Heorhij
Hoplitarches
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Jurisdiction: GOA, for now, but my heart belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
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« on: May 21, 2010, 05:49:54 PM » |
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Dear folks,
My wife Lesya and I are scheduled to take the Oath of Allegiance and to become naturalized US citizens on June 16, 2010. I would greatly appreciate your prayers in this important moment of our lives.
It was a very difficult, at some point painful decision for us to make when we began to think about applying for the US citizenship. Both Lesya and I are very staunch, diehard patriots of our country of birth, Ukraine. And, unfortunately, Ukraine does not recognize dual citizenship. So we will have to give up our Ukrainian passports and from June 16 on we will be officially foreigners in the country we were born and raised.
But we still decided to do it. We love Ukraine and we will always love her. Yet, anyhow we have not been doing anything as Ukrainian citizens during the last two decades. We tried to get our names into the register of voters for the Ukrainian parliament members and for the Ukrainian President three times - but each time the procedure turned out so complicated that our names were never included into the roll, and we never voted. And the more we live here, the more we feel like we have to do something as citizens HERE, like vote, or serve on a jury duty. Being Ukrainian citizens on paper does not allow us to be actual citizens in the place where we really happen to live.
To be honest, it's also a matter of convenience and comfort. It is much easier to travel with an American passport than with a Ukrainian one. And, given the recent dramatic events in the political scene in Ukraine, things such as the membership of Ukraine in the European Union and the lifting on travel restrictions look really, really bleak...
But we are not total opportunists. We are critical to certain things that we see here in the USA, as many of you certainly know. But I meant it when I said that I appreciate the USA as a meritocracy. It really IS a land of opportunity, it really DOES have a fair and reasonable social order (not flawless as it is), and we DO love this country for that.
Sorry if this was a long post, especially for the Prayer Forum. Many thanks in advance for your prayers and for all your help and support.
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Love never fails.
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ialmisry
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« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2010, 06:09:03 PM » |
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Many years!
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Question a friend, perhaps he did not do it; but if he did anything so that he may do it no more.
A hasty quarrel kindles fire,
and urgent strife sheds blood.
If you blow on a spark, it will glow;
if you spit on it, it will be put out;
and both come out of your mouth
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GiC
Resident Atheist
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Hoplitarches
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« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2010, 06:46:03 PM » |
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Congratulations!
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"The liberties of people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them." -- Patrick Henry
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LizaSymonenko
Христос Воскрес!!! Christ is Risen!!!
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« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2010, 06:48:11 PM » |
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Congratulations!
Many years!
...it is truly great to be an American of Ukrainian heritage!
Welcome to the club!
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Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.
—St. Isaac of Syria
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GabrieltheCelt
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« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2010, 07:59:23 PM » |
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Congratulations and Many Years, dear friend and brother!!  Also, if I may add, this country is one of the greatest because of legal immigrants such as yourself and family!! |
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« Last Edit: May 21, 2010, 08:05:48 PM by GabrieltheCelt »
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Asteriktos
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« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2010, 08:01:44 PM » |
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Congrats on joining the greatest country on the planet! You are entering a very special and elite group of people! Yes, I'm joking, but congrats nonetheless |
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"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled." - Plutarch
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SolEX01
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« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2010, 11:03:05 PM » |
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Congratulations!
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FrChris
The Rodney Dangerfield of OC.net
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Holy Father Patrick, thank you for your help!
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« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2010, 01:19:34 AM » |
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May it be blessed!
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"As the sparrow flees from a hawk, so the man seeking humility flees from an argument". St John Climacus
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Liz
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« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2010, 05:09:31 PM » |
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Congratulations and good luck. You will still be Ukrainian inside, as well as American!
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HandmaidenofGod
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« Reply #9 on: May 23, 2010, 05:30:01 PM » |
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Lord have mercy! God grant you many years, and congratulations! |
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"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jer 29:11
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PeterTheAleut
The Right Blowhard Peter the Furtive of Yetts O'Muckhart
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EXTERMINATE!
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« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2010, 01:42:15 PM » |
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Lord, have mercy!
