Yesterday was our last day in Alona's home town and it was a very bittersweet day. We started the day by finishing up the last bit of paperwork at the passport office. We then went to get her pictures taken for her visa. After that, we swung by McDonald's where the number of chicken nuggets I wanted got lost in translation...I ended up with 20!!!
After lunch, we headed to the park to meet up with our dear friend Natalya. Natalya has been such a wonderful friend to Alona, and the other children at her orphanage. She has done more than I could possibly write down for us and other adoptive families. She translates emails and phone calls, delivers packages, adds money to cell phones for the kids, tutors them in English....and on and on. Natalya has been a great comfort and confidante for Alona for many years, and I knew that saying good bye would be extremely difficult.
We had a second lunch of sorts with Natalya at a very fancy restaurant in the park, and then met up with another friend of Alona's that she wanted to visit with. We ended up going to the zoo, and the girls enjoyed feeding the animals. I have to say, the zoo was pitiful! I felt so sorry for the animals. Their cages were tiny and there was nothing but hard concrete, and maybe a tree branch in there. Poor things! The donkey cracked me up...he was SOOO loud, and if you dared walk by without giving him some food, he certainly let you know about it!
So fancy!!
Feeding the hungry animals!!
The zoo...
Alona and her friend Nastya
Had to stop by a little bakery I have had my eye on since being there in July...it did not disappoint!
Last night, we went to an English speakers service at Natalya's church. It was an amazing time of fellowship with other believers from the US, India, Ukraine, and China. We sang How Great is our God, and it was impossible to keep tears from flowing. If you have not watched the world version of this song, it is a must! I cannot watch it without crying.
Natalya, Alona, and L at the worship service
After church, Natalya, L, Alona and I went to dinner and then Alona had to say good bye to Natalya. It was such a hard thing to do! Words cannot express my gratitude for her friendship and care. I know that we will see her again! L came home with us to spend the night with Alona on her last night. I knew Alona needed a pick me up, and so my sweet friend Shelly who adopted 2 of Alona's friends 2 1/2 years ago, arranged for the kids to skype. It was such an encouragement for Alona to hear from them and to know that she WILL get through this transitional time.
Early this morning, we flew to Kiev. Alona was extremely nervous about flying, but she did great!! We arrived safely, and were brought straight to our new apartment. It is right behind the Opera House, and it is very nice!! Not crazy about the hint of smoke smell, or the brown tiles in the bathroom, but overall, it is very nice and clean. We went to lunch where our driver and his friend met us for lunch. They had just returned from Alona's region, and were talking about how much they loved it...which set off another big round of tears. We came back to the apartment after lunch, and spent the afternoon crying :( The grieving process is something that I fully expected, and I am thankful that she is comfortable enough to let it out. At the same time, it is so awful to watch your child suffering. I know that just as it says in Psalms 30:5, "weeping remains for a night, but joy comes in the morning". Alona has to go through this grieving process to get to her bright new future that awaits her.
First plane ride!!
First row...plenty of leg room..yay!!
New Bedroom
Spacious living room
Our neighborhood for the next few days
View from our balcony
Kitchen
Entry way
Bathroom
The Golden Gates are on our street...these were on of 3 gates erected by Yuroslav the Wise around the same time that St. Sophia's Cathedral was built. They served as an entry to the old fortified city.
HUGE gates
Inside the Golden Gates
Random pink snail by the Golden Gates
I finally got her off of the couch to go to dinner at a pizza place up the street. Her sweet bff Liza called her during dinner to give her some more words of encouragement, and that was such a blessing. That phone call did wonders for her mood. I know that she will be needing many more pep talks from her friends who have gone through this before her, and I am SO thankful that she has a great support network!
Talking to sweet Liza
Please continue to pray for us as we go through this transitional time. Please pray that Alona's medical exam goes well, and that her new passport gets printed on Monday. We are ready to get home!!
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