Sundays with the Alderinks =)

Here's a few pictures from the past couple of Sundays here in the Alderink household. A couple are from a Sunday spent in Turkey Run State Park and the rest are from this previous Sunday. As a family, with the addition of Ken, Anna, Gabby, and Grandma, we went bike riding along the canal for an hour.
Things are starting to change and life is becoming more normal. The boys started school 2 weeks ago. Jessica and Rebecca started last Tuesday and Ellen started college at IUPUI today. Thank you again for the prayers and we'll keep you posted as life continues to change!

June 13, 2010

It has been a while since we have posted anything new. I have heard that there are still folks that check the site for updates. I am sorry we haven't been as communicative, life has changed!
We are now 3 1/2 months into this journey. Our definition/experience of "normal"is slowly shifting to a new location. To say the road has been easy is untrue!! It is difficult. We are seeing positive steps as the boys learn the language. Both boys finished school well. Mitchell was on the "high honor roll". He did work hard on his vocabulary and math homework. Garrett is becoming more fluent with the alphabet and numbers.

I have posted some new photos for you to see how the boys have grown





Mike and Garrett in the pool while on vacation to Outer Banks, NC. The boys did great and provided a great time for them to improve their swimming skills.

Mitchell enjoyed playing pool on vacation.

April 3, 2010

We are now five weeks into this experience.
This past week has been pretty good. We all continue to learn how to deal with this meshing of lives. Since the weather has been good, we have been able to be outside riding bike, fishing, and doing yard work.
Last weekend God's faithfulness was again evident as he provided a lady who grew up in Indiana but whose parents had immigrated from Ukraine to the US during WWII. Nella was able to communicate clearly with the boys and us. It provided an avenue to go over some things. For my sake it allowed me to apologize to Garrett for getting angry with him. My moment of anger led to two hours of absolute pandemonium the previous night. She was able to give us some insights into the situation plus she encouraged us. Being able to meet with her on a short notice was like water on a desert land. God continues to provide manna...just what we need for each day.
School for both boys seems to be going well. Mitchell is diligent about getting his work done and takes it very seriously. Garrett is coming along with his participation in doing homework. I no longer have to walk him into school. His mood is sunny when we pick him up and the teacher says he is doing well. I am thankful for the 2.5 hours that I have when they are both in school. All the kids are on Spring break this next week.
This reclamation, as Mike is now calling it, has as much to do about changing us and it does about changing the boys. It is painful at times, yet rewarding.
Garrett's English is coming along. His latest phrase is.."Come to me", when he wants us. Where he got that we don't know. Mitchell has started answering the phone which is a brave move.
Ellen is struggling with our parenting. She observes that we are not holding to the same rules as we did when they were younger. Mike and I run in the house as we chase the boys, we let the boys go to bed without brushing their teeth, if Garrett chooses not to eat dinner we let him have food before bedtime...all these things we thought we would never do as a parent have gone out the window. She is learning that not all rules are in stone.
I am back to work and I am grateful. It is the one part of my life that is "normal". I am thankful for my job!! The girls take the reins when I work and so far it has been okay for them for the most part.
Garrett is eating better. Bologna, cucumbers, boiled eggs, sausage, any fresh fruit, tomatoes...his palate is growing and we are grateful. Our grocery bill has grown as well. Mitchell is a good eater and tries most anything which is nice.
All prayer support continues to be appreciated! Thanks for your comments and emails as well.
Doris for the crew ....Mike watching the Butler game, Becca, Jessica, Mitchell, and Garrett playing Super Mario, and Ellen reading a book in her room.

Inside the Lucas Oil Stadium. Practice was underway for the final four teams. The boys were clueless as to what they were looking at. They did enjoy the free give- aways. The day was a beautiful spring day.

April 3, 2010

April 3, 2010. Becca and I took the boys downtown to participate in the excitement of hosting the NCAA Final Four. This was all our first trips to Lucas Oil Stadium.

Family photo taken March 21.

