Being back in Kazakhstan fills us with a sense of both the familiar and the new. From the time we boarded our last flight in Frankfort and began seeing all those Kazakh faces, we have been flooded with memories of our trip two years ago to adopt Lily Grace. However, it’s also new in many ways. We are assigned to the town of Schuchinsk, considerably farther north than Karaganda (where LG’s baby house was located), and rather than being on the flat steppes, we are in the mountains of the Lower Siberian plain.
We are staying in a hotel in the small town of Borovoe - Kazakhstan’s version of Lake Tahoe - rather then in an apartment in a large city. And of course this time around, we have the torn emotions of missing Lily Grace – back home with her extended family – while we also look forward to meeting her baby brother to be.
As we write this, we’re beginning to get our feet under us, pushing past the jet lag, adjusting to the food and the constancy of hearing the Russian language and therefore the difficulty in day to day communication. We’ve met our support team here, and as before, they are wonderful people whose mission is to help us have as smooth an experience as possible as we go through the process of meeting our child for the first time, bonding and court.
Due to many factors, we won’t be able to have an official match confirmed until mid-January, at which time the mandatory period of bonding will begin. Until then, we have to bide our time, visiting the baby house as we can, and getting to know the doctors and staff.
Our next post will include more pictures to help you get a feel for this part of the world. Kazakhstan is a country pushing aggressively to become one of the most vibrant in Central Asia, and their philosophy of cultural tolerance sets it apart, as does their enthusiastic embrace of capitalism and their strong relationship with the United States in addition to their next-door neighbors, Russia and China.
Thank you all for your prayers and support – they sustain us and we are grateful. We welcome your blog comments and emails throughout – each and every one brightens our day. So, the marathon has begun! Stay tuned …
Steve & Tonya
We are staying in a hotel in the small town of Borovoe - Kazakhstan’s version of Lake Tahoe - rather then in an apartment in a large city. And of course this time around, we have the torn emotions of missing Lily Grace – back home with her extended family – while we also look forward to meeting her baby brother to be.
As we write this, we’re beginning to get our feet under us, pushing past the jet lag, adjusting to the food and the constancy of hearing the Russian language and therefore the difficulty in day to day communication. We’ve met our support team here, and as before, they are wonderful people whose mission is to help us have as smooth an experience as possible as we go through the process of meeting our child for the first time, bonding and court.
Due to many factors, we won’t be able to have an official match confirmed until mid-January, at which time the mandatory period of bonding will begin. Until then, we have to bide our time, visiting the baby house as we can, and getting to know the doctors and staff.
Our next post will include more pictures to help you get a feel for this part of the world. Kazakhstan is a country pushing aggressively to become one of the most vibrant in Central Asia, and their philosophy of cultural tolerance sets it apart, as does their enthusiastic embrace of capitalism and their strong relationship with the United States in addition to their next-door neighbors, Russia and China.
Thank you all for your prayers and support – they sustain us and we are grateful. We welcome your blog comments and emails throughout – each and every one brightens our day. So, the marathon has begun! Stay tuned …
Steve & Tonya
6 comments:
SO glad you made it without incident and glad to know you're settling in. Anxiously waiting to hear more from you both!
So glad to hear of your adventure getting to your new home... What an experience this will be for you living in a portion of Sibera!!! Will be anxious to hear more about the area. Sorry to hear that you won't be able to meet and bond with your little boy for a oouple more weeks.. that will be a long wait but know that our prayers are with you daily. much love, Lynn
Thanks for the update--sounds like your travels went well. Love the photos! We had dinner last night at Doe's--thought of you all! Come to Greenville in 2011 and we'll introduce Sam and Lily Grace to Delta tamales! Love to all of you.
Keep the news headed our way & we'll keep the prayers headed your way.
What a journey. Enjoy it and the adventure. Our prayers are with you.
Brian
Thank you for sharing your journey with us all. I love having the geography lesson! Prayers and blessings upon your family.
kim
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