Pictures To Enjoy!

Now that I have my camera up and going again, I wanted to share some pictures from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

As a matter of prayer (and GOD IS answering your prayers!!!), please pray that Vanya and I get everything done in time for our scheduled flight on Nov. 9th. It is going to be very tight....down to the wire! Thank you!

This picture was taken right after our court date on October 22, when the court gave permission for our adoption.  Vanya's precious orphanage director is on the left and the inspector is on the right.

Edik and I.  We've spent a lot of time together and have many good memories.  Edik is like a brother to Vanya and will probably be the one most affected by Vanya's departure.  Please pray for his salvation.

Vanya with his sweet friend, Zhenya, who said she loves him as a brother in Christ.  I enjoyed making banana bread with Zhenya.  She is a strong believer and says that she likes to sing in church.

Vanya, me, Rach, and Edik in the background.  Most of my days have been spent with these 

guys and I have to say that I love them all!

Bowling night!  First time for Dima (to my left) and Edik!  I told them if they taught me kick boxing, I would teach them bowling!  They did great.....was an awesome memory!

Me and my absolute favorite 16 year old in the whole world!!!!

It's Officially Official

Announcing the gift of Vanya James Moynihan

Given to us on this day, November 1, 2011 from God's own hand through the country of Ukraine.

"Precious", "Priceless", and "With Purpose"

Please celebrate with us the arrival of a son, brother, nephew, cousin, grandson, and friend

Requesting Your Prayer

Please pray for me today. I've already been quite emotional as I've been packing up the place I've made home these past few weeks. Vanya and I will leave tomorrow to travel around and complete all the necessary paperwork. Just anticipating the MANY difficult goodbyes that will occur this week for both Vanya and I has me feeling overwhelmed. Joy and pain are close companions. I've been blessed to share my heart and life with many kids here and I have to remember that it was worth the pain I'm feeling now.

Please pray for Vanya. Both his joy and his pain are much greater and deeper than mine. Please pray for Vanya's best friend, Edik. They are like brothers. Edik will be more or less alone without Vanya being at school with him. Edik is also currently dealing with an extrememly painful family issue right now. I don't think he is yet a believer.

Thanks friends and family. I continue to thank God for the many loving prayers lifted on our behalf.

Missions Trip: Ukraine

For those of you who have ever been on a missions trip, you know the feelings of preparation and anticipation of being a blessing and witness to all those God allows you to come in contact with.  How is it though, that so often times we are the ones who get tremendously blessed?

I came to Ukraine primarily to finalize Vanya's adoption, but secondarily to be ready and available to minister to those around me.  Unlike a well planned missions trip, I had no idea what exactly to prepare for.  I simply came with an open heart and mind to engage with whatever God allowed.

So.....those around me?.........teenagers.  And I have been so very blessed.  Not having raised a teenager yet, I'm open to advice and insights regarding these unique growing years.  I have a book at home entitled, "Age of Opportunity".  As I anticipate parenting my own teenagers, I cling to the idea of these years presenting a unique window for kids to blossom as they begin to discover and engage with God's purposes for their lives.
I actually haven't read this book cover-to-cover yet (although I DO need to make that a priority SOON), but I feel that in God's grace He has allowed me to see and experience what it looks like to have teenagers whole-heartedly living for the Lord during their "Age of Opportunity" since I've been here in Ukraine.

It took a committed group of beleivers to introduce these kids to their Savior.  And once they embraced Him, they endeavored to live for the cause of Christ with very little love, support, or resources to spur them on.  I have been blessed to witness their unwavering commitment to Christ even in the contexts of their horrific pasts, their hostile present, and their unpromising futures.  Indeed, I have been blessed.  They tell their stories freely.  Their stories of pain, shattered lives, mountains of disappointments, but also their stories of salvation and the hope that it brings in the midst of much darkness.

I trust too that God has allowed me to be a blessing to them.  I have enjoyed showering them all with  motherly love......a love that many of them have not experienced in a long time, and for some, ever at all.  We've enjoyed many occassions of baking in the kitchen together (a brand new experience for them), laughing over and playing simple games, praying together over meals, long walks in the park, birthday cakes, and many freely given hugs and words of encouragement.

I have also sought to provide them with resources to help them manage their lives a little easier.  Small gifts, by American standards, go far for the orphan here in Ukraine.  Many of them don't even recall the last time they've been given a gift.  I've been so thankful to God for giving me the ability to give to these precious kids.

Overall, these kids are all survivers.  They have survived so much and as they band together in their faith and under the direction of the church, they will continue to "shine like stars in the universe" (Phil 2:15) for their Lord, who has NOT forgotten them (Is. 49:15).

So, what does this mean for me?  For you?  For every believer?  We MUST let these kids into our hearts and lives.  Scripture leaves no room to consider this an option.

• Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.  James 1:27
• When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.  Deuteronomy 24:19
• Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.  Isaiah 1:17
• And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. Matthew 18:5

Whatever venue God leads you to, you will NEVER go wrong to welcome, love, give to, pray for, talk with, and be Christ to the orphan.  Be the family that God desires to come alongside these lonely ones (Psalm 68:5-6).  You will be blessed.