Family Life

The post below is from Dennis Rainey's website. It is the 3rd installment of an interview with a lady who deals with adoptions. Good stuff. Mike

Parenting At-Risk Children - FamilyLife.com

Parenting At-Risk Children - FamilyLife.com

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Fishing

Well, fishing was a success. Ever since our neighbor let Garrett sit by him while fishing, these boys have asked repeatedly for fishing gear. Today was the day.

March 22

We are 24 days into this adventure, but who is counting!! Each day that passes is another one we don't have to relive. Each day is another day that the boys are in their new environment and we are with them. Each day is another day that they have exposure to the language and our routine. Each day is another day that they are learning about their new place in life.
This adventure is difficult. Our comfortable life has been turned upside down and inside out. The real cost of our decision is with us daily, sometimes hourly. We seek the Lord for his wisdom and guidance.
Our adventure cannot be as challenging as what the boys are experiencing. I cannot imagine being six and eleven, leaving everything familiar behind and stepping into a new world. The language, the tastes, the sites are all different. The one constant is the brother that is by your side.
We are working on helping them to learn the boundaries in this new world. With the language difference, it is a challenge. Add to that the institutional world that has been their home, and their home life before the orphanage and we have no idea what they are all dealing with. Today we battled over having "no" mean "no". Thankfully I am bigger then the younger boy and can usually avoid his reach, but it is taxing to fight the battle. We have tried to not sweat the little things, ie, changing clothes, brushing teeth, eating meals. Some things have to addressed, thus there are the battles.
The girls are learning what we meant when we talked about the "cost" of adoption. We talked about what that would be other then $$, now we are experiencing it first hand. The loss of peace and quiet in the home, parents that are busier and have less focus, and little brothers that can be pesky. Ellen, Jessica, and Rebecca have been huge helpers in taking the boys outside and kicking the soccer ball or playing on the swing set. For that I am very grateful. We try to allow them to have their own time as well, but we are still working on getting all this figured out.
All prayer support is greatly appreciated. We are in the trenches and it is a battle for their hearts, minds, and souls. We are confident that this is the path that the Lord wants us on, so we will trust him. Others have gone down this path and survived. We will press on....
Doris

Life with two boys

I guess we keep forgetting about this blog This is for everyone who has not met the boys
Life around here can get crazy. Garrett can be a bit of a challenge at times He says no first to anything except borsh ( a Ukrainian beat soup I think) For me as the oldest I have to back off on being mom and at times I have to be a mother figure due to her or Dad's absence
Garrett and Mitch are adjusting well to three older sisters. They love teasing us. Right now they have discovered the many uses of the phone and I have to stop them
MITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok I'm back and Mitch is doing his homework with me, Mom and Dad are both at work
I barely remember the desperate days in Ukraine.
No I won't forget what God did but I sure am glad to be home
Ellen for everyone

March 8, 2010

It was a beautiful early spring day in Indiana. Our boys enjoyed playing in the backyard most of the afternoon. They spent sometime just talking as they sat in the swings.



