Arrival in Chisinau!

We arrived in Chisinau on Monday, Dec. 30th.  We traveled through the night and got just a couple of hours of sleep!  Hope was great on the plane.  Both planes were on time and everything went smoothly - just long and tiring!  We've had one meeting with Lena and it was very quick.  She was quite the handful but was probably overwhelmed with all of us plus the translator and Albina (our facilitator).  She probably weighs more than Hope and is almost as tall.

We also visited with Will Marin and he and Hope hit it off well.  I've included pics of he, Hope and Andy playing ball.  I think he loves everything and can really put away some fruit.  He was very kind though and gave each one of us a piece of the fruit we brought him.

We also visited the director of social services in Chisinau (similar to the director of a county DHR).  She was there when we adopted Hope and gave her a special bell made in Moldova.  Today, she gave Hope a horse made by some children at one of the orphanages.  We told her about Hope taking gymnastics and she told us how she was at one time the top gymnast in Moldova.

New Year's Eve is a much bigger holiday here than in the States.  In fact, it is probably the most celebrated.  We walked to the downtown square area tonight and there was lots of celebrating going on from a concert to an iceskating rink to all kinds of vendors.

We are staying in the same apartments that we did during our first trip for Hope's adoption.  It is very nice and clean, close to the square and shopping and restaurants and very safe.

Will Marin, Andy and Hope playing catch

Hope receiving the little handmade horse from the director