Monday, February 10, 2014

The 10 days of eternity

Day 7 is almost done. 

After court in Ukraine, there is a 10 day period in which an orphan's family can appeal the judge's decision. That is where we are right now. With three days left of it, to be exact. I am not highly stressed with the possibility of an appeal although it is always in the back of my mind.... But at this point I am struggling with two things,

1. I am not good at paper work, throughout this process I have been the one pushing fundraising. My job was to come up we a variety of ways to bring in cash from various groups of people. Praise Jesus and thanks to your generosity my job was fairly easy..... At least compared to Ronnie's job. 

He has been the paperwork guy. 85 pages of dossier, filled with local, state, federal and Ukrainian documents. Paperchasing around the country, signatures, stamps, seals. This is his job. He is the details guy...... Not me. 

There is a list of required documents for the final paper chase that will begin Friday. It is a list of documents and the order in which we have to get the documents. First the court decree, the birth certificate and then the tax id... Something dealing with registration is next.... You can't get the passport until those are done, then the passport has to be ordered because it takes the longest.... Then the Medicals, but you can't get the results of those without the passport. Then two embassy visits at least 24 hours apart from each other, the second has to be after you have the Medicals and the passport in hand. And then you should have the visa to fly. Then there are papers for the customs guys in Ukraine. Papers if they decide to question us in Germany and a magic sealed envelope to give to immigration in the US where, if I have done my job well, she will pass by that desk with a stamp in her passport declaring her to be a brand new US citizen! No pressure. 

Each of these has a list of documents needed.... To be stamped, Signed, sealed, and kissed by the queen.,. Oh wait... Anyway.

There is a time frame. We start this on Friday 2/14. We have tickets on Saturday 2/22. We have 8 days to get it done. 

So there's that.

2. Tonight I couldn't be with Elianna and I am obviously far, far away from Josiah and Lydia..... While it was quiet and peaceful, and I got to watch all the Olympics that we could download.... I missed all then "fun" that usually makes up my Monday evenings.  I fixed my own dinner, read some of my book, watched speed skating.... But there are three precious (feisty, opinionated, excitable, fun) children that I am now mom to.... And I wasn't with any of them tonight.... And that felt empty. 

I realize that it is only about 12 more days until we are all back together (hopefully, prayerfully) but tonight this mom didn't have her babies..... And I cried. 

Anyway, keep us in your prayers as Elianna and I, (and our fearless leader Tatyana, and trusted advisor Halyna) try to get this finished! Tomorrow Tatyana will get some needed documentation for us. I have also begun the process of figuring out the details of school once we are home. I will begin going through my checklist to be sure I have papers in order, Ukrainian cash when needed and American cash when needed at each individual appointment. We are almost done, the party supplies are making a mess in my bedroom, she will return her schoolbooks Thursday and say her goodbyes to her friends that night (which also promises to be an emotional night... More on that later). 

You guys have prayed us through this far..... Don't stop now. We are on the home stretch... But we are not yet home. 



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