A lot of people have been asking about how this whole Russia-Georgia conflict will affect our adoption. The honest answer is that I don't know. There are a few things that I do know, but not many.
First, our kids are in the city of Stavropol, which is in the "state" of Stavropol located in the southwest part of Russia between the Black and Caspian Seas. You've probably seen far too many maps of that part of the world on the news over the past 3 weeks, but I've included one here anyway. If you look at the map, you'll see that Stavropol Kray (think "State") is close to Georgia, but does not border it directly. The city of Stavropol is almost 200 miles exactly from Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia and location of much of the fighting. The kids are far enough away that it does not appear that they are in any direct danger. Praise God for that.
The part that scares me is not the fighting... it's the political posturing between Russia and the United States. It seems that everyday we see another headline where the US and Russia are moving further apart. We say stern things about Russia's actions in Georgia and they say stern things about us putting a missle defense base in Poland. NATO says there can't be business as usual until Russia pulls out of Georgia and Russia says it will no longer cooperate with NATO. It's pretty clear that we are on a path to a new cold-war. I hope it stays cold, but even cold is a big problem for us and our kids.
Our greatest fear right now is that Russia will decided to up the ante and suspend travel visas for Americans, or worse yet, they may suspend the foreign adoption programs. If that happens, we won't be able to go there for court and to bring the kids home. Right now, we have been told to expect a September court date. In fact, we could be given a date at literally anytime now. I pray that it comes soon and that we can get there and get the kids before the strained tensions between our governments get any worse. I know that God is in control and that through Him all things are possible. I hope his timing is quick however. Keep praying for us and for Russia to keep their borders open.
1 comment:
Hi! I saw your comment on my blog, thanks! We are in Stavropol right now on Trip #3 and get to pick up our daughter tomorrow evening, finally.
Court is not difficult, and your agency should be able to prepare you. First, you need to have all your documents completed. We had all our documents for Stavropol done before we made our first trip, but then found that we had to redo a few (the guardianship letter and the pediatrician letter) to have dates after the first trip. We also had to redo our 8-doctor medicals to include a stamp from the medical clinic our doctor works at on each page.
Court day #1 is a bit less formal, where you and your husband will answer the judges questions. They are not hard, but you will still feel like you're under some scrutiny. Don't ask any questions of the court (process goes smoother if you don't). You stand when you talk to the judge. Your translator will help you through the process. The social worker and your attorney will also speak to the judge. (The social worker will go with you to the orphanage before the court hearing, so it is good if you ask lots of questions about the child while she is there.) The second day of court is a little more formal. You will answer some of the same questions as the day before. Then the orphanage director will speak, the social worker, someone from the Ministry of Education, and then the prosecutor may ask you some questions. Then the judge will leave the room, come back and make the announcement that the adoption is granted.
I have heard that you will need to memorize your home study. We read through ours again just to refresh. Our translator also told us what questions to expect. If you want more info about the questoins you can send me a note at sdmcenteeatgmaildotcom.
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