New Son & American Citizen

Like a good book with the last chapter missing, you all are wondering what's the rest of the story for Susie, Kyle and Cole. Susie, Cole and I made it back home on Thursday afternoon, April 21, 2005, to a family waiting with open arms. Our last message was on Saturday after our farewell party at the orphanage.

Susie, Cole and I left for Kiev on Sunday by van to start our long journey home. We arrived late afternoon in Kiev. We stopped at McDonalds for a quick bite before returning to our facilitator's apartment.

Monday we spent the morning at the U.S. Medical Clinic. In true to form medical protocol, we waiting for our turn, and waited. Finally, the Doctors did a rotine physical and checked his medical records. We waited some more and about three hours later we had our medical records for Cole and the US Embassy.

Our facilitator, while we waited at the US Medical Clinic, went to the Ukraine Minister of Justice to have Cole's birth certificate stamped and turn in the decision of the court to the National Adoption Center. She returned to find us still waiting at the US Medical Clinic.

Tuesday we went to the US Embassy to get Cole's immigration Visa. The process was fairly painless, except the uncertainty of getting an immigration visa. I stood and reflected on the fact Cole is already our son and the visa is only allowing our son to travel to America. If we didn't get the visa, he is still our son forever and we would need to stay to resolve any issue. The thought of this made me pray constantly toward the end of the process. Please Lord allow us access to America!

We received the immigration visa Tuesday at 3:30 pm saying we could bring our son into America. America has a very beautiful visa, one that we will hold in Cole's scrap book forever.

It was too late to leave on Tuesday, so we had to wait until the next day. It seemed like an eternity, but we left on Wednesday at 1:00pm for airport. We were praying constantly as British Airways tried to figure out our tickets that I had to change from an international calling booth in Kiev. Next we had to go through passport control, baggage check and then boarder patrol. We waited to her the words, you may pass around the booth, whew! We were on international soil. Next stop. . .America.

We took off from Ukraine and said good bye. We traveled to London where we made connections to American and flew into New York at 10:30 pm. One last immigration stop. God blessed us with an immigration officer who also had tried to adopt. She was excited for us and therefore made it easy. They took fingerprints of Cole and he signed his name. Cole Matthew is offically an American. Susie and I were never so happy to see New York.

We stayed the night anxiously waiting for our flight the next morning to Chicago and Omaha. With three hours of sleep and running on adrenaline, we arose with excitement and headed to the airport. Cole loved flying, especially the televisiion screens in the headrest on the 777 to New York.

We arrived in Omaha Thursday at 12:30 pm into the arms of our girls and Cole's sisters. We were too tired to cry. We were glad to be home. Praise God.

Thanks to everyone for all your prayers and support.