Update. Things here are moving right along. Our facilitator Vitaly is great as he’s dotting all the I’s and crossing the T’s. Our paperwork is about done for this stage with a signature needed from the Mayor of Zmiiv (Lera’s hometown). He’s a corrupt man with a very shady reputation so we don’t know how it’s going to turn out. We need prayer for that. After we get the paperwork completed we then submit to the SDA authorities in Kiev who will then approve us and set our court date. This process could take up to ten business days. Once the court date is set we then travel back to Kharkiv for court which, we were told, should go off without a hitch. At that point there’s a ten day mandatory waiting period just in case a family member wants to dispute the adoption. During this waiting period we receive a court decree to gather Lera’s Birth Certificate, Tax ID, Passport change and special travel passport. After the waiting period we travel back to Kiev where Lera will receive a physical and then the US Embassy to get her visa. After that it’s homebound. Now what I just explained sounds easy but the reality is it’s not. You that have adopted already from this country already know the obstacles. Right now there’s a dispute between the company that prints Ukrainian passports and the government. This is holding up many families that have just adopted children as well as countless people trying to get to other destinations. We are staying with a very sweet Babushka (Grandmother in Russian) here in Zmiiv. She is a widow and treats us like royalty. She’s poor but you would never know it with the joy she has in Jesus. She grows all her own food and is very handy. You would die if you saw the garden she has in her backyard. It’s absolutely amazing. It’s nice to know our money is going to this widowed grandmother (Tanya) than a hotel. God has blessed us to support a widow and an orphan; two classes of people God has a big heart for. The weather here feels like San Diego. It’s in the low 80’s with a nice breeze and dry. I’ve been wearing shorts and flip flops every day. Everyone else has to. By the way people dress here you would think they were going to the beach. We’ve noticed the countenance of the people seems happier since we were last here in March. Of course weather would have a lot to do with it. We’ve seen Lera at her summer camp every day since we’ve been in Zmiiv. She says she’s board which I can see. There’s not much to do, but knowing you’re going home soon with your new family probably makes the time go slower. She has grown much. I’d say she’s grown more physically into a woman but emotionally still has a heart of a child. My daughter Sophia and Lera are inseparable as they stick to each other like glue. It’s really neat to watch them together. We’ve really enjoyed being around the orphans. They’ve had their own little talent contest doing different dances and routines. Some boys were dressed up like goats for a skit and they wanted me to teach them how to scratch their beard. It was really funny. There are so many kids here that need a home I wish I could take them all. Even though this process is difficult it’s worth it. If Jesus went through what He went through to adopt us then this is the least we can do. As always, thank you for praying and please continue to pray. There is such a battle here that it’s easy to get discouraged. As I heard a friend once say, “It’s like trying to nail jello to a wall”. But as the scriptures say Psalm 68:5- Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation……..we will rest in that. Blessings
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 19:24:07 +0000
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