Merry Christmas 2011

(click on picture to view larger image)
Merry Christmas! It is surreal to write this Christmas letter while listening to my children squealing with delight as they play together in the background. After almost 2 1/2 years, Galina "Hope" is finally home and we are enjoying our first Christmas together as a family! We have been home 6 1/2 weeks and everyone is doing great!

Galina has adjusted incredibly well! As I've talked with other families who have adopted from Russia and the professionals at Children's Hospital, I am realizing that she is an exceptional child considering her start to life. She has been learning English at an incredible rate and already understands almost everything we say. I am astonished each time she speaks and I hear new words come out of her mouth! I have learned a lot of Russian to help with the transition and we are communicating very well, mostly because of her ability and desire to learn. Benjamin has learned a bunch of Russian, too, which has helped so much ... both kids are just amazing! Chad, on the other hand, has had a little harder time with the Russian language, lol, but he has been doing great, too. Galina understands him nonetheless and adores her Daddy and his silly antics! :) Many people have asked if we are calling her "Galina" or "Hope." Since she was 2 1/2 when we met and almost 3 when we brought her home, we felt it was important to keep her name, so we are calling her Galina for the most part. "Hope" may be incorporated as a nickname later, but if you see her, please call her Galina. She will have no idea what you are talking about if you call her Hope! :)

Benjamin has been enjoying having a sister very much. Just ask him and he will tell you, it's nice to have a sister! It is obvious just by watching them together that he truly loves and enjoys her. He had a little difficulty adjusting at first, which is to be expected, but we did our best to provide a "best case scenario" for him. Thanks to wonderful social workers and our agency, his mom and dad were equipped to help and one of the most important things he got to do was to travel with us to Russia for 3 weeks and to meet his new sister there. He was able to visit her on her turf twice a day for 2 weeks, going "home" (back to the hotel) alone with us each day while we were in our 10 day waiting period, which helped with his transtion a lot. Then we had another week together in "neutral" territory (our hotel in Moscow) before going back to his real home (in the U.S.) and having to share a home, parents, cats, toys and, well, everything in life, with this new little person. He is such an amazing boy and we could not have asked for a better transition for BOTH of our children. They are doing remarkably well and it just gets better and better every day!

As for us, well we are just delighted to have another little person to love and share life with. Galina is a delight to be around. She is funny, smart, talented, affectionate, obedient, kind, gentle and just a sweet, sweet girl (and she can hold her own with a big brother who likes to sword fight, lol). We could not be happier with her or with Benjamin. They are both wonderful children and we are so happy and proud to be their parents. We are so thankful to have them both!

Christmas is a time of year to be thankful and reflect on the goodness of God and the gift of LIFE he gave us in his Son, Jesus Christ. This year we are celebrating the arrival of "Hope!" There are many people, however, who are hurting because of the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship, health problems, financial problems and many, many other difficulties. It's easy to focus so much on our own joy and happiness that we forget those who are hurting around us this time of year. Our hearts are especially close to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one as five years ago we faced the most difficult Christmas ever: the loss of our precious daughter, Abigail. If you know someone who is missing a loved one this Christmas, please call, send a card or visit and remember to mention their loved one's name and genuinely ask how they are doing. You are not reminding them of their loss. Trust me, they remember. Instead, you are touching a place in their heart that needs to be touched at Christmas and all year round. Please reach out to those who are hurting around you and let them know their loved one is not forgotten:

How To Console A Grieving Friend During The Holidays

We pray for blessings and give thanks for each of you this Christmas, especially those who helped make the dream to bring Galina "Hope" home a reality. It is said that it takes a village to raise a child, but for us, it takes a village to HAVE one! We are forever grateful for everyone who has walked with us on this long journey to Hope and pray that you have the Merriest of Christmases and a New Year that is full of God's richest blessings for your life!

Much Love,
Chad, Emily, Benjamin & Galina "Hope"
And remembering ^Abby^ always ...

God's Grace Adoption Ministry Matching Grant

Dear Friends & Family,

We are excited to inform you that God's Grace Adoption Ministry has approved us for a $2,500 dollar-for-dollar matching grant. That means GGAM will match any contribution made on our behalf up to $2,500 total dollars (which means we could receive up to $5,000 towards our adoption). As our community of friends, family and others interested in helping respond, the funds are matched and earmarked for our family. Although our adoption has been finalized and Galina "Hope" is now home, we are still paying thousands of dollars for expenses incurred on our second trip to Russia and adoption fees.

