Our formal request for adoption

At 10:30 a.m. we arrived at the notary's office to process the documents that would make our official request for adoption. This took about 2 hours, in part, due to the late arrival of our notary who was attending to the birth of her new grand daughter! We presented our passports then waited for the documents to be drafted. We were allowed to leave the office and go shopping. We picked up some exciting hardware like a mirror and a couple new voltage adapters for the apartment. We also bought a new and improved basketball to replace the dud we bought yesterday at the container market!

With documents in hand, we ate lunch at a busy McDonald's near the central railway station. (Ketchup tastes different over her.) Next, we proceeded to the Internot to meet our "other" facilitator, Oleg "the younger". Oleg received the documents and conducted business with Internot officials on our behalf. We also met the director and were pleased to present her with a donation to help maintain and improve the Internot for the benefit of the children. Before entering the director's office, I joked with Nataliya that I should plop our new basketball on the director's desk and state firmly, "This is our donation!" You know, just to see the expression on the director's face. Nataliya laughed hard and then asked in her Russian accent, "You make joke, right?" ;-)

We met Yuri after school. Paul and Yuri took the new ball for a test run on the basketball court. Renee and Natalyia headed back to the city center to shop for an English/Russin dictionary to aid in Yuri's transition in the US. Later, we all met at Michelle Maly's apartment near the Internot and played a few games. We brought Yuri to the Internot about 6 p.m. Renee and I tried a new resturant tonight with American cuisine and English menu's. We retired to a nice, quiet corner in the basement away from the noise and smoke of the main floor. Ahhh. Then, Foom! Foom! Foom! on came the rap music to spice up the evening fare. I expected dance lights to come out of the ceiling. Oh well, just another eveing in Odessa.

Later, Oleg the younger, took our documents to the court. Nataliya informed us this evening that Oleg said our court date will be April 4. Add the required 10 day waiting period = April 14. Plus, 2 more days for travel to Kiev and to wrap up final details = flight out about April 16. We hope this is worst case. We would like to think our court date could be sooner and will press our facilitators. We will keep everyone informed.

Prayer Request - For a more rapid court date and return to the US. Also, Yuri's cold seemed a little better today, but please keep praying that he will continue to improve.


Yuri and another boy from the Internot, Sergei (sp?) play a little hoops with the new and improved ball.


After hoops, Yuri and Paul walked to Michelle's apartment and just happened to find a market along the way. We then just happened to find a freezer case full of ice cream treats and just happened to have enough money to buy one for each of us. ;-)


At Michelle's, we played "UNO" and "Sorry!" Yuri was a bit more open and relaxed today. We discovered playing games that Yuri clearly knows his numbers and colors in English.


The office of the notary in the city center near the main railway station.

The main object of today's efforts. The official documents making our formal request to adopt Yuri. (Don't worry, this JPG is too small to read.)

This bright yellow building is a monestary across the street from the McDonald's near the main railway station.

Beautiful onion domed church near the railway station.