Why Can’t They Let Me Rest?

Evan and I have been breezing through most of our paperwork. Yesterday we sent a huge package to our agency. We were feeling pretty good about everything. Tomorrow we have our medical exams, so that will be done. We contacted our home study agency to correct the notary on the “A” word. And, hopefully, our I-171H approval is being processed from Immigration. So, we can sit back and relax a little, right?
Of course not! That would be too easy. We’re trying to stretch and grow here. We’re trying to learn to handle adversity. Do you like how I put a positive spin on it? Evan just started his online Public Relations class yesterday, so maybe I gleaned a little from it myself.

Anyway, we have four more documents that need to be done! Never fear, Proactive Kristin is here. I actually did two of them in anticipation that they would need to be done. The third document we thought hadn’t expired yet, but apparently, they want it anyway. No problem with that one. Evan is on the case. It’s the fourth one that is going to take my sanity away! We need a letter from our mortgage company saying that we are the owners of our home, our mortgage balance, our payments, etc. That’s fine if we used one of our fine, local banks. But, we didn’t. We used a well-known mortgage company who kindly told us that we can submit our inquiry in writing and they’ll get to it when they can. That’s not really going to work for us.

So, I got this news about these documents at 6:30 this morning. It is now 7:53 AM. We already know that the most logical avenue isn’t going to work. So, here I sit – thinking. Time isn’t on our side. I did read a great verse this morning that brought me some comfort.

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

I know that comforts me because right now, I’m not thinking too well. I can’t see too many options that will work. I am just going to trust that this will work out. We did not need this document last October. I think they may be getting it just in case Olga asks for it. Thankfully, God is in control, not anyone else.

One other small issue that may not be an issue at all . . . my unemployment may or may not count in our total income. If it doesn’t, we may have more problems from the prosecutor. Something Luba wrote to Leslie made me wonder if it wouldn’t be counted. But, we’ll see as the day goes on.

So, basically, please pray for us. I am already rundown because my mind has trouble shutting down. Evan and I have busy weeks and don’t need any added headaches right now. Everything always seems to work out in the end though. It’s just getting there that makes you crazy.

Kristin

The “A” Word

My sister hates it whenever I mention the word “addendum”. I kind of loathe the word myself at this point. The good news is that it is at Cleveland’s CIS office. I even took a black marker and wrote “Urgent” on the outside of the envelope. I’m just praying that their office can do a quick turn-around for us. I know I was shocked by how quickly we received our new I-171H approval after we were re-fingerprinted earlier this year.

Several of our documents have been notarized and Evan will take them to get apostilled on Tuesday. Except for a few small details, everything is working out really well. I was making a to-do list for the next two weeks and everything is so manageable. I’m actually at the point now where I’m starting to get less nervous and more excited.

I know that Evan and I are both a little nervous about court though. Everything is taken care of and should be just fine. But, no one knows what it felt like to be us last Fall. You may sympathize with us, but no one truly knows. We are going back feeling more positive, but we’re also ready for anything the prosecutor may come up with. We have all of our answers ready. My only concern is my lack of employment. Hopefully, it will not be an issue. It seems like families are having an easier time in court the last few months, so hopefully ours will be quick and painless, like it should have been months ago.

There is not much we can do this weekend, but relax. Tuesday we will start back up again. I have a feeling the next two weeks are going to fly by. We have a lot of get-togethers coming up, so it will be nice to spend time with family and friends before we leave for awhile.

I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but our return date is tentatively July 4th. That is a wonderful day to become a U.S. citizen, but we really prefer to be home well before that date. We know that our agency usually gives us the worst case scenario when giving out travel dates. And, if the judge is really feeling compassionate toward us, he can waive the 10 days. I would make it home by my birthday (June 25th for those that want to get a jump on shopping)! Either way is fine as long as Nicholas is in our arms.

Kristin

The Race Begins

Even with three weeks’ notice there is a lot of running around to do. Apparently, our anniversary is a great time to travel. I was lucky I ordered our plane tickets when I did or we would have been in trouble. Even the day before was booked pretty solid. But, have no fear though because passengers aboard our flight to Atlanta will have Evan and me handling one of the emergency exits. That was all they had left. It does look like our flight to Moscow isn’t filled – yet!

Next, I ordered our visas online and then shipped our passports out. Every time we have to do that it makes me so nervous because one slip-up and our passports can go missing. At least, we have enough time to get our visas. In fact, I expect them by the end of next week.

Here is what's left:

-Sign, Notarize, Apostille Documents (Just need to arrange a time with our notary)
-Medicals (Again!)
-Have the home study addendum, so I can get it to Cleveland’s CIS office (It didn’t come today, so that means tomorrow)
-Get brand new bills from the bank
-Call credit card company to notify them that we will be out of the country
-Buy the last of the toiletries we need
-Pray and pray some more
-Relax!

