I often sit at the computer and wonder what updates to make for the Blog. I feel like there is a long time that passes where there really are no updates. Like the last three weeks. It has been just over three weeks since our dossier was submitted to the Ukrainian adoption department. Three weeks of hovering over the phone, waiting for it to ring, waiting for those awesome words that are going to make my eyes flood with tears of joy.
That's the thing though. It has only been three weeks. In my correct mental state I know that three weeks is not really all that long in the dossier submitted world. Three weeks. It is probably still sitting on someone's desk somewhere in Kiev. Untouched. Oh, but how I know that anything and everything is so unpredictable. They could call at any moment and have my appointment scheduled for 5 days from now, or 20 days or tomorrow! You just never, ever know, and so I sit like a hawk. Watching, listening and waiting. Of course this is difficult when you have three other children at home and you're still in the fundraising trenches. What can I do next? How can I get more sales from this idea, etc. It is so hard and I can only Thank God for the endurance to keep me moving. This is such hard work and until you've done it I don't believe you can appreciate all the time, effort, stress, loss of family time and sanity it really is.
I pray we get at least one other grant in to boost us much closer to our funded number. We are so close and I think another $6,000 should cover everything. Pray with us. It is such a tedious task. I could not imagine being a board member trying to decide which families you can help. There is such a great, great need out there. How do you tell a family who is really struggling to earn the ransom of an orphan that there just is not enough money? Pray long and hard for these men and women for God's guidance.
I am hoping that with our next update I will have wonderful news of travel to share with you!
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Submittal and C&DL
Hello Friends,
Awesome news this week. After months of paperwork and stress levels beyond words..... we have been submitted to the courts to request permission to visit our little boy! I am beyond excited and maybe I cried in relief a little. It always feels like a bit of a cliff hanger until you know for sure everything is in perfect order. We have had some bumps along the way, but all looks well at this point. So in about 4 weeks we should receive our travel dates and I do expect to be heading to Eastern Europe around the second week of August. Exciting!
We have also received our direct link for donations to our account with Lifesong for Orphans. This is exciting as well. We were chosen by an organization called, Chosen & Dearly Loved as a sponsor family. Catherine from C&DL called me on my birthday to let us know we were chosen and she is the kindest person ever. I love when strangers can come together and pray and gush over their love for this ministry. There is no better feeling in the world- talk about Goosebumps!
This grant from C&DL is being monitored by Lifesong so all donated funds will be sent there. Once we reach $2,500 in this account, C&DL will match it, dollar for dollar. That's $5,000!! Please feel free to share this information for us. We are nearing the end of this leg of our journey and soon our boy will be home with us!
Awesome news this week. After months of paperwork and stress levels beyond words..... we have been submitted to the courts to request permission to visit our little boy! I am beyond excited and maybe I cried in relief a little. It always feels like a bit of a cliff hanger until you know for sure everything is in perfect order. We have had some bumps along the way, but all looks well at this point. So in about 4 weeks we should receive our travel dates and I do expect to be heading to Eastern Europe around the second week of August. Exciting!
We have also received our direct link for donations to our account with Lifesong for Orphans. This is exciting as well. We were chosen by an organization called, Chosen & Dearly Loved as a sponsor family. Catherine from C&DL called me on my birthday to let us know we were chosen and she is the kindest person ever. I love when strangers can come together and pray and gush over their love for this ministry. There is no better feeling in the world- talk about Goosebumps!
This grant from C&DL is being monitored by Lifesong so all donated funds will be sent there. Once we reach $2,500 in this account, C&DL will match it, dollar for dollar. That's $5,000!! Please feel free to share this information for us. We are nearing the end of this leg of our journey and soon our boy will be home with us!
https://mystory.lifesongfororphans.org/stories/second-chance-family/
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Christmas in July
Things are just plugging along here in Central Florida. It's been a not-so-breezy 95* all week and just all around hot and sweaty and miserable.
That is when a genius idea struck me! Why not make this miserable time as happy as possible? What is the happiest time in year? (Not including when you get the phone call that its time to go see your baby) Christmas time of course, and thus "Christmas in July" was born.
I'll be working on a few Christmas themed crafts and gathering items to hold an auction in the middle of July. If you have anything you'd like to donate please let me know. Anything goes... Christmas related items, anything that would make a good present, gift cards, gift certificates, etc.
Hopefully around that time I will also receive travel dates. Everything is coming down to the last bits and pieces until we can bring our son home. I am so thankful for our amazing team and my awesome family for dealing with my craziness and inability to think straight at any given moment.
