Tomorrow is another big day!/Lugansk pictures

Tomorrow is the day we pick up our court decree and then get our girls!!!!   This is the day we have been waiting for................halleluujah!!!  We plan to go to Lutugino and get the court decree, then up to the countryside to get Elena and Emily (the Griggs' girl).   Then we travel back to Lutugino to apply for the birth certificates and whatever else we can get done. It is going to be really hectic and exciting!   It is hard to believe that it is nearly official now!  Today we were able to go back to the orphanage and get some information and paperwork from the orphanage attorney.

  

I genuinely hope and pray the Lord enables us to rejoice together in person over all that He is doing and all that He has done!  Praise Him for His kind care for the beautiful people of Ukraine and for making the many rough places smooth!  There are many rough places here (including the roads)!  I know that the roads are going to seem like a dream when I return back home.   Jane and I have grown accustomed to the rough rides here although we really think our driver is doing an excellent job!  

Today it rained a lot and the roads flood after one rain fall.  We nearly stalled in the road with water up to the bottom of the back window and we are so grateful to have made it back to our apartment in Lugansk in a timely manner.

Jane and I enjoyed some time in Lugansk near our apartment over the weekend.  We spent some time at the outdoor market however there are too many narrow and crowded aisles to take photos.  We walked around a nice park and ate at the Kazbek restaurant- the first Soviet Georgian restaurant we have ever been to and it was wonderful! We were so thankful the menu was in Russian with English on the bottom which helped us a lot.  Without that we may have ordered the fried bull testicles!

  Lauren outside a big hotel in Lugansk (it is walking distance from our apartment)

 

Jane and I ate at a Soviet Georgian restaurant called Kazbek.  It was recommended to us and was definitely the nicest restaurant we have eaten at during our entire stay in Ukraine.

  

  We ate inside what looked like a Sukkah (or booth).

 We ordered Shaslik (at the top of the page) -tasty and seasoned chunks of chicken

 We did not order the Fried Bull Testicles with Onion and Spices (no kidding)!

 Authentic decorations

 Shaslik, kartoshka (potatoes) with dill, and beet pickled onion

 View of the hotel on Souvyskiyala street in front of monument (exclusive area and park)

 Monument on Souvyskivala street in park

 Large television screen, hotel, with outdoor market in the back

 Ukrainian Flag

 View looking down the street toward our apartment

 Full view of the monument