We Made It!!!

We arrived, on time and exhausted. That was a long flight. We had a new plane, but the seats were so uncomfortable that no one got much sleep. We arrived on Saturday at our apartment by 1:00 p.m. The apartment is right in the heart of Kiev in Victory Square. The place is very simple and very Ukrainian. Victor handled the details of this trip beautifully, it went extremely smooth. We were ushered through customs with VIP service so fast that we beat Victor's arrival time at the airport. Victor's driver got us to our apartment without making us fear for our lives with his good driving. We reviewed our plans with Victor, then off to lunch we went. As soon as we were done eating, we went to the market and bought Yana a huge treat...dried fish. Was she ever in heaven.

After a couple hours out, we returned to the apartment and all 3 of us fell sound asleep for about 2 hours. We got up long enough to get ready for bed and for the rest of the day we relaxed. The rest felt good, but I think we all need one more day of it to really recuperate. We will have time today, Sunday, to get more rest later in the day. We spent 4 hours with Victor on Sunday, sightseeing around Kiev. He brought his son, Anton, with him. The English threw Anton off a bit. He would try to talk to us, but never got the right answer. That was a treat sharing part of our day with them. After internet time we will eat, go to market, and return to the apartment. That will be more time for rest.

Rick did bring company from Virginia with us that gave us some concern. As he was showering he discovered a tick on him. It looked pretty serious. He pulled it out and left the head in, so I finished the job and treated it. We were both thinking the same thing but never spoke it until the next morning, "What do we do if this is a bulls eye?" In the morning we checked it and it was getting much better. Thank you God for your hand of protection. This is my 5th trip to the Ukraine. I can say that this is where I am closest to God's power. I am week and I know that through his strength, I am strong. I am thankful for all that He has done and all that He is going to do.

Tomorrow, Memorial Day in America, SDA appointment in the Ukraine. We have our appointment at 12:00 noon. The process of bring Koyla home now begins.
Fran

Off We Go!!

The day has come, May 22nd, one month later then I thought, but God's perfect timing. We have about 20 extra pounds in our luggage, the school work that Yana has to complete before she gets home. Everything is packed, and I mean everything. I can't wait for our facilitator to see our luggage. One bag is gifts for the orphanage and the group home that "Heart for Orphans" has established. The rest is ours and Yana's is the heaviest. Our friend Dale will be here at 11:30 a.m. to drive us to Richmond airport. Our flight to New York is at 2:00 p.m and we leave New York at 630 p.m. We arrive in Kiev at 11:10 in the morning (with the 7 hour time change).

We have said our good byes, we have been prayed over, and all the bills have been paid, now the dog gets walked for the last time and off we go.

God Bless this portion of your journey. I pray that we bring Koyla home and we will be in your perfect will.
Fran

The Guess is Over

Tuesday morning, everyone is off doing their thing, school and work. I get some quiet time before I have to run off to work. I am doing a study by Priscilla Shires, "He Speaks to Me". Our very last assignment at the end of this fantastic study is to write a letter. I write mine to God. I submit to His timing, His direction and allow Him to take control over the adoption. As soon as I write "Amen" the phone rings. "Hi Fran, this is Victor. We have the appointment".

We have 10 days to get ready, today is 9 and tomorrow is 8. We leave the Richmond airport on May 22nd and arrive in Kiev on the 23rd. Our appointment is on May 25th, Memorial Day. I didn't tell Victor that it is an American Holiday in fear they would all take the day off!

The first week of my study Priscilla talked about being still. After 6 weeks of being still, I am filled with the stength to move on with the journey. There is such power in being still.

Part 2 of the journey is now officially beginning,!
Fran

Your Guess is as Good as Mine!

The most often questions asked me these days is; "When are you going to get Koyla". Your guess is as good as mine, only God knows the plan. We are doing all we can do, our facilatator, Victor, is doing all he can do, so now we just keep the faith that it will come soon.

