Waiting and Processes

Our final home study visit was to have been yesterday.  However, the social worker needed to postpone, so we had to reschedule for Monday, September 27.  It was definitely a disappointment that we weren't able to have the visit yesterday, but it was beyond our control.

I thought I would write a little bit about what I know of the travel and adoption process, which I admit isn't a whole heck of a lot!  This will be a "Cliff's Notes" style version of the process.  On the United States side of this process we have to complete our home study and all the little things that go along with it to submit to the United States Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS).  I have no idea exactly what they do with it there, but I'm sure it is really important stuff.  :-)  After it clears through the USCIS we can submit our dossier to Eastern Europe.  Once the dossier arrives it has to be translated.  After that it eventually goes through the SDA (adoption court) to be approved and then, after that, we should receive our invitation to travel.  All of this is the very, very short version of the process and I have left out lots of little steps, but you get the gist.  When we receive our travel invite Jeff and I both fly to the capital where the SDA is located.  I'm not sure how long we will be there, but there are many things to do there before we can travel to the region that Olga lives.  When we arrive in her region, we have an initial court date where a judge will approve our adoption pending a 10 day waiting period.  At that point either Jeff or I can come back home while the other stays to finalize the adoption.  After the 10 day waiting period Olga will be ours.  :-)  There will still be an incredible amount of work to do before coming home, though.  She will have to have a medical physical, we will need to have her birth certificate reissued with our names as her parents, new passport, so on and so forth.  All in all, either Jeff or I will be there 2-3 weeks and the other about 5-6 weeks.  While I cannot wait for the day to come that we can bring Olga home, I will admit that I am a little nervous about being in Eastern Europe in the middle of winter!  We live in the south and the winters here can get too cold for me!  (Yes, that would make me a cold weather wimp, which I admit without shame.)

So this is where we stand with the adoption.  Still waiting on FBI fingerprints to come back, still waiting on our medical reports to be finished, still waiting for the last home study visit to be completed, still waiting to bring Olga home forever!

If you would like to make a financial donation toward Olga's adoption, please contact me via e-mail at:

SusanPirkey@gmail.com

If you would like to make a financial donation toward Olga's hosting for Christmas, either contact me at the e-mail directly above, or visit:

Adopting Olga @ Active Giving

We have received so much support from so many people it has been amazing!  We feel so blessed by the  outpouring of encouragement and prayers that you are sending our way.  Thank You!!!

S~