There’s always that confusing, awkward feeling to do things here like wash clothes, especially when the washer is in the bathroom and the sign says’ “do not wash by your own”. What does this mean exactly? You venture down the stairway to find the mystery man who holds the code to the electronic washing machine. You ask, “Do you speak English? He says, “yes”, so you ask, “Are you the one with the washing machine code?” he says “internet, internet.” So you reply, “thank you” and walk away...

To make a long day short:
1) Pray, wait, pray, wait, Kole does some homework, pray, wait.
2) Our facilitator talked with us a couple of times to give us a play by play of the meeting that was going on at the SDA with the private orphanage representative, the inspector, the deputy director of the SDA, and the director of the SDA.(glad to know we are being discussed in such high circles)
3) We slushed to the nearby metro station to get out of the apartment for a while-had lunch-walked around- and looked in the shops to waste time. I felt genuinely like a tourist.
4) Yuri picked us up for another trip to the inspector’s office (we shuddered to think of the 8’x8’ room again). Fortunately, we waited in the car while Kole took the opportunity to play in the snow.
5) We got a referral letter for the 2 boys!!
6) Drove to the orphanage with the referral letter to give to the director and visited with big ‘K’ and little ‘k’. (Little ‘k’ was a little worried because we hadn’t been there in 2 days. He said he kept checking the lobby to see if we were there yet.)
7) As for girl ‘k’, the results of the meeting this morning are as follows…she must return to the private Christian orphanage tonight, the orphanage will contact the SDA when she arrives, the SDA will then write a referral letter for her, we will get the letter (hopefully in the morning), and proceed out to this area (to a different inspector’s office) for permission to visit her.
8) Ride silently back to the center of the city, eat supper and briefly visit with another Brook Hills couple (Greg and Melanie) who just arrived here to adopt. Offer encouragement and prayer for their adventure.
9) Venture back to the apartment-meet an American family staying in the room next door who are finishing their adoption process. Offer hope that this is our 3rd adoption journey and we have survived through His grace.
10) Write this blog and run up icy hill at 10:50 pm to the internet café to post on line.

We thank God for this opportunity to serve the world.

Blessings,
The Nichols