Booked!

Hello adoptive friends!  I'm headed to southern Ukraine to do a camp for the these last two weeks of the month and while I'm away I've got two sets of adoptive friends staying at the hospitality house-- so I'm booked through about July 3rd at this point!  Email me after that if you are interested in July dates...I'm headed to no email access for the next couple weeks!

New Ukrainian Adoption Statistics

Below are recently given adoption statistics for Ukraine.

These are the official Government stats on adoptions in Ukraine for the year 2010.  You will first see a break down of adoptions by foreign families in the first grouping of numbers, and then a break down of adoptions by Ukrainian families in the second grouping.  The left hand column is the region of Ukraine that the adoption took place.  The first list of numbers is the total adoptions in that region (grand total at bottom) and then the following columns break it down by age of the child that was adopted.  

Unfortunately the statistics do not provide information to special needs kids, HIV+, downs syndrome and other health issues.  In my opinion, these cases would make up most of the foreign adoptions of children aged 3 year olds and younger.

You will also notice the large percentage of adoptions from the eastern regions and low numbers in the western regions.  The main factor in this is the socio-economics in the two sides of the country.  The east side of the country has a higher percentage of drug users, alcoholics, prostitution, broken homes and as a result more orphanages and orphans.  In contrast the economy and life style in the west are a bit better and as a result, so is the family unit.  There are also more families in the west that are willing to take children into care.

Here are the numbers.....

	Adoptions in Ukraine by Foreign Families by Region
	Total Children	Under 1	1-2 yrs	3-5 yrs	6-10 yrs	11-17 yrs
Crimea	70	2	11	11	33	13
Vinitsa	22	0	2	2	12	6
Volyn	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dnipropetrovsk	86	2	12	13	43	16
Donetsk	187	1	48	46	66	26
Zhitomer	31	0	3	6	18	4
Zakarpatia	17	0	2	6	9	0
Zaprozhzha	101	4	19	17	40	21
Іvano-Frankivsk	0	0	0	0	0	0
Кyiv	102	3	9	21	48	21
Kirovograd	56	4	9	12	18	13
Lugansk	94	6	15	12	33	28
Lviv	8	0	2	2	4	0
Mikolaev	44	0	13	12	15	4
Odessa	108	4	23	25	36	20
Poltava	29	3	7	7	8	4
Rivne	4	0	2	2	0	0
Sumy	31	0	7	2	4	18
Ternopil	4	0	0	0	4	0
Kharkiv	54	2	8	13	28	3
Kherson	16	2	4	2	6	2
Khmelnytski	23	1	11	4	6	1
Cherkasy	29	1	3	6	12	7
Chernivtsi	6	0	1	2	2	1
Chernigiv	39	1	11	10	11	6
Kyiv city	27	1	3	5	7	11
Sevastopol city	14	1	3	4	2	4
Total adoptions:	1202	38	228	242	465	229

	Adoptions in Ukraine  by Ukrainian families
	Total Children	Under 1	1-2 yrs	3-5 yrs	6-10 yrs	11-17 yrs
Crimea	145	55	42	33	12	3
Vinitsa	64	22	17	16	7	2
Volyn	45	19	10	10	4	2
Dnipropetrovsk	200	95	52	38	10	5
Donetsk	279	133	78	44	17	7
Zhitomer	52	18	19	13	1	1
Zakarpatia	77	26	17	24	7	3
Zaprozhzha	111	60	28	13	6	4
Іvano-Frankivsk	24	9	5	4	4	2
Кyiv	118	47	26	23	19	3
Kirovograd	84	33	24	17	8	2
Lugansk	163	87	41	25	9	1
Lviv	62	30	10	13	9	0
Mikolaev	52	18	20	8	5	1
Odessa	143	59	48	27	5	4
Poltava	68	28	15	20	5	0
Rivne	50	11	15	17	7	0
Sumy	38	16	16	5	1	0
Ternopil	20	4	5	6	5	0
Kharkiv	105	58	30	13	4	0
Kherson	79	36	21	12	9	1
Khmelnestsky	27	9	13	4	1	0
Cherkasy	57	33	13	6	4	1
Chernivtsi	23	5	9	5	3	1
Chernigiv	45	14	18	8	3	2
Kiev city	78	40	15	9	10	4
Sevastopol city	38	19	7	7	4	1
Total adoptions:	2247	984	614	420	179	50

Hope you found these helpful and interesting.

