On Monday we came in to update the journal - typed a long entry - and the internet went down......so we lost it all.  I'll see what I can do to recreate it.

It has been a very busy few days.  Sinya has been busy getting signatures and preparing everything for court.  Saturday we took the boys shopping.  We got each of them 2 pairs of pants - a couple of shirts - sweaters and underwear.  We got James shoes - but there were none to fit Charles so we will go back tomorrow.  We also got them coats.  The quality was very good but the selection was slim.  We will get more when we get home.  This will do them for the couple of days we have to run around Kiev and then get them home.

On Friday we took the Missionaries to dinner.  They are Russian speaking Elders and we took them to a Ukrainian resaurant.  Ordering was interesting.  They gave us directions to the small branch here in Sumy.  On Sunday we got to take the boys to church.  We arrived a little late because it is a huge production to get James ready to go outside.  They put him in several layers of pants and shirts and then a huge coat - belaclava (sp?) and hood, mits, snow boots etc.  He HAS to be sweating under all of that - but that is the way the bundle up all the children.  The small room that the branch meets in was very crowded - but they scooted over and made room for us and the sister sitting next to Charles made sure he knew where in the hymnal the song was and a little about what was going on.  They were pretty bored during Sacrament meeting - but livened up in Primary.  The Primary President seemed to have prepared the lesson especially for them - even though she didn't know they would be there.  She talked about the scriptures and taught how to find chapter and verse and about what Sacrament was and why we take it every Sunday.  She gave Charles a Book Of Mormon Stories book to take with him - in Russian.  It was a great day.  After church we walked to town and took them to lunch.  Then we walked back to where the taxi was scheduled to pick us up and had to take the boys back to the orphanage. 

They are very ready to come home.  Every time we leave at night James asks us if he is going home now.  It breaks my heart and Daddy is having a hard time hearing "Dom?" --- "home?"  Charles gets very quiet each time we take him back to his part of the school.  We had little parties for each of their classes (groupas) this week.  They had a good time.  Charles got to keep the camera overnight so he could take pictures of all of his friends. 

Monday we got to see President Yushchenko up close and personal.  We were about only 20 feet from him.  Our driver told us that "President of Ukraine - Yushchenko - at white house here in Sumy."  So we went and stood in the freezing cold for over two hours waiting for him to come out.  It was worth it because we were right in the front row and our translator (Sinya) told us what he said.  We were very impressed with his manner.  The people seemed to love him.  This is his home region and he was here to meet with all of the new officials of the local government.  At least in Sumy you can tell that there has already been some sweeping and positive changes with his election.

Well we are off to see the boys again.  I'm running out of inspirational things to do with them each visit!!!!  I'll be very glad when we can just take them home with us.