The Big day ahead, we hope!

Day 23-- 11, January 2009

We have a "tentative" court hearing tomorrow, Monday. We are supposed to meet with a Judge and a legal representative for the rights of Kazakhstan Children. Cindie and I will have GOD with us, and a translator. Please lift us up in your prayers and that the officials allow this process to move forward and without further delays.

We did not get much rest today as we went to the Orphanage to spend time with Aidar and had to reschedule our air travel. Easier said than done when you are in another country well at least here in KZ! I needed to buy another phone card before I could change half of the arrangements because I needed to call out of the country. Then the local office for the one airline, Luftansa, that gets us out of Kazakhstan is only open from 11:30 am to 8 pm local time. First I had to figure out how to get a touch tone phone to get through the menus of the phone card and air lines. Yes, they are still behind in technology in some cases, our phone in the room did not have a switch to change from Pulse dial to tone dial. You should have seen the face of the Hotel receptionist when I tried to ask for another phone. “Ohhhhhhhhh What you say? You have phone in room Yes…..!” Right, they were not getting it! She then asked for the number I was trying to dial and she then dialed it for me from the phone at the front desk. Great! At least they have a phone that works with tone dialing. However I did not want to stand at the front desk in the hotel lobby trying to change several sets of itinerary’s calling 3 different countries and try to hear over everything that happens at the front desk of a hotel, a large one at that. I then thought she understood that I was asking for another phone to be brought to my room, she motioned for me to go to my room. (Mostly to get rid of me from the front desk I think). Cindie also asked for a hair dryer, and I though someone would bring me a phone so I went back to the room. By this time Cindie needed to go to the orphanage to spend time with Aidar, after all, we only get four hours to spend with him there a day over two visits. SO………. I waited for the phone delivery, 15 minutes later, a knock on the door, GREAT, a phone,………….Nope! a Hair dryer. Good for Cindie not so good for me, most of my hair is gone now because of this trip! Then I remembered reading somewhere or hearing of a way to change to tone dialing by pressing * or # or some combination. Or was it click your heels while snapping your fingers and patting your head. Well Finally, I got it. Use the pulse dial to get an outside line, then press *, pause, then dial the number. So easy.... Wonderful, I am in business now. Except after changing two 3rds of the flights I needed, the phone card was running out. OK, I can go back to the store, or Another thought, call Dad and wake him up with a great assignment on Sunday morning. Well...... he saved us and made the changes from the US using my information. I think it even took him an hour from the US to get the changes.

!!!!THANK YOU DAD!!!!!

Well that was the entertainment for the day here, Cindie calls it stress, for us. I am going to get some sleep now. I made Cindie take a sleeping pill earlier so she could get some reset. If I hurry to bed I can get in 5 hours if I actually fall asleep. Sue, tell Karis we said hello and we love her! Until next time, Blessings to you all. __JH