Day 21 - Eternal Camping Trip

First, no news on the Interpol clearance. Ugh! We need prayer!

Felix with R & Z's roommates

Whoo-hoo, got my first shower in 3 days! Of course, I had to wake up at midnight to do it. Kherson is experiencing rolling black outs this week, so no electricity or steam during the day. No power means no pumps to pressurize the BH water. No steam means no heat in the building.

I get up about seven everyday and the power is always on and the room is warm. Time to take a shower and wash clothes, right? Nope, promptly at eight, the power and steam disappear all day until the evening, when by the way, I'm at the orphanage. When I get home from visiting and going to dinner, I assume that I can shower up. Nope, power goes off again and comes back on sometime in the night while I'm sleeping. It takes a couple of hours to heat up the water tank again each time the power/steam go off, so I've been missing out. It took a few repetitions of this for me to catch on.

Sasha tells me this is normal and is a way to alleviate over usage when the plant cannot keep up with demand. It has snowed everyday this week and it is cold, but not like the sub-zero temps of last week. This week is actually OK. But I guess a lot of people are using a lot of power.

This is different from when the circuit breakers trip downstairs. Through trial and error and watching the staff goof, I have deduced that you cannot run two major appliances in the building at once. Any combination of two or more of the following kills power to most of the building and drops the Internet: portable heater, hot water kettle, vacuum cleaner, washing machine, lights on. I really feel like I'm on a camping trip that won't end. However, days like this picture makes it bearable. And it only keeps getting better.

Rimma opens up a little more each day and is talking a lot more to me than in the past. She's becoming more affectionate, but gets jealous of the time I spend with Z. Rimma wears her heart on her sleeve and it is always apparent if she is happy, jealous, upset or mad. I'm careful to give Rimma equal time...I wonder what it will be like once we get home.

Rimma told me two days ago that she is ready to go home and get out of the orphanage. She really likes our weekends out on the town. This weekend I will have both girls during the day for awhile. They both want to go to the salon to get their hair done and Zina needs new shoes. Normally, this isn't my bag, but what else am I gonna do? Hang out here at Bible House campground?


The girls asked me to tell them the story of how Heidi and I met. I love that they want to know and be part of our family history. I told them about how Heidi's friend Anita took her dancing and how my friend Jeb and I went to the same dance. Anita and Jeb had dated once upon a time and they introduced me to Heidi that night. I told the girls that I knew then at first sight that I wanted to marry her. Just like, when at first sight, I knew they would be my daughters. They laughed as I recounted the day after our first real date when Heidi called me to have lunch with her. I was at church and there was a message on my phone after Sunday school and service. I "Bo Duke'd" it across town, jumping hills and straightening curves as I raced there for the opportunity to see her. They were hysterical as I told them I stopped at a little store and bought a tooth brush, tooth paste and bottled water and brushed my teeth down the street from her house. However, I didn't get that first kiss that day after all.

After I finished my story, the girls had one of their own. They both told me about the time they spent in our home in 2007. They felt like they were a part of a family on that trip and our house was full of love and happiness. They could feel the bond growing between us and didn't want to leave. They felt that God had brought us together for a purpose. A lot more was said about that time together, parts of which prove the need, the want for a family. Afterwards, the girls giggled about a particular occurrence. They confessed that they would get up at night and sneak down to the Christmas tree and open the tiny silver box ornaments that were full of M & M's hanging on the tree. I told them that I knew they were doing it, but I never knew when. Before they went to bed each night, I refilled the boxes for them. I have since earned that Rimma loves plain M & M's.

Day 18 - Sisters Reunited

These pictures are posted over on the side as well under 2010 Adoption Trip in "Our Photos".



The first call woke me up this morning, "I leave sanatori now" she said. "I love you Dad!"

Z called me a second time about 2 hrs later, "I Kherson soon, I love you Dad"

Z called a third time an hour or so later, "Dad, I Kherson Internat, I you and Rimma soon"

Suddenly, I don't care when they finish the Interpol clearance! That gives me more time with an Angel!

Day 17 - Back amongst the living!

