Pictures!

I sent this email to my "Dasha contacts" today...but I know there are many supporters whose email addresses I do not have so I want to extend this photo offer to any of you!!  If you would like to be included in the photo book, please send me your picture by tomorrow night!!  Thanks so much:)

Hello all!:)

Our friend Laura is heading to Ukraine in March for a Mission Trip.  She will get the chance to see Dasha, and has generously offered to take anything we wanted to send her.  I am composing a photo book for Dasha, so that she is able to learn her family members, her house, church and school.  I thought it would be neat to fill the last page up with photos of people who have supported her along the way...and who are excited to get her home!  If you would like to be included in the book, please email me a photo that I can put right in.  I am making it on Shutterfly, so I hope to order by tomorrow...sorry for the short notice:)  Laura leaves on the 17th, so I need to have time for the book to get to NC before that!

Thanks so much...hope all is well:)

Letter from OJM clarification

Some of you may have received, or might receive, a letter from OJM about tax deductions.  I've had a few phone calls from people concerned that we were going to lose donations that were made specifically for Dasha.  Let me assure you, this is NOT the case!

I spoke with Kyle (Exec. Dir) last night to get complete clarification.  You have 3 options according to the letter.

1. Reply in a letter/email specifying that you want your donation JUST for Dasha, in which case it will NOT be tax deductible.  This is according to the IRS. (Someone brought up the question of whether or not Al and I would have to count this as income...we DO NOT)

2. DEFAULT OPTION  you do not reply, your donation is considered a general donation to OJM, and therefore IS tax deductible. Your donation WILL benefit             Dasha's adoption fund, and we will not lose any money from her account.  This basically states that should her adoption end up totaling less than what we've raised    (don't worry, a miracle won't even let that happen:) then whatever is left over will be kept in OJM to be used for their mission..which is a fantastic one I might add:)

3. You request that your donation is returned.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me:)

Thanks!!

letter from Dasha!:)

dear mother, i love you so very much! i do want to move to USA. i dont mind many people meeting me at the airport, i am happy about it. 
i do love my sisters and i want to meet them very much. thank you so much for such a wonderful letter.
please say hello to all the family.
when i read your letterm i began to smile at once.
i understand that paper work is hard. i think of you every day and i am waiting for you
love\
dahsa

We have family all over the world:)

This is a letter from Dasha's host family in NC.  Talk about some wonderful people, who are dealing with a lot of life issues these days.  We wouldn't even know of Dasha if it weren't for them...I am loving our life:)

Hi Danielle,

 

We just received your Christmas card.  Since Dasha has been gone, we have worried so much about her future.  Up to this point, we haven't even mentioned your family adopting her when we send letters.  I guess knowing that life can change on a dime and there are sooooo many things that could affect the adoption process like raising the large amount of money needed, other concerns your family may need to deal with prior to the finalization and the process on the U.S. and Ukrainain sides, we were afraid to include this in our letters...........afraid to build up her hopes until the adoption was 100% complete.  In the beginning when she first went back, I even included our email address and phone number in letters so if the unthinkable happened, she could contact us if she was set free on the streets of the Ukraine.  We know how life has let her down already.  We do believe in God, but also are aware that tragedy happenes to good people all the time.  Once I received your Chrismas card, a calm came over  me.  I can't explain it.  I have know for a while now that no one has ever been more determined or worked soooo hard to adopt a child than your family but I was still afraid.  I am not anymore.  It is like the pictures on your Christmas card were all pieces of a puzzle that fit so perfectly.  That everything is as it is meant to be..........and though the clock still ticks, in the end there will be a beautiful chime.  Todays letter told Dasha how happy we are that such an amazing family is trying sooooo hard to adopt her, and we can't wait until she is a part of your family celebrating Christmas.  I am crying as I write this.  Crying tears of joy that you are such a wonderful person with such a loving heart, and how lucky Dasha is to be part of such a nice family. 

 

We love you.  Merry Christmas.

 

 

The Marsalo's

vote

Just a quick update to let you know that the vote in Ukraine (to stop international adoptions) has been postponed until the session taking place Dec. 21-24.  It was scheduled for today.  Our adoption agent remains very optimistic about the outcome, so we do too!

We sent Dasha a letter last week, and I got an email from the translator who said she was overjoyed to read it...I guess she isn't YET the teenager who thinks she's "too cool" for her mom & dad:)

I will keep you posted on the vote, or anything else that might occur before then. :)

another letter from Dasha!

My dear Mother!

I love you so much and i miss you very much. I want to move to US as soon as possible.  I am happy that Marina visits our orphanage and we learn English with her.  I look at your pictures very often.  I love God very much and I always pray about my adoption.

We had a concert at the orphanage, and I was dancing waltz in a very beautiful dress, it was pink.

I love you all very much, I am so thankful to Laura that I met you.

Please write me, I wait for your letters very much.

Love,

Dasha

:)

In the past 4 months, our lives have dramatically changed.  In June, our family faced an unimaginable tragedy...I can't believe I once thought it was something we wouldn't get through...I can't believe I thought my sister wouldn't survive the loss of her husband.  What I've witnessed with my own eyes since then, is nothing short of a miracle...it's nothing short of God's work.  Since June 21st, Michelle has become a survivor.  She's strong...she's an amazing mother, daughter, sister and friend.  

God has orchestrated & intertwined...He's planned & intervened. We are moving forward in Dasha's adoption, and if you consider that everything began the weekend of August 14th...I'd say He is working quite rapidly!  The friends we've met throughout this journey will be in our lives forever. Just when Al and I think that people cannot possibly be any more generous, any more giving, any more loving...we get smacked in the face by reality!  That is exactly what you all are...a million times over.  We were blessed today by some amazing friends...I would like you all to know that we are within $5,000 of our goal...no, that's not a typo!  

We are beyond thankful to all of you, and SO many more....we are anxiously awaiting  news that the Embassy will  approve our request to adopt Dasha (becauseUkraine is halting adoptions from 11/30-2/1, we need to plead with the Embassy) , and they will make some exceptions so that we may "stake our claim" on OUR daughter.  Please keep up your prayers!!  You are all amazing!!

Love,

Al, Danielle, Dasha, Gracie, Bella, Maddy, & Kate