Because it is funded through GGAM, your contribution is tax-deductible and makes a perfect choice for year-end giving. Even if you are unable to give personally (many of you have already given so much), please forward the letter from GGAM (above) to anyone you know who may be interested in supporting us and/or international adoption. Every little bit helps!

For more information, please visit www.ggam.org.

Blessings,
Chad & Emily

Galina "Hope" Renee Werner, finally at home with Kaya the "coshka" :)

One Month

We have been home for just about a month now and Galina "Hope" is doing great. She has had all of her testing at Children's Hospital and we are awaiting results. In the meantime, she has learned many words that she can say in English and many more that she understands. Her comprehension is amazing! We have also continued to learn many words in Russian as a family to help us communicate with her better and, as a result, everyone is adjusting quite well. Benjamin knows more Russian than Chad at this point and it is quickly becoming his second language. We are so proud of him ... he has been such a great big brother!

On the advice of the international adoption specialist at Children's Hospital, we have been keeping Galina's world "small" to help her to anticipate and understand her new world better. Keeping visitors at a minimum, making sure the calendar is not full of activity and providing as much consistency in our schedule as possible will help her to develop trust and create an environment where she feels secure as she learns what to expect from daily life and attach to her new family.

After spending a few weeks alone with "just" us, she has met all of her grandparents and has begun meeting aunts, uncles and cousins in small groups in preparation for our family gatherings over the holidays (we wanted her to see each person at least once before seeing them all together at Christmas). Our doctor felt it would be best to focus on family relationships first and wait awhile longer to introduce friends outside of family. This will give her a chance to bond with them first, which is something that normally happens over time for children who are born into families. Here is a great article about helping an "older child" adjust (any child over two years old at adoption is considered "older"). It may help explain some of the things we are doing to help Galina in these first few weeks and months.

10 Tips After Your Older Child Is Home

We would like to thank everyone for understanding the boundaries we've established for Galina as I know there are many of you (and your children) who are super excited to meet her and disappointed to have to wait some more! We are super excited for you to meet her, too, and it is just as hard for us to say no when all we want to do is share her with everyone who has prayed for us and waited along side us for her to finally come home! It will be worth the wait to give her the best possible start to her life with her new family.

"I Met My Granddaughter Today"

Written by Galina's Nana Sherry ...

There she was getting out of the van with her Mother, Father, and her brother Ben. They were a Family! She was real! Here was the granddaughter we prayed for and wanted for  so long...she was standing right in front of us. I saw the joy come over my husband's face as if to say...This is the day that the Lord has made! We had prayed for this day to come and now here she was sitting with her Mother, across the table from us in a restaurant in Cincinnati Ohio; across the ocean from her birthplace in Russia. Praise be to God!! The wait was over, the promise fulfilled!!  Emily and Chad's long awaited little girl was here, in the safety of their care and loving arms. Their precious Ben's little sister!!!

I never knew one fair haired  little girl could touch my heart like my own daughter had at the same age, until I met Gallia Hope. They are so much alike, in so many ways. The shy little smile and frown all in one. The sweet little golden ponytails bouncing as she moves. Gentle, obedient, and very particular to keep her things neat and close to her. Unusual for such a little girl, wanting to do things all by herself! Traits I've seen in another...at that age. So dear!! Watching her clutch her mother's hand and wanting only her...ah, I remember !!

I prayed for my daughter to have these moments with her own little girl... fixing her hair, playing dress ups and dolls...revisiting all things girl...ruffles, sparkles, and lace...all things peaches and cream! All I could think of was how God's promises are true...and beyond our imagination...and how wonderful she is...my Emily's little girl...Galina Hope!

Loving Thoughts From...Nana Sherry

"We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life.
But those who make their journey home across time & miles,
growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them,
are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us
by God's very own hands".
--- Kristi Larson

A Mama for Galina: Celebrating Adoptions

This was posted today on our friend, Eileen's blog ...

A little blond left her place in line, skipped over to me and announced, I have a mama. With that, she rejoined the other children.

I had just arrived at the orphanage, home to 100-some abandoned little ones and was chatting with a caretaker of the oldest group. The children were lined up, waiting to go outside when the little cutie, probably not even 3, broke out of line to tell me her happy news. This was Galina, I soon learned, the little girl who was being adopted by a lovely family from southwestern Ohio.

