J has gone on 6 interviews this summer for various teaching positions at various schools. This late in summer we were resolved that he was not being hired this school year and he would spend another school year as a substitute teacher.
Friday at 8:45 a.m. he had a follow-up interview with the superintendent of the school he interviewed with on Wednesday. At the end of the interview, J shared with the superintendent that he felt he needed to be transparent and let him know that we are "Paper Pregnant." He told him that we are adopting from Ukraine and it would require him traveling there in the near future. (We figured this would be a deal breaker for any school). The superintendent told him that he appreciated his transparency and he could probably give him 3 weeks off. (Well that sounds close to J getting the job????) He told J that he would make a decision by Monday. Uuugggggh, all weekend long wondering, really? But here is the thing, we were at peace with J being a substitute teacher next year. In fact, we were looking forward to it. That meant that he had no time limitations on staying in Ukraine to finish up the adoption process. I could be there at the required appointments, then come back home to work while he finished up the paperwork and brought K home. We also thought that it would be great because he would have plenty of one-on-one time with her to start to teach her English (since he is an elementary teacher). Actually the thought of J getting a job was kind of scary to us because we had our travel plans all planned out.
Friday at 3:30 p.m. the call came that we were both dreading and anticipating. HE GOT THE JOB!!! "Woohoo" and "Oh no!" both came to my mind. What do we do now? Who is going to Ukraine? How could I possibly take that much time off work? Do I make it in 2 trips or 3? And then the scariest of all scary thoughts hit me......I will be traveling to Ukraine BY MYSELF!!!! This is NOT what I had planned. Please pray for me. I cannot begin to convey how petrified I am. I am so serious. I am so petrified that if I didn't have K's picture in a frame on my mantel, I would probably back out of this adoption with a "It's not the right time" excuse.
After the idea of J actually having a job started to sink into us both, J looks over at me, with a smile on his face, and says " I don't know how much more of God's intervention you need. Would you please stop planning things for us!"
Oh, and I have been stalking my Fed Ex tracking number. Our documents have left France. I pray the documents are in Kiev by tomorrow, could it be possible. Sure but I'm not planning on it. LOL!!!
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Lets Try This Again
We were able to get our addendum from our social worker today, and get the apostille. So straight to Fed Ex J went to ship the corrected dossier documents. They should arrive in Ukraine on Wednesday. Lord willing, we are praying that our dossier will be submitted to SDA on Thursday, August 1st. The facilitator already has everything because it was scanned and emailed to him. We pray everything gets translated while the documents are en route.
We had dinner with several lovely families tonight. One family (the hostess) has adopted 3 girls from Ukraine. The girls are now 16 and 17. It was wonderful to hear their perspective on adoption, America and adjustment. They all also made us delicious borscht.
Another family at the dinner is hosting a daughter from Ukraine. It was so neat watch and listen to all these girls interact and speak in their native language.
The last family is also adopting a teenage girl from Ukraine. They are expecting to travel in August or September.
It was such an amazing opportunity to listen to the family's personal stories about their travels to Ukraine and their adoption stories. I am so blessed to have been connected to these amazing families. God's love for us and these orphans just makes me speechless. I am so thankful to have a Heavenly Father that calls me his child. I pray that I am filled with peace and the joy of walking in faith. That I rely less and less on my fleshly feelings and more on prayer for what God is calling us to do.
I heard the song "Wanted" by Dara Maclean today. It just makes me cry. I cry because I know that God wants me. HE wants ME!!! Wow, I am soooooo broken and to know He is standing there with his arms wide open waiting for me to run into them.
I also cry when I listen to the song because it makes me think about K, in her orphanage. I want her to know she is wanted. She is wanted by me. I long for the day she comes running into my arms. That she feels safe in my arms and looks up to me to say "mama". (Just like God waits for me). I want her to know that God has his arms open for her as well. That her time in the orphanage has not been waisted but that God has been there with her since she took her first breath. I pray that God equips us to share the love of Christ and his Word with her.
We had dinner with several lovely families tonight. One family (the hostess) has adopted 3 girls from Ukraine. The girls are now 16 and 17. It was wonderful to hear their perspective on adoption, America and adjustment. They all also made us delicious borscht.
