Full-Swing!

It has been awhile since we have blogged.  As usual, we haven't had much to tell...we are in the "waiting" period (which requires much patience).  After an uneventful Christmas break and New Year, we have gone back into the paperwork full-swing!!!  So many official papers are expiring and are having to be updated or redone, in addition to the new forms/etc. that need to be completed.  Momma has diligently (and patiently) been completing these documents.  (She says it is like reading a foreign language...everything has to be "just so.")  It can be overwhelming at times...but God is so faithful and works in ways that He gets all the glory.  I say all this to ask for your prayers during this time...for wisdom and understanding as Momma does the paperwork, patience as we wait on the referral, and that God will provide for all these adoption needs.  

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

Matthew 7:7-8 KJV

Thanks so much!!!

Love,

Taylor

Merry Christmas!

We are still waiting on our referral...just trusting the Lord and His timing!  In January, we will start redoing expiring paperwork and start filling out more information for regional documents.   

Hope you have a blessed and merry Christmas!

The Church Family

^"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

Galatians 4:4-6 (KJV)

  

Patience is a Virtue

     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

The Location of Our Sons

(Dark Red: Krasnoyarsk Region)

      Adoption is a wonderful thing, but it is amazing how often we walk in the unknown as we wait on the pieces of the puzzle to be put together.  One of the uncertainties is the location of our sons (Taylor's/Leah's brothers).  We know that they are in Russia, however, we had to wait for our dossier (official paperwork) to be submitted before we could find out the region in which we would be registered.  Yesterday, we were able to determine that our dossier has been registered in the Krasnoyarsk Region (Kras, for short).  We have been registered since April, so that means that we are three months along in the process of waiting on the referral!  How long until the referral?  Well, only the Lord really knows.  However, since we are registered in Kras, we can feel confident that this is where the boys are located.  We know that the Lord sees them and one day, we will, as well.  At least Russia doesn't seem so large and encompassing, now.  When we look at the map, we can narrow it down to a region and since we have requested children of Asian descent, we can even believe that the boys may be in the southern part of Kras, near the borders of China and Mongolia.  So, we will continue to trust in the Lord's timing and have patience as we wait on His appointed time to go and get these children. 

     Every little bit of information is welcomed and we anticipate the day we will get the referral that lets us know that our boys have been "found."  We are reminded that they are not "lost" from God and that His eyes are always on them, as they are us.  You see, the puzzle may look like there are pieces missing, but God holds all the pieces and knows the end results.  

     Please continue to pray for our family and these precious little boys in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

Blessings,

Kim     



Getting the Room Ready

Well, we have not blogged for quite a while because we have had little to tell.  However, all of our paperwork is in Russia and we are waiting our referral for the boys.  "They" tell us it will be at least a few months before we hear anything...nevertheless, we understand that the Lord knows and that's all that really matters.

We are spending this time praying that the Lord will prepare our sons for us and us for them!  We are also asking the Lord to prepare their hearts to receive the Gospel, when that time comes.  Too, our family has been busy getting the boys' room ready in the bonus room, upstairs.  Taylor has included some pictures of the somewhat, finished product.  This past week and today, we finished cleaning out this room (which has served as our homeschool room for almost 10 years), moving things to the basement, and painting the room.  Of course, we are a bit limited in what we can do since we don't know the ages of our sons...kind of a strange thought, isn't it?  Anyway, we will keep you updated as news arrives.  Please continue to pray for our family and the union of our sons in Russia.

Many blessings,

Kim 

A quick snapshot before...

...and after!

The beds just need two little boys in them...then they'll be perfect!

The lovely view



Praise Report!

I just had to write to praise the Lord for His goodness and for other Christians that love Him and sacrifice for His glory and honor!  Today, we received another gift of money for the adoption.  The Lord never ceases to amaze us in His timing and faithfulness.  We have been Christians long enough to know that, often, the Lord instructs us to do things that sometimes we just don't want to do.  Maybe it requires inconvenience, pain, sacrifice of money or time, etc. and we just ignore what He is telling us to do.  Ashamedly, I have been there myself on more occasions than I would like to admit. Nonetheless, when we actually do walk in obedience to His leading, the blessings are greater than words can even describe.  It is our prayer that this precious family experience a double measure of God's blessings!  There are two boys in Russia and a family in Purlear who are forever grateful...

As an update..our adoption agency has our dossier (formal paper work), is waiting for one form to be completed (on their end), and then our dossier is approved to go to Russia where we will be registered and wait our referral for the boys.  Are we excited?  You better believe it! 

Blessings to all,
Kim, Craig, Taylor, and Leah

Fingerprints for USCIS Approval

Craig and I traveled to Charlotte, this morning, to be fingerprinted by the federal government.  The fingerprinting is for a form called the I-171H and is submitted to the USCIS (United States Citizenship Immigration Services).  The approval of this form allows families to bring a child born overseas into the United States and is a required step for a child to gain US citizenship.  However, Russia will allow families to submit the dossier before receiving the USCIS approval.

The initial dossier was suppose to be delivered to our adoption agency today.  So, hopefully, we will hear something positive on that end very soon.  As for now, we have done all that we can do and will wait to hear if the dossier is approved and able to send to Russia.  Then, we will begin some more document gathering and paperwork! 

We really appreciate the prayers on behalf of our family.

Blessings,
Kim