It's every orphan's wish, you know, to have her own mama. And now Galina was going to have a mother and lots more ~ a daddy and an older brother too. Galina's adoptive mother, Emily, had tracked me down weeks earlier, connecting before she and her husband would come to meet Galina. As per Russian adoption procedures, foreign adoptive parents make two visits. On the first visit, they meet the child; on the second, they complete legal and medical requirements and then take the child home. So then in early September when Emily and husband Chad made their first visit to Russia, we were able to connect in person.

Come mid-October, I was in the US and en route from Akron to Nashville, would be passing near the area where Chad and Emily live, so they invited me over for lunch. The family would be leaving days later for their second trip to Russia. And big brother Benjamin, above, would be traveling with them!

Lucky me, by the time I returned to Russia in early November, Chad and Emily were still in town, wrapping up their three weeks in country. Here we are near their hotel heading out for pizza. In the photo, from left is Linda, Galina's bubbly new grandmother, my Russian friend, Roma, Galina with her parents, Emily and Chad, and her older brother Benjamin, plus Yours Truly.

How fun to celebrate together that Galina was part of this family. Benjamin had waited five years for a sister! Chad and Emily told me about Abigail, a beautiful little girl they lost at birth in 2006. So now every one is happy. And so grateful. And, at long last, Galina has a mama of her very own.

Adoptive parents are heroic! Over the years, dozens have come through town and they're so impressive with their resourcefulness and high energy. They also can use financial help. Last I checked, parents who adopt from Russia spend something like $35,000+ to get their child. And then they've got to feed and cloth the little character. If you long to be a part of an adoption, why not consider adopting an adoptive family? Just ask them how you could be of help ~ and consider writing out a check.

Pure and undefiled religion is this:

To look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

(James 1:27)

Welcome Home "Hope"

Thank you to everyone who made this day possible! We are so blessed!

Love,
Chad & Emily

Coming Home at Last!

We went to the U.S. Embassy this morning and "Hope" had her Visa approved, so we are all clear to make the long journey home. We leave tomorrow! Can't believe this time in Russia is coming to an end. So many wonderful moments, people and memories! Can't wait to share them all. Next post will be written in the good 'ole U.S. of A. Pics to follow! :)

Hello Moscow, long time no see!

We made it back to Moscow and now we are sitting in our hotel resting as our new little girl takes her nap. It has been a long day and Nana Linda's day has just barely started as she makes the long journey over the Atlantic Ocean ahead of us!

As for us, we still have work to do! Tomorrow, "Hope" has a doctor's appointment early in the morning and a rep from our agency is coming to help us complete the paperwork for her Visa application and prepare us for our interview with the U.S. Embassy. Once her Visa is issued, we can finally come home!

It has been a long, wonderful (almost) 3 weeks here in Russia! I can't wait to share all of the amazing ways God blessed us on this trip. For now, we are happy to have landed in this comfortable place where we can rest and feel a little more at home. I promise to post pictures soon!

Until then, Dosvadanya!

It's Official!

So very sorry for the lack of updates on our blog since we traveled back to Russia to bring Hope home. We have literally been kept so busy that the only thing we do in our "free" time is eat, sleep, return messages and work on documents. We are so thankful for Nana Linda who traveled with us and has been acting Nanny to Benjamin on this trip. We could not have done this without her!

Now, to our news! As of today, it is official: we are legally "Hope's" parents!! The paperwork was finalized earlier today and Thursday will be our "gotcha" day when she finally gets to leave the orphanage with us. Everything is dated 11/1/11 ♥ New beginnings ... praise the Lord!!!

There is still much for us to accomplish before and after we pick her up. We have to finish documents for our appointment at the U.S. Embassy, pick up her passport, complete her exit paperwork from the orphanage, etc. We will do our best to post a more detailed update here before we travel home if we can. We just wanted to take a quick moment to share the wonderful news with all of you that "Hope" is ours at last!! :)

Hope In Sight

I woke up this morning feeling more refreshed and encouraged than I have in a long time. All night I dreamed about all the things God has done to make the dream to adopt Hope a reality and I heard the song, "There is Hope in Sight" (by Out of the Grey) playing in my mind all night long. Here are the lyrics:

Peace comes and goes
Oh but lately, Your peace flows
And when I focus on You
Your love comes into view
There is nothing between us as far as I can see

There's hope in sight, hope in sight
If seeing is believing, then call me a believer
Hope in sight, there's hope in sight
Now that I can see you through the eyes of faith