Another family at the dinner is hosting a daughter from Ukraine. It was so neat watch and listen to all these girls interact and speak in their native language.
The last family is also adopting a teenage girl from Ukraine. They are expecting to travel in August or September.
It was such an amazing opportunity to listen to the family's personal stories about their travels to Ukraine and their adoption stories. I am so blessed to have been connected to these amazing families. God's love for us and these orphans just makes me speechless. I am so thankful to have a Heavenly Father that calls me his child. I pray that I am filled with peace and the joy of walking in faith. That I rely less and less on my fleshly feelings and more on prayer for what God is calling us to do.
I heard the song "Wanted" by Dara Maclean today. It just makes me cry. I cry because I know that God wants me. HE wants ME!!! Wow, I am soooooo broken and to know He is standing there with his arms wide open waiting for me to run into them.
I also cry when I listen to the song because it makes me think about K, in her orphanage. I want her to know she is wanted. She is wanted by me. I long for the day she comes running into my arms. That she feels safe in my arms and looks up to me to say "mama". (Just like God waits for me). I want her to know that God has his arms open for her as well. That her time in the orphanage has not been waisted but that God has been there with her since she took her first breath. I pray that God equips us to share the love of Christ and his Word with her.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
It Builds Character
On Tuesday I called BCI to talk to my new best friend about getting a background check form that was actually signed, with a pen. Well, the man in charge that signs them is on vacation this week (sure he is, why not!) Pleeeez, let there be someone else that can possibly sign this. YES, but he won't be in until Wednesday morning. Fine, we can wait until then. Oh and by the way, my name was spelled wrong too.
Today, Wednesday, I wake up to an email from our social worker as a reminder to check to have my name spelled correctly (check), hyphenated properly (check) and my middle name spelled out like it is in the dossier (um, NO check). I hop out of bed, run downstairs to look at J's form. Not only no check for me but no check for J. His form, which I thought was right, NOPE, no middle name on his either.
So, at 7:59 a.m. I called my new best friend (although I am probably her worst enemy by now) to redo my form AND J's form AND include our middle names. (I really pray I NEVER have to talk to this woman again in my life!) She was SO kind, she called right back to say it was ready. I sent J on the 40 minute drive to get it. I sent him with a Post-It checklist. He arrived and sent me a picture of the form annnnd..... it was CORRECT!!! WOOHOO!!! Off to get the apostille.
Oh and by the way, he had to be back to go to an interview at a school about 30 minutes away. I pressed his pants, shirt and tie. He just needed to get home, get changed and GO! He calls me after his interview, it went very well. (But so have the other 6 he has had this summer). So we shall wait and see. We have no idea what God's plan is for J and his career. We thought by J not getting a job this summer, it was God's plan to keep J as a substitute so there would be no time restraints on him being in Ukraine. We both were at peace with that. But, now what? Maybe he won't get a second interview....wrong. He was called tonight to have an interview with the superintendent on Friday morning. WOW, ok, we will just sit back and wait for God to reveal our Ukraine travel plans to us.
Tomorrow, J has an interview at a different school in Columbus. Then he is meeting our social worker to pick up the addendum to our home study. He will get the apostille for that and then everything will be off to Kiev by Fed Ex (Lord willing).
J and I were talking. He believes God is growing us to be prepared for everything that is coming our way. Looking from the outside in, I can see it. Being in the middle of it....nope, I'm just frustrated. I told J that as a control freak, I am in my worst nightmare......relying upon others to do things on their timing. There is nothing I can do to fix this or them. Just wait for them to do their job on their time schedule. Uggggh! Not happy. BUT, I can tell you that I have prayed, a lot, really...... a lot, and I know that I am growing more dependent upon God, His control, His timing, and I am at peace with it. Well, I'm getting closer to peace with it. But J says all these set backs build character and it will make our time in Ukraine more peaceful because God was shaping us along the way. Everyone together now...........lets pray he is right!
