June
30th, 2005 Update
Well, we have some good news and some bad news. The good news is
that God is still in control and is richly blessing our time with
Katie; everyday we appreciate this miracle more and more! The bad
news is that in God’s infinite wisdom, he decided we needed
to stay in Kazakhstan for another week (8 days past our original
departure date).
If you recall from our last update, we were really hoping that Katie’s
passport would arrive on-time so we could make our flight on Friday
and be back by Saturday. Unfortunately, it didn’t arrive today,
but it should arrive tomorrow (we hope). On top of the passport
not arriving today, we also have to deal with everything being closed
on the upcoming weekend, plus the fact that the American Embassy
is closed Monday because of July 4th. Right now, the earliest we
can leave the country is the evening of the 5th. This would be great
if we had a flight on Lufthansa (which has departures six days a
week), but our airline only flies once a week, and their flight
next week is already booked.
Because of the situation with our tickets, we spent the day in Almaty
going between the offices of the airlines trying to find one that
had a flight we could catch. In the end, the best we could find
is another flight to Tashkent next Friday. In Tashkent, we can catch
our Asiana flight to Seoul, then to LAX. The only way we found to
get home any sooner than the 9th was to not use the rest of our
round-trip tickets and buy new, one-way tickets on Lufthansa at
$6,000 per person. (Yikes!) Since there’s no way we would
waste that much money, our only option is to wait it out.
As we mentioned in the last e-mail, there are a number of concerns
we have about staying so much longer. If you can, we ask that you
help us in praying for the following issues:
• If Katie’s passport isn’t here by tomorrow morning,
we will have to wait until Wednesday for our appointment at the
Embassy (we must submit it by noon on the business day prior to
the day we would like our appointment).
• We are trying to decide how to spend the least amount of
money possible. We have the option of checking out of our hotel
and into an apartment (at half the cost), but there are so many
extra expenses we would incur that it makes it about the same cost.
• Although we have loved being with Katie 24/7, we are really
starting to get homesick. Ever since we got to Kazakhstan, we have
been counting down the days till we return. Having eight days added
to that countdown can be hard to think of at times. Boredom is also
something that has started become a reality. Katie doesn’t
seem to be entertained anymore by the toys we brought and Momma
and Daddy have pretty much used up all their forms of entertainment.
• We had planned on a minimum of two weeks to bond together
at home and for Katie to adjust to her new environment before Sarah’s
daycare started up and Kevin began his student teaching. We hope
that we can find ways to accomplish the bonding/adjustment in half
the time.
• Katie’s schedule is getting thrown off from all the
transitions. She is so stimulated by all the new surroundings that
she has trouble sleeping and thus recovering her energy.
Thanks for your prayers and continual e-mails. We couldn’t
make it through this without either!
If you want to know more information, keep checking the website;
we will update it as time allows. Unfortunately, our hotel charges
for the phone line by the minute, plus our internet provider charges
on top of that. Since we’re working so hard to conserve money
right now, we may not be uploading many pictures in the next few
days, but we will try to post regular written updates on the site.
We have also posted a belated update for the 29th about our experiences
flying back to Almaty. To view it, click on the following link:
In Christ,
Kevin, Sarah and Katie Lockwood
PS: WE JUST TALKED TO OUR COORDINATOR AND WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO
VISIT THE AMERICAN EMBASSY TOMORROW TO ASK THAT THEY SCHEDULE OUR
EXIT INTERVIEW TUESDAY MORNING (INSTEAD OF THE STANDARD LATE AFTERNOON
APPOINTMENT FOR ADOPTIONS). IF WE CAN DO THIS, WE MAY BE ABLE TO
GET OUT ON FLIGHT LEAVING TUESDAY MORNING. PLEASE KEEP US IN YOUR
PRAYERS TONIGHT AT 9 PM, PST!
June 24th, 2005 Update
We are in need of some prayer right now. If you didn’t look
at the daily pictures from yesterday, then you probably haven’t
heard that our trip could be delayed by seven days! Because our
final meetings and appointments in Almaty have been scheduled for
one day after we had planned on, we won’t be able to make
our flight. While this might not have been a problem with other
airlines, we realized yesterday that our airline, Asiana, only flies
out of Kazakhstan once a week! This means that unless we can work
something out, we will have to stay in Kazakhstan for another seven
days!
