praises and prayers

Yes, we did have our benefit dinner for our adoption on April 20th, and, no, I have not blogged about it yet.  This is mainly because life has been hectic this past week with our semester at seminary coming to a close and with trying to get last minute loose ends tied up for our Dossier.  Also, I am mad at myself for not taking a single photo of our fundraiser to share with you.  

Here are a few praises and prayers from the past week though:

PRAISES 

• Our benefit dinner went very well and we raised about $1500 profit to go toward our adoption fund!
• We have had many generous friends, family members, and church friends who have given us so much encouragement and support over the past two weeks.  I have tried to thank everyone, but if for some reason I missed you, THANK YOU for how you love on us and support us through your prayers, kind words, and financial gifts.  We COULD NOT do this alone.
• Our home study was approved by our home study agency!
• Most of our Dossier documents have been appostiled and are being translated in Bulgaria right now!  The others are on their way to our case worker as I type!
• We had a little blunder and didn't realize we had to get local AND state criminal background reports (on top of FBI criminal background reports, I might add), sooo.....it was a huge praise that we had a day off school this past week and were able to take care of both of those last minute details all in one day.  =)
• We have officially mailed off every piece of our Dossier to our placing agency!  What a relief!
• At this point, we have payed almost half of our expected adoption fees.  Wow!  Huge praise!

PRAYERS

• When we have documents in limbo, being sent to and fro, across the country and back, I am a nervous wreck. This may seem silly, but please pray for our packages to arrive at their destinations safely.  We have many documents in route right now, and I just pray that they are handled well and arrive when and where they should.  
• Our home study has been approved by our home study agency, but it is still being reviewed by our placing agency.  I pray that M approves everything quickly and efficiently.  Once that home study is approved, our Dossier will be complete, and we move on to the next step:  immigration!
• Let's not forget who this is all for:  Ivelina.  We continue to pray for her daily.  She is already becoming such a huge part of our lives.  We talk about her like she's already here sometimes, and we have fun wondering what her little personality will be like.  We imagine holding her hand as we walk through the airport and cuddling with her during her very first plane ride.  We imagine the vacant room in our home painted and furnished and filled with laughter.  We wonder if she is well and if she has eaten and if she is sleeping at night and if she has anyone to play with.  I know as this process creeps slowly along, we will get more and more antsy to meet her.  So please pray for patience on our part and for health, happiness, and healing for Ivelina.  We just can't wait to bring her home!

Thanks for reading!
~Shelly