The Schlaacks

Six Pack Schlaack Pack

2009-05-21T13:59:00.003-04:00

Jonathan, Vika, Sophia, Caleb, Gabi, Seth

Day 52/53 or Day 1087 - Their Coming HOME!!!

2009-04-02T11:53:00.000-04:00

Good News!!! All paperwork has been completed and Vika has received her passports!
Praise & Thanks to God for His favor toward us!

I decided to do the math to see how long it has been...
I checked some old emails, and my parents (John & Jane) & Judy Manna contacted us on April 11th, 2006 to consider adopting Vika (Vee kuh).

Yep, it has been almost 3 years coming to complete the process of adopting Victoria Grace Schlaack! Technically, tomorrow will be Day 1087.

The sacrifice is worth it! While this was a difficult journey, I know in heaven for all eternity we will never regret it.

THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!!!

Lisa, Vika, Gabi, Jonathan, Sophia, & my parents are expected to land in the good old USA tomorrow around 4pm!

Day 47 - Vika Says Goodbye to Her Great Grandma

2009-03-28T20:02:00.003-04:00

Today, Vika, Lisa, & my Mom (Jane) traveled about 3 hours away to visit Vika's Great Grandmother. They also spent time visiting with friends in the village. Vika's Grandma desired to see Lisa, but she has gone blind. But they were able to spend time with each other and talk via of translation. They had a big meal and it was time of celebration and a sad time of departure for Vika and her Grandmother. Vika's Grandma said she had prayed for a Mom & Dad for Vika. Lisa expressed that Vika's Grandma was a special lady and very kind and gracious. May God pour His Grace & Mercy on her!

You can view more pictures here...
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1116526106&k=46FXY4SX4YWMXFM1XGVYV

Day 44 & 45 - The Roller Coaster Ride Continues...

2009-03-26T21:22:00.003-04:00

Well, the Ukraine Schlaack adoption adventure continues to be the ride of our lives. The good news, as most of you know now, is that Lisa finally got the court papers, and was able to get Vika out of the orphanage yesterday (Wed.). They then had to travel further North to get her new birth certificate which they were able to accomplish. To say the least, it made for another long day, but we are thankful to God for another step completed.

Jonathan ended up being quite sick all day on Wednesday. He was not eating anything and experiencing a good deal of pain in his abdomen. By the time Lisa and Vika returned home, Jonathan was not doing well at all. So they thought they better call a doctor. They called Dr. Trish Brown here in the USA and an Ukrainian doctor. The symptoms seemed to indicate that he may have appendicitis. They decided that he should go to the hospital. Well, long story short, they ended up deciding not to go and watch him through the night. The hospitals in Ukraine tend to be a bit risky, especially when doing things like surgery. So that was a bit scary, but today Jonathan seemed to be doing much better. PTL!

So today, Lisa and Vika had to return to get her new Ukrainian passport. It was a 3 hour drive. Lisa brought the airline tickets that have a return date for Apr. 3rd in the hope that it would encourage them to complete the passport before then. Well, things got interesting because the passport lady decided that she needed some more money to process the passport. We would prefer to call it a $500 fee to expedite the passport. But most people in the world call it extortion. Lisa could have decided not to pay it, but there was a hint that if she didn't pay it would take 2 weeks and maybe longer to get the passport. After payment was made, the passport lady was much more accommodating. The good news was that she said the passport would be completed by next Wednesday. Of course that doesn't mean it will actually happen or that extortion will not occur again, but we're hoping for the best.

So here is the best case scenario at this point in time. If Lisa is able to get Vika's Ukrainian passport on Wed., we hope that she can make it back in time to apply for her U.S. passport. The U.S. Embassy can sometimes complete the passport the same day or the next day. If everything works out well, we hope they will all fly back to the USA on Friday Apr. 3rd.

P.S. They also got pulled over again today by the police. Lisa is not sure what the driver did wrong if anything, but it appeared that he got a ticket. You see, here is proof that I, Johnny, was not the problem. It was Lisa all along that was causing us to get pulled over by the police! (Ha HA!!!) :) LOL

Day 42 - Some Adoption Uncertainties??? Please Continue to Pray!!!

