There was another group of kids visiting after Christmas. We would find someone possibly in that group, so we began Stage 3 - The Home Study. This took a bit longer than we expected since we hit the holidays. It was February before our Home Study was complete. This was really frustrating at times. At other times I was so busy with regular life that it was nice not to think about it. The group for December ended up not being able to come due to a glitch in the Ukraine. As disappointing as this was, it was also an answer to prayer. There was more than normal stuff going on that Christmas and I wasn't sure how we were going to make it all work. Besides there was another group coming in March that we could host.
So now our Home Study was done and we were told that a) the orphans wouldn't be coming in March and b) there is a Stage 4 - The Ukranian Dossier. The timing on all of this had to be just so and EVERYTHING needed notarizing and apostilling. God again showed us that this adoption was His plan for us. A friend offered his notary services for free!
As we neared the completion of our dossier we were faced with a decision - hold onto the paperwork and host the group coming at the end of June then send in our paperwork, or send the paperwork in and pursue a standard adoption without any specific children in mind. A real faith builder! We were trusting that God had our kids picked out for us and we just had to go find them and we wouldn't have the opportunity to see them in our home interacting with our son and daughter. This was also hard for our kids. The unknown is always a bit scary - especially when you're 7 and 5. We took this as an opportunitiy to talk about God's love for us and that He had picked each of them to be our kids and that He would pick just the right orphans for us.
Since we felt that it was important that our daughter maintain her birth order, we pictured adopting a girl age 6-7 and a boy under 5. Though we were open to other ages, we really felt this would be the best fit. The list of kids coming in June didn't match so we decided to go the standard adoption route. We sent in our home study to get in "line" and were told that the SDA would view our papers on August 4 - less than 2 months away.
In the meantime, we wanted to spend time with the visiting orphans, helping out and maybe learning some Russian. I was also able to give my papers directly to the person who was helping with all the paperwork in the Ukraine - another huge blessing. He was able to look them over right there and tell us about any adjustments that needed to made.
The children were so sweet. There were 2 pre-teens as well as several younger kids. The pre-teen girl and boy really caught my eye. They were completely the wrong age for what we were looking for, but they were so polite. Watching them interact with their peers I saw a kindness that isn't always apparent in kids their ages. Having taught 5th and 6th graders for 17 years, I had seen a lot of attitude. But these kids were great.
Hmmm..... What if we adopted one of them? I know that they didn't fit the "requirements" we had set, but ... what if? After discussing this new thought with my hubby, I started watching even more closely and the boy captured my heart and he had a little sister back in the Ukraine. We invited him to spend the next two weeks in our home. My daughter and he hit it off fabulously! Already they were behaving like siblings. My son wasn't quite as enthusiastic, but he finally came around. I think it was the fact that there would be one more big person to tell him what to do.
So the end of July came. The kids went back to the Ukraine, and I was quickly trying to get my Application to adopt a specific child done and sent over. Our SDA review date was only 1 week away.
And so we reach the end of "The History". The journey of course will continue as we complete this final stage and on into the future as we adjust to our new lives. Looking back, I see God's hand guiding each step. The decisions we made as a couple - being in accord, the opportunities that arose, the people we met, the chance to host a child that "didn't fit" my criteria, but definitly fit God's, my daughter's fears being taken care of, the timing of our paperwork... I am so thankful that God loves even the details of my life not just the big and obvious things.
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