Hello all,
Greetings from the other side of the world. It's very difficult being upside down like this. All the blood rushes to your head. Of course, since my normal thinking processes are inverted, I am just a normal person when I'm upside down on this side of the globe. It all makes perfect sense to me.
After meeting with the director of the orphanage, we have been allowed to visit with Anya twice a day. It seems that her and the Russian psychologist lady like us very much. The Ruskies (pronounced ROO-skee's) come off cold as steel when you first meet them, but seem to warm up to you after a while.
When we arrived here the weather was in the 60's in the daytime. It actually got into the 70's one day. Then a HUGE dust storm blew through the city and brought freezing Siberian air down from the North. Yesterday we walked downtown for an hour or so. The wind blew like it does in Chicago in the winter. It went right through us. We returned to our apartment to find
that the hot water didn't work. The hot faucet had no pressure, but the cold faucet had plenty. It seems that the City supplies TWO water lines. One is hot and the other is cold. So, if the hot water line is ruptured, the entire city has no hot water! The genius who engineered that system was probably sent to the prison camps in the north to think about that for a while.
This morning we discovered that the boiler in the building isn't working either (if there is one). It could be linked to the city's hot water line. If so, the entire city now has no hot water OR heat (as all heat in Russia is radiant). And to think, these guys actually have access to nuclear reactors and weaponry. In my mind, that's kind of like a six year old with his own personal hand grenade. Ok, I'm done ranting now.
Making the two trips back and forth to the orphanage and the time we spend with Anya pretty much consumes our entire day. Contrary to our last trip, we actually found a restaurant that serves some very palatable food.
We want to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers!
~Marty
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
poverty in Russia
This is the view we have outside our Kitchen window. Typically there are a few homeless people who live in the trash. Be grateful for everything you have!
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Our visit with Anya and the new director- Tuesday
We had a meeting today with the director at Anya’s orphanage. She is very very nice - her name is Elana. She said that she used to work at BH2 where Anya was before moving to Shelekov. She was there for 2 years when Anya was there (so, from the time Anya was 8 months old until she was 2 years and 8 months). She new of us, and had heard many things about us…which struck me as odd since there are so many families that come through those doors, and we had not met her in the past. Anyway – she said that Anya was still adjusting to being at Shelekov, but she is little, and she will be fine. She said that Anya is a very good little girl (as if?!?!). She said that she has read our complete file from the Adoption Center (meaning she has read through our dossier etc.), and from knowing about us, our home and our family, we are the perfect place for Anya.
Elana also told us that Anya talks about us all the time…which I think is amazing since I’ve not been here for a year, and Marty hadn’t seen her for a year and ½! When Anya first moved to Shelekov, she was meeting with the orphanage psychologist (also, a VERY nice woman named Shetlana), and Anya insisted on showing her the photo book of us. Anya went through every page with Shetlana, explaining in every photo that was Mama, Papa and Anya. She also informed Svetlana “Mama and Papa love me very much!” Very true, and how wonderful that she knows that, even if she doesn’t understand it, the fact that she knows we love her, and that means something special is so powerful!
When we arrive at our visits with Anya, she is always sad-faced. This goes back to October 2004 to our first visit with her. I was told today that this is an act because when she leaves her group, she exclaims “I must go and plan with Mama and Papa now – bye bye!”…kind of a 3 year old’s way of saying ‘see ya later bums, my mama and papa are here!”
When Anya returned to her group (the sheep group) on Saturday, she told the other children tale after tale of our visit with her.
We were allowed to visit with her 2x today…and Elana said that she gave us permission to visit from 10am until lunchtime, and then from 4pm until 6 (dinner). She said that each time we visit, it is documented in Anya’s permanent record – with notes of how we are playing with her and how our communication is with her. All the times we’ve sent clothes, notes, photos etc. to her has been documented – and will look very good to the Judge.
At our afternoon visit, we were allowed to play outside. It was FREEZING cold here today. But, it was fun to be outside. Anya had a lot of fun going down the slide, and kept saying, “one more time Papa, please”, and then when she would get to the ladder, she would say “I can do it by myself!” Well, that lasted until she realized she couldn’t get her foot up to the first rung of the ladder…which would bring on “Papa, help please!” This went on for probably 10-15 times!
