Our appointment was scheduled this morning at 10 AM. We put on our Sunday best and received the call from Natasha to meet us downstairs about 9:30 AM. She mentioned that traffic was terrible, that she was only a block away, and she wasn’t sure what she would do about parking, so she would just pick us up in the car. (We had originally planned to walk to the Ministry for Adoptions with her from our apartment as it is only a 5 minute walk). We waited downstairs, anxiously watching the heavy traffic crawl up the hill past our apartment. After waiting a few minutes, we breathed a sigh of relief as we saw her headlights flash to us, and the 3 of us scrambled into her car while we blocked traffic temporarily. Thankfully Natasha was able to navigate the terrible traffic in Kiev.
Natasha is a skilled driver, which is necessary when traveling in a city like Kiev, where the aggressive driver gets to his or her intended destination, and there is no such thing as a defensive driver. The Ministry of Adoptions is located in a huge building directly next to centuries-old St. Andrew’s Church, another beautiful and historic building, designed with the Byzantine / Baroque style of golden domes and ornate crosses. Of course she managed to get to us there with time to spare, with the usual drill of “hurry up and wait.” We waited in the stairwell with Natasha and 2 European families. At last they called our names, and we hurried into a small room, furnished with a low couch, a couple of chairs, bookcases stacked with binders, and a desk. A very pleasant woman greeted us and introduced herself as Ivana. She asked to see our passports, and to hear a little bit about our family, what we did for a living, and about our biological children. Natasha translated. Then she asked us who we would like to adopt. It was such a surreal moment to say Viktor and Tanya Kaptur. She couldn’t find our “specific child request letter” right away, so it was good that we had brought copies of our entire dossier. She disappeared and after a few minutes, returned with the children’s files. There they were, pictures of Tanya and Viktor as young children, clipped to their paperwork, and suddenly my heart ached for the years I have missed. Tanya was Anna’s current age. Viktor was just a boy. “Yes, these are the children we wish to adopt.”
They told us we could come back tomorrow after 4pm and pick up their referrals, and they have given us permission to travel to the region where they live. Praise the Lord, He is faithful! We must choose to be grateful for the time we will have with them, and try not to regret the time we have missed. Gratefulness will always squelch bitterness, regret, and sorrow.
Natasha is a skilled driver, which is necessary when traveling in a city like Kiev, where the aggressive driver gets to his or her intended destination, and there is no such thing as a defensive driver. The Ministry of Adoptions is located in a huge building directly next to centuries-old St. Andrew’s Church, another beautiful and historic building, designed with the Byzantine / Baroque style of golden domes and ornate crosses. Of course she managed to get to us there with time to spare, with the usual drill of “hurry up and wait.” We waited in the stairwell with Natasha and 2 European families. At last they called our names, and we hurried into a small room, furnished with a low couch, a couple of chairs, bookcases stacked with binders, and a desk. A very pleasant woman greeted us and introduced herself as Ivana. She asked to see our passports, and to hear a little bit about our family, what we did for a living, and about our biological children. Natasha translated. Then she asked us who we would like to adopt. It was such a surreal moment to say Viktor and Tanya Kaptur. She couldn’t find our “specific child request letter” right away, so it was good that we had brought copies of our entire dossier. She disappeared and after a few minutes, returned with the children’s files. There they were, pictures of Tanya and Viktor as young children, clipped to their paperwork, and suddenly my heart ached for the years I have missed. Tanya was Anna’s current age. Viktor was just a boy. “Yes, these are the children we wish to adopt.”
They told us we could come back tomorrow after 4pm and pick up their referrals, and they have given us permission to travel to the region where they live. Praise the Lord, He is faithful! We must choose to be grateful for the time we will have with them, and try not to regret the time we have missed. Gratefulness will always squelch bitterness, regret, and sorrow.