Good afternoon,
We attended our orientation meeting with the adoption agency in Indianapolis this past weekend. We learned a lot of things, one of which is that we cannot post public blogs any longer. This is to protect the interests of the children and keep confidentiality. We would like to keep everyone updated and SO appreciate your love, support and prayers. In the future, we will send out emails to friends and family to keep them informed.
Please send us your email address at tydi1970@aol.com and we will put you on our email list.
Thanks!
Rick and Diane
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Hosting Schedule Arrives!
Hello all!
We received the hosting schedule for Kateryna's visit. We will officially be picking her up on December 28th from Indianapolis Airport! How exciting is that?! It appears that we're going to have a busy few weeks, as there are various mandatory activities that we will be attending. Since the adoption agency is in Indianapolis, we will have somewhat of a drive. On December 30th, we will be going back for a "Welcome Party". We will be attending a "pitch-in" (what ever that is . . . ) at a local church on January 5th in Marion, Indiana, and going to a Russian Orthodox Service at a church in Indianapolis on January 10th. We will be bringing Kateryna back to the airport to go back to Ukraine on January 11th. I think that the two weeks are going to fly by!
We're still working on getting our home study paperwork submitted. We are hoping to get that completed and sent within the next week or so.
Many of you probably did not know that this past Sunday was Orphan Sunday. It just so happened that I had Vision Night at church, which was an opportunity for those on the worship team to get together and talk about the future of the ministry, meet others, and enjoy dinner together. Ryan, our worship leader, shared about his upcoming trip to Haiti to visit their son and file paperwork for his adoption. I also gave the team an update on what is happening in our lives. Everyone gathered around Ryan, Sue, their kids, and myself to pray for us. What a blessing it was, and we cherish the continued prayers of my friends and family. It's amazing how many people around us are in the process of, or have in the past adopted. We're looking forward to meeting more, as we travel to the adoption agency this coming Saturday for our orientation meeting.
Blessings,
Diane
We received the hosting schedule for Kateryna's visit. We will officially be picking her up on December 28th from Indianapolis Airport! How exciting is that?! It appears that we're going to have a busy few weeks, as there are various mandatory activities that we will be attending. Since the adoption agency is in Indianapolis, we will have somewhat of a drive. On December 30th, we will be going back for a "Welcome Party". We will be attending a "pitch-in" (what ever that is . . . ) at a local church on January 5th in Marion, Indiana, and going to a Russian Orthodox Service at a church in Indianapolis on January 10th. We will be bringing Kateryna back to the airport to go back to Ukraine on January 11th. I think that the two weeks are going to fly by!
We're still working on getting our home study paperwork submitted. We are hoping to get that completed and sent within the next week or so.
Many of you probably did not know that this past Sunday was Orphan Sunday. It just so happened that I had Vision Night at church, which was an opportunity for those on the worship team to get together and talk about the future of the ministry, meet others, and enjoy dinner together. Ryan, our worship leader, shared about his upcoming trip to Haiti to visit their son and file paperwork for his adoption. I also gave the team an update on what is happening in our lives. Everyone gathered around Ryan, Sue, their kids, and myself to pray for us. What a blessing it was, and we cherish the continued prayers of my friends and family. It's amazing how many people around us are in the process of, or have in the past adopted. We're looking forward to meeting more, as we travel to the adoption agency this coming Saturday for our orientation meeting.
Blessings,
Diane
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Our Lives in a Binder
Good Saturday morning!
Rick and I received the dreaded paperwork this week. We've been told that it's overwhelming . . . and it is! By the time that we're done, I think this adoption agency and the Ukranian government are going to know us better than our own family! We decided to start it last night, and got a good portion of it done! We will also need to schedule physicals, get fingerprinted, and get a CPS background check. After this information has been received neatly in a binder by the Director of Adoption Preparation, she will schedule our home study.
Our thanks go out to all the people that have supported us thusfar. Your prayers are SO important! I don't know if any of you have been following international news, but it appears that the swine flu is a BIG epidemic in Ukraine. The people of Ukraine has very poor medical care and limited resources, so this compounds the problem. Please continue to pray that they get this under control for the health and well being of the Ukranian people. There are several families that are waiting to go to Ukraine to pick up their children. Please pray that they will lift their ban on travel from the U.S. so that they can do so. Please pray for the children in the orphanages, including Kateryna and Mykhailo. We also ask that you pray that this doesn't affect Kateryna's ability to visit in late December.