Elana came outside to tell us that it was dinnertime, and Anya had to go to her group. Anya asked frequently to go with her group when we are together, but never pushes it – I think she hears the other kids in the hall, and thinks she is missing out on something. Anyway – when Elana said that, Anya stopped dead in her tracks and said “no, I want to stay and play with Mama and Papa!”. She then told Elana, “I love playing with Mama and Papa.” We went on talking, and then Anya blurted out “I love Papa the best” – so yes, it’s true, I am still just the lady with the cookies and shoes!
When we were leaving, Anya hugged and kissed both of us bye bye, and asked us to come back tomorrow. As she was walking back inside, we said, “I love you Anya!” She yelled back “I love you too Mama and Papa!”
Elana also told us that Anya talks about us all the time…which I think is amazing since I’ve not been here for a year, and Marty hadn’t seen her for a year and ½! When Anya first moved to Shelekov, she was meeting with the orphanage psychologist (also, a VERY nice woman named Shetlana), and Anya insisted on showing her the photo book of us. Anya went through every page with Shetlana, explaining in every photo that was Mama, Papa and Anya. She also informed Svetlana “Mama and Papa love me very much!” Very true, and how wonderful that she knows that, even if she doesn’t understand it, the fact that she knows we love her, and that means something special is so powerful!
When we arrive at our visits with Anya, she is always sad-faced. This goes back to October 2004 to our first visit with her. I was told today that this is an act because when she leaves her group, she exclaims “I must go and plan with Mama and Papa now – bye bye!”…kind of a 3 year old’s way of saying ‘see ya later bums, my mama and papa are here!”
When Anya returned to her group (the sheep group) on Saturday, she told the other children tale after tale of our visit with her.
We were allowed to visit with her 2x today…and Elana said that she gave us permission to visit from 10am until lunchtime, and then from 4pm until 6 (dinner). She said that each time we visit, it is documented in Anya’s permanent record – with notes of how we are playing with her and how our communication is with her. All the times we’ve sent clothes, notes, photos etc. to her has been documented – and will look very good to the Judge.
At our afternoon visit, we were allowed to play outside. It was FREEZING cold here today. But, it was fun to be outside. Anya had a lot of fun going down the slide, and kept saying, “one more time Papa, please”, and then when she would get to the ladder, she would say “I can do it by myself!” Well, that lasted until she realized she couldn’t get her foot up to the first rung of the ladder…which would bring on “Papa, help please!” This went on for probably 10-15 times!
Elana came outside to tell us that it was dinnertime, and Anya had to go to her group. Anya asked frequently to go with her group when we are together, but never pushes it – I think she hears the other kids in the hall, and thinks she is missing out on something. Anyway – when Elana said that, Anya stopped dead in her tracks and said “no, I want to stay and play with Mama and Papa!”. She then told Elana, “I love playing with Mama and Papa.” We went on talking, and then Anya blurted out “I love Papa the best” – so yes, it’s true, I am still just the lady with the cookies and shoes!
When we were leaving, Anya hugged and kissed both of us bye bye, and asked us to come back tomorrow. As she was walking back inside, we said, “I love you Anya!” She yelled back “I love you too Mama and Papa!”
Eyeglasses
While we were playing outside, Elana came out and gave me some children’s eyeglasses. She said that they were just delivered and were Anya’s. They are like coke bottles! I think either they don’t know how to test for vision problems, or they have seriously over corrected her eyes. Elana gave the glasses to me to keep for Anya, so I have the prescription that I am going to have translated. I don’t know if this kind of thing is universal or not. When we play with her, she doesn’t have any trouble reading or seeing the cards on the ‘match’ game we played. Her favorite things to do are to color, read a book or watch TV…when she put the glasses on, you could tell that she was a little wobbly-kneed.
If she does need that strong of a prescription, that is OK – her Mama is blind too!
Photos
We are able to take photos of Anya – I don’t know what all the hub bub was about the other day – but we are able to do that…yay!
My day in Russia…
For those of you who really know me, you will appreciate our day today.
We wake up to find that all the hot water is gone. Nothing, not even water pressure when you turn the faucets to hot. Well, one might ask, “how do you shower” – I’ll tell you. You need to heat up water in a teapot and in a regular pot on the stove. Then you pour it into a bucket, being careful not to splash your self with the scalding hot water. You ten transfer the bucket into the bathtub, and cool it with the freezing arctic water. Don’t forget your Plastic Moose cup to rinse with! Just like the Pioneers used to do!
In researching what the deal was with the water, we found out that all the hot water in the city is gone…no one has hot water. Apparently there is only 1 main line into Everyone’s home for hot water. Isn’t that nutty?!
