We are moving along little by little. It is hard to believe that it has only been a week since we left the USA. It actually feels like much longer. When we arrived in Kiev at 9:00am on Tuesday, sweaty and stinky from the train, we were whisked away to a waiting van.
We fit all seven suitcases in the van and the six of us (plus our driver and translator Nikita).
We drove about 45 minutes directly to Irina's medical appointment. She was examined and we got to speak to a doctor about her health history. He was very nice and kind with us and Irina. She has a bad cough and cold, but no history of any serious illnesses or diseases. Unless you count being allergic to chocolate as a serious disease!! :) gasp!
The kids had been cooped up in the train for 14 hours. Then in a van for 45 minutes. Then in the medical office for another hour. Then we dragged them along to the US Embassy where we were all checked thoroughly for bombs or other dangerous hidden weapons. Throughout all this waiting and sitting, they all did GREAT! Really unbelievable. Thank you for praying. We continue to work on paperwork for Irina's visa into the United States. Right now, we are waiting for her Ukrainian passport so we can complete the rest of our paperwork. We filed it on Monday and it could be anywhere from 3-12+ business days before it is sent to us in Kiev. Please pray for sooner! It's in the hands of the Ukrainian government. (Well… really God's hands, but you know what I mean.)
Finally after another long van ride in traffic, we arrived at our apartment. We dropped our bags, washed our faces, brushed our teeth and went for lunch at a restaurant Darin and I had gone to before. Lots of yummy food that cost only approx. $30 for all 6 of us.
We went to the market, grabbed some dinner supplies, stopped at the
pharmacy for a prescription for Irina and went home.
We are staying in the same apartment that Darin and I stayed at on our last trip.
Here is where the kids are sleeping. Irina requested to sleep on the couch (where she and Ethan are sitting). Ethan and Aaron are sleeping on the pull out sofa in the background.
They opened one of the locked doors to reveal another bed where Luke is sleeping.
I'm so happy to be bunking up with Darin again. :)
We've been eating breakfast and dinner at home and eating lunch out.
Dinner tonight: eggs, kiwi, apple, banana, cheese and bread.
And here's our porch with some laundry drying. I had to climb that ladder to reach the clothesline, but I'm so glad to have a place to dry clothes. I'm VERY thankful for a washing machine. (Darin was able to download the washer manual in English so we knew which buttons to press. Not a surprise… it was a good project for him.)
What's next? Waiting for the passport, continuing to work on schoolwork and being tourists. Did I mention we enjoyed some snow flurries today? If you're still reading, thanks for bearing with all the details. Many of these posts are more for our own memories then what you really want to know about. This is a trip we don't want to ever forget!
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