After the last blog posting, you should have seen us go into overdrive! We contacted our social worker, Malisa, and asked her to generate the additional addendum document to our homestudy. She did it that day, had it notarized and mailed it overnight to us. We received it on Thursday morning, April 2, and Mark drove it up to Santa Fe immediately for the apostile. He got that done and then took it directly to the Fed Ex office in Albuquerque to mail express mail to Ukraine. It would arrive in 3 business days, but at a cost of $123! Add that to the expenses of the overnight mailing, the trip to Santa Fe, the cost of the apostile, etc., and that one document cost us about $200! Whew! But it's all worth it. Vanya received it on Tuesday, he translated it on Wednesday and drove it to Kiev on Thursday, April 9.
That and other paperwork was submitted to the Ukrainian State Department of Adoption (SDA) by Vanya last week. We hoped to get a date then when we'd be asked to come to Ukraine. Nope! Not yet! Vanya then submitted our entire dossier yesterday. Were we given a date? No-o-o-o! We were informed that we'd be told in 10 to 14 days. Oh-h-h-h! The waiting is so long! It is so hard not to be anxious!
We find ourselves worrying about all the little details and the timing and how it will all work out. We were told that we may need to be there in about a month from now, but we have so many other commitments to deal with before we can go. I have my commitments at school. 22 of my students are going to State History Day next Friday. I'll find out then if any of them will go to National History Day in Washington D.C. in June. (I probably won't get to lead that trip this year, as I have the past 3 years.) Mark and I are going with my 8th graders on a mission trip to work with the poor and homeless at Love and Care Ministries in Abilene April 27 - May 1. Annie comes home from college for the summer on May 2 and Mark will help her haul all her belongings home. Nathan graduates from college on May 9, so we'll be returning to Abilene then. After that I have 2 more weeks of school with all of the end of the year grading, report cards, packing up the room, 8th grade graduation ceremony, May Day Play Day, etc., etc., etc. Mark has commitments of ministry and counseling and teaching. It gets so overwhelming when you worry it out to the last detail.
But then we take a step back and look at the entire journey. We see so clearly that God has been actively involved in every step that has been taken. Everything has happened at exactly the right time. Why should this be any different? When we turn our trust over to God and allow Him to work in us and through us, we experience peace. I wish I could remember to do this all the time! I'm so fickle and frail! I must die daily, and continually give my life up to God. Then He can work. He has shown us that over and over again this past year throughout this adoption process. It has certainly been a faith - builder!
The girls' room is done! It is so adorable! I want to have an open house one Sunday before we go and invite all our friends and church family over to see it and to pray in it. I want the walls to be bathed in prayer before the girls come!
So, for now, we are waiting. But we trust that this is God's perfect timing, reflecting His pure and perfect and loving will for us. We'll continue to wait and hope and pray. He is so good. We know He'll take care of us and all our needs. After all, "consider the lilies and the sparrows!" God takes care of them, and he'll take care of us and Zhanna and Ella, too.
In Peace and Love and Trust,
Dawn
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
More Hoops
Did I say all our paperwork was in Ukraine? Well, it was. However we received an email yesterday morning from Teresa, the adoption agency director, who carried our paperwork with her, and is now in Ukraine. She informed us that the State Adoption Board there wants one more document. Aagh-gh-gh! Teresa described it as frustrating and crazy, but we'll be the "circus lion that jumps through the hoop!"
This morning we received the following email from Vanya, our new facilitator in Ukraine. He is working on our behalf there. We were pleased and surprised to learn that he is a Christian. Just his words were comforting to us, and a reminder that God is still in control, and there is a plan and a purpose in everything that is happening. We'll do what needs to be done and trust that the timing is perfect, because God is perfect!
We want to share Vanya's letter:
Greetings, Mark and Dawn!
It is the first time I am writing to you, although after translating your dossier and working with your case for a few weeks it feels like I've know you for a quite a while:)
Let me introduce myself quickly, my name is Ivan Litvinov, but friends call me Vanya. I work as adoption facilitator, this has been my full time job for about 4 years. I am 22, I was born the same year as your son, 1986. Now you know that I am young and will not be "surprised" when I meet you at the Kiev Airport and you think: "He is green! I hope he knows what he's doing!". :) A lot of my clients thought that at first. This is ok.
Alright, let's get down to the essence of this note. I wanted to clarify a little what Teresa has written to you. First of all, I want to say that I admire your determination and persistence with this adoption - I know how frustrating all this paperwork gathering can become. You do everything very promptly and accurately, which makes it much easier for Teresa and I to move along the process on this end.
The whole point of doing this addendum to the home study is to save time for you. The stumbling block is that part where you say that if Zhanna and Evelina are unavailable, you want to adopt two other children 5-14. When I first saw your homestudy I knew that could put off the time of submission greatly because the line of families who want to adopt little children (and 5 is considered little) is very long. This is how it works - before I can submit your dossier to the SDA I have to bring it them for the registration. The lady checks it and depending on the age of the children desired assigns me a date to come and actually submit the dossier. The SDA is open for dossier submission Mon-Thurs 9-11. On Mondays and Tuesdays they take the dossiers of the families who want little children and Wednesdays and Thursdays - those who are willing to take children of older ages (like 10 and up). Now, as you imagine, there are a LOT of families who want small kids. So the Mondays and Tuesdays are all packed through August. This means that given your age preference of 5-12 I will be scheduled to submit you dossier only in August. This would mean that you would have to re-do all the papers because they will expire by then.
