We Are Home At Last!!!

Dear Friends and Family,

After two years of prayer and planning and 36 days of rigorous travel Roman James Weaver arrived home around midnight on Thursday escorted by Pa-pa and Uncle Matt. Here is a photo summary of our last five days in Ukraine.

Sunday night was our last evening in Tulchyn. All together I was in Tulchyn for 28 days living out of a rented apartment right in the center of town. On our last evening in Tulchyn Matt and I invited our friends Ruslan and Archie (from Vinnystia), Sasha and Natasha (from Lideszian), and Svetlana (our facilitator) to join us for supper at Tulchenka. I am so thankful for the brothers and sisters in Christ God has given me in these places. These men and women took us in to their homes and assisted us at critical points in the process. I've learned so much about caring for the orphan from these veterans.

After dinner we all went back to my apartment in Tulchyn for a time of fellowship and worship. We invited our land lady, Albina, and her entire family to join us. We had planned this evening to be an opportunity to open God's Word and share the gospel of Jesus while having the translation help of our Christian friends. After singing some familiar worship songs in both English and Ukrainian I shared a message from Galatians 4 on our adoption in God's family. We sensed the Lord really at work during this time of sharing and conversation that followed. I am confident that gospel seeds were sown.

First thing on Monday Ruslan picked us up at our Apartment and we drove to the oprhanage for the last time. I cannot put into words the thoughts and feelings that were running through me as we drove to the orphanage. These moments were surreal. I was on the verge of tears as we drove through the gates of the orphanage and saw children from Roma's group out for some play. I walked through the doors and found Roma's caregivers getting him ready to go outside and play. I scooped him up and carried him into the play room and began taking off all of his old clothes. What an emotional time this was for me. It was clear that Roman understood that this was "the big day". He was so happy as some of the ladies told him that he was going to be leaving with his Pa-pa and that he would have a new home now.


I had long anticipated the day when I would walk into this orphanage and dress Roman in his new clothes!











A friend from home had modified this Land's End jacket for Roman--shortening the arms so that they covered his hands but also allow him to slip them out when needed. After clothing Roman I picked him up and walked him around the orphanage one final time.










As soon as we walked outside Roma was eager to get in the big truck and go! All of his friends lined the road to say "Pa-ca" which means "Goodbye". If you look through the window behind me and Roman you can see some of them. Roman did not seem the least bit afraid to get in the van and drive away.






Roma sat on my lap for the first leg of this trip--to Vinnytsia to pick up his passport which was to arrive later that day. The trip to Vinnytsia is about an hour. We listened to some Christian music and spent a lot of time just looking out the window at all the new sights and sounds. Uncle Matt let Roma wear his hat.









We arrived at the passport office in Vinnytsia only to receive this disappointing news that the person who was to mail our passport from Kiev did not. We had spent a lot of time praying about this and were convinced that today was the day we were to leave. It was suggested that we stay overnight in Vinnytsia until the passport arrived and drive to Kiev on Tuesday. However, if we did not make it back to Kiev sometime on Monday it would be impossible to fly home on Thursday. We decided that we were going on to Kiev without Roma's passport (uncharted territory) and that Svetlana would stay behind in Vinnytsia and bring Roma's passport to us on Tuesday.


Uncle Matt was a huge help as we worked out all of these details. It would have been impossible for me to bring Roma home without his help. Not once did Matt complain or appear frustrated by all of the waiting and unexpected surprises. We had such a peace during all of this as God had shown us so many times that He was in such control.









Uncle Matt, Svetlana, and Roma on the streets of Vinnytsia after finding out that our passport was not going to make it. We went back to Ruslan's house to discuss our plan of heading on to Kiev without the passport and to have lunch. Roma enjoyed exploring Ruslan's home and especially enjoyed the yummy lunch that Archie made for all of us.








About four hours later we arrived at our apartment in Kiev and before long Roma was fast asleep. I wasn't sure how he would do going down to sleep his first night outside of the orphanage with two men. He seemed a little afraid when we first arrived, but he settled down and slept well.








First thing on Tuesday morning we took Roma for his medical exam, necessary to obtain his US Visa. The doctor who examined Roma was the same doctor that examined Nicholas last year! He spoke to Roma in Ukrainian which was unexpected as Russian is the predominant language in Kiev. (Roma has not heard a lot of Russian). He did great! Everything the doctor asked him to do he did well! He wasn't the least bit afraid. The doctor told us that his heart and lungs sound strong. He obviously very small and has some mental/cognitive delays. He will need a thorough work up once we arrive home.


While in Kiev Uncle Matt and I took Roma to Kiev's premier mall located underneath Independence Square. Our flat was a short walking distance. I was so proud to hold his little hand and strut through the mall. We got a few weird looks as people caught on to Roma's appearance.









On Wednesday morning Svetlana (our facilitator) came by the flat to see how we were making out. She was not to happy to find out that we were already feeding Roman McDonalds. She has grown very attached and protective of Roma. She told us how she tries to not get attached to the children she is working with because it is too hard when families leave. With Roma, however, she was unable to stay detached--she had fallen in love with him and was so proud of him. A few days earlier when we were in Tulchyn buying some baby food for Roma a woman expressed concern that we would be adopting Roma to sell his vital organs on the black market and Svetlana set this woman straight explaining how we actually loved and cared for Roman. What impressed me the most about our last meeting with Svetlana is her comment how my message about our need for adoption into God's family had impacted her and how she called her sons and other family members to tell them everything. She told me that I was her "teacher" and that she had learned so much from both Karen and I over the last year. She made other remarks that suggest she is really processing a lot spiritual truth at this time. Karen and I will stay regularly in touch with her and water these seeds as we update her on Roma's progress.


The first couple of night I could just lay for hours next to Roma and watch him sleep. In these moments prayers of thanksgiving and prayers for Roma's continued health and growth just flowed so easily. He is so happy and playful at bed time--and sneaky. On Wednesday night I decided to lay him down alone in the room while Matt and I watched a movie in the other room. Well, lets just say we caught him getting out of bed "super sneaky" three or four times.