2009-03-23T15:23:00.001-04:00

You know, I've got to tell you that living in a sin-cursed world can make you more dependent on God (2 Cor. 1:8-9) and long for heaven all the more. While we don't understand specifically why things occur in this world, we do know that the Lord always wants to grow us in our relationship with Christ. (Someone has joking said, "I just wish God didn't want to grow me so much.") :)

Ok, you've heard or read previously that we were suppose to get Vika out of the orphanage today (Monday). In Lisa's conversations with the lawyer on Friday, he said that it was being bumped to Wednesday. Well, it was unclear exactly why it was being bumped and Lisa didn't understand why she couldn't go on Tuesday.

So Lisa contacted the lawyer again today to get some more clarity on the situation and she learned some NOT so encouraging things. The lawyer said that apparently the judge was reluctant to have us adopt Vika. (We are not sure when this took place or why we never heard about it until now.) So apparently, the judge has deliberately postponed the final approval of the adoption until Wednesday. The lawyer stated that he felt it would be best to simply do what he wants rather than fight it.

So we're a little uncertain again what is going on and a little concerned what the judge is going to do. This adoption will not be finalized until we receive those court papers with the decree saying they approve us to adopt Vika.

So we continue to ask you to pray and hopefully we will have some good news to report on Wednesday! While the judge certainly has power over this situation, his authority comes from God. Yet, we have to trust God's timing and His ultimate decision!

Proverbs 16:33 - The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

Jeremiah 27:5 - “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me.

...Day 41 - GOD CAUSES ALL THINGS

2009-03-22T14:12:00.006-04:00

I (Lisa) am writing this as I am away from my husband, boys, family, church family, and dear friends. I am reminded by this precious truth from Romans 8:28 "And we know for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose". God is going to use this time away for my good and for my family's good. What a precious truth as we live life and face many things that are difficult, sad, or uncertain. I want to use this opportunity to encourage any of you who know and love God. Whatever trial you may be facing, whether it is a death of a loved one, an unhappy marriage, rebellious children, financial troubles, illness or any other thing, God will work it out for your good. How do I know this? God's word says it, so I must believe it. God is the giver of good gifts, "Do not be deceived , my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" (James 1:16-17). May you trust today that God is going to cause your current circumstances to work out for your good and that He only gives good gifts, even if we do not see or understand at this time.

May I take one last moment ts express to those of you who may not see God's good gifts in your life or Him working things out for your good. Nothing in life could be more important than the next following verses I share. Please listen and ask God to help you understand and respond to His word. I Corinthians 15:3-4 "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures". When you place your trust in Christ, you can know that God is causes all things for good in your life, no matter how difficult life may be.

Thank you so very much for taking the time to read the blog. It is my prayer that it will be used by God to give Him glory and to stimulate you to live for Him.

Day 33, 34, & 35 - Johnny's Coming Home... - Extended Weekend Edition

2009-03-15T15:03:00.003-04:00

Well, friends & family, tonight is my last night in Ukraine. My heart is torn. I desire to be here to pick up Vika from the orphanage and help Lisa with final paper work. But I also desire to be with Caleb & Seth who have been without us for 5 weeks.

I'll continue to periodically give updates of what is happening in Ukraine through Lisa. I also hope to elaborate a bit more on the questions that were asked of us in court.

I'm sure Lisa will especially appreciate your prayers as she finishes things up her in Ukraine.

Paca(Bye) to Ukraine!

Johnny

Day 32 - The Judge Approved Us to Adopt Vika...

2009-03-13T16:14:00.007-04:00

Ivan, our lawyer, Marina, our translator, Lisa, I, and the driver departed at 9:30am and didn't get home until 9:00pm (Dima, our other lawyer could not come as planned).

It was a long and very interesting day. We arrived at the court house and the social worker forgot a necessary document. So Ivan had our driver take the social worker back to her office to get the document. Then, the orphanage director would not bring Vika because she was in school even though Ivan told her she had to be at court. But then the judge's secretary told her that Vika needed to be there, so she went and got her.