That is when a genius idea struck me! Why not make this miserable time as happy as possible? What is the happiest time in year? (Not including when you get the phone call that its time to go see your baby) Christmas time of course, and thus "Christmas in July" was born.
I'll be working on a few Christmas themed crafts and gathering items to hold an auction in the middle of July. If you have anything you'd like to donate please let me know. Anything goes... Christmas related items, anything that would make a good present, gift cards, gift certificates, etc.
Hopefully around that time I will also receive travel dates. Everything is coming down to the last bits and pieces until we can bring our son home. I am so thankful for our amazing team and my awesome family for dealing with my craziness and inability to think straight at any given moment.
Friday, June 16, 2017
Chosen and Dearly Loved
So this week some amazing things are happened.
1. On Monday - It was my birthday; yay 31! I appreciate growing older. It is a privilege denied to so many. I look forward to what this next year in the journey of my life will bring: A growing family, career and learning opportunities, building a stronger faith and foundation with God and so forth.
2. On Monday evening I received the BEST gift ever. I received a phone call from Catherine with an organization called, Chosen and Dearly Loved. They are an amazing organization that offers advocacy and support for adopting families and orphans around the world. Catherine called to let me know they chose our family to feature and offered a matching grant of $2,500 through LifeSong for Orphans, a second well known and cherished organization.. This is AMAZING! What that means exactly is Lifesong for Orphans has opened an account for us similar to our RR account where tax deductible donations can be made. Once donations have reached $2,500 they will match that amount for us. That's means $5,000! If we can hit that we will be so close to fully funded. I'll post those details on how to donate below.
3. My boys (hubby and our two sons) are visiting family this week in Michigan. This week our son Pasha was able to meet his Grandpa Frank and aunts and uncles for the first time this week! Also, our two boys were able to meet their step brothers for the first time this week. Its been extra special for them and I am so thankful they were able to spend this time together.
4. Lastly, today, the 16th the very last of our needed dossier documents have flown over the Atlantic. Please say a little prayer that this families trip went well and was smooth for them. Fingers crossed that this time next week we will be submitted.
We do still have a very long way to go. Please send the vibes and the prayers and whatever well wishes you can our way and also remember there are so many families out there in the same position we are. I see so many Mom's and Dad's who work their butts off to earn extra funds. They make and bake and sew and babysit and anything else you can think of. It is hard to do. It is hard to not become discouraged and it can be difficult to pick someone else up when you yourself also feel the weight of pressure to reach these goals. Earning the money is truly a ransom and it is not earned easily or else everyone would be adopting, right? ;)
If you'd like to make a donation into our Lifesong account to join us in meeting this matching grant then please visit this website. Add our Last Name: Chinchak and Account Number: 7012 to the appropriate fields.
1. On Monday - It was my birthday; yay 31! I appreciate growing older. It is a privilege denied to so many. I look forward to what this next year in the journey of my life will bring: A growing family, career and learning opportunities, building a stronger faith and foundation with God and so forth.
2. On Monday evening I received the BEST gift ever. I received a phone call from Catherine with an organization called, Chosen and Dearly Loved. They are an amazing organization that offers advocacy and support for adopting families and orphans around the world. Catherine called to let me know they chose our family to feature and offered a matching grant of $2,500 through LifeSong for Orphans, a second well known and cherished organization.. This is AMAZING! What that means exactly is Lifesong for Orphans has opened an account for us similar to our RR account where tax deductible donations can be made. Once donations have reached $2,500 they will match that amount for us. That's means $5,000! If we can hit that we will be so close to fully funded. I'll post those details on how to donate below.
3. My boys (hubby and our two sons) are visiting family this week in Michigan. This week our son Pasha was able to meet his Grandpa Frank and aunts and uncles for the first time this week! Also, our two boys were able to meet their step brothers for the first time this week. Its been extra special for them and I am so thankful they were able to spend this time together.
4. Lastly, today, the 16th the very last of our needed dossier documents have flown over the Atlantic. Please say a little prayer that this families trip went well and was smooth for them. Fingers crossed that this time next week we will be submitted.
We do still have a very long way to go. Please send the vibes and the prayers and whatever well wishes you can our way and also remember there are so many families out there in the same position we are. I see so many Mom's and Dad's who work their butts off to earn extra funds. They make and bake and sew and babysit and anything else you can think of. It is hard to do. It is hard to not become discouraged and it can be difficult to pick someone else up when you yourself also feel the weight of pressure to reach these goals. Earning the money is truly a ransom and it is not earned easily or else everyone would be adopting, right? ;)
If you'd like to make a donation into our Lifesong account to join us in meeting this matching grant then please visit this website. Add our Last Name: Chinchak and Account Number: 7012 to the appropriate fields.