I have been wanting to provide an update on how our adventure is going now that we are back in familiar territory. We have been home for ten days and I would give the overall experience a B-. I thank my heavenly Father for a supportive husband and three teenage daughters that are maturing into wonderful women and big sisters!!!
The boys, Mitchell and Garrett, are responsive, lively kids. Mitchell is a huge help in that he can read Ukrainian so we use Google translate daily. He also knows some English and is doing well picking it up. He is a positive kid and goes with the punches. He tries all kinds of food and lets us know what he thinks. He has been respectful of the boundaries that we have set in regards to the Wii, watching videos and computer games.
He is a good big brother to Garrett.
Do you remember what life was like when you were six? I don’t either because my world was secure with minimal changes. Garrett’s world has been turned upside down and he is trying to figure out what it is all about. We were to begin kindergarten today. We had his backpack ready; he knew that it was today, we thought we were going to be okay. He woke up with a cloud over his head; he was not going to school. Mike and I got him dressed, loaded him in the car, and drove the two miles to Carey Ridge Elementary school. He screamed Ukrainian the entire way. I went in alone and talked with the teacher. We decided to attend school on Wednesday during music class with Mitchell and try to phase him into school. While I was in the school, Mike called Mitchell and had him listen to what Garrett was screaming. He told us that he was afraid. Okay, I can handle that! We returned home, went over the plan with both boys and the cloud lifted. Two other areas of challenge have been seatbelts and eating. Seatbelts were optional in Ukraine. I don’t recall seeing any children in safety seats but here the law says Garrett has to sit in one. He doesn’t like that law and continues to challenge its relevance to him. We are unwavering. Food has been another area of struggle. It does not seem to be an important part of life and he has chosen to not participate in meals. We have made sure there has always been something available that we know he eats, yet he chooses to not. We don’t think he will starve. Tonight he did well with dinner so praying that the food control is fading.
Today was a good day. Both boys spent most of the afternoon outside playing on the swing set or riding bikes. Garrett is learning and is doing well. Mitchell rode around the block three times by himself. He is in need of a bigger bike which will be coming from Ohio soon. I am thankful that the weather is such that they can be outside to get rid of their boy energy.
We again thank you for your prayer support. Both Mike and I have felt fatigue but not over whelming. We both are emotionally rooted in the fact that this is the path the Lord wants us on and he will provide what we need. These are precious boys and we are enjoying getting to know them.

Sunday, February 28

The family is adjusting to our latest additions. The noise coming from the living room is one of happy kids. This is Garrett's first time playing WI and he is enjoying it immensely, at least that's what I think he is saying. Our challenges have been with the younger fellow. Seat belts and booster seats are foreign concepts that are now apart of his world. He bucked it at first, but is realizing there isn't another option. Food is still a challenge. He has not eaten enough to feed his little body. We have tried to have friendly food options but he continues to choose to not eat. We know that he will eventually see something that he will want to eat or be so hungry he'll eat anything. His method of operation seems to be say "no" first and then warm up to the idea. Mitchell is a good kid. He encourages his brother and helps to make him understand what is going on. Reggie has been a big hit. Earlier in the afternoon, the boys were trying to hide from the dog but he would always find them. The sound of happy children is priceless!! The girls are being wonderful big sisters! This week we will have a doctors visit and do some clothes shopping. We will go talk to the school and see about enrolling them the next week. I think they will be ready to have something more to do.

It is so nice to be home...pillow top mattresses, toilets with seats, drinking water from the tap, sidewalks free of snow and ice. The family is glad to have me home as well. It's nice to be appreciated.

As a family we talked about all the prayer support that we had for this adventure. We looked back on all the prayers that were answered...safety, process completed, new friends, new perspectives. We know that God answered a lot of them, more then we are aware of, more then we can ask or think of. How can we say thanks? I think continued obedience to the Lord and service to him is our way.

At Home

We got home a little after 8:30. Mike had prepared a banner for the Homecoming. They had balloons (blue and yellow- Ukrainian colors) too.

First Photo

Presenting, for the very first time, the Alderink family. Yes, this was the very first time EVER that all 7 of us were together. Only once in Ukraine were Mitchell and Garrett together and the girls could not be with us that day. Wow!

It is finished.

February 24, 2010

I am sitting on the floor in a three bedroom apartment with four adults and six boys. We are all either parents or sons, officially and by the grace of God. It has been a fruitful day.
We were up early and out the door before eight to get to the American Embassy. Since we are American citizens, we move to the front of the line and go right through to the security check. It looked like we were the only three families utilizing the adoption windows so we moved through pretty fast. Before they would complete the visa application, we had to get each boy a physical exam. That required getting back into the taxi and driving across town. We had more waiting, along with a lot of other people leaving Ukraine for Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or the US. The boys checked out okay, then back to the embassy with the appropriate paperwork. More waiting……the process was completed at 4pm. We have visas, passports, and our sons.