Peace, when it goes
Oh it leaves me with just one hope
No matter how near or how far
Your light is the brightest star
There is hope at both ends of the telescope tonight

There's hope in sight, hope in sight
If seeing is believing, then call me a believer
Hope in sight, there's hope in sight
Now that I can see you through the eyes, the eyes of faith

I will look up
I will lift up my head and go on
I will call on the One who has carried me through
Will carry me until the end, there's hope

There's hope in sight, hope in sight
If seeing is believing, then call me a believer
Hope in sight, there's hope in sight
Now that I can see you through the eyes, the eyes of faith

This morning, after dreaming about Hope all night, I woke up to, "Great is Thy Faithfulness." God is so good and so faithful, through the peaks and through the valleys, He has never left our side. And I, for one, am thankful.

Visit From A Friend

Today we had visit from a friend: the missionary we met while we were in Russia! We had heard of this wonderful lady who helps adopting families prior to going on our first trip in August, so we looked her up and found her. We Skyped with her a couple of times, then met her at her home in Russia when we traveled. She invited us to attend a class she teaches at her apartment about Bible history and archaology. It is an English speaking class and her way of sharing Jesus with the community. We met several local families that night and enjoyed the wonderful time we got to spend with a fellow believer and American while in a foreign land. A week after we left, she was sending us pictures of our beautiful little girl who ran up to her at the orphanage and said (in Russian), "I have mama!" She occasionally visits the children and volunteers there. It was such a blessing to see new pictures and know that this special lady was visiting her in our absence. We found out a few weeks ago that she would be coming to the U.S. for a visit, but didn't expect to see her here, but she sent us a message this week saying she would be passing through and asking if she could come by! Of course, we said YES! She brought photos and souvenirs from the region and shared wonderful stories about life there. It was so neat to spend time with her so soon before we travel again. She put in a word with one of the students from her class that we met on our first trip so we could attend some activities with the group again while we are there. Apparently he is studying to be a translator/tour guide. What a wonderful connection for us on our long trip -- with his help, we will really get to see the region this time! I sure hope she had as great of a time visiting us and seeing where Hope will live as we did having her in our home and sharing about all the great places to see when we are there. Thanks for visiting us, Eileen, and for being a very special part of our Journey to Hope! :)

God's Perfect Timing!

Today was an important day. I went to the bank to make a deposit and transfer our final payment to our adoption agency. I was hoping the manager who helped me with the previous payment (just before our first trip) would be working. Instead, I learned that she had been transferred to another branch 15 minutes away. I could have had the new manager help me, but I really felt like I was supposed to have the other one do it, and so I drove the 15 minutes just to find her. When I walked in, she threw her hands up and said "Emily! I just mailed you a packet today! I'm so glad you're here!" She had been trying to reach me concerning some documents that needed signed for our "Journey to Hope" account. Had she not reached me, she would have had to put a freeze on our money -- praise God that I listened and went to that branch! She was also able to help me with several other things that we needed to do to prepare to travel again and gave me a big hug with tears in her eyes when I left. It was such a neat thing to see how Hope's story is touching people. She asked me to come back when she's home, which I will do eventually, that is, after we visit the County Clerk, the Auditor's office, the ladies at Kroger's deli, etc., lol. So many people want to meet this special, long awaited beautiful little girl who will soon be ours!! :)

We Are Bringing Her Home!

Almost three years ago, we made a decision to adopt a little girl from Russia. Next month, we will finally bring that little girl home! We received the call yesterday with our court date and have been making arrangements all day! While we are not able to share all the details at this time, we can say that she will be home before Thanksgiving! Thanks to everyone who has supported us, prayed for us, believed in us, encouraged us and loved us through this process and through the years of infertility and loss before we started our Journey to Hope! There is finally a light at the end of the tunnel!

To those of you who helped with the garage sale fundraiser we did last weekend, we raised almost $2,000, which will pay for two of our airline tickets. Praise God! We are praying that some of the grants we have applied for will come through as well. Please continue to pray for provision and protection as we go through the final steps to complete the adoption process and bring Hope home from Russia. We'll post updates as soon as we can!

HOPE IS COMING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Journey to Hope Fall 2011 Garage Sale/Fundraiser

After 2 1/2 years, the Journey to Hope is almost over! We finally traveled to Russia in August where we met and officially "accepted" our little girl. We are now waiting for our court date and expect to go back again sometime before the end of the year to bring her home, which means our greatest adoption expenses are yet to come!

