Coming Home

The trip home was very bittersweet...on one hand we were excited about sleeping in our own bed with soft sheets and fluffy pillows.  We were looking forward to brushing our teeth using tap water rather then bottled water. We were excited about all of the luxuries we take advantage of every day... but mostly, we were excited to see our little princesses. 

On the other hand - we couldn't believe we were coming home without Marina...without even being able to spend any time in the Ukraine with who we considered to be our oldest daughter (we saw her for a total of 45 minutes during the Orphanage visit.)  Pregnancy was difficult for me when I carried both Marbella and Milana because I had to give myself shots in the stomach every day for the entire 9 months.  And like many other women, my 1st trimester was horrible.  But as difficult as my pregnancies were, it was worth every second.  When we came home from the hospital we had a bundle of joy with us... a gift from God.  We liken this trip to a pregnancy - we knew it was going to be hard to be away from our girls and the comforts of our home for so long... but so worth it when we got to bring Marina home.  We dreamed about the moment we would all be at the airport to welcome Marina home as Marina Grace Green.  But it didn't happen... we didn't get the baby at the end of the road.  And will most likely not completely understand why this side of Heaven.

Coming home also meant sharing the disappointing news with the little ones... and praying that they didn't feel any rejection... that the evil one couldn't even throw a seed of rejection at them.  We arrived home Sunday afternoon while Grammy, Grandpa, and the girls were scheduled to arrive Monday morning.  We decided not to tell the girls over the phone but rather pick them up from the airport and tell them in person.  We believed this was the best way to protect them from feeling rejected.  So, we were waiting for them as they walked out to baggage claim.  They were not excited to see us but rather in shock... and interestingly enough they automatically knew that something must be wrong.  It is amazing how logical and intuitive little ones can be.  In fact, Marbella didn't see us at first, and then when she did she smiled, stopped and asked us what we were doing there and where was Marina.  We took the girls in our arms and walked to some empty seats to let them know that Marina had to make a very difficult decision - one that was so hard for her to make because she loved them (the girls) so much.  That she decided to stay in her country where she knew the language, the culture, and her friends.  We talked about how we have discussed in life to "choose our steps wisely" and this may or may not have been a wise step for Marina but it was her step to take.  That we would pray for our sweet Marina every day and ask God to protect her.  The tears came immediately.  Marbella said she was so sad - I told her I too was sad.  Then she said she was so mad - I told her that I too was mad.  We continued to talk things over and then moved on to talk about their trip to Disney World.  Marbella has brought up Marina and her decision several times since coming home, so we need to continue to pray for peace and understanding that is free from rejection. 

We have since learned that Marina can change her mind... she has until May to do that.  With that being said, we have decided to put the money we have left over that we raised into a specific account and let it sit there until May.  As we have asked God to give us direction for that money, we keep hearing Him say wait so that is what we will do.  If Marina doesn't change her mind, we will ask God where that money should go - possibly to another family who is raising money for their adoption... perhaps it should go to a transitional home in the Ukraine for the lucky ones who have one in their region that helps teach them skills on how to live on their own (skills they did not learn in the orphanage)... perhaps it will go to starting one in Marina's region.  We will listen to what God says and will follow that - and will definitely keep you posted.

Andy and I have started making a list of all the ways we have seen God's hand in what has happened over the past couple weeks.  Our next post will be to share that with you.  We have also gotten a bunch of emails where others have been inspired by what has been happening in our lives.  We would love to hear how God has spoken to you too.  We won't share it with everyone but would like to record it in our journal. 

Thank you all for your continued prayers!
Love you all more than you know!
Karin and Andy

Day 6.1 - What Happened?

I (Karin) am typing this blog post but Andy and I are sitting here at the airport in Kiev putting our thoughts and perspectives down on this post together. 
As we started our journey yesterday there were so many instances where we commented "this will make a good blog post"... from God being in the smallest details to having to use the potty in a hole in the ground.  However, neither of us imagined that we would have to put those things on hold in order to write this post.  

As we posted last night on Facebook, Marina has made the hard and life changing decision to NOT be adopted.  Now that you know the bottom line, we would like to share the story.  In the story, please recognize the many prayer needs along the way... for specific people as well as future events.  We also share these details in hopes that you will have a full understanding of what took place - and so that we don't have to recount and relive the details over and over when we get home.  I am sure that you all can understand that.

Thursday evening (usa time) we spoke with Marbella.  She asked if we had seen Marina yet and when we told her no, she asked if we could Skype with her as soon as we do because she is excited to see her.  It warmed our hearts once again that our little ones have welcomed Marina into their hearts without expecting anything in return.  As can be expected (and had been the situation all week) we didn't sleep very well. Too excited about the big day that was about to happen.  We packed up, got ready, and met our driver at 4:00 AM to start the 6 hour car ride.  The roads in Ukraine are terrible - It feels like you are driving down a dirt road yet they were paved - coupled by the fact that we were driving 160 km/hr (100 MPH).  As we got further and further out of Kiev the reality of the poverty and the huge separation between classes became real.  We learned that there are actually 2 classes of people - rich and poor - there is no middle class. And that became very obvious.