So we all entered into the court room along with a prosecuting attorney, the judge and two jurors. The judge explained our rights. It was a bit intimidating in the beginning. Everyone was real serious and came across as being ice cold. I, Johnny, was questioned first. The judge asked several questions like why do I want to adopt and why in Ukraine. Then, Lisa got asked similar questions. The jurors and prosecutor also asked us questions. (We'll have to tell you more about the questions later.)

The social worker and orphanage director were also asked questions about whether they supported us adopting Vika. They were both very positive in their comments. Then, the judge asked Vika if she wanted to be adopted and whether she had a good relationship with the rest of our children. Vika did quite well in her responses. The whole process took 2 hours.

The judge and jurors said they would meet privately to discuss and decide if they would approve the adoption. Vika went back to the orphanage and everyone left as well except for Lisa, I, Marina, and Ivan. We then waited 2 hours for the judge and jurors to decide and write up a 4 page document saying they approved the adoption. The judge then read the entire document which took about 15 minutes. We signed a paper saying we agree with the court decision and we were approved.

Now, according to Ukrainian law, we have to wait 10 days before the decision takes effect. Someone can appeal the decision in these 10 days, but it is unlikely. So this means that I will fly back to the USA on Monday morning. Lisa will remain with our 3 children until all the documents are completed which could be 3 more weeks from today. And then they will all fly back with my parents to USA!

WE ARE SO THANKFUL TO GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS TO US!

THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS, SUPPORT, & ENCOURAGEMENT!!! :)

Welcome VICTORIA GRACE SCHLAACK!!!

Day 31 - Tomorrow is the Big Court Day...

2009-03-12T14:19:00.002-04:00

Well, after almost 5 weeks in Ukraine, we are finally planning on our court appointment tomorrow. We depart at 9:20am with Dima and Ivan our lawyers. Dima will be driving us this time to Nizhyn. We will appear before the judge around 12:30pm.

We are not positive on exactly how it will all be handled. We understand that Vika is suppose to come with us. The judge will potentially ask us and Vika some questions. Vika will probably be asked directly if she wants to be adopted and we might be asked why we want to adopt. At this point, it appears that everything is set to go, but we need to be prepared that anything could change at the last moment.

What's that? How can you pray for us? I'm glad you asked! ;)

Pray that we will safely make it to court on time.
As we understand it, the social worker and orphanage director are to be present for court. So pray that everyone who needs to be there will show up.
It doesn't sound like that this particular judge has done many adoptions at all. So he apparently doesn't know the laws well as we have already experienced. So pray that he will see the process through.
Pray that our lawyers will have God's wisdom and grace to deal with judge and those in authority.
Lastly, pray that God would be glorified through this whole process!

Thanks for your support and encouragement!!!

Johnny, Lisa, & Family

Day 30 - Joni Eareckson Tada on Suffering...

2009-03-11T13:32:00.002-04:00

Not much going on here today. Just waiting for Friday's court date! :)

So on Day 30, how about 3o minutes with Joni Eareckson Tada on suffering! We really love the ministry of Joni & Friends who minister to those who have disabilities. She has truly experienced some difficult suffering throughout her life.

http://www.joniandfriends.org

This video is EXCELLENT if you've got the time to watch it! She'll teach you a lot about how to view and respond to suffering.

Her talk begins about 5 minutes in.

Day 29 - Completed some U.S. Embassy Documents & Reception Videos

2009-03-10T12:15:00.004-04:00

Lisa, my Dad, & I traveled about an hour away to the U.S. Embassy to complete some documents for departing from Ukraine. It was fairly simple and the people were friendly to deal with. These documents needed to be completed before I am able to leave for the USA. If court goes well, then I will probably depart to the USA on Monday or Tuesday. Lisa will likely have to stay around 3 more weeks to finalize the paperwork. And then my parents, Lisa, and the kids will return together to the USA. (By the way, we have grown in a new level of appreciation for the United States.)

We want you to know that we really MISS YOU ALL!!!

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Silas & Ruth's reception was a hoot. They had various people come up front and speak words of wisdom to Silas & Ruth. And they had a few performances as well. I've included some of them below. Wow! It was quite interesting.