Wednesday came on the heels of a very busy Tuesday. After we finally got our passports at 10:30 p.m., we headed to the first orphanage. It took 45 minutes to get all the paperwork completed and personal items collected. The five boys had to be awakened as they had been put to bed since we were running so far behind. We got to Mitchell’s orphanage at 11:50 p.m. He was awake and the paperwork didn’t take long, thankfully. We had rented a shuttle bus that had room to accommodate all of our luggage and people (11) so the bumpy ride north was tolerable. We arrived in Kiev at 2:30 a.m. The two men lugged all the luggage up three flights of stairs. We had lights out a little after 3 a.m.

I am weary but rejoicing. These boys will grow up to be good men. They are loved and valued for being God’s creation. Our sons are delightful. Mitchell was a huge help today with the younger more energetic boys. His maturity and poise is heart-warming to watch.
He looks out for his little bother and encourages him to do what is right. Garret is coming out of his shell. He talks a lot and I have no clue what he is saying. Last night the brothers sat next to each other on the bus. It was the first they had seen each other in over a month. I would have loved to know what their conversation was about. It went on for a long time, a dialogue between two brothers starting a new life. Yes, I have seen defiance and I know there will challenges but just as God has been with us through this adventure, he will be with us for the future ones.

Thursday will be a play day. We have no place to go and no place to be. My plan is to walk around the city and let the boys enjoy this town. It will be an early night as we have to be at the airport by 3:30 A.M. on Friday morn.

They say apples don't fall far from the tree. I say these boys are well on their way to having it apply to them. Let me introduce Mitchell James and Garret Isaac imitating their mom.

A Reflection

It must be human nature to remember the worst situation rather then the ones that are just “normal”. You can go through a day and have people provide good, even excellent service and you don’t recall their names or positions, but have a bad experience and you will have that in your memory box for years to come. We had one of those days Tuesday. Viktor, our facilitator, enlisted the help of many fine Ukrainian civil servants to get our final adoption paperwork through the system. He had them lined up and willing to stay over until the job was completed. Due to their kind consideration, three families got their paperwork all done, in one day, up to the point of going to the regional office for our passports. We arrived at the office at 5:15. The lady in charge knew we needed six and had them there, yet, when we arrived she was out of the office at a party. We waited for almost five hours to get the passports. She arrived all dressed up from her partying a little tipsy. Let’s just say it left a bad taste in our mouths. Thus my reflection of human nature; all those folks that enabled us to achieve our goal will be forgotten, but the one that created a mess will be remembered.


A Reflection

The hallway we spent close to five hours in waiting for the passports.



The facilities available to us while we waited..waited..waited.

"Ground Hogs Day" is over!

Do you remember the Bill Murry movie "Ground Hogs Day", where he lived the same
day over and over? The Helton's and I have been living our own version for the past ten days. We get up at the same time, eat the same breakfast, walk the same icy/slushy roads, visit the same kids, eat dinner out at the same restaurants (those with English menus), and then retire to the same apartment for either a movie or the Olympics (in Ukrainian). I am grateful to say, the appeal period is over!!! We have the court documents so we are progressing through getting the appropriate paperwork necessary to take the boys to the states. Lord willing we will be on our way to Kiev this evening with boys in tow. The vehicle will have four parents and six boys plus Viktor our facilitator. Think that might be a noisy ride?? The Thomas' are already in Kiev with their two children.
Once in Kiev the boys will have a medical check-up. We take that to the US Embassy and submit the final paperwork for visas. This should all be done so we can fly out on Friday. Thankfully the Lufthansa strike has been postponed for two weeks so that will not impact us.
I am ready to introduce Mitchell and Garrett to our life in Indiana. It will be a good life!!
Thanks for your words of encouragement and your prayers. Their impact is immeasurable.
Rejoicing in the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father!!
Doris

Tools for the day.

Since I cannot show a picture of Garrett, I will show you what we get to play with during our daily visit. This grouping of toys has pretty much kept us busy for the past nine days. The Play-doh is a favorite as are the paper airplanes (the most recent addition to our antics). He consistently defeats me at the memory game. Oh, those young brains are to be enjoyed!!,

Downtown Cherkassy

You wondered what happened to AVON, well it is alive and well here. The ladies have their wares out in front of McDonald's everyday. It is pushed as a business opportunity for women. You go girl!!


