A Second Journey is about to Begin

I am firing up the blog again, to help keep all of you informed on our next journey.  We would appreciate your prayers as we move forward.  We also hope that what we learn along the way may be of use to others who may also take this journey.

As most of you know, Julia has epilepsy, and has been having seizures about 10-12 times per month on a fairly regular pattern.  She will go a week or more without a seizure, and then have a flurry of seizures packed into one week.  We have tried a variety of combinations of medications and also varied the dosages, but to no avail.  The seizures have kept right on occurring on their regular schedule.  At the same time we have been doing this, we have been going through a series of EEGs, MRIs, PET scans, CT scans, more MRIs, which has gotten us to the point we are at now.

We are headed in the direction of brain surgery to try to find and eliminate the source of the seizures. (That is probably not the correct terminology, but you get the idea.)  On Thursday, March 19th, we made our latest trek up to Children's Hospital in Birmingham.  The most delightful aspect to this trip was we had to be there at 6:30 am, which meant leaving here around 4:30 am, which meant Libby had to get up at 3:00 am.  We had a quick CT scan to start the day, and then an hour long MRI.  Julia had to have anesthesia for the MRI, so she was a bit groggy for a while.  Then we had a lengthy and very informative consultation with the neurologist.  She explained the procedures coming up, and answered all the questions we asked of her.  The next step is a procedure called an SEEG (stereoelectroencephalography).  Rather than trying to explain this, take a look at this web page - it will explain it very well.

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/ccf/media/files/Epilepsy_Center/SEEG%20Fact_Sheet_022210.pdf

This procedure could be scheduled at any time, but they might wait until school is done for the year, so it could be the middle of May.  We will keep you all posted.

We are Home

It is SO nice to sleep in one's own bed!  Which means, by the way, that we are home.  This trip was very similar to the last time.  Very little sleep the night before the trip.  I let Julia talk to her friends on the phone one last time before we left, and boy did she talk!  I think she started at 7:30 pm and finished up around mid-night.  I did not sleep much, if at all.  She brought me the phone when she finished, because the alarm to get Libby up at 12:30 was on the phone. I got up around 2:00 am, the taxi got there at 2:45, and off to the airport.  The flights were good again - we really like Lufthansa.  We arrived in Atlanta at about 4:40 pm, worked through the customs line, then had to go through a special line because of Julia's package.  I can at least say people were friendly, because they sure did not know what they were doing.  We had to explain a lot of it to them.  Strange.  Then, because we had a minor amount of food from Ukraine with us, we had to go through the agricultural check line.  Oh my goodness!  Sllloooooooowwwwwwwww!  But I can see the purpose.  The foreign folks in line in front of us had a ton of cooked meat in their suitcase.  When they opened it up . . . whew.  All we had were a few cookies and some buckwheat in a store-packaged container.  But we finally made it through, after two more hours of lines.  April Marion was there to pick us up, and drive us home.  Most of the kids were at the house to greet us, and the house looked great.  I hear Virginia was the house-cleaning nazi, but thanks to all of them.  And did I mention it was so nice to sleep in my own bed?  Now to get the house back in shape.  Virginia was showing me a light fixture this morning, that she had been worried about.  She turned on the light switch, and it starting hissing and popping and smoke came pouring out. I guess they were right.  That one is bad.
I will see if Libby has one last post in her, but if not, this is likely the last post for this blog.  It has been fun sharing our experience with you, and reading your posts and emails.  We are especially thankful for your prayers.  If any of you decide to go on a similar wild experience, let us know and we will help you in any way we can.   Andy

A few more details

We decided to be brave, or daring, or maybe just stupid this morning and get to the embassy on the metro. I studied the google map, so I was pretty sure I could manage it, but still . . . So we got up this morning, called the embassy, and no one answered.  I left a message, and was sitting on the sofa, pleading with God to let today be the day, when the phone rang.  It was the embassy.  They had scheduled us for 2:00 pm, but said we could come at 11:00 if we wanted to.  At this point, I don't wait for anything.  I rudely woke Julia up, told her to get dressed, started dancing around and jumping and singing (or as my kids would tell you, acting like I normally do in the morning).  We walked to the main metro station, rode to what I thought was the correct stop, headed up a street we had never walked up before, and whalla! There was the embassy big as life!  The only hiccup we almost had was the guard had us listed as a 2:00 pm appointment.  I reached across the counter, started slapping him down, handcuffed the rest of them, and ran for the front door.  Okay, not really.  But I told him with some amount of excitement in my voice that Lilia had changed it to 11:00, can you call her? (Buddy?) He looked skeptical, but called Lilia, and then somewhat surprised, smirked and said to go on in, the appointment was at 11:00.  (You better believe we are going in . . . Buddy!). Things ran smooth as clockwork on the inside, where I smiled almost the entire time knowing I was standing on US soil.  There was a brief interview, where Julia had to swear that she didn't lie on her visa application, a couple of papers to sign, and then a brief wait while they physically attached her visa to her passport, and put together a sealed package for us to give immigration as we enter the US.  The entire process, including the beat down of the guards, took less than an hour.  Now for final details.  I paid my apartment bill, confirmed a taxi for 3:00 am, emailed the travel agent to get the airline tickets, bought some special cookies we really like for the trip home, a few extra truffles for a few of you that Libby has special compassion for. We should probably go sight-seeing one more time, but we are wrung out.  Libby is napping, since she did not sleep well last night.  I keep wanting to pack my suitcase and head to the airport.  The word "home" has a whole new, fresh appeal to us right now.

