June 29, 2010

Today was a really wonderful second day in Kiev. (To the left is a renactment of our first family photo in Ukraine. Compare it to the photo at the top of the blog from 2005!) The kids both insisted on wearing some of their Ukrainian clothes we had from our last visit so Thomas wore his Dynamo soccer jersey (the Ukrainian National soccer team) and Vika got a traditional girls blouse and skirt. We visited the Kyvio-Pecheska Lavra to begin our day with Alla as our guide and Boris once again our driver. This is where we did visit with the kids just after we adopted them and while we were waiting for final paperwork in Kiev before we head back to the states almost 5 years ago. The kids remembered each place we visited within this compound which has 5 churches, including underground caves where monks lived in solitude for prayer and fasting (and to escape regimes that did not allow religion.) The main cathedral was blown up by the Nazi’s during their occupation and then rebuilt in the 1970’s. Inside one of the naves of this church is a replica on the church dedicated to John the Baptist in the Holy Land. It is quite remarkable to see and a very holy place. (In the photos below you will see me and kids in 2005 and us today, and then further below is Tami and the kids in 2005 and today.)

They have a wonderful large museum in this complex that enables you to see archeological artifacts from cultures as far back as 20,000 years ago and allows you to see the progression of culture in this land. While we were in this complex Alla our translator bought each of the kids a small wooden folding picture of their guardian angels, Saint Thomas and Saint Viktoria. It was a touching moment and the kids say they are keeping them in their pockets and will even keep them when they sleep. Alla is a deeply spiritual and faithful woman and that is rubbing off on the kids some which is great. Thomas even said today, “I have two faiths that can give me strength and help me now.”

Our tour took us through the caves and catacombs where you can see the mummified remains of priests who spent their lives praying the caves. The soil in this area is just right to keep their remains in good condition and it was discovered that there also are healing properties to the spring located under the caves. People pilgrimage from all over the world to come to these caves and pray in the holy caves and experience and holy water. You can now drink from this water and splash some on your face as you leave, which was really cool (pun intended) as it was VERY hot and humid today. The flowers and gardens in this complex are also very stunning because of the great soil conditions.

Our time of guided tour ended at the War Memorial adjacent to this complex of caves and cathedrals. Once again, this is a place we came with the kids when we first adopted them and were in Kiev and we even found the spot and reenacted our first family photo! We also were able to see the monuments to those who died in different wars. It is especially powerful to see the large statues depicting the men, women, older women and children who tried to defend Kiev from the Nazi invasion as they crossed the Dnieper River. They even formed resistance after the Nazi’s occupied Kiev but many people died and much of their culture was lost during this time.

This monument is at the base of the “Lady Liberty” who protects Kiev. It is a stainless steel monument in the shape of a woman holding a shield and a sword. The word liberty is feminine in Ukrainian and so she is seen as the protector of the city and nation. The kids got to sit in real Ukrainian helicopters and WWII aircraft which are on display in this area.

Alla and Boris then dropped us off along the river front at the base of the city so we could go for a boat ride. As Alla departed (this was the end of her time with us as tomorrow we have a new translator to accompany us to Cherkassy) it was one of the most wonderful moments we had with the kids. She hugged them both and then hugged us and said with tears in her eyes, “Thank you for taking such good care of our children.” This was a healing moment for both of us in a way because we always had been worried that some Ukrainians would be upset that we had “taken” their children from their homeland and culture. It was a blessing to have this blessing bestowed on us and our family.

We actually did not get to ride a boat but we did get McDonald’s and there was air conditioning! We then made our way back to our hotel and did some shopping along the way. We stopped at a market by St. Andrew’s cathedral where Thomas got another replica soccer jersey and Vika got a beautiful Ukrainian doll. It was another great day and tomorrow we look forward to heading towards the kid’s village from childhood and visiting their orphanages. Not sure what kind of internet access we’ll have their so it may be a few days before I can write again.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers. We can sure feel them and know we are being lifted up.

June 28, 2010

Day one of our trip began with a bit of a delay…in Denver of all places! (You can see us in Durango airport to the right.) We had to circle the airport in Denver twice because of thunderstorms and almost were rerouted to Colorado Springs for more fuel. Fortunately they let us land at the last minute and we had a two hour schedule layover that was shrunk to 40 minutes with the delay. We departed from Denver on time and the rest of our connections were very uneventful. The kids were a bit disappointed we did not have enough time in Denver to race on the moving walkways, but Tami and I were fine without those moments!

(Vika at left having fun in the London Heathrow airport during our layover.)

We actually had an easy time getting into Ukraine and we were reminded of our first moment alone with the kids 5 years ago after our translator had to let us go from the gate at the Kiev airport. We got on an escalator not realizing our kids have never seen one. The both promptly fell over backwards and rode the escalator on their backs, heads down and feet up! We thought for sure they would take the kids away from us right then and there, but the kids were simply laughing uncontrollably and jabbering in Ukrainian. We all had a good laugh now that it’s been 5 years and we all know how to ride escalators!

We were picked up at the airport by Boris our driver who escorted us to our home for the next three nights, the Lybid Hotel which is about a 15 minute walk from Downtown Kiev. The next morning we were met in the lobby by Boris and Alla who has been our translator today and will be with us through tomorrow. You can see a picture of her in the picture files on this blog. Alla is very sweet and took a liking to the kids right away. (She is in the picture above with us.) She brought them some great Ukrainian treats which made them both happy. This morning’s tour included trips to St. Michael’s and St. Sophia’s Cathedrals, two places Tami and I visited before we got the kids. Both cathedrals date to before the 11^th century. They are beautiful cathedrals that have been rebuilt since they were destroyed in World War II. There were over 100 churches in Kiev prior to that and after the war and during the Soviet Communist occupation they were reduced to 4 and all of them were seen by the Russians as museums. (Below we are in Kiev with St. Michael's in the background down the stree to the right.)