On Wednesday morning we walked to the office of Bethany Social Services to say goodbye to some of our dear friends. From left to right--Oksana, Roman, Daddy, Taras, and Dasha. These friends where the ones that found Roma in Tulchyn and made his plight known to Bethany Christian Services in the US. They have looked after Roma his entire time in Tulchyn--visiting him, etc.





We flew out of Kiev at 12:30 on Thursday afternoon. Roma loved the airplane and was exceptional the entire flight. He sat still and enjoyed flipping through magazines and eating snacks. Our entire trip home was about 24 hours and he used the portable potty I had purchased the entire time. We had prayed that God would give us special favor on the airplane and in the airports and He did. Airline attendants were especially helpful, courteous, and enamored with Roma. When we arrived in JFK it was as if God was carrying us on the wings of eagles--no waiting at passport control or customs.


After long delays in JFK due to weather we finally left for Philadelphia. In Philadelphia family members and Big Jim where waiting for us. I can't tell you how great it was to see all our family waiting for us. Roma wasn't quite sure what to make of all of this. The first sign of "fear" came when we got into our van to come home--He cried pretty hard for about 5 minutes. I think it was a combination of getting in the car with all of these new people after traveling for 24 hours and being very tired and saying goodbye to uncle Matt.



Roman slept well his first night at home though he was a little afraid at first. On Friday morning he got up and had a nice breakfast at the family table with everyone. He is very eager to feed himself with a fork and be a big boy. He is eating very good!








After breakfast we all sat down and watched him open his Christmas presents with his feet. I don't know if he grasps the idea that these presents are his to keep, but he enjoyed opening them and playing with them. He loves playing with toys!

Here he is playing with some of his new things!

Holding my boys!!! They have been pretty good together so far, but there have been a few moments of jealousy and tension. It will take some time to teach these two to share their toys and share their mama and papa. We will pray and ask for God's help in this as he has already helped us in so many other things.







Friday was leisurely. We stayed in our pj's most of the day and played with toys and watched movies together as a family.

We will continue to update you on Roma's progress in the days ahead. Thank you for all of your continued prayers for our family.

Blessings,

Jim

Counting Down!!!!

Dear Family & Friends,

It is hard to believe that in just over 24 hours Jim, Roman and Matt will be home!!! We can hardly contain our excitement!

Yesterday was a very full day for them as they had to get Roma's US Visa photo taken, finish the paperwork necessary to process the visa and see one of the doctors at the Embassy for his official medical exam. Jim said that through it all Roma was a trooper and that he didn't even shed one tear...he just went with the flow! Apparently, he was especially good for the doctor at the Embassy--did everything that he was asked to do.

Svetlana arrived in Kiev yesterday afternoon with the passport in her hands and they were all relieved to know that it was complete. They did have to take it over to the Embassy later in the day so it could be processed...Jim told me that he was especially thankful to have that passport as he talked w/some families at the Embassy who have been in Ukraine since the beginning of Novemeber!!! (Much of their wait was for their child's passport!) We are so humbled and thankful that God opened all the doors to allow us to get the passport so quickly--He is good!

After all the Embassy hoo-ha yesterday they went out to dinner at a Ukrainian restaurant not too far from their flat--it is kind of like "Home Town Buffet--Ukrainian Style". Roma loved it as the restaurant had all of his favorite foods and then some...he sat so still while eating his food and enjoyed every bite! When they got back to the flat Jim and Matt decided to give Roma a bath...well, let's just say that it was a difficult experience for Roma! He is not used to taking a bath, especially a warm bath...he cried for a bit but Jim said that he and Matt were able to get him clean--really clean! :) I don't think that they will be attempting another bath until they are home...ha...ha...ha...! (Crying during the first few baths seems to be the "norm" for kids who have lived in oprhanages b/c they are only used to being "hosed off"/rinsed with not-so-warm water...we found this to be true w/Nicholas last year--he screamed so loud we thought that he was going to hurt himself but eventually he got used to baths and now he doesn't want to get out. :) ) After the bath, they turned on some "Brady Bunch" (Matt brought some DVD's from one of the seasons) and Roma was all about it--snuggled right up to Papa and Uncle Matt and watched 2 full episodes before being whisked off to bed. He did great last night at bedtime (again) and was happy to snuggle w/Papa for a bit...

Today they finished all paperwork necessary for the visa and by 3:00 pm (Ukraine time--which was 8:00 am US time) everything was done--they had ALL paperwork in their hands! This freed them up to spend some time just walking around and enjoying their last full day in Kiev. I was able to send Jim a voice-text message to Roma this morning and Jim said that he loved it...and started to look around for me when he heard my voice! I can hardly wait to wrap my arms around my boy tomorrow night!! A little bit later Jim sent me a voice-text message w/Roma saying my "mama"...it was precious.

This afternoon Jim and Matt took him to McDonald's for lunch--he LOVED it! Jim said that he gobbled up the nuggets and fries w/delight--he's been bitten by the Golden Arches! :) They walked around Kiev for a bit today and even went to see Taras at the Bethany office--it was a great visit and everyone was so happy to see Roma heading for home! Roma did great at bedtime tonight and only got about of bed about 4 times :) . He was smiling so big each time that Jim went back in to re-lay him back in his bed...eventually he settled in for the night and has been snoozing ever since. When I last talked to Jim, he and Matt were relaxing and just sitting down to eat some take out from a local pub...it has been a long couple of days!

In the morning they will pack up everything and head to the airport (about a 45 min. drive)--they have to be there b/w 10:00-10:30 am...Their flight takes off from Kiev at 12:30pm (Ukraine time--which is 5:30 am US time) and they are scheduled to arrive in NY at JFK Airport at approximately 4:15 pm (US time). (If you would like to follow the flight path you can go to Delta Airlines website and type in flight # 089--it will show you where they are in the air!) Please pray for Roma as the flight is very LONG--a little over 10 hours...Pray for safety and rest for all of them and that all will go smoothly.