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Fly Safe, baby!
Our very last dossier docs have made it to the next traveling family. The family leaves from Utah on June 16 to head to Kiev where they will meet up with our facilitation team. This is so exciting! Please keep this family in your prayers over the next two weeks. The Mrs. is already in country and they are waiting for their final days of the adoption process as well.
Our timeframe is closing in. I expect we will be submitted within the next two weeks and could receive travel dates anytime after that. We are looking at around another $6500 minimum to raise before we are fully funded. It is still a big number, but I believe in a big God. We will make this happen but I am in need of help. Do you think you could spare a few dollars to us today? Could you share our story with 5 friends today?
The easiest way to donate from our blog is to hit that pink donation button or visit our Reece's Rainbow page. ALL donations are tax deductible! Please pray for us and that we will meet this goal soon!
http://reecesrainbow.org/114490/sponsorchinchak-2
Our timeframe is closing in. I expect we will be submitted within the next two weeks and could receive travel dates anytime after that. We are looking at around another $6500 minimum to raise before we are fully funded. It is still a big number, but I believe in a big God. We will make this happen but I am in need of help. Do you think you could spare a few dollars to us today? Could you share our story with 5 friends today?
The easiest way to donate from our blog is to hit that pink donation button or visit our Reece's Rainbow page. ALL donations are tax deductible! Please pray for us and that we will meet this goal soon!
http://reecesrainbow.org/114490/sponsorchinchak-2
Sunday, May 21, 2017
I serve a Mighty God
It is about 8:15 on Sunday May 21, 2017.
I should be getting ready for church. We have a big day today with our First Responder Appreciate Day and the kids are going to have a blast. BBQ lunch and Fire Trucks will accompany us today.
I just want to take a second and say that I serve a Mighty and Powerful God. This week has been a real test of my patience and understanding. I've been nervous this week. We've had a fall out with our Social Worker of the many mistakes she has made through our process. The lack of communication and her ability to just drag all things out. I've said some truly unkind words and maybe even said I was going to mail her some of our chicken's poop.
I did not know what we were going to do. Thankfully I calmed down and took a deep breathe and just went in the direction I felt God was telling me to go and its been in our favor. We have ceased working with her and found a new, awesome Social Worker who has managed to fix every wrong doing in the course of one day. Incredible!
More details to follow. I really do need to get ready!
I should be getting ready for church. We have a big day today with our First Responder Appreciate Day and the kids are going to have a blast. BBQ lunch and Fire Trucks will accompany us today.
I just want to take a second and say that I serve a Mighty and Powerful God. This week has been a real test of my patience and understanding. I've been nervous this week. We've had a fall out with our Social Worker of the many mistakes she has made through our process. The lack of communication and her ability to just drag all things out. I've said some truly unkind words and maybe even said I was going to mail her some of our chicken's poop.
I did not know what we were going to do. Thankfully I calmed down and took a deep breathe and just went in the direction I felt God was telling me to go and its been in our favor. We have ceased working with her and found a new, awesome Social Worker who has managed to fix every wrong doing in the course of one day. Incredible!
More details to follow. I really do need to get ready!
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
I received an email today...
... that told me we are USCIS approved!!!
This is huge. I thought for sure it would take a couple more weeks to receive this, but Officer Krost in the Adoption Department of the U.S. Immigration service assures me our approval letters are in the mail by tomorrow. So here is our timeline for those interested in where USCIS currently stands:
This is huge. I thought for sure it would take a couple more weeks to receive this, but Officer Krost in the Adoption Department of the U.S. Immigration service assures me our approval letters are in the mail by tomorrow. So here is our timeline for those interested in where USCIS currently stands:
Application and Home Study received 4/13/2017
Finger printed 5/8/2017
Officially Approve 5/15/2017
I'm thrilled that this leg is over! Once the hard approvals are received I will send them to Tallahassee with a few other documents to be apostilled and I will send them to the next family traveling to Ukraine and we will wait to be submitted to the court. A couple weeks after submission we should receive travel dates for our appointment at DAP.
It is officially crunch time. There is no other way to describe it. I need to raise an additional $8,000 in roughly 2 months or close to. Pray for me. I'm really going to need it. :)
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