Day 3 in Ukraine - Picking up Paperwork - Tues Sept 20

Darren on the train

So today we started out slow, not needing to be anywhere in particular until noon. We had to clean up the apartment, pack our bags and be ready for pick-up/check out at noon. We took our time getting awake and ready for the day. Once we were all packed we called the Yoders and planned to meet them for some sightseeing.

We arrived at their place around 10:40 and walked to the Cathedral near their apartment. Since Darren's soccer injured leg was bothering him, he stayed back with Myron and Abbey and I walked back to our apartment to be ready for pick up. We waited and chatted. Around 12:40 Nastia and the guys arrived to load the rest of the luggage.

After that, we walked to the Saint Sofia cathedral and toured the grounds. We had to walk back to the SDA to meet Nastia to pick up our paperwork by 3pm. So from 1-2pm we were at the cathedral and then we decided to go to the pizza place by the SDA for a quick lunch.

A little after 3, Nastia arrived and the paperwork was not quite ready. We waited on pins and needles as Darren and I had to make the train by 4:20pm. Finally, someone called us in to sign for the paperwork. We scribbled our signatures and dashed out the door. We had a completely crazy ride through Kiev as Alexey drove like we were in some spy movie trying to escape from bad guys. I prayed all the way that we would be safe and that no one would unexpectedly pull out in front of him as we careened at high speeds down narrow alleyways lined with cars.

Yes, we made it to the train station with about 10 minutes to spare. Which meant that Alexey could help us with our bags to find the right train compartment and let us know what to expect as we made the 5 hour journey on our own to Sumy where we would be closer to meeting our boys.

Once on the train we got comfortable and settled in for the journey. During one stop it was quiet enough to telephone Yarik. He was so excited when he heard Darren say that we were in Ukraine. And not only that, we were on the train from Kiev to Sumy. But Darren could hear the disappointment in his voice when we said that we may not be able to see him until the weekend. We told him we were going to see Sergei first and because the train did not get to Sumy until after 9:30pm, there was no way to see him that night either.

It must have been torture to this sweet boy who has waited 16 and a half years for a family of his own to hear that his Mom and Dad were so close to him and yet still days away. We both felt so awful, but there was nothing we could do. The conversation was cut short as a teacher called and told him to go take a shower.

Although I hoped to avoid it, before we got off the train, I did have to use the toilet. We had been warned, but it was still a bit of a surprise to experience it. The small bathroom had a toilet with a seat , but there was no way I would sit on it. So I hovered above it as the train pulled and swayed. Not easy to aim as your body goes one way and the toilet another. Somehow I was successful in not making a mess. Next – the flush – I had heard that it just opens to the tracks to dump – and yes, it was true. As I held the lever down to flush, I could see the tracks flashing by. I was not sure how to get the water to come out of the faucet, so I opted for hand sanitizer I had stored in my backpack. Certainly another experience that I will long remember.

We pulled into the train station right on time at 9:35pm. As we were hauling our bags out the door we saw Ksenia enter the train car. She had stayed with us a week last summer during hosting, so we knew who she was right away. She bundled us off to a waiting taxi to get us checked into the hotel. We had until 6:30am to get some sleep and be ready to go to see Sergei.

Of course, I could not sleep as the excitement of the next day was building. I had started a novel on the train while Darren slept and as I could not sleep, reading helped to transport me away enough to fall asleep...at least a short, fitful sleep.