Today, Wednesday, I wake up to an email from our social worker as a reminder to check to have my name spelled correctly (check), hyphenated properly (check) and my middle name spelled out like it is in the dossier (um, NO check). I hop out of bed, run downstairs to look at J's form. Not only no check for me but no check for J. His form, which I thought was right, NOPE, no middle name on his either.
So, at 7:59 a.m. I called my new best friend (although I am probably her worst enemy by now) to redo my form AND J's form AND include our middle names. (I really pray I NEVER have to talk to this woman again in my life!) She was SO kind, she called right back to say it was ready. I sent J on the 40 minute drive to get it. I sent him with a Post-It checklist. He arrived and sent me a picture of the form annnnd..... it was CORRECT!!! WOOHOO!!! Off to get the apostille.
Oh and by the way, he had to be back to go to an interview at a school about 30 minutes away. I pressed his pants, shirt and tie. He just needed to get home, get changed and GO! He calls me after his interview, it went very well. (But so have the other 6 he has had this summer). So we shall wait and see. We have no idea what God's plan is for J and his career. We thought by J not getting a job this summer, it was God's plan to keep J as a substitute so there would be no time restraints on him being in Ukraine. We both were at peace with that. But, now what? Maybe he won't get a second interview....wrong. He was called tonight to have an interview with the superintendent on Friday morning. WOW, ok, we will just sit back and wait for God to reveal our Ukraine travel plans to us.
Tomorrow, J has an interview at a different school in Columbus. Then he is meeting our social worker to pick up the addendum to our home study. He will get the apostille for that and then everything will be off to Kiev by Fed Ex (Lord willing).
J and I were talking. He believes God is growing us to be prepared for everything that is coming our way. Looking from the outside in, I can see it. Being in the middle of it....nope, I'm just frustrated. I told J that as a control freak, I am in my worst nightmare......relying upon others to do things on their timing. There is nothing I can do to fix this or them. Just wait for them to do their job on their time schedule. Uggggh! Not happy. BUT, I can tell you that I have prayed, a lot, really...... a lot, and I know that I am growing more dependent upon God, His control, His timing, and I am at peace with it. Well, I'm getting closer to peace with it. But J says all these set backs build character and it will make our time in Ukraine more peaceful because God was shaping us along the way. Everyone together now...........lets pray he is right!
Monday, July 22, 2013
All Aboard the Dossier Roller Coast
On Monday July 15, 2013 our dossier was en route to Ukraine and it was scanned and emailed to our facilitator. I had a Fed Ex tracking number and everything. Life was good! I had my predicted SDA appointment date picked out, heart drawn around the date....I was planning life and it was incredible.
Friday July 19th, 2013 I wake up to an email from our adoption agency. Our medicals were completed by a nurse practitioner and now Ukraine was no longer accepting nurse practitioners. We needed to see a doctor. But hold on here....we don't HAVE a doctor. I am freaking out at this point. With these kind of re-dos the magical date on the calendar that I drew a big heart on is fading away. OOOO, but there is more. Since the home study referred to the nurse practitioner, YEP you are right, that has to be fixed too. Now we have to get into see a doctor ASAP and have our social worker fix our home study.
OOOO, but here is more. My criminal background check (that was notarized) was never signed. WHAT? How does something that is notarized by an employee of BCI, NOT be signed in the first place??? Oh yeah, that little heart on the calendar was fading.
So I did what all good Christian women do, I called my associate pastor at 7:30 a.m. and cried. He reminded me that God has ordained a date that K.will be in our home and she will NOT arrive one day passed that date. Annnnnd, he made a phone call, woohoo. He called me back to say, go to the doctor now or wait until Tuesday. Well, we obviously rushed off to the doctor that instant, little F. in toe.
Bless the heart of the doctor and her staff. They were so kind and precious to us. We got our documents filled out, and notarized, that morning. Ok, problem #1 resolved, CHECK!
I called BCI to try to get a new background check, but the woman was out until Monday.
I emailed our social worker about re-doing or updating our home study. She would have to get back to me after she spoke to our agency. So, I guess that means waiting until Monday too.
Sunday, as I shed tears recounting all these events for a lovely lady at church, she spoke words of comfort and truth to me. "God has a positive reason for this delay. We know it is for your good. It may be that He is aligning the right judge for just your case, so take comfort in the delay, its for your good!!" WOW! That hit me like a ton of bricks, so simple but so true. So I smiled, comforted, and waited until Monday.