Creation Groans from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Day #26

I don't know what to think about this 10 day waiting period.  There is absolutely nothing I can be doing to further the adoption process, except make some good memories with Vanya while we wait.  I'd like to share tonight's memory with you!  But first, I got some comments from the last blog that led me to believe I was a little hard on myself yesterday.  I actually am making some progress integrating into life here in Melitopol, Ukraine.  I should be by now, because I've been here for 26 days.  I was a little disappointed that no one told me that after I asked.  I had to figure it out on my own and it took a while.  Ok, so here is my list of my small, yet successful cultural adaptations.  It isn't quite as long as my list of confessions and failures, but I'm ok with that.

• I actually remembered to bring my own bag to the grocery store.
• I did the bus system by myself.
• I text in Russian.
• A man on the bus thought I was the DAUGHTER of one of Vanya's friends.......Should I mention he was  totally drunk?
• Any finally, I have officially taken the plunge to dress like a Ukrainian woman, which leads me to the memory I've got to share......

The boys have been asking me for days now to pick out some Ukrainian jeans.  My baggy jeans and crocs just aren't cutting it here.  I've put it off, simply not being able to bring myself to let these boys suggest my clothing.  Well, tonight, I gave in.  I let Vanya and Edik pick out an outfit for me.  You know, I've always been a bit of a tomboy, so tonight, I pretty much felt like a Barbie doll.  I was graciously honest about what I was NOT going to try on, but I also realized that I needed to just take the plunge. The shopping was a success and well worth the discomfort when Vanya gave me a "high-five" and said, "We'll be the 2 Russian people in Mount Joy".

Now, this was only half of our adventure tonight and you'll have to wait for a picture.  Thankfully having a camera that doesn't work is giving me some time to decide whether or not I will actually go public with my Ukrainian attire.

So the other half of our story was that Vanya was trying to pick out a winter coat.  We walked in and out of a couple of stores, but then he wanted to go back into the one I was hoping we were done with.  First of all, it looked way out of my financial league.  But, Vanya has always showed a sensitivity to not spending too much money, so I figured he knew what he was doing.  Secondly, he picked out a black leather coat that had more fur than a yak going around his shoulders and down his back.  He really LOVED this coat.  I tried to explain to him that fur isn't quite as popular in America as is it here, but it didn't deter him.  I couldn't say "no", so I agreed.  He told me it was 520 grievna (about $65).  Well, I handed the money to the lady, then she and Vanya had a verbal exchange.  Next thing I know, he's handing the coat back to her.  "Thank you, Lord."  On our way out, Vanya said it wasn't 520 grievna, but 5200 grievna ($650).  (lol)  Needless to say, the 3 of us just about died laughing at ourselves and I was very thankful to have avoided all the fur.

On a more serious note, I was happy to meet a 16 year old girl today that I actually connected with.  I haven't met too many girls, but the ones I have met are pretty cold and just look me over, making me very nervous.  Anyway, her name is Zhenya.  She is from the orphanage here and is a believer.  She likes to sing and dance at her church.  We spent the better part of today together.  She LOVED helping me in the kitchen  (Ahh.....my comfort zone) and I also taught her Chinese checkers.  I gave her a small gift and her reply was, "It's been such a long time since I've received a gift.  Thank you."  It melted me.  She is so precious.  

As a matter of prayer.....

Pray for Vanya's heart and mind as he processes all that is about to occur.  The permanency of his decision is upon him and he seems to be counting the cost of forsaking what he has known all of his life.  Some days he is rather withdrawn and it is so hard not to share the same language when there is such a need to discuss deeper things.  A MAJOR loss he is facing right now is losing the approval of his grandmother and sisters.  This is a very difficult situation, because his extended family is not in favor of the adoption and yet he understandably wants to go and say goodbye.  There isn't a close relationship here, but he told me that is afraid they will disown him altogether.  If Vanya chooses to, he will go visit them next week, but it will be VERY hard on him.

Thanks for the prayers.

Just For Laughs

Can anyone tell me how many days I've been in Ukraine?  
I'm seriously losing track of time.

Below are the true confessions of a mother of 5 who's been away from home too long: Enjoy!

• I've been slightly tempted to buy a mini skirt or some clothing with fur on it just to fit in.
• I got a blister doing my laundry.
• I found myself drinking right out of a 2 liter Coke bottle (how embarrassing to admit).
• I don't like hot dogs in America, but I despise them in Ukraine.....they are a more mysterious, melt-in-your-mouth kind of meat that are microwaved and topped off with mayonnaise. It is a shear act of love every time Vanya requests going out for hot dogs!
• I managed to make my very own taste-of-home banana bread......Mmmmmm!!!! However, I was equally perturbed as I was happy to watch 2 boys eat the ENTIRE loaf after I had just fed them dinner!
• I'm not getting used to going to bed without my Honey.
• I get laughed at when I emphasize the wrong syllable in Russian words.
• I fall for almost all the jokes the boys play on me (like telling me to go on the wrong bus). It's one thing to hang out with teenage boys all day every day, but it's a totally different thing to be at their mercy in a foreign country!
• I have the worst craving for Tostitos with a hint of lime and a jar of really hot salsa.
• I've been formulating a "I wished I would have packed this" list to include, Bath and Body Works items, my leatherman multi-tool, baking powder, and more Starbuck's Via.
• Even lousy American songs sound good over here.
• I haven't littered, but am becoming increasingly convinced that it is rather convenient when there aren't any trash cans around and there are plenty of wild dogs to clean it up.
• When I got in the shower this morning, I couldn't tell if I smelled bad or if it was the water. I concluded that neither one was preferable.                                                                                                                                                        Overall though, God is good and I'm so thankful He is here with me.