Once they arrive at JFK they will have to go through Customs, etc. and then head to the next terminal where they will have about a 3 hour layover before boarding their connecting flight to Philadelphia--which is scheduled to arrive in Philly at approximately 9:24 pm. Pray for Roma as JFK is a very busy airport and he will most likely be a little overwhelmed by all the sounds and sights--not to mention how he will feel when he sees all of us waiting for him in Philly!!!

The kids are busting with excitement and are so giddy--can't wait for tomorrow to get here! Please continue to pray for the adjustments that will come...pray for peace and for strength. We are so thankful for all your prayers and can't wait to update after we are all home together!!! We love you!

Love and Blessings,
Karen (for Jim, Matt and Roman!!)

IN KIEV!!!!

Dear Family & Friends,

Jim, Roman and Matt are in Kiev! They arrived there in the evening last night. When Jim texted me yesterday afternoon I just assumed that it took a while to get the passport and that they headed for Kiev after receiving it. However, I heard from Jim after they were in Kiev and he said that he, Matt and Roma left for Kiev in faith as the passport had not arrived!! He explained that whoever was supposed to have sent it over the weekend forgot and therefore it was not going to arrive until sometime early Tuesday morning. Jim said that they decided that they would head on to Kiev while Svetlana stayed behind in Vinnytsa to wait for the passport. The plan was for her to call on Tuesday morning when she had the passport in her hands so that she could give them the passport number, which would allow them to proceed w/the U.S. Embassy appointments necessary today, and then she would take a taxi to Kiev asap. Jim said there were no guarantees that the passport would arrive Tuesday morning.

Jim texted me this morning to let me know that Svetlana DID receive the passport this morning AND she was on her way back to Kiev AND they were on their way to the U.S. Embassy for their first appointment!!!!!! Praise the Lord!! We are so relieved to know that they are officially in the home-stretch of this journey...

About Roma and leaving the orphanage and traveling...Jim said that he was holding back the tears when Ruslan showed up at the flat to pick them up. We have waited for the day we could take him home for so long...it just seems so surreal. They drove over to the orpahange just as the workers had Roma dressed and ready to go outside for a bit w/the other kids, but the workers could tell that Jim had "the bag" (the bag w/Roma's new clothes, jacket and shoes to take him in) and so they took him back inside and undressed him. Roma was so excited to change into his new clothes...Jim dressed him one piece at a time all the while holding in the emotion of the moment! (How I wish that I could have been there!!--they did video each step of the way). Once he was dressed and ready to go they went outside where the Director, Maria, was waiting for them...she kissed Roma and told him that he was going to go w/his Papa and Uncle and go on airplane home--it was a very tender and precious moment. They waved goodbye to the children and the workers and hopped into Ruslan's van and drove on to Vinnytsa. Jim said that Roma was so excited to get inside the van and that as they drove he was fascinated by all that he saw...like a typical boy he got really animated whenever he saw a big truck on the road!

Once they arrived in Vinnytsa they dropped Svetlana at the passport office and then Ruslan took them to his home where they waited for a few hours before heading to Kiev. Ruslan's wife, Archie, had prepared a great lunch for them--to use Jim's words: It was Awesome!--and Roma enjoyed it too. After lunch Roma explored the house a little and actually learned how to go up and down their steps--Jim said that he really liked doing this...he has never really been up and down steps before since the orphanage was all on one floor. They waited a while and then made the decision to head to Kiev. Roma had NO motion sickness at all the entire day--not from Tulchyn to Vinnytsa NOR Vinnytsa to Kiev!! A direct answer to much prayer...

They arrived in Kiev sometime in the early evening hours and are staying at a great flat right in the heart of Kiev...and right near McD's! :) Jim gave Roma his dinner and he ate just fine but after that it was apparent that he was nervous and a bit afraid. Jim said that Roma's eyes became a little red and it was clear that he was holding in the tears...so they turned on Madagascar on Jim's computer and he was delighted to watch that. Eventually he fell asleep watching the movie and Jim moved him to his bed and snuggled w/him for a bit. He fell back to sleep w/out a problem. It is apparent (and we expected this) that Roma is nervous and unsure of all that is happening...so much change! Please pray for Roma and the anxiety and sadness that he is experiencing...as this is so hard on him...pray that the Lord would enable Jim and Matt to meet whatever needs he has and pray that Roma will feel and accept such love and care. He is so tender right now...

Thank you for your prayers...Hopefully Jim will be able to update a little later w/some pics!

Love and Blessings,
Karen (for Jim, Matt & Roman!)

On the Move

Dear Family & Friends,

I heard from Jim yesterday and he sounded wonderful! He and Matt held a little party/fellowship group at their flat last night--he said it was GREAT! Albina and her family came (Andre, little Andre and Katya), Pastor Sasha and his wife Natasha, Svetlana and Ruslan & Archie were there also. They sang some worship songs in English and in Ukrainian and were able to share the Gospel w/their new friends as Ruslan translated for them. Jim also took the opportunity to thank our new friends for all that they have done to help us and how God had used them to minister to us as streams in the desert. We both agreed that these dear people will be forever in our hearts as each plays a special role in Roman's road to home and they are all now lifelong friends!

Well, this morning they were headed to the orphanage to pick Roman up and say good-bye to his friends and caregivers--a day we have prayed for, for almost 2 years! It is hard to believe that in 3 short days they will be home...we are all so excited! Here's how you can be praying:

1) Please pray for Roma--yes, he is ready to go w/his Papa and Uncle but we are not sure if he understands that he is never going back to the orphanage and this will cause him to be fearful and anxious. Please pray that God would comfort his young heart and mind and ease his fears. Pray that he would embrace even more the love of his Papa. Pray for Jim and Matt to know how best to help him over the next few days. Pray also for Roma as he is not used to traveling for so long a time...apparently kids who are not used to being in a moving vehicle for so long a time get motionsickness pretty easy! Please also pray for the transition and adjustment to a new life that lies ahead...

2) Please pray that they don't have to wait all day Monday to get the passport. The plan is that Jim, Roman, Matt and Svetlana will be picked up by Ruslan and taken to Vinnytsa. Once there Svetlana will head to the passport office to wait until the passport is ready, while Jim, Matt and Roma wait at Ruslan's house. Once she gets the passport IN her hands they will head to Kiev--about a 4 hour drive. It is important that they get to Kiev at a good hour so that Svetlana can get the paperwork to the translator for translation (they can't leave the country w/out all the documents translated!) and it takes about 3 days to do this. Pray for the timing of everything...and for peace as they wait to go to Kiev.

3) Please pray for the U.S. Embassy leg of this journey...pray that they will be able to process Roman's visa in only 2 days. When we were at the Embassy before I left the guy helping us said that it should only take 2 days but they tell people 3 days (that is cutting it close since they have to be at the airport in the morning on Thursday not the afternoon). Pray for swiftness and that God would once again go before them w/His favor and allow everything to just fall into place. Pray for peace as they go the appointments necessary in Kiev.

4) Pray for safety as they travel to Kiev today--still snow on the ground.

5) Please pray for our children here in the States as they await the arrival of their daddy and new brother. I have been talking w/Nicholas nonstop since I got home about his new brother...he nods his head in agreement and seems to understand some things but I don't think he fully understands how his little world is about to change. He is adjusting to having his mommy back, which has been good, but just as he is getting used to things all will change again, and it will be yet another adjustment to have his daddy and new brother home--a lot for a 2 year old! Pray also for the girls...they remember last year and how long it took to find a new "normal" and they are a little anxious. However, they are really excited to see and hug the brother that they have prayed for for so long! It will be a sweet reunion on Thursday night...we are ALL going to the airport...please pray for our safety as we travel there and back.

Thank you for your constant prayers and support of our family--we are overwhelmed at how God has loved us through all of you. We can't wait for you to meet Roma...a little treasure!

Love and blessings,
Karen (for Jim, Matt & Roman!)

Our God is a Prayer-Hearing God

Greetings Family and Friends,

It looks like everything is coming together wondrously for us to leave Tulchyn with Roman on Monday! Just a couple of days ago it looked like we might be stuck here for 1-2 more weeks, but God has heard our cries for help and has intervened in amazing ways to shorten our stay and allow us to come home this week. This doesn't mean we should get lazy with prayer...things can change for the good or the bad overnight here in Ukraine so please continue to remember us in your prayers. Let me update you on a few other matters.

Yesterday, while praying and reading in the morning I had a real burden for Tulchyn. I told the Lord that I was ready to leave today(that is yesterday) if it was best, but if he were to give me a few more days here it would mean frutiful labor and an opportunity to "shine" for him. I asked theLord to give me some opportunity to say to these people whom we have met in Tulchyn that our chief motivation for adopting Roman is the love of God in Jesus Christ that has gripped our hearts. O how I wish I could articulate my thoughts to these people and speak plainly to them in some understandable way. Well, God answered this prayer in such an incredible way. Later that day we recieved a call from Svetlana that a reporter here in Tulchyn had heard of us being here and what we were doing and wanted to meet with me for an interview later that day at the orphanage (at 4). Well, I met her at 4pm in the director's office withSvetlana, Maria, and Matt present. She had a little tape recorder to tape everything I said and spoke to me through Svetlana--though I starting to understand a lot more what is being said these days. Her first question was, "Why have you decided to adopt this boy and what are your hopes andplans for him in the USA." Well, I took the opportunity to tell her our whole story from beginning to end in great detail...the picture, the prayer, the girls asking if we could be Roma's parents, the decision, the long wait, the sad news that we would have to wait longer, the money, Nicholas' adoption, the trip this summer, and now our adoption. I told her that our chief motivation was that God had sent Jesus into this world tosecure our adoption into His family. She said, "But he is an invalid." I replied, "And so am I!" I told her that we really are all invalids spiritually and physically (since we are all dying)--all of our arms are too short to reach out and grasp God and obtain a right standing before him. The good news from the Old Testament and New Testament is that God saves. And that God saves with "outstretched arms". With outstretched arms he saved the Israelites from their captivity in Egypt (Ps. 136) and with outstretched arms on the cross He saved us from our sin. His arms are long when ours are too short. He reaches down to us through the person and work of Jesus and says, "I love you with all of your problems." I told her that when that kind of love grips your heart and you realize that you have been adopted into God's family that you begin to grow--just like when we adopt these orphans and bring them into our home and love them they begin to grow in new ways. It is God's love that has brought us to this point of wanting to adopt Roman. Maria also explained how Roma is a fighter and how no one expected him to live. I chimmed in and told the reporter that Maria had saved Roma's life twice. Maria explained how Roma is really growing and developing rapidly and that he has a bright future. The reporter asked,"Who will take care of all of these children at home?" I told her that my wife would be at home caring for these children and that I would be helping every day. She really couldn't understand all of this. She asked me if there would be other people from the US who would follow our example of taking in these needy children and I said, "I hope so!" But then I said this--"My real hope is that more and more people from Tulchyn and all ofUkraine would realize how precious these children are--all of them masterpieces made in the image of God--and care for them." I told the reporter that it would be better for these children to have loving homes here in Ukraine where they were born. The reporter told me that life is too hard here and she and her husband have to work so hard to make a living and caring for children like this would be impossible. She thanked me immensely for what we were doing to give Roma a life in the US. Etc. Etc. It was really neat. The article will come out sometime this week after weare gone but I will arrange for a copy to make it our way. I just can't believe how God answered my prayer from that morning--"Lord, just give me some way to share you with these people."

Today Matt and I went on a complete tour of the orphanage facility with the director and Svetlana. We got to see every child in the orphanage and learn of many of their sad situations.I was able to get some information on a few of the children to bring back with me. Maria also pointed out many needs here. The old septic/drainage system for the facility has been repaired many many times and now has completely collapsed. Part of the children's play area is flooded with sewage and has posed a health concern. The government will not provide the needed funds to replace this system anytime in the near future. The newborn nursery is ill-equipped and in need of renovation--ceiling, heating, windows, etc. This nursery is for very very sick children.

