The other update we've been waiting for...Dossier Submitted!

May 27, 2010 our dossier was submitted to the SDA (State Department of Adoptions) in Kiev, Ukraine. So hopefully we will get a travel date in roughly 10-14 days...and then actually travel a few weeks after that. Lots of different emotions going on all at once...with the biggest being "EXCITED".

Another comparison with a typical pregnancy and the adoption pregnancy is the "nesting stage". This past week I've been busy with swapping bedrooms for the boys to make one big toy room for Joey and Isaiah and all Noah's farm toys. Also deep cleaning and painting...all things I want done before Isaiah comes home.

After that I will have to start making lists for the babysitters for when we are gone.

Here is another picture of Isaiah that Michelle took yesterday at mealtime being fed by his nanny. She couldn't get him to look at the camera because he wanted his food.

The update I've been waiting for...well, one of them.

Alisha, the gal who volunteered at Isaiah's orphanage, informed me on April 4th that Isaiah was in the hospital. All she was told was he had a cough. Alisha then left Nikolaev two days later to go to Ethiopia to meet and live near her two boys they were soon going to adopt. I knew I would have to wait until Michelle & Noah go to Ukraine to adopt their 3 kiddos...all in the same orphanage as Isaiah. Their two girls are actually in the same room as him. They arrived in Kiev, Ukraine on May 15th and I last talked to them via Skype Tuesday the 18th. Plans were for them to be in Nikolaev on Friday the 21st to meet their kiddos...and...they were going to hunt down Isaiah to give me an update. We didn't know where they would find him...in the hospital still or back in the orphanage. Well, I waited and waited and waited and waited...all the while also waiting to hear if our dossier was submitted on May 20th or not or if there were any documents that needed to be redone or something crazy like that. Between waiting for these two things made for some really long days and feelings of doubt would creep in here and there. To speed up the story I was finally able to talk to Michelle today!! They just got internet service. The apartment they are staying at never had the service before. I got great news...Isaiah is back at the orphanage AND she sent me a new picture. It was so worth the wait. God reassured me again that Isaiah is ours. As you see in the picture Isaiah is sporting a BIG ol' "B" on his chest. That can NOT stand for anything other than "BECKER". Also notice the "butterfly" on his left shoulder...he may be a "caterpillar" now "locked up in an orphanage" but he will soon get his wings and fly.


Now to continue the wait to hear if we've been submitted and then to get a travel date. I know God has THE perfect time for us to go but I'm as human as the next and I get a tad bit antsy at times.

We've been praying that we only have to travel to Ukraine one time. Most adoptions to this country require two trips but we were told that sometimes the 10 day wait in between the trips is waived and you can finalize it and take your child home at the end of the first trip. Michelle/Noah were told by either the facilitator or maybe lawyer (I forgot which one) that the judges have never waived the 10 days from the region Isaiah and their kiddos are from. That made me a little sad but I quickly snapped out of it and told Darrell and the boys that God is bigger than any judge and IF God wants us to only travel once...then we will only travel once. And if not, then so be it...back I go...with a travel buddy.

The drawing was held....and....~*~*~the winners are~*~*~

A BIG ***THANK YOU~~THANK YOU~~THANK YOU*** to all who helped make this fundraiser a success. All you who donated items for the prize drawing...THANK YOU...this could not have happened without you! All you volunteers who helped sell tickets and all you who bought them...THANK YOU..you are all so appreciated! Also THANK YOU to all you who sent donations "just because" to "Help Bring Isaiah Home". We feel so blessed to have such amazing/supportive/giving people in our lives. You are all part of saving a child's life.

Only ONE week left before the drawing.

Prizes that will go to the lucky winners...

~*~iPod Nano with $25 iTunes Gift Card (value $175)
~*~Uppercase Living Wall Words (value $150)
~*~Mary Kay Skin Care Gift Basket (value $250)
~*~Handmade Quilt (value: someone's precious time)
~*~Creative Memories Gift Basket (value $100)
~*~GPS Navigation System (value $150)
~*~Samsung Digital Camera (value $100)

And for the locals there is also a drawing for a 1/2 of beef including the processing (value of approximately $600)

All donations go to help bring Isaiah home! Click on the CHIPIN button to the right. $5 for 1 chance or $10 for 3 chances.

Thanks for your support!!

Dossier Final Destination!!!

Amazing how fast things go while I'm in bed sleeping. Our Dossier departed Germany at 4:27am on 05-07-2010 and arrived in Warsaw, PL (which is Poland) at 6:10am on 05-07-2010. UPS tracking shows a Destination Scan in Kyiv, UK (Ukraine) at 1:03pm on 05-07-2010. Now I will be waiting to hear when it is in the hand's of our facilitator who is working on our adoption.

It's finally on the move again.

Departed Koeln (Cologne), DE at 4:27am on 05-07-2010. Whoo hoo!!

Where in the world is the Becker Dossier??