In Good Hands

I got news this morning that Jim arrived safely and on time back in the States. These next couple of weeks on my own will be challenging, but I'm also anticipating using the time to connect with the Lord, to prepare for the transitions that await our family, and to just enjoy all the time with Vanya. Vanya actually has a fall break from school all of next week, which gives us loads of time to hang out and explore Ukraine. Tomorrow we're taking a 2 hour bus trip to visit some friends on the Sea of Azov. It should be fun!

Today, I worshiped for the third time at Grace Melitopol Church. I didn't understand much, but felt encouraged nonetheless. It is always a "heavenly" experience to worship with believers from other nations. I also need to mention, however, that I do miss my church family. In my times of reflection, I have often thanked God, for you, Etown Alliance. My thoughts and prayers are with you even now as you gather together today.

So, just in case anyone is wondering.....I am in good hands here and feel comfortable with my surroundings. The picture below was just taken today. This is less than half the guys I have watching my back here in Melitopol. They are just a great group of boys and we're having a blast. I was proud to take out about 4 guys in Ping Pong today, but then realized they probably weren't playing as hard as they could :). If you read the post entitled, "This Week At A Glance", I had mentioned 2 boys, Genna and Kirill. In this picture, I'm standing in between the two of them (Kirill is on my right and Genna on my left). Now that you have faces with the names, please PRAY for these boys. They are on fire for Christ, but have a lot going against them. Enjoy the pics.

Just As Rewarding

Thank you all for the many prayers lifted on our behalf regarding our court hearing today. After being accused as spies at the courthouse (this story will be told for a minimal fee at a future date....time and location TBA), we were ushered upstairs to a small office which squeezed in all of the following 11 people; the judge, the prosecutor, 2 jurors, the secretary, the inspector, the orphanage director, our translator, Jim, Vanya, and myself. Vanya was asked to step outside at which time many of the formalities took place. Jim and I were each asked various questions regarding our desire to adopt from Ukraine, our financial status, our time with Vanya, our family, and our home. Then the inspector gave her conclusion and recommendation based on our documents. Lastly, the orphanage director spoke and affirmed our union with Vanya as his parents. He also clearly stated that, "Everyone needs a family".

Vanya was then invited to come in and he too was given a line of questions regarding his desire to be adopted, his time in America, his relationships with our other 4 kids, his history with his Grandmother and 2 older sisters, and how he felt about learning the English language. I was so proud of him. Without any preparation, he answered the questions so thoughtfully and maturely. He said that he liked his time in America this past summer. He said that we were kind and good to him. He told them we were good parents. He said that he had hoped we would ask him to be adopted, but he thought that because he was 16 he was too old. He told of his decision to say "yes" if we ever did ask him. He spoke of his good relationships with Hannah, Lydia, Nathanael, and Jonathan. The sad reality of his biological family was also addressed and he handled it very well, although it must have been difficult.

We were all then asked to wait outside while the court made their decision. About 20 minutes later, we all re-entered and stood while it was announced that "the court is in favor and gives its full permission for the adoption of Vanya Osadchyy and for his name to officially become Ivan (Vanya) James Moynihan".

After having given birth 4 times, I can easily recall those precious moments right after all the hard work and perseverance of labor when the baby was lifted up to me and I'm finally relishing in receiving this incredible gift from God. Time seems to stand still. Voices are no longer heard. The hustle and bustle of the delivery room comes to a stop. In those moments, my whole world is the baby I'm so blessed to welcome as my own.

And so it was today........"JUST AS REWARDING". Upon hearing the decision of the court, I locked eyes with the boy standing across the room and as if time stood still and the noise of the courtroom ceased, I relished in the incredible miracle of this life being given to me. As Mary did shortly after the birth of her son in Luke 2:19, I too, "treasured up all these things and pondered them in my heart".

After stealing these few precious moments for myself, I saw the judge smile and declare, "this was a good thing that we did today". Then the secretary piped up and said, "Vanya, go be with your Mama and Papa". Finally, we got to hug OUR boy! Who cares about crying in front of prestigious Ukrainian officials anyway? Not me.

So, I echo the words from the judge. Even with all the challenges ahead, "THIS WAS A GOOD THING THAT WE DID TODAY". We are truly blessed. Everyone needs a family.

I very much wished to have included some pictures, but the cord that I need is on a 10 hour car ride to Kiev with Jim. I'll try to get some pictures uploaded soon. Please do pray for Jim's travels. He has many long hours ahead of him, but is certainly looking forward to being home soon. Thank you, dear friends and family and please rejoice with us.

This Week at a Glance

Our days have been quite busier than we ever expected.  Our mornings are spent travelling to appointments to sign more documents.....will it ever end???  Then our afternoons are spent visiting Vanya and "the boys".  Our visits have been sweet.  We have done a little English, played some Chinese Checkers, gone out for pizza, and have done some some shopping so that we may bless his close friends with shoes, groceries, and cell phones to keep in touch!