We are really disappointed at this news because we are so ready
to be home with all of you! We have also used all the cash we brought
on adoption fees so we’re not sure how we can afford an additional
seven nights in a hotel, plus meals. With this in mind, we are asking
for your help in the form of prayers.
The first thing we are asking God to provide is a miracle. If Katie’s
passport arrives in Almaty before 6 p.m. on Thursday, it is a possibility
that we can get scheduled for our exit interview at the American
Embassy on Friday. If that happens, we may be able to catch a flight
to Tashkent, Uzbekistan where we could then get on a plane for Seoul,
Korea and maybe catch a later flight back to California (what an
ordeal!). We’re also looking at other options for getting
connecting flights that can get us home. If we are able to get a
flight out earlier, it will require some divine intervention. Our
God is far more powerful than some minor delays and scheduling problems
so we know if it is His will, He can make it happen!
The second thing we would like to have you help us pray for is the
worst case scenario; staying in Kazakhstan for an additional seven
days. We fully understand that this delay just might be God’s
greater plan, so we are praying that He will give us the patience
to handle the possible delay. So far, we feel that we have been
able to roll with whatever delays or changes have come about in
the adoption, but at this point in the process we are missing home
very much. We are also worried about how much adjustment/bonding
time we’ll have at home before Sarah’s daycare starts
back up on July 18th and before Kevin needs to start his student
teaching assignment over the summer. Please join us in asking that
if this is God’s will, we will humbly accept it and that Katie
will not suffer any delayed adjustment when we finally do return
home.
Aside from having to deal with the new time frame, we are having
a great time with Katie. She is continually growing and learning
more everyday. Today she mastered splashing in the bath, enough
so that she soaked Mommy! We are all still adjusting to the newness
of our new living arrangements and the changes in schedules, but
it is all part of the fun. Whether Katie is happy, tired, hungry
or sleepy, we continue to grow closer to her each day. We are also
starting to fully experience the reality that Katie will forever
be our daughter, and when we get on that plane (whenever it may
be) we’ll be taking her home with us.
We miss you all and can’t wait to see you when we return!
In Christ,
Kevin, Sarah and Katie
June 18th, 2005 Update
It is hard to put into words the excitement and pure joy that God
allowed us to experience today. From the moment we woke up, we were
buzzing around the house, making all the last minute preparations
for bringing Katie home. We got dressed up for the special day,
and then headed out to pick up Jen and Jesse (who also got their
daughter today). On the way to the baby house we were also able
to stop and get flowers for the director and doctor (too bad flowers
weren’t cheaper than in the U.S.).
Once we arrived, we all met the director and gave her the flowers
and gifts, as well as some extra toys, clothes and supplies for
the orphanage. She was very grateful for what we had brought (thanks
Barbara and Mary for the items). We told her that we were so blessed
by the incredible love and care that the staff showed to each of
our daughters. The director also took time to tell us that bringing
up a baby is a big responsibility and that she hoped we would raise
the girls with an education of their country and heritage. We agreed,
and after lots of tears, we headed off to our girl's rooms.
Jen and Jesse were first, so we went straight to Anelle’s
room. It was our first time seeing where Anelle stayed; we very
impressed. It was a very colorful nursery with tons of decorations
and toys in every direction. Anelle's caregiver spent quite a while
talking to Jen and Jesse about their daughter. It was easy to see
that she really loved Anelle. The only sad part was seeing all the
babies in this room tied to the edge of their cribs, sitting on
potty chairs. While none of them looked to be in pain, it was something
that was so different to see; especially at only seven months old!
While Jen and Jesse finished up in their room, we headed upstairs
to get our little Katie. When we walked in, she was being fed by
Aliya, Katie's favorite caregiver. Kevin didn't recognize Katie
in her orphanage clothes since it was his first time coming to get
her. Once she finished eating, Aliya went with us to put a diaper
on Katie (since the babies don't wear diapers in the orphanage)
and to dress Katie in her special outfit that Gramma made. It was
nice getting a quick minute alone with Aliya because we had a special
gift for her. (Aliya is the one who usually brings Katie to us;
she is very sweet and loves Katie so much!)
