"Paperwork wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for all the paper. And the work." Darynda Jones
Who can even spell the word dossier? Let alone know what it is! Well let me tell you, this paperwork I’m filling out is no fake dossier. It’s the real deal, and it’s kicking my booty! But you know what, there’s no option! It’s got to be done if we’re going to Ukraine to bring this boy home!
For those of you who are new to this adventure, my husband, Carl, and I are in the process of adopting a young man from Ukraine. In my most recent blog before this one I shared all about him. It’s a great story so if you haven't read it, here's the link!
https://libbysboutique.net/blogs/news/let-the-fun-begin
So here’s an update! Valik is doing well! Like I said before, we have the opportunity to talk to him every day which is very fortunate because with most orphans that does not happen. I feel like we've really been able to stay in touch with him as this process continues.
So what about this dossier? What all is involved in filling out a dossier? It’s not mentally taxing like the homestudy was, but rather just a bunch of documents we have to retrieve. I’m guessing by the time we have everything ready to be notarized, it will be upwards of 40 signatures that will need to be signed and notarized and then apostilled. I guess adopting is kind of a big deal, and when it’s international, they require even more. Please understand, I’m not complaining! God has blessed me so much my entire life. When I look at the kids like Valik who are emotionally scarred from rejection, who’ve lived in an orphanage for years, this paperwork is minor!
So what happens after we get this next big step done, the dossier. We wait! We wait for an invitation to travel to Ukraine!! This blows my mind! I can’t even wrap my brain around traveling there and staying for three weeks! And then making two more trips after that! Excited! Scared! Anxious! What about my dogs? Will the boutique survive without me? I won’t see my mom or my kids or my grandkids for three weeks! Yes, all of these are valid feelings, and they are very REAL! I’m kind of a small-town girl, and I like it that way! But once again, the option to not go is just not an option. We love Valik! He needs us! We need him! He needs to know Jesus! And speaking of Jesus, He is why we have the courage and faith to step out of small-town America and travel across the world to become a mom and dad to a child who needs us; all children need parents! That’s why we always advocate for families to host these kids in the summer to see if they might fall in love with them and want to make them a permanent member of their family.
Did you know if only 7% of the world's 2 billion Christians each cared for one orphan the orphan crisis would end? Granted, that is a lot of people, but we are commissioned to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We are commissioned to help the orphans and the widows!
So on to other things that aren’t so heavy! Obviously, I love fashion which kind of goes along with decorating my house. I love that too! And so of course, I’m getting Valik‘s room ready! I bought him a red and white striped bedspread that is perfect for a boy's room. I know he won’t care a lick about it, but I want him to have an awesome bedroom. And I tell you what else his room will have..pictures! He has showed me his room at the orphanage, and it is literally four bare walls. Maybe that doesn’t even look lonely and cold to him because it’s always been that way, but it will not be like that in our home.
As you well know, adoption is very expensive. Not everything comes out at the same time so so far we have been able to pay as we go. There are some big expenses on the horizon though so we have elected to do a fundraiser with these super cute T-shirts. We love t-shirts at Libby’s Boutique!! We'll have them for men, women, and children. By mid April, we should have it all in place ready to go so we will share the links with you all then. We did give you a little sneak peek of a few of the shirts. We will offer up to 13 different options so there should be no problem finding one you love!
Whew! Here we are! Finishing up our second biggest task, the dossier. Most likely by the time I write my next blog, the dossier will be complete. However, we will probably not know much more than that. There’s quite a bit of wait time for things to happen that are out of our control. We do know Ukraine moves quickly on adoption and especially since Valik is an older child.
Thank you so much for reading our blog and sharing the journey with us! I just keep thinking about that picture we will take in Ukraine the day he becomes our son! So worth it!
May God bless you and bless you richly,
Libby
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