Friday at 10am (3am EST), we will have court.  After some formalities and questioning, we will wait about 30 minutes before we hear the official decision of the court regarding the adoption.  Upon hearing their decision, we will enter a mandatory 10 day waiting period.  Jim will travel back home on Saturday and I will continue visiting with Vanya and preparing for all the transitions to happen on the other other side of the Atlantic.  Then, on the 11th day (November 1st) we will pick up the court decree and will also celebrate our first "Gotcha Day" with Vanya!  He will be declared our son and we will grow to be a family of 7 Moynihans!

Once we have the court decree, we have about another week's worth of travelling and paperwork before Vanya and I return home!  Our flight is scheduled for November 9th and we're praying that we can make it!  I was hoping to leave before the snow and severe cold comes, but I'm not counting on it.  It was actually snowing yesterday, just a few hours north of us!!!

On a more personal note, I have to let you all know that tonight my heart is breaking.  We have rubbed shoulders with some amazing young men these past couple of weeks.  Tonight, we talked more extensively with 2 of the boys, Genna and Kirill.  Both of these boys live in a totally volatile environment with alcohol, sex, smoking, and drugs readily available around every corner.  Neither of them have parents to offer any direction, encouragement, provision, or protection.  They both came to know Christ through an orphan ministry through a local church.  They told their salvation story freely.  They found Love and embraced Him.  God is Love.  Their reciprocated love, devotion, purity, and prayer lives would put many of us to shame.

How is it that a toxic environment + no way out + no family + a traumatic childhood + very little money + not even knowing where they'll sleep over the Christmas holiday in the dead of winter = a dynamic love for God?
These are honorable boys.

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you" (Is. 49:15).

Not only has God not forgotten them, but He is preparing their forever home.  He is making ready their reward.  He is pleasured and glorified by their faith.

Enjoy some pictures from Novamykolivka

I just thought I'd give you a quick tour of our recent visit to Vanya's previous orphanage.  We very much enjoyed everyone we met here.  Vanya has not been here for a while, since relocating about 30 minutes away, and he received quite a welcome from his friends and teachers!  He was so excited to be at "Nova" and he gave us all the details of the years he spent here.  It was a precious memory to walk these rural grounds and to see the sites of the many stories he has shared with us.   We were thrilled to experience what his life was like during his years at Novamykolivka.  It was obvious that this place was "home" to him and it made for a difficult goodbye.

                        These 2 loving caregivers have known Vanya for 3 years.  They were happy to hear that he is being adopted.  They had a beautiful little museum in the orphanage, which included some traditional Ukrainian dress that they insisted on seeing me in!      

                             Vanya took this picture of us with some of his closest friends.  

                          Vanya described the kids at this orphanage  as being one big family.
                       

                         This older couple lived right next to the orphanage and had developed
                         a very sweet relationship with Vanya.  They kept saying what a good
                         boy he is.  They said they were happy to know he was being adopted
                        and in good hands.

Our 2 Top 10 Lists

Our Top 10 Favorite Things About Ukraine

1. VANYA
2. Orphan Smiles
3. The Dynamic Evangelical Church Here - "Grace Melitopol"
4. Sergei - Our Amazing Facilitator
5. The Loving Teachers, Caregivers, and Directors of the 2 Orphanages We've Visited
6.  Fall Foliage & Brisk Air to Remind Us of Home
7. Vanya (just thought we'd sneak that in)
8. Restaurant Adventures - Last night we ordered Borsch & got 2 vanilla milkshakes (lol)
9. Cherry Pierogies?!?!
10. Did we already mention Vanya????

10 Things We Hope Never To Take For Granted Ever Again

1.   Family
2.   A Place to Call Home
3.   The Hope That We Have In Christ
4.   Our Washing Machine and Dryer
5.   Brushing Our Teeth With Tap Water
6.   Starbucks Coffee
7.   Toilets (as opposed to "squatty potties")
8.   The Ability to Communicate
9.   Paved Roads
10.  A Mounted Shower Head

Praises and Prayer Requests:

• Praise the Lord we got a court date.....Friday, October 21. Unfortunately, this was the same day that Jim was scheduled to come home. It was later than we expected as well as more costly and more difficult for Jim's return trip, but we're still so very thankful.  
• Pray for the salvation of Sergei, our facilitator. He will be moving in with us today. With as much time as we spend with him, pray that we will be able to impact him for Christ.
• Pray for the continued deepening of our relationship with Vanya and for all the changes he is currently anticipating.

A favorite song to share with you all:

Sweet, Sweet Reunion

After getting all the necessary paperwork and referral from SDA, we BARELY caught our 7:00 train out of Kiev.  We were with a facilitator and we all got separated in a VERY crowded train station, with less than 5 minutes until our train was scheduled to leave!  A little stress, a little adventure, but we made it.  The stairs were already up, but they made an exception and let us on anyways.  The train itself was really fun!  Jim and I have never done anything like it.  We had our own little compartment with 2 beds, a table, and a tv.  Jim was especially excited.  I was too, it just took me a little longer to get over the stress of the train station.  Anyway,  I told Jim that he was like a kid in a tree house!