With this in mind, October 7th-9th is Milford's Annual Fall City-Wide Yard Sale weekend and we are having another garage sale/fundraiser! This will be our fourth and final garage sale since we began the international adoption process in the spring of 2009. We have started collecting donated items and already have a garage and basement full of things to sell, but we still need your help!

HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Spread the word to your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers and/or bring a friend and come buy some stuff yourself! Or, if you have items you wish to donate, please contact us. We are trying to gather as much "stuff" to sell as possible and make this our biggest and best garage sale/fundraiser yet! As always, all proceeds will go to the Journey to Hope adoption fund, to be used specifically towards our "second trip" travel/adoption expenses.

Here are some of the items we have collected so far and will be selling at the garage sale:

Brand new (never used) Jenny Lind crib & matching changing table
Additional gently used Jenny Lind cribs
Like new girl's Graco pack-n-play w/accessories
Gently used diaper champ diaper disposal system
Gently used Graco stroller
Baby Trend adjustable high chair
Infant/toddler booster seat
Infant bath seats
Infant/toddler safety supplies
Gently used Baby Trend infant backpack (for hiking)
Gently used pull behind Schwinn bike trailer (seats two children)
Kid sized comfy chair
Used outdoor playset with slide
Used outdoor playhouse
Step 2 Basketball hoop
Gently used crib bedding sets (girls and boys)
Diaper bags & accessories
Baby bottles, sippy cups, utensils, etc.
Baby, toddler and children's clothes (including preteens)
Baby, toddler and children's toys, books & games
Twin size futon w/mattress (black)
Matching foot rests/storage boxes (black)
Blue, green & red plaid loveseat
Twin & full bedding sets
Decorative pillows
Household & kitchen items
Aquarium & accessories
Computer scanner, printer accessories & supplies
Linksys router (wired)
Decorative photo frames & jewelry boxes
Decorative chandelier
10 piece reversable grill set
Propane Heater
Extension Ladder
CD's/Videos
Luggage
Antiques
Baskets
Crafts
Tools
And more!!!!!

If you are unable to attend the garage sale/fundraiser, but would still like a way to help, please visit one of our online stores and make a purchase or click the PayPal link below to donate online:

Just Love Coffee Roasters

Usborne Books & More

PayPal

Thank you to everyone that has invested in our Journey to Hope and helped us get this far on our adoption journey. We are almost there! Please help us finish strong and finally bring Hope home from Russia this year!

Garage Sale/Fundraiser for Hope

We are planning on doing one last garage sale/fundraiser for Hope in late September or early October (actual date TBA). A lot of people use Labor Day weekend as a final chance to get organized for the winter and get rid of stuff in anticipation of all the stuff that gets accumulated at Christmas. As you clean out your garage, basement and/or storage this weekend, would you consider donating your old stuff to our fall garage sale/fundraiser for Hope instead of taking it to Goodwill this year? It will be our last one before she is finally home!

More details to follow. Thanks for helping us bring Hope home from Russia. If all goes well, she will be home by Christmas!! :)

We're Back!

We are back!! We got home late Sunday afternoon, ate dinner and pretty much went to bed when Benjamin did. We were still pretty jetlagged yesterday and today and have been trying to go to bed early to help us catch up. We were not nearly this jetlagged traveling to Russia, but for some reason, it has been much worse returning to our own time zone! Our trip to Russia was pretty much amazing all the way around. God sent us all kinds of wonderful signs to show us His hand on Hope's life and this process. We will share some of those special details later ...

As for Hope, she is an adorable 2 1/2 year old with a big beautiful smile that will absolutely melt your heart! She is very affectionate, sweet, funny, smart, independent, focused and determined. And she likes everything to be neat, organized and in it's place! She will fit well into our family, lol! She is so precious and reminds us so much of her big brother, Benjamin. We wish we could share her photo with you, but we have been instructed not to post photos or any specific details about her identity on the internet until after the adoption is complete (and some details, like her medical and family history, can never be shared). That means we cannot share her photo by email either. If we see you in person, we will be happy to show you a picture. She is absolutely beautiful and precious!