Here are some pictures of the wedding if you are interested...
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1116526106&k=5ZF5ZV6RTX3MXFM1XGVYV

Day 28 - The Nigerian Wedding - Weekend Edition Part 2

2009-03-09T13:34:00.007-04:00

Silas & Ruth invited us all to their wedding and reception yesterday. They are both from Nigeria and Silas' father is an Ambassador here in Ukraine. Silas and Ruth both attend the International church we've been attending here.

The wedding was actually a fairly typical American wedding. The pastor was originally from Dallas, Texas. The normal wedding vows were recited. It was all in English and then translated into Russian. The wedding march sounded like some kind of African praise song and it was quite good. You could definitely get into it.

Lisa and I had the priviledge of being asked to sit by Silas' mother and father in the front row.

Now, what was particularly interesting is that during the whole wedding ceremony there were several people walking all around taking pictures. You would have thought that they let in the paparazzi. I've included a picture below, but I couldn't capture everyone taking pictures.

The pastor announced that they are now man and wife!

I'm going to upload more pictures for your enjoyment and interest.

Tomorrow, I will tell you about the reception which was even more interesting along with some video. Stay tuned!

Day 26 & 27 - Johnny is NOT Sinless - Weekend Edition Part 1

2009-03-08T17:40:00.009-04:00

(Julia, our tour guide, & Daniel our friend from the International Church)

[Notice that this is part 1 and tomorrow I will tell you about part 2.]

On Saturday, my Dad and I were asked if we would help a Ukrainian woman, named Julia, with her English as she is practicing to be tour guide here in Kiev. We were asked to do this by one of the men, named Daniel, in the International church. (Daniel moved to Ukraine about 20 years ago from Angola, Africa. ) Now, I know some of you are already beginning to smirk. Johnny is helping with English, you are kidding right? Nope it is true! :) (Yes, Lisa thought it was funny as well.)

So we met Julia downtown Kiev and she gave us a tour of some of the monuments. Her English was quite good, and we only helped her with a few things. We actually learned several things about Kiev. So it was actually quite interesting.

One monument in particular had an interesting legend.

Ok, do you notice the little bronze spouts? Well, water use to come out of those spouts. The legend is that if you threw a coin and it stuck to the spout then it meant that you were sinless. What do you think would be the result of me throwing a coin in the fountain? Well, we didn't actually do it and I think we know exactly what the results would be. God seems to be quite clear about this already in His Word! Yet, we thought this was interesting that someone would create such a legend when we all know that there was only one sinless person. And that God-Man was Jesus Christ.

Eccles. 7:20 - "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins."
1 Jn. 1:8 - "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
2 Cor. 5:21 - "For our sake he made him(Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

[Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow as we share about the Nigerian wedding & reception we attended. Very Interesting!]

Day 25 - Fun Friday

2009-03-06T10:51:00.006-05:00

Ok, not much happening, just a whole lot of WAITING! :) One week from today, we are scheduled to go to court. We did work on some U.S. Embassy documents today that need to be completed to bring Vika to the USA.

So today, we simple give you some pictures for your viewing pleasure and maybe some will bring a little smile to your face. ENJOY!!!

Proverbs 17:22 says, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

These first photos give evidence of how long our kids have been here... ;)

Homemade Krispy Kreme's made by Grandma Schlaack

To view more of these type of pictures, you may click on this link...
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1116526106&k=46L25WS4V64MXFM1XGVYV

Other Ukraine photos are here...
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1116526106&k=5ZB6PW66Q6ZMXFM1XGVYV

Day 24 - Have You Ever Heard Lisa's Story?

2009-03-05T14:41:00.002-05:00

It's getting tougher and tougher to top yesterday's story. :) So how about a story from the past about Lisa. It's interesting connecting with old friends online to see where they are at in life and what has happened to them. Some of you knew Lisa from her younger years and some of you didn't. But here is the short story of what happened to her almost 20 years ago...

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.... (ooops wrong story). ;)

As a child I went to church nearly every week since my birth. This may sound very well, but it was merely a ritual that I performed. Jesus, God’s own Son was not a concept that was understood by me. I never really thought about Christ, my sin, and where I would end up eternally.

Growing up as a child I enjoyed playing, swimming, and all the things that normal children enjoy. In others eyes I would have been considered a good kid. Then I entered into my teenage years and landed head first into many problems. I looked for contentment in having nice clothes, boyfriends, and working towards a successful career. In the process of chasing after my dreams my school work lacked. When troubles arose during those years, I chose the route of bitterness. My goal was to show everyone that I could make it by myself and show them that I didn’t need anybody.

