Getting Close

We are getting close to finishing up in Ukraine so we needed to get back to Kiev for a few appointments.  We rode the overnight train from Odessa to Kiev and overall it was a fun experience.  Sasha was far too excited to sleep so consequently I did not sleep much either but the train I think would be fairly easy to sleep on under normal conditions.  What a great way to travel!  Go to sleep and wake up at your destination.  Just not with a very excited boy on his first train ride.  :)  Once we arried in Kiev, we took a cab to Karen Springs' apartment.  She is a missionary here in Ukraine and has her 'hospitality house' which she welcomes adoptive families into as a way to support them during their adoption process.  It was very warm and welcoming and is such a great ministry.  You can check out her blog at karensprings.blogspot.com and hospitalityhousekiev.blogspot.com.  She does some amazing work here for orphans and we were very grateful for a place to lay our heads for a few nights.  Today, we moved to another apartment, went to the US Embassy to apply for Sasha's visa and went to the hospital for his medicals.  It all went very smoothly.   He still seems very happy and wants to know what is taking so long to get to America!  I tend to agree with him!!  Tomorrow, we hope to find a bookstore to pick up a few books in Russian for Sasha, go to the SDA to get his one and only baby picture, and just walk around Kiev a little more.  We have been invited to a Thanksgiving dinner by Karen's aunt and uncle and are very excited to be able to spend Thanksgiving with some Americans.  I haved moved apartments over 10 times in the 9 1/2 weeks I have been here and am really looking forward to getting home and putting my suitcase away for a while.