Kiev and Traveling Home!

We wanted the kids to get to see Kyiv while they had the chance so we spent time walking around the city with them on Thursday and Friday. The first site we visited in Kyiv on Friday evening was St. Michael's church. Vespers was in progress so we were able to hear the beautiful chanters. After spending some time there, we walked to Puzatta-Hatta (Ukrainian Piccadilly ) for dinner. On the way back to the apartment, wet fluffy snow fell on us and melted on the pavement which was a slushy mess. Why do I never remember to have an umbrella here?



We were ready before 8:30 Friday morning to drive over to the American Embassy for the Visas. It was an easy process and soon we were back in the apartment. We were all tired so we rested and played UNO while waiting to pay the landlady.

One advantage to adopting teenagers instead of little kids is they can amuse themselves and they have lots of independent skills. They also want to be helpful and insist upon carrying things, opening doors and even doing the dishes! While we waited, we used Google translate to talk about our plans for the day and it was nice that they can easily type what they want to say to us.of course, there are also new challenges with teenagers so our current strategy is to be firm and loving from the get go.

After the landlady came by, we walked over in a misty rain to Saint Sophia Church, built in the 1100's and sort of a centerpiece of Kiev. We climbed the windy narrow staircase up the bell tower.



Part of the stairs are completely dark and that adds to the sense of mystery and danger. I mean you can't see your feet dark. Luckily, that part is short. There are three landings with windows on each side giving beautiful view of the city and distant countryside. On the first landing we saw the huge bells that we've heard so many times in this city.



Nicholas stayed put on the first landing because the upper part made him nervous. Would you climb up this?



Nadia, Mark and I kept going. On the second landing, I saw a Kopeck from heaven shining on a windowsill and that made me smile. Kopecks from heaven make me feel closer to my sweet Mary Evelyn.


Unfortunately, Nicholas had the camera so we didn't get photos from the very top, but the ones from the first landing are beautiful and the view was fairly clear since the rain had stopped.



After visiting the church, we had some pent up energy and indulged in a quick family snowball fight.




As we left, Nicholas climbed back up the tower and made it to the second landing this time. We were proud of him!

We were hungry then so we walked over to the Golden Gate, the original city gate, and had lunch at the Irish Pub across the street. We think Nicholas was put off by the way the food on his plate was all in a pile, but he ate most of it anyway.




We had a nice lunch. Mark and I were grateful for the English language menu and the kids got to have Ukrainian menus so we were all able to order easily.

Refreshed, we walked over to Saint Vladimir's statue where the kids posed in true Ukrainian tourist style.



We ended our tour of Kiev with Saint Vladimir's church, another beautiful old church that was turned into a museum of atheism under the communists, but is a church again now. After seeing the historic sights and churches, we went shopping in the underground malls down by Independence Square. We found the bookstore we took Andrew to and told each child to chose one book in Russian and one movie. Neither was too excited about the book, but I want them to keep up their ability to read Cyrillic. Nadia was especially reluctant to choose a book. I threatened to buy her the longest, most boring book in the store (complete with an old man on the cover) and make her read it, so she decided to find a book she is willing to read.

We finished out sightseeing with a stop at a coffee shop where I nibbled my way through a dry and somewhat tasteless chocolate cake which helped me get even more homesick for America, but anyway it was fun to relax together.




After walking for hours we were all tired so we got to bed much earlier. Just as we finished evening prayer together, we heard the church bells pealing in the distance and it felt like they were adding their "amen!"

The kids giggled in the dark for a long time, but finally fell asleep by about 9:00 which was good because we left for the airport at 3:30 am. We flew to Frankfurt at 5:30 and arrived at 8:30. This flight was at 12:35. We're flying over the Atlantic while I'm writing this, but will be home before I post it. This is an 11 hour flight. When I get home I won't want write anything. I think I'll just want to sleep in my own bed!

The kids are happier and more relaxed each day. Serious seeming Nicholas turns out to be very funny and a little bit of a ladies man- he quietly notices the pretty teenage girls we pass on the street. Reserved, shy Nadia wants to walk arm in arm with me everywhere and is eager to please. They obviously love having parents. It is very sweet to see how love transforms children so quickly. Maybe God's love does the same with us over time.

This has been a tiring but wonderful week. Somehow, I've been fairly calm and even happy this week. I think God has blessed me with peace of mind which I greatly needed. Dealing with Mary Evelyn's cancer, death, the loss of her earthly presence and then these adoptions so soon afterwards has just about made me crazy. I hope we have some quieter years ahead as we live our lives and wait for our reunion with Mary Evelyn.





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