Saturday night...

You know you are bored (and maybe losing it!) when the highlight of your day is that your husband downloaded the pilot and other episodes of Miami Vice and The Incredible Hulk! 

OK, so today is a slow news day so Jason is weighing in a little bit.  I am censoring his comments at this point!!!

• He says if he ever eats a potato again, it will be a miracle!  Trust me, I am thankful to have food but,  as an example, lunch was potato soup, mashed potatoes, and potato bread.  Overdose on the potatoes!  The other thing that is so incredibly bizarre is the pickled fish served with porridge of some kind for breakfast (that is pretty much every morning).  Sergey loves it...so he always get the entire plate of fish!! 
• Jason is also fascinated with the fashion here...he says it is a throwback to the 80s, and he is right!  You would have to be here to understand, but no wonder I receive so many stares...I look like I stepped out of a camping magazine and everyone here is dressed to the nines...spiked heels, mini skirts, Members Only jackets, etc...
• This country LOVES their stamps!  Anything official you receive, whether it is a hotel receipt or adoption papers, has a stamp.  Apparently it is serious business and Sergey said getting one is a huge process.  We likened it to a notary in the states but after hearing the process this is much more extreme.  Well, as a matter of fact, the attorney we met on the little, old plane from Kiev to Zap gave Jason his business card.  But before he did he pulled out an official stamp and stamped it on the back?!?!  At the time we found it bizarre.  Now we know just that is SOP (standard operating procedure in Ukraine!).

On a more serious note, we did get to spend the day with Vika which was really nice.  We have to invent games to play so we created a court for handball/foursquare in the dirt.  We had a good time and Thomas became the ball runner (great for us older folk!).  The kids were also all out today which was good.  We noticed with more freedom today that a good number of them Vika's age and older smoke.  I assume the orphanage doesn't think they can control it because the kids really don't seem to worry about being caught.  I know it's probably not a lot different than some schools at home but I am just not used to seeing 13 and 14 years old smoking.  It is sad. 

I have also figured out the main thing that really bothers me about the lives these children live.  Yes, the food gets old and the building could be better.  They could have nicer clothes and shoes.  But I was looking around the last few days and really started thinking about the fact that everything for these children is on such a schedule (I know it has to be with 168 kids).  The sad thing to me was that our kids at home always have something to look forward to...an event at church; a party or fieldtrip at school; a family event; a friend to come over; a trip to the zoo or somewhere else; dinner out, etc.  These children don't have that.  They don't have that hope and that 'thing' to be excited about.  That is one of the most heartbreaking things to me.  If they decide early on to accept what they have been dealt I worry that they will never break free of this life chosen for them.  I worry that they won't become the person God knows they can be.  That is what has been weighing on me the last few days...and this is why more families are needed.  There is a reason these kids think I walk on water when I go sit on the playground with them for an hour.  It is because I HUG them and look at them in the eyes and I talk to them and they are important and I care...even though I can't understand anything they say!  I wish I could take everyone of them home.  If any of you met them you would understand.  They are all so special. 

There are still 55 Ukrainian children who have not been selected for hosting this summer through NHFC.  The dates for hosting are June 28th-August 4th.  Many of the children still available are here in Chernigivka.  I have met them all.  If you or anyone you know can open their home to a child for 4 weeks this summer I promise you that you will be blessed.  You do not have to adopt...that is an option but not a requirement, and many families do not.  It is an opportunity to give them that 'thing' to look forward to and to show them something they have never seen...a loving, functional, Christian family.  That alone can work wonders in the lives and destinies of these children!!!

I want to wish all of the AMAZING moms reading this Happy Mother's Day!!  You are each such a blessing!  Despite our immense desire to be home I can't think of a better place to be tomorrow...here with Thomas and Vika.  Mother's Day will be extra special for me this year because we will be together in little 'ole Chernigivka!!!