So today, we received the corrected criminal background form, it was notarized, BUT it had a rubber stamp signature this time. SERIOUSLY (ok, trying to remember to take comfort in the delay). I called back to try to speak to the lady to try to get right, for the 3rd time, but she had already left for the day. Well sure she had! So we wait until Tuesday...... trying to have comfort.
On a positive note, I went to a Christian bookstore today to try to order K. a bible in Russian. As the lady was finishing my order I told her about K. and our adoption from Ukraine. A young man working there overheard our conversation. He said that he had went to Ukraine as a missionary and he had the New Testament in Ukrainian that he would give me. Well, yes sir! Ma'am, cancel that order!! What an awesome blessing. I left the store, got in my car, and prayed, thanking my father for holding my hand today.
Friday July 19th, 2013 I wake up to an email from our adoption agency. Our medicals were completed by a nurse practitioner and now Ukraine was no longer accepting nurse practitioners. We needed to see a doctor. But hold on here....we don't HAVE a doctor. I am freaking out at this point. With these kind of re-dos the magical date on the calendar that I drew a big heart on is fading away. OOOO, but there is more. Since the home study referred to the nurse practitioner, YEP you are right, that has to be fixed too. Now we have to get into see a doctor ASAP and have our social worker fix our home study.
OOOO, but here is more. My criminal background check (that was notarized) was never signed. WHAT? How does something that is notarized by an employee of BCI, NOT be signed in the first place??? Oh yeah, that little heart on the calendar was fading.
So I did what all good Christian women do, I called my associate pastor at 7:30 a.m. and cried. He reminded me that God has ordained a date that K.will be in our home and she will NOT arrive one day passed that date. Annnnnd, he made a phone call, woohoo. He called me back to say, go to the doctor now or wait until Tuesday. Well, we obviously rushed off to the doctor that instant, little F. in toe.
Bless the heart of the doctor and her staff. They were so kind and precious to us. We got our documents filled out, and notarized, that morning. Ok, problem #1 resolved, CHECK!
I called BCI to try to get a new background check, but the woman was out until Monday.
I emailed our social worker about re-doing or updating our home study. She would have to get back to me after she spoke to our agency. So, I guess that means waiting until Monday too.
Sunday, as I shed tears recounting all these events for a lovely lady at church, she spoke words of comfort and truth to me. "God has a positive reason for this delay. We know it is for your good. It may be that He is aligning the right judge for just your case, so take comfort in the delay, its for your good!!" WOW! That hit me like a ton of bricks, so simple but so true. So I smiled, comforted, and waited until Monday.
So today, we received the corrected criminal background form, it was notarized, BUT it had a rubber stamp signature this time. SERIOUSLY (ok, trying to remember to take comfort in the delay). I called back to try to speak to the lady to try to get right, for the 3rd time, but she had already left for the day. Well sure she had! So we wait until Tuesday...... trying to have comfort.
On a positive note, I went to a Christian bookstore today to try to order K. a bible in Russian. As the lady was finishing my order I told her about K. and our adoption from Ukraine. A young man working there overheard our conversation. He said that he had went to Ukraine as a missionary and he had the New Testament in Ukrainian that he would give me. Well, yes sir! Ma'am, cancel that order!! What an awesome blessing. I left the store, got in my car, and prayed, thanking my father for holding my hand today.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Ready for changes
July 12, 2013
USCIS approval arrived in the mail today. J quickly had it notarized and drove to Columbus to get the apostille and sent it on its way in the mail. It will arrive at the adoption agency on Monday. And with that, it is all finished. Now, we sit and wait, ready for the changes God is planning for all of our lives.
I took L to get a hair cut. She was ready for a change as well. She got her eyebrows waxed and highlights in her hair. She looks amazing and..... 2 years older. I am not quite sure Daddy and I are ready for that.
Here is the Before and After.
