Every day I think of things I want to blog about.  There are several moments in each day when I have an urge to share the current scoop on the adoption.  Most days, I refrain from writing for one single reason.  We still do not have our I-171h.  That’s the blessed document from USCIS (the current name of immigration) that says they deem us worthy to be adoptive parents.  It’s the end result of filing our I-600a, which is the “Application for advance processing of an orphan.”

So…everyday I check the mailbox a dozen times.  I know that our mailman never arrives before 3pm, but that doesn’t stop me from checking it just about every hour from the time I get up in the morning.

Pathetic.  I know.

Today I started feeling a little neglectful.  I realized that there have been significant events in the past 3 weeks that I failed to write about.  Now I can’t remember the details.  I’ve pushed out a couple of kids that weighed more than 9.5lbs.  As a result, I have permanent baby brain.  Those significant events are probably now lost forever.

Even though the evasive I-171h is still not in my hands, I need to document where we are on the journey to bring our daughter home.

At 2pm today (Serbian time), our facilitator met with the ministry officials.

“…I suggested April 14th as your meeting date.
It’s 90% sure,but I asked them to confirm this date for 100% as soon as they can.I insisted very much to get the answer very,very soon.Hope to get it in several days.
Tomorrow the MO lawyer is sending your dossier to the center,and till the end of the week they will officially confirm that your family is in the best interest of Sophia.Just a routine procedure.
You must count on staying three full weeks in Serbia,because of a very delicate adoption procedure of little Sophia.
But,there is a possibility for Chad to leave the country after the adoption ceremony….”

So there.  It will be a minimum of 2 more weeks before we meet our daughter.  If we have to stay for more than 3 weeks, Chad will have to come home with our older three and I will stay behind.  That’s where things get a little quirky.  We are planning to fly on a military aircraft from here to Germany and take the train from Frankfurt to Belgrade.  There are daily flights (yesterday there were 5) from here to Germany.  This travel plan will save us thousands of dollars and provide ultimate flexibility.  It will also be a great adventure riding the train from Frankfurt to Vienna and then from there, to Budapest and on to Belgrade.  Our travel plan also means that we do not have to board a commercial aircraft with a child who may be upset, hysterical, unruly, and non-communicative.  Everyone on a military aircraft is required to wear ear-plugs.  A priceless gift to those who end up on an airplane with my children.

If Chad comes home early with our older children, he does not want me traveling across Eastern Europe, alone with Ana-Sophia.  I kind of agree with him.  That means that she and I will fly directly from Belgrade to DC.  It’s pricey.  And…we don’t have the money for it.  We are still about $1000 short from our original goal and this change in plans would add about $1500 to our total adoption expenses.

I’ve read every scripture I can dig up on provision and faith lately.  With this being Holy Week, I’ve also been reading about the last days of Christ life on earth.  God gave everything for me.  For you.  I keep looking at my children and asking myself if there is anything at all for which I would sacrifice them.  It hurts my heart and brings me to tears to even think of giving them up.  God did it willingly.  With that kind of sacrifice, how could I ever doubt his ability or willingness to provide?

Romans 8:31-32

What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else?

That’s the scoop.  I need to stop checking the mailbox a dozen times a day and get busy making some money!