After graduating from high school, I attended college to follow after my dreams. During my first year of college I had a number of things that entered into my life that were hard for me to deal with. I moved out of my parents home taking on my own needs, which was scary to me. My grandfather, who was one of the most significant people in my life was diagnosed with cancer, passed away. The death of my grandfather was one of the most devastating things that happened to me up to that point in my life. He was everything to me, and stood by me, and believed in me. I was losing the strength that I thought I had. That summer was one of many challenges.

In the fall, after my grandfather had died, my boyfriend (John, the crazy guy I'm married to now :) ) asked me to go to a Bible study. I was totally opposed to the idea. He was transforming before my eyes. He longed to be a church and around others who loved this “Jesus” they all talked about. My relationship with my long time boyfriend was deteriorating before me. He was insisting that I attend this Bible study, only because of his pressure did I attend the study. I had no desire to listen to what was being taught. After attending the study for about two months, I started to listen and was convicted by the Word that was being taught.

In October of 1991, I met the Master, Jesus Christ who died that I might not live to myself any longer, but to Him. I realized that I was a sinner, Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, that meant me. I saw that I needed Him to help me carry out my life. I had run out of strength and hope and knew I had been following the wrong path for quite some time. Isaiah 53:6 sums up my life to that point, “All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way...”. I placed my trust in His sacrifice that He gave when He died on the cross for my sins that I might not be punished for all the things that I had done. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”

My life is no longer mine, but His. He took my old self which was filled with hostility, anger, unforgiveness, pride, and bitterness and removed it. He replaced it with peace, love, forgiveness, and humility. I am no longer a slave to my sin, I have been freed by the blood of Christ, as Romans 6:7 “for he who has died is freed from sin.” Virtually nothing has been the same. I am able to forgive others with the same love I’ve been forgiven. My goals are not mine any longer, I want what He wants for my life. My life is not self-centered now, but Christ centered. Second Corinthians 5:15 “And he died for all , that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” My desires do not direct the sail on my ship, but His word directs my path. I am not independent, but dependent on Him who died for me. I am eternally indebted to serve my Savior and Master, I am His bond-servant.

I would lie if I said that I never sin and am perfect, I am not. I still sin against Him, but praise the Lord He has given me the power to overcome my sins. He is teaching me that He is all I need. He is my El-Shaddai, my all sufficient one. He wraps His loving arms around me when no else can or would want to. He is my Jahweh, the Great I AM, He is the God who is not dependent upon me or anyone else, He is. He is my Jehovah-Jihreh, He provides me with everything I need. As the hymn so eloquently rings “And I met the Master, He touched me and made me whole”, Jesus Christ has made me completely whole. Praise be to God the only One who can truly change anyone. The One who truly changed a sinner like me.

God has carried me through difficult times since I have come to know Him. He’s been there through financial struggles, rejection, the birth of my daughter born with Down Syndrome, and everything else I have encountered. He’s so good to me.

Day 23 - Lisa Got Mouth Surgery Today...

2009-03-04T11:21:00.003-05:00

The fun never ends here in Ukraine. Lisa wants to experience it all. :)

Are you having trouble figuring out what they are doing to her in the picture? Well, she is at the Ukrainian dentist and they are working on a broken tooth (molar to be exact). It's not quite surgery, but they did have to do some cutting of her gums. They put this little rubber like thing in her mouth to keep junk from getting in her mouth. The dentist then cuts a little hole in it to get at the tooth he is working on. My mom is outside the building taking the picture through the window and the dentist opened the window so she could get a good picture. :-)

The good news is that this would be far more expensive in the USA (probably saved us about $300 or more). Of course as you can imagine, Lisa is not exactly excited about the whole ordeal. Yet, she is being quite the trooper despite the circumstances. She'll have to return next week to do the finishing touches on the crown.

I actually get to have some fun tonight. I'm going with my Dad to a seminar at Kiev Seminary on the life of John Calvin the great reformer of the 1500's. [I think Lisa is mumbling something to me like... "Why do the wicked prosper and righteous suffer?" (Ha HA!!!] :)

Day 22 - Putting the Court Date in Perspective...

