Our updated home study arrived at the Embassy in Kiev on Monday. Now they know that we are approved for three children. The USCIS office in Omaha really gave an extra effort in expediting the process and we appreciate that. If only things here were moving that fast. After days of travel to Illichevsk and providing them with templates for forms and offers of assistance with the paperwork, Oles, our facilitator, said that the administration office there finally did use the template for the Conclusion for Adoption form. Then when he took it to the court, the judge said that he wasn't scheduling any hearings until next month. That wasn't exactly what we wanted to hear. So, Oles made some calls and now the hearings will be combined in Odessa. The Odessa judge is unavailable this week, so it looks like our adoption hearing will be next Monday or Tuesday. I know that Tuesday is Christmas day, but in Ukraine, Christmas is celebrated under the Eastern Orthodox tradition using the Julian calendar version of December 25, which is January 7. All of that just to say that, here, December 25 is just another business day. We think that it would be very special to have the adoption take place on Christmas Day. What a special gift that will be for all of us. Christmas Eve day would be special as well.
On December 27, the girls will be in a program at the orphanage. They will have singing and dancing parts. We are looking forward to that. Dad plans to take a lot of photos.
The other two families have returned to the US until January 9, when they will return to continue with the process of applying for passports for the kids. These are Ukraine passports, since the kids are still Ukraine citizens until they reach US soil. They will also then apply at the US Embassy for the visas that the kids will need to enter the US. We will also be doing this at that time as well as sending adoption documentation to USCIS in Omaha for approval of the I-600 forms for the kids, which declares that they are our dependents. These forms must be approved before the Embassy will issue them the needed visas.
On December 27, the girls will be in a program at the orphanage. They will have singing and dancing parts. We are looking forward to that. Dad plans to take a lot of photos.
The other two families have returned to the US until January 9, when they will return to continue with the process of applying for passports for the kids. These are Ukraine passports, since the kids are still Ukraine citizens until they reach US soil. They will also then apply at the US Embassy for the visas that the kids will need to enter the US. We will also be doing this at that time as well as sending adoption documentation to USCIS in Omaha for approval of the I-600 forms for the kids, which declares that they are our dependents. These forms must be approved before the Embassy will issue them the needed visas.
We plan to attend at least one performance at the Odessa Opera Theater. It is said to be one of the most beautiful in the world. Here is a link to more information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odessa_Opera_Theater
Gail's arm is improving. She is able to move it more each day. The inside of the upper arm is one large bruise from the shoulder, half way to the elbow, so it is no wonder that it has been painful. Wednesday, we will be having a tour of some of the sights of Odessa. It is truly a wonderful, beautiful city.
1 comments:
Oh, what a perfect Christmas gift that will be! We will pray for this!
I am so glad Gail's arm is improving. I know that is painful.
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