American movie stars!

Today has been a rainy and very cold day. We moved our stuff this morning from our hotel to the church. Everyone has been very helpful and kind since we arrived to the church. After being here for an hour and news got out about us, we got a knock at our door. It was two young ladies, one was able to speak a little English. They asked if we would be interested in allowing them to interview us for a television show they are making on adoptions and the family involved. Of course we said yes and they said they would be back with a translator. About an hour later, we went to an office and they had a translator Eva (who ended up being a friend of Karen’s), Tamara who was the one who offered the church to us, and the girl who is doing the interview. They asked us many questions about the process and why we chose to adopt from Ukraine. They also asked about our boys and our family life back at home. On Monday, they are going to come with us to video tape a visit with Eryna and on Tuesday they will be interviewing us on tape. They do our make-up and all. We feel like they are treating us like movie stars J This will be shown on the Christian TV station TBN and on the internet all over, possibly on their news station. When we get the air date, we will let you all know. I am a little nervous but it’s a good thing to get the news out about adoption.  Some people here think that us American’s come to adopt so that we can take the children back and use them for their organs. When I first heard this, I laughed because I thought how anyone could think this. But yesterday a teenage boy was talking to Oksana (our translator) and we asked her what he was saying because we could tell that she was getting upset. She told us that he asked if Shawn and I were Americans and why were we going to take Eryna away for her organs. My jaw dropped…I couldn’t believe this was coming from a young boy. Oksana told us that older children are able to speak if they want to be adopted or not so some directors tell the older children this story so that they won’t leave and the orphanage won’t lose funding. I pray that this never gets back to Eryna and that she will never fear us doing this to her.

We had our first visit today without out a translator. At first it was a little hard because the caregiver was trying to tell us something but we called our driver and he helped over the phone. We went to their classroom and the children were supposed to do homework but the caregiver allowed us to play with them. The other girls have become very attached to us, some more than Eryna. I think she is getting jealous and not liking that the other girls want to play as well. Tomorrow we are going to make sure we give her some alone time.

The church we are staying at had a worship service tonight. I would like to tell you all about it but I have now gotten Shawn’s cold. Shawn has been sick since the first day we got here and I knew it was coming that I would get it as well. I hope to go to bed now and will write more about the service and post pictures tomorrow.