Kiev Days

This weekend was the annual "Kiev Days" here in the city. Which means the streets were jammed packed with artisans from all over the country displaying their goods.  I have never seen so many people on Andrevsky Spusk in my life!!  I've been here a long time, but this is my first experience with Kiev Days.



 I have Rachel and Tim Harris staying with me at the moment, who are awaiting an SDA appointment this week-- so after church and a yummy lunch at the Irish Pub down the street we hit the 'hill' where all the goodies could be found and had quite a bit of fun-- and tried to endure the HEAT!

Tim and Rachel

We seem to be having a bit of a heat wave in Ukraine at the moment!

SDA appointments seem to be popular for the first and second weeks of June-- and I have people it looks like almost all month at the hospitality house. We are still awaiting to hear if things will close down for awhile in mid-June. As of now, everything is still just rumors and nothing is officially confirmed. But for now, my home has been kept busy with many dear couples starting out their adoption journey here in Kiev.

Crazy May

 The flowers are in full bloom here in Kiev.  I am tempted to buy a bouquet just about every day!  I bought these tulips from a sweet Babushka the other day...just couldn't resist!  I truly love the spring here, and I've always thought it is the best time to visit this country. Obviously the SDA has the same opinion and they are giving out a ton of May adoption appointments....and I've received a ton of emails and inquiries about staying at the hospitality house !! :)

For those of you who are following and interested in accommodations, I am 'booked' through May 26th at this point and have several 'tentative' families for June.   Please feel free to email requests, just know that there will be nothing free till the end of the month.   It is going to be a busy next few weeks!

A Picture of Restoration

Ever since I moved into my new apartment, this ugly piece of furniture has been staring at me in my bedroom.  I had goals of doing something to it-- but didn't quite know what...or how to begin!  Well, my best-friend in Seattle has been blogging lately about all her 'restoration' projects-- where she finds seemingly useless or ugly stuff and revitalizes it into works of art.  She was the beginning of my inspiration. 


 I too love the idea of taking something meant for the good-will (which by the way doesn't exist here) and seeing it repurposed with beauty....  


On Easter morning I had new house guests arrive to my hospitality house (aka my apartment!).  Rhonda and her newly adopted 16-year-old daughter Kasey, arrived at my home a little weathered from their lack of sleep on the over night train. It was clear from the moment Kasey walked in that she was a girl in grief. Though excited to be adopted to America (where she had been hosted 3 times) there was a deep sadness in saying goodbye to her homeland and her friends--everything that was familiar.  We sat through a silent breakfast of sorts, Kasey doing all she could to hold back her tears...which ended up flowing by the end of the meal.  Her mother also struggled, not knowing what to do to comfort her daughter, who so clearly was struggling with a variety of emotions.   I told Kasey that what she was feeling was normal and in reality really healthy, as it means she had real relationships-- and that was a gift.  I told her she could cry as much as she wanted....and she took me seriously.  We got through the day and by the end of it things were looking a little brighter than they had in the morning.


The next day I had off work, and decided it was time to tackle the 'restoration' project.  I hadn't anticipated having help, but before I knew it, mother and daughter were by my side helping me sand down the wood and then begin painting.  

Something amazing happened as we began to strip away the layers of the old shelf.  Kasey began to relax and talk. Before I knew it, we were laughing and joking and she was asking me questions about my life and sharing a bit about hers.  As we worked together throughout the morning I began to see life being restored to the sad girl who had entered my apartment the day before--it seemed a full transformation.  With paint brushes in our hands I saw an old Ukrainian bookcase being transformed into something lovely and I saw a glimpse of what God intends for an orphaned Ukrainian girl-- full restoration.

Restoration is an interesting process-- it isn't just one quick paint job to fix something.  After we had finished the coat of paint and let it dry, we pulled out the sand paper and then sanded it again. The second time that we sanded allowed us to strip the bookcase again, to give it an antique look, and to make it porous to absorb the final gloss I would then apply to give it the final finish.  And when we added the gloss it filled in the gaps beautifully. The roughed up parts that remain have this unique quality- giving the whole piece character.


With adoption, I think sometimes we see the restoration part as taking the kids out of the orphanage. But in reality that is just the first coat of paint.  You can fool a lot of people from the outside with new clothes and a happy family photo-- but it is the deeper sanding, or refining that needs to take place-- the layers that must be stripped away so that restoration can take place.  And sandpaper really doesn't sound very good when it is in your hands...in fact it really hurts my ears. But it is amazing the difference it makes.

