Life Sure Is Interesting..

Yesterday, we learned that things were moving quickly. Our dossier had been handed to the new agency's people in St. Pete and would be ready to register as soon as our final few documents got there and translated. We were hoping for them to be registered on Karl's birthday, March 25, which is one of the two registration days allowed in March. We also got word that our final document from our home study agency would be here on Tuesday. Yay!

Well, in the way to which we have grown accustomed, the euphoric day was followed by a disappointing one today.

This afternoon, I heard from the new agency that they have a policy that they do not adopt out of birth order. In other words, adopted children must be younger than the youngest child in the home. The caseworker and Director of European Adoptions will be meeting next week with the Executive Director to explain our situation and request a waiver.

Although this is upsetting news, we know that God is in control. If this door is closed, we will go back to waiting for Buckner's accreditation to come through, but we hope that the waiver will come. We can wait, even though we don't want to, but we do not want our children to have to wait any longer for a family.

Please pray with us that God will touch the heart of the Executive Director and that He will give the caseworker and Eastern European Director the right words with which to convince her. But above all, please pray that God's will be done.

UPDATE: The caseworker has asked me to put our "moving story" in writing, sharing about how God has brought so many things together to make this adoption happen, so she can share it with the Executive Director. I told her that asking me to write was like asking me to breathe! I promised it by Monday.

We have been so blessed by Irina, our wonderful Buckner caseworker. She is such a kind, understanding (and very hard-working!) woman. She will be traveling to some meetings with the St. Petersburg staff of the new agency next week and will hopefully see our kids! Please pray for her as well.

On top of that, Karl has been assigned a mission for next week. Good news for him! Garin and I will hang around here, try to get this adoption on the road as fast as possible, and get the house ready for Big Brother's arrival next Saturday!!!!!