Breathe........

I JUST REVIEWED OUR HOMESTUDY ROUGH DRAFT!!!!!!!!!!!

Soon as adjustments are made I can fax it to our gal over there and if she says it is good then we get the FINAL COPY and FILE for IMMIGRATION!!!!

Hold on baby boy!!! Mama and Papa are coming!!!!!!!!!!

*this just in....our language map and Russian in 10 minutes a day arrived today*

LOVE IT!!

*God bless and keep praising HIM*

*Christie*

What a difference a day can make.

Well, it is true the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

Our social worker did indeed speak with our references today. Kelly told me that the social worker was very nice on the phone; I told her, yes, I know she is. She is truly someone I think I would enjoy being friends with.

I got an email also today, that said, "HS agency says all is good and they will be approving you ;)"

Thank you GOD! This is just what my weary soul needed today. I had a pretty good conversation with Tonya W last night. She told me, "We all need to hold our children with an open hand". She also said something to the affect--God loves AJ more than I do and He is more capable of caring for him than I am. She was IS so right. I finished our conversation, shut down my computer and went to AJ's room to pray, knelt on the floor at the edge of his bed and prayed. 

I admitted my frustration, my fears, my hopes, my wants but more so I told God that if Shawn and I were but a vessel to bring AJ his family should it not be ours then I would accept that. I would love God no less, I would love AJ no less. He would be mine in my heart forever as I am in God's heart forever. 

Well, today, God rewarded me with a bit of hope. I am so thankful. SO VERY THANKFUL. Knowing, finally, this homestudy will be in our favor after all the hell we went through with the agency from our town is such sweet reward. We are on the right path, we are following in obedience and it feels SOOOOOO good.

Thank you all for praying alongside us. A HUGE prayer has been answered today.

*Christie*

For lack of sounding like a crazy woman...

Please keep praying, I have been in contact all day with the adoption manager of the agency we are using.

One thing I know, God will do this in His time, when He is ready, and by His will alone. Still, I refuse to sit by and not try to convey the gravity of Alexander's situation.

I am praying for the rough draft of our home study, I am praying for a positive recommendation for this study as well. I am praying we are approved for one male child, aged 0-7 years, born with Down syndrome. The sooner we have this study COMPLETED, the sooner we can file our immigration papers AND then we can travel.

It is true our agency contracted with us and guarantee the study DONE in 60 days or by July 16th (but was told by the adoption manager that many times it is more like 30-45 days).

It is also true we requested expedition from the very beginning. It is true two of our references were somehow lost in the mix of paperwork that was given to our social worker.

It is true that on the 18th of May the social worker said she would contact those two references.

It is also true, that as of today, she has not contacted those references.

It is also true our social worker had an emergency update she completed this past week.

It is true I contacted the social worker 15 days after our visit to see if she had contacted the references and let her know the best times to reach each individual. It is also true that social worker told me, "for planning purposes, I have found it is best to have in your mind the full 60 days til finished draft. Then when I get it done earlier, it is a nice surprise. I really hate to give you an estimate of when I'll have the draft to you...every time I do that, I seem to get a delay and don't make the estimate. Please rest assured that I will get it to you as soon as I possibly can. I know that you want it done as quickly as I can do it."

It is also true, once we get this study our I600A is ready to be mailed (already in the envelope and waiting--just needs the cashiers cheque and homestudy) along with a letter requesting expedition due to medical concerns for the child born with Down syndrome, a congenital heart defect and, more than likely, severely malnurished.


So, that is where we are, treading water and all the while knowing *without a doubt* the conditions Alexander's surviving in right now are deplorable at best just eats at my soul.

You know since I began this journey, I have known NOTHING--so why is it that I am surprised the agency and social worker won't tell us anything either? I have no idea.
I have pushed, pleaded and begged. I can do no more other than pray.

The House Family

There is a family right now, oceans away. Yet, I am tied to them somehow.

Lindy is the mommy, Genesis the daughter, Guy is the daddy and the two boys they are rescuing are Gabe and Levi---Alexander may have been theirs, a different time, a different day. BUT he is gone. When they inquired about him they learned he was already transferred. They are at his old orphanage ransoming Gabe and Levi now.

Lindy has shared videos on her blog of Gabe and Levi and their story while in country right now. Click hereTHE HOUSE'S. Genesis noticed a little girl in Levi's group was wearing the tank top Alexander wore in his video with the ball (you can see it in the upper right hand corner of my blog side bar). There are remnants of him there but that is all.

I should be somewhat grateful he is not there, or else they may have adopted him as well. He was moved so we could ransom him--this provides me no comfort. None. Today is not a good day. While I am overjoyed with all the adoptions taking place right now it is hard. Most recently, one family how started their journey just 9 days before ours learned they will be traveling--just days from now. It hurts. Envy has no place in my heart, but the pain of knowing Alexander must still wait is rough.

Please keep praying for us. Please. We still need our homestudy finished--our home visit was exactly 3 weeks ago today and then we will file for our immigration.


thank you ~Christie~