Matt and I are planning to host a celebration tomorrow night at the flat. Our plan is to invite Sasha and Natasha from Lideszian, Ruslan and Archie,Svetlana, Albina, Katya, Andre and Andre and maybe a couple of others for a time of sharing and thanksgiving before leaving. This will take the form of a very basic worship/outreach event. Ruslan is helping us think through this a bit and thinks it is a great idea. We will sing some songs and I will preach/present the gospel (w/ Ruslan translating) to the friends we have made in Tulchyn. Please pray about this as we are flying by the seatof our pants a bit. This is looking a lot like a fellowship group kind of meeting. It was Ruslan's idea to invite Sasha and Natasha so that there can be follow up with Alina's family if they are interested. Who knows what the Lord will do.

Roma is doing great...he seems to be learning new things from us everyday. Pray for our departure on Monday as we will be on the road for 4-5 hours. He is not used to long car rides and we are not sure how he will do. Pray for the remaining appointments in Kiev. Pray for our safe trip home.

Blessings,

Jim and Matt

Pictures and Video

Dear Family and Friends,

As Matt and I were posting this blog of pictures and video covering the last couple of days we recieved an incredibly huge phone call from our facilitator, Svetlana. She was so excited to share the good news that all of our passport stuff went through in Kiev the first time and as soon as our passport arrives in Vinnytsya we will be taking Roman from the orphanage and heading out of here. I can't begin in to explain how many things had to fall in place over the last several days to get us to this point. There have been so many incredible answers to prayer. Our first response when Svetlana called was not "surprise." I really had a sense this morning that God had our time table laid out and that something "big" was going to happen today. Though Matt and I are not surprised we are overwhelmed by our Great Prayer Hearing God.

Now we all need to be praying that some last minute details get wrapped up here in Tulchyn and that we can leave here sometime over the next 2-3 days. Our return date of January 17th is looking pretty good at this point. Wow!

Enjoy these pictures and brief videos...Today we were able to take each of the kids in Roma's group for a small ride on the sled. I've never heard them laugh so much. Roma, of course, got a few extra rides and really loved it. We had a great time with him today watching a video of mommy singing songs on the computer.

Blessings,

Jim and Matt

Picture in Tulchyn News Paper

Roman going down for a nap

Roman playing with cell phone

Check out this wierd Doo-rag

Matt and Jim checking out local transportation

The next Bill Gates

Matt with Pastor Sasha and wife (Natasha)

Matt playing with babies in orphanage

Official birth certificate in Lideszian

Having fun with Svetlana

Jim and Matt in Lideszian

Little boy with special needs in Tulchyn--needs a family

Video of Papa putting Roman down for a nap

Things are moving

Dear Family & Friends,

I heard from Jim yesterday afternoon and he sounds great. Yesterday was a very full day of traveling to several towns to accomplish what they needed to. At 8 am yesterday they packed into Andre's car (Albina's husband) and they headed over to the town of Lidizjan--apparently the roads were pretty slick and down to only one lane.

They arrived at the birth certificate office to find our pastor-friend, Sasha, whom we had met the week before! Jim said that Sasha knew they were going to be there but he hadn't asked him to come, but Sasha came anyway to help make sure that everything went smoothly obtaining Roma's birth certificate.--very thoughtful. While at the office Jim had to state Roma's name at birth and when he said his last name (Likhenchenko) Sasha's eyes widened--yes, he knew Roma's birthfather!! Amazing!!! Jim was floored and couldn't believe it...he was able to learn a little bit more about Roma's birthparents (which will mean much to Roma when he gets older) and found out how they are doing...his birthfather is a well-known plumbing, heating, HVAC guy in the town and very well respected! He and his wife (birthmom) were married when they had Roma and are just a little younger than Jim and I. Sasha said that they are very sweet people and have had a lot of heartache in their life as they did have another child, a baby girl, who lived for a short while after birth but died. Jim asked Sasha to tell Roma's father about us and that their son is being adopted by a "good American family"...Sasha said he would do that. Jim also encouraged Sasha to share the Gospel with them as Jesus is the only hope of this life--especially as they have had much suffering and are in need of the Good News. Simply amazing...Jim said that all of the birth certificate hoo-ha could have taken 2 days but they were able to have it all done in a matter of hours--answered prayer!

After the birth certificate office they had to travel all the way to Vinnytsa to have the birth certificate authenticated...then after that they had to travel to Nemirov to have copies of the birth certificate notarized. (Apparently the notary in Nemirov is related to someone either at the courthouse or orphanage and she knew all about us and was more than happy to help--another answered prayer!) They finally arrived back in Tulchyn at 6 pm--enough time to go and see Roma!

Jim said that Roma was sooooo excited to see them last night...he was probably wondering where they were! They arrived just in time to "hear" him get his bath/shower--more like hose down! Jim said that they allowed him and Matt to wait outside the bathroom door while he got "clean"--Roma screamed and cried as they hosed him off...the worker told Jim that the water was very cold (I'd scream too!)...Jim said that they really didn't clean him b/c he still had remnants of his dinner on his face when he came out! Nonetheless they really enjoyed playing w/him and he w/them...it was great...won't be long now before they can take him out of there.

Now, there is still a lot of paperwork that has to be done and officials who have to "officialize" things...Today they have to take the authenticated birth certificate over to the Tulchyn police station (I am not exactly sure why as we did not have to do this last year in Kherson)...they told Svetlana that if the passport office called from Vinnytsa that they would expedite whatever it is that they have to do w/the documents and that would mean that today they could go and apply for the passport! This would be fantastic and great...Please pray to this end! (f they don't get all that they need by tomorrow it will be a setback b/c the weekend will be here and everything is closed. It would also mean that Jim most likely would have to change his tickets to a later date and come home alone, as Matt has to come back by the 17th. If we think too much about it all we get anxious, so we are trusting God and asking Him to make the paths clear and make a way where there doesn't seem to be one.)

Please pray for the passport officials to be merciful and that God would put it on their hearts to complete the paperwork and process his passport in one day...pray that the Lord's favor would continue to go before them in all things.

