We moved March 3 to our home on our land. All went well and smoothly. That was a huge answer to prayer. We are so thankful for all your prayers on our behalf. We are mostly unpacked and getting settled in. In the last newsletter I was hoping to get the initial office visit for the home study scheduled. It occurred at the end of February. It went well. We also had our home visit portion at the end of April. The agency doing our home study and post-placement visits is Grace Adoptions. Ed Appler and his wife Sharon are fantastic! Their website is www.graceadoptions.com if you would like to check them out. Currently we are waiting for the final report of our home study. We will then be able to finish up the last few documents in our dossier. We are getting close to the end of the beginning of the adoption process. Thanks for your continued prayers for that!
There was some very big news that we were asking for prayer for about Jake. There was a Russian woman interested in foster parenting Jake. This had the potential of being a very bad thing for Jake. If he were put into foster care he would no longer be adoptable (according to Russian laws). Additionally, he would not receive the medical care he will require. Alexandra Goode, the director of International Guardian Angels Adoption Agency who is handling the international part of the adoption, immediately did all the necessary paperwork to request Jake be allowed to come to America on a medical visa. If the medical visa was allowed, Jake could come to America, have medical treatment, and live with us until we took him back to finalize the adoption. If it was denied he might end up in foster care in Russia forever. It was an anxious time. God sustained us through this time by your prayers and our many great friends. We are sorry we did not get out a newsletter with that information so you could be praying along with us. We will do better in the future.
After two months of praying and wondering just exactly how God was going to work it out, it is over. The Russian woman was very persistent. She was demanding they give Jake to her. Those in charge at the orphanage did not feel this was in Jake’s best interest so they kept denying her. Meanwhile, the medical visa approval was taking much longer than usual. Someone Alexandra called the “prosecutor,” who is in charge of adoptions there in some way, was upset that they kept sending Russian children to America for surgeries when he felt they should be able to care for them right there in Russia. He delayed Jake’s medical visa until it could be ascertained if the surgery could be done in Russia. It seemed as if this would never be resolved.
Today, however, is different. Just last night we received word that Jake has been approved for the medical visa. Praise the Lord!! Hallelujah! He is so good! They do not have a date yet, but Jake is coming very soon. It will not be very long now until we meet our son for the first time.
He will have surgery at Shriner’s Hospital in Greenville, SC and then will stay with us here in Arkansas until we go to Russia to finalize and complete the adoption and get Ella. God protected us from persistent attacks on our hopes and dreams. God delivered us. He is so good. Yeah!!
We also found out last night that we can make small photo albums for each of the children and send a small little doll or stuffed animal as well. Alexandra Goode will hand deliver them to Jake and Ella when she goes to pick up Jake. She will be able to tell the children about us, show them our pictures, and tell them we are their mommy and daddy and sissies. We will also put in pictures of our house, their bedrooms, and our dog, Bella.
We are just so excited today we can hardly contain our joy. God is good and He is faithful. During these several months of waiting to know what would happen with Jake and the medical visa and the Russian woman, we always knew absolutely that God was in control, that He was bigger than all of this, and that none of it was a surprise to Him. We also were not worried and had peace about it most of the time. We knew He had told us that Jake is our son and that we needn’t worry about it at all. Thank You, Lord.
Also, since our first newsletter, we have discovered that those wishing to donate to our adoption fund and desiring it to be a tax deduction, can make your contributions directly to International Guardian Angels Adoption with a note that it is for the David & Karin Owens adoption. You can still contribute directly to us or through IGAA. (See both addresses below)
We have many blessings and praises that we are thankful for and would like to share with you:
- Several financial contributions. Thank you so much for your generosity. We are so grateful, humbled, and very blessed by your giving to our family. Thank you!
- Completion and move to our new home. We are all moved and are trying to settle in. It is wonderful to have our own place again and so much fun to prepare a place for Jake and Ella in it.
- Jake and Ella’s rooms ready. We have both of their beds and rooms all made up and ready to go. They look adorable and are ready for sweet, adorable little children to fill them.
- A successful home study. We have now completed both parts of our home study and are just waiting on all the final paperwork to be completed.
- A successful beginning to the Immigration process. We have gone to Fort Smith to the Immigration office there and begun the process of being approved by the U.S. Government for adoption. We have done our part. Now we must wait for them to finish theirs.
- That everything goes smoothly to complete all Jake’s paperwork for the medical visa and safe travel for George, Alexandra, Jake, and Elena (another child they are bringing to America on medical visa).
- For Jake’s surgery and recovery.
- For our safe travel to and from Greenville, as well as our time staying there.
- For the possibility of a place to stay near the hospital while in Greenville, at a Ronald McDonald House or some other similar facility
- For our bonding and attaching with Jake and he with all of us.
- For our adoption expenses. Thank you in advance for your help and generosity on behalf of Ella and Jake. Thanks again so much to those who have already given. We appreciate it so much.
- For some boy clothes and toys for Jake.
- For the communication/language barrier. They only speak Russian, and so far, we only speak English. We hope to learn some words and phrases to be able to communicate at least a few things. Pray they learn the language quickly as children are generally apt to do, as well as they not to get frustrated over it. Pray we are creative in thinking of ways to communicate with each other.
I will try very hard to get newsletters out much more frequently. I would like to keep you all updated on how things are going, how God is answering our prayers and working in this journey, as well as any continued or new prayer concerns. Please feel free to send this along to anyone you feel would pray on this adoption journey with us; we encourage you to do that. This is not just a faith-building adventure for us, but also for all of you who are traveling it along with us.
The addresses to send donations to or to contact us directly are as follows:
International Guardian Angels Adoption
1400 Limestone Creek
Keller, TX 76248
Please be sure to put in a note about it being for the David & Karin Owens adoption.
OR
David & Karin Owens
99 Middleton Rd.
Arkadelphia, AR 71923
Send any email correspondence to karinowens@bluebottle.com
Enjoy!
In Christ’s love,
David, Karin, Ashleigh, and Abbie Owens
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