She only has a few words, but she does speak Russian. She understands most of what is said to her, so we will need to know some words. We learned quite a few words and phrases while we were there and we were able to communicate with her quite well. I am amazed how God helped us and gave us what we needed when we needed it. But we really don't need to be fluent. As long as we know a little bit of Russian, we can help her learn her new language. Getting to know her as we did last week, she will have no trouble learning! She is a very smart little girl!

When we go back depends on the paperwork and the Russian courts. I personally feel that I should be awarded a masters degree for all the work that goes into this process! Regardless, I will be off the radar for a few weeks while I work hard at completing all of the remaining requirements. Please pray for strength, steadfastness, and expediency in the coming weeks as we do all the work that needs to be done to bring her home. And especially pray for Hope, who will be missing us very much while she is waiting. They will do a good job of explaining to her why we are not there, but it was really hard to leave her behind knowing she would not fully understand why we were gone. She is in a good place where they have and will continue to take good care of her. Still, leaving her there was very hard to do.

A few sweet stories we wanted to share before we go ...

When she walked into the orphanage director's room and we saw her face for the first time, she ran to Chad and threw her arms around him. We were told this is very rare as children in orphanages rarely see men. We felt it was a beautiful sign that she would be her daddy's girl. She gave him many, many hugs in the days that followed, but this one was a super special start to their relationship!

At the end of our first visit, her friends came out to the playground and she ran to them saying (in Russian) over and over again, "Mama and Papa came to me!" It was the last thing she said that day and it melted our hearts!

Before we left for Russia, we made a photo book of pictures of the three of us to give her. When we showed her Benjamin's picture (below) and told her that she has a big brother, she kissed it. The rest of the week, she would say "bye-shy-ah brot" (which means big brother) over and over. She loves him already and was so proud to show is picture (and ours) to her little friends and caregivers!


We will be happy to share more stories about Hope when we see you in person. Until then, thank you so much for all of your prayers and support throughout this long process. It has been felt and appreciated so much!!!

To Russia With Love!

Passports, check. Visas, check. Gift for Hope, check. Everything is just about packed and ready to go. Our passports and visas finally made it here yesterday. Our wonderful neighbor and friend literally chased the Fedex truck down the street for us so she could sign for it (we were at the sheriff's office getting fingerprinted for our dossier and missed the delivery) -- now that's friendship! :) So, we are all set to leave for Russia today and just about 24 hours from now, we will be checking into our hotel! We are still in awe at the events of the last 7 days. It seems so surreal. God has been truly gracious to us through all of you! And, while you are sleeping Sunday night, we'll be meeting Hope for the first time (it will be Monday morning there). Thanks again to everyone who helped us get ready with just one week's notice! We will post an update soon!

Thank you!

We just wanted to let everyone know that we now have everything on our needs list met -- God provided ALL of it in under 4 hours yesterday! A huge THANK YOU to everyone who responded! We are in awe at how the Lord is bringing together all the details and using each of you to help. We will keep posting updates on our blog over the coming days. This time next week, we will finally be face-to-face with our little girl!!!

PS - We can still use frequent flyer miles and hotel rewards for our second trip, which will likely take place in 2-3 months, so if you have any that you wish to donate, please let us know!

Things we need for our trip!

Hello Friends and Family,

We have 5 days until we leave for Russia and are still working through a mountain of paper, tasks and our list of things to pack. We have most of what we need to travel, but are in need of the items below. To avoid the extra expense of having to purchase them on top of our travel expenses, we are asking if anyone can loan or donate any of the following items to us on short notice (on or before Wednesday). If you live out of town, there are still a few items on the list (like phone minutes or frequent flyer miles) you can help us with. Please let us know if you can help!

Phone minutes (Verizon)
Frequent Flyer Miles (Delta, Air France, Aeroflot)
Digital Camera (ours just stopped working unexpectedly this week!!!)
Digital storage (SD card 4 GB or more, preferrably 8 GB)
***need to use digital camera for videos and photos to send to international doctor while we are there so it needs to be good quality and large storage***
Luggage (2 carry on size with wheels and pull handles) -- we are going to try to travel light with carry on bags only!
***each bag must be no more than 55cm x 35cm x 25 cm***
200-watt auto adjust converter for converting power on our devices to 220-volt (we have one but two would be great as it only has one outlet)
Ink cartridges HP 56 (black) and HP 57 (color) for an HP 1200 printer (we have been going through lots of ink printing documents)
Marriott rewards (for one night hotel stay in Moscow)
Cash

We have one more really unusual item that we need. We are looking for a dual micro usb cable to charge both cell phones at the same time. Since our outlet capacity will be limited, we thought bringing something that could charge both cell phones at once would be a great way to consolidate. If you have one you are willing to loan (or donate to) us or if you know where we can find one quickly and cheaply, please let us know.

