Thank you all for your prayers and for continuing to pray. We are almost through with the paperwork required for this side of the world. There will be more once we get to Eastern Europe.
It looks like we may be traveling in December, which will fit well into Jode's school schedule. It's going to be very cold there, and I'm not a cold weather kinda gal. This will be interesting. It also means more luggage for more clothing. Living here in South Carolina, it never gets very cold. Sure we get snow occasionally but rarely. I don't know that we really have the proper attire for this trip but we can layer . . . lots of layers. I want to be warm enough to at least enjoy the snow a little.
We've been chatting with some families who have been to the regions from which we are adopting and getting some good ideas of what to anticipate. As we get closer, I'm sure we'll take notes on where to go and where not to go, where to eat and where not to eat. There's so much to think about, which is why I'm so glad I've gotten involved with so many wonderful people who have already been there and done that.
In the meantime, I've been grant writing. I've never tried this before, but after the first couple, they get easier. For those of you who don't know, there are agencies and ministries which feel it's important to help those of us who are doing our best to rescue those who could easily be referred to as "the least of these". Least as in the smallest and most helpless, but certainly not least as in unimportance.
These babies need families and God lays on each parent's heart the desire to adopt certain ones. It's amazing to watch. I will see a child and think "Oh, my goodness. How sad." knowing that I am not called to be that child's mother, and then someone else will choose that child to be their very own! Then I can see another child and know in my heart of hearts that child was created, even on the other side of the world, to be ours. Such miracles God can do in our hearts if only we let him. The amazing thing is, we are all called to pray for them and do according to James 1:27 and in doing so, we will fulfill Matthew 25:40.
Our next steps will be biometrics which is a fancy word for fingerprinting, and then we wait for USCIS (immigrations) approval for us to adopt. That approval form will be apostilled and sent to Eastern Europe to join up with the rest of our paper work. It will be the last piece we need to send. Then we wait for approval from the country, and wait for a date to travel. This kinda reminds me of the military - I did a lot of hurry up and wait then too. I think both experiences have/had their merits, but somehow I just know I'm going to enjoy the outcome of this experience so much more!
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