The lastest update story is a tale of United States Law and Ukrainian Law and the Rahns are in the middle. On April 16th Victor went to the SDA office with the final 3 pieces of paper. The dossier was now complete, accepted and ready for the date. They told him to come back on the 23rd to get the date. On the 23rd they told him they could not give him the date yet because there are two major holidays coming up in May that will affect when people can have appointments. They had not decided how much time they were going to take off for the holidays. They asked him to call on Monday and they would let him know. On Monday he was told that the office had been so business that they did not have time to schedule appointments, but if he came in on Wednesday, the 29th, they would have the appointment scheduled. On Wednesday he was told that they found fault with the I-171H form, which is our American form for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. They said the dates were wrong and that they had never heard of an extension before. Victor explained that we were granted an extension and that this paper was still valid. Victor has to go to the U.S. Embassy to get a letter that stated that this form has been approved and the extension is a new law that was passed in July 2008. Victor called the SDA who said that the letter would be accepted but that he would have to come back on May 7th because the deputy director of booking appointments has gone home and is now on vacation and then there will be the holiday (Labor Day is May 1st), so therefore we can not book the appointment, but we promise that it will be booked on May 7th and we will get them in at the end of May. Victor wants me to get a new form that has dates changed and our government agency can't change the dates on the form because it make the form illegal. Who will win the battle? Who knows? God does!!! In the mean time I lay awake at night repeating,
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, Be still I am God, I am the vine you are the branches, Be angry and do not sin, and Don't be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord's salvation. It did work. I finally got the peace that I was needing to fall asleep.

In the mean time, Koyla will turn 13 on May 7th, and Yana will be done with soccer by the time we leave, and Rick will wrap up work that needs to get done, and I can think about all the things I want to do in the Ukraine for the summer, since more and more of my summer will be there. I am still hopeful that we will have an appointment somewhere around the 20th or 21st. I am praying that I am in God's will on that. I would love to be back in the United States before the July 4th holiday. We do know that God's timing is perfect, even if we think he is looking at the wrong datebook.
Fran

Hold the Flight!!

We are not making our flight plans yet, we are still waiting. On March 26th our facilitator had his appointment with the SDA. They gave him 3 papers to return to us and have us do over. The facilitators can't keep up with all the changes that are taking place, but this time they are splitting hairs. We got them back in record time, but not perfect time. Our papers arrived in Kiev on Monday, April 6th. They made it by FedEx in 3 days!!! They had to be translated and notorized and then run over to the SDA office. All done in record time. The SDA office is closed to dossier work for 15 days April 1st to the 15th to do quarterly reports! Oh no.......another red light. Hurry up and wait, Hurry up and wait, Hurry up and wait. I did learn this as a child. We played the game hurry up and wait all the time, Red light-Green light. Why is it as an adult it is not as much fun? Maybe my problem is fun, I should make this more fun. Turn it into a game, a guessing contest, create a game similar to monopoly or .... Am I missing an opportunity here?
Now I think I am going nuts. I think I do better at hurry up and wait.

God did not leave me without seeing His Glory. In this period of hold, God showed me that He is sitting on the throne. I love to see this, it gets me so excited. In 2005 a group of children came to United States with the "Old Russin Shoe Maker" performance. The children were from Berdyansk Orphanage, Yana was one of these children. During the performance at the Williamsburg Community Chapel, I spotted a young girl that looked just like one of my nieces. I welted up with tears. The thought that these children didn't have family overwhelmed me. The sight of this young girl made me stop and think about the importance of having someone helping you direct you path as you get older. It is easy to see the lack of nurturing that a young child would miss living in an orphanage, but the older child missing the guidance and security that comes from a family unit. I have thought about that young girls over and over. I never got her name or found out anything else about her, but her face and the feeling that I got when I saw her has never left me.

