I had to skip another blog day. Usually on the way home in the evenings, Hannah and I get some sort of invitation.. Who knew we'd come over here to a community and be out late every night. Monday we visited Katya about 4:00 in the afternoon so were on the bus home pretty late. Some new friends invited us to eat with them but I had dinner already made, so we accepted for Tuesday instead. Then we got a call from another friend we made here, Laura, and she offered to meet us at the grocery store. She helped me figure out labels, like the difference between ketchup and tomato sauce, and she told me how to make tacos. I am excited about that! I have all the spices, I just needed a taco shell substitute. (They don't even have masa harina so I could make them myself!) Anyway, taking me to the store was an offer I couldn't refuse. So we got in late. Then ate.
Today Hannah worked on her school. She got a bit behind getting ready for our trip here. She was glad for something to do, since our days usually aren't busy. We have to visit Katya later in the days because of the camp activities and rules. We are getting closer to our goal though. We got our court date today! We will be in court on Wednesday, June 15. Not as early as I wanted, but it's great to finally have it scheduled. Katya is beginning her medical exams for her health report, then we will have to get her two passports because of her age and her original birth certificate. And we have to wait. Of course. People have ten days to object to the adoption, so we wait for that, and for all the paperwork they do on the Ukranian side of things. Then, I get my daughter! Going through all this is like labor!
In the meantime, we have great company. Our new friends are Paul and Tanya. He is a dentist who gave up his practice in the U.S. to come over here and serve in the orphanage. His wife is Ukranian and translates for him. They have worked with Katya's class since the kids were in the second grade. They have done wonderful things here. We ate in their beautiful home Tuesday evening. Like most homes, it is tucked in behind the buildings that line the streets. Usually, shops occupy the lower floors, and inconspicuous passageways or doors lie between the shops. They either lead you up stairs to flats or behind the buildings like my friends home.
I have some pictures of Katya and her class at camp. I was told I could take pictures there, so I will post some.
One of Katya's friends who likes hanging around with us.
Dr. Paul and Tanya - we ate at their house.
Some of Katya's classmates (Katya in the pink.)
More of Katya's classmates.
A cool looking, old building on the way to Dr. Paul and Tanya's home. This shows some of the construction I mentioned earlier.
Good night for now. May the Lord reunite us soon!
Sarah
Today Hannah worked on her school. She got a bit behind getting ready for our trip here. She was glad for something to do, since our days usually aren't busy. We have to visit Katya later in the days because of the camp activities and rules. We are getting closer to our goal though. We got our court date today! We will be in court on Wednesday, June 15. Not as early as I wanted, but it's great to finally have it scheduled. Katya is beginning her medical exams for her health report, then we will have to get her two passports because of her age and her original birth certificate. And we have to wait. Of course. People have ten days to object to the adoption, so we wait for that, and for all the paperwork they do on the Ukranian side of things. Then, I get my daughter! Going through all this is like labor!
In the meantime, we have great company. Our new friends are Paul and Tanya. He is a dentist who gave up his practice in the U.S. to come over here and serve in the orphanage. His wife is Ukranian and translates for him. They have worked with Katya's class since the kids were in the second grade. They have done wonderful things here. We ate in their beautiful home Tuesday evening. Like most homes, it is tucked in behind the buildings that line the streets. Usually, shops occupy the lower floors, and inconspicuous passageways or doors lie between the shops. They either lead you up stairs to flats or behind the buildings like my friends home.
I have some pictures of Katya and her class at camp. I was told I could take pictures there, so I will post some.
One of Katya's friends who likes hanging around with us.
Dr. Paul and Tanya - we ate at their house.
Some of Katya's classmates (Katya in the pink.)
More of Katya's classmates.
A cool looking, old building on the way to Dr. Paul and Tanya's home. This shows some of the construction I mentioned earlier.
Good night for now. May the Lord reunite us soon!
Sarah
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI am so excited to hear that you have your court date. I will be praying for you all and for Drew and Caleb here holding down the fort. You are an amazing woman! I know that Katya will be so blessed to have you as a mom. Love you and look forward to seeing all the Porter girls soon!
Sarah, you can make flour tortillas for tacos.
ReplyDeletehttp://allrecipes.com/Recipe/homemade-flour-tortillas/Detail.aspx
Cook them in a skillet per the recipe, or directly on the stovetop burner (turn frequently, they cook quickly).
Doug
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteYou don't know me, but I was referred here by Pam DeFrees, who you probably know or know of. If not, she knows of you :) I used to go with a missions team from my old high school in San Antonio, TX to Odessa every summer to visit Camp Viktoria. You develop a small, intimate group of kids, who you would do anything for to give them a better life. After a few summers, even only seeing them 2 weeks a year, they become as close as siblings. Katya was one of the 3 girls that fell into that category for me. Another is Sasha, the girl in the dark shirt to the left of her (her right) in one of these pictures. I'm so happy that from what I can see she is going to such a loving, godly home. One of our teams is actually over there right now for the next 2 weeks, and they visit Camp Viktoria every weekday (possibly only the second half of the trip), so if you haven't run into them yet I'm sure you will soon. I will pray as often as I think of it that the rest of that process goes smoothly, as I know from many families how stressful it is and how it can easily become bogged down in the bureaucratic red tape that is so prevalent in adoptions.
-Ben