How we got here, pt. 4 {conclusion}

We found out the next day that we would leave for Russia on Oct. 22nd.  We only had 1 month to complete our regional registration documents and arrange all the other necessities.  We needed a CPA to prepare a personal financial statement, a real estate broker to verify that we own our home, an employment verification, a request from the FBI for our 'rap sheet' (or lack thereof) and the list goes on and on.  Basically I spent sun-up to sun-down tracking down information, sending messages off, waiting for others to return my calls and getting papers notarized/apostilled.

Things started coming together and I was feeling good about our efforts.  We would make it!  But, about a week before our departure date we received an unexpected email.  Anna informed us that it was most likely we would be matched with a single child instead of a sibling group of 2 like we had always wanted.  She said that the Department of Education goes with what is available & that it looked like only 1 child would be available.

This was discouraging and unsettling.  We had always planned on 2, but I took some time to ponder and pray about what the Lord wanted. If it was His will that we only adopt one then that's what we would accept.  I did not have peace in the direction however, I felt that we should fight for 2 and let Anna know that's what we really wanted.

The emails went back and forth for a couple of days.  I was in Disneyland without Michael when I read her final conclusion, which was based on discussions with Ludmilla, who is the in-country employee who deals directly with the Department of Education.  Anna said we had a choice: we could proceed as planned and hope for the best, but have no guarantee of a sibling group OR pull our papers and wait to travel until we were referred a sibling group for certain.  This would end up being from any of the 12 regions that our agency works in because they would hold our papers at the central office.

We had a big decision to make & I was about 1000 miles away from Michael.  I said lots of prayers in Disneyland that day.  Michael and I decided to think on it overnight and then call Anna back.  For both us, our gut feeling was that we should move forward as planned.  As I kept praying, I continued to feel supported by the spirit in this decision.

So, here we are, off to Russia and feeling like we're attempting an Evil Keneivel-esque leap of faith across the Grand Canyon.  We do have peace though & look forward to seeing the miracles amidst our fear-defying stunt.