Felix here, international man of mystery and Interpol's most wanted! With a flick of some hidden switch, I'm back up and running on the Internet at the Bible House again.

Heidi quizzed our facilitator and he found out that the first round of Interpol clearances have come back from the families that got it done last Monday. We got ours in on Tuesday, so we are hoping for some news of it this week. It only takes a few minuted on-line, a fact we keep sharing with the SDA, but who knows if they are listening.

Heidi is back home safe with the kids and they are no doubt happy to have her. I am doing fine here. It's been raining all morning and most of yesterday as well. I'm happy to not be freezing and I actually had to turn the heat off Saturday. Last week we couldn't get the room warm enough. I am able to get out and walk where i want to go now, not for fear of the public transportation mind you. Rather for the exercise and time-killing factor.

Andre the pastor's son will be here to go to lunch with me today. At 4pm I will go see Rimma. I hope to connect with Sasha of AGAPE ministries today so that I can hitch a ride out to the SZ orphanage on Tuesday. I want to deliver gifts and remind the kids that they are thought of and loved, by all of us, you included. If I do go, I'll be sure to blog about it and post some pictures.

I had a few questions on the blog and I want to let you know that I appreciate them all. Thank you for writing.

• David, yes we are the family that Becky is speaking of and I see that Heidi has already e-mailed you. I'll let her answer you questions, thanks for writing.
• Suzanne, I hope you are one of the cleared families and can return soon. I see that Heidi is e-mailing you too. Yes, of course you can comment on our post anytime. I didn't post your comment though due to your personal information. Comment again sometime,Thank you!
• Twyla, your so funny! BTW, we still do the "Twyla Barrett" method of shopping! Open the door to see what the sell, close it if it's not what you need. We too call the department store "Jacobs".
• Eilleen, when I said break a leg, I didn't mean it literally. Hope you are OK now! Love you!
• Everyone, for your privacy, I tend not to post comments when personal phone numbers and e-mail addresses are included unless you give permission. Like I tell my daughter Nadia who wants to surf the Internet, "I just want to keep you safe".
• Natasha, I will tell Alona (is it Alona or Illona?) She's a doll and a sweetheart too! These pictures are for you.

Day 16 - Quick Snippet

The Internet is down at the Bible House and has been since Friday afternoon. We had a power outage and there is no one to reset the computer that controls the wireless. Everyone is gone for the weekend and the office is locked, so I walked to the Internet cafe down by Chelantanos...yep, they have Internet today.

I'm OK and visiting with Rimma everyday...still the shy quiet girl who depends too much on Oksana or Tanya to communicate with me. We did have some alone time yesterday for a couple of hours. She trusted me to catch the right Martshuka, so we went to the cafe by Zym (sp?) for those of you who know where I'm talking about. Oksana met up with us later, we shopped for the perfect boots that she and I can agree on. Still no dice! Dinner was at the infamous Beujois (sp?) restaurant. Nice English menu, but very pricey. Higher prices than Zeppelen's!

It snowed heavily on Friday, mostly due to the increased temperature. It must have been in the 20's both Friday and Saturday..Nice! Today feels like high 30's and it must be because of two reasons. First, everything is thawing. Second, I got caught in a huge rainstorm about halfway to the Internet cafe! Go figure!

That's all for now, gotta go pick up my girly at noon for lunch. Oksana will join us so that Rimma will be able to talk with me. I hope to have Internet restoration tomorrow. I'll try and Skype with my family since it will be Sunday night there when it is Monday morning here.

BTW...why is it that spell checker wants to capitalize "Internet"? If I had it regularly, it would deserve such attention. Still no news on the Interpol clearance!

Day 14 - Just Me & Jimmy

Browsing my ever dwindling supply of DVD's, I noticed that somehow Jimmy Buffett's "Live in Antigua" DVD got stuffed in the case. Is it a sin to watch Jimmy carousing around a stage in the Caribbean, singing Margaritaville while boarded at the Bible House?

It's snowing buckets outside and I need a little pick me up. Oh well, it's 5 o'clock somewhere!