Pray for Roma as his whole world is about to change...if they do get his passport today or tomororw they could be traveling to Kiev as early as Friday or Saturday! It will be a HUGE change for him and he will have many fears. Pray for all that is about to take place...

All of us here at home are fine...just getting things ready for Daddy and Roman and counting down the days. Nicholas has an ear infection and Kaitlyn has had an increase in asthma but overall we are fine. God is carrying us in this time of separation...He is faithful!

Thank you for praying and holding us up in prayer before the Lord...we love you!
Love,
Karen & Jim (and Matt too!)

Hi It's Mateusch (Matt!)

Dear Family and Friends,

So far, my introduction to the Ukraine has been fairly quiet; however exciting. As it turns out I have some possible distant relatives here in Tulchyn! My last name (Kwiatkowski) leads to some interesting conversations as Poland once ruled the Ukraine! Funny thing is, people always expect me to be able to speak Polish, but all I know is Ya Cha Ko Hum (I love you!). We spend the first day in Kiev, tripping to a couple old orthodoxed churches. We haggled with some market people and traveled on their very dependable train transportation. At the center of the city, all was decorated for the celebration of the holiday. There is a big Christmas tree and around it are about 15 Santas dressed exactly the same, smoking cigarettes. The one in the picture to the right was the "best" Santa and Jim quickly snagged a picture of him with Karen the day before. We think the cat is out of the bag when it comes to the children believing in Santa here....not too sure how that works with several Santas all in the same spot at the same time!!! Jim is able to communicate sufficiently in the Ukrainian language making things easier, but interesting at times. A Ukrainian tradition here is for people to travel door to door singing songs Christmas Eve and Day (they celebrated their’s 1/7), like our caroling. We got a knock on the door to see a couple in their late twenties, dressed very nicely, singing a Ukrainian song. However, at the end of their song, it is also tradition to then give them money! The next thing we knew, our doorbell was ringing for the next 2 hours…we didn’t answer the door!

The past few days have been wonderful, filled with opportunities to visit Roma at the orphanage. He has such a warm spirit, gentle and playful. Jim and I have had some great play time with him creating rough and tough games. He continues to love to throw things with his feet, place objects (really anything laying around) into his dumptruck, into a basket, or at each other! I have noticed that he enjoys finding the limits of things, taking them to their capacities. It is never enough to put just one or two items into the dump-truck, it always has to be filled to the brim. Jim and Karen had purchased a slinky that he loves to stretch out across the entire room! It is amazing to watch him do that as he continues to push and challenge himself with each task we so easily take for granted. He is so perseverant. The ladies at the orphanage let Jim feed him lunch yesterday. Roma was very adamant about feeding himself, something the workers never allow; they are very demanding in all they expect of the children…everything done quickly and institutionalized. So anyway, Roma constantly finds ways to adapt. He is so beautiful.

What an important day today !! We are dependent on God for everything, but especially the important documents which will determine the length of the rest of our stay here. Svetlana is currently obtaining documents to get Roma’s birth certificate and identification card with his name change. We will then also need to get his passport in order. Getting things accomplished here in the Ukraine is “like a box of chocolates”, you never know what you are going to get…thanks Forrest Gump. We remain in prayer that these important documents would get done quickly without fail. The past day and a half has been met with about 7-8 inches of snow; we also pray that all roads are passable as we will need to travel into Lidesian, a much more rural road system than you can imagine. Thank you for your prayers that all matters are laid at God’s feet as we wait to see how things will unfold.

We will be writing again soon as we have more information about the rest of the week!

Love,

Matt and Jim

Some Specific Prayer Needs

Dear Family & Friends,

I heard from Jim earlier today and he asked me to ask all of you to pray very specifically over the next few days about the remainder of the process.

First, he said that it was snowing like crazy in Tulchyn today--by evening 4-5 inches had fallen and it was still coming down hard. All of this snow may make it hard for them (Jim, Matt & Svetlana, our facilitator) to travel to Lidizjan (Roman's birthtown) to get a copy of Roman's birth certificate--the roads are pretty hazardous without snow so you can imagine that they will be harder to navigate in such conditions. Please pray that they would be able to go and for safe travel to and from Lidizjan.

Second, Svetlana told Jim today that she knew of several families who are currently in the process of obtaining their adopted children's passports and it was taking a very long time to receive them and she is concerned about how long it will take to get Roma's. If it takes longer than a few days to get the passport it may mean that Jim & Roma would have to come home later than the projected date of Jan. 17th (next Thurs.) and changing their tickets is not only a hassle but it is VERY expensive. It would be very hard and discouraging for us if he was unable to come home by next week, especially as the children are counting down the days until they see their Daddy and meet their new brother. Please pray that God would go before them and make a way. Pray for God to give Svetlana wisdom. Pray that God would give Jim great peace during this time of uncertainty.

Third, there is also some concern that the special power of attorney that I had done in the U.S. and translated in Kiev may not be enough. Svetlana has said that sometimes the officials at the birth certificate office and the passport office want to see both Mama and Papa. Please pray that all those who need to see this document would accept it without hesitation and allow Jim to act on my behalf.

On a side note...Jim sounded great and said that he and Matt were having a great time. They had "church" yesterday--listened to a great John Piper sermon and had a wonderful time of worship and prayer...so wonderful that they lost all track of time and were up until 3 am praying! They are enjoying the snow but it is making walking back and forth to the orphanage (about 1 mile each way) a little difficult. He said that today the workers not only let him feed Roma lunch and dinner but actually put him in his bed after lunch for nap and at bedtime this evening--he was loving it. They bought smaller markers today at the market and Roma loved them--easier to hold than the fat crayons--and enjoyed coloring with them. Jim also took in the ipod and played some music for Roma--he LOVED it! He and Matt had a great time playing with him today.