Blessings,
Diane
Rick and I received the dreaded paperwork this week. We've been told that it's overwhelming . . . and it is! By the time that we're done, I think this adoption agency and the Ukranian government are going to know us better than our own family! We decided to start it last night, and got a good portion of it done! We will also need to schedule physicals, get fingerprinted, and get a CPS background check. After this information has been received neatly in a binder by the Director of Adoption Preparation, she will schedule our home study.
Our thanks go out to all the people that have supported us thusfar. Your prayers are SO important! I don't know if any of you have been following international news, but it appears that the swine flu is a BIG epidemic in Ukraine. The people of Ukraine has very poor medical care and limited resources, so this compounds the problem. Please continue to pray that they get this under control for the health and well being of the Ukranian people. There are several families that are waiting to go to Ukraine to pick up their children. Please pray that they will lift their ban on travel from the U.S. so that they can do so. Please pray for the children in the orphanages, including Kateryna and Mykhailo. We also ask that you pray that this doesn't affect Kateryna's ability to visit in late December.
Blessings,
Diane
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Those persistent pigs!
Hello everyone!
As I have mentioned in previous posts, we have been communicating much with Lydia these past few weeks. She is the director of the Ukraine adoption program with the agency that we are going through. She expressed to us last week that she is traveling to the orphanage that Kateryna and Mykhailo are staying at, as she and her husband are adopting an 11-year old boy from the same orphanage. She told us that she would be willing to take some pictures and give us information about their personalities, as she will be spending three weeks there. We were very excited to hear more about the children, and to see some more pictures. (We have a picture of each of the children, but they are somewhat like "mug shots".) What a great thing to be able to get more information about them and see pictures of them within their natural environment. Well . . . she just posted that the Ukranian government has quarantined US travel due to the H1N1 virus and that their travel has been posponed indefinitely. : ( She is expecting that it might even be as long as three weeks before they will get word that they can travel. What a bummer! I feel very badly for Lydia, her husband, and the other families that had plans to pick up their children. It's also very sad that the children have to wait even longer to come home. Please pray for the families and children involved, as well as the health of the Ukranian people.
Diane
As I have mentioned in previous posts, we have been communicating much with Lydia these past few weeks. She is the director of the Ukraine adoption program with the agency that we are going through. She expressed to us last week that she is traveling to the orphanage that Kateryna and Mykhailo are staying at, as she and her husband are adopting an 11-year old boy from the same orphanage. She told us that she would be willing to take some pictures and give us information about their personalities, as she will be spending three weeks there. We were very excited to hear more about the children, and to see some more pictures. (We have a picture of each of the children, but they are somewhat like "mug shots".) What a great thing to be able to get more information about them and see pictures of them within their natural environment. Well . . . she just posted that the Ukranian government has quarantined US travel due to the H1N1 virus and that their travel has been posponed indefinitely. : ( She is expecting that it might even be as long as three weeks before they will get word that they can travel. What a bummer! I feel very badly for Lydia, her husband, and the other families that had plans to pick up their children. It's also very sad that the children have to wait even longer to come home. Please pray for the families and children involved, as well as the health of the Ukranian people.
Diane
Friday, October 30, 2009
Hope for the future
Good morning!
I'm sitting at my computer at work looking at a picture of the beautiful children thinking about what it will be like to have them in our home. It seems surreal. I obviously have selfish reasons for wanting to bring them back . . . it's as if I feel that the empty space in my heart is finally going to be filled. However, there are other very important reasons, as well. I was surfing the net the other day and have spent much time looking into the lives of the children in the orphanages of Ukraine. There are some grim statistics of the children that age out of the orphanages. 60% of the girls will seek a life of prostitution and 70% of the boys will face a life of crime. I look at the pictures of each of these little faces. Faces that are so innocent and naive . . . it's hard to believe that this is the course that many of their lives will take. We understand that the children from this particular orphanage do not have exposure to religion. We are very excited to have the opportunity to show Kateryna and Mykhailo the heart of Jesus.
I have been communicating with the Executive Director of the adoption agency. She will be sending us the documents for our home study soon. As soon as we have completed the needed documentation, our home study will be scheduled. We are told that there are also classes we have to take in Indianapolis, as well. We are eager to get things going, as we know the time will pass by very quickly!
I am excited as I have learned that I will be eligible for leave through the Family Medical Leave Act when it comes time to travel. My company is being very understanding about the time that I will need. I will be able to use some of my sick days, so I will even continue to receive a paycheck while I'm gone! What a blessing!