This "Time Square" like video board graces the plaza across from the McDonald's and next to a shopping center along the main boulevard of town.


Ah, McDonald's, our hub. Whenever we need a taxi to take us downtown, we just say McDonald's and they know where we want to go. It has wifi so we frequent it for that purpose. The prices are not that much less then in the states, so by Ukrainian standards it is a real treat due to its higher cost. The playground has been in use even during the cold weather. I told you, these folks are hardy!!

Where's Noah??

This photo just doesn't do it justice!! The melting has begun and the runoff goes into
the streets. It is hazardous for the vehicles as the water hides the potholes. It is
dangerous for pedestrians as the water is deep and it is pretty much everywhere. The
snow/ice on the sidewalks is slush and tiresome to maneuver.

Happy #16 Jessica!!!!!!

My second child was born sixteen years ago today at 2240. It was a painful birth (aren't they all??)but well worth it!!! We are grateful to God for blessing us with her. I am hoping that the current "birth" process that I am in is fading. This one is not physically painful, just more of an on going pain as "normal" life is disrupted, familiarity is a distant memory, and we are at the mercy of a different governmental system.
Tuesday is when the real action begins. We are free to get the appropriate paperwork needed for passports then head to Kiev. There are four families, eight children, that will need to get a lot of paperwork done before we can move on. Prayer support is requested. It sounds like the day is non-stop with picking up paperwork, getting it notorized, etc.... Our goal is to get the kids on the way out of town, unsure what the facilitators plans are, they return Monday.
After we booked our tickets for Friday on Lufthansa, we learned their pilots are having a strike Mon-Thursday this week. Pray that we can get all the paperwork done and that we will be able to get our flight on Friday without any hitches.
Many thanks, Doris


This could be your place of employment. They are scattered throughout the city selling dried fruit, nuts, pastries. They are open for 12 hours.



Hats anyone???

Half way there!

We are now into day six of our ten day appeal period. It is a slower pace. We joke that it is a rest before we get the kids full time, head to Kiev, and then on to our real lives. Since there will be a group of fourteen of us, we will all have support and help. I think the children will be glad to be together as well.
Enjoying the slow lane.
Doris

Life in Ukraine-Shopping

These fine ladies were gracious enough to let me take a picture of them and their meat. I think it is pork. The building in the center of the "market" area is packed with people selling their wares. There are group into similar products as is all the market. Some have nice stands, others just stand out in the open. It is a great place to go for an anatomy lesson.






Pick your organ to eat. Some were easily identifiable, others-not so much. All very fresh, every day! Walking through the building made me feel like I had gone back in time. Can you imagine what this smells like in the summer?





A common look to the retail shops in the market area. You can walk from the hunting/fishing part to the housewares, to pets, and then on into the building in the center to buy your fresh milk, cheese, and meat.

A little story

Hey everyone this is Ellen I know I said that Mom would be the only one to blog from now on but I thought you guys would like to here a story
About two weeks ago things were looking really bleak It was looking like we would have to all leave well I felt really bad and I was questioning God. In my heart I asked if he would send me a sign that he could hear me but right after I did I said never mind you are God you don't have to show me a thing.
Not ten minutes later I was listening to my Mp3 player in my parents room when I pass one of thier shevles on that shelf my eyes saw two Pennys. I broke down and cried
See my Aunt Nini told me a while ago that she read a book about pennies and how it changed the life of a girl so much and how it reminded the girl that God loves her. So she ( my Aunt) had been picking up pennies as well When she told me that it inspired me to do the same.
The pennies always seem to show up when I am having a hard time
So when my eyes saw not one but two pennies in the heart of Ukraine I was told that God heard me and he loved me.
I told Jess and becca what happend and Jess told me she'd seen those pennies several times and was suprised I hadn't
Thought you all would like to hear that
Ellen ( once again ) signing off