At 8:30 AM we arrived in Kirovohrad to pick up Nina, our local facilitator.  What an absolute gem!!!  We continued our drive to Oleksandriya (passing Pantaivka - Marina's orphanage - and feeling more and more excited that we were so close) to pick up an official from the CPS that would observe and certify Marina's declaration of wanting to be adopted.  That took some time as he was busy and he had absolutely no desire to make this happen.  However, Nina was persistent and he had no hope when God runs the show.  So, the 5 of us packed into the car and drove to the orphanage arriving at 1:00 PM. 

On our way, Nina described this orphanage as one of the worst around.  She also described the people of Ukraine being very sad.  That the harder they work, nothing changes.  As we walked into the orphanage we felt the weight of her comments.  We passed 3 little girls probably close to Marbella's age and felt an overwhelming weight of the hopelessness that awaits them.  At that moment, we could have taken all of them home with us but that of course was unrealistic.  We made it to the Orphanage Director's office and waited for them to get Marina out of class.  We were so anxious... so excited... and didn't really know what to do with ourselves.  Nobody in that small room other then Nina and us spoke English.  After a couple minutes Marina walked into the door.

She smiled at us... almost in disbelief that we were actually there.  To back up for just a moment - we messaged with her on Wednesday via Contact (Russian FB - yes, Andy set up a profile for himself on Russian Facebook so that he could communicate with her, his daughter).  Andy told her that we were in Kiev and that we had our appointment with the SDA and would be going to her Orphanage very soon.  She responded with "ok.  I am so happy now".  Yes, this was 2 days earlier - which makes this all so difficult to understand!!!  So, she walks in and Andy and I get up and go to her to hug her.  We could tell she was still in shock.  At the same time, emotions flooded us.  It was so wonderful to see her... to be with her...to touch her.  Any hesitations - questions - doubts - were gone.  As those of who are a daily part of our lives know, the summer with Marina had some amazingly wonderful moments and some incredibly challenging moments.  But all along the way God continued to make it crystal clear over and over again in His Word that we were to continue this journey, welcome Marina into our home, and help her to see Him and feel His healing.  And once again at that very moment, we knew we were exactly where He wanted us, doing exactly what He called us to do.  However, what we didn't know what how the next 30 minutes would unfold.  After we all hugged each other - one big family hug like we used to do right before bed while Andy prayed over us - I cupped her face in my hands and said "Marina, you are so beautiful... you are so bella."  She smiled shyly as we have seen her do so many times. 

The Director asked us all to sit down - Marina was next to Andy on one side of the table and Nina and I were on the other side of the small table.  She said something to Nina and Nina told us that Marina was in shock that we were actually there.  Immediately Andy pulled out his phone and played her a video message that we recorded the day we left Miami (Marina's actual birthday) - it was a video of Marbella, Milana, and her 2 cousins that she hasn't met yet, Drew and Evan, all singing her Happy Birthday.  As she watched the video her eyes welled up in tears and then she pushed the phone away... and started to turn away from Andy - body language we saw many times over the summer when she started to shut down.  We knew immediately that something was wrong.  Nina started talking to her in Ukraine and Marina kept saying "no".  By Nina's tone and the look on her face we knew exactly what was going on.  Nina told us that Marina was having doubts about being adopted.  She said that Marina was comfortable where she was with her friends, she called it her "comfort-zone." Nina continued to tell Marina that this is her last chance for adoption - her last chance for a life - her last chance to have the love of a family.  Marina said that she has her teachers there who care for her.  Nina told her that she graduates from the Orphanage in May and that her teachers will no longer have anything to do with her.  Marina said she has her friends and that she is comfortable...that she doesn't want the rules in a family or have to attend a Christian school.  The CPS official and the Orphanage Director both tried to explain to her what waits for her if she says no.  They are not legally allowed to push or persuade a child to say yes but rather they were laying out the dismal life should could expect if she said no to this adoption.  We sat in the room for about 30 minutes observing this dialog.

At one point I reached across the table and grabbed her hand and squeezed it 3x. She learned over the summer that this is how we (our family) communicate "I love you" to each other without speaking any words.  As I did that I asked her if she remembered what that meant - she smiled, said yes, and then took her hand back and continued to fidget with her fingernails - another thing we saw her do when she was uncomfortable.  The Director asked her to make her own decision and not let her friends decide for her.  She was being influenced by her friends in the Orphanage.  Nina then told Marina that she speaks English and she needs to be the one to tell us... but she just couldn't say it.  They needed her to take responsibility for this decision so that it was on record.  There is power in the spoken word. When she was with us this summer, we asked her if she wanted to be adopted by us.  She would nod and I would ask her to say it... say you want to be our daughter... say you want to be a part of our family... feel those words and what they mean - take ownership.  And she did... but those words couldn't come out this time. 

We know this decision was hard for her - we could see it through the tears when she watched the video with Milana and Marbella - but she couldn't do it.  She couldn't let her friends down - she couldn't see beyond the difficulties of having rules and learning how to love and be loved.  She could only see the here and now.  She could only see the path she wanted to go down, today. A path that doesn't consider her future but stays constant with the friends she has right now. What she doesn't understand is that path doesn't exist. 

