We have official permission to meet Inna and proceed with adoption

We wandered around Kiev yesterday on our own after going with Viktor to the SDA. The SDA oversees adoptions and must give permission to visit Inna and do paperwork in Enakieva to complete the adoption. We found the bus to go back up to Pecher'sk to see the catacombs at Lavra, the site considered most holy to Orthodox Eastern Europe. Very interesting and beautiful. We also saw a photography exhibit of communities across Ukraine.
It is cool here, sweater weather. The city of 4 million officially, 7 million unofficially, is set on beautiful rolling hills with the Dnipro River cutting the city, actually the entire country virtually in half. It is an ancient city believed to have been established around 500 by three brothers.
Tonight at 7 pm we board an overnight train to go 12 hours southeast to Donetsk. This is the closest station to the town of Enakieva where Yuglegorsk Orphanage is situated. Wednesday we will spend the day driving all over filling out papers. Thursday we should be able to start spending time with Inna. It is strange to be 7 hours ahead of you who are on eastern standard time. Love and miss you. Keeping you in our prayers.
Cari

We have arrived in Ukraine

Albeit a bit jet lagged, we are happy and enjoying Kiev. Our apt is located close to Independence square in downtown Kiev and is very nice. Viktor, our adoption facilitator met us at the airport on saturday afternoon, and today he and his 6 year old son Anton acted as tour guides. We visited the St. Sophia cathedral built around 1015, St Michaels and the monastery of the caves. We traveled on the metro which is very nice. We were able to call Inna and tell her that momma and poppa are in Ukraine and looking so forward to coming to Yuglegorsk and bring her home. She is very bored at the orphanage and ready for the adventure to start. Soon the title orphan will NEVERMORE apply to her! We are praying about a second girl. We came to Ukraine with only Inna in mind, but God may have other plans for us. We pray for His will to govern this process. We love Ukraine. We love orphans. Tomorrow (Monday)we have our appointment at the SDA ( adoption ministry) at 9 am to get our formal permission to go to Yuglegorsk to see Inna and arrange the court date for her adoption in Enakievo.

Ray

Tomorrow We Fly!

September 29, 2011
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16

Having experienced the reality of what the Lord promises in these verses in the past through Garrett and Jake's adoptions and many other instances, we breathe a sigh of relief as we prepare to fly tomorrow to the Ukraine because we know that where God calls us to go his presence goes with us behind and before. Thanks for your commitment to pray us through. We treasure it.
Inna says she can't wait for us to come, to get on the plane for America. When asked what she would like us to bring, she said "Just gum, I know it is a lot to come for me." How much gum can fit in a suitcase? Precious.