Also, please pray for our visas and passports to get back in time. I literally walked into Fedex at 8:57 p.m. (three minutes before they closed) to overnight our visa applications on Thursday so we have them back in time for our departure this week. I called on Friday to confirm that everything was done correctly and they said it looked good and that they would take it to the consulate on Monday. However, I noticed last night that I made a mistake on Chad's. I am hoping I caught it in time and can have it corrected! I am calling in the morning to try and fix it. Please pray there would be no delays in the processing and delivery/return of our visas and passports due to my error!!!

Thank you to anyone who can help us with any of these items and to everyone who is, was and will be praying for our trip! We appreciate it so very, very much!!

We are going to Russia!!!

It's official: We are going to Russia! We got the call this morning and have spent most of the day on the phone, working on our travel arrangements, and completing our visa applications. WE LEAVE IN 9 DAYS ... AHHHHHH!!! Needless to say, it has been a whirlwind of a day and my head is already spinning with all the things we need to do!

We will post updates as often as we can over the coming weeks. Right now, though, we are simply basking in the joy of this moment and thanking God for His faithfulness. If all goes well, we could have Hope home by Christmas. And what a Christmas present she would be ...

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." ~ Proverbs 13:12

Bilateral Agreement Has Been Signed!

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/green-light-for-adoptions-yellow-light-for-visas/440497.html

New Region Assignment!!

Well, it is official! After six long months, we finally have a new region assignment! You may recall in January that we lost our region assignment because the region we were assigned to closed. We had been watching the region's progress last fall/winter very closely as the waiting list got shorter and shorter until we were next in line to receive an invitation to travel and receive our referral. Instead, we were placed back in the general waiting pool (with those without a region assignment) behind 4-5 other families to wait for our dossier to be requested by another region, which we were told could take 3-6 months.

Then, last month (May), we were asked if we were willing to increase the age limit in our dossier and possibly meet a little girl in June. At first, we wanted to do it because it meant we could travel sooner. But we quickly realized that we had our hearts set on a younger child so we declined. I expected it would take a long time since we declined a possible referral of an older child, but apparently not! If the new region where our dossier is now finds our paperwork in order, it looks like we will be invited on our first trip in July!

Anyway, we are soooooooo excited!! And even though we know that having a region assignment is no guarantee that we will travel now, or that we will even be able to accept this referral when we get there, we are still celebrating being one step closer to meeting and bringing home our little girl!!!

Update on Bilateral Treaty

Here's the latest news from the Russian perspective on the bilateral adoption treaty between Russia and the United States ...

Russian-U.S. adoptions to adhere to Hague convention

Note: Regardless of what the article says, international adoptions between Russia and the United States were not suspended last year. I know many parents through our agency who have successfully completed their adoptions in the last 14 months.

Just a little update ...

Well, we have been waiting almomst 23 months now and are well into the window of time when a referral can be expected. Typically it is taking 20-26 months for the referral for a girl, so we should hear something any day!

For those of you unfamiliar with the international adoption process, a referral is when an agency matches what they know about you and your family with what they have learned about a child from an orphanage and the caregivers. Most regions in Russia do not give out referrals, rather, they invite you to visit an orphanage where a referral is given to you in person. You have the opportunity to meet the child and send information back to your international doctor in the U.S. for review and then make a petition with the court to adopt while you are in Russia (if you accept the referral you are given).

So, we are waiting for our invitation! In the meantime, we have been having a fun spring of baseball and finishing up the school year, which ended last week. We are going to help with a weekly Bible camp over the summer and are looking forward to a trip to Washington D.C. in June! Lots to keep us busy while we wait.

Chapman Family Leads Push To Adopt

I absolutely love this family and their story. They have inspired and encouraged me in so many ways through my own journey of grief, loss and adoption. We were blessed with a Show Hope grant in 2009 and I got to meet and thank Mary Beth in person at a women's banquet in 2010. She is such a precious woman of God. This video stirred my heart so much, I had to share it. I hope you are as inspired by the Chapman family as we have been ...

Wonderful News Story

Adopted US twins visit Russian orphanage where they lived as babies

Bilateral agreement to be signed in May!

