God is BIGGER...

150 pieces!!  That's $37,500 for our adoption that we have received in the last 3 months! 

We are unbelievably blessed, and cannot thank each of you enough.  The outpouring from family, friends, and strangers has been humbling.

Here's an update on where we are to date:

• USCIS (US immigration services) asked for an updated homestudy because the wording wasn't correct on the first one.  Our incredible social worker rewrote it for us one evening and sent it out the next day!  We're grateful for her!  Now that they have it, it should be only a matter of time before we receive the 171-H which is the missing part of our Dossier.  (Please pray our documents travel to the top of the pile and we receive our document by the end of this week - I'm praying in faith!! God is BIGGER...than the pile)
• When we receive the 171-H, we will send it, along with the updates that Russia needed to our in country personnel.  Once she is able to translate the new documents she will travel to Vladimir to obtain a court date for us.  The court date will most likely be within about 2 weeks of when she travels to the Adoption Center for us.  
• Then we will quickly book flights, and get a few more things together...and travel to Russia for the court date. (God is BIGGER...and more in control than I can be...thankfully He knows all)

In Russia both parents are required to be at the court hearing.  From there, one or both of them may leave for the 10-day waiting period.  After 10-days one parent (at least) must apply for the child's passport.  It will take about 2 weeks to receive it. During this time parents can choose to fly home, but it's so expensive that I (Jessi) will at least stay in the country.  Once we receive the child's passport we will be able to pick her up from the orphanage and travel to Moscow.  It will take about 3 days in Moscow to obtain her medical report and Visa so that she is allowed to travel with us to the US.  Then we'll leave for home!!

Our prayer is that all of this will happen quickly!!  We're so ready for her to be home.  Even as I type this Barry is in her room hammering away.  He's putting the quarter-round up and in a bit I'll help him carry all of the furniture back into the room. 

On a slightly different note, our house has very little damage from the storms on Wednesday night.  We are very fortunate!  Thanks for the prayers. (God is BIGGER...than storms)

Soon we'll try to post pictures of Sveta's room.  Remember, we're not posting pictures of her fully until she's home just as a precaution.  The "puzzle" picture is her database picture, so we think that's safe.  Thanks for prayers!  I'll try to be better at posting more often since I only have 4 more days of school left - YAY!!

Jessi