10 hours later, at 5am, we arrived in Melitopol and were met by our translator, Sergei.  We found a hotel and were able to get a shower and a little rest before going to the inspector's office at 9am.  The inspector carefully reviewed all our documents and then accompanied us to the orphanage to meet the director as well as to see Vanya.

When we pulled up to the orphanage, Vanya was banging on the window!!!!  Our hugs were as sweet as I had expected!!!!  We didn't have much time for all the "lovey stuff" as we were escorted into the director's office.  During our meeting, we got to show them our pictures from over the summer, which proved to be a very important part of them realizing that we already had an established relationship with Vanya.  They asked a few questions, filled out more paperwork, and then asked Vanya to write a letter stating his desire to be adopted by us.  I had hoped to capture this moment in a picture, but we weren't allowed.  It really was beautiful, though!

Upon leaving, we were told our "visiting rights" and they said we could come back at 2:00, when Vanya was done school.

So, from 2-6:00 and then again today for several hours, we visited with Vanya, his close friends (whom we adore), and many other children.  We played soccer, mancala, battleship, and more.........all with Vanya as our translator!!!!!

Tomorrow, we will meet a bunch of "the guys" and go to the large evangelical church here.....the one where Vanya actually got saved as a result of their ministry.  We are really looking forward to our visit with these believers.

Please continue to pray for the smooth and efficient processing of all the necessary documents.  There is even more ahead than we realized!  Thank you all for your love and faithful prayers.

SDA success

Were you all up in the middle of the night praying?  Because at 9:00am this morning our time (2:00am EST), we arrived at SDA for our scheduled appointment and everything went very smoothly and very quickly.  They had all of Vanya's paperwork ready and they shared all the information they had about him.  We didn't really hear anything he hadn't shared with us already.  After this, they asked, "Would you like to see more referrals or have you made your decision?"  We smiled and of course replied, "We've made our decision."  And that was it!  We go back tomorrow between 4 and 5 to officially receive the referral and then hop on the 12 hour overnight train ride.

I gave Jim dibs on being the first one to hug Vanya!  I figured that if I can't keep my word, it will just end up being a group hug kind of a thing :).  Thanks for staying up to date with us.

First Day Out

A good friend once told me never to blog about what I had for breakfast.  However, I think this morning qualifies as an exception to that advice.  This morning, I woke up to yogurt parfait, chocolate torte, kefir- dipped french toast, and most importantly, VIA Starbucks!!!!  The Starbucks should clue you all into that this was a completely homemade breakfast prepared by my "One and Only".  If you DO know what kefir is, you'll get a laugh out of realizing that after mistakingly thinking it was milk and putting it on our cereal, we had to come up with another way to use it!  If you DON'T know what kefir is, it makes for an interesting google search!

Today, we ventured out into the city.  We figured out the Metro with only one mistake, we were blessed to have lunch with a wonderful woman here doing various ministries, and to top it off, we got "snuckered" into paying WAY more money than we should have to Garfield at Freedom Square.  This evening was spent on a stroll to St. Sophia's, dinner out, and a rather involved process of exchanging money at the bank.  It was a great time getting to know our surroundings, but we feel ready to move on and are looking forward to getting the ball rolling with the SDA (State Department of Adoptions) tomorrow morning.

2 items of prayer.......
1.   That all goes well with SDA the next 2 days.  They tend to be quite unpredictable and picky.
2.   That our process in entirety goes smoothly and quickly.  We were recently told that it rarely takes only five weeks to complete everything here.  The Lord knows how much our young family can handle, but we've still chosen to pray that things will go efficiently.

Thanks for your faithful prayers and enjoy the pics!!!

( This is primarily for my brother, Mark.....this graffiti is right outside our apartment.  I thought this was hilarious...)

Safe Arrival........

We just wanted to let everyone know that we landed safe, sound, and on time today in Kiev.  We even survived a first trip to the downtown grocery store.  I did  realize. however, that I should have brushed up on some basic Russian with Kristen and Karmen before we left.  I also realized that I forgot to pack all my mini skirts to blend in :).  Thank you all for your prayers that got us (and our luggage) here in such good shape.  As a reminder of our schedule:

Tuesday, Oct. 4 -  experience more of Kiev and catch up on some sleep.

Wednesday, Oct. 5 - SDA appointment at 9:00am

Thursday, Oct. 6 - 2nd SDA appointment, take overnight train to Vanya's region

Friday, Oct. 7 - SEE VANYA

Thanks again so very much for sending us off with all your love and prayers!

Up, up, and away.......

We leave tomorrow and know that we are going with a lot of love, prayers, and support.  Thank you for these gifts.  We can't wait to tell Vanya how dearly loved he is by all of you already.

5 Days and Counting.....

Well, it has been almost 3 weeks since we have been able to talk to Vanya.  We did receive an email from him the other day that said he was getting increasingly sad as he misses us and is wondering when we will arrive.  It was so wonderful to be able to email him back and tell him that we'll be seeing him in just 1 more week.

We thought we might give you all our tentative schedule of events while we're in Ukraine, but please do "follow" us there for all that awaits as we finalize our adoption.  We 're planning on giving lots of updates while we're there and we look forward to continuing this journey with all of you.  Again, we would ask that you cover us in prayer as we go.