As reported by the JCICS (via RIA Novosti) in April ...

Russia may next month sign an agreement with the United States to ensure the safety of Russian children adopted by U.S. families, Russia’s ombudsman for child rights said on Friday.

“This issue is under the personal control of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,” Pavel Astakhov said a news conference on Friday.

Russia suspended the adoptions last year after a Tennessee woman sent her 7-year-old adoptive son back to Russia. He was put on a plane on his own with a note from the woman saying she did not want him as he was “psychotic.”

Astakhov said in January that 17 Russian children have died in the United States as a result of child abuse since the adoptions started more than 15 years ago.

The latest official figures show that about 60,000 children born in Russia have been adopted by families in the United States.

The Passing of a Hero

Yesterday we lost a true hero of the faith. David Wilkerson, founder of Teen Challenge, where Chad has ministered for the past 8 years, died in a car crash in Texas. Here is is final blog entry, posted just hours before his death:

http://davidwilkersontoday.blogspot.com/

In his own words, without knowing he would soon face death himself, he comforts those who will mourn him.

Remembering David Wilkerson today as he enters the Father's House and finally hears, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Great news!

The bill that threatened to put a halt to international adoptions in Russia has been withdrawn from the Russian State Duma! Here's the latest ...

http://blog.russianadoptionhelp.com/2011/03/in-like-lion-out-like-lamb.html

Finally, An Update!

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life!"
~ Proverbs 13:12
Finally! Our friends are safely back from Russia with their newly adopted daughter, so we can finally post an update without jeopardizing their adoption process. After three long years and many obstacles, we are so happy to be able to say ...

Congratulations Angie & Doug!!
We apologize for not updating until now, but we were instructed by our agency not to share an update on the internet until the remaining family from our region was home and had completed their adoption successfully. Now, we are finally free to update you on what has taken place in the last few months ...

After moving to the #1 position on the waiting list in our region and believing we would travel at any time, we got a call in January of this year to let us know that we had lost our region assignment due to an "incident" that occurred with a family that traveled on their first trip at the end of December, which cost not just us, but our entire agency, any future activity in the region. While we are not at liberty to share the details of what happened, we can tell you how this will affect us and our adoption process. It means that we are no longer assigned to any specific region in the country and are back to waiting in a general pool with several other families who do not have a region assignment. Once we have been accepted into a new region, we will wait in line behind whoever has already received their region assignment ahead of us. Think of it like this: You have waited in a very (very!) long line at the bank and, just as it is about to finally be your turn, the bank closes and tells you that you will have to go to another bank to complete your transaction. So, first you have to choose a new bank (or, in our case, wait to have it chosen for you), and then wait in line behind anyone who was already there before you arrived. We were told in January that this could take 3-6 months. It has been almost two.

Of course, at first, we were bitterly disappointed, especially as it seems this was completely preventable (and we were so close). But as it turns out, we have been told that the region where we were assigned has been moving extremely slow and, even though things started moving again at the end of last year, they were not planning on accepting more than 1-2 adoptions per year per agency. Regardless, we are not going to "over-spiritualize" this. It is simply an obstacle that will be overcome, just like the many obstacles we have already faced along the way, and will ultimately lead us to the little girl that God has for our family. Sometimes "free will" just gets in the way of things happening the way they should ...

Today I received a (very timely) encouragement card from a dear friend who has walked very closely with us over the last four years: through the death of Abby, secondary infertility and our subsequent miscarriage, to our decision to adopt and, now, waiting for Hope. She writes from the perspective of someone who has seen firsthand the desires of our hearts and the longing as we have waited for those desires to be fulfilled. She writes:

"It's March now, of course, and the last time we talked you were optimistic about traveling this month. I know you said there has been *another* delay -- making this the longest adoption process ever! So I just wanted to send you a note of encouragement and to let you know that you are never far from my prayers and thoughts. Also, to let you know that I am definately NOT praying for patience for you! I think you've already been granted that chore! All my prayers are for fulfillment. For this dream to be brought to fruition. For a toddling blonde beauty to be brought into your lives now -- no more delays! In the meantime, I am, as always, impressed with your strength and inspired by your faith. God has asked so much from your family that at the very least I believe that you have a huge stockpile of treasures stored up in Heaven! But I do believe that He put the desire in your heart for a reason, and He will be faithful to that promise. Be strong, Emily. She is coming, and we will all fall to our knees in praise on the day she becomes yours."