In Donetsk

Busy day today. We went to get our referral signed at the NAC today (1100 am), packed (1230), caught a plane to Donetsk (330 pm) and arrived here at 5 pm. Alexei drove us all over Kiev to get things signed and buy tickets, go to the airport, etc. Sergei picked us up at the airport...here is the best part- After landing we walked off the plane and boarded a bus designed for 20 people and managed to fit in 100. Next we drove the bus about 100-150 feet and unloaded....no joke. We're not in Kansas anymore. Sergei found us a very nice apartment in the middle of town (right by Lenin Square). He showed us around and took us shopping. He was very nice and extremely helpful. We ate at an Irish pub tonight, and it was the best meal we have had so far. We will spend the weekend looking around, and on Monday we hope to visit Nicholai after meeting with the regional inspector and orphange director.

JP

As you can read above, today has been a busy day and things are moving very quickly for us.  We had about a half hour to pack and try to cram some food down our throats.  If I don't lose some weight by the end of this trip there is something seriously wrong!  Today is only the 3rd time that we have eaten out.  I am on the bread and banana diet right now.  The best advice I can give is to bring snack food with you because things have moved so quickly for us that we have been too tired to run around to restaurants to eat.  Anyway, we are in Donetsk and is a really pretty region.  We like it much better than Kiev.  Sergei  is super nice and we are excited to be here in the area where our child (hopefully, our child to be) has grown up.  We were hoping to get to the orphanage asap but we will have to wait until Monday.  Nicholai is away at summer camp about 120km.  away. (We were told that is about 1 1/2-2 hrs. drive away.)  Donetsk is an industrial and coal mining town with a population of about 1 million, it is the 2nd largest city in Ukraine.  Kiev is the largest city with a population of about 5 million.   There is a lot of polution in Donetsk so they try to send the kids away to camp every summer to get fresh air and see the countryside.  We are hoping to meet the inspector, go to the orphanage and meet with the director and drive to see Nicholai on Monday.  Sergei said that he spoke with the orphanage director today and she said that Nicholai becomes very sad every time he sees other families coming to visit and adopt the other children.  He can't understand why no has come to adopt him.  I can't stop thinking about how he was supposed to be up for adoption a year ago but his paper work was lost.  Sergei said he had heard that to and that God must have had a plan for him.  Anyway, Jon and I are completely exhausted.  We will just be touring this area over the weekend and trying to catch up on rest.  We will update this with more of the adoption info. on Monday.  We love and miss everyone back home.  (Mike, Mary, Kailyn and Hadley-hope you have a great time at the beach this weekend.  We will be thinking of you!)  Mom, Kylie, Jake & Jim- miss & love you guys too! 

Summer