Successful SDA Appointment

We had our SDA (State Dept of Adoption) appointment in Kyiv today to get our referral to visit Vitalik and Lera in their orphanage.  It seems that it went well.  We were really surprisingly nervous - as we waited to talk to the lady, I thought my heart would beat right out of my chest... and this was supposed to be one of the easy parts!  She asked us a few simple questions and was nice.  She told us what they knew about our kids.  They have been on the adoption registry since 2007.  Lera has impaired vision (this was no surprise, as the pics of her reading our letters seemed to show her holding the page very close to her face).   It was sad to think that she has needed glasses at least since 2007.  Won't it be interesting for her to get glasses and actually be able to see!  After learning a few additional facts, we were asked if we wanted to proceed with the referral.   YES!  We will pick up the referral late in the day tomorrow, and then will take the next train to Simferopol (15 hours - tickets were not available, but we are told they are working on it).

This whole thing is just so interesting.  If we were in America, we would expect to have a list of steps in the process all laid out, with various contengencies at each step.  We would expect to discuss all possibilities, and speculate and plan and think think think.  This would just be our natural way of approaching something so big and complicated and important.

The culture here is very different, and seems to dictate that we don't think ahead more than one step at the most.  We are to trust our handler implicitly and ask very few questions.  We are getting along with him just perfectly, and are literally trusting him with our lives.  It is a real exercise in letting go - and letting go - and letting go.   I think we are doing well so far, although we are both exhausted mentally and physically - a combination of jet lag and stress I imagine.  We really do not know what to expect, but we are just going to continue this journey and try not to worry!

So now we continue waiting.  Our crazy little apartment has come to feel pretty comfortable.  We are getting used to the unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells.  I think our agenda for the rest of the day includes a nap and maybe a dvd movie and/or scrabble game.  We are both just trying not to think too much, and to just keep breathing.