2009-03-03T10:39:00.004-05:00

It amazing how short sighted we are sometimes. :) It is also interesting how our greatest strength can also be our greatest weakness. For example, the USA as a culture seems more organized and efficient than the culture of Ukraine (at least from our experience). Yet, sometimes our weakness seems to be that we don't spend time with people because they take time and we are so busy getting things done. :) While efficiency is important, people are even more important. "Balance", of course, is the key to the whole thing.

On top of all that... It usually becomes quite apparent that when we, Americans, visit a foreign country, we realize how blessed we are (or negatively how spoiled we are). Well, you may be wondering, why am I saying all this?

I talked with our lawyer, Ivan, today. He put our court date in a different context which helped gain some perspective. He talked with others about how long it is currently taking to get a court date. He said that others are having to wait up to 3 months to get a court date or they are having to unofficially encourage(bribe) the judge to move up the court date. All the sudden, two extra weeks doesn't sound all that bad. :)

To top it off, I was reading 2 Corinthians 4 this morning which was quite encouraging. (Yet, I'm certain I don't have a clue the kind of hardships that Paul endured.) What I find ironic is verses 16-18...
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." (2 Cor 4:16-18)

Our time here is momentary in light of eternity. May we look to the things which are unseen and may God squeeze out of us a heart of thankfulness (as opposed to the ugliness of being spoiled rotten)!

I'm thankful that HE who began a good work in me will bring it to perfection when Christ returns (Phili. 1:6)!

Day 21 - A Court Date Has Been Set, BUT...

2009-03-02T09:05:00.003-05:00

"The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord." (Prov. 16:1)
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." (Prov. 19:21)

Is God in control (sovereign) over every person, every decision, and absolutely everything no matter how big or small? YES! Is God in control of the evil and good? ABSOLUTELY!

Well, whether you personally believe that or not, for us it is the ultimate truth that gets us through the times in life when we don't get what we want or have to go through what we don't like. Does that mean we understand God's specific answer and purpose? No! Does that mean we like everything that comes our way? Not necessarily! Yet, our comfort and joy is in God and what He purposes.

Ivan met with the judge this morning. And the judge said he could only schedule us in as early at Friday March 13th. The judge had originally scheduled us for Mar. 19th, but Ivan appealed to him for an earlier date. Apparently, Mar. 13th was as early as he could do it. :-(

So we are not too excited about the date (actually kind of bummed :-( ), but we are thankful that the adoption process is still pressing forward. We're not sure how this will effect our return flight plans. But likely, I (Johnny), will return to Michigan shortly after the court date. Lisa will have to remain up to 3 weeks after court. And my Dad & Mom may end up returning with Lisa instead of waiting a month later. But who knows, this is Ukraine, anything could change!

Waiting, trusting, & hoping in the goodness of God!

Pray for Vika, as she is growing restless in the orphanage and longs to be out. May God use this to draw her to Christ! Pray for Caleb and Seth that God will enable them to continue to endure and persevere!

Day 19-20 - The Weekend Edition (maybe some concern)

2009-03-01T14:29:00.007-05:00

Lisa, Grandma, & Gabi made a trip to the orphanage to visit Vika on Saturday. They had a good time and Vika was happy to see Gabi for the first time since we've been here. It's around 3 hours by train each way, so we were not sure how Gabi would do on the trip. But she did quite well.Lisa and I went to the lawyers office to sign some more documents. It was simple & short. But Ivan did mentioned that court is requiring more documents than is required by law. He is getting all the extra documents that they are asking for, but it does raise our concerns. The concern is that Ivan will give them the documents and they'll ask for more documents. This does appear to be the Ukrainian way. It might not effect the outcome, but it could delay the process some more.

So please be in prayer for Ivan tomorrow(Monday), as he will travel to Nizhyn by himself to apply for a court date. We, of course, would love to have a court on Tuesday or Wednesday, but we are trusting God's timing! :)

P.S. The next time you talk with Lisa or Jane, you'll have to ask them about the drunk Ukrainian who was hasseling them as they were doing their morning run. Let's say that it was a little scary, but my Mom seems to know how to handle the drunks around here. Thank goodness for the guy in the white van stepping in to help. And you would think that would deter them from running? Nope! It must help them pick up the pace or they like living on the edge! :)

P.S. 2 - Maybe some of you could write to my mom and plead with her to at least carry a cell phone while they run for safety reasons.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT & PRAYERS!!!