I love that the Lord allowed me to work on this project with Kasey. I didn't know she would be with me that day, and yet it worked out that she was.   As we painted, it was as if God was giving me a picture of what adoption is about....what it means to see beauty from the ashes. And it really does take work- and time.  I only wish it could be as quick as restoring  an old bookcase.


As I walk into my bedroom now, the first thing I see is this  beautiful piece of furniture.  A piece of furniture that many would have discarded. But I am glad I gave it a chance. It will forever be a visual reminder of one girl, on her path to restoration.

The LORD will guide you always; 
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land 
and will strengthen your frame. 
You will be like a well-watered garden, 
like a spring whose waters never fail. 
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins 
and will raise up the age-old foundations; 
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.  

Kiddos

Kids!  There have been lots of kids staying with me lately! Honestly, I anticipated to be hosting more couples on their way into the country, but as it has worked out I think I've hosted more families on their way out of the country...which means I've had some sweet Ukrainian kiddos in my home...and I've been able to work on my translation skills as well-- being the go between for the kids and the parents as they are navigating the linguistic waters! :)

This is sweet little Vlad....who makes just about everyone fall in love with him!  Every evening when I'd walk in the door I'd get a loud 'Kerrren!' and a big bear hug from this little guy. He was also a great little helper in the kitchen.  I think he stole my heart the day I walked into the kitchen and found the magnet letters on the fridge spell out two words.... "Karen" and "Vlad."  Too cute.

Vlad was hosted this summer by Matt and Amy Garrett in Colorado along with his sister Oksana.

The Garretts win the award so far for staying at the hospitality house the most!  They made 3 trips to make this adoption possible....and had quite the whirl wind adoption experience--as a result they got to stay with me for quite a few nights!  It has been very cool to develop a friendship with their family-- especially since we got to spend a lot of time together-- I laughed a lot! (thanks Matt).  Oksana, their daughter was having a little bit of a teen girl melt down on the last evening with me, so we didn't get any pictures with her.

Ahh....teenage girls. I think God must be preparing me for something someday...I've had 4 teenage girls stay with me in 2 months...and another girl comes next week! :)

Moms & Daughters

Dinner at home with new daughters Julia and Milana
 (both 16) and moms Selene and Pam

It was a busy month of March for the hospitality house (ie: me!)  I think I had all of about 5 nights without people staying in my home.  Very full......very fun...very blessed, (and very tired too).  I guess God took my desire seriously and has had this vision begin in full force!

I've had 3 sets of mom's and teen-daughters stay with me over the course of the month.  Since I have had a passion and a heart for girls in this vulnerable stage of life it has been an awesome privilege to get to open my home to these families and see these teen girls making the transition from orphan to daughter.  It is not easy that is for sure.
There is a bit of fear, mixed with unruly independence, mixed with excitement and laughter, mixed with tears, mixed with mood swings, mixed with being a teenage girl! :)  It keeps the new moms on their toes- that is for sure!

Ashely and 13-year-old Natasha

Some people find this newest trend of adopting teenagers to be a little weird....as adoption stereotypically is associated with little ones.  Personally I have been a part of more adoptions of older kids (10+) so this desire to adopt older kids doesn't seem to phase me.

One thing I will say, and that I've come to strongly believe, is that it is a calling.  It cannot be a good deed to feel good about yourself or to help some poor child.  It is not for the faint of heart. I see the wide range of emotions these teens are dealing with as they exit the orphanage and prepare to leave for a country they know very little about-- and what they do know is simply fantasy from the movies.  On one hand I know that a brighter future awaits them- but on the other hand I know that it is one that is full of pain as well as they navigate the newness of everything at such a challenging age of life.

These mothers have inspired me as they set out to love these girls that many have deemed unlovable, or unreachable. I know the road before them will not be one that is easy-- but with their hand held tight to the hand of Jesus, I know it will be one that will not be walked alone.

Heavenly Father, please be with these young girls as they transition into their new lives in the US.  May they understand you as Father and may they come to know you and receive your love. Protect these families from the attacks of the enemy and bind them together as they seek to build trust in their homes and teach these daughters what it means to be in a family.  Bless them Lord Jesus, and may you raise up many more like them to turn orphans into sons and daughters.  
Amen.