Sunday, November 23, 2008

"The Chicken is in the Pot"

No, this isn’t a coded message to sleeper Quiram operatives across the globe to begin telling corny jokes and promoting a move of the U.S. capitol to the hard nucleus about which the nation forms (Iowa of course) – rather, it means that following months of work, a small mountain of paperwork has been submitted and accepted by the Ukrainian Adoption Ministry.

Next step is to get an appointment date and then travel. We hope to know both when Katya is available and when we’ll be traveling in the next month or so. It could be as early as December!

We had a nice phone call with Katya last week. We hadn’t been able to connect with her for about 3 weeks and I was wondering what the may portend. Was she having second thoughts? Turns out that she can’t wait to come to America & has been taking English lessons with the daughter of one of the orphanage caregivers.

In a very interesting development, we met Bill & Oksana Brower. They are missionaries serving in Berdyansk Ukraine and focusing on the Orphan’s. We had them over for supper on Friday. The evening started with Sophie being very quiet (she informed me that she was shy). An hour after supper she was sitting at the computer showing Oksana pictures from the orphanage and alternately speaking excited English and Ukrainian. Here’s the link to their website if you’d like to learn more, or perhaps donate toward their monthly support in so then can return to Ukraine. (photo is Shophie showing photo albums to Bill & Oksana)

Finally, as we prepare for this trip and a lifetime of having another daughter, we would appreciate your prayers. Specifically, we are going to need someone (perhaps several people staying a week at a time) to stay here and run things at home while we’re gone. Also need your prayers for a smooth adoption process and that the Lord would be preparing both Katya and us for her to be a part of our family.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

50 Hryvnia

Hmmmmm...

We thought we had everything for our dossier in Ukraine (I still think we do). Turns out that we had sent a letter petitioning to adopt Katya some time ago, but it either wasn’t worded perfectly or perhaps was lost. So – rather than our papers being submitted to the SDA today, we scrambled on Wednesday and got a new petition signed, notarized, apostilled, and FedExed in about 4 hours. As I write this, the letter has made it to Paris on its journey to Kyiv.

Most every crisis has some humor, and this was no exception. There was a possibility that we wouldn’t have to get the letter apostilled since we used the same notary as all our other documents. Only problem was that it would have required the notarization to be back-dated. We didn’t even ask the notary, despite the suggestion (from Ukraine) that we offer her 50 hryvnia. As I write this, it’s not that funny. It was at the time; funny and illustrative of the differences between how our respective countries get things done.

Please continue your prayers. We remain committed not to fret or worry because we know that the One who controls the timing of things loves Katya deeper than we will every be able to.

Tim & Charlene

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The Dossier has Landed

The fun never ends!

Our dossier made it to Ukraine on Friday, but couldn’t be delivered. We were a bit concerned, but learned that the woman who was going to translate it had a heart attack!
Our facilitator found another translator and the dossier was delivered today. Current plan is to have it submitted to the SDA on Thursday!

We still don’t know if Katya is officially available or not. We should have found out last week, but the SDA answer wasn’t clear.

We have prayed for God’s perfect timing and ask that you would join in. We feel that every day she’s not with us is a day we miss out on sharing our family with her.

That’s all for now. Don’t forget the veteran’s in your life.

Tim & Charlene

PS – some of you may know the translator as Yulia (married & dark hair) from Sense. Please pray for her recovery.

Saturday, November 01, 2008

One Step Closer

One step closer!!

We got our I-700 on Friday and we are now officially authorized by the US Government to adopt! Monday Charlene will be off to Richmond for apostilling followed by FEDEX-ing our dossier to Ukraine. Then it’s translated, bound and submitted on a Thursday – were hoping for 6 November – praying for God’s perfect timing though. We would love to have Katya here for Christmas – for good.

Tim and Charlene