Day 18 - Child Department Accepted Our Papers! :)

2009-02-27T15:21:00.002-05:00

Today is a good day for documents! Our lawyer called and said the child department accepted our documents, so now we can apply for a court date. Yippee! :-)

Ivan, our lawyer, will be going to Nizhyn on Monday to talk to the judge to get us a court date. He is having us sign some papers on Sunday, so we don't have to go with him on Monday. He will handle it all. So Monday is another big day, as the judge's schedule and decision will determine how quickly we get a court date. The lawyer will be striving to get a court date early next week.

Again, we are praying Proverbs 21:1 which states, "The king’s (or judge's) heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will." May the Lord give us the best date according to His will & glory!

Day 17 - Why Adopt From Ukraine?

2009-02-26T14:44:00.004-05:00

Why adopt from Ukraine? I mean, why do a foreign adoption when you can adopt children from the USA?

First of all, whether you adopt from the USA or internationally, both are worthy things to do. Both kinds of adoption have their challenges. The costs for adoption vary greatly depending on the country, age, and condition of the child. The adoption of some children can be more costly & more difficult in America than in some foreign adoptions. And some foreign adoptions are more expensive & more challenging than American adoptions. When we adopted Seth, it ended up costing us virtually nothing, but that was in part due to him having Down Syndrome and our income. And while his adoption had some unique challenges, it was easier than the adoption of Vika.

Secondly, I’m not writing this to suggest that one kind of adoption is more worthy than another. I’m just giving some of our reasoning why we chose to adopt from Ukraine this time instead of adopting from the USA again.

Certainly, a significant part of the draw to Ukraine was because my parents were here and took us through some orphanages. They also ministered a little bit in a certain orphanage and made a connection with Vika. So they kind of made a deal with us. They would take Vika out of the orphanage to live with them, and then we would work on adopting her. Lisa and I agreed, not knowing of course what God would have in store for us and that it would be such an interesting adventure! :)

Beyond that, American orphans generally are in foster care and have opportunities and care that orphans from foreign countries usually don’t have. Also, in some foreign countries, orphans are in greater danger due to conditions and situations that orphans are subject to. So there can be a greater urgency to adopt internationally. The sheer number of orphans in foreign countries far exceeds that of the USA. I’ve read that the USA has approximately 125,000 in the foster care system where as there is an estimated 40 million orphans internationally. Sometimes the living conditions of orphanages in Ukraine are less than ideal. But even more concerning is the high percentage of children that end up living on the street after they have to leave the orphanage. In light of these factors, we were inclined to adopt from Ukraine.

Day 16- Guess Who Got Lost in Ukraine?

2009-02-25T17:25:00.003-05:00

Have we got quite the story for you? We had to go to our lawyers office tonight to sign some papers. We also invited us to stay for their small group Bible study. I had already been to their office last week, so I thought I could get us there and back without Dad or Mom. It was pretty simply directions, and we made it there in about 25 minutes with no problems.

When we arrived at the office, Dima, asked if I could preach a 40 minute sermon tonight. I thought he was joking with me. After a little while, he approached me again and said that he was half serious. I usually have notes when I preach and teach, and I only had my Bible. Yikes! :) He said maybe I could do a bit of a discussion time instead of a sermon. So I had been recently studying 1 Peter 1:13 and had preached on it recently. Dima and another girl translated into Ukrainian/Russian. We spent about 4 hours together. It was truly a wonderful time!!! We got to know one another, we ate food together(Lisa made & brought brownies), signed some documents, and discussed 1 Pet. 1:13.