So then we go to lunch. For those of you who were on this journey with us the first time, you know we got a big kick out of the “American” menus in restaurants. The translation wasn’t always so accurate, so what you actually got wasn’t usually what you thought you ordered.
So – we go to this new restaurant for lunch – it was called ‘Figgaro’ – basically a pasta and pizza joint. It is near the new European hotel, and boasts that they get a lot of international visitors…which is good because that means they have American menus. So I order what I thought was a small pizza with mushrooms, tomato and olive. Guess what I got? A small pizza with mushrooms, tomato, ham, bacon, sausage and peppers. You all know that I don’t eat meat, and if I do I will get very very sick – and am very freaky about meat touching the food I do eat. So – I am in a foreign country, can’t really send back what I ordered, need to eat something…what is a girl to do? She scrapes off all the topping (and I do mean ALL the topping) and just eats the crust!
2 days ago, it was nearly 80 degrees outside here – today, it snowed (kind of like at home! If you don’t like the weather, wait 15 minutes and it will change). I battled with what to pack for clothing, not knowing what the weather was going to be like. I errored on the side of the weather channel’s report that the low this week was going to be 50. So, what is a girl to do to stay warm? She wears her CAbi spa yoga pants with full length Spanx underneath for insulation (Spanx are a new now and wow term for girdle)…Toasty!
And the final great part of my day…when we got back to the orphanage this afternoon, I really needed to find the ‘ladies room’. Typically, I avoid public restrooms – especially in foreign countries. But – this was an emergency. Get this – there is no toilet seat…and they wipe with cut up pieces of scrap paper…like the kind we would cut up into squares for notes – left over paper from a printing job. The paper all had some kind of printing on it – like old reports they needed to shred, instead of shredding it became TP! Let me just tell you, that regular paper isn’t very absorbent!
We wake up to find that all the hot water is gone. Nothing, not even water pressure when you turn the faucets to hot. Well, one might ask, “how do you shower” – I’ll tell you. You need to heat up water in a teapot and in a regular pot on the stove. Then you pour it into a bucket, being careful not to splash your self with the scalding hot water. You ten transfer the bucket into the bathtub, and cool it with the freezing arctic water. Don’t forget your Plastic Moose cup to rinse with! Just like the Pioneers used to do!
In researching what the deal was with the water, we found out that all the hot water in the city is gone…no one has hot water. Apparently there is only 1 main line into Everyone’s home for hot water. Isn’t that nutty?!
So then we go to lunch. For those of you who were on this journey with us the first time, you know we got a big kick out of the “American” menus in restaurants. The translation wasn’t always so accurate, so what you actually got wasn’t usually what you thought you ordered.
So – we go to this new restaurant for lunch – it was called ‘Figgaro’ – basically a pasta and pizza joint. It is near the new European hotel, and boasts that they get a lot of international visitors…which is good because that means they have American menus. So I order what I thought was a small pizza with mushrooms, tomato and olive. Guess what I got? A small pizza with mushrooms, tomato, ham, bacon, sausage and peppers. You all know that I don’t eat meat, and if I do I will get very very sick – and am very freaky about meat touching the food I do eat. So – I am in a foreign country, can’t really send back what I ordered, need to eat something…what is a girl to do? She scrapes off all the topping (and I do mean ALL the topping) and just eats the crust!
2 days ago, it was nearly 80 degrees outside here – today, it snowed (kind of like at home! If you don’t like the weather, wait 15 minutes and it will change). I battled with what to pack for clothing, not knowing what the weather was going to be like. I errored on the side of the weather channel’s report that the low this week was going to be 50. So, what is a girl to do to stay warm? She wears her CAbi spa yoga pants with full length Spanx underneath for insulation (Spanx are a new now and wow term for girdle)…Toasty!
And the final great part of my day…when we got back to the orphanage this afternoon, I really needed to find the ‘ladies room’. Typically, I avoid public restrooms – especially in foreign countries. But – this was an emergency. Get this – there is no toilet seat…and they wipe with cut up pieces of scrap paper…like the kind we would cut up into squares for notes – left over paper from a printing job. The paper all had some kind of printing on it – like old reports they needed to shred, instead of shredding it became TP! Let me just tell you, that regular paper isn’t very absorbent!