USCIS approval arrived in the mail today. J quickly had it notarized and drove to Columbus to get the apostille and sent it on its way in the mail. It will arrive at the adoption agency on Monday. And with that, it is all finished. Now, we sit and wait, ready for the changes God is planning for all of our lives.
I took L to get a hair cut. She was ready for a change as well. She got her eyebrows waxed and highlights in her hair. She looks amazing and..... 2 years older. I am not quite sure Daddy and I are ready for that.
Here is the Before and After.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
April 2013
If you would have asked me on my way IN to church if I was ever going to adopt again, the answer would have been a most definite "No." If you would have asked me on the way OUT of church if we would ever adopt again, the answer would have been "Maybe." In the church bulletin was a picture and a request for someone to (we thought) host this girl, K., from Ukraine.
J and I were in silence after church, going through the motions of getting lunch ready for L and F like any other Sunday after church, but with an awkward silence. The kind of silence that you are afraid to break, because like Pandora's box, you can't have this first conversation more than once. "Does he feel what I feel?" " What if he doesn't, how do I move away from this?"
As we were finishing the sandwiches, J finally says "I think we should host her." Of course, we should. I was so blessed we were on the same page. Thank you God for syncing our hearts.
Calls were made. We received the information that changed the ballgame. She can't be hosted, she HAS to be ADOPTED. She will turn 16 years old and age out of the orphanage, having nowhere to go. Wait....what.....adoption? Yeah, we can't do that. (As God giggles)
We will continue to pray for this girl. A few days later, we shared our turmoil with our associate pastor and asked for his prayers. But this little girl has not left the comfy little spot she has nestled into in our hearts. BUT, we have NO money set aside for an adoption. As in not even having the extra $200 application fee for the adoption agency. This can't be God's plan for us or her. BUT....... we LOVE her!
So we pray for her precious face.
J and I were in silence after church, going through the motions of getting lunch ready for L and F like any other Sunday after church, but with an awkward silence. The kind of silence that you are afraid to break, because like Pandora's box, you can't have this first conversation more than once. "Does he feel what I feel?" " What if he doesn't, how do I move away from this?"
As we were finishing the sandwiches, J finally says "I think we should host her." Of course, we should. I was so blessed we were on the same page. Thank you God for syncing our hearts.
Calls were made. We received the information that changed the ballgame. She can't be hosted, she HAS to be ADOPTED. She will turn 16 years old and age out of the orphanage, having nowhere to go. Wait....what.....adoption? Yeah, we can't do that. (As God giggles)
We will continue to pray for this girl. A few days later, we shared our turmoil with our associate pastor and asked for his prayers. But this little girl has not left the comfy little spot she has nestled into in our hearts. BUT, we have NO money set aside for an adoption. As in not even having the extra $200 application fee for the adoption agency. This can't be God's plan for us or her. BUT....... we LOVE her!
So we pray for her precious face.
I Guess We are IN!!!
May 3, 2013
Our associate pastor's wife asked if we had thought anymore about adopting K. (Um, every waking moment). So I told her that we would love to but we are not in any financial position to adopt. "Well, keep praying. God will provide." Well, sure but we are talking $30,000!!!! "Oh and I think there may be a family willing to donate money towards it." So she got on the phone with her husband.
This is what I hear:
"Yes, they want to adopt K."
" Didn't you mention there was a family willing to donate?"
"Yes, they know they have to travel."
"Yes, they are ok with the traveling."
"Yes, they have been praying."
"Ok, love you too."
Well????? She said he would give me a call a little later. "Keep praying, God will provide."
Here is my thought: "Like, $30,000 provide????"
A few hours later I was driving L to go pick up our race bibs for our 5K run. My phone rings, its our associate pastor. After our informalities, "Tell me why you want to adopt K," he asks.
"God has placed her in our hearts and we can't shake the feeling that she is our daughter." I said, "I used to think the adoption shows on TV where the people say 'I saw her face and knew she was my child,' was just cheesy but that is exactly what is happening to us, she's our daughter."
The next part is still an amazing revelation of the heart of God and the heart of His people.
He says "Well, I talked with a family and this family is willing to donate $1,000 towards the adoption." My heart sank, I just wanted to cry in despair. That is not near enough. He continues, "I have another family that is willing to donate $25,000!" Wait...............WHAT????
