Worrying news

Three weeks and counting until we leave for our trip and we receive a letter in the mail yesterday from the SDA saying that two of our girls are not "on the database for foriegners to adopt" - Belle and SnowWhite. Well, Snowwhite we knew about, but we wanted official confirmation. Belle we were surprised about. The SDA confirmed that Cinderella is available and ready to go, but her full blooded sister is not.

My husband is freaked out. He is interpreting the "unofficial English translation" included differently than I am. Maybe I'm just more used to reading between the lines of Ukrainian documents? I see the statement as saying that the girls are just not available to foriegners (ie they are still in their one year "waiting" period), but my husband sees it as "they are not registered at all." Either situation is possible, but since the letter specifically mentioned "available to foriengers" I am thinking that they ARE available to Ukrainians, thus in their one year wait period...

The mothers rights were terminated sometime before 2002, actively, by the father during a divorce proceeding. But, Belle was in Russia with bio mom when this was ruled on. Sometime in 2002, bio dad had Cinderella taken away from him. She was placed in a shelter in December 2002, and registered for adoption in January 2003. She was available to foriegners in January 2004.

What I think happened to Belle is this: Belle's mom's rights were terminated, but dad's weren't since she wasnt physically living with him when Cinderella was taken away. Dad still had rights. Meanwhile, in Russia, mom had kids taken away by Russian government (Belle and her new half brother). Belle was put in a Russian orphanage, and baby half brother gets adopted to America. Eventually (year unknown??) Belle was transfered back to Ukraine. Dad died in November 2005, thus leaving Belle with no parents, and she was registered at that point (probably 2-3 months after dad's death). So.....no she would not have been available in January 2007, but she should be available by now if she was registered on the national database in early 2006.

Please pray that this is the case!

We have our "friends" in Ukraine looking into this situation, trying to get updated info from the SDA (since this letter was 6 months old) and info from the orphanage director about Belle's paperwork.