6 more sleeps and FAQ's

6 more sleeps!!!!! People. The preface to this journey began in May, 2012. 6 more sleeps until we get to write the book. I can't wrap my brain around this. I can't wrap my heart around it. So I'm just going. I'm just packing all our stuff up and going and not trying to process it because who can really do that? Who can really walk into an orphanage, process what the word "orphan" really means, choose to love children that are hurt and broken and have been forgotten for so long, and really and truly understand it all? I know I can't do that. And that's why I have God. He never asked me and Jake to understand. There are no red letters written in the Good Book that say "please, brethren, overanalyze every one of My plans for you until ye have full understanding and wisdom". He did say, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10. So we'll go in 6 more sleeps. We'll cry when we leave Cole and Zella and we'll cry when we see the faces of our new children for the first time. We'll chew our nails off as we wait and we will pray pray pray pray. But we will not fear. 6 more sleeps.

So to answer a lot of questions, here's what will happen when we arrive in Ukraine. We arrive on Aug. 5th. Our appointment with the SDA (Ukrainian adoption authority) is bright and early on Aug. 7th. When we arrive at the appointment we will be handed anywhere from 1-10 medical files. Each file can contain either 1 child or up to 2 children. They will select children from their database to fit our criteria. Our criteria were: Age 7 or under, boy or girl, healthy or mild, treatable/correctable health issues. We will have approximately 30 minutes to choose 1 file. Once we choose a file, the paperwork will get started for a referral. We can pick the official referall up the next day and then we travel to the region of the country where the child(ren) are located. It could be as close as 20 minutes and as far as a days long train ride. Once we meet the child(ren), if we feel that "yes, this is it!" then we accept the referral and paperwork will get started to file for a court date. If, for lots of different reasons, we choose to NOT accept the referral, we travel back to the SDA and give them a written explanation of why we are turning down the first referral. We must then wait for another appointment (usually takes about a week for an appointment). You are allowed to turn down 3 referrals. That's it. 3 strikes and you're out. BUT, we are having faith that God will very clearly reveal the child(ren) He has chosen for us at the first appointment, without question, to both of us. The average time between meeting child(ren) and court is about a month. Once the court has officially named us legal guardians there is a mandatory 10 day wait before we are allowed to check the child(ren) out of the orphanage. After the 10 days are up and we beat feet, we head back to Kiev for passports, medical exams and Visas and then HOME SWEET HOME! Sounds easy, right? Well that's what we're praying for. We're praying for easy peezy lemon squeezy because this has been a wild ride and we are all ready to have our family together, complete, on US soil.

So what do we need? We need prayer! If you're tight with Jesus then we need you on our team! Seriously. I believe there is NO such thing as too much prayer. Blanket us from top to bottom and all around. Here are our main prayer requests:

1. For Cole and Zella to be so distracted while we're gone that they won't have time to miss us.....but if they do, for them to find comfort in prayer and in the amazing families that will be loving them while we are away.
2. For our flights to be on time, land safely and for us to get through customs with NO trouble.
3. For our appointment to be successful and for God to reveal, clearly, 100 % without a doubt, to both Jake and myself, which child(ren) He has chosen for us.
4. For us to be able to make decisions prayerfully regarding coming home in between meeting and court.
5. For us to bond quickly with our child(ren) (((this one makes me cry!))).
6. For us to pray without ceasing.
7. For there to be NO hold ups with paperwork, passports, visas or medical exams.
8. For us to be changed by what we will walk through. God does not take us through this heavy stuff with the intention of us walking out the same way we walked in. He has purpose. Always. Please pray that we seek Him first and that we are sensitive to His voice and His lessons.

We know that we are surrounded. Our God goes before us, walks along side us, and brings up the rear. We will not fear as we walk into this crazy, amazing, Kubnick sized journey!

Thank you all for your love and support......but mostly, for your prayer.

God bless and good night!
McKenzee