Our heart began to ache - not for simply our loss or even for having to tell the girls, but for what the decision would mean for her life.  I then asked her if she was having a hard time saying the words to us because she wasn't sure or was it because she didn't want to hurt our feelings?  In our minds we were thinking that we could spend the weekend together and then she could make her decision. Based on how hard it was for her to say it to us, she knew that if she spent time with us then she might change her mind.  That wasn't an option for her. 

Nina was getting very upset with her being so short minded and not looking at the future that she asked if we could adopt her instead.  This was an attempt to lighten the mood but I honestly believe if she had been younger and we could legally adopt her that she would have come home with us.  See, Nina lives in the real life and understands how hard it is to not be a part of the rich class.  Couple that with being 16, an orphan with no money, the outcome is very sad. Marina then asked if she would still be able to Skype with us - we haven't Skyped since she left due to no access so I am not sure where she thinks the access will come from - but we responded with "of course honey, we will always be here for you - we love you and we want you."  She looked away and Nina told her once again that she had to tell us.  So, she did... and we were in total shock.  We all got up from the table - once again we had a group hug and we told her that we would pray for her every day and always love her.  And then we walked out... stunned... numb... in shock... confused... while recognizing that God is here with us and knew that things were going to go this way. 

Nina, Andy and I walked out of the Orphanage and sat on a bench while waiting for the CPS official to complete the paperwork regarding Marina's desire to not be adopted.  We got back into the car, drove to Oleksandriya to drop off the gentleman and sit down at a cafe.  We hadn't eaten in many many hours by this time and needed something in our bellies so we wouldn't pass out.  We ate and we talked - stunned by the turn of events.  We kept replaying in our head the last hour and couldn't believe what we were hearing.  Before we left for the Ukraine, Marina asked us to bring one of the teddy bears my mom had gotten her while she was here, along with some face cleaner... and we also bought her a watch for her birthday.  So, we decided to see if anything changed in the last 30 minutes.  We went back to the Orphanage but there was no sign of Marina so Nina left what we brought for her with the Director with a promise that Marina would get the items. 

We keep wondering - does she regret the decision - what if we come back, will she see that she needs to come with us?  No, not yet anyway.  So, we had to make the long drive back - dropping off sweet Nina who was in as much shock as we were.  We hugged Nina - a true gem - full of compassion, empathy, and a heart for her work.  Nina's life is hard... yet she in the power of prayer and works hard to help save children in her region.  She will be blessed for her work.  It was the longest drive of our lives.  It was unexpected and full of confusion.  We plugged in our headphones and listened to praise/worship music (thank you Lauren Chandler and Michael Bleaker) for peace from our Savior.  We thanked our sweet Father for putting us where we were knowing that He will one day reveal to us the purpose of all this.  We finally got home at 10:00 PM - after a very scary drive back because of our drivers driving - and after he got stopped by the police right in front of our apartment with us in the car and then asking us for money to pay the officer off.  At this point, we were done - we just wanted to get into our apartment.  Andy and I found a place to eat at midnight - a time for us to sit across the table from one another and reflect.  What just happened?  Did Marina really just make that decision?  Why did God take us through this journey to come home without her?  Why did we have to travel the 6000 miles?  What is Marina thinking?  Doesn't Marina understand?  What could we have done differently over the summer?  What could we have done differently in the meeting?  Even though we have so many unanswered questions, we know that our sweet Savior is in this... we know that He is in total control... we know that we are in complete submission to His will... we know that we have come to an intimate place with Him and we never want to go back to what we used to be. 

We met with our chief facilitator - Kosta - this morning before we flew out of Kiev (we are now on our flight to London with an overnight stay there and then back to Dallas Sunday early evening - before the girls even get home from Florida).  He was so disappointed - for us - but truly for Marina.  He told us that when this has happened in the past and the child gets out in the real world that they always come back to him on their knees begging for the adoption.  He can do nothing for them at that point. It is heart breaking.  One thing that we can be sure of - for the first time in 10 years Marina got to experience what it felt like to be wanted by a family.  She wasn't the one who was watching someone else get adopted - she actually got to feel what is was like to be wanted.  Even though she made a choice that we may ever understand - she got to feel wanted.

Once again - we share all of these details with you for several reasons.  One, so that we don't have to relive it over and over to everyone individually when we get home (and again, I am sure you can understand why) but even more importantly for the prayers that are so needed right now for so many people over there.  First and foremost - Marina.  That God has a plan for her.  That she will NOT become a statistic but rather the exception to the rule.  That her heart will soften for Him and that she will see Him in her dreams.  That she is protected.  That she finds healing from all her wounds in Him.  And so much more for her.  Pray for Nina - for her faith to grow -for her life to have fulfillment - for her to find happiness in a very unhappy place - for her to feel like her hard work means something.  Pray for Kosta - his work in helping children find forever homes - for his wife who is experiencing some medical issues.  For the government officials - for their hearts to know and love Jesus - for them to make the adoption process easier - for them to see how their processes are affecting their people.  For the country of Ukraine- on so many levels!  And these are just a few... just pray pray pray... but don't forget to quiet yourself and enter in the presence of God before you do.  We have learned many many many things over the past several months and specifically in the past week - and one of the biggies is that when we enter into His presence before we pray that amazing miraculous things happen. 