Sunday, October 2 - fly out of Philly
Monday, October 3 - arrive in Kiev
Wednesday, October 5, 9:00am - Have our SDA (State Department of Adoptions) appointment to identify Vanya as the child we wish to adopt and be interviewed
Thursday, October 6 - receive and accept the official referral for Vanya.  Receive the necessary paperwork that allows us to visit with him at the orphanage.
- Take an overnight train to Vanya's region
Friday, October 7 - SEE VANYA and try not to hurt him when we hug him!!!!!
approx.  October 19 - 1st court hearing in region
Friday, October 21 - Jim comes home
approx.  October 19-29 - Mandatory 10 day waiting period
approx. October 30 - 2nd court hearing declaring Vanya as our child!!!!  We officially become 7 Moynihans!
approx. October 31 - Vanya and Wendy take a train to Kiev
approx. Nov. 1-8 - Vanya and Wendy process medical exams, documentation, Visa interview, etc.
Wednesday, November 9 - Vanya and Wendy return home!!!

Specific prayer requests include, but aren't limited to :)...

• Smooth and safe travelling
• Smooth and efficient processing of all documentation
• For the well being and stamina of our kids at home and those watching over them while we're away
• For Vanya as he brings closure to his life and relationships in Ukraine and anticipates his life in America
• For us to share the love of Christ with all those we'll have the opportunity to interact with including our adoption team, Ukrainian officials, orphans, and Vanya's loved ones. 

Lastly, we'd like to share a song that has recently both ministered to us and challenged us.  We'd like to share this in honor of Wendy's sister and brother-in-law, Kristen and Karmen Friesen, who for almost 2 decades have worked tirelessly in the name of Jesus for mercy and justice on behalf of many worldwide.  They have also played a major role in our adoption process and we thank God for them!

Flights are booked!!!

WOW......We're leaving in less than 2 weeks to go get our boy.  Today, we were able to firm up our travel plans and we're scheduled to leave on Sunday, October 2nd.....after Jim preaches, of course!    We will have time to visit with Vanya, but will also have lots of appointments and paperwork to complete as well.  Our trip will be divided between time in Kiev and time in Vanya's region, which is about a 12 hour train ride away from Kiev.

We would covet your prayers for a smooth, safe trip and for our kids back at home while we're away.  We also want to take the opportunity to thank each of you for your love, support, prayers, encouragement and financial gifts to our family these past few months.

Please continue to follow our blog as we hope to share the many experiences yet to come.

We got our due date.....I mean....We got our court date

We just found out about 25 minutes ago that we have been invited to meet with the SDA in Kiev, Ukraine on October 5 at 9:00 to begin the final portion of our adoption process!  We are thrilled to share this with you all who have been faithfully praying to this end with us.

We will be working out travel details in the next couple of days and will be sure to keep you all updated.  We thank God for His continued blessing on our adoption.

"Strength" or "Stress"?

For those of you who know our family really well, you might be able to guess the 2 males in our family who have the ability to change the lyrics to songs, whether for the better or for the worse.  You can all guess the one, and the other one, is Jonathan.

So, we're all at the breakfast table this morning and a few of the kids broke out in singing one of our favorite songs, "Everlasting God".  We got to the part that says, "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.  We will wait upon the Lord."  Jonathan belts out, "Stress will rise as we wait upon the Lord.  We will wait upon the Lord".  I looked at him and after some laughter realized that this was EXACTLY how I woke up feeling this morning!   (I also thanked him for the inspiration I needed for this new blog post.)

We are definitely in a quiet time of waiting.  The majority of the time, God has been good to lead me into a quiet trust in Him.  However, somewhere between yesterday and today, my heart has chosen to start worrying about our adoption process again.....worrying about Vanya's welfare right now.....worrying about all that is ahead.  Worry is sin and it rejects the very character of God....His power, His goodness, His faithfulness, and His sovereignty.  I have confessed it as sin and as I continue to choose to trust, I do ask once again for your prayers.

The times where I have felt my strength rising as I wait upon the Lord as opposed to my stress rising as I wait upon the Lord have been when:  1) The Holy Spirit ministers deeply to my soul, 2)  You, our friends and family have given your love, support, prayers, and encouragement, and 3) When I have simply made the volitional choice not to worry.

Are any of you waiting?  What a gift we have to pray for each other!  If you could use a little encouragement, I've included the link to this song.

Thanks again to each of you for your gifts of love in all the aspects of this journey.  We will be sure to keep you up to date as we get any news from Ukraine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhMdWjL2kiU&fmt=18

We actually DO KNOW what Vanya is thinking!!!!

Ok, you all might not even believe this, but we got to talk to Vanya on the phone yesterday. Didn't I just say 2 days ago that we had no ability to communicate with him? God has been so very good to us. A friend of ours (whom we've actually never met), has a boy at Vanya's camp who just acquired a cell phone for his birthday. Well, she generously offered us to call his number and see if he could locate Vanya. Within minutes, we were talking with him.....awesome.