Last summer one of Yana's friends came to visit Williamsburg from North Carolina, she was also adopted from Ukraine. This year she returned to visit with her sister. This young sister is the young girl that stirred up my emotions in 2005. It is so exciting to know that she has a family and the couple adopted her whole family at that. How is that for God's Glory. It makes hurry up and wait well with my soul.

We are still praying for a fast appointment, hopefully in May, maybe even the first or second week. I have been hearing that they are setting fast appointments.

For now we are going to change our focus. We are celebrate our Risen Savior. He has Risen indeed and His grace is given to me daily. Happy Easter
Fran

Waiting for "The" Meeting

Hurry up and wait, sound familar? So much of life is like that. Your hurry to get here and there to find yourself waiting at the red light. I don't do red lights real well, but I practice trying to be a good red light person. We are at a red light waiting for the green. Our facilitar has received the last of our changed paper work and is now waiting to return to the SDA office at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 26th. There is good chance that our appointment will be at the end of
April, so I am trying to prepare for that scenario. I also realize that the papers could be returned again, many changes are taking place in Ukraine for adoptions, especially paper work. I realize that after being told Koyla, our son to be, is registered, there is always chance the papers are lost, we have been down that road before. Have you ever been at a red light and it didn't change? You look around to see if others have noticed, you wait a little longer and start wondering what to do. It is really hard when you are the first person at the light and others are looking to you to make the decision. That is how I feel with this adoption. I am so ready to get on with life, yet we are at a red light, waiting. I look forward to our trip to Ukraine and having Koyla as my son, but there are so many things that are on hold until this is over. There is nothing on hold that is more important then adopting a child. There is nothing on hold that has any eternal value, just things.

When I get real anxious I look at Koyla 's picture and that has a calming effect on me. I look at Yana and I realize that this little guy is worth the wait. This picture of Koyla was taken by friends who recently visited Berdyansk Orphanage and met Koyla. They brought a gift to him from our family. We got a real good report about Koyla. The director says he is a good boy!!! I guess there could be other motives for saying he is a good boy, like she wants him to be with his sister, but I will choose to believe he is a good boy.

Hopefully on March 26th when I get out of bed and run to the computer, the light will turn green. We will have our appointment and the official packing can begin. Until then, I am sitting at the red light, waiting.

Fran

Part 2 of the Rahn Journey Begins

Yes, she is beautiful! The inner women in Yana is as beautiful as the outter Yana. She and her papa went to a father/daughter diner. They are such good buddies.

I don't blog about Yana much, because I want her to enjoy her privacy, but now that she is part of the Part 2 Journey, you will hear more about her as it applies to the journey.

Our papers are in Ukraine, most of them have been translated already. Some of them came back the first time they went out due to the changes in the laws in December 2008. Our facilitator says that once we are approved we will be able to go for our appointment as soon as Yana's brother is available. From the information we received from the facilitator, Koyla should be available at the end of April. It once seemed so far away, now it seem right on top of us. So much to do, so much money yet to save!!! I could throw myself into a panic. I do realize that nothing is for certain on this part of the journey either. I am well equipped for that too. I know that the SDA could come back and tell us that they were only joking when they told Victor that Koyla was available. Fortunately, I am ready for anything this year. I told Rick that it felt good to know that this would be our last trip to Ukraine to adopt. He looked at me and said, "Who said it was". Oh my!!!! If God has a plan for more adoptions, He must increase the size of our home, increase the amount of our savings, and slow down my aging process. I know that He has the ability to do all three, so who am I to question. We hope to be getting word about our appointment in a couple of weeks. We are praying for timing to be in our favor, late April, early May. That God would help us prepare for this journey mentally, physically and spiritually.

Yana will be traveling with us to Ukraine. She and Rick will stay until the court date and then return to the U.S. so that Rick can work and Yana finish the school year. Rick will return to sign the final papers and travel home wth us. This is the plan as of today, and are open if God's plan differs.

Part 2 of the Rahn journey is officially started, May God Bless it,

Fran