We're going at any cost!

We didn't have to wait till we got to Ukraine for the stress and drama to present itself. Receiving notice of our appointment in December created a travel date in just nine days! We welcomed the news, only to get woes from Konstantin that a guardian issue was likely going to delay our newly coveted travel date as well as possibly forcing Anna into a state run orphanage till our arrival. We mostly kept this to ourselves, resisted the temptation to fret, and God soon provided a solution that would allow for a routine & timely start to our process, or so we hope.

Anyone familiar with routine & adoptions will recognize that it may not be the best choice of words. This is not to single out Ukraine, or even international adoptions. None the less, the reward can seem bigger after going through the obstacles from an emotional, spiritual, financial & logistical perspectives.

I somehow feel like I need to apologize in advance for what may seem like my

complaining of our difficulties in the whole travel, cultural, and beauracratic world of adoption. But instead, I just want to offer up some of our challenges as a way that we can all connect, laugh, prayerfully support each other, and ultimately grow in understanding. Our cultures are very different in some areas, but more often similar.

Our first real challenge had dwindled down our hour departure cushion to nothing as we dipped into our newly acquired credit card trying to buy two one way return tickets for Kris and I. It turns out that a traveler cannot go to Ukraine without promising that they will leave on a certain date! Of course this means that the "cheapest tickets" of $4578.00 (times two) had to be bought on the spot! Then, a credit card snafu tried ringing in the total times 2 ($18000 now) and it could only be fixed with a conference call and lots of conversation with credit card "officials" trying hard to help.

All in all it made the exploding yogurt mess just before the full-fledged patdown seem like a minor inconvenience at the security line.

We ran to the gate, the doors closed, we were scowled at for holding things up, we were

seated.........and all is well! Thank you Lord!

Greeting the fresh air on the Tarmac at Borispol Airport