We're Back

Hey Everyone
Ellen here
Well just to lat you all know of the seven members of our family 4 have made it home in one piece. For the other three they have about two weeks before we see them again I miss them all alot
But on the flight
We got up at 5 in the morning (Germany time 11pm here) the burnetts all got up to say bye Mr. Burnett drove us through Heidelberg and we did find our home this time ( whew it looked different than I remeber ) We went to the airport got on the plane it was an uneventful night Got to New york tried to find the internet but it wouldn't work. Finally after four hours we got on the plane ( no delay this time) and made it home and man is it good to back in Hoosier territory. Grandma and Aunt Nini picked us up now we will be waiting anxiously for mom to come home with the boys
thats all
This is Ellen signing off from Indy

February 16

Greetings all!
As I am typing this, sitting in the Plazma "food court" area accessing the wifi, I imagine that the rest of my family are asleep in their beds, at home. They probably had a very late night with their plane not scheduled to arrive until after 10pm.
My life is so free of demands at this point, I am keenly aware of enjoying this time because this is not "normal life". I have books, needle point, and the other couples to fill my days plus the time with the boys.

Today I go see Mitchell. With there just being the two of us, we will have to limit our card playing to "war". Thought we might look at the pictures on the computer. The time with Garret has been good. Yesterday the children put on a program for us. They were all decked out. He looked so cute in his black dress pants, vest, white shirt, and bow tie. He was all grins! We have been building with Duplo-type blocks. He likes to build robots and guns to shoot them. HHHMMMM. Yesterday I made a "grandma robot" and he even destroyed her! He isn't so keen about working on writing his letters or doing any type of "structured" lessons so, I just add them to what we are doing. I would love to post pictures, but they ask that we don't until
after the appeal period is completed.

Enjoy the day! Doris

Architectural Variety

One of many older brick buildings around town. This one looks like it is not being lived in. I like the shutters and just the character of these types of buildings.



This is a modern house.

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This is one of many apartment buildings that dot the landscape of Cherkassy. They are very utilitarian in appearance. (Looks similar to the one we are staying in.) I presume they were built during the USSR time frame. There are some newer apartment buildings that look nicer but I am sure that the price is "nicer" as well. I much prefer the older as seen in the top picture. The older buildings are made of brick and have nice masonry handiwork. Most of the bricks are a pretty orange-red. New construction have white brick which I don't find as nice.

Snow Removal Underway!

Because of the amount of snow that is here, they are clearing off rooftops. We saw on one of the taller buildings downtown that someone had a snow blower on the roof blowing the snow over the side to the pedestrians walking on the sidewalk. They all took it in stride, put up their hoods, ducked in their heads and moved on.




Heavy equipment is now moving the snow piles out. Men are busy taking advantage of the 32F weather to chip away at the snow and ice piles!

The People of Ukraine

The face of one of the many Ukrainians that has made our adventure here rich because of the human element.

Having been out of the influence of the American culture for four weeks now, I think I will make some observations of the people that I cross paths with everyday.
I have observed that they are a hardy people. No matter the age and time of day, there is life visible on the sidewalks around town. When the temperatures were bitter cold (5F) people were out and living like they normally do. In Indy it would have been a ghost town. The older folks are out in the market and bus stops with their small bags of purchased items. The women are always dressed nicely. The older/middle aged women have on their fur/leather coats and black boots. Many wear pretty fur hats/tams. The younger generation wears tight pants with a variety of colored boots-usually with high heels. Facial piercing is not commonly seen. Their appearances are well manicured. The men wear black. The older gentlemen like the fur Russian style hats. I have seen only a few people that I would classify as frumpy. The population is slender, even the employees at McDonalds!
More men smoke here then women. Fortunately no smoking is allowed in public buildings. Alcohol is a significant part of their culture as seen in the grocery stores and the trash in the snow. It is cheap and plentiful. Drunk driving is not tolerated, so we have observed drunken walkers. One middle aged gentleman had fallen and couldn’t get up due to the ice under the snow. Mike and I assisted him and he looked at us with a blank stare. He didn’t have on gloves or a hat, but he managed to meander on to somewhere. My heart ached for him, a life snared by an addiction.
Dental care is on a different level then in the states. Folks do have dental work done as seen by their gold teeth. Most folks here smile with a closed lip smile. I noticed even the kids in the orphanage don’t show their teeth when they smile.
Now that I am here alone, I am comfortable walking around alone. People are cordial. I know that we must stick out as people have said, “American” when we have walked by, but everyone has been friendly and helpful. Yesterday a lady thanked me for coming to Ukraine. I’m glad I’m here too.