Once we were back in Katie's room, Kevin took her around and let
her say goodbye to all the other babies. One baby in particular
caught our attention. From the minute we walked in the door, this
cute girl didn't take her eyes of us and kept giving us the biggest
smiles (we wished so much that the Kazakh government allowed couples
to adopt two unrelated babies at a time). We had some more nice
words with each of the caregivers, took some pictures, then said
our last goodbyes and headed back downstairs.
Our final stop before leaving was to thank the doctor. We gave her
a bouquet as well as her gifts, then she gave us advice and told
us that we would be great parents; it was very emotional. After
saying goodbye and giving gifts to the kind woman who monitors the
lobby, we walked out the front door of the baby house for the last
time!
While all these events may seem like the best part of the day, they
didn't even come close to the excitement the three of us shared
when we got home! For three solid hours, we played, laughed, and
kissed each other. Since it had been a hot car ride, and since we
were finally the ones making decisions about what Katie wears, we
took off everything but her diaper. She was so excited and kept
rolling around on the bed, enjoying the feel of the soft comforter
on her bare skin.
Finally, after being too excited to take her noon nap, Katie started
melting and we worked hard to comfort her and help her adjust to
her new life. Eventually she did fall asleep for a half an hour,
then got up again for more fun. One of the best parts of the afternoon
was giving her a bath (pictures coming tomorrow). We took a little
plastic basin from the apartment, filled it with warm water and
set it in the empty tub. When we put Katie in, she got a great big
grin. She held on to the sides and looked like she was enjoying
her own, private Jacuzzi tub. We all laughed and enjoyed giving
our baby a fresh, clean smell. It was a great bonding time!
We ended our first evening with Katie by feeding her some dinner,
then putting her down. We are not sure how long she'll sleep, but
we heard that at the orphanage, the babies wake up at 11 for a bottle,
then sleep through the rest of the night. However, with all the
changes and excitement, we're not counting on anything. =D
Now that we've had a whole afternoon/evening together at home with
eating, bathing, dressing and changing, we can truly say that we
are her parents. Nothing compares to the feeling of knowing that
you are responsible for a little one's health and happiness, and
that she fully trusts you to provide for her every need. It also
felt funny being with Katie through meals, baths and naps because
it seems that we are just getting to really know her. All the time
we spent together for the last 30 days doesn't even compare to the
half-day we just experienced. There were far more smiles, laughs,
and even tears than in all the visiting times put together. We were
so thoroughly blessed when God sped up our waiting time and brought
Katie into our arms five days early; we can't even fathom what it
would have been like waiting a day more, because now we are a complete
“forever family”.
A New Family in Christ,
Kevin, Sarah and Katie Lockwood
June 16th, 2005 Update
We have some great news to share! As of Saturday morning (Friday
evening PST) we will finally be the full-time parents of Katie!
Although we were told we couldn’t get her until 15 days after
our court hearing, things changed and we will be granted complete
custody at the same time that our friends Jen and Jesse get their
daughter, Anelle. God is so awesome!
This is very welcome news because a couple days ago we had gotten
word that we were going to have to stay in Astana up to five days
longer that we’d first thought. We had been extremely disappointed
by this, but now that we will have Katie in just two days, we don’t
care how long we stay. All we care about right now is being with
our little girl 24 hours a day.
We are now in busy preparations getting everything ready for the
big day. Erken told us that he will be bringing a crib by tomorrow
for Katie to sleep in. We also need to clean and arrange the apartment
so it is suitable for a baby. Finally, we’ll need to do a
lot of shopping since we suddenly need diapers, baby food and formula.
There was one condition with us getting Katie earlier than planned;
we can’t leave the house. We were told today that we are not
supposed to go out in public with her since we won’t have
any proof that she is our daughter. Since the passport will take
about a week and a half to process, we’ll have to find lots
to do inside the apartment (and we thought we’d already run
out of things to do).
With all of this good news, we thought we’d give you an update
of when we plan to return. As of right now, we are continuing with
our original itinerary and hope to arrive in San Francisco on Friday,
July 1st at 7:30 p.m. We know some of you are planning to greet
us at the airport so we thought we’d let you know the time
and date as soon as possible.
Please join us in praising God for His incredible intervention.
