We are going to Russia next Friday!


We have accepted a referral of a 6 year old girl in the Pskov Region (northwest of Moscow; west of St. Petersburg). We leave for Moscow on Nov 23 and take an overnight train to the region on Nov 25. We get to meet with her on Nov 26, 27 and 28.

After our visits we'll get back on the overnight train and arrive in Moscow on Thursday morning. We are going to stay in Moscow a couple of days for sightseeing before the flight home on Saturday. Our agency is having us update all of our paperwork now, and take it with us so we can try to schedule Trip 2 around Christmas. If we can't get a court date before things shut down then they expect Trip #2 to be late Jan or early Feb.

Here is a description of M from the orphanage director:

"... is very sociable girl and loves to contact with children and adult persons. She is always ready to express her opinion and to defend it and it doesn’t matter for her whether she is right or not. She is always ready to contact and to socialize with children but sometimes quarrels may arise because of her ambition for being a leader."

Hmmm, seems like a personality trait or two we will have in common.

We are excited nervous overwhelmed tired and everything in between. Our agency is looking for another girl for us in the region. If we are unable to find a sister, we will happily go home with one child - see how life develops - and consider going back again sometime in the future for #2. See, adoption process amnesia at work already.

OK, now our little secret is out...