Deja-vu!

Didn't Yogi Berra have a line that went something like, "It's deja-vu all over again?!" That's the way we are feeling. But we continue to trust that it is all part of God's plan!

We have had many complications with submitting our adoption paperwork. We submitted the entire dossier more than a month ago, but since then we've been notified time and again that the wording on this document or that document needed to be changed slightly, or Ukraine had changed the forms, or the medical tests we had done last summer were "too old." (We about flipped out on that one. That was the hardest part! But thankfully, our doctor agreed to change the dates for us, since the tests were still timely as far as she was concerned). Everytime we had to make changes on a document it required retyping and recopying the document (sometimes 4 copies of certain documents were needed). Then we had to get them notarized again, then they had to be taken to Santa Fe to the Secretary of States' Office to be apostiled. (A special page attached to the document, basically approving our notary, and verifying the legality of the document). Every page that is apostiled costs $3. We paid over $150 for the first complete dossier, and I'm sure we've paid at least that in getting all these corrections made. Mark has made 5 trips to Santa Fe. I got to go with him this week, on Monday, since I'm on Spring Break. We sent those documents overnight, and they arrived in Florida on Tuesday. The adoption agency director is flying to Ukraine tomorrow (Friday). She says all our documents finally look okay, and she is carrying them with her to be hand delivered on Monday! Praise God! We hope and pray all goes well, and that we are told soon when we can go and get "our girls!" Please pray about this!

We also learned, in the process of checking to see if the girls are legally adoptable (they are), that they have 5 siblings! Whew! They have an older half-brother in his 20's, and 4 younger siblings. They have 2 brothers, ages about 5 and 6, and a set of twin sisters, about 3 years old. We understand the twins have been adopted, and Zhanna and Ella have never met them. From what we understand they have not seen their brothers in 4 years, when their parents' rights were terminated, and the girls were put in the orphanage. I'm not sure they even know where their brothers are. We are interested to see if anything comes of this.

While I'm on Spring Break we've been painting the girls' room and buying things to decorate. This has been fun! We painted two walls a pretty yellow (Ella's favorite color), and two walls a pretty pink (Zhanna's favorite color). We're hanging a really colorful border with those colors. We have already bought bedspreads with yellow, pink and green. Mark and I went to Hobby Lobby and bought several things to add to the decor. It is going to be the cutest room, if I do say so myself! Very colorful and whimsical - almost Dr. Seuss-like, or something out of Disney's "Toontown," but very classy and fairy garden-like, too. I love it! I hope the girls will enjoy it as much as Mark and I have enjoyed working on it. We know the Ukrainian people, in general, love color. Probably in response to the dark days of the Soviet era. We just want Zhanna and Ella to feel that they are "coming home," and that they are loved and wanted.

Annie is back in the states now, and has shared much with us about the Ukraine trip. She loved being there, and especially loved seeing "her sisters" and all our dear friends from the trip last summer. Annie is very fond of Ukrainian culture. The people take time to warm up to strangers, but once the friendship or relationship is established, Ukrainian people will do anything for those they care about (as we've experienced through the wonderful friends there who have been so helpful to us, like Valya, Viki, and Tanya). The Ukrainians are also VERY hospitable. They, themselves, may not have a lot in the way of worldly goods, but they will give you the best they have when you go to visit them. Annie said the entire choir was treated that way wherever they went. They went to serve and to share, and ended up being served. We felt the same way last summer. We hope we can establish and maintain the tradition of loving hospitality in our home when the girls come. They need to know how much we appreciate the culture they've come from, and how Christ-like it is.

Praise God, the church fund to which everyone is contributing toward the adoption now shows over $19,000 has been donated! Wow! We've used about $10,000 so far for the expenses that have come up, but we have not had to worry about money at any time in this endeavor. God is so good, and He has used so many of you to bless us and to bring Zhanna and Ella home. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We anticipate the total expenses to be somewhere between $25,000 and $28,000.

It is evident to us that God's fingerprints are all over this situation. We don't understand why He called us to do this, but we are doing everything we can to faithfully follow the road He has laid out for us. It is humbling and exciting and frightening and joyous to be doing this, when a year ago we would never have imagined this is where we'd be. We're so thankful God sees the big picture and knows exactly how this will all play out. It's been an amazing journey!

Blessings to all. Thank you, friends. Your outpouring of love is beautiful.
Dawn and Mark

Beautiful Girls

Did you ever see three more beautiful girls? Annie is now in Ukraine and Zhanna and Ella got to go see her and hear the Praise Choir in concert. This picture was taken two days ago and emailed by Tanya. It brings tears to our eyes whenever we look at it! We already love Zhanna and Ella as much as we love Annie! They are all our daughters, and we are the proud "Mama" and "Papa." Annie and the Praise Choir will return to the States on Sunday. We appreciate prayers.

So, we mailed off our paperwork. It needed corrections. We made corrections, got the documents notarized again, Mark drove them to Santa Fe for the apostil, we mailed them off again. They needed corrections, . . . . Four different times now this has occurred! This last week we thought we were going to fall apart. The adoption agency called and said that after looking at our paperwork they discovered that the medical tests we had done last summer were "too old." Everything has to be less than 6 months old, or Ukraine won't accept it. The Medical Tests? That was one of the hardest steps in the process (besides the crazy fingerprinting!) Not only that, there is now a two week deadline we are trying to meet to get our paperwork to Ukraine.

We felt hopeless for a short time. Mark called me at work and we both felt despair. I shared with my students, and bless them - they lifted me and Mark and the girls up in prayer as only kids can. Their sweet spirits and hearts released the burden to God. And God answered their prayers rapidly! Mark called our doctor, and explained the situation. Lo and behold, she agreed to change the dates on the form for the medical tests! She normally wouldn't do something like that, but since the tests were still timely, as far as she was concerned, and the requirements were so unreasonable, she agreed to do that! Praise God!

So, Mark picked up those forms from the doctor's office on Monday, had them notarized, drove them to Santa Fe for the apostile, and mailed them off once again. Whew! We pray that was the last time. Hopefully and prayerfully, our dossier will be on its way to Ukraine within a week to be translated.

We appreciate all your prayers. Thank you our friends. Blessings to all.
Dawn and Mark