We love you all so much and thank you for taking this journey with us.  It isn't over yet... we are all on assignment by Him until we meet Him face to face.  Our only purpose for being alive is to glorify Him - obey Him - worship Him - it is a journey that doesn't have an end...

Love love love you all -
Karin and Andy

Romans 8:28-29
English Standard Version (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Day 4.2 Eve of Long Day

Well folks, it is nearly 10pm here and Karin and I are off to bed.  We are waking up at 330am to catch our ride to Oleksandriia.  Please pray specifically for safe travels and an efficient process with the local CPS officials.  We will be spending the remainder of our journey in that region of Ukraine.  We won't have the luxury of the in room wifi as we've had so don't be disheartened by less frequent posts to the blog or Facebook as we get situated in our new 'home'.

As I sleep tonight I'll go to bed with the comfort of my protector, Christ Jesus

Andy

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice Always, Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.

Day 4.1 God is AMAZING

First I (Karin) will update you on what is going on with the adoption then I will update you on what is going on with us... spiritually and what our everyday living has become!

The adoption -
PRAISE the LORD!!!  Our paperwork was redone and resubmitted late last night and in the SDA "inbox" when they arrived to work this morning. The next hurdle was for them to actually slip it in with yesterday's paperwork to be completed today with a 4:00 pm pick up.  After much prayer and total submission to God, it was done and we just got "home" from picking up the completed documents.  What does this mean?  We are right on track... we will leave at 4:30 tomorrow morning (which is when I usually get to sleep) to drive the 4.5 hour trip to pick up our local facilitator in Kirovograd and then on to our new "home" in Oleksandriia.  We will then have an appointment with CPS at 9:00 tomorrow morning then head to the orphanage to officially meet Marina and start the 3 day bonding period.  The government doesn't recognize the time she spent with us over the summer so this is just another formality that has to take place.  The reason why getting this done so quickly so that we can meet her tomorrow is so important is because the weekend will be included in those mandatory 3 days. Next week we will be able to make the official notorized declaration that we want to adopt Marina.  After that - for us, it is all behind the scenes paperwork and waiting.  The local CPS compiles and completes many papers ultimately ending with the signature of a high ranking highly unavailable official.  That needs to happen before the SDA can process the rest of the paperwork prior to obtaining a court date.  We need prayers that all of these steps can be done efficiently and that this hard to reach guy signs off on our paperwork quickly.  He will be even more difficult to track down with the upcoming elections - but he isn't too difficult for God to find!!!  So, tomorrow is a very big day for us... we ask for your prayers for a safe travel and that we will be able to  accomplish the items we need to accomplish before the start of the weekend. 

What is happening spiritually with us - specifically me since Andy will probably share more  about his journey with the Lord
Oh my!  What am I learning about our sweet Savior?  So very much... which is so precious to me! 
1.  He is SOOO big...
2.  He is in ALL of the details... not just the big ones but even the smallest.  And this I am eternally grateful for!   Not only has he provided our little ones with an amazing distraction, he is making signatures happen and paperwork completed when it would not have without Him leading.
3.  He wants our hearts... He wants to commune and be in fellowship with us.  How many times do you pray?  If you are a prayer warrior, how many time do you enter into the presence of God before you pray?  My experience has been that I will pray for you... and for my kids... for their futures... for your sick aunt, etc - but it is not often that I am truly still and in His presence when I do that.  A dear friend and counselor sent something to me that I will share with you - "It is easy to just say prayers without engaging your faith and will, but I'm calling you to pray in spirit and in truth where your prayers create reality. Come and commune with Me from the depth of your soul,not religiously but genuinely with a heart of faith and surrendered will."  WOW!  Last night I did this - prayed after asking for the Holy Spirit to bring me in His presence - minutes later we got the call regarding the fact that they were able to redo the paperwork and fax it to the SDA.  Today, Kosta was supposed to call us at noon to let us know if they were able to slip the documents in for processing today.  At 2:00 I once again prayed after asking to be filled with Holy Spirit's presence and completely submitted to God - within 30 minutes we received the phone call letting us know that they were able to get everything done and we were on track once again!  I am not saying that it will go our way every time we pray for something but what I am saying is that when we walk in submission and in His will, He does want to give us the desires of our hearts.  He is letting us know that He is in control and that spending time walking into the secret place of the Spirit is essential to who we are in Him.  And we wants this constantly... about EVERY decision we make - not just the big ones. 
4.  He will lead us - all we have to do is ask - DAILY!  He gave manna to the Israelites daily.  He didn't give a weeks worth of rations but only a days worth.  He wants to give us our daily bread too.  And if I am totally honest, one of the things that I am learning here is that He doesn't really want to just give it to us daily - He wants to give it to us every second.  We should be asking Him to lead us not only first thing in the morning but all throughout the day.  Once we get a taste of this, we won't want anything less.  Let's all get a taste of this!!!
5.  And much more that I will share along the way... :)