Jim also told me that earlier tonight he and Matt had some interesting visitors at the door...the first visitors rang the doorbell and upon the opening of the door broke into song! Of course Jim and Matt thought this was great but when the people wouldn't stop singing they decided they better ring Albina's flat to see if she could explain why the people would not leave. Apparently, on Christmas Day (today is Orthodox Christmas) there is a tradition that people "carol" from house to house singing and they don't stop singing until you give them money!! Albina's mom told Jim that they would sing there all day until Jim or Matt gave them some money...of course they paid up! ha....ha...ha...

The second visitor was an older lady...she rang the bell of the flat and was talking on and on in Ukrainian to Jim and Matt--of course they had no idea what in the world she was saying. So once again they rang Albina's flat and asked for help...the old lady is a known widow who lives in the town and she has no relatives to care for her and is unable to work so she goes inside to the apartments and begs for food. She was not looking for money, just food to get by for the day. Jim said that they felt so bad for her and they went inside and gave her some food. It is sad to think that this woman in her old age has no one and that she must beg just to survive...As Jim shared this story with me I was reminded of Matthew 25:35-40 where Jesus says, "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’" It is easy to overlook the least and last of this world, but what a great challenge given by Jesus to remember that when we serve the least, the last and the lost we are serving Him.

Thank you for praying and walking through this journey with us...We love you!

Love and blessings,
Karen & Jim

Home Sweet Home

Dear Family & Friends,

It's me, Karen, here updating for both of us as Jim will not have access to the internet for the next day or two.

I arrived home late last night...very tired but overjoyed to see the children! Jim and I arrived at the airport in Kiev at the exact time that our brother-in-law, Matt, was coming through the doors of customs--it was GREAT to see him and know that he had arrived safely and almost an hour early!! Jim, Matt and Helen helped me figure out how to get checked in and then sent me on my way...Oh it was so hard to say good-bye to Jim and know that I will not be a part of this final leg of our journey, but I know that God is in control and that He is doing so much more than we can see, and in that I take great comfort!

My flight to JFK from Ukraine was great and took just over 10 hours. I met some great people on the flight--a couple flying home to Florida with their newly adopted son and daughter (siblings--their second set), another couple who just happened to be the parents of a guy who works at the U.S. Embassy in Kiev--their son was our officer last year and is again this year!, and I also enjoyed talking w/the Ukrainian lady (from Texas) who sat next to me...all in all it was a great flight. After a few hours lay over I flew from JFK to Philly where my mom met me and drove me home.

I have talked w/Jim, and he said that he and Matt made it back to Tulchyn with no problems as well. He said that they took a short tour of Kiev while they waited for their late afternoon train to Vinnytsya and had a great time, despite the subzero temps! They arrived in Vinnytsya and Ruslan's brother, Roma, was there waiting for them. They stopped and had pizza--their last hurrah for other varieties of food until their time in Tulchyn is done--and Jim was loving it! They arrived in Tulchyn between 9:00 pm-10:00 pm. This morning they walked over to the orphanage to see Roma--Jim said he couldn't get there fast enough. Roma was so excited to see Jim and after he said his hellos to PaPa he bypassed Jim and went looking for Mama...but he found Matt instead :) and apparently backed up and came back to Papa! :) Jim said that it was different to not have me there but that Roma warmed up and he played great with him and Matt ...he also said that the workers did not allow him to feed Roma his lunch (not sure why) and so Jim was a little bummed about that since he had not seen him for 3 days. They were looking forward to going back later this evening.

Svetlana arrives tomorrow evening some time...The plan is for her to go to the courthouse in Tulchyn first thing Tuesday morning to pick up the "court's decision" (the official papers stating that the court allowed us to adopt Roma) and then they will head to Roma's birthtown (Lidizjan). Please pray for this trip to Lidizjan and for the person who will be issuing the copy of Roma's birth certificate. Pray that this person would accept the "special power of attorney" document that I had prepared in the U.S. and tranlated in Kiev. Pray for their safety as they travel and for swiftness.

Thank you for all your prayers for a safe trip home for me and a safe arrival for Matt...God was gracious and heard those prayers! Please keep in prayer Jim's sister, Wendy, Matt's wife, as she is at home caring for their 5 kids and holding down the fort. I would so appreciate your continued prayers for me as I have a lot of things I need to take care of before Jim and Roma come home. Please also pray for our kids as the transition that lies ahead is drawing nearer...pray for peace, patience and joy.

We love you all and are so grateful for your encouragement and faithful prayers--God is good!

Love,
Karen & Jim

Isaiah 43:2-3a--" When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God,the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

In Kiev

Greetings Family and Friends,

We woke up before dawn and headed to the train station on what feels like the coldest day so far here in Ukraine--Its about 10 degrees Farenheit but feels more like 10 below with the wind chill. (It looks like you guys back home have had a bit of cold weather too.) The train was nearly 40 minutes late so we stook outside in the dark and froze--This was the coldest I have ever been. The trains are tricky here, barely coming to a complete stop with droves of people trying to get off and get on at the same time. We barely made it on the train! We found the train comfortable, warm, and clean.

We arrived in Kiev at about 9:30am this morning and went straight to the US Embassy to sign all necessary forms together before Karen leaves on Saturday. Everything went smoothly at the Embassy. We met another family, the Graces, from Alabama at the Embassy who where there finishing out the process to adopt a 13-yr old girl. As soon as we began talking with them we knew they were believers as their speech was seasoned with much salt. The church that they are a part of has a ministry where they sponsor a group of 12-14 orphans from one orphanage to come and visit during the summer. They minister to the children for a couple of weeks and spend time getting to know each of them. Two years ago they met their Dasha while hosting a group and began the process to adopt her. They already have a daughter (8 yr) and a son (14 yr). What I found interesting is that several families from their hometown where all in Ukraine together adopting a group of these children they had hosted. It is so encouraging to see the body of Christ in action and to meet all of these different people and hear their stories of faith and love. We ran into this family again later in the day while out on the streets of Kiev. What's the chances?

It is so good to back in civilizatin even if it is only for 48 hours. We have running hot water and an internet connection for the first time in three weeks! Our flat is located overtop of a McDonalds on Independence Square right in the heart of the city. I will enjoy every bit of this place before traveling back to Tulchyn with my brother-in-law on Saturday evening.