I was telling my dad today that the worst part of the process is really getting to Tomsk. Too many layovers!! By the time we get to Tomsk we’re beat and running purely on adrenaline. Unfortunately, because of the large amount of time since our last trip, we have to do in-country medicals again. Yuck! I don’t even want to go into detail about what we have to do. Most of it is easy, but I’m a very modest person and part of that process makes me extremely uncomfortable. I’m so thrilled (NOT!) that I get to do it again.

I am guessing that once we get to Tomsk on the 9th we will start our medicals in the morning and get to see Nicholas in the afternoon. That part of it makes it worth the headaches. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to us. I do have some ideas to jog his memory if he has no recollection of us whatsoever. We’ll see.

I don’t have too much else to say. I definitely think I will sleep well after today though. At least, two of the big tasks are out of the way. I will ask that everyone pray extra hard for this home study addendum though. It is important that we get it by tomorrow and that it is correct. I’ve seen prayer work throughout this adoption, so I’m going to start doing that right now.

Kristin

A Fictitious Conversation (and an Announcement)

Kristin: Evan, I feel like we should go somewhere for our anniversary. We haven’t had the chance to do something special because you’ve always had school to worry about.

Evan: Where do you want to go?

Kristin: I don’t know. Maybe some place not too hot. We have our passports, so we’re not too limited.

Evan: We can go wherever you want.

Kristin: I’m thinking Russia. What about you?

Yes, it is true. Kristin and Evan actually have a court date! Can you believe it? I can’t do my back flips right now because I am actually shaking. It just seemed like it would never come, so I’m in a little bit of disbelief. They are actually making us go through a pre-court hearing again before our actual court date. Hopefully, everything will move quickly.

So, we are leaving on June 7th, which just happens to be our 7th wedding anniversary. What better way to spend the occasion with the one you love than in an airplane all day and night! Actually, this will probably be one of the most memorable anniversaries. Being reunited with Nicholas is the best gift either of us could ever have.

I can’t stop thanking God for going ahead of us in this process. He carried us through the entire 7-8 months. I know that I would have fallen apart without Him. We don’t understand why it happened, but we’ve learned so much about God and ourselves along the way.

We don’t have a lot of details right now, but that’s okay. We have almost three weeks notice, which is the longest we have ever had. We should be able to get everything done by the end of the week and then just finish our packing. Do pray for our home study addendum though. Our home study agency just sent it out today and we need to get it into our hands and to Cleveland’s CIS office pronto!

I would type more, but with my adrenaline going the way it is it will start to look like xkkdjkuiuxiuawkj. So, more later!

Kristin

Just Around the Corner

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8

Like I said in my last blog, Fridays are usually a bummer of a day. No news, more waiting, and more frustration. However, last Friday has started a new trend. First, we received our long-awaited pictures. And, then today – we received news! The final documentation was received for our case. Next step – Court Date!!!! I believe they are submitting the documentation to get our court date early next week. From past experience, things move rather quickly now.

In a strange way, I’m not completely ready. We’ve had seven months to get ready, but everything is not completed. There is still more to do. I think part of the problem is that it feels really surreal. We’ve been waiting so long that I almost feel like this afternoon’s phone call was a dream. I'm afraid to let myself believe it.

So, in order to prepare for our upcoming court date, I will be printing off all remaining documents this weekend. Our home study addendum is, of course, M.I.A. It was supposedly going out in the mail on Wednesday, but nothing as of yet. Hopefully, it will come tomorrow. We have to get our free extension with the CIS and I would like to have our new approval in our hands before we leave for Russia.

In non-adoption related news, we have another area of our life that will soon be changing. Evan and I both love our church, Grace Church, but we will soon be leaving. Our church is helping to plant a daughter church right in our town. So, come September, we will be attending Hope Church. We are sad to be leaving Grace after being there many years, but are excited to be a part of this new church. Last night was “Hope Church Praise Night”. We had a wonderful night of praise and worship, as well as meeting other families that also plan on attending Hope. We are looking forward to building new friendships, as well as having an impact on our community. Also, last night they had the children in attendance come up front and sing and do the motions to a song. All I could picture was our little Nicholas up there in a few years, singing in front of the church with the kids. Soon enough.

Well, keep praying for our situation. Once we get our court date, I’m sure my mind will be on Olga. Hopefully, seven months of praying for her as tamed this prosecutor a bit. I will keep you updated. Once we have the court date, you’ll know. I’ll be the person doing back flips down the street on the evening news.

Kristin

Happy Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is definitely a day of mixed emotions for me. I feel like I’m straddling the fence because technically, we are not Nicholas’ legal parents, yet in my heart, he is my son. Last year I had just met Nicholas a couple weeks earlier, so this is actually my second Mother’s Day having him in my life. Yet, this year feels so much different than the last. We spent an additional three weeks with him; he’s in our prayers every day. While he is not here with us, thoughts of him are.

