New Game Invention

 

Jan 18th

 

Ok, so some of you really want to know details and some of you are get to the point people. For the later group, �all is well and we are fine,� for the former group what a great day we have had, I won�t waste any more time, lets dive in�

 

So we woke up with the city of Kiev, the buses, the car alarms, the dogs barking and our friend Lova meowling at the top of his lungs Mark is presently loving on him as he rolls around on the floor in our room� Lova is a Persian. Garfield with more fur than I have ever seen on a cat, he is so funny. His face is kind of all smooshed up so he looks like he is permanently ticked. Which is kind of par for this neck of the woods, and those of you who have been here know exactly what I mean.

 

About the apartment, Lori, Denis, Mama Olya & Oksana (& of course Lova) live here in a two room about 450 sq. ft. space. The kitchen is not as big as the one in seminary housing. Denis, Lori, and Mama Olya live in one room, and Lori has her bedroom which I think Oksana may sleep in there sometimes too. The family has given us their living room/second bedroom to move into. The gracious hospitality of our friends is overwhelming. Lori said they wanted to do this for us because we are heroes for adopting. I do not feel like a hero, I feel like God is giving us so much in our children, and people like this family are heroes for their daily striving to serve God and all His people. Lori is living here full time raising her own support to study Russian and continue in what ever ministry God calls her to. She has been serving through Radooga summer camps and is in a transitional space praying for God to open the door to His will for her next step on this faith journey. She is a tremendous volunteer coordinator with a heart for both sides of that ministry. The people who are in need and the people gifted to serve. One Volunteer Coordinator to another the girl rocks. Denis when asked what do you see yourself doing in the future simply and humbly said, �Well, basically, I will serve God in whatever He calls me to do. That is it.� He is in Hillsong College here, which is a bible school. Oksana goes to regular college, Hillsong College and someplace in the spare time she has is learning both English and Farsi. Mama Olya is a full time Nanny for a child who�s Mom has cancer. The child herself is one and a half and has a kidney illness. Please pray for this sweet baby! This is a busy for Jesus, amazing and beautiful group of people.

 

The internet dude came and fixed whatever was not working so hot in the internet line so we were able to send up a smoke signal and let you know we got here ok this am. We left here wrapped to the nines and looking like Nanook of the North and headed out to meet S by way of the metro. Now, it is about a 15 min. walk to the metro stop near Lori�s. which in the day time was cold, but buddy when that sun went down I want to tell you it was stinkin burrrrrr out there. Note: that was not a complaint but an observation. Lori�s is 9 metro stops on the green line to one switch on the red line to get to Kryshatik (Ande I looked man� but so far no dice J) which is the heart beat of the city.  S had asked to meet us at 2 at Independence Square where they still have the Christmas tree up. It is an impressive site for sure and really pretty. We stopped and got pizza across the street from TGI Fridays and then went up to the square to meet S� while we are taking in the sites and getting a picture together with Lori I see this kid walk by, and I am like, dude, that looks like Chris Underwood. But I figure I am seeing things. Then I see this really tall guy with him, and I am like, man I really am seeing things that looks like the guy G that they were using as a facilitator, but all in all that can�t be because there is no Paula. Sure enough shortly there after S shows up and it is G and Chris and Paula was doing some shopping near by wisely OUT of the cold. We then are told that she will be staying yet another day in UA because of the holiday on Monday for the embassy which is MLK. They were suppose to be able to go and get Chris�s papers Paula is taking this like the trooper that she has been through out the process.  & She and G compared notes on what doesn�t work in the constitution of both UA and the USA� She suggested we all go to Fridays and get something to eat. So we went back up the road a piece and got some tea and enjoyed the company of she and Chris and Lori and S.

 

Watching Chris really get into and enjoy his Chicken Alfredo while giggling over how his brothers both enjoy this dish was a lovely site. He couldn�t have been a happier kid. What was not to love? His Mom at his side, friendly people who seemed to know something about who he was and who were glad to see him, and a honkin bowl of Chicken and pasta to be washed down with Hot Chai. It just didn�t get any better. He is such an amazing and happy young man. He was also very informative. He is in the groupa with O # 2. He also knows O #1. He spoke highly and kindly of both boys whom we hope to adopt. He shared about their desire for a family and about how while O #2 is a nice boy that he doesn�t like Ukrainian class and that Chris himself is the top of the class. Which got a good chuckle out of us all, and we loved his kid like gloat at this evident truth! Face full of Alfredo as he grins and shares. LOVE IT!

 

Later G joins us and S is getting ready to go back and take care of her Mama. She is really struggling with this time of life. Her Mom is her best friend. She is experiencing dementia and has lost the ability to take care of her physical needs. It is crushing S. and you can see that but she remains positive. She is awesome. I am so glad God gave her to us. I am also thankful to G. as he has been bridging the gap with O #1 about this idea of a family.

