Praise God...

God is so good to us! James and I are so thankful for how God continues to guide this adoption along. I am constantly checking the Internet, trying to learn new information about Kazakhstan adoption. Well, last night I read that the Embassy in D.C. has temporarily stopped accepting new applications due to documentation issues. Our paperwork just left D.C. two weeks ago and therefore will not be affected. Our dossier is actually in the process of being approved right now! WOW! That's incredible timing and another confirmation that we are right where God wants us.
I hope that you all had a great Easter yesterday. Ava got some Easter gifts already! Here are a few pictures of the nursery and some of Ava's goodies.
Blessings,
Kari and James

Ava and I have matching aprons! Thanks Aunt Kristie

What a perfect Easter basket! Ava got lots of Baby Genius DVDs and CDs!
Thanks Mom and Dad!

Now Ava has one of Grandma's famous blankets too. So pretty. She'll love it...Thanks Grandma.

About this blog..

Hello All,
James and I decided that this would be an easier way to keep everyone informed on our adoption. Things are moving quickly and this blog will allow us to update everyone more often. This will also be the sight that we will use while we are actually in Kazakhstan. Since our last update there is no new news. Our paper work should have made it to Kaz by now and we could hear about an available child in as little as 4 months. It could also be much, much longer than that. Oh yes, we are learning to be very patient and flexible...good practice for parenthood huh? Anyways, hope that you all have a very blessed Easter weekend. Thank you Lord for the price you paid!
Much Love,
James and Kari


Thumbs up for the new Blog!

Another Previous Update...

Dear Friends and Family,

Our paperwork has been translated, approved, and is on its way overseas! Today we found out that our dossier was approved by the Kazakhstan embassy in Washington DC and should arrive in Kazakhstan next week. This happened much quicker than expected and we are thrilled to be one step closer to meeting our baby.

We only have a few more big steps to go before we could be traveling. Our dossier will arrive in Kazakhstan where it will have to go through two more approvals. This usually takes 2-3 months. After we are approved, a God’s Families staff member can begin looking in the orpahanges for an eligible child. In Kaz a child is eligible once they turn 6 months old. Once we hear that there is a child for us, we can begin making travel plans. In the meantime we are learning as much as we can about the nation of Kazakhstan. We have been doing our online research on the culture, the sights, and the people. Of course we are also getting things ready here. James is working on the nursery as I type.

Thank you all for your prayers…God is hearing them! So far we have gone through this process with very few bumps in the road. We are still on track for traveling this summer but we will keep you posted. We hope that you and your families are doing well and we would love to hear updates from you as well.


Blessings,The Letterneaus

Previous Emailed Updates

Hello Friends and Family,

We are excited to report that we are done with all our paper work!!!!! Yay! All of our paper work will now be sent to Washington and then off to Kazakhstan for review. We are still expecting to travel to pick up Ava Lynn Letterneau (yes, we have decided on a name) this summer, but we may be looking at fall or even winter of 2008.

Thank you:
We wanted to thank all of you who supported us at our Craft Fair in December. We raised enough money to cover our travel costs which was more than we could have ever imagined. Thank you again for your financial support and, more importantly, for your kind words and prayers. We can’t wait to someday tell our daughter about all the people who had a hand in getting her to us.

What’s next?
The paper work should make it to Kazakhstan within the next few months. After that, our applications must go through review in Kazakhstan which normally takes about 2 to 3 months. Once that is done, we could be asked to travel at any time. We are quickly learning how fast things can change when it comes to international adoption. This is what the process looks like as of now but who knows how it will actually pan out.

We would be grateful for your continued prayer for this process. Ava could be born right now! Please pray that she stays safe and that she is being loved and cared for until we can get to her. We hope that you and your family are doing well. We love you all.
James and Kari