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Monday in Irkutsk
Hello Everyone,
What a whirlwind of information we have going on here in Russia! We were not able to visit Anya yesterday (Sunday) so we met with our new facilitator to go over our documents. Thankfully, I created a set of documents for our copy -- I'm not sure where our original dossier is...but, what matters is that we're moving forward.
We need to redo several things, but nothing that is unmanageable. In going through everything (roughly 100+ documents), there were only 20 items that needed attention...and most of those were things like the license that we have from our doctors, CPA etc. The format that is required is now different (it is back to the way it was in the Fall - then it changed around Christmas again - now we're back to the original way - ugh!).
We are not allowed to take photographs of Anya. This is a new requirement/rule. We are going to meet with the director tomorrow and talk to her about this. We are required to have photographs of us with Anya for our court hearing, so not sure how that is supposed to happen if we are not allowed to take pictures. Luckily we have a photo album with tons of pics from previous visits - but the requirement is photos of each visit. Ahhh yes, the good 'ol Russian way!
We're also going to hire a teacher to help Anya with English - I think we will be meeting her tomorrow.
There are a lot of things going on behind the scenes here - most of which we were asked to keep confidential. At this point, we really don't want to jeopardize our chances of getting a court date - so we're going to keep things between us for now...as silly as it all seems. I hope you all understand this and respect that fact we just can't talk about it all right now...and we don't even know why.
We have been in prayers of surrender the past day. What we are doing here is a bold move, and our only chance and hope of being able to adopt Anya. The path that brought us here and led us to our new facilitator and legal team is no coincidence. The expertise the team has is specific to our situation - which is pretty amazing and NOT common at all. The group we're working with are all going out on a limb for us, for some reason...the only way to explain it is God. because we've come this far, and are knee deep in the last thing we can 'do'...we are already thanking God for His divine intervention and plan, and completely surrendering this whole process and experience to Him.
That's all I know or can talk about right now.
More later!
-Kathy
What a whirlwind of information we have going on here in Russia! We were not able to visit Anya yesterday (Sunday) so we met with our new facilitator to go over our documents. Thankfully, I created a set of documents for our copy -- I'm not sure where our original dossier is...but, what matters is that we're moving forward.
We need to redo several things, but nothing that is unmanageable. In going through everything (roughly 100+ documents), there were only 20 items that needed attention...and most of those were things like the license that we have from our doctors, CPA etc. The format that is required is now different (it is back to the way it was in the Fall - then it changed around Christmas again - now we're back to the original way - ugh!).
We are not allowed to take photographs of Anya. This is a new requirement/rule. We are going to meet with the director tomorrow and talk to her about this. We are required to have photographs of us with Anya for our court hearing, so not sure how that is supposed to happen if we are not allowed to take pictures. Luckily we have a photo album with tons of pics from previous visits - but the requirement is photos of each visit. Ahhh yes, the good 'ol Russian way!
We're also going to hire a teacher to help Anya with English - I think we will be meeting her tomorrow.
There are a lot of things going on behind the scenes here - most of which we were asked to keep confidential. At this point, we really don't want to jeopardize our chances of getting a court date - so we're going to keep things between us for now...as silly as it all seems. I hope you all understand this and respect that fact we just can't talk about it all right now...and we don't even know why.
We have been in prayers of surrender the past day. What we are doing here is a bold move, and our only chance and hope of being able to adopt Anya. The path that brought us here and led us to our new facilitator and legal team is no coincidence. The expertise the team has is specific to our situation - which is pretty amazing and NOT common at all. The group we're working with are all going out on a limb for us, for some reason...the only way to explain it is God. because we've come this far, and are knee deep in the last thing we can 'do'...we are already thanking God for His divine intervention and plan, and completely surrendering this whole process and experience to Him.
That's all I know or can talk about right now.
More later!
-Kathy
Saturday, May 13, 2006
In Irkutsk
Hello All -
We're here, just got home from Shelekov. It is nice, but very different from BH2 where Anya was before. Anya is so big now!
Anya remembered us right away, came right up to me and sat on my lap to tell me about some bad boy in her group...then She started crying because we were speaking English...so we switched to Russian and she was OK.
We're both very tired, and need to sleep. It's Saturday 7pm here, and we haven't slept outside of an airplane since Wednesday night.
More later...
Kathy and Marty
Thursday, May 11, 2006
on our way
Well, we're off. Currently we're at the tail end of our 6 hour layover in New York...we were here about 4 hours before we realized that the airport gate area is a WiFi hot zone (in other words, we can get online). Our flight to Moscow leaves in about an hour and 1/2...and we're both very glad. Since we only were able to sleep about 3 hours last night - it'll be nice to nap.