For those of you unfamiliar with Ukrainian history they have only been independent since 1991! Before that they were occupied by the Soviets, the Poles, the Cossacks, the Turks and many other empires. Each empire took it toll on Ukraine and the most destructive was Joseph Stalin who was responsible for killing more than 30 million Ukrainians in 1932 and 1933. There is a monument to remember this travesty with 24,000 stones, each one symbolizing the 24,000 people who were starved to death each day by Stalin’s regime. (To the right is Thomas and Vika in front of St. Sophia's.)

Just last week they celebrated Ukrainian Independence Day and today is actually a holiday to celebrate their first ever constitution. Over the last 19 years they have been working to figure out how to become part of the European Union and what it means to combine their rich unique heritage with western culture. Kiev is a very American city in many ways but many of the older generations struggle with this. Alla, our translator, is older and has mentioned on several occasions how groups have demonstrated and lobbied to keep skyscrapers from overwhelming their skyline as they don’t mix well with some of their ancient architecture.

Alla is very knowledgeable of Ukrainian history and you can tell she is very proud to share it with us. She also has been so gentle with the kids and has become like an adopted grandmother in one day! We feel very blessed to have her as our translator and she has added a great deal to our trip already. Our schedule is for a translator to be with us in the morning and then have the afternoons free. We will be here in Kiev for the two days, then head to the village where the kids lived. We also will visit the kids’ orphanages the following days in the region of Cherkassy, which is about 3 hours south of Kiev on the Dnieper River.

For our free time this afternoon and evening we ate a traditional Ukrainian Meal…and did I mention that today is Thomas’ 14^th birthday! We had borsch (beat soup) and dumplings that the kids scarfed down. (Me and Thomas at right enjoying a birthday dinner.) The hotel sent up some white sparkling wind and chocolate for Thomas’ birthday so we enjoyed that with dinner. Not much wine really (who gives a kid wine for his 14^th birthday!) After dinner we walked to a beautiful park named for Shevchenka who is considered one of the founders of Ukrainian independence. He was a peasant who was raised by monks and sent to school and elevated out of the working class because of his brilliance. He began to write about freedom and developed a large following which eventually landed him the Russian prison system or the Gulags in the mid 1800’s. The park is adjacent to the University that bears his name and there are beautiful flower displays shaped into things like a cat and mice and Pinocchio! There was much celebration in the park and around town as we walked (remember this is Ukrainian Constitution Day).

On our walk home we passed by Saint Vladimir’s Cathedral (Pictured above.) Prince Vladimir is known as Vladimir the baptizer because he took the citizens of Kiev down the hill and into the Dnieper River to have them baptized and become Christian around 900. This cathedral has special significance for Tami and I and she shared that with them as passed by. Tami and I stayed in a place not far from this cathedral before our appointment at the National Adoption Center in 2005. We found this cathedral the day before our appointment, not knowing what was in store for us—if we would be assigned kids to adopt or leave without completing an adoption which was happening to numerous couples at the time. In an Orthodox Cathedral such as this one, you purchase small candles as you enter and then place them by the icon you are praying too. Tami chose the Virgin Mary and asked her to help guide us toward the children God hoped we might bring into our family. The next day we were assigned to Thomas and Vika at the National Adoption Center and rest is history. Vika said she was really glad that “God answered your prayer mama.”

As we finished our first day we marveled and how much the kids were becoming proud of their heritage in the one short day we have been here. This is sure to be a powerful trip for them and Vika has said on more than one occasion, “I’m from a great place!”

June 23, 2010

We are just a few days away from our big trip! I finished Annual Conference (the yearly gathering of United Methodist pastors and leaders from Colorado, Utah and Wyoming and now I am looking forward to our trip overseas. We will be working all week to pack for our trip and prepare our hearts for what lies ahead. Our flights begin in Durango on Saturday night. We will fly to Denver and then catch an 8 p.m. flight which will put us into London’s Heathrow airport around Noon the next day. From there we fly to Munich and then to Kiev, arriving around 10:30 at night. After 24 hours of travel in airplanes and waiting in airports we most likely will be exhausted. I will try and write again after arrive in Ukraine to give you an update.

Getting started

Hey all,

The summer of 2010 will be a great one for our family. I will be taking four months off from serving as a pastor for renewal leave, made possible by a grant from the Lilly Foundation. This space will be used to keep an ongoing journal and share some of my reflections on our journeys.

We begin June 26 by heading to Ukraine, the birthplace of our children. There we will visit the capital Kiev and then spend some time in an area called the Crimea on the edge of the Black Sea. None of us have been to that area so it should be filled with some great times of exploration. We will spend 12 days in Ukraine before heading home.

After some time back home in Durango, Colorado we'll head to San Diego for some time on the beach and just relaxing for two weeks. We will be back in Durango to get our kids in school and actually get to enjoy fall in Durango going camping and other outdoor activities.

Finally, to end the renewal leave, I will go by myself to Turkey, Greece and Malta in late September to visit places where the Apostle Paul started churches.

I am looking forward to the next few months and hope you enjoy hearing about this special time in our lives. I am grateful that the church I serve as pastor, First United Methodist Church in Durango, has been so supportive and encouraging of me taking this time away after 22 years of full time service in ministry.

May God bless you this summer as well! Peace, Jeff