What does our everyday living look like?
It is becoming comical!
I can't fix my hair other then blow dry it. My hair is so fried that Andy asked if I could buy some sort of conditioner to help it not be so brittle where it literally burned off. I thought Afro Sheen might work but haven't tracked any down yet.  If I had only gone through one piece of hair when I recognized it was burning my hair off I would have been in great shape.  But NO - I had to start at the back then one small piece on my right side when I knew something was wrong but couldn't put my finger on it - then tried about 4 big wads of hair on my left side before it hit me... like a ton of bricks... my hair is getting shorter!  Are you serious - this really had to happen on the first day of this long journey?  Oh well - I have always wanted to try a pixie cut and now is my chance.  Just wish I didn't have to wait so long before I actually got it cut.  There are a few salons around here... nah, better not!
We also do not have a functioning washer in our apartment here in Kiev.  So, Andy and I decided we would continue to wear the same clothes over and over again just in case we don't have much luck in our new "home" on Friday.  We wore the same pants that we traveled in on our 2nd day here and then on our 3rd... now we are in a game - how long can we wear one pair of pants before they start standing on their own.  We left on Sunday and we are still wearing the same pair of pants and only 2 different shirts.  For those of you who know me well - you know that I love showers and to wash my hair EVERY DAY.  You know that personal hygiene is important to me.  You know that I won't wear the same clothes over and over in the chance I might smell.  So you know that this is a big deal for me! 
Sleep... ahh sleep... it is ever so elusive!  I have been struggling with sleep - part of it is the time change and part of it is that our bed is horrible.  We don't have a fitted sheet for the 100 year old mattress.  It is just a sheet laying over the top of the mattress that only covers the top of the mattress... not even long enough to tuck under the mattress.  I will not ever complain about not being able to sleep on my comfy cozy bed again!  We don't have any wash clothes and 1 small towel for the entire time here.  I won't ever complain about a wash cloth having a hole in it again - at least I have many!  When I get home I will appreciate my 8 fluffy towels with a whole new heart!  Even without all of the luxuries we have at home, there are many things to be thankful for here... fast internet - hot shower - a small refrigerator - and many many more.  It just makes me realize that at home I have more blessings then I deserve.  You won't hear me complain about my floors at home anytime soon - or my couch - or anything else.  I just pray that the Lord keeps me humble and allows me to recognize all of the blessings I have every day. 

Thank you all - for everything!!!  Keep your prayers coming...
With all our love,
Karin and Andy

Day 3.3 - Paperwork Comes Through

At 6:30 tonight we received a call from Kosta.  He confirmed for us that the paperwork had been signed and completed and faxed to the SDA here in Kiev.  He was unable to confirm of the result of the docs here in Kiev, because staff had already left for the day.  So, what does all this mean? Well, had everything been finalized today, then we would have been on the ground Friday in Marina's district getting a lot of things accomplished.

Now, since it is assumed paperwork was not received today,  we operating with the following schedule in mind
1) 9am n Wednesday SDA Appointment where we received the bad news
2) No paperwork received on Wednesday, which means no invitation letter received on Thursday
3) Pray for expedited papers to be received early on Friday
4) Hire driver to get to Marina's district to hopefully get some appointments complete before the weekend

You might wonder how we're doing with all of this?  I can sum it up like this. He is Good, so Good. He is faithful.  He grants us strength. 

I am encouraged by your continued prayers and financial support.  Hearing your comments provide little nuggets of happiness throughout our day.

Until the next post.

Andy & Karin

Day 3.2 First Bump in the Road

Well, we're back from our brief appointment with the State Department of Adoptions and the result was not as we expected.  Our appointment began at 9am in a small office with the Ukrainian Adoption official, our facilitator (Kosta), Karin and myself. Kosta acted as translator, as the official does not speak English. The process started with us being asked questions about who we want to adopt and how we came to know Marina.  We produced some pictures of our family and Marina from her visit so that the official could see our full family.  The official said Marbella and Milana look like angels - I couldn't agree more.

After answering the brief questions and reviewing the photos the official began to go through Marina's orphan file.  The information they provided was very brief and contained little, if any information, that we hadn't already known about Marina.  The two pages of files they produced each had a photo of Marina from the time when the files were created.  One when she was about 6 years old and the other when she was 11.  It warmed us to see photos of a younger Marina and it further endeared her in our hearts.

As the official begin to review the document, it began clear to Karin and I that something was amiss.  The back and forth dialog between her and Kosta and dialing of phones did not seem right, no matter what language was being spoken.  Basically, the officials were asking about the status of Marina's parents - that seemed like an extremely odd question to me when you (the government) has been custodian of the child for nearly 10 years.  Apparently, there was an important document that was not in her file - a document that should have been completed by CPS and filed with the original papers. This is where the problem solver in us goes, "ok, easy, let's get a copy and get this process going." Well, easier said than done. The orphanage (and her entire Village) does not have phone lines, so they cannot fax the document.  They do have Internet, but the SDA offices do not have external Internet.  The other offices in Kiev that can receive the information do not have vehicles so workers must transfer documents via public transit.  So, basically in this moment, I recognize that I have no control.  The best part of that is the peace that I was overcome with as I recognized that He wants me to trust (Prov 3:5-6) in Him and not to worry or be anxious (Phil 4:6).