Tonight Karen and I have a dinner meeting with the director of Bethany Social Services here in Ukraine, Taras, and Dr. Jim Peipon and his wife Marianna with Ukrain Medical Outreach to discuss further the details of an special orphan care trip scheduled for March. The goal of this trip will be to provide Medical Education to orphanage directors and staff in the Vinnytsa Region to improve the quality of care that children are recieving over time and to build relationships through which we can minister also to the spiritual needs of children and workers in these places. Please be praying as this is a very ambitious project involving folks from our church, Crossroads, along with these other organizations and Christian friends here in Ukraine.

As I look out the window of our flat here in Keiv and see the snow gently falling on this historic city that has known so much tumult and bloodshed I am reminded of Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crismson, they shall become like wool." Let us pray that the saving grace of Jesus Christ would blanket this city and this land like snow. Let us ask our Father who is in heaven to bring about a revolution of the heart that more and more the people in this place would "cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause" (Is. 1:17). What is needed is a revolution of the heart that can only happen where the gospel finds fertile soil and begins to bear fruit in the lives of individuals. This gospel must be preached in the cities and in the villages!

Love and Blessings,

Jim and Karen

A Very Long Update

Dear Family & Friends,

It is Tuesday evening and we are in Vinnytsya at Ruslan and Archna’s home. Ruslan, however, is not here as he is out ministering with a team from the U.S. until January 8th. Ruslan’s brother, Roma, picked us up in Tulchyn and drove us here to Vinnytsya. We were so happy to stop at the McDonald’s here in town—good ole greasy American food never tasted so good! We have had a very relaxing evening chatting w/Archna.

We have had a very busy couple of days since we last wrote. On New Year’s Day we got up like normal and visited w/Roma—wonderful, as usual! J He greeted us with such a smile and was ready to play. After about an hour or so we asked if a little girl named Natasha, who is very friendly with Roma, could join us for just a little while to play. This was the first time that we’ve invited any of the children to participate in our time w/Roma—we were curious to see how he would play with us and another child in the room. At first, he was not too happy about it, but he warmed right up. However, after only a few minutes a second girl managed to sneak into the room with us. Jim was unsuccessful in communicating to her that she hadn’t been given permission to be in the room with us and she was unwilling to leave. So, we let her stay and play with us, Roma and Natasha. After a bit, however, it was time for the two young ladies to go as we wanted to spend the last bit of time just with Roma, and I had gotten poked in the eye by one of them! HA…HA…HA…

After leaving the orphanage, we met a young pastor (Sasha) from a neighboring town, Lidizjian, whom Ruslan had arranged to pick us up and take us to an outreach event hosted by his church and then travel to the orphanage we wrote about in our last update. He spoke a little English and we enjoyed learning a little about his life and ministry during our ride. We met up w/Ruslan, his children and a team from the U.S. at Sasha’s church, where we enjoyed a puppet show that told the Christmas Story, a time of fellowship and some singing. There were about 50-60 people in attendance from the town, mostly parents with small children. We were surprised at the end of the program when they called us up front to have us share who we were, where we were from and why we were in Ukraine and to present us with a beautiful picture done by an artist in the church—we were really touched by such thoughtfulness.

We left the event and headed to the orphanage…it is IMPOSSIBLE for us to convey to you the things that we saw at this orphanage as we are still processing everything ourselves. Neither Jim nor I have ever been in a place such as this. The orphanage was at the end of a very long deserted road in the middle of nowhere! It is “home” to 150 children/young adults/adults who have mental and physical handicaps and is considered a “level 4” orphanage in Ukraine, meaning that this orphanage takes Ukraine’s most needy children. As we walked through the doors we could hear screams and noises coming from every direction and the smells were overwhelming. We were greeted by several young boys/men—some in wheelchairs, some walking, some crawling and barking, some clothed, some completely nude. It didn’t seem real…the conditions that these sickly children live in is unimaginable! The people working there, however, seemed to really care for the kids and they were doing their best, the facility is very understaffed and very outdated. There are only 2 doctors to care for all 150 kids—one of the docs is Pastor Sasha’s mother (a very strong and loving woman who prays over each of her patients). As we went from room to room we saw children with disorders and syndromes that we have never even heard of—in one room there was an 11 year old boy who had many syndromes and lived in a crib and was no bigger than a 2 year old! There were many Down Syndrome children and kids with Cerebral Palsy and Arthrogryposis…the sad thing was to hear how many of these children’s lives would have been different had their been sufficient medical care at birth or soon thereafter in the orphanage. We were deeply saddened by the fact that some of these children have sound minds and the only reason they were sent there was b/c they could not walk or were considered not to be developing at the proper rate. Jim and I were moved to tears as we visited with these forgotten ones…I couldn’t help but think that each one was created by God and made in His image! These children live with little dignity as most of them live naked, in a metal crib and with little attention. The hospital affords only 1 worker for every 17 children—mind boggling! We were encouraged to learn that Pastor Sasha, his wife & daughter and members of his church visit there every month and play with the children and love them! Ruslan also makes regular visits to this orphanage, providing important supplies and additional care. We are not sure why God led us to this place, but we pray that we will not forget all that we saw and experienced.

Last night we returned to Tulchyn very tired and overwhelmed.

Today was probably the fastest day yet since our arrival in Ukraine. We got up and headed over to see Roma immediately. We had a wonderful time playing and laughing and singing. He was so cute today—even though the ladies had him dressed like a court jester! J Our time seemed to fly by and we had a ball playing with trucks and blocks and singing songs! We returned later in the day for a very brief visit before traveling to Vinnytsya. Leaving Roma today was so hard…I tried not to cry but I just couldn’t hold back the tears. He knew something was “up” when he saw my tears…he looked at me with those big brown eyes and just smiled. However, when we actually went to leave and turned to the doors he got very upset and tried to leave with us! One of the workers had to come and get him and hold him back…it broke my heart, but I am so happy to know that it will be less than 2 weeks and we will all be together!

Well, it is late here and time for us to rest. We love you and miss you.

Love and blessings,
Karen and Jim