Now what?

I can't tell you how strange it is to open up Firefox, go to my blogger dashboard, open a new post window, and not have some urgent prayer need to talk about concerning the adoption. Wow! What a huge difference from just a few days ago. Really...you know, Thursday morning we were expecting a piece of news that the ministry had decided to give the "red light"...that we would need to begin the process of rebuilding our lives and praying that the kids would one day be able to heal. And just look at where we are today!!

I'm sure that many of you are curious as to the title question, "now what?". I thought I'd fill you in on the next steps. This is the skinny on it all...

• We've got to wait 14 days to get the official, legal adoption decree. That will happen on the 20th of this month.
• Decree in hand, we'll be able to get the kids' new birth certificates. I think it's interesting that we will be the parents listed on those certificates. No denying it...we're their parents. Certainly lends a closeup view to the biblical concept of adoption into God's family. We hope to be able to get those certs. within a day or so.
• After all of the Polish documents are translated, we'll be able to file the I-600 form with the U.S. immigration service in Warsaw. The jury's still out about how long that will take to process...but we're hoping it's just a few days.
• At the same time we have to work on getting the kids' Polish passports and PESEL numbers (kind of like our Social Security numbers).
• Once the I-600 is approved we can file our applications to get the kids entry visas for the U.S. Along with those apps we'll have to have complete physicals for the kids (along with immunization updates) and interviews for each of them...you know, to make sure they're not terrorists in training or something.
  
• Once all of those things are approved, stamped, signed, sealed, etc we'll be good to go!!

It really doesn't look like much as I write it all here...but boy does it feel like we're standing face-to-face with a mountain. I did tell Vicki this morning, though, that the stress from this paperwork is nothing in comparison to what I was feeling last week. Nothing! I'm convinced that God has strengthened us so much through the weakness we've felt over the last year...and that it's going to take so much more now to send us "over the edge".

We're going to some friends' place today for what we think is going to be a little party, although we're not completely sure. Just wanted to give a little more information and let you know that we're hoping to be home by August 3...and we are going to be serious ready for a welcome home party!!!!

Have a great rest of the weekend!