Well, it made it over the ocean and is in Koeln (Cologne), DE...to be exact. Arrived at 7:23pm on 05-06-2010. And if you are like me and didn't know where DE is...that would be Germany. Getting closer.

Our traveling Dossier update

It departed from Sioux Falls, SD, US on 05-05-2010 at 9:44pm. It arrived in Louisville, KY, US on 05-06-2010 at 12:18am and it departed at 4:52am. It is currently "In Transit" to who knows where??

"Where There Is Faith"

Another favorite "adoption" song of mine. It gives me extra strength to keep moving on when life tries throwing curve balls my way...thoughts of doubt...extra paperwork...redoing paperwork...lack of support...nasty comments, etc.

I DO believe in giving of myself for someone else. I DO believe in peace and love...in honesty and trust. It comes from the faith that Jesus truly does live in us and through us.

I believe there was and still is a voice calling me to Isaiah and I will keep walking. The times I feel alone in this world...by adopting a child with special needs...Jesus is right there to bear my burden and heal my hurts. It is not always easy but then I keep reminding myself that He had it so much worse than I do and He continued on His path doing His Father's will and so will I. Jesus did it to save us and I'm doing it to save one of His...to give back for all the gifts and blessings I've (we've) been given...to teach my kids that sometimes God calls us to do big things even if it goes against what society thinks we should or should not do...to love and to serve.

Knowing that a boy from across the sea will soon have the freedom from living his life in an orphanage and a mental institution brings me so much peace. Knowing that same boy, who has never known the love of a mommy or daddy, will soon be given the gift of a whole family brings me so much peace. It IS a wonderful, powerful place...where there if faith.

Our Dossier is on its waaaaaaaay!!!

Our Dossier was actually "suppose" to go out yesterday but 3 documents from our social worker did not pass inspection at the Secretary of State's apostille department. It was actually an error on the notary public part. So our social worker had them redone and had them overnighted via FedEx straight to the state capitol. Today was full of lots of downs in the adoption world of "ups and downs". I'm told it is so normal for things to not always go smoothly. For the first time I had a strong thought of quitting but it didn't last long as I know there is a little innocent boy who is waiting for us to come bring him home. I knew it would all pass because God is on our side even if there are more bumps in the road...down the road. It's those "bumps" that make us who we are if we are open to "listening" to what we are trying to be taught. Most times I find the lesson to be how to persevere...to keep trusting...to keep your faith...or even better yet...strengthen your faith. It's OK to feel weak and fall at times but don't remain down in the "ditch" too long...get back up on that "road" and keep moving on.

My experience today and the thoughts going through my head reminded me so much of how my pregnancy with Joey went. All the trips to the capitol...all the home study meetings...the Fargo trip for fingerprints...all the trips to the notary...are so much like all the doctor appointments with a typical pregnancy. But I had to make extra trips to the capitol and extra trips to the notary as I had to make extra trips to the doctor when I was pregnant with Joey. Things weren't going smoothly with all the tests for him and things weren't going smoothly with the "pregnancy" for Isaiah. But just like I couldn't give up on Joey I can't and won't give up on Isaiah. No one said adoption was easy...at least I haven't heard of a story where it went smoothly from start to finish.

Here are some of our "doctor appointments".

Our fingerprint appointment forms we needed to take to Fargo for the USCIS office. Darrell, Steph, and Josh (because he is 18 yrs. old).


After all 30 of our fingerprints were cleared by the FBI we received this...the I-171H which is the approval by USCIS for us to proceed with our adoption. When we sent in our application (I-600A) to the USCIS we were requesting to adopt ONE child and the home study that accompanied the application also stated ONE child. MUCH to our surprise and to those in the "adoption world" we were approved for TWO. Not sure what God has planned for us in the future but it is kind of exciting.

These are from the 6 visits to the Secretary of State's office at the capitol.

The MUCH awaited visit to this place finally happened today.

Here it is...the whole 1st and 2nd trimester for Isaiah...preparing and finishing the Dossier...all 37 documents...notarized...and apostilled.

37 documents minus these 2 because these travel with us to Ukraine...

...equals this stack...

...weighing in at 1.10 pounds...

...for a total of $159.59 to travel and make it to Kyiv, Ukraine in 2 days.


The status on the Traveling Dossier...

Billing Information Received 05-05-2010 6:26pm US
Origin Scan 05-05-2010 6:39pm
Departure Scan 05-05-2010 7:24pm Bismarck, ND, US
Arrival Scan 05-05-2010 8:10pm
Departure Scan 05-05-2010 9:44pm Sioux Falls, SD, US

It won't be long now Isaiah...but until then...our daily thoughts and prayers go out to you for your safety and good health to continue.

(((hugs))) and ***kisses***

Dad, Mom, Josh, Ryan, Austin, Noah & Joey
ps...Oy, Oy, what are you going to do with all those brothers??