We departed about 10pm. Evan and Marina? walked Lisa and I to the bus. Evan asked me what bus I needed to return. I told him bus 45. When the bus came, he said that is one we needed and I looked at the number and thought for sure I also saw the number 45. Well, it was actually bus 45D. Lisa and I were not able to sit by each other, so I sat in the back of the bus and she sat toward the front. The bus was packed in like sardines. I'm guessing we drove about 20 minutes and I happen to notice a familiar face get on the bus. It was Carl Kresge, who I've only saw a couple times and met once briefly in the USA. Carl and his wife Lori just arrived in Kiev yesterday and are here in Ukraine for a little over a week. Carl oversees the missionaries here in Ukraine that are with SEND International.

I wasn't for sure Carl was who I thought he was, but I decided I would ask. I don't think he recognized me until I told him who my parents were. We then proceeded to chat and noted that we would end up getting off at the same location because the bus 45 empties out at certain location that is close to our apartments. We were amazed that we happened to meet on the same bus together. Well, the bus stopped and emptied out, but we were not in right location and we really had no idea where we were at or how to get where we needed to be. Fortunately, I had a cell phone, so we are able to call my parents and another missionary, Steve Wooden who came and got us.

Ok, now think about this for a minute. There are many 45D buses in Kiev. This city has millions of people in it. What are the chances that we would run into Americans that we recognized and both get on the wrong bus at the same time. If that isn't the hand of God, I don't know what is. In addition, if we hadn't bumped into Carl & Lori, they might have been in some real trouble. They had no cell phone and hardly any money. They didn't have an address of where they needed to go nor a phone number. All of us could not stop laughing at the whole event. What an adventure! I think we got home after 12am.

Day 15 - So Why Adopt?

2009-02-24T09:55:00.002-05:00

What’s the thinking behind adopting children? I mean why not just have biological children?
Obviously, some people adopt because that can't have children naturally. Yet, we are not having a problem in that area as you can see. :) Some people think that we are like some who believe you should continue to have children and never stop unless God prevents you from having them. (Sometimes that thinking borders on testing God and being irresponsible.) Though, we do find it funny when some people stare at us because we have almost 3 times as many children as most people do in America.

What we do believe is that God cares very much for orphans! Psalm 68:5 says that God is the, "Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation." There are also several Old Testament laws about protecting and taking care of orphans. The New Testament teaches that true worship of God is measured by our care for orphans. James 1:27 - "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

Now, this does not mean that everyone should adopt. There are many ways to care for orphans. Yet, we take joy in being able to care for orphans in this way. Certainly, we can't care for all the orphans, but we can do what we can do. We also hope to be example to others to do likewise.

Finally, one question that continues to motivate us about the things we do in this life is... “Will we regret this decision when we are in heaven?” This life is so short. What we do on earth either will be or not be an investment in heaven. We think investing in a life is a sacrifice worth making. And we certainly believe that God honors it, as already stated in His Word. We know that adoption will have its challenges and possibly some heartaches. But if we can impact a child's life for eternity than it is time well spent in our minds!

Jim Elliot said it like this, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

And Jesus said it like this, "And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" (Mk 8:34-36)

That's a little peak into our thinking and values! :)

What do you think? Got any questions?

Day 14 - Documents Have Been Accepted!

2009-02-23T14:03:00.001-05:00

Well, believe or not, the documents were accepted by the child department today. We had to go to a notary first, and then we went to the child department.

Now we wait until Friday I guess. Maybe they will call sooner, but there was no indication of that. So we will wait and see what the week holds.

As soon as they process the paperwork and approve everything, we can apply for a court date.

Stay Tuned! :)

In the meantime, I plan on posting some frequently asked questions about adoption this week. If you've got a question, ask away.

Thanks again for your prayers and support!

Day 12 & 13 - The Weekend Edition...

2009-02-22T12:28:00.004-05:00

Don't want to bore you with the minutiae of the weekend, so I'll keep this real short.

It's been a pretty quiet weekend which has been nice. We went to the international church again today. I, Johnny, was asked to preach and so I did. I had an interpreter that translated what I said into Ukrainian. So hopefully, they were able to make sense of it. :)

We also got to watch the Graham Church services live, so that was pretty neat to see everyone.
www.grahamchurch.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=77&Itemid=95

I'm going to post a few pictures and we'll talk at you on Monday.

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement!

This is how Lisa is coping being in Ukraine!!! HA HA!!! (She is going to kill me when she finds out I posted this.) :)