Update

I had my weekly phone conference with our case manager today, and learned that a referral has been given to a family who has also been waiting to adopt a child in the Novosibirsk region. This is encouraging news because, as you might have read in my earlier "update" post, referrals came to a stand still as officials dealt with the backlog of adoption hearings.

Fast forward three months and it looks as though things are starting to move again.

This information is very recent so we are still unsure of the speed and consistency that referrals will be given. The next few weeks should give us a pretty good idea of what to expect, but of course that is assuming that no other changes are made in the region.

I don't think I will hold my breath for that!

On another note, we have been waiting for 5 months now! I admit that my excitement has grown with each passing month...that is, until I received a bill for the second set of adoption fees. Yikes!

In case you are wondering about the billing process, here is a quick explanation:

WACAP will bill us three different sets of adoption processing fees. Our first fee was due upon being accepted into the Russia program. Our second set is due at 6 months or upon acceptance of a child referral, depending on which comes first. The third set is due upon acceptance of a child referral, and as you can see, if you receive a referral before 6 months, you are hit with a hefty bill all at once.

In some ways I am glad that hasn't happened to us, but nevertheless, our second set of adoption fees is due. I couldn't help but think the other day, as I wrote out the check, that what we have left in our account needs to cover our third set of fees, four flights to Russia, hotel and food lasting up to 5 weeks total, our Russian Visas, our daughter's Visa, a mandatory humanitarian aid donation (isn't that an oxymoron?), medical exams and finalization fees. (Insert panicky voice and nervous laugh)

But truth be told, God is good. His providence is amazing, so while I get nervous when I look at the numbers, His peace also abounds in me, and I know everything will work out for good and for His glory.

Psalm 36:5
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.