Adam and I have spent quite a bit of time this week considering our 3 region options. After weighing the pros and cons of all the regions, we have decided to pursue Novosibirsk.
Here is a little refresher:
Novosibirsk is the region located in south central Russia. This is the only region out of the three that requires us to travel to Moscow to get our daughters visa. However, Adam and I have both realized that we would like to visit Moscow, so this will be a great opportunity! Also, I had mentioned in my last blog that our flight will be significantly longer, thus making it more expensive. I just received some information from our WACAP caseworker stating that the flight will end up being about the same as flying to Vladivostock. Since we have to fly through Moscow to get home, it will end up being more cost effective, especially because we won't be paying the courier fees. This is also the region that is moving rather quickly with child referrals, and because the town is located fairly close to Mongolia and Kazakhstan, they have a higher concentration of Asian/Eurasian children.
Here is a little bit of information about Novosibirsk. It is located in Siberia, along the Ob River. Novosibirsk is considered the third largest city in Russia behind Moscow and St. Petersburg, with a population of over 1.7 million people. It also has the largest railway station along the Trans-Siberian route, and is the leading industrial center of Siberia.
Below you will find the map of Russia. Novosibirsk in located in south central Russia, north of Mongolia and Kazakhstan.


We are so excited to pinpoint the general area where our daughter is waiting! Please continue to pray that things move quickly and smoothly.
Blessings,
Anna

Adam and I had the opportunity to speak with our WACAP caseworker this morning and learned some great information about what we should expect with the Russia program. On top of that we were also given the names of 3 different regions in Russia that we can pursue. Out of these 3 regions, we need to choose one to have our dossier sent to. It is Russia's requirement that we only pursue one region at a time. If we find that our chosen region is not moving fast enough, we are then able to pursue a different one.
This is both exciting and stressful as each region has things that we like and dislike. Here are the regions and the pro's and con's:
Sakhalinskaya Oblast: This region is considered very slow in processing information and making child referrals and there is a longer wait time between the first and second trip (up to 3-4 months). However, this region is on the far eastern coast of Russia, making the trip shorter and cheaper. The flight would be from Boise to Seattle to Korea to Sakhalin. Also, there is a required (9 hour) flight to Moscow, to obtain the child's visa, that families must make unless they are adopting in one of the eastern regions, such as this one. If so, families can elect to have a courier make that flight (This is very tempting).
Primorsky Krai (Vladivostok): This region is also on the far eastern coast of Russia (south of Sakhalinskaya) so there is also a courier option, in this region, for the trip to Moscow. It is also a shorter and cheaper flight. However, there have not been many Asian children referred from this region in the last 8 months. Also, the second trip to Russia will require a 3-4 week stay.
Novosibirskaya Oblast: This region has been considered very fast. There are many children in the orphanages here and this helps with time. However, it is located in south central Russia and therefore we would have to make the required trip to Moscow (only a 3 hour flight). It is also a much longer and more expensive flight. We would go from Boise to NYC or Frankfurt to Moscow then to Novosibirskaya.
Now that you know our options, please pray for us. This is a big decision, but we know that the Lord knows where our daughter is and will direct us.
Blessings,
Anna

These last few weeks have been very trying for us during this adoption. The political unrest between Russia and Georgia and our economy have constantly been on my mind. However, I have also been clinging to the Lord's promise that He will provide everything we need for this adoption.
I find myself asking, "do I put my trust in God or in circumstances?" These circumstances are out of my control and it doesn't make sense to worry over things that I can do nothing about. The only reason I can say this is because God is in control. He has been orchestrating this adoption for over 12 years, when I first realized my desire to adopt a child. He will continue to orchestrate this adoption until we bring our daughter home.
Acts 19:23-41 is a great example of what happens when we try to control our circumstances through creating fear instead of trusting God. In Ephesus, there was a silversmith named Demetrius who made a living making silver shrines of Artemis, the Greek goddess. However, there were many citizens not only in Ephesus, but in all of Asia, who were converting to Christianity and no longer supported this trade. Demetrius' reaction to the loss of money was to create fear in other people. He successfully gathered a mob of people together and began a riot that eventually included all the citizens of Ephesus. What is really interesting is that the majority of people rioting didn't know what they were rioting about.
Demetrius tried to control the circumstances by creating fear. Does that sound familiar? I think I can relate that to what the media does to us. While I do like to stay up to date on what is happening around the world, I find that it is easy to get caught up in the mix and live in fear of things that cannot be controlled. I don't know how I would stay sane if I put my trust in circumstances. However, putting my trust in God is a choice and with all that is going on in my own life and around the world, that is a choice I have to make daily.

