I haven't blogged in such a long time, because I haven't had anything new to post. So, I thought I would blog and tell you that I STILL don't have anything new to post! Our paperwork has been in Russia since April and we are waiting for the referral. How do you get a referral? Well, our family coordinator, with our adoption agency, will call and let us know that two brothers, of Asian descent, and both under 5 years old, have been located. She will email us all the information she has for them and once we accept the referral, the agency will begin to assist us in our first trip travel plans. Once we fly, we will probably spend about a week in Russia and will get to visit our boys in the orphanage.
Russia requires two trips to visit the prospective child/children. They do this so that both the child/children and the prospective parents can make sure that they are "compatible." Russia wants to make sure that all is well with everyone involved before the child leaves the country.
Once we return from the first visit with the boys, normally it takes two to three months to complete the extra paperwork that must be documented for the region in which the orphanage is located. When that paperwork is finished and sent to Russia, we will travel for the second time. On this trip, we will, again, see our sons in the orphanage, have a court hearing to obtain approval to adopt the boys in Russia, obtain medical releases, etc. This could take anywhere from three to four weeks in Russia.
It will be ten months, this Saturday (Sept. 10th), that we initially put in our application to adopt. I don't know if it is a "mother's intuition" or just wishful thinking, but the last couple of days, I have had the feeling that something is happening with the boys. Granted, it may be another year before our sons are located, but could it be that the time is drawing near? We know that the Lord must have time to prepare the boys for us and prepare us for them. We know, too, that there are many things that He must put in place before we can travel and get our sons. Therefore, we continue to wait and truly trust in His timing. Jesus is already in the future and He knows what is to come and what must transpire to get us all there. We are going with Him!
As the weeks and months tick by, I am finding that I am longing more for our boys and desiring to be united with them. I think this is part of the process of preparation by our Lord...getting us to the point that we can no longer live without them! So, patience is good, but impatience can be a sign of the Lord, as well...especially when it comes to the motivation of bringing two orphans into a family...an experience they may, otherwise, never know. Please keep praying for us as the Lord brings our family to mind. He loves to hear from His children! One day, we, too, will hear from our two children whom we have never seen. We love you, all!
Blessings,
Kim
