(Ohh....I feel so adultish!)
Thanks for going through the steps to get here. Please send me a comment so I know you made it!
As you know we leave on the 17th with our SDA appointment on the 19th. Depending on how fast the paperwork goes we hope to leave (via train?) to go to the region where our orphanage is on Saturday the 21st. However, I told Alex we should be there on Monday the 23rd just in case there's a hold up and because I think it would be great to surprise him! (Thanks Andreas-for this suggestion!)
Lex goes back to the orphanage on Monday. He's been with his half brother for the past week due to the quarantine. I'll be glad to know he's back because I don't have an address or anything for this half brother so basically I have no idea where he is. Due to all the warnings and advice from others that have gone (and my friend that continually tells me "You can't trust the Russians!") I can't help but be a little paranoid.
None of my great contacts have panned out as far as helping us secure housing. It boils down to the fact that Ukraine is a cash society and I can't simply call and hold an apartment with a credit card. Both my friend from Pilate's, Mariana and Snezhana (Alex's half sister in law) offered to help us find places when we get there but I don't want to show up with no where to go so we're having Adoption Way arrange our housing. I'm just hoping they find us a relatively low cost place to stay.
Also, I have not heard back from the Kiev mission president (a brother in law of my friends) or my neighbors friend that teaches English in the Ukraine. I was hoping they could at least tell us where we could go to church or if there was even a branch in our region.
We've been told to bring $8,000 in cash!! (I know, freaky scary to carry that much cash!) But I don't know why we need so much!? The adoption fee's (medicals, passports etc) with everything are about $700 and all the facilitator fees and "persuasive gifts" (bribe) fee's are included in the $16,000 we already paid Adoption Way.
We're bringing a 46 pound bag of brand new underwear, socks and undershirts to donate to the orphanage. (Thanks to my Stake Relief Society service project) and hoping that will suffice for our"donation to the orphanage" so hopefully no large sum of money needed there.
SO, why in the HECK would we need to bring so much money??!! We don't plan to stay at the Waldorf or anything. The money we bring is basically for housing, travel and food. (Can travel be that much?) Seriously, I don't think we'll bring that much!
Many thanks to Linda & Dan for the tips about traveling with money. They gave me socks with zipper compartments in them, told me to spread the money out, don't carry it all in one place. And the best advice, is to make a "dummy" wallet with old credit cards and a little money so if we get held up or anything we can give the robbers this wallet. Wow! I have so much to learn.
I'm stressing about how to hide the money in our apartment/hotel. Any suggestions?
Good grief, you can tell by the tone of the post that I feel so free having a private blog!
Anyway, again....thanks for coming!!
Thanks for going through the steps to get here. Please send me a comment so I know you made it!
As you know we leave on the 17th with our SDA appointment on the 19th. Depending on how fast the paperwork goes we hope to leave (via train?) to go to the region where our orphanage is on Saturday the 21st. However, I told Alex we should be there on Monday the 23rd just in case there's a hold up and because I think it would be great to surprise him! (Thanks Andreas-for this suggestion!)
Lex goes back to the orphanage on Monday. He's been with his half brother for the past week due to the quarantine. I'll be glad to know he's back because I don't have an address or anything for this half brother so basically I have no idea where he is. Due to all the warnings and advice from others that have gone (and my friend that continually tells me "You can't trust the Russians!") I can't help but be a little paranoid.
None of my great contacts have panned out as far as helping us secure housing. It boils down to the fact that Ukraine is a cash society and I can't simply call and hold an apartment with a credit card. Both my friend from Pilate's, Mariana and Snezhana (Alex's half sister in law) offered to help us find places when we get there but I don't want to show up with no where to go so we're having Adoption Way arrange our housing. I'm just hoping they find us a relatively low cost place to stay.
Also, I have not heard back from the Kiev mission president (a brother in law of my friends) or my neighbors friend that teaches English in the Ukraine. I was hoping they could at least tell us where we could go to church or if there was even a branch in our region.
We've been told to bring $8,000 in cash!! (I know, freaky scary to carry that much cash!) But I don't know why we need so much!? The adoption fee's (medicals, passports etc) with everything are about $700 and all the facilitator fees and "persuasive gifts" (bribe) fee's are included in the $16,000 we already paid Adoption Way.
We're bringing a 46 pound bag of brand new underwear, socks and undershirts to donate to the orphanage. (Thanks to my Stake Relief Society service project) and hoping that will suffice for our"donation to the orphanage" so hopefully no large sum of money needed there.
SO, why in the HECK would we need to bring so much money??!! We don't plan to stay at the Waldorf or anything. The money we bring is basically for housing, travel and food. (Can travel be that much?) Seriously, I don't think we'll bring that much!
Many thanks to Linda & Dan for the tips about traveling with money. They gave me socks with zipper compartments in them, told me to spread the money out, don't carry it all in one place. And the best advice, is to make a "dummy" wallet with old credit cards and a little money so if we get held up or anything we can give the robbers this wallet. Wow! I have so much to learn.
I'm stressing about how to hide the money in our apartment/hotel. Any suggestions?
Good grief, you can tell by the tone of the post that I feel so free having a private blog!
Anyway, again....thanks for coming!!
12 of my blog friends said something...:
Thanks for adding me! :)
When I lived in NY I had a belt with a zipper in it to hide cash in.... I hink I've seen them at shopko?....
You are worrying to much. AdoptionWay wil find you really nice apartments for not very much money. We took our money all in a money belt and we took $10,000. Take the amount they tell you to, we used most of ours. We spent $3500 in transportation costs. The facilitator will help you get to church avery Sunday if you want to go. Natasha made sure we had a ride every Sunday. Thanks for inviting me to follow your blog.
you will have church in Dnper. There's their own mission there. There is 3 in Ukraine, Kyiv, Donetsk and Dnper. It's a big nice city. Kremenchuk is quite small. When Cort was there, probably on 6 members.
What's going on with Carlin?
I don't think I've ever had $2,000 in cash on my person, let alone $10,000. Wow!
I'm in there like swimwear. Thanks for the invite.
I've been wondering the same thing. Why so much money? By the way, your posts always crack me up!
Thanks for adding me as well. Also I "made it!" my mom would like to have a invite to the blog as well. Her email address is: marilyngailrichhart.richhart@gmail.com
also can't wait for you all to post pictures on and of the journey.
Loves, Cousin Heidi
I am here! here i am!
Congratulations you have made it to the final part of this journey. Trust the Lord, he knows the way and you couldn't ask for a better guide. Good Luck, God Bless.
Wendy
I put some cash in my box of tampons and hidd them in my suitcase. I figured the people would just look at the box as being hidden, since it is a personal item. I didn't trust the New Yorkers, and my money was always there.
Hey Wendy.. Patty Chamberlain is here.. I really enjoy following your adventure.. Your family is in my prayers..
Hi Wendy. Just letting you know I made it. Thanks for inviting me.
Regarding the money, don't even consider leaving it anywhere but with you at all times! Everyone knows when Americans are staying in an apartment or hotel. Don't risk losing your cash to an unscrupulous landlord, maid, or outright theif.
I recommend that you distribute your money between you and your husband in money belts that are hidden in your pants. Have it broken up into anticipated costs in money-sized Ziplock bags (this keeps the money from getting sweaty looking and tearing). We had the money in various bags according to anticipated costs with notes in each - for example, Embassy fees $XXX). Finally, I would leave a small amount of money in a wallet and when you need to purchase small items, you can use the money from there.
Buck Gashler
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