Headed Home!

We are DONE!!!!!!  We have the visa, everything is finished!  

Inching Forward

Well, the good news is we have been told by our adoption agency that Officer Higgins processed our paperwork and sent it on.  But we have since learned there is another agency in-between her and the embassy, so we still do not have the visa.  I have resisted commentary up to this point, but if you think adding government bureaucracy to your healthcare process is going to make things better, you are out of your mind!  So here we wait.  We anticipate the embassy having what they need in the morning, and we will get ourselves to the embassy.  The last taxi ride cost $65. All three of us can ride the metro there and back for $1.50.  We just have to walk a bit more, which won't hurt us a bit.  We finally took Julia to St Sophia today.  It is a national treasure and something she will hopefully cherish in years to come.  Today, she was merely a teenager.  Another beautiful day today.  I have airplane reservations for Thursday morning.  Hopefully we get to use them.  Tomorrow might be the last blog from Ukraine. How exciting is that!  I have been tracking our calendar for this adoption.  Since the day we first got on an airplane to get Julia, it is now day 78.

Oh so close

We are so close, we can practically taste it.  This is the reason for Libby's blog.  We both are wanting to cry out, "are we there yet!" over and over, which of course, accomplishes nothing but to stir up discontent.  We completed the medical "exam" and went to the embassy to deliver all the documents they required.  So now, everything is done, other than immigration letting our daughter into the country.  We are praying, and pushing, hoping maybe tomorrow everything will be completed.  We will see.  Today was beautiful, for a change.  Mid 60's again and sunny.  I think we have two more days like this, before that storm that hit England makes its way over here.  It is not supposed to be bad, just cooling things off again, and some light rain.  There is really nothing to report.  We are just sitting here waiting.  As soon as we got back from the embassy, Julia's first question was, "when can we leave?"  We are eating down our food, planning for tomorrow to be our last full day.  If not, we will have to buy very carefully so we don't have to waste a bunch of food.

Helpful thoughts

This is an email my sweet Daddy sent us on October 16.  Everyday since then I have tried to remember to enjoy this time in Ukraine and stop asking "are we there yet?". When our family has taken long trips our kids would behave really well until the last half hour.  No matter how many hours the trip took, three or thirteen, when we were at the last half hour they would get antsy and whiny and cry and ask are we there yet?  That is how today is.  It is a beautiful day the Lord has made.  I should be rejoicing in it and enjoying what He has planned, but it feels like the last half hour and I want out of the car!  So the antidote to this feeling is a sacrifice of praise.  I want to thank Him for all the things I can remember that have shown his kindness along the way. 1. He let us meet Julia and decide to adopt her. 2. Our WHOLE family supported our decision and has encouraged us with their prayers, kind words, money and physical help. 3. Julia agreed to let us adopt her even though it meant leaving everything she has known, including friends she has had since first grade. 4. Virginia got to travel to Ukraine. 5. We have met people from Ukraine who live in Montgomery who are helpful and kind and have offered to help Julia when we return. 6. Our church family has supported us through prayers and financially and by taking care of Laura and Virginia while we are gone. 7. We have become a part of a special circle of people who have adopted kids. 8. Our friends have helped our kids by driving them places, feeding them and checking to make sure they are okay. 9. We have seen glowing sunsets and beautiful Ukrainian countryside on our many trips to Romny and Sumy. 10. God has provided friends that we met here, the Fox family and the Eides and Perkins in Kiev.  11.  We met some wonderful Ukrainian people, Svetlana, our facilitator, Konstantin, her boss, Andrew, Misha and Vova, Andrew's parents, the ladies at the reception desk of our hotel, the waitresses at the cafe in our hotel in Romny,and Lilya, a lady who came in from vacation to help with our paperwork in Romny. 12. We got to meet Julia's friends, so we have faces to go with names. 13. We finally got to visit Jill and David Martin in Odessa and see them in action at their school. 14. We got to fellowship with Jill and David's team and worship with them in their church.15. Because of this visit we know much better how to pray for them and we understand firsthand how vital prayer is to missionaries. 16. We got to host a pizza party for Julia and her friends and take lots of pictures for Julia to keep of fun memories.  17. Andy and I have had a LONG vacation together in a beautiful place that has included lots of walking and shopping (for food and chocolate!) and a chance to pray together and enjoy fellowship in the Lord. 18. We have had the chance to experience new culture and food and ways of thinking.  19. We have seen again that God is Lord over the whole earth and His people are over the whole earth, from every tribe and tongue. 20. We KNOW God has called us to do this whole thing and that He will enable us to do what He has called us to do.  21. We know in a deeper, richer way how much our 

Father loves us and the lengths He will go to show us-- all the way to the cross.  There... I feel better now.  Hope you do, too.

Dear Andy, Libby and Julia,  It is hard for  us to imagine the frustration and disappointments that you must be experiencing in your quest to do God's will.  The many obstacles that have been, and continue to be place in your path under the guise of government bureaucracy are really tests that are being placed there, perhaps by satan, or maybe God himself, not necessarily to prepare you for the future life on earth but rather to let you understand how much better your eternal life with Him will be.  You are on a wonderful trip that has been planned for years by a loving father whose only interest is to make the destination one of joy and happiness, so sit back and relax and quit asking "are we there yet".  He will let you know when we get there.  We love you kids,  Poppie