An update, and yet not really

I received an update from our agency, after a couple of emails. It appears that they, too, are not clear on the current delay. They did not tell me whether the family ahead of us had gotten a referral (I am guessing not, since they would certainly have wanted to give me good news if they had any). They did say that they talked with their representatives in Russia, who have indicated that several other American adoption agencies started working in this region in July/August and that the region's Ministry of Education seems to be serving them right now rather than us. Our dossier arrived there in late August.

Guys, we just can't seem to catch a break. Plain and simple. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't think God had a plan in all this.

I specifically asked our director if it is reasonable to expect that we could travel in November (remember, I wrote to him a couple of weeks ago, when October wasn't practically over), and he said he could not yet be sure and that he'll get back to us in a week or two with more info. That sounds very much like a "no" to me. And if we do not travel in November, that brings us to December, when all of the bureaucrats' vacations begin again as the holidays approach (and continue through part of January). Sigh. I am trying to let go of the idea of traveling before late January, but I can't do that quite yet. Our update from our director in a couple of weeks might finally provide some realistic expectations.

My prayer partner - who is also in frustrating circumstances - reminded me of how praising God in the midst of difficulty can be really good for us. We've decided to each make a list of some particular blessings and joys that have only been possible because our circumstances have deviated from the plans we had. You can look forward to seeing some items from that list in my next blog entry.