Moving along!

We are so excited!  Our dossier is officially delivered to our facilitator in Ukraine -- and she's in the process of translating it!  Then, hopefully, we'll be travelling in 5-7 weeks.  At least, that's the time frame we've been told!  I've been able to get to the point where things have slowed down -- the paperwork is done!  The auction is over and most items have been distributed -- so I can finally start to just think about Sasha again.  I'm so looking forward to getting to know her.  I wonder about the life experiences she's already had -- wondering about the healing . . . the process of redemption she will experience in her life.  I wonder about my biological kids -- how they will embrace her, how they will challenge her or she challenge them.

I know that we are called to be Sasha's parents.  Any concern that these thoughts bring just lead me back to the grace and sufficiency of HIS power at work in Quincy and me to bring healing and redemption into Sasha's life.

Please keep praying for our family as we walk this journey.  PLEASE pray for Sasha - for all that this change will bring into her life.  So much more than our own.  She will walk into a family, into a language, into a country, into a life -- that she knows nothing about.  God's grace will be all she needs!

Wondering and Waiting

So . . . our wait begins.  Now comes the time that everything is out of our hands.  First, we'll wait for USCIS (U.S. Immigration) approval to bring Sasha home -- then, as soon as that comes through, we're ready for a quick trip to Tallahassee and then mailing out the dossier to Ukraine.  Now, we just have to sit back and trust God for things to work out in His timing.  I think about Sasha a lot -- picturing her with us, wondering if she'll like my cooking any better than her brothers and sister (hey, one can always hope!), hoping it won't be too isolating for her to have to learn a new language, even wondering if I should bring a doll or stuffed animal with us to Ukraine.  Perhaps, I'll bring both.  I think about how I need to get her clothes (I gave all of Carolyn's clothes away!), wondering what size she even wears -- how do I know what to bring with me?  LOTS of things to wonder about.  I wonder how the kids at home will feel with us gone for a month.  Wondering if I can handle being in Ukraine alone if Q comes home.  Lots to think about.  Lots to pray about.  Never too much for HIM.

No If's

I've begun to really wrap my brain around all that is happening in our family.  At first, there was the excitement of seeing God move and spark a love for a little girl half way around the world that we didn't know.  Then, there was the slight panic of figuring out all that needed to be done and how much money we needed to raise -- but somewhere along the way, just recently, in fact -- I've been able to consider what a miracle it really is that God brought Sasha into our lives.

I guess the story would really need to start about 9 months ago (hey -- that sounds like a familiar amount of time, huh?) when I decided to enroll my kids in the homeschool co-op at Grace World Outreach.  I decided to teach a class because that's what I thought all the new moms did (turns out, that's not always true!) on geography for 3rd-5th grades.  In that class was a sweet girl named Gianna.  I didn't really know anything about Gianna - but as the semester went on, I learned that she had several adopted brothers and sisters, at least 1 with Downs Syndrome. 

Sometime during that semester, I went to a big children's used clothes/ toys sale at the fairgrounds where Gianna's mom (Maria) introduced herself to me.  I felt immediately at ease with Maria and even though we didn't stand around and talk, I really felt like I would enjoy getting to know her someday.  At some point, Maria and I became Facebook friends.  I can honestly say that I have no idea how this happened!  I don't remember if I friend-requested her or she did me!  BUT, it wasn't too much longer that I realized that Maria, her husband, and Gianna were all in Ukraine adopting another child.  I tried to keep posted on how things were going -- and then . . . I saw Sasha.  From that point on, I was pretty much glued to Maria's facebook page!

But, here's where the story turns more into a God-thing instead of just a coincidence, and, at first, I didn't really understand it all.  You see, the Falvo's son (also named Sasha) wasn't even normally supposed to be at our Sasha's orphanage ("boarding school")!  He was actually 1 1/2 hours away from his orphanage at a "summer camp" at Sasha's school.  So . . . as you can see, if all those parts didn't come together, we would have never seen our Sasha's picture.  If I hadn't joined the co-op . . . if I hadn't met Maria at the sale . . . if we hadn't have been Facebook friends . . . if the Falvos had been able to get to Ukraine earlier . . . if the Falvo's Sasha had been sent to a different "camp" . . . there are NO "if's" in God's plan for our lives!  He is constantly working things together for our good! 

What a day!