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stashko
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« Reply #11 on: May 24, 2010, 07:55:56 PM » |
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Молитве/Prayers Достојни, Аксијос,Worthy Многаја Љета,Многе Године.... Слава Господу Богу..Амин Амин Congatulation to Both..... СРБСКО КОЛО ВАМА У ВЕСЕЉЕ.....  ОПА ОПА Glory to God ...Amen Amen  |
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 ГОСПОДЕ ГОСПОДЕ ,ПОГЛЕДАЈ СА НЕБА ,ДОЂИ И ПОСЕТИ ТВОЈ ВИНОГРАД ТВОЈА ДЕСНИЦА ПОСАДИЛА АМИН АМИН. |
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Ebor
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« Reply #12 on: May 24, 2010, 10:42:28 PM » |
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All the best to you both, Heorhij. It was a hard decision for you, I can tell. |
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"I wish they would remember that the charge to Peter was "Feed my sheep", not "Try experiments on my rats", or even "Teach my performing dogs new tricks". - C. S. Lewis
The Katana of Reasoned Discussion
For some a world view is more like a neighborhood watch.
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PeterTheAleut
The Right Blowhard Peter the Furtive of Yetts O'Muckhart
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EXTERMINATE!
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« Reply #13 on: May 28, 2010, 02:27:24 PM » |
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Post discussing Ukrainian politics split off and moved to Politics: http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,27934.0.html
Please do not post political commentary on any of the public boards, especially not on the Prayer Forum, a place reserved solely for our prayers. Thank you.
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Heorhij
Hoplitarches
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« Reply #14 on: May 30, 2010, 05:31:58 PM » |
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Many thanks to al who replied, many thanks for your prayers, and Lesya's and my special thanks to our dear Father Chris for his blessing. Father, we kiss your right hand and we can't wait till we see you on the second Saturday of this coming June. I am sorry for the unwarranted political comments. |
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Love never fails.
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Fr. George
formerly "Cleveland"
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Domestikos tou thematos
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May the Lord bless you and keep you always!
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« Reply #15 on: June 07, 2010, 09:56:03 AM » |
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Lord, have mercy.
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"The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the one who can't read them." Mark Twain
---------------------
Ordained on 17 & 18-Oct 2009. Please forgive me if earlier posts are poorly worded or incorrect in any way.
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Papist
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« Reply #16 on: June 07, 2010, 12:58:52 PM » |
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Congratulations. You will be in my prayers.
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"The only-begotten Son of God, wanting us to be partakers of his divinity, assumed our human nature so that, having become man, he might make men gods." - St. Thomas Aquinas
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ytterbiumanalyst
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« Reply #17 on: June 08, 2010, 09:58:29 AM » |
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Congratulations, and many years! The United States is truly fortunate to have you and your family among our citizens.
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"It is remarkable that what we call the world...in what professes to be true...will allow in one man no blemishes, and in another no virtue."--Charles Dickens
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Heorhij
Hoplitarches
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Faith: Orthodox
Jurisdiction: GOA, for now, but my heart belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
Posts: 8,576
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« Reply #18 on: June 17, 2010, 09:07:20 AM » |
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Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. Lesya and I became naturalized US citizens yesterday. Our daughter, Maryana, also became a US citizen, her ceremony was in Boston and just a few days before ours (which was in Memphis, TN). We have already applied for US passports so that we can make our first trip to Ukraine as "Amerikantsi." |
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Love never fails.
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Rosehip
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« Reply #19 on: June 17, 2010, 09:31:37 AM » |
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Congratulations!
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+ Our dear sister Martha (Rosehip) passed away on Dec 20, 2010. May her memory be eternal! +
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EofK
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« Reply #20 on: June 17, 2010, 09:32:36 AM » |
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Congratulations! Many years to you and your dear family!
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Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. -- Douglas Adams
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HandmaidenofGod
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« Reply #21 on: June 17, 2010, 10:57:57 AM » |
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Mnohaya Litya! God grant you many years!
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"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jer 29:11
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scamandrius
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« Reply #23 on: June 17, 2010, 07:34:19 PM » |
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Congratulations to you both!
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I seek the truth by which no man was ever harmed--Marcus Aurelius Those who do not read history are doomed to get their facts from Hollywood--Anonymous What earthly joy remains untouched by grief?--St. John Damascene http://myorthodoxjourney.blogspot.com/ |
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Nigula Qian Zishi
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« Reply #24 on: June 20, 2010, 04:59:35 PM » |
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Congrats! I now how difficult immigration processing can be!
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chrevbel
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« Reply #25 on: June 21, 2010, 02:45:55 AM » |
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I'm a bit late to the party, but congratulations and many years!
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