Our last post from Ukraine!

Our flight gets in on Friday night at 6:35 PM, UNITED AIRLINES flight A 6360. All are invited for her welcome to America. Just remember that she is naturally shy and knows no English, so she may look like a deer in the headlights once she gets here.

In 1 hour, we depart for the airport to head back to Salt Lake City. What started In October 2007 has finally ended and a new chapter now begins. These past few days, Yuliya has become the girl we came here to adopt. Her knowing that we fulfilled the promise we made to her when we left her so long ago has been magic for her heart. It was though she had doubted us as if it was too good to be true. This girl has been let down by so many people, so it’s understandable how she would feel this way. Now, there is no wiping the huge smile off of her face. All day today and yesterday, she has been making the pantomime of an airplane, then pointing to her watch and asking when. As each hour got closer and closer to the time to leave, she smiled a little bigger.

A very happy girl, and her very happy (and tired) parents!

For the past few hours, she has been helping Carrie pack. Everything is ready, and soon we’ll be in the air. Yuliya has finally gone to sleep. She was determined to stay up all night waiting for the airport trip, but she succumbed to the long day. We went to the Ukraine statue of the motherland. Since we went at night, we were able to take a photo of the bright lights reflecting off of the steel. This statue is the 3rd largest human statue in the world, behind the leader in China and the Christ statue in Rio.

Yuliya, Carrie and Natasha (our facilitator)

This evening, we took Vlad and Natasha to any restaurant they wanted. They chose TGIFridays. It was soooo good! As we ate, Natasha spoke about how each adoption she helps with is so unique, with its own story and miracles. She remarked how remarkable it is to see God working miracles to connect specific children to their specific families, as though it was meant to be in Heaven. Looking at our experience, Carrie and I have no question that if and/or when the time is right for a family to adopt, God’s miracles will be poured out to that family in various ways to make it possible. What a testimony this has been of how much God loves the children, and relies on us adults to take care of them. When Christ visited the children after the resurrection, they were encircled by fire and angels, and the words he spoke to them were so pure and tender, they could not be written on paper. This adoption has provided a glimpse into just how much love Christ might have been feeling when he wept as he beheld the children. In a way, having that knowledge only puts a grand responsibility on us once we get home. This is only the beginning of an eternal journey. We might not be a perfect family, but one thing is for sure: Yuliya will never again know what it is like to not have a family that loves her.

Helping mom pack the suitcases.

Having some fun trying to fit into the suitcase. Lack of sleep made us all punchy.

The all-nighter did not last for Yuliya. This is 1 hour before we leave for the airport.

My next post will be from Utah. Thanks everyone for following our blog throughout our journey.

-Andreas, Carrie, and Yuliya

Me and my new Ukrainian hat to keep me warm next winter. Natasha says I look like a Russian military man.


Same hat, not so military-looking girl, despite the solute.