I have been a little blog silent lately, I apologize for this is a rough season at our house. I was just going to compose a blog that explained that right now I am just waiting for word from Bulgaria but then today I did get word from Bulgaria!!
But before I share more about that I just wanted to share the results of the online auction. I was blown away to hear that our total amount raised was right around 2,400.00!!! God is so good. It was also a blessing to hear that more new people were brought to the auction than ever before!! I was very blessed to hear that because I have hoped that with every fundraiser I could raise awareness about not only Simon, but the other children waiting in his orphanage and in orphanages across eastern Europe! So with a thank you to the Lincoln Journal Star, for allowing us to post information in the paper, and to facebook, who has allowed this fundraiser to include my friends around the world, across the united states and across my life, elementary school friends, high school friends, work friends, study abroad friends, youth group friends, church friends and neighbors. I have been amazed at how many old friends and current friends have come out of the woodwork to support my campaign to bring Simon home. THANK YOU ALL!!! I means so much to have your kind words of support and of course, your donations. I have been amazed at each and every penny!!
Okay, so the news from Bulgaria. Well, we have our "verbal referral". What is that you might ask? Oddly, up until Wednesday of this week I had no idea what that was either! Well here is the process, my dossier was sent to Bulgaria, my lovely and talented lawyer translated it and then submitted it to the Minister of Justice (MOJ). We have been waiting for the MOJ to process it, like we waited for the United States Center for Immigration Services (USCIS) to process it before it went to Bulgaria. Apparently the MOJ's approval is a 2 part process. Step one is their "verbal referral" and then step 2 is the "written referral" and along with that comes, the long awaited, TRAVEL DATES for trip 1 to meet Simon.
Now, on Wednesday I was introduced to this whole process by reading about it on another adoptive mom's blog (thank you again!). Her list was complete with dates. Her process showed that from after receiving the verbal referral she waited 2-3 weeks for her written referral to come. When my lawyer told us that we had our verbal she said that the MOJ is trying to get our written referral done by the end of NEXT WEEK!! Miracle of miracles, please pray with me that we do get that written referral next week!
In the end of December I read a status of another adoptive mom that said, "I have been praying that I would have travel dates by the end of this month and the Lord provided!" And I thought, wait a second, should I be praying like that??? Is it really that simple? So I thought what the heck, I threw out all logic, and started to walk through this process with as much faith as I could muster, and for the days I didn't have it I started praying that God would "help my unbelief". I was amazed that every time I was handed a roadblock I took it with stride, or I just didn't believe it was a problem. Which can be a little risky I realize :)
Last week as I was finishing off, resubmitting something, I asked my agency again when they thought I might travel and I was told, "well it looks like you might be traveling as soon as April but maybe May. (If you have noticed any flyers I have handed out or talked to me in the last 2 months you know I have been saying that we would travel in March and have our son home in June) So when she said these words I was like, no, no, we should travel in March. Right then I thought about it and realized that they have sort of been saying April and May all along, I am the one who thought up March and decided that would be the time. And if you know much about international adoption, you know the adoptive mom does NOT set the dates :) So at this point my faith was slightly shaken, I thought, well that was silly, they never told you March, you have no reason to think you will travel in March. But then I thought, well so what? I am praying for March, I know that it will happen in the Lord's timing but is it so bad to ask that the Lord's timing is March? I figure, no way, He has provided every penny for this adoption, He wants to bring Simon into our home. I will ask Him to help that happen as soon as possible and anytime a roadblock comes, I can smile and think, I can't wait to see how you bring us out of this one Jesus!
I am very, very excited to get those dates! Please keep praying with me that they come soon! I would LOVE to tell you that we will be traveling in March :) But, either way, I will be excited to go see my son whenever the Lord decides to grant it.
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