Made it to Stuttgart

Got up on Friday morning at about 7:30, and, other than the 2 hours with my head nodding in the back seat of our taxi from midnight to 2am, I have not slept. (I could sleep on the hardwood floor without a mattress or pillow right now.) But, I am here on
Saturday night, in Stuttgart, with the Burnetts and 3 of my kids. More later when I can see straight again.

Wanted Snow Removal Companies!!!

This is one of the worst winters in recent Ukraine history. I am glad to be apart of all the snow for it sure brightens things up and covers all the ugly. However, I do find it easier to walk on sidewalks that are cleared. I don't enjoy feeling like I am walking in shifting sand all the time. You can see the roads are not cleared at all. The way to get unstuck is to spin your tires and hope you catch. We often see walkers-by give someone a push at the corners or in drives. Everyone shares the same challenge so they all deal with it together.



The picture shows the height difference between a cleared sidewalk of a business and the public sidewalk. The difference is at least five inches. There are several inches of solid ice under the snow. I would think a business man could make some money offering their services. The tools that are available are often shovels made of wood. We saw one that looked like it was a cookie sheet duct taped to a wooded stick.

Birth of a Family

One of the unexpected enjoyments of this adventure has been the folks we are experiencing it with that are not a part of our family. They are the Thomas’, Peters, and Heltons. For the past 2 ½ weeks we have shared a two bedroom, one bath apartment with Tricia and Brad Helton. The fit has been great. The handiwork of God!
Yesterday Mike and I were witnesses at a monumental moment in the Helton’s lives, the birth of their family. We watched as Ukraine granted them parental rights to two boys, ages 7 & 9. It would have brought tears to all your eyes as you saw the two little guys, in their Sunday best, stand up straight and answer the questions the judge asked them. Their answers were loudly and confidently “dah”. They even put in a plug about working hard on math problems (Tricia is a 7th grade math teacher). The orphanage director, who is a loving mother hen, stood quietly by encouraging them with her presence. My memories went back to when we saw them at the Indy airport in July, the day the children returned to Ukraine. They had hosted the oldest boy and he was sporting a fashionable haircut that fit his confident personality. His backpack was bulging with goodies that he was taking back with him. This was a child that had found parents, and Tricia and Brad were parents who found their kids. The road to Ukraine took them through numerous garage sales, a spaghetti dinner, and lots of packages and phone calls to the boys to assure them that their parents would be there as soon as they could. After the hearing, the judge and jury (two citizens listen to the petition and have a vote) enjoyed looking at the scrapbook that Tricia had made documenting the time with their son last summer. It was a time of great rejoicing!

Great thanks Jess

I was just reading Jessie's post and now she has me homesick but the truth is I'm split. Part of me is ready for home but the other side of me isn't ready for routine. Yes I do miss Indy I miss Reggie and all my friends ( most of whom are on that retreat right now (Lucky))and Family but at the same time I haven't been over seas in 11 years. Up until 9 months ago(yes that's how long its been since we met Mitchell) It was going to take a miracle for me to be able to come back before I graduated and well I am currently in southern Germany. ( God is good)



Thats about all I am waiting for either Mr. Burnett to bring Dad back or for everyone else to get up ( Its 8:30 local time and it feels more like 6)
Oh is there snow in Indy? ( it has snow a ton both here and in Ukraine)
Ellen for the three girls