Our conversation was so very sweet, as they all have been. He said he wishes we could come sooner and he was so excited to have us come to Ukraine....especially having a Papa in Ukraine, because he has never had that. As I got to thinking about this statement, I really wanted to identify from his perspective what it's like going from "no Papa" to "Papa". I concluded that besides the relationship itself, having a "Papa" means having a family identity. Having a "Papa" means having protection. Having a "Papa" means having provision and being taken care of. Having a "Papa" means having a forever support, affirmation, and love. When Vanya was here with us this summer, I told him that Jim is a good man to call "Papa".

During this time of difficult waiting, we thought we'd get Vanya thinking about all that he can expect when he gets here. We told him of the many preparations we're making. Then Jim asked him if he would like to play on our church's volleyball team with him. Vanya practically giggled and very sweetly replied, "Whatever you say, Papa. I'm with you". You could hear the sheer excitement in his voice. It was priceless.

Along with the phone call, would you also believe we got an email from him today? We have no idea how he accomplished this, but he did. I want to share his tender and personal words with you:

email 8/28/11

"Oh my family. I really miss you. I can't wait until we meet. With God's help, we will meet a lot earlier. I pray every day that everything would go well with my adoption. Love to everyone. Tell everyone "hello" and give kisses until we see each other again. Vanya"

Please continue to pray with us and with Vanya that all does go well with the adoption and that with God's help we will be united even sooner than expected.

So, I'm beginning to accept the fact that I actually have very little ability in this process, but GOD IS ABLE. Who knows what tomorrow might bring?

What Could Vanya Be Thinking Right About Now?

In my previous post, I shared a lot about the process that our family is going through as we prepare to graft Vanya into our family. Has anyone wondered what the process is like for him right about now?

Sadly, it has been almost 2 weeks since we were able to talk with Vanya, and at this point, we have no ability to be able to talk with him again until we see him (sigh). When we were able to Skype, however, we did get a sense as to what he might be thinking during this time of temporary separation. He said things like, "I wish you could come sooner than September or October", "The officials are just reviewing my documents, right?", "I miss you" and "I love you". In many other ways, he expressed his desire to be with us.

You know, as Jim and I have talked about adoption over the years, we always knew that if we were ever given this privilege, we would also receive the blessing of a deeper understanding of what it means for us to be adopted into God's family. (If you need a refresher, check out Ephesians 1:5-14.......AWESOME passage of scripture.)

Couple thoughts...

Before Vanya left, we gave hims LOTS of pictures, letters, gifts, memorabilia, etc. Yes, these things were meant for him to enjoy, but they were more intentionally given to him as a deposit to remind him that "we are coming back for you". Similarly, as children of God, we have also been given many deposits.....things that remind us that God will make good on His promise to come back for us. The greatest of these deposits is the Holy Spirit, which guarantees our inheritance until the Day of Redemption (Eph. 1:13-14).

Having been adopted into God's family, we anxiously await Jesus' return so that we can be united for all of eternity. We wish it could be sooner.... In the same way, what an incredible day it will be when we can look Vanya in the eye, give him a great big hug, and say, "You are ours! You are not an orphan anymore! You are a forever part of our family".

Finally, after our adoption is finalized and we travel home to the U.S.A, as soon as Vanya's feet touch U.S soil, he becomes an American citizen too!!! What a picture of Ephesians 1:5-14.... We are adopted as God's children through Jesus according to His pleasure and will. In Him, we were chosen. In Him, we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin, and the riches of God's grace. We have been given the Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. And lastly, as said in Philippians 4:20, "Our citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ."

So, what could Vanya be thinking right about now? He's probably thinking a lot of the same things we are thinking as God's adopted children. Check out this video.....



We'll be smiling, Vanya. We will definitely be smiling.....

"Pre-Adoptive Pregnancy"

My kids and I recently had a conversation about Vanya. Nathanael said, "Mom, you're pregnant with a 5'8", 120 lb. baby"!!! I laughed, but then realized, that it is true! Having been through 4 pregnancies, I recognize the feeling. The anticipation, the preparation, and yes, even some morning sickness. Although we don't know for sure, it appears that I am in my 3rd trimester and am still awaiting to hear an official due date.

Jim has noticed some weird behaviors too, like sorting my silverware drawer and re-organizing clothes closets. He shot me a funny look and my response was a sheepish, "I think I'm nesting". (lol) Check out this description of "nesting" from Pregnancy Weekly:

"Around the fifth month of pregnancy, the "nesting" instinct can set in. This is an uncontrollable urge to clean one's house brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world.

Females of the animal kingdom are all equipped with this same need. It is a primal instinct. Just as you see birds making their nests, mothers-to-be do exactly the same thing. The act of nesting puts you in control and gives a sense of accomplishment toward birth.

Nesting brings about some unique and seemingly irrational behaviors in pregnant women and all of them experience it differently. There seems to be no end to the lengths a nesting mother will go to prepare for her upcoming arrival."

Along with the strange behaviors comes the pure excitement of a new family member. So far, I'd have to say that adoption feels a lot like pregnancy and the rewards will prove to be the same too, as is promised by God. "CHILDREN ARE A BLESSING FROM THE LORD".

Praise The Lord!

We are thanking and praising the Lord today upon hearing that our dossier has been successfully submitted to the SDA in Kiev, Ukraine. We will probably not hear anything for about 2-3 weeks while our documents are being reviewed. But then, upon acceptance of the paperwork, we will be invited to travel and go get our boy! Don't underestimate your prayer in this process and thank you so very much for the prayers on our behalf. Even though this is a long process, our agency told us today that we are fortunate to have it moving along quickly and relatively smoothly.

