Where are we now?

It has been a long time since we have been able to update our blog page about the events, praises, and struggles we are facing with the adoption.  We will try to give you all a quick update on all the happenings but be warned that this is a longer than normal post.  J
First of all, we finally got our completed and approved home-study and sent it off to the USCIS (United States Citizen Immigration Services) office in Rome.  That took a lot longer than we were hoping that it would to get the final, notarized, and apostilled copy back from the approving agency.  Another struggle was that there was a lot of confusion about where the I-600A (advanced orphan processing) form should be sent too.  After four phone calls to the USCIS offices I was given 4 different answers, finally after several e-mails and more phone calls it was determined that the form should be sent to the office in Rome.  (Heads up for all of you that are adopting while living overseas: verify were the form must be sent long before you need to send it).  We figured it all out the day before Brandon had surgery to fix his ACL.  My brain was fried with all the things going on in our regular life that I got all the documents together and made it to the post-office just in time before the mail went out.  I was so excited and relieved that that part was done until I got home and realized that I neglected to include with the forms the money order to pay for the processing of the documents!  The documents got on one plane to Rome and the money order to process the documents went on a second plane.  I pray that my mistake doesn’t hold up the progress of processing the form. 
To my understanding the I-600A takes about 6 weeks to get turned around to us.  Then we send it along with all the other documents to the State Department in the US with a courier to make sure that all the documents are apostilled.  Once this is completed then we get the forms back and send them off to Ukraine, where our adoption coordinator will present our documents and ask for an appointment for our family to come to Ukraine.  Seems like we have been working on this for a very long time and it also feels like we have a long way to go but we are using the time to prepare. 

Our most recent struggle:  We found out last week that Vitalik’s mother came to the orphanage intoxicated and told him that she was moving closer to the orphanage to be able to see him more often.  When I first heard this news I was devastated and filled with fear.  God, in his great mercy, comforted me instantly reminding me that no matter that outcome, Vitalik is His child first. I don’t know how Vitalik responded and what he must have been thinking. I know that it has been several years since he has laid eyes on her.  We were blessed that the only reason we know about this is because she came while the missionary was there delivering our letter to him.  His mother is sick with alcoholism, the only way she could get the courage to see him was in a state of intoxication. Please join us in prayer that she doesn’t bring any more harm to Vitalik’s heart, that there in peace in his heart knowing that he is destined to be in a family where he won’t be abandoned, and that his mother is healed and rescued from her disease and finds peace with God over her inability to be the parent she was supposed to be. 

On March 24^th through Midnight on March 26^th our on-line auction fund-raiser is going on to help support our adoption.  Please visit http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/343044152413994/343066262411783/?notif_t=like
to donate items or to make a bid on the donated items.  We still need more donations if you have something that you could help us with.  Thank you for participating in this event.  We are getting so close on our adoption goals!

 For all of you who are adopting or have family and or friends that are (like us) I highly recommend a book titled “Adopted for Life” by Russell D. Moore.  It is a great book and is helpful for families who are adopting but also for those of you who know people who are and are curious why anyone would make that choice. It is great for those who struggle with infertility and miscarriages as well. Pick yourself up a copy, it is full of practical advice, sound reason, and humor as well.  I LOVE IT!

Thank you for your prayers and support.  We truly appreciate it!