Calling All Prayer Warriors

We would so appreciate your prayers.

Our latest update: We have all our dossier documents ready to be sent, except one vital document. We have submitted our I600A and it is waiting on one vital document to be fully processed. That one important missing document is our completed Home Study. We have been waiting on the final completion of that for over 4 weeks. (We started the initial process at the end of January - almost 4 months ago!) Supposedly, it has been completed by the social worker and is getting reviewed by the agency in North Carolina. It is taking longer then expected.

My attitude has been mostly relaxed, trusting it will all work out in God's timing. However, it was brought to my attention this morning that we will likely not travel in July. We may have to host her this summer instead if this continues to drag out.  That would mean we would have to go through the horrible goodbye's at the airport again. I don't want to send my daughter back. I want her home with us to begin healing. Or, we may travel in August. Our travel time is still so uncertain and it's driving me crazy!! If you've been around the adoption world for long, you are not surprised by all these delays. It seems to be a part of the deal, and even though I know this, I had been optimistic until now. Or maybe trusting God? Either way, we covet your prayers as the final steps before travel are completed.

Here are some specific prayer requests:
1) For the homestudy to finally be completed and mailed to the appropriate places. That we would be Christ's light with the two agencies we are working with, all the while advocating fiercely for our daughter.

2) That we'll be able to travel with the two other families adopting Irina's two friends in Ukraine. It is looking like that is not possible now, but with God anything is possible. I am asking BIG things. I think it would be terrible for Irina's two friends to have their families arrive for them while she is left behind until we can travel to get her.

3) For Irina's continued safety. I know she is not getting tortured, but the picture that has been painted for me of her orphanage from those who have been there is VERY grim. Please pray that God would put a hedge of protection around her.

4) The children at the orphanage will be heading to camp in two weeks. I have heard so many conflicting things about camp, some very ugly. Pray for safety for the children and specifically pray that Irina will not get her head shaved at camp. The last time she was at camp, her head was shaved and I saw before and after pictures. I think it was traumatic for her. We're not sure if the head shaving is a preventative measure or a reactive measure due to lice.

5) Continue to pray that we will trust God and cling to His promises as we are tempted to worry or be fearful.