Quiet Day

Woke up this morning to a bit of snow outside, but only noticeable on the awnings in the courtyard of our apartment. Had a pretty lazy day. Talked, read, Mark played computer games. We were without water for about 5 hours, apparently there was a problem affecting the entire street - but wasn't a big deal (I was just finishing my shower when the water pressure dropped).

Olga arrived this afternoon. She discussed what we should expect in court tomorrow morning and the plan for the day - sounds like it will be a busy one. We also talked a bit about our girl - it is so apparent that she is treasured by the staff at the orphange!

The three of us (Olga, Mark, and I) walked to a nearby coffee house for a light dinner. I had an omelette with chicken and cheese which was very good (but definitely different than an omelette back home) and then "american pancakes" (I would consider them french pancakes or crepes) with caramel sauce - oh, so yummy! Mark had cream of chicken soup and a ham sandwich. Coke for him, Sprite for me - all for about $10.

Enjoyed our time visiting and I know I have said this before, but I am so appreciative of Olga and her efforts on our behalf. She is working very hard to make things go smoothly and is truly a blessing!

So, our prayer requests are as follows:
 - At 9am (1am CST) tomorrow morning, we will meet with the judge who will review our petition to adopt. First and foremost, pray that we will find favor with the judge and she will approve our adoption.

- That the 10 day waiting period before the court decree becomes official would be waived. This has never happened before, but we know that our God can work miracles. This could allow us to be home before Christmas. Alternatively, Olga will ask that the 10 day waiting period will start tomorrow (normally, it doesn't start until the day after court). This will still allow us to be home before the end of the year.

- Immediately after court, we will go to the passport office to reiterate our request for a "red passport." The application for this passport is processed in one day. If we have to wait for a "blue passport," this will delay approval by 7-10 days which then leads into the Ukraine holiday time when the country shuts down for a week. This would leave us two options: spending an additional 3 weeks here in Ukraine or coming home for that time period, then returning to bring home our girl. So... we ask for prayers that the red passport will still be available to us.

Thanks to everyone - we love you!