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Today we were back at the orphanage to spend time with Jonas. Vanya had a lot of running around to do, so we were there most of the morning. We had about 1 1/2 hours with Jonas. No pictures today… dead battery on the camera :( On the upside, we almost completely skipped the pouting phase today. This was great!. We played in the gym again and had snacks (yogurt, M&M’s, and juice). After about 30 minutes of playing we were able to get him to say “Mommy”, “Daddy”, and “Juice”. He attempted to say the names of all of his AWESOME new sisters, but these did not come out quite as clearly, but we gave him more M&M’s anyway :) He is opening up a little more each day. It is incredible thing to see the recognition in his eyes when he looks at either of us. It is a real warm fuzzy feeling (kinda a mix of hot cocoa and puppies).
Where are we at (in the process)?
I have divided this entire process into 4 phases.
Phase I – Deciding and Starting
- Decide you want to adopt
- Get approved to adopt
- Getting your dossier together and submitting it
- Getting your SDA appointment date back from the SDA
- Getting there
Phase II - Picking
- At the appointment you are shown a few children that fit into the your pre-selected criteria.
- You select (you think picking where you and your wife are going to have dinner is tough…)
- You go visit the child
- You decide if this is the right child for you – if it is not the right fit, proceed to the beginning of phase 2 again. (this is an epically huge heart wrenching experience)
Phase III – Getting approved to adopt this child
- Get approval from the Director of the orphanage
- Get approval from the city official over adoptions from the city where the orphanage is (******WE ARE HERE******)
- Get approval from the SDA (Federal adoptions services)
- Get approval from the court (You go to court and a Judge, in city where you are adopting, approves / disapproves your adoption)
- Enter 10 day waiting period (Our understanding is that this allows for a final notice to known relatives, etc.)
Phase IV – Exit Strategery
- Get passport for child from Ukrainian government
- Visit US Embassy for more paperwork
- Get home (Sooooo ready for this step)
A lot of these approvals are only done on particular days of the week, so at each step we could miss one getting approved by a day, which makes our stay last that much longer.
Please pray with us that each step is free of obstacles and that all involved see the loving connection that is growing between us and Jonas! Thanks so much for all the blog comments (if you think you check the blog a lot, you don’t have anything on us checking the comments!
10 comments:
Thanks for the update, guys. So great to see progress being made. Definitely praying.
I like your breakdown, very easy to understand and accurate. So glad things are going well. We're enjoying the updates and continue praying!
Sharon and Jason, so glad things are going so great! I will pray that everything keeps going smoothly and that you'll be home soon! Can't wait to meet your handsome little guy! Can I just say my most favourite picture is the first picture you posted of Sharon with Jonas! The look in Sharon's eyes made me cry! You are all so blessed.
How do I get me one of those fancy pictures next to my post? I will have to work on that :) Hi guys. It is a chilly Monday here in Charlotte. Probably not in comparison to what you are feeling but happy to own a coat right now. I introduced myself to Kim at the bus stop. She was getting the girls into the car and I ambushed her. Hopefully I didn't freakk her out :) (JK) I like the break down. It really helps with understanding the process. Love having specific prayers and we will be lifting you up before the God who holds time in His hands.
Angie
Thanks for sharing the breakdown.. I was trying to figure this out on my own and when I pulled up the blog today... bam... no more wondering! You rock!!! So happy to hear that Jonas is warming up to you guys. Sounds like he is making great strides. :0) Isn't it amazing that food is such an international language? We are praying that this process speeds right along. Can't wait to see the next update... get that camera battery charged so you can take some more picture!
Love you guys!!!!
Mandy
Yay!!! You are far along in the process and I love how you broke it down. Can't wait to hear how God continues to show up each step of the way. He is with you. He is walking by your side and He's gone ahead of you, too. Making every rough place smooth. Love seeing His faithfulness!!
Can't wait to see more photos!!
Hugs,
Renee
Thanks for the very thorough update! So glad that things are going smoothly. Enjoy this time together. We are continuing to pray for you guys over there, and the girls here. Can't wait to hear more and see more pics!!
Love you guys.
The Woods
Jason & Sharon,
My wife and I leave for Kyiv in leass than 5 weeks for our adoption. Your blog has been so helpful and just wanted you to know our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family - all of you.
Paul & Darla Czeropski
Thank you for sharing your amazing journey with us through your blog. We've been reading each new entry with great interest. Bob & Rhonda
Hey you two!
Appreciate the breakdown of where you've been & what is left to take place. Closer to the bottom of the list than the top! :)
Just realized 'jonas' is made from same letters as 'jason' - love the imagery... (i'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes)
Know that we are your "watchmen on the walls" (Is 62:6-7)as you press on. We love you guys!
Derrick, Lisa & the guys
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