As the officials tracked down the document at the local CPS office in Marina's district they discovered that the document had been incorrectly completed and that a new document must be created, signed, and a copy sent to the SDA offices in Kiev. Oh and for us to stay on track - all of this must be completed today.  At 2pm we received a call from Kosta letting us know that they have completed the new form at CPS and are just waiting for the local director of Vital Records to sign the document - and yes, nobody knows where he is. As I write you this it is now 3:30pm in the Ukraine and we have about 90 minutes to get all of this wrapped up. 

So, what can you do?  Pray.  Pray Hard.  Pray Specifically.
*  Prayers that the director will return to the office (for any reason) and that he will sign the document.
*  The documents get transferred to the SDA today
*  Clear guidance and honest intentions of the Ukrainian officials and our facilitator
*  We (Karin and I) stay focused and rest comfortably in whatever timing that God reveals during this process.

Love you more than you'll know,
Andy & Karin

Day 3.1 SDA Appointment

Our SDA Appointment is this morning.  Actually it is in one hour! 

As we head in to the day I continue to sing the praises of our Lord.  In particular Psalm 34 has shown me His goodness and protection.

I will update you with all the details and outcome of the appointment.

Day 2.1 Settling In

Good morning USA! Well we've been in our apartment for 24 hours now and we're ready to get our first task done in Kiev tomorrow. I can't tell you how excited I was to hop in bed last night and get a chance to sleep without a) thinking of all the things that need to get done/packed before we get to Ukraine b) waking up to go work out (sorry Chuck) c) waking up to catch a flight d) the list could go on and on. The sleep was welcome, even if it did come at the expense of sleeping on a mattress where you can visually count the springs. I could go on about the differences in the 'comforts' we are blessed to call home as Americans, but as I start the process I begin to realize much we have that isn't necessary and take for granted.  For example, who thinks about towels and washcloths, I surely don't (we have 1 of the first and none of the second)! Yet this morning I recall that just last month we sent Marina home with a towel because she only has one.  Just a little perspective, eh?   Perhaps some fodder for a future post.

This morning we had breakfast at the apartment.  I had a chance to go to the market last night and get some milk, cereal and bananas.  We are holding off on doing any larger scale grocery shopping until we relocate to Oleksandriia on Friday.  This afternoon we visited a coffee shop next to our apartment.  It was a great time to get out of the room and do some quiet time and talk with my best friend.  Karin had a hot cocoa and I had a large cappuccino, which only cost us about $5USD total.  Overall from the places we've visited we're seeing that the exchange rate is advantageous for an American couple on an adoption travel budget.

Oh, and the wifi - what a blessing.  I know that I've said how thankful we are that we have it. Skyping with the girls is priceless, but on top of that, the Internet is faster than many of the places that I use in the US!

Well, that is all for now. More to update later.  Have a great day back home!

Day 1.2 Welcome to Kiev

Ahh, welcome to Kiev.  After a long day of flying we've arrived in Kiev. The flights were all on time and uneventful. As soon as we stepped out of customs our driver was waiting and whisked us away in a fashion that only Mario Andretti (or any other Ukrainian driver) would appreciate. We are settled in to our small apartment which is located only a block off the city center. The best part of the apartment is the WIFI!!!! We weren't expecting any wifi at our apartment so this
was very welcome. We were able to have a brief conversation via Skype with the girls and it did wonders to be able to hear their voices. 

We'll surely post more tomorrow, but let me give you an idea of how we're praying this week pans out - so that you can pray for the same.
1) Wednesday 9am, appointment with State Department of Adoptions
2) Thursday afternoon, pick up invitation to visit Marina and her orphanage director
3) Friday, early morning - travel by train to Oleksandriia and then taxi to Marina's orphanage for appointment

Those are the big three things that we need to happen this week. 

I am pretty exhausted so I think this is a great place to end the post.

Andy

Day 1.1 - Flights and other Notes

Welcome to Dusseldorf!  This is Andy. I thought I'd try and jot a quick note while we have a few hour layover in rainy and chilly Dusseldorf.  Yesterday, we said goodbye to the girls and my family as we left Orlando for the drive down to Miami to catch our flight. Probably one of the most difficult things that I've ever seen my sweet wife have to go through.  Not easy to say goodbye; however, it is great to see the resiliency of kids - their handling of the situation probably made it a bit easier on us to leave. We know they are in kind and loving hands.  They will create memories this week in Disney World with their cousins and grandparents while Karin and I make some memories of our own half way around the world. 

What's up with the blog title? Well, I figured that we'll (hopefully) be posting many updates on our journey.  With some of those coming multiple times per day, I figured I would number the posts first by the numbered day of our Journey then followed by a period and the post number from that day (X.X). I hope that simplifies things and helps you keep track of where we are in our path to bringing Marina home.

Lastly, yesterday I kept hearing Psalm 46:10 over and over in my head "Be still and know that I am God".  How true that is, when we can actually be still!  What does getting anxious and hassled do to my relationship with the Father? Nothing, but take precious time away from the opportunity to receive his peace.  So, breathe deeply and relax and take a minute to Be Still. When I am still and in His presence on this journey, my faith is strong and I have a warrior spirit - both which are needed to walk in His will.

Keep praying.

Andy

A Great Night Together

After a flurry of activity this past week to get geared up and ready to go, the trip is finally here.  Whew! The journey is just beginning and I can say, I'm ready to take the next step, but today it is about the right here and right now - our family.  This afternoon we flew in to Orlando to meet up with my parents and my sister and her family.  It is great to be with family.  As I sit writing this note, we're all still up in the condo and just chatting and enjoying the company of family.  It reminds me that the entire process of events is about family - showing the love of Christ and living His will as a family of believers.  Our time here will be brief, but the moments are sweet.  A great memory that we will take with us tomorrow as we depart on our trip to the Ukraine.

Tomorrow (Sunday) around noon, my Dad will drive Karin and I down to the airport in Miami.  Pray for protection and safety tomorrow as we journey east.  Our flight departs Miami at 6:05pm Eastern.  We arrive 9 hours later in Dusseldorf, Germany where we will have a 2 hour layover before we depart to Kiev, finally arriving at 3pm local time in Kiev.  As an FYI, the current time difference is +8 hours from Dallas.

More updates to come.

Andy

One Step Closer - Travel Booked

Long overdue for me (Andy) to make an appearance on the blog.  I thought I'd catch you up on some of the travel logistics and details that we are working through as we prepare to head to the Ukraine in just 8 days! 

First, as I said in the title, our travel is arranged! Soon after we discovered the immediacy of our trip to Ukraine I quickly tried to gain control of a situation that is being run by God.   Can you imagine seeing the water boy grabbing the clipboard and headphones and attempting to run the offense of the Unconquered Florida State Seminole football team? How does that work out? You get the point.  It didn't take long for me to realize I was over my head and then I was reminded about what Paul says in Ephesians 6:16, In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. (Full context) So, can you guess what happened next?  Yes, that's right, when I decided to let go an not to control things, the Lord quickly showed his control over circumstances and quickly aligned the ideal solution.  

So, Saturday Karin, Marbella, Milana and I will be heading east to Orlando to meet up with my parents and my sister's and her family as they start a week long vacation at Walt Disney World. How's that for perfect timing and a perfect distraction for our girls as Mommy and Daddy depart for a trip of unknown length (although we're praying for extreme brevity - and you can too!).

On Sunday my dad will drive Karin and I to Miami where we will depart to the Ukraine on Lufthansa.  Our routing is very efficient as we will be in the Ukraine 14 hours after we depart Miami.  We are traveling direct from Miami to Dusseldorf, Germany where we will have a brief 2 hour layover and then fly direct to Kiev and arrive at 3:05PM on Monday, October 15. 

I'll follow up with another post with details and timelines of what happens after we arrive to Kiev.

I could use your specific prayers in the area of time management and clarity as we work to arrange many things during the next week.  I will be out of town in California on Monday - Wednesday next week for business, so my time in Dallas is extremely limited prior to our departure.


Blessings to you all.  Thanks for following and your interest in this journey.  

Andy

We are Ukraine Bound!

So many of you have asked for blog updates... so first I want to apologize for not shedding light on our progress before now.  Once Marina arrived here over the summer all of our "free time" (time after the younger ones are in bed) was either spent with her, in the Bible, or getting council on how to best communicate and bond with Marina.  Once she left in August, school started, we celebrated my birthday, Marbella's birthday, our anniversary, along with trying to catch up from being "out of pocket" for 2 months... and the more time that went by, the harder I knew it would be to effectively catch you up.  So, here is the plan - let you know what is going on right now, give you our specific prayer requests that we need right now, and then catch you up on the past few months.

First - what is going on right now:
We got the email today that our appointment in Kiev is scheduled for October 17th and we are expected to be in country on the 15th.  Yes, you read that right - we are expected to leave Texas and our little ones in 10 days!!!  I guess they are not big on advance notice... But we know that God is in the details so His timing is perfect timing.
Today has been spent on the phone trying to figure out how to make the flights work.  Grammy and Grandpa have given us a huge blessing of taking on the role of caring for Marbella and Milana while we are gone.  They have had a trip planned with Andy's sister and her family to Disney World during the week of the 14th... the day we need to leave.  This is actually a blessing in disguise - so instead of them coming straight here to take care of the girls we are trying to figure out how to get the girls to Orlando to spend it with their grandparents, cousins, and Aunt and Uncle at none other then Disney World.  Talk about an amazing distraction from being without Mommy and Daddy!!!  God is so good!  We are having challenges with flights and how to make that work... taking the girls to Orlando then flying straight to Kiev... having the grandparents fly here to pick the girls up and get to Orlando... we are looking at all options but are having trouble with the dates and award tickets and expense!  In my frustration I went upstairs to do my daily quiet time.  I am in Mark 15:1 right now... one verse... how could that one verse speak to me in my current situation?  At this point, I was going to continue in my quiet time for sheer obedience because I couldn't imagine hearing too much in that 1 verse.  Boy, I was wrong.  You may read that verse and wonder what in the world God could have said too - but He doesn't need much to speak loudly and clearly.  Bottom line - God was telling me He is in the details... in the formalities of the process.  He is in it all and I need to trust.  So that is what we are doing!  That may mean that one of you know someone high up at any airline that could help us... God works in crazy ways like that.  If that is you, please don't hesitate to call!!!  :)
I will also confess that today was spent with me in tears.  Not because of Marina - I am ready to bring Marina home.  I am ready for everything that comes with bringing Marina home.  Let's get this going - let's begin showing her what it is like to have a family love her.  The tears and heavy heart are only because I have to leave our girls for a long period of time.  I am not afraid for God does NOT work in fear.  I am not worried for I know God will take care better care of our girls then we do.  It is just that God gave us those girls as a gift... one in which I adore and love being with.  I love looking at them... smelling them... laughing with them... snuggling with them... talking with them... watching them dance... and on and on.  It is strange to me that we have to leave our 2 gifts from Him to go get our 3rd gift.  But it is part of the plan and He is in control.  My prayer request to you right now - pray for God to be in every single detail... that the enemy will not be allowed to interfere with any part of the process.  Pray for a speedy adoption process and getting home quickly.  I have faith that God can get us home for the 1st part of the process in 3 weeks... not 4; not 5... but 3.  At that time, we will come home without our 3rd daughter for a week and then one of us will have to return for another 1 to 2 weeks.  When we told the girls tonight that we would be leaving soon, they were excited that we would be starting the process of bringing their big sister home.  Marbella says to me "don't worry Mommy, we will be fine.  We will do lots of fun things while you are gone."  Thank you Lord that she doesn't really understand the time frame.  And I wanted to tell her that I know she will be fine - it is me that will be crying every night!  :)  Pray for peace my dear friends!!!