This was the last main hurdle that we were worried about, and now
it is cleared. He has truly been looking out for us and answering
all your prayers!
In Christ,
Kevin, Sarah and Katie
June 6, 2005 Update
Greetings from Kazakhstan! We’re sorry that it’s been
a while since we last sent an update e-mail from here, but we have
heard from many of you that you’re enjoying the daily updates
and pictures on the website. Even with the web updates, we felt
compelled to write another e-mail update today so we could announce
some great news.
At 10:00 this morning (Tues. @ 9 p.m., PST), we attended a hearing
at the local county courthouse to determine the status of our application
to adopt. We are happy to announce that we received a favorable
ruling and are now listed as the official parents of Kaitlyn Alueshka
Lockwood! We know a lot of you were praying for us and we are forever
grateful. God blessed us with a quick hearing, a nice judge and
no objections from the prosecutor.
The courthouse was located in an old, soviet-union era building.
On the outside it didn’t look like much, but the inside was
in decent condition for a Kazakhstan building (Kazakh courts are
nothing like in the U.S.). The courtroom for our hearing was actually
the chambers of the judge. We sat in a few stacking chairs at the
far wall of her office while she sat behind her desk and officiated.
We were accompanied by Dinara and Erken (our translator and coordinator)
and a representative from the Ministry of Education who was advocating
on our behalf. Aside from the judge, there was also a court secretary
and a prosecutor representing the country who were sitting in the
room with us. Once we were all ushered into the judge’s office,
we stood and listened to a reading of our rights, and then the hearing
began.
Kevin went first by answering some questions about our intent to
adopt and how we choose Katie (technically, referrals for specific
children are not recognized by Kazakhstan courts). The judge also
asked Kevin about our living conditions at home, how we would be
able to provide for Katie and so on. After answering a few more
questions the prosecutor had about his job, salary, and so on, Kevin
sat down and Sarah got up for her turn. The judge asked Sarah if
she would stay home to raise Katie (luckily she was able to say
“yes”) and some of the other questions that Kevin had
also been asked. Sarah also made her own statement about our intent
to adopt Katie and about how much we love her.
Following our personal statements and answers, our coordinator stood
and gave a review of our application and paperwork packet, talking
about our home life, our desire to adopt and even Sarah’s
family’s adoptions. He showed the judge some pictures of us
with Katie and testified that we had submitted all the required
documents. Immediately following his statement, the representative
from the Ministry of Education stood up and read a prepared speech
about Katie’s history. He told the judge that Katie was abandoned
by her natural mom three days after giving birth. He also talked
about how Katie had been available to be adopted by Kazakhstan residents
but no one wanted her, and that we met all the adoption requirements
mandated by the Ministry of Education.
Once everyone was done with their parts, the judge asked the prosecutor
if he had any objections (which he didn’t) and we were all
dismissed while she deliberated the verdict. Although it was hard
waiting, we were not worried because everyone told us that the hearing
went very well. About ten minutes later, we were called back into
the judge’s office where she read her verdict stating that
we were granted all parental rights of Kaitlyn Alueshka Lockwood!
Even though she was a very stoic woman, we gave her lots of big
smiles and said “spa-see-ba” (thank you in Russian)
over and over. After the reading of the verdict, our translator
asked her if we could take a picture together. To our surprise,
she agreed! (You can see the picture on our website by clicking
here.)
Now that court is done, we have to remain in Astana for another
15 days, continually making our trips to the baby house to visit
Katie. We are hoping that as these days go by, the orphanage will
allow us to do more “parental” things with Katie, such
as give her a bottle and change her diaper. If we’re really
lucky, we may even be able to take her back to our apartment a couple
days early. Please pray that the time will go fast and that we will
successfully make all the arrangements necessary to return home
(plane tickets, passport for Katie, etc.).
We are really having a great time here and have enjoyed all the
kind e-mails that everyone has been sending us. We hope you have
had a chance to see the pictures of Katie on the website and that
you’ve been as blessed by her smiles as we have. We will continue
to update the website on a daily basis with new pictures and written
updates about how things are going. Once again, thank you for your
prayers and e-mails. We can’t wait to see you all when we
return home!
Katie’s proud new parents,
Kevin and Sarah Lockwood |