 

Some of you may remember that he was one of the first kids that we met at Val & Randy�s. We really fell hard for this young man but were also trying to keep emotions in check because we did not have really any time with him as he was with 21 and they were leaving the day we got there. Still he stayed on our hearts and in our minds. I remember Cindy asking me in the Laundry room if we thought we would adopt him and wishing I could say �YES!� but we were really trying hard not to say too much based just on emotion. All of me wanted to tell her what was in my heart that day. We wrote to him, but didn�t get any letters back. We figured that he was not interested in us. We were still loving him in our hearts and when we went in Oct 06 we thought we would get a better feel for how he was doing and what he was thinking. The short time we were with him was really amazing. He stuck with us like glue, and seemed to really want to be with us. He gave us pictures of himself as if to say don�t forget me. We wrote again. We never got a letter back. We are ashamed to say that we gave up. We assumed he was not interested in being adopted by us. Until I got a phone call a few weeks ago from Cheri. She asked me if I knew an O. I was like Cheri I know a lot of them! She says at 21 in Kiev. Yes we tell her we know him. She said well he wants to know if you are still going to adopt him. We were blown away. We were again when Chris said that he had written letters to us and that we must have never gotten them. Apparently Chris new this to be truth because he volunteered with out any coaxing at all that he had seen him write the letters, but that we had never written to him as if to ask us why did you leave him hanging? Not sure the mystery there but in the end the bottom line is he knows exactly who we are which at first we were like, maybe he will be disappointed when we show up and we are not who he is expecting� but he does know it is us and he has been asking G & S when we are going to come and why does it take so long? G. said that he likes biology and chemistry and that he asked him some things about himself. He said that his Mom died a while ago, and that his Father is in Jail. His grandparents are all dead as well.  He has brothers and sisters but they have �disappeared� and he has no idea of where they might be.  

 

Paula is going to 21 on Sunday after 3. They are going to visit with Chris�s caregiver one last time. Paula asked if we would like to join her and go, and S. saw no harm in us tagging along which we were delighted to hear. As it stands then we will go with Paula, and Chris, and Lori will join us !!! Yea! J  and I think G. too to 21 on Sunday afternoon. So as ya�ll are getting up to have church we will be heading to meet up w/ who we believe are two of our four sons! I�d say that is cause for not only prayer but more over praise!

 

G. and Paula have to go to pick up Chris�s passport, and we are watching the sky get dark with a chilly ominous tin so we rebundle and head back toward the metro stop. We get there along with the rest of Kiev and begin what is the cattle herd of people who are pressing forward in this bizarre dance of comings and goings. Mark with little help from Lori navigates us back to the apartment which I am all kinds of impressed with as we are illiterate in this country. Lori had made Mark to learn the metro stops in Cyrillic this morning. So he was a pro when we were on our way home. And did I mention it was cold today? Like burn your lungs cold? Ok but I am not complaining cause any weather is good weather while we are here. Ok but it was cold. Mom as a side note that coat we got would never have cut the mustard my friend. The one I was thinking about was not going to be any better. We both would have struck out. Wisest investment was the one we got man� I know good and well we would be popsicles.  So we are all sitting here trying to figure out what -2 Celsius would have been and close as we can figure that would have put us at about 18 degrees today.

 

For your total entertainment� I have invented a new game to play on the metro. It is called Bowling for Ukrainians in which I act as the ball, and all the other people on the metro are the pins. Now in my game the object is actually NOT to knock the pins down. I had a few grazes and one girls foot will never be the same which she let me know with a scathing look bless her heart� but riding the metro is not a good game for a novice at public transportation. First you have to cram yourself on the subway. By cram I mean you have to force your way into the car. Like do not be nice about it, oh no, you move your john hind parts in the car or you do not get on. For those in China it is not unlike the metro there. For those who have been to the Philippines like the jeepney but every one gets to sit down unless you are like the guys who hold on from the back which is what you are with out a seat on the metro� you pray real hard that you can get on, and find a seat or a bar to hold onto with quickness. Otherwise you pray real hard it is so packed that even your klutzy self can�t get knocked down by the lurching of the starting and stopping of each new destination up the line. Ukrainians I have decided are kin to Spiderman and have some kind of glue on their feet because I do not see them hold on to the bar. They just move with the lurch of the subway. It is unreal. Suzie and Frankie your sea legs would have come in handy here!

 

Youth group J we love you guys� we are getting more and more excited about the idea of bringing our children home to live and work for Jesus side by side with you. Denis was offering his perspective tonight on how important it is to surround them with a good influence and environment. We could not agree more that you guys are going to be a huge part of that good influence. We are so proud of you. Mr. Mark misses you like crazy and of course I miss giving you all my �Sunday night lectures!�

 

Miss you guys and Love you so much J    

The Smiths ~ Here J !!!!