"Pukey"

I was reading a fellow adoptee's family blog this morning. She described her day as "pukey"! I can relate with her today. While she was talking in the literal sense (I guess I should be thankful for my day), I have had a "pukey" day in the figurative sense. I received an e-mail from America World responding to my many inquiries on the Petition to the Court document that we are still needing. She basically said that they will begin working on it in a couple of weeks. Ugh, more waiting. She did say, though, that things in Krasnoyarsk are moving along smoothly. She still expects us to receive a court date within the 4 month time frame from when we first traveled (around April 17th). The problem is that I had been holding some documents still needed for the Ministry of Education and the court until we got the petition because it is very difficult and expensive for us to have our documents apostilled here in the great (great meaning expensive) State of California ($20 per signature and an 8 hour drive each way). Well this backfired, of course, as most things in adoption processes do. We can't wait any longer so now we are in a bind to try to get these apostilled and sent off to Russia before they expire. If any of these all important documents expire it puts our referral and adoption process in jeopardy. Please pray that we will find a way to get them to Sacramento and back quickly. We don't need anything else to delay our process or cause any more problems. We have also decided to redo the children's medical forms and our labs again. This is the 5th time that we've had to have these blood tests taken. I'm pretty sure that I haven't contracted HIV, Hep C or developed Tuberculosis in the last 2 months, but you can never be too sure right? So, it's another week in the doctor's office for us. On top of everything else, our home study agency is having a difficult time getting their last document requirement done. Once again, a document that other families have had no trouble getting is impossible for us to get. On the bright side today, we finally made it to the last $10,000 needed to finish our adoption. This is amazing considering it is only by the grace and provision of God that we have raised the other $40,000. Yet with the possibilities of us getting our court date next month, it doesn't give us much time to raise the rest. Besides 1 Grant application that is still pending, we honestly have run out of financial options. I know that God has provided us with everything that we have needed so far in this process. I can only pray that he will continue to provide this last amount needed to bring Mikhail home. Today I am just exhausted from paperwork, fundraising, blood tests, notaries and apostilles. As I write this though, I am reminded of a verse that has helped me to keep going through the past 2 years. Matthew 25:40 "The king will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." So while my day may seem "pukey" in the earthly sense, I am glorifying my king in the heavenly sense. And that to me is worth all of my exhaustion, pain, and resources. Bring on the puke!

SP

P.S. Sorry, Lyn, about your day, but thanks for the inspiration.