I wanted to take the time to fill you in on our news the last few days.
Late Thursday afternoon we got an e-mail from WACAP stating that we have been accepted into the Russia program! We are very excited and hope that things will start moving a little faster now. We have a lot of documents to gather and paperwork to fill out. This packet of information will make up our dossier (the information that Russia requires of prospective adoptive parents).
Also, we have pre-filed our I600A paperwork with USCIS. Along with this filing, we are required to be fingerprinted (again). Once that is done, we will wait anywhere from 6 weeks to 4 months (possibly more) for a "notice of favorable determination" from USCIS.
When our dossier is completed and I600A approved, we will be put on the waiting list for a child referral.
We are excited to finally be moving forward and will be sure to keep you up to date.

Yes, you read the title correctly, now let me explain. Nearly two years ago we had the opportunity to live in Singapore for seven months. While I can honestly say that this was one of the greatest experiences for our young family, it also brought along some of the greatest challenges.
Don't get me wrong. We met some of the most wonderful people, ate the most amazing food and created memories never to be forgotten. However, there is something to be said about living in a tiny apartment, in a high rise with two loud boys (ages 3 and 18 months). To be quite honest, I never considered Isaiah and Caleb to be loud, until we were living between concrete walls and wood floors. I don't think "mom, I need my bottom wiped" has ever echoed as loud as it did between the walls of that apartment. But that is a story for another day.
One day, while we were still adjusting to our new life in Singapore, we had an especially difficult day. Isaiah was crying in his room, I was crying in my room and Caleb was crying because our doors were closed and he couldn't get in either room. Now, take a moment to think about those concrete walls and wood floors and you can just imagine how loud it must have been in our apartment at that time.
I remember sitting on my bed crying and I heard the Lord say, "I will meet you where you're at." Out of frustration and anger the only thing I could respond with was "yeah right, you haven't done anything for me since the day we got here." I am sure you are thinking my next sentence will say something like... the only thing I remember was being struck by lightning...., but this is what I love about God and his grace. Believe me, I need it more than most people.
This is where God met me...
That night, I had a dream that I was at my mom's house. She had just finished grating about 4 pounds of cheese and for some reason threw it into a cooler full of water. I was standing over the cooler, staring at this balled up cheese and thought it would be helpful to break it up. Instead of using my hands, I began stepping in the cheese. When my mom saw me, she got upset and asked what I was doing. All I could do was stare at her and wonder how I got myself into this mess. Couldn't she see that I was just trying to be helpful?
The next morning I woke up with a sense of peace and realized that God had indeed met me where I needed Him most. Through my dream he showed me that not only were the boys having to adjust to a different life, but I was perceiving their behavior to be different than what they were intending it to be. The problem was not with them, but instead it was my frustration and lack of understanding. After all, they need grace as much as I do.
I am so thankful for this lesson because there is a high possibility that our daughter, who we will be adopting from Russia, will have some major adjustments to make when we bring her home. This will require the grace I have practiced with Isaiah and Caleb over the years and the grace shown to me by God.
To that I say "stepping in cheese!"


Please pray that our daughter has the love and nourishment she needs to grow and be healthy. We have yet to meet her, but know she is out there waiting for us.

Blessings,
Anna

I am so thankful that we have finally come off of our busy summer schedule and are now able to settle into our post summer routines. This is the slow down that I have been needing. The air has finally started to cool a bit and along with that my energy, recently stifled by the scalding summer heat, has returned.
Isaiah started Kindergarten last week, and while I love watching him grow up and become more independent, I am having to resist the urge to follow his bus to school, honking and waving, so he knows I am there if he needs me. I realized that he was fine without me when he said, "you don't need to come to the bus stop mom, why don't you just stay here." Ouch!
I say this because we have been going through a season of busyness and change. My intention with our adoption blog has been to write several times per week, but I haven't been able to do that lately. Now that school has started and we actually have a routine, we will be more consistent in blogging. Please continue to check back regularly.
I also wanted to let you know that WACAP has approved our homestudy! Our caseworker is having our homestudy notarized and will send both WACAP and us copies. Once they receive a notarized copy, we will begin putting together our dossier and I600A paperwork.
A few weeks ago I wrote that WACAP's fees will be increasing. At this time I am not sure if we will have to pay those higher fees. Our homestudy was completed and reviewed the end of last month, but it was not notarized until Tuesday. Once I speak with our WACAP representative I will find out and update that information.

Blessings,
Anna