What a day today has been!  Started out typically -- trying to wrangle the boys into this new school year schedule (which isn't going well so far!), checking e-mails for anything new on the auction, checking Facebook for anything new on Sasha, but then . . . pow!  A message comes over Facebook that tells me we only have until the end of October to get our dossier to EE country.  Apparently, they stop taking dossiers from Nov - Feb -- and if we wait until Feb, all of our paperwork will need to be re-done.  I'm definitely the type to get things rolling, but I have to admit that I was overwhelmed for a few hours.  Right now, I still don't know if our home study is even done!  I also know that immigration can be a long wait.

But then . . . God.  He stepped in and provided some really encouraging news from friends who have gone before me on this journey.  Help from a sweet woman whom I've never even met.  And the simple peace to walk this road with faith.

Some prayer requests for my praying friends:

1. Passport will come quickly
2. We will find favor with immigration and get it streamlined through (possible contacts)
3. God will heal some hurt feelings (sorry, can't give details on that)
4. Dossier papers will be done right -- the FIRST time!
5. That I can get auction plug-in working on our auction website
6. That Chick-Fil-A will let us host a Spirit Night for the two families!

Praises:
1. Do not need state seal on birth certificates!
2. "Duplicate passports" just means copies -- not LITERAL duplicate passports
3. Fund raising opportunity this Saturday at downtown market
4. Do not need visa to travel to country
5. Feature article will be written on 2 families for Hernando Times
6. Friends who will be double-checking all our forms!

Our Silent Auction

So in these last few days before I officially start school back up again (that is, if Isaac doesn't hit us), I've been frantically working on trying to get a silent auction going!  I'm very excited about this.  Our family is working with the Boyer family to bring our girls home!  You can read about the Boyer adoption on their blog at www.eightwasnotenough.blogspot.com (Click on the link under "Friends and Links."

We are asking for donations of products, services, or treasures.  Then, we will take these items and ask for bids!  It's a great way for people to donate and still receive something in return!  I'm even going to create a website (www.ouradoptionauction.org) where people can bid on-line -- AND I can link any services or products to the website or e-mail of the donor!

Do you have anything you can donate to our auction?  We would be so incredibly blessed by your donation!  Please e-mail me at bwylupek@yahoo.com if you have something you can give!

THANKS!!!

"Sasha"

This was it!  Officially, the first picture I saw of our new (future) daughter.  (She's the one on the right!)  Bless her heart, she was insistent on being a part of this picture, I'm sure!  This is the incredible Falvo family who have adopted 5, I think, and they were (still are, as of this post) "in country" adopting that little munchkin' on Maria's lap.

I have to admit.  I was just mesmerized!  Immediately after that picture, I saw this one:

Somehow, I just knew that little girl.  In the deepest part of my spirit, I knew her.  And I knew she was mine.  It was as if I had already looked at her face 1000 times, like my own children's faces.  And I knew she belong here with us.

But that would not be an easy task (or so I thought!).  I had been wanting to adopt for about 5 years.  I truly had a heart for orphans, but I am not a single woman!  I am married with 3 young children of my own, and I know that God would not lead me to do something that my husband was not also led to do.  For the last 5 years, my husband hadn't been.  Well, to his credit, I should say that he had been willing, although somewhat reluctantly, to walk down this path if it was clear that God was directing us to do so.  There were several other children that we prayed about and gathered information on.  But by the time we really felt like we could do it, the child was gone.  Which was OK -- it's all about getting them out of an orphanage and into a forever family.  But each time, it got a little harder to believe that it truly was God's will for us to pursue an adoption.

I had actually reached the point where I believed that it was probably not going to happen.  I looked for other ways to give to children in orphanages and other families adopting.

And then, I saw her.  I can't begin to explain in any way that would make any sense except to perhaps someone who has been through this same experience.  But I just knew.  I knew.  But would Quincy?

The only thing I could do would be to simply show him her picture.  It had been well over a year since we last considered adoption.  He said, "Uh huh."  I know - not much to go on, but I decided it would become a matter of prayer for me.  Over the next day or so, he began asking questions about her.  He said that he was willing to once again begin praying about adoption and getting more information.  I sent him a blog post that changed his was of thinking completely (well, it was really the Holy Spirit that changed his thinking) -- and 48 hours later, he was fully committed.  Not just committed -- but, her daddy.  God. still. moves.

So, we are now "matched" with this little sweetie.  She has a few developmental delays and she has epilepsy.  These are issues that we are completely inexperienced with -- so we are trusting God to give us wisdom.  There are always snags that could prevent us from actually being able to bring her home, but it won't be because of us!  In the next weeks and months, we'll post information about fund raisers -- so please keep coming back!  And please keep us in your prayers!  And here are just a few more pics: