ARGH

Oh, will the frustrations never cease? I have been highly engaged trying to find an adoption agency to help us now that ours has lost its accreditation to work in Russia.

It is unbelievable - no one will take our case. It is complicated, of course, aren't all things Russian? Each agency is allowed to work at certain orphanages, our problem is that Anastasia is in an orphanage that agencies don't work with - we were the first ever to adopt from there (Max was there). It is a home for older children and it is way out on the Chinese border in the middle of nowhere.

I finally spoke with a large international adoption agency (they asked not to be identified) last night, they are about the biggest agency in Russia these days - and one of the few still working in the Vladivostok region. They are considering our case. I sent them an email last night with all the details and they are going to forward that to their Russia office and have that office try to make some phone calls or whatever and see if they can help us. In any case, they are really, really nice and helpful. All of the other agencies refused to even think about our case, or, even tried to talk us out of adopting another older child - can you imagine??

We are all praying that this new agency will agree to help us because they are our last shot. Even at the best case scenario though, it is a dreary scene - we have to start all over. It means another $20,000+ and we are going to have to make 2 trips to Russia. We have no idea how to come up with this kind of money, we are working on pure faith here. Robert says we will have to take out loans and just go back home in July about $40,000 in debt and rent a small apartment for a few years (with 5 kids and 2 dogs!!), until we can dig out. Still, that isn't so bad - not when you consider what we are doing. Anyway, last night Robert said he was feeling a slight glimmer of hope about Anastasia - his first one in over a year or so. I listened real hard and felt a glimmer myself - so it can't be all bad!!!

The boys remain positive and continue to pray for Anastasia. They are aware of the impending sacrifices and are ready to face them. Well, as long as Alexander has his own room!