On Tuesday, the day we received our letter of referral from the SDA, we decided to take a chance and see if there were papers that Robert (and I?) could sign now rather than making another trip to Kiev at the end. In this way we’d be able to save money and since timing might be crucial later it would be a big help. I called the US Embassy and spoke with the adoptions department. They thought it was a good idea to come in and sign the documents, which I will completely fill out later on during the final phase. This was a very encouraging time, because the staff at the embassy (some Americans, some Ukrainians) knew of our case and assured us they will do all they can to shorten the expected time frame for getting the waiver. They also noted to us that there is a strong possibility that HIV will soon be taken off the list of medical reasons that require this waiver. However, it has not happened as of yet.
We did find out though that we had missed a crucial form related to the eventual waiver application for B when his visa will be rejected. We misunderstood the form, thinking that it was something to be filled out related to medical authorities after our arrival with the kids in the US. Thus, we, family and friends in the States are trying to get this form filled out with the proper signatures of a pediatrician and state health officer even while Robert is still here. We sometimes feel we’ve had a big financial part of Fed Ex this last year! We left the embassy much more confident and encouraged. We then began to prepare for our departure Tuesday night to Odessa and Belgorod.
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