About 2 weeks after they left we got a message from Lina that they both want to be adopted and come to America forever! We were elated! Tears, tears!! We had also been introduced to another 15 year old boy who desperately needs a family, Myk. He is in a different orphanage, but same region as our 2, so adding him to our adoption wasn't too difficult. With the "yeses" from D & L and a 3rd kid chosen and LOTS of prayer and counsel we began the 6-7 month process to adopt! We have been entrenched in paperwork and fundraising. They are truly daunting task! Especially the fundraising! We need +$40,000, not counting loss of income when hubby travels to Ukr@ine for over a month.
We have encountered some negativity, and plain ole just being ignored by some, but mostly prayers and moral support. We pray hearts and wallets will be opened :-) . We are trusting God to provide the money and we are doing a couple fundraisers. The most promising one at the moment is a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle made from a photo of the kids.
C & C Lucas Adopting from Ukr@aine
Or Copy & Paste this link to your browser:
https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=58-1703392&vlrStratCode=gVUbCDDZpWUZlHT3RrUrpsIKL%2bSp568DzRGZMJVX0xxp14WthMurI%2b9Fr6Zj4x%2ba
"Buy" as many pieces as you like! PLEASE DENOTE the donation is for C & C Lucas adopting from Ukr@ain!!
Our home study will be complete and sent to our agency by the end of the week. We will then submit to USCIS for homeland security clearance to adopt internationally. Once that is approved (2-4 weeks) we can submit our dossier (legal packet) the Ukr@aine for approval (7-13 week wait) and then we will be give a travel date to go to U for the kid's files and a court date can be set. LOTS of paperwork, notarizing and apostilling(Google it :-) ) ahead!! This all needs covered with prayer and positive thoughts!!
We are asked by some "Why adopt teenagers from Ukraine!?" Here is our motivation: After 16, EE orphans are deemed ineligible for adoption UNLESS you are adopted with a younger sibling(our D & M). FACTS: Statistically, when a child ages out of the orphanage at 16, 60% of girls will end up in prostitution just to feed themselves and/or Human Trafficking, 70% of boys will be on the streets or in jail, and 15% will commit suicide within the first two years on their own.
We hope it motivates others. We cannot personally save them all. But I know of 3 we can. And who knows the far reaching impact of the connections we are making on this journey.
Our Dennis "aged out" of the orphanage this weekend and was sent to a "trade school" in a very dangerous city that is a hot bed of human trafficking. Yes, even boys are kidnapped and sold into slavery. He is scared, we are scared and currently have no way of contacting him. We hope to get him a cell phone through our adoption facilitator in U. Again, this costs money and we are hoping donations pick up! We must come up with over $6500 in the next month to keep everything moving. We are on a very tight time frame with Dennis, as he turns 18 next April and will no longer be able to be adopted. Also, M will turn 16 next May and will become ineligible for adoption because he doesn't have a younger sibling. We are literally playing "beat the clock"! Also, Lena and Myk started another year of school without a momma and daddy to buy them school clothes or supplies, send them off with a hug or have a snack waiting and help with homework. We pray the fate of the 3 orphans will be vastly different this time next year!