I also want to update you on where we are in terms of raising funds!  God has been so amazing!!!  Through the generous giving of so many people... those that personally know us and those who don't know us at all... we have raised $19,000 to date!  We are only $3,000 away from what we need!!!  Praise God!  We are sending out one last call for help if you feel so led.  There are a few ways you can help -
1.  Marina will be 16 on October 14th (the day we will begin travelling to the Ukraine)!  If everyone we know sends us $16.00 to "celebrate" her birthday then we would make a HUGE dent.  God gave her life 16 years ago... and soon she will get to experience the life God has ordained for her from the beginning of time. What an awesome way to celebrate!
2.  We have set up a link to purchase some pretty awesome t-shirts.  We will get $6.00 to $8.00 per shirt purchased depending on the style you choose.  I will be ordering my Adoption Rocks shirt tonight.  For those of  you who know me... this shirt is right up my alley.  Yes, I will probably wear it as much as I wear my Girlmom shirt!!!  :)  Just click on the link and see if you are interested... http://www.adoptionbug.com/marina
3.  You can simply send a donation if you feel so led.  You can mail it to 1817 Trail Ridge Lane, Flower Mound, TX 75028.
Thank you so much for supporting our adoption and helping us show Marina what it means to have a family!

Now, lets rewind to the summer.  Once we figured out that Marina could speak broken English - once she trusted us enough to share that with us - we were able to start communicating.  That was a huge blessing!!!  And as the days passed, her English would continue to improve until we were able to have full on conversations... slow going with explaining various words... but conversations!  This is when life started happening.  Lots of amazing things happened - I got to watch Marbella reach out to Marina with a Jesus like love.  Marina didn't initially give much back to the girls - she isn't around little ones at the orphanage so it isn't natural for her.  But that didn't stop Marbella from trying.  She didn't get discouraged, she didn't get impatient, she didn't take it personal... she just kept on trying.  God had Marbella teach ME what loving unconditionally looked like.  We also got to watch Marina begin to enjoy new foods.  Thankfully she loves American pizza... whew!  She also loves sushi... she has expensive tastes!  :)  She loves salt... yes, something for us to work on!  And there were challenging things too - her expectations of America were very different then reality - we in America have to work for things and there are many rules and chores when you are in a family.  Marina has also expressed her disinterest in attending a Christian school but has recognized through many hours of conversation that God gave her to us to parent her in a way that is pleasing to Him - and that is one of the things He is asking from us.  By the end of the 7 weeks Marina told me that even though she doesn't want to be a Christian, she wants to marry one.  Wow!  Andy and his love of the Lord, his love of his children, and the love of his wife made a huge impact on her.  The Lord is already working!!!
This is a journey for all of us.  We have discovered that we need Marina as much as she needs us.  Having her here over the summer brought us so much closer to our Lord and Savior.  For that and many more reasons, we are so blessed.  And isn't that really our purpose... to love the Lord with all of our heart... to draw closer to Him daily so that we can actually feel Him leading our lives.  He created us to worship Him... not anything other then Him.  Why is this so hard for us?  Because of our time with Marina, we have been able to hear His sweet voice so much... which makes us that much more excited about getting Marina home.  We can't wait to see Him work in her life.  We can't wait for the day when we can update this blog to share with you that Marina has fallen in love with Jesus Christ.  We pray for that to happen and hope that you can pray it with us.

Prayer requests -
1. FAST adoption process
2. Hedge of protection around us as we travel - around the girls as they live without us
3. For strength and endurance for Grammy and Grandpa as they care for 2 little ones
4. For peace for Andy and I as we deal with the pain of leaving our little ones
5. For Marina - protection and ready to move forward
6. For the Ukraine government and officials - smooth sailing
7. For our family to bond and come together as a new family of 5
8. And for whatever else you can think of!  :)

We so dearly appreciate you all.
With love,
The Greens