For the last two months I have been praying for pictures of him. I just wanted to see his little face again. And, every week we were promised that they would try and get them, but they never came. I was truly disappointed. This past week I continued to ask God to prompt Sergey to get these pictures. I wanted them as a Mother’s Day gift, not only for myself, but the other mothers in our life. God answered that prayer with a “YES”! I actually received them Friday morning and immediately shook my head when I saw them. The pictures are taken outside and poor Nicholas is in a little pink hat. It just confirmed that the boy’s hats and shoes in our luggage that we plan to donate are definitely a good idea.

The pictures were just what we needed. It seems like we tend to get more discouraged at the end of the week. I guess the beginning of the week starts a week full of hope that we’ll hear something. By the end, we’re frustrated when we don’t. So, these pictures definitely came at just the right time. I wish I could show you them, but unfortunately, that’s against the rules. But, I will tell you that Nicholas has very chubby cheeks and looks very healthy.

And, since this blog is about Mother’s Day, I couldn’t end this blog without saying something about my own mother. I am lucky enough to have a great relationship with my mom. We both share a love of reading and are often swapping books back and forth. I feel like I can call her and talk about anything. When I was around 9 or 10 years old, she accepted Christ into her life. Since then, she has always been an example of a godly woman to me. I remember when I lived at home, seeing her get up early to spend quiet time with the Lord. She encouraged us to learn God’s word and also became an example to me of a praying woman. She knows her children’s hearts and desires to see God work in and through us (example – taking me down to the altar when she knows I want to go).

My mom also loves Nicholas with her whole heart, even though she has only seen him through pictures. She and my dad were so happy for us when we announced we were adopting. She has been our prayer warrior when it comes to the trials of bringing Nicholas home. And, the reason I know I am going to be a great mom is because I learned everything I know from my mother.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! I love you.

Kristin

To the Altar (From My Point of View)

My favorite kind of blog to read is when the author is real, not a big phony. I’m sure most people have trouble pouring their hearts. Now people will know they aren’t perfect; there are dents in their armor. I admit that there have been times where I have been guarded. Other times I have laid my heart out there, only to wonder what others would think. But, I know a lot of that has to do with pride, which leads me to today’s blog.

On a regular basis, our church will tell people they can come down to the altar and pray. You can pray by yourself or have others pray for you. It is a way to humble yourself before the Lord. I can’t tell you how many times that I have wanted to walk up front, but my pride got in the way. What will people think? Will they think there is something wrong with me? This past Sunday was no exception, but God wasn’t going to let me stand by and watch. See, He wanted me down there and since I won’t listen to His leading on my own, He decided I should have a little help.

This Sunday my parents were in attendance. They usually attend their church each Sunday, but attended the Holy Spirit conference at my church the day before. They wanted to hear more from this speaker, so they came to MY service. As the speaker finished speaking, he told us he would open the altar for anyone who wanted to pray or be prayed over. I looked over at Evan and whispered, “Don’t be surprised if my mother comes over here and takes me down.” I said it jokingly, but I knew the truth.

See, for the last 22 years of my life, anxiety and fear has been a real struggle for me. It has been something that I wanted spiritual freedom from for years, but as I said, I don’t listen to God’s promptings to go to the altar. I think God was giving me a “heads-up” that today was THE DAY. As we sang the songs, I slowly looked over my shoulder, waiting for her to appear. I figured I could go myself and be a “big girl”, but nope, pride got in my way.

As we sang the last song, I began to relax. I figured I was wrong about her coming. Then, in my peripheral vision, here she came! And, down to the altar we went. We both had tears in our eyes as we prayed. I was thankful that she had helped me take this step. However, it wasn’t over! My mom felt that I should be prayed over. With the anxiety and the trials with our adoption, she knew we needed someone that knew me to pray over me. She looked around and said, “We need Elfriede to pray for us”. My answer was, “No!” See, Elfriede teaches our Bible Study on Wednesdays. In my pride (once again) I didn’t want her to know of my deeper struggles.

So, we found Elfriede and her husband, Pastor Schaeffer in the front row. I think Mrs. Schaeffer briefly had the “deer in the headlights” look in her eyes when she saw two crying, mascara-stained women coming her way. But, they lovingly prayed for me; Prayed for my fear and anxiety. They prayed that I would have joy, not fear. The service was over, but it felt as if there was no one else there, but the four of us and God. I did feel a great peace and wondered, “Why couldn’t I have done all the other times God prompted me?” Their prayers were so meaningful and special to me.

See, you can’t go through life alone. Even though God has been molding and shaping me through this adoption, my anxiety is one area that still has remained a struggle. I guess I learned a couple of lessons from today. First, if God prompts you, listen. If not, your mother (or some other loved one) may come and find you and “drag” you down to the altar. Second, you do not have to appear like you have it all together. You are not perfect. No one is perfect. We all struggle with looking at everyone else and thinking that they have it all together. We’re all hurting in some way or another. We all have struggles and pain.

I feel like God has done such amazing things in my life, and it all started with answering the call to adopt. One act of obedience has started a chain reaction and I don’t think I want the refinement to stop.

Kristin

P.S. – My mom has offered her services if anyone isn’t ready to go down to the altar alone. :)