So, what do the next few weeks have in store? For us, we will be preparing for Vanya's transition into our family.....everything from heating his room downstairs to figuring out the best education options. And yes, more paperwork to be working on too! For Vanya, however, these next few weeks may be very difficult for him. He will most likely be moving to a Tech School on Sept. 1st and be living rather self-sufficiently in a larger city. Also, since we have no way to communicate with him, he won't have the luxury of knowing that indeed things are moving along just fine. Please pray for his safety and also that he would have no fear or doubt set in. Pray for him as he begins to have closure with his friends and family in Ukraine. Pray that he would get connected with the evangelical church in the city where his school will be.

You all have been a tremendous support. Thank you so much for "owning" this with us. We will be sure to give an update whenever we get some news.

Documents Delivered......

5 short days ago, I complained about the $123 paid to FedEx to deliver our 5 precious papers to Kiev, Ukraine. Today, however, I'm thanking God for FedEx. We got delivery confirmation that our documents successfully made it to Ukraine today (even earlier than expected). Our current request: Please pray that our dossier can be submitted this Monday to begin it's review. Pray too, that the review goes quickly, smoothly, and ends in a travel date that isn't too far away.

We covet your prayers.

"Thank you, Lord for each lesson learned and for each miracle experienced in this process. Thank you for the prayers of our dear friends and family. We praise you for being both sovereign and good. We trust you with all that remains, with all that we cannot see, and with all that You have planned. Thank you that Vanya is Your son......that he has already been adopted into Your family and is being loved by You every day."

What's Your Best Guess?

Well, Monday was a rather long, stressful day full of pending phone calls, emails, and decisions on how to best fix the 2 errors in our paperwork. By 3:00 though, we were able to manage a solution for the one error and we were also able to drive to pick up another needed document, get it notarized, apostilled, and mailed off to Kiev. Would anyone like to take your best guess as to how much it costs to send 5 sheets of paper to Ukraine? $123. I almost fainted in the FedEx store after hearing that and not having eaten anything all day.

So, we are thanking God and praying that all will be correct and arrive on time for the dossier to be submitted in Kiev on Monday. Please pray with us towards this end.

On another note, we were able to skype Vanya for the third and last time yesterday. The American couples who were at the camp have now left, so we no longer have any means of communication. We had a very sweet conversation with Vanya. He seemed especially soft and sincere and expressed a lot of love to the family. After he leaves camp on August 30, he moves to a city to begin a Tech School on Sept. 1. We are concerned about this transition for him and would again ask for your prayers for God's protection over Vanya.

Prayer of Protection and Perfection!

Today, we had the precious opportunity to skype with Vanya again. I wanted to share a small bit of inspiration with you that came from Vanya's own words to us today. Jim and I were telling Vanya how excited all of our friends and family (and even some strangers that we've met recently)are about his adoption into our family. His response was a very clear smile and then he said, "I've never had that before". Is anyone crying yet? Here is a 16 year old boy who has never consistently been loved, supported, and celebrated! Thanks to each of you for doing this with us!

As an item of prayer, we received news today that our dossier, which was to be submitted in Kiev on Monday, has 2 errors. This is most certainly a set back as it can sometimes take a lot of time to make even make minor corrections to these types of documents. Even in my disappointment, I am choosing to trust in God's timing. "Sooner" may not be "Better" for reasons we don't understand. However, we NEED PRAYER FOR THIS PROCESS. I haven't mentioned it before, but we are actually on a ticking clock of about 4 months remaining to complete this adoption. After this allotted time, the United States will stop the process because of Vanya's age. We really don't have any time to lose.

Please pray for speed, protection, and perfection of our documents! We will be tackling the corrections on Monday and would very much appreciate being covered in prayer.

Thanks to each of you and don't underestimate your impact!

A surprise "Hello" from Ukraine!

An Unexpected Blessing....

Wow!!!! Would you all believe that in the last 24 hours we were able to find out about an American couple that is currently at Vanya's camp and was able to set up a skype session for us this morning???? Reflecting on our journey, God has blessed us in so many ways, both big and small. This was a pretty big one! When we had to say goodbye to Vanya just over a week ago, we had no leads and no expectation of being in touch with him until we actually traveled to Ukraine.

It was great to just see him alive and well on the other side of the world. It was even better to be able to tell him how much we love and miss him. He was all smiles and even got to introduce us to one of his best friends! He introduced us as his family!

He expressed his love for us and said he wished we could come and get him sooner than September or October. We, of course, said the same.

We told him that we have his pictures up all over the house and that our family just isn't the same without him here. And somehow all the kids got talking about how Mama hasn't stop crying this whole past week. Oh well.....this kid has got to know how much he is loved!

So, what an amazing provision of God, especially for this Mama's heart!

Mid-journey

We are not at the beginning of our adoption journey, but at a junction which we welcome all of our precious friends and family to journey with us. Please partner with us in prayer as we hope to bring Vanya home in the next couple of months!

We got news today that our dossier (final documents) are translated and will be submitted to the SDA in Kiev on Monday!