Wastin' away again in Kherson-ritaville,
Searching for my lost Internet signal,
Some people say that there's a Interpol clearance to blame,
But I know (da-da-daaa-daaa-da), it's the SDA's fault!

Day 13 - Heidi is going home

We made the decision today that Heidi should go home. There is nothing more for her to do here but wait, and our go-getter facilitator, Tanya, feels that things are very up in the air on the Interpol thing. I will stay in place and work things from here for the time being.

Heidi is taking the overnight train back to Kiev tonight and she will go wrap up her part of the US Embassy work in the morning. She will fly out Saturday morning, bound for Denver to get home to our children. Sunday will be a rest day with the kids and she wants to return to work on Monday.

I just put Heidi in the taxi twenty minutes ago and I really want to go bury my face in my pillow for awhile. But, Oksana is here to take me to church and get me past the initial separation. Ugh, my military deployments aren't this hard, I guess because I'm always the one departing. To say Heidi is my Rock, is an understatement.

Z is still at the sanatorium. You could hear Zina getting choked up when we broke the news to her. She will not get to see her mom this time. Rimma just called and reported that Zina is still crying. This certainly isn't helping my heart, either.

I can't imagine the scene when I take Rimma away for good and Zina stays behind. God, please give me strength.

Day 12 - Absolutely Nothing Happening

This is the part I don't like about Ukrainian adoption (well, apart from imposing new rules which go against SDA rules that are in place). The lack of information, the lack of courtesy of giving any information, and the lack of caring about giving any information to waiting families who are just sitting and wasting time. Heidi and I are burning through leave, away from our kids, and want to bring our daughter home.

Our facilitators are doing their best, but haven't been told anything either. We have been asked to stay on through the week with the possibility that news may come soon. If it doesn't, one or both of us may come home this weekend.

We visit Rimma for 2 hours each day after school. She's frustrated with the language barrier and is shy at trying to communicate with us, but it is getting better. The big ice-breaker is constant games of Go Fish in English.

We had a hard day yesterday. We were stopped or hindered at everything we attempted to do. It's funny now, but it wasn't so funny at the time. The first thing we did incorrectly was to assume that the number 8 bus goes the same route as the number 8 Martshuka. We got a traveling tour of some western neighborhood of Kherson. Oh well, we just figured that the bus would go in a circle back to our original boarding stop and we would recover. Nope! At the end of the line the money-taking lady spoke harshly at us and we explained that we must have missed our stop, in English. She demanded another 1.5 grivna (about 20 cents) to ride the bus further. We paid up and noted that the bus had simply turned around and was going backwards on its route. After several stops, the afore mentioned money-taking lady must have felt sorry for us because she was all smiles and friendly. She wanted to make sure that we got to the "central" street where we were looking for originally. Her warmness was a considerable spirit lifter for me and I cheered up for the time being. Having got off a few blocks short of where we were intending to go, we walked down to our intended target, the grocery store and lunch stop. The whole fiasco took an hour.

On our way back, we made sure we got the number 8 Martshutka this time. Well, not knowing the name of our bus stop near the Bible House and being stuffed in the back with iced over windows caused us to be dropped off a few blocks north of the orphanage which in turn is a few blocks north of the Bible House. We walked the eight blocks with groceries back to drop off the bags before walking back to the orphanage. Well, I wanted to lose weight.

After seeing Rimma and walking a few blocks north again, we thought it would be nice to use the internet cafe due to the sometimes spotty internet connection at the Bible House. Nope, sorry, no internet at the internet cafe tonight. Never mind that this is their singular reason to be open. Why not just turn the lights off and go home instead of luring weary, travel-ignorant Americans to your door!

After a light dinner at the restaurant across the street, we sought a taxi ride. No going wrong this time, right? After all, I have a business card from the Bible House complete with a map. Nope, this guy wants to continuously turn the wrong way and is smoking a cigarette with the windows up. At this point, I've had enough! I got to the room and just collapsed on the bed. Bad day complete, I pray for good days ahead.

The end of the week forecast is for the temp to be in the 20's & 30s, a virtual heat wave. I sure hope so. I need a little comfort.

~ Felix ~