Day 46

We went to court today!  Well, we went into the court house today.  Tatyana and Valentin picked us up this morning and took us to the appeal court, where we were to meet with the assistant to the judge to answer some questions. 


We weren't really sure what questions we would be answering, but we were prepared for anything.  We even have pictures and videos of Danila to show how much he has bonded with us during our stay here...you never know when a picture will tell more of the story than your words can!


Well, it turns out that all we really needed to do was show our faces and sign a document.  Apparently people will frequently ask for a court date to be expedited, and then leave the country anyway.  So, we had to show up to prove that we were indeed still here and waiting to go home.  Tatyana spoke with the assistant for maybe 5 minutes, we signed a paper, and then we were off.  We had to pay some kind of court fee (at another location) then go back to the courthouse to show them that we had paid it, and then we went back to the apartment.


From what we understand, the system here works best for people who know people.  Luckily, Valentin knows a lot of people, and is gracious enough to call them to try and get us in and through hoops and such.  Basically, for appeal court, there are two stages.  One, where the judge goes through your paperwork, and the second when you talk and the decision is made.  Today's meeting counted as the first stage, so now we just wait (surprise!!) for the soonest possible date that the panel of judges can fit us into (which will hopefully only be a couple days away).


We are thankful to have people on our side who believe in our case and believe that Danila was meant to be with us.  We are thankful for Tatyana and Valentin both for doing so much leg work and behind-the-scenes work while we just hang out and spend time with Danila.  We are also thankful for their sense of humor...Valentin offered Bryan a job today...in jest, I'm sure...but wouldn't it be cool to drive the car with the lights and the siren??  LOL :)


No visit to Danila today, but we did make it to Tuesday night Bible study with Brenda and Willard this evening AND it was cleaning-lady day at the apartment today, so we are home late, but at least everything is sparkly-fresh.


Since our prayers for court seem to be getting answered quickly, would you all mind saying a quick prayer for our friends Cara and Doug?  They have hit a small snag in their adoption process here in Kharkov, and could use a little lifting.  Thanks :)