Diane
I'm sitting at my computer at work looking at a picture of the beautiful children thinking about what it will be like to have them in our home. It seems surreal. I obviously have selfish reasons for wanting to bring them back . . . it's as if I feel that the empty space in my heart is finally going to be filled. However, there are other very important reasons, as well. I was surfing the net the other day and have spent much time looking into the lives of the children in the orphanages of Ukraine. There are some grim statistics of the children that age out of the orphanages. 60% of the girls will seek a life of prostitution and 70% of the boys will face a life of crime. I look at the pictures of each of these little faces. Faces that are so innocent and naive . . . it's hard to believe that this is the course that many of their lives will take. We understand that the children from this particular orphanage do not have exposure to religion. We are very excited to have the opportunity to show Kateryna and Mykhailo the heart of Jesus.
I have been communicating with the Executive Director of the adoption agency. She will be sending us the documents for our home study soon. As soon as we have completed the needed documentation, our home study will be scheduled. We are told that there are also classes we have to take in Indianapolis, as well. We are eager to get things going, as we know the time will pass by very quickly!
I am excited as I have learned that I will be eligible for leave through the Family Medical Leave Act when it comes time to travel. My company is being very understanding about the time that I will need. I will be able to use some of my sick days, so I will even continue to receive a paycheck while I'm gone! What a blessing!
Diane
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Friends & Family Rock!!!!!!!
Yesterday (Sat. 10/24) we decided to announce our decision to adopt from Ukraine via Facebook. We are amazed and deeply touched by the number of our friends and family members who have commented on our Facebook (both mine and Di's). Many have approached us at church and have expressed how happy they are for us. God has truly blessed us with an awesome network of good friends and a very loving and supportive family. We love all of you and will continue to keep you update as things progress. Thank you for sharing our journey with us. You Rock!!!!!!!
Love,
Rick
Love,
Rick
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Great News!
Well . . . things appear to be moving right along! We have been speaking with Lydia, the Director of the Ukraine program at MLJ Adoptions in Indianapolis. The facilitator has selected the children that will be hosted this December. These children will be available for adoption thereafter. Lydia sent us pictures of a sibling group that she had in mind. All four!! After Rick and I caught our breath, we decided that four would be too many. She then emailed us to let us know that she was gathering more information on a sibling group of three that she wanted us to consider. The children that she was presenting to us were children that were cleared for adoption, but not available immediately. We told her that we would pray about the three children. We were feeling somewhat ambivalent, as we felt that three might be too many for us to handle. God gave us our answer. We learned that two of the children were adopted by a Ukranian family. The other was not yet available for adoption as she needed a minor surgery.
Lydia also mentioned that there was a sibling group of two (one boy and one girl) that would be available in the near future. Rick and I both had a strong feeling about these two. We asked that she send us pictures and we would pray about it. After much prayer, we have consented to pursue adoption with these children! Their names are Michaylo and Katyrina. Michaylo turned 8 in September and Katyrina turned 10 in July. Lord willing, we will host Katyrina in December. Only one representative from each family travels, and it is always the oldest. Lydia communicated to us that she would call us back when she found out when the children will be available for adoption. She contacted us a few days ago to tell us that they will be available between February and April of next year! Wow! This is earlier than we thought! We are awaiting a call from the home study coordinator to get our home study underway. While we are excited, we still have some hurdles to jump over. Please pray that the host program will stay in tact, and that we will be able to meet Katyrina in December. Please pray that Rick will get medical clearance. Please pray that our home study gets completed soon so that we can start applying for adoption loans and grants.
Lydia also mentioned that there was a sibling group of two (one boy and one girl) that would be available in the near future. Rick and I both had a strong feeling about these two. We asked that she send us pictures and we would pray about it. After much prayer, we have consented to pursue adoption with these children! Their names are Michaylo and Katyrina. Michaylo turned 8 in September and Katyrina turned 10 in July. Lord willing, we will host Katyrina in December. Only one representative from each family travels, and it is always the oldest. Lydia communicated to us that she would call us back when she found out when the children will be available for adoption. She contacted us a few days ago to tell us that they will be available between February and April of next year! Wow! This is earlier than we thought! We are awaiting a call from the home study coordinator to get our home study underway. While we are excited, we still have some hurdles to jump over. Please pray that the host program will stay in tact, and that we will be able to meet Katyrina in December. Please pray that Rick will get medical clearance. Please pray that our home study gets completed soon so that we can start applying for adoption loans and grants.
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