Now, I did petition the SDA about Zhanna and Evelina on your behalf. Basically I asked whether they are available for international adoption. The official response from the SDA was positive. Yes, the girls are available for adoption. SDA, however, put a notice in the response letter, that these girls can also be adopted by Ukrainian citizens or by other foreign citizens. (this basically means that the SDA will not hold these girls for you, if somebody desires to adopt them before you come, the can). To us this letter gives a green light to go ahead and submit the dossier for these girls. But the problem is in that phrase "5-12". According to the SDA's reading of the law (and they are the ones who decide how it should be read, just like Pharisees) you should submit Monday or Tuesday, even though the girls you primarily want are 12 and 13. Now, to solve the issue we need that addendum that will say that you want either these two girls or any other two children 10-14. By raising the lower age limit from 5 to 10 we get the chance to submit the dossier on Thursday or Wednesday (the older kids submission day). With this addendum I will be able to submit your dossier in April, granted I receive the apostilled document from you before April 10-12.
I hope this lengthy email helped to clear things up for you a little. I know it all sounds ridiculous sometimes, and as often happens with governments, it is! They get so legalistic to the point of absurdity. But we can only pray for them, being faithful followers of Jesus. :)
I look forward to meeting you!
In Him,
Vanya
We do look forward to meeting Vanya, and all the others who have been so kind to us. God will see this to fruition. We believe it IS His plan that we adopt Zhanna and Ella. We will just keep walking the path that is laid before us. Please keep praying that God will miraculously intervene when necessary, and that He will give us patience to wait on Him when necessary. I hope we have very positive news next time I write.
God's blessings to all,
Dawn and Mark
This morning we received the following email from Vanya, our new facilitator in Ukraine. He is working on our behalf there. We were pleased and surprised to learn that he is a Christian. Just his words were comforting to us, and a reminder that God is still in control, and there is a plan and a purpose in everything that is happening. We'll do what needs to be done and trust that the timing is perfect, because God is perfect!
We want to share Vanya's letter:
Greetings, Mark and Dawn!
It is the first time I am writing to you, although after translating your dossier and working with your case for a few weeks it feels like I've know you for a quite a while:)
Let me introduce myself quickly, my name is Ivan Litvinov, but friends call me Vanya. I work as adoption facilitator, this has been my full time job for about 4 years. I am 22, I was born the same year as your son, 1986. Now you know that I am young and will not be "surprised" when I meet you at the Kiev Airport and you think: "He is green! I hope he knows what he's doing!". :) A lot of my clients thought that at first. This is ok.
Alright, let's get down to the essence of this note. I wanted to clarify a little what Teresa has written to you. First of all, I want to say that I admire your determination and persistence with this adoption - I know how frustrating all this paperwork gathering can become. You do everything very promptly and accurately, which makes it much easier for Teresa and I to move along the process on this end.
The whole point of doing this addendum to the home study is to save time for you. The stumbling block is that part where you say that if Zhanna and Evelina are unavailable, you want to adopt two other children 5-14. When I first saw your homestudy I knew that could put off the time of submission greatly because the line of families who want to adopt little children (and 5 is considered little) is very long. This is how it works - before I can submit your dossier to the SDA I have to bring it them for the registration. The lady checks it and depending on the age of the children desired assigns me a date to come and actually submit the dossier. The SDA is open for dossier submission Mon-Thurs 9-11. On Mondays and Tuesdays they take the dossiers of the families who want little children and Wednesdays and Thursdays - those who are willing to take children of older ages (like 10 and up). Now, as you imagine, there are a LOT of families who want small kids. So the Mondays and Tuesdays are all packed through August. This means that given your age preference of 5-12 I will be scheduled to submit you dossier only in August. This would mean that you would have to re-do all the papers because they will expire by then.
Now, I did petition the SDA about Zhanna and Evelina on your behalf. Basically I asked whether they are available for international adoption. The official response from the SDA was positive. Yes, the girls are available for adoption. SDA, however, put a notice in the response letter, that these girls can also be adopted by Ukrainian citizens or by other foreign citizens. (this basically means that the SDA will not hold these girls for you, if somebody desires to adopt them before you come, the can). To us this letter gives a green light to go ahead and submit the dossier for these girls. But the problem is in that phrase "5-12". According to the SDA's reading of the law (and they are the ones who decide how it should be read, just like Pharisees) you should submit Monday or Tuesday, even though the girls you primarily want are 12 and 13. Now, to solve the issue we need that addendum that will say that you want either these two girls or any other two children 10-14. By raising the lower age limit from 5 to 10 we get the chance to submit the dossier on Thursday or Wednesday (the older kids submission day). With this addendum I will be able to submit your dossier in April, granted I receive the apostilled document from you before April 10-12.
I hope this lengthy email helped to clear things up for you a little. I know it all sounds ridiculous sometimes, and as often happens with governments, it is! They get so legalistic to the point of absurdity. But we can only pray for them, being faithful followers of Jesus. :)
I look forward to meeting you!
In Him,
Vanya
We do look forward to meeting Vanya, and all the others who have been so kind to us. God will see this to fruition. We believe it IS His plan that we adopt Zhanna and Ella. We will just keep walking the path that is laid before us. Please keep praying that God will miraculously intervene when necessary, and that He will give us patience to wait on Him when necessary. I hope we have very positive news next time I write.
God's blessings to all,
Dawn and Mark
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