The Rest of the Day - Day 13 Part 3

THE TALE OF ZHENYA'S GIFT

This is Karen posting here to tell the tale of a package.  A package that has been halfway around the world already.  It started as the desire of a sweet family in Boca Raton, FL to send a gift to Zhenya, a child they fell in love with (through New Horizon's hosting program) and are planning on adopting in the spring.  They were aware that we would be traveling soon to Ukraine and asked us to mail a package to Zhenya, once we were in the country.  Zhenya is at another Internot in another town.  The family mailed us the package and we tucked it away safely in out suitcase to begin it's adventure to Zheyna.

Once in Ukraine (Kiev), we were busy about learning how to exist and get by.  We were on foot with no means of comunication, so we decided to wait until we were in Severodonetsk.  Three days later it is on a train traveling to Severodonetsk.  We mentioned to our facilitator, once we arrived, that we had a package to mail and he said he would be happy to help us with this.  So this special package sits quietly, patiently, waiting for its appointment with a post office in Severodonetsk.  Today is the day.  After its trip to the Internot this morning and then a trip to the market we are headed back to the internot.  Sergey asks a local where the nearest post office is.  It is very close.  We stop off to make the quick delivery.  It is packaged and addressed for Zhenya's Internot, just waiting for its chance to be a part of the Ukrainian mail system.  See Kaden with package in front of the post office...

The package arrives for its debut.  It enters and is turned over to those behind the counter to find out the amount of postage due.  Thank goodness for Sergey interpreting.  Unfortunately this package that is perfectly ready for mailing is told that it has to reveal its contents.  So sadly it is opened, revealing it has also been lovingly wrapped in Christmas paper so Zhenya can open a Christmas present in the tradition and intention of his future family.   We must also remove this paper, but we do ever so carefully.  We show the contents to the postal worker.  A long sleeved green camouflaged t-shirt, 1 disk (CD) with photographs, and a Christmas card with letter, just as we told her before she had us open it.   The next question was a shocker when Sergey translated that she wanted to know what was on the CD to make sure the pictures were not of an inappropriate nature.  She used a more revealing word, but this is family friendly.  Now this is something that is apparently a gift for a child and addressed to an internot.   This was beginning to get ridiculous and where you realize, " Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more. ..."

She relays to Sergey that we will need to pay for a new envelope and readdress it.   She was kind enough to wrap the Christmas paper back around the package before stuffing it in the new white envelope and hands it back to Sergey for addressing.

Wrapping the Christmas paper back around gifts.

Stuffing the gift wrapped package into the new envelope

Again I am so thankful for Sergey, because this was written in cyrillic, the Russian alphabet.  I can't read it and I can't write it and she would not allow us to cut it off the other package and tape it to this package.  Sergey, the ever patien,t sits and writes the address.  She also wants a return address so he adds his, writing underneath that it is an address for contact purposes or in the event it is undeliverable.

At this point I am told to stop taking pictures inside the post office because it is a strategic  place.

The package is brought back to the counter.  She is not content with what he has written.  Not the address to be delivered to nor the return address extra words.  She covers it with white-out tape and uses the old package so she can readdress it personally.  Thankfully it is now presentable to the Ukrainian postal system and awaits its stamp of approval.  We pay the 30 grivna (pronounced greev na - 8 grivna is equivalent to 1 American dollar approx.) and it's official.  That loving gift is on its way to Zhenya.  God bless!  We are happy to have been a part of this gifts increbible journey!

BACK TO INTERNOT FOR VISITING HOURS

We are back in Lera's room this afternoon.  We play a lot of UNO and enjoy getting to know her friends. 

Lera, Veeka, Oksana and Karen