My response? "Um, OK then. I guess we are in!" I am dumbfounded. I wanted to pull the car over and puke. (Sorry if TMI) I can not even write words to describe the joy, shock, amazement. And what do I hear next in my head? "Keep praying, God will provide."
Our associate pastor's wife asked if we had thought anymore about adopting K. (Um, every waking moment). So I told her that we would love to but we are not in any financial position to adopt. "Well, keep praying. God will provide." Well, sure but we are talking $30,000!!!! "Oh and I think there may be a family willing to donate money towards it." So she got on the phone with her husband.
This is what I hear:
"Yes, they want to adopt K."
" Didn't you mention there was a family willing to donate?"
"Yes, they know they have to travel."
"Yes, they are ok with the traveling."
"Yes, they have been praying."
"Ok, love you too."
Well????? She said he would give me a call a little later. "Keep praying, God will provide."
Here is my thought: "Like, $30,000 provide????"
A few hours later I was driving L to go pick up our race bibs for our 5K run. My phone rings, its our associate pastor. After our informalities, "Tell me why you want to adopt K," he asks.
"God has placed her in our hearts and we can't shake the feeling that she is our daughter." I said, "I used to think the adoption shows on TV where the people say 'I saw her face and knew she was my child,' was just cheesy but that is exactly what is happening to us, she's our daughter."
The next part is still an amazing revelation of the heart of God and the heart of His people.
He says "Well, I talked with a family and this family is willing to donate $1,000 towards the adoption." My heart sank, I just wanted to cry in despair. That is not near enough. He continues, "I have another family that is willing to donate $25,000!" Wait...............WHAT????
My response? "Um, OK then. I guess we are in!" I am dumbfounded. I wanted to pull the car over and puke. (Sorry if TMI) I can not even write words to describe the joy, shock, amazement. And what do I hear next in my head? "Keep praying, God will provide."
Dossier is Mailed
July 11, 2013
We are still waiting on the USCIS approval to arrive in the mail. However, our adoption agency let us mail our dossier without it since everything else has an apostille. So off the dossier goes. Overnighted to our adoption agency.
We read that the SDA is a mess right now. Things are very slow. And to add insult to injury, passports are not being printed. There are many families actually stuck in Ukraine because they cannot get a passport printed for their new child.
In other news, I had a very fruitful conversation with another mother who adopted from Ukraine. Her advice was to be in prayer. To prayer also for my marriage because the devil will try to attack from every angle, including destroying your marriage. Can I just saw WOW! J and I had an argument last night, which really is not normal for us. Yep, devil is attacking there too!!
She also shared that if you go into your adoption in Ukraine with a Go with the Flow attitude, it will help. "There will be set backs, people will go on vacation at the wrong time, people will get sick at the wrong time, things will not get done on your time schedule. Just go with the flow." I truly appreciated this advice, as well as her affirmation that she loves Ukraine and its people.
There is hope that I won't be wrongfully arrested and jailed after all (another one of the devil's psychotic paranoia in my head).
We are still waiting on the USCIS approval to arrive in the mail. However, our adoption agency let us mail our dossier without it since everything else has an apostille. So off the dossier goes. Overnighted to our adoption agency.
We read that the SDA is a mess right now. Things are very slow. And to add insult to injury, passports are not being printed. There are many families actually stuck in Ukraine because they cannot get a passport printed for their new child.
In other news, I had a very fruitful conversation with another mother who adopted from Ukraine. Her advice was to be in prayer. To prayer also for my marriage because the devil will try to attack from every angle, including destroying your marriage. Can I just saw WOW! J and I had an argument last night, which really is not normal for us. Yep, devil is attacking there too!!
She also shared that if you go into your adoption in Ukraine with a Go with the Flow attitude, it will help. "There will be set backs, people will go on vacation at the wrong time, people will get sick at the wrong time, things will not get done on your time schedule. Just go with the flow." I truly appreciated this advice, as well as her affirmation that she loves Ukraine and its people.
There is hope that I won't be wrongfully arrested and jailed after all (another one of the devil's psychotic paranoia in my head).
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