Wait! Check That!! Court Date to be Rescheduled!

The use of the internet over the weekend and into the week was impossible because the clinic’s internet server was not functioning. So, we’ve been unable to post or do much of anything. That’s just some of the bad news. Our translator Lyudmila told us right after we received our court date last week to not make any changes in plans (flights, etc.) because often court dates get rescheduled. She was right. On Sunday evening we received a call saying that a paper that is necessary for the court date to proceed was needed from the SDA in Kiev and it had not arrived yet. This might be because of at least one holiday last week. So, we are in a holding pattern. We waited all day for a call that might come to either get us in for the court on Monday or give us another date. We called Lyudmila and she said that when this happens we essentially have to wait for Natasha, the adoption lawyer. When she gets information on it, then we’ll get a phone call from her right away. Meanwhile, Robert is scheduled to return to the states on Saturday, Nov. 15. But given the situation that may have to change. Please pray that we’ll get word from Natasha on a new court date on Monday night or Tuesday, which will give us time to make plans.

Meanwhile we have been getting some extra time with V and B. On Friday we were able to watch them practice for an upcoming festival in Odessa on Thursday the 13th. Many of the orphanage children will be performing. V will be part of a dance troupe of girls that will perform a Ukrainian folk dance and also a more modern dance to a fun little tune called “Chihuahua”. B is part of an emcee team of 4 boys for the event. They needed clothes for the event and so we were asked to go out and purchase the clothes for them. So on Saturday we spent the day from 10am to 3pm with them in the center of the city. It was a nice chance for us to be together and to experience the buses and city with them. They pointed sights out to us along the way. We visited the open-air market and some of the department type of stores near it. We found B his pin-striped suit and bow tie eventually. We found V her dancing shoes and special jeans for the festival event. We also took the opportunity to get them some clothes for traveling with Kim to Kiev and then the USA. We found B a beanie, sweater and winter jacket and we found V a sweater and winter jacket. It was a lot of fun and after searching so many booths at the open-air market we felt we had a successful time. We then went to a local restaurant for some lunch. They were so excited to share with others what we had bought them. They essentially leave with whatever we provide for them because their clothes stay at the orphanage. So, this means we have more shopping to do.

We attended Lyudmila’s church on Sunday, which is an Evangelical Reformed Church. They have a one-year old building and are trying to make an impact in the community. It’s a hard, atheist area with many who are transplants from Russia. We (the Greers and us) were asked to share our stories of how we came to be there and why we were adopting. We shared about the last 15 months and about the way people are praying for us and the children. Pastor Sergey is Lyudmila’s husband and he said that until recently orphans were considered generally to be second-class citizens and that adoptions were not well thought of. However, he said that this is changing and he thought it would be good to hear our stories and our heart’s desire for adoption. We shared about the Lord’s heart for it and that is why we have a heart for it.

We spent Sunday afternoon with V and B and a bunch of boys as we played in the little fitness room of the orphanage. They did gymnastic tumbling, wrestling, weightlifting, etc. We took lots of pictures of them. On Monday we went late in the afternoon to spend time with V and B. They weren’t as upbeat as they have been and we weren’t either. I think all of us were tired or even down due to the court date delay. We hope to take them on a trip on Wednesday and let them show us the fortress of Belgorod. It sits right on the bay at the point of land that juts out into the bay. This will be a good trip if we can get it arranged. Pray that the Lord will give us this time with them and the Greers and their little boy V. We’ll post our new court date as soon as we get it. Some good news though…Kim’s Blackberry phone (it’s red and black so we call it her Raspberry) began working (not for talking on it, but the international data function that we activated for this trip allows her to do email and Facebook from it).