERYWHERE!) and fairly dilapidated.  Most places don’t look like they have ever been cleaned.  So when I say that I was a little surprised at the condition of the orphanage it is not meant to be negative towards the orphanage…most buildings are the same way.  So the standard here at Chernigivka appears to be as it is elsewhere.  I will tell you that the children have excellent caregivers and teachers here.  We have met most of them by now and most importantly the children seem as happy as I could imagine them to be in their situation.  I will also tell you (after eating 3 meals here now) that the food is GOOD!  As a matter of fact I am coming home with a few recipes (Vika may never want to eat these foods again, but Jason and I will!).  I can’t say enough about how well we are being treated.  Sergey laughed today that being the ‘guinea pigs’ for adoption at Chernigivka obviously has its bonuses – the obvious, being treated like royalty!  I don’t know if they will always go the lengths they have with us, but we have been humbled and blessed with amazing hospitality.  After spending time with Alex (Director) I cannot imagine him treating any family any other way!

WE HAVE A NAME!

We talked to Vika on the phone a couple of times about the opportunity she would have to select a new middle name.  For those of you not familiar with the culture here, it is customary that she would have her father’s name as her middle name. Once adopted the children typically like to keep their first names (though some change to American spellings), choose a new middle name, and take the new family name.  So for Vika this meant Viktoriya XXXXX Hair.  She asked us to come with 10 names from which she could choose.  I don’t know how many names we ended up giving her to choose from but she did not deviate from wanting the middle name Elizabeth.  So Elizabeth it is!  Viktoriya Elizabeth Hair…the newest (and last!) member of our family!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have certainly had some pain so far and we have had to do some things we wish we had never had to do.  But the blessings and lessons we have already learned out-weigh all of it.  I have seen the pain first hand that so many children face when they are left alone.  It will literally rip your heart out to watch.  It doesn’t matter if it is here in Ukraine or in Jasper, GA.  Children who are left alone are hurting.  They deal with things that I have not even had to deal with and it isn’t right or fair.  More families are needed to help these children and to give them hope.  I pray that more families are touched to reach out and help…that doesn’t mean that everyone can or should adopt…but you can help support another family (in so many ways) who is! 

Adoption is not for the faint of heart.  We learned that the first time around!  Both were/are hard for different reasons.  In Ukraine I have already gained more compassion for the plight of older children left without moms.  For those of you waiting to come to Chernigivka - please take heart, though, that the children are ok.  They will be HAPPIER when you are here, but they are OK now.  Do expect surprises when you come – they may be good or they be challenging.  I just pray that you have wonderful friends like we have had to remind us of the joy and benefits that can come from them if you allow it (thank you, Nanette and Melaney!).  Also if you have the chance to stay in the orphanage I would encourage you to overlook the structure, dirt, beds, etc and do it!  Before we even left home Melaney prayed that we would have this opportunity.  I didn’t think much about it at the time but when I called to tell her we were getting to stay her she said how great it was going to be to understand Vika’s world - the smells, sounds, noises, food, and everything that has been hers for the last four years.  She was right.  It will help me help her now that I understand her environment a little bit better.  (Thank you, Melaney…you are going to make the best mom!)

We have a restful, lazy weekend ahead of us.  We will play outside with the kids most of the day tomorrow.  Please pray that next week paperwork is processed expeditiously and pray for favor with the Judge.  We are also praying for all of you!!!

Jason, Alison, Thomas, and Vika Elizabeth