The only catastrophe so far has been with my hairspray. Yes, it happened...somehow the squirter was squirting all over the inside of my carry on, and now my laptop smells like Aveda Firmata hairspray.
I'll post a note as soon as we're able to get settled in at the apartment in Irkutsk (probably not until Sunday).
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Update
Hello All - Several friends have asked for an update...so here it goes. There is not much to say! Everything seems to be working out exactly the way it should. We spent Monday in Indianapolis getting last minute things apostilled at the State House.
Of course I have a really neat tension headache that goes from my eyebrow to my shoulder....but this is OK. My to-do lists are shrinking - and the only things we have yet to do tomorrow is get some cash, deal with Power of Atty., and pack. But I am sure that I will think of more things I need to do before we leave Thursday morning.
Thanks to everyone who has been and is praying for us. This is a huge leap of Faith...but, I've said it before and I'll say it again - God is bigger than all of us, and His perfect plan will play out regardless of what anyone does.
It's hard to believe that on Saturday we'll get to see our little Anya again?!
Of course I have a really neat tension headache that goes from my eyebrow to my shoulder....but this is OK. My to-do lists are shrinking - and the only things we have yet to do tomorrow is get some cash, deal with Power of Atty., and pack. But I am sure that I will think of more things I need to do before we leave Thursday morning.
Thanks to everyone who has been and is praying for us. This is a huge leap of Faith...but, I've said it before and I'll say it again - God is bigger than all of us, and His perfect plan will play out regardless of what anyone does.
It's hard to believe that on Saturday we'll get to see our little Anya again?!
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Wailing Wall
I was going through old email tonight, and came across this note from a good friend, Wes Smith. A few months ago, he placed a prayer for us in the Wailing Wall* in Jerusalem. Here is what he said:
Dear Marty and Kathy, Wow! The Lord is really working for you with the old time miracles. Of course, this is the kind of God he is, this God of the Bible. He always blows our minds with his power. Each time I have placed a slip of paper (prayer request) into a crack of the Kotel (Wailing Wall, Western Wall) miracles happen. So God is looking after Anya, as he promises so many times to plead the cause of widows and orphans.
Keep praying for a miracle!
*for more info on Wailing Wall visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wailing_Wall
Dear Marty and Kathy, Wow! The Lord is really working for you with the old time miracles. Of course, this is the kind of God he is, this God of the Bible. He always blows our minds with his power. Each time I have placed a slip of paper (prayer request) into a crack of the Kotel (Wailing Wall, Western Wall) miracles happen. So God is looking after Anya, as he promises so many times to plead the cause of widows and orphans.
Keep praying for a miracle!
*for more info on Wailing Wall visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wailing_Wall
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Ever had one of those days when, at the end of the day, you finally take a deep breath - and realize that you have been running all day and haven't really breathed? Welcome to my Wednesday!
We decided today that we need to go to Indianapolis on Monday to get some documents apostilled. It will probably be good to be forced into the car for the drive down there...to sit still. Part of me thinks I can afford to do this like I can afford a hole in the head!
We decided today that we need to go to Indianapolis on Monday to get some documents apostilled. It will probably be good to be forced into the car for the drive down there...to sit still. Part of me thinks I can afford to do this like I can afford a hole in the head!
postings
Hello everyone. I've gotten a lot of email from you saying you check this blog frequently. Feel free to post back! You can respond to any post we've made here.
Calling all prayer warriors
Most of you know that we are leaving for Irkutsk, Russia next week to explore different avenues for bringing Anya home. We will be gone for at least two weeks.
What is going on reminds me of Sanballat* trying to discourage Nehemiah from building the wall. We are not dissuaded by this. Our concern is for Anya and Anya only. The main reason we are going is to make contact with another Russian adoption coordinator and to make contact with a Russian attorney. It remains to be seen whether we will actually bring her home this trip. However, we know that God is in complete control! Contrary to reports about the devil, the Lord Jesus is alive and well in Irkutsk! The last time I read my Bible, the devil runs from him!
We're still leaving on the 11th of next week. Your prayers are deeply appreciated!
* And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobijah the servant, the Ammonite, heard [of it], it grieved them exceedingly that there had come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
[Nehemiah 2;10]
Best Regards,Marty W. Friend
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