Parenting teenagers is not for the faint of heart! Especially teens you have just met a few days ago. Yesterday was a day of setting rules, testing boundaries, and open communication. Sinful and detrimental patterns that many orphans must develop for survival are not easily changed. Trust is something that goes two ways, and it takes time and repeated success to build. We are thankful for Natasha, who makes it possible to have open communication, where we can express both our love and expectations, not of perfection, but at least of honesty. Please continue to pray for our dear children, who must learn not to operate in survival mode, but in honesty and in being teachable. Progress is being made, and for that we are so thankful.
Yesterday was also another day of Natasha running all over town with Viktor and Scott, back to the orphanage to pick up Larissa, the orphanage director, who graciously gave up two and a half hours to go with them to the police station, so that Viktor could submit his request for a replacement passport. Today more running, with multiple offices to visit due to the complicated nature of his passport situation. We are praying for a miracle, go get this domestic (Ukrainian) passport quickly, so that it can be changed after our court date on Monday, with Viktor’s new name.
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A wonderful part of Ukraine is the rich, black soil that would be any gardener’s dream, and the delicious fresh fruits and vegetables that are available here. Everything is local, fresh, and probably organic, not because it is the trendy thing to do, but because that’s just how good the soil is here. There is an old Russian saying that if you thrust a stick into the ground in Ukraine, the soil is so rich that the stick will begin to sprout blossoms.
The first few days here in the apartment were such a drastic change for all of us, with an unpredictable schedule, a bare pantry which needed to be stocked, learning what the kids are used to eating, shopping daily at markets and grocery stores where I cannot read labels or speak the language, cooking in an ill-equipped kitchen from scratch, that our meal times were sporadic and often I did not know what I was going to make. I realized I had added to the chaos and uncertainty when the kids did not know when they would eat next. I had to apologize to the kids, and let them know we would have regular meal times and snack times, and I have been putting protein bars in Viktor’s pockets every day, so that he knows he will always have something to eat. Food is such an enormous part of everyday life and culture, and for us it has been a difficult adjustment learning to eat differently (both the kids and us) -- another part of the learning curve in this process.
Yesterday was also another day of Natasha running all over town with Viktor and Scott, back to the orphanage to pick up Larissa, the orphanage director, who graciously gave up two and a half hours to go with them to the police station, so that Viktor could submit his request for a replacement passport. Today more running, with multiple offices to visit due to the complicated nature of his passport situation. We are praying for a miracle, go get this domestic (Ukrainian) passport quickly, so that it can be changed after our court date on Monday, with Viktor’s new name.
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A wonderful part of Ukraine is the rich, black soil that would be any gardener’s dream, and the delicious fresh fruits and vegetables that are available here. Everything is local, fresh, and probably organic, not because it is the trendy thing to do, but because that’s just how good the soil is here. There is an old Russian saying that if you thrust a stick into the ground in Ukraine, the soil is so rich that the stick will begin to sprout blossoms.
The first few days here in the apartment were such a drastic change for all of us, with an unpredictable schedule, a bare pantry which needed to be stocked, learning what the kids are used to eating, shopping daily at markets and grocery stores where I cannot read labels or speak the language, cooking in an ill-equipped kitchen from scratch, that our meal times were sporadic and often I did not know what I was going to make. I realized I had added to the chaos and uncertainty when the kids did not know when they would eat next. I had to apologize to the kids, and let them know we would have regular meal times and snack times, and I have been putting protein bars in Viktor’s pockets every day, so that he knows he will always have something to eat. Food is such an enormous part of everyday life and culture, and for us it has been a difficult adjustment learning to eat differently (both the kids and us) -- another part of the learning curve in this process.