Fundraiser/Adoption Update

We have raised over $600 for the Journey to Hope since the middle of September through Usborne Books & More thanks to all of our friends and family (and their friends and family) who have generously hosted shows and/or purchased books! THANK YOU!!! We have three more bookings this month and hope to raise even more! Please keep in mind, especially with the coming holidays, you can make a purchase from our online store at any time and support the Journey to Hope. Usborne Books make great Christmas gifts and so do Fair Trade coffees! Links for both of our online stores are on the panel to the left (scroll down).

A few weeks ago, we received word that our case was being reviewed by our region and that we needed to correct a couple of discrepancies they found on our paperwork. While it was frustrating to find out that there would be another delay while we updated our documents, this was a really good sign! They are (finally) reviewing our dossier, which most likely means that they are preparing us for a referral soon. We could travel any time between now and the end of December when the government offices in Russia shut down for several weeks for the Christmas/New Years holidays. Russians celebrate New Year's twice: on January 1 and again on January 14. Before 1918, Russia used a different system for keeping track of months and years. According to this old system, January 14 is New Year's Day. So, unlike the United States, the governement offices in Russia don't re-open until mid-January. If we don't travel by the end of December, we will travel early next year. As fast as time is passing, it doesn't really feel that far off. I'm praying we'll still get our referral and travel in 2010!

While working on the updates to our documents last month, I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow adoptive family who will be adopting a little girl from Russia through our agency. We had previously "met" on our agency's support forum (online) where we discovered that we are assigned to the same region! They were also asked to update their records in preparation for their 2nd trip to Russia and I ran into them at the Secretary of State's office (in Columbus) of all places. We had about a 5 minute window to run into each other and had never seen each other face to face, yet as soon as she saw me, she knew it was me. How crazy is that? If she hadn't tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Are you Emily?" I would have never known it was her. We spent about 15 minutes chatting in Columbus after our apostilles were completed and we finally had the privilege of meeting for lunch last week. I was grateful to learn so much detailed information about their first trip and what to expect when we are in Russia for the first time. We are praying that we will get to travel with them when it's time for us to meet Hope and when they go back for their court date to bring home their daughter. If you could pray for that, too, we would appreciate it very much!

Please also continue to pray for Hope's health and for patience and endurance for our family as we wait for our referral. I just know that it is imminent. We could get the call as soon as next week! But that is the rollercoaster of international adoption. It could be next week, next month, or next year. Meanwhile, we wait for Hope with hope and with great anticipation!!

Duma Vote Postponed

The State Duma decided to reschedule the vote for next Tuesday, November 23. So, it appears we have another week to wait for the results of the vote.

(Source: http://blog.russianadoptionhelp.com/2010/11/postponed-again.html)

Duma Voting on Bill 364094-5 on Wednesday

Please pray as the Russian State Duma is scheduled to vote this Wednesday on Bill 364094-5, which threatens to require a bilateral adoption treaty between a prospective adoptive parent's home country and Russia. The bill is still pending; however, it is looking considerably less likely that this bill will survive the vote.

Over the last week, additional commentary was posted to the State Duma's document database, including an opinion from the Russian Government (the collection of ministries headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin). The Government's written opinion concludes that the bill threatens to do harm to the rights of Russian children awaiting adoption by delaying qualified adoptive parents from other countries while the treaties are being negotiated. Their resulting recommendation to the State Duma is to vote against the bill.

Also, it appears that the State Duma's own Committee for Family, Women, and Children's Matters has also issued a recommendation to vote against the bill.

While these are merely recommendations, and the final decision is up to the State Duma, the reality is that the State Duma is not likely to vote against the will of the Prime Minister. Because of that, I suspect that this bill will go down in defeat next week, and the way will remain clear for adoptions from Russia to many other countries.

(Source: http://blog.russianadoptionhelp.com/2010/10/what-difference-week-makes.html)

Orphan Sunday

Why Love Orphans? from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.