Hurry Up and Wait

So I overnighted our dossier to our stateside facilitator for one final proof before the documents get apostilled. As much as I wanted to send it all now, I know we will save a lot of time and money by having Maggie give them the once over. I'm praying nothing has been overlooked and she'll call to say, "We're good! Send them off!" It will be a relief to have everything out of my hands and into the hands of people at the next stage. Although I know that will be a whole new waiting game (anything yet, Tami? Anything at all???)

As we prepare for the emotions that will accompany this new stage of the process, I wonder about Kristina and how she is preparing. Last week I called her English teacher's cell phone in the hopes of saying hello to our little girl. I was unprepared to hear that Kristina was no longer at the camp. Her grandmother had unexpectedly come and taken her away for the summer. My initial reaction was a bit panicked, so I sent out a small armada of emails to the people I know in country. Did anyone know where she had been taken? Is there any way to check on her? Does anyone have any way to communicate with her. The truth of the matter is, this is not our child. As much as we feel that she is our daughter in our hearts, she belongs to the Ukrainian government and we have zero influence over the choices made on her behalf. I received word that the grandmother is aware that Kristina is going to be adopted and wanted to spend some final time with her grand daughter. What a bittersweet time for the two of them. I hope that Robert and I can find her grandmother and connect with her when we travel. I hope she will approve of us and feel a sense of peace in losing the only connection to her own daughter. Please pray that this time of closure is a positive one for Kristina and her grandmother.

On another note, I have a pray request that has weighed heavily on my heart for the last few days. Our friends, the Tu family, have traveled to Ukraine to bring their two children home. Father Steve has returned home to the States to care for their own children here now that all the court and legal technicalities are done and Beth has remained in country to wait out the mandatory 10 day period following court. In that time, Ukraine made some changes to the passport laws and that has prevented Beth from leaving the country with their two children. Information is slow in coming as to when the children will receive their passports and be allowed to travel to America. In the meantime, Beth is all alone without her support system and is feeling the pressure of a foreign culture and the uncertainties of what lies ahead. The most recent word is that it may take another 6 weeks before the passport issue is resolved. Many of us planning on adopting from Ukraine grit our teeth and accept that we will be there for roughly a month. I can't imagine having to stay for three! This is affecting many families who are stuck in country. Please lift Beth up in prayer and ask God to intervene in this situation on behalf of all the families there.