MURPHYSBORO - Baby Masha will soon be coming home - and "home" in the eyes of Mike and Sharee Langenstein is Murphysboro.

During the past two weeks, the Langensteins have been embroiled in an international game of red tape and nerves as they've tried to complete an overseas adoption and take custody of Masha, a 4-year-old Russian girl in need of surgery. The Langensteins, both attorneys, had visited with Masha at an orphanage in December and thought they had cleared all the necessary obstacles to ensure a speedy trip to Russia to complete the adoption.

A hold was placed on the adoption by Diane Francis, an employee with the United States Citizens and Immigration Service in Chicago, on Jan. 31, the very day the Langensteins flew to Russia to begin the adoption process.

A heated exchange between Sharee and Francis about the way the case was being handled prompted Francis to put a hold on the adoption, a move that has left the Jackson County couple hanging in legal limbo for 10 days, thousands of miles from home. Francis reportedly put a hold on the adoption, noting in her report Sharee "did not handle stress well."

The Langensteins received word Thursday (Moscow time) that the hold had been rescinded and the adoption process can proceed through the Russian court system.

"Obviously we are very happy that the hold on our adoption has been released," Sharee said via e-mail from Novosibirsk, a community located a short distance from Moscow.

"We are extremely appreciative of the work that has been done on our behalf by state Rep. Mike Bost, the office of Congressman Tim Johnson,Ã'Â and our Congressman Jerry Costello," she said. "We had hundreds of people praying for us, contacting their elected officials, and doing whatever they could to help us get Masha home. For that, we are truly grateful. We have never prayed so hard in all of our lives, and we are looking forward to being together as a family with all four of our children."

Bost, a Murphysboro resident, has been actively lending support to the Murphysboro couple during the Russian ordeal and was ecstatic when he received news that the hold on the adoption has been lifted. Bost called the action of the USCIS "totally wrong" and said it has taken a bipartisan effort from many state and federal legislative offices to move the process along.

"This couple is in a foreign country where it is freezing and their sole objective is to adopt this little girl, a child with special physical needs, and then bring her back to the United States for the medical treatment she needs," Bost said. "And then to get tangled up in all this red tape because of a disagreement on the phone about how paperwork should be handled is just ridiculous. It's bad enough to do this to the parents, but to do this to a child is just wrong."

Even though the Langensteins have received word that the adoption is set to move forward, the USCIS still had not forwarded official word to the Moscow embassy by the close of business in Moscow Friday that the hold had been released.

"We have been told by Congressman Costello's office that USCIS need only to e-mail the Moscow Embassy with confirmation that the hold has been lifted," Sharee said. "We are extremely frustrated that this has yet to be done. We spoke with the consular officer at the Moscow Embassy Adoption Unit on Friday, and she confirmed that she was expecting word from Chicago USCIS, but had not yet received it."

Sharee said Russian authorities told them a judge in Novosibirsk will not be able to set a court date until official documentation is received from the embassy that Masha's visa status has been confirmed. "The earliest we may be able to go to court is this Tuesday, but if USCIS continues to delay sending the e-mail, it could be later," Sharee said.

Sharee said the process will move quickly once USCIS in Chicago sends the e-mail notifying Russian officials there is no longer a hold.

"The day after we have court finalizing the adoption, we will be able to take custody of Masha," Sharee said. "Over the next four to five business days, we will wait for our formal adoption documents to be processed and we will obtain Masha's passport. Finally, we will fly to Moscow for an interview at the embassy and Masha will be granted a visa to enter the United States. The following day, we will be able to fly home to the U.S."

The Langensteins are the parents of three children, 8-year-old Sarah, 4-year-old Kayleigh and 17-month-old Delaney. The Langensteins understand the guidelines on international adoption. They adopted Sarah in China in 2003 when she was 5 years old. According to Sharee, Sarah survived polio while in China and is partially paralyzed on the right side of her body. Masha has scoliosis (curvature of the spine), which is impeding her breathing. Sharee says Masha will need surgery after arriving in Illinois.

Sharee said tentative plans still hinge on USCIS submitting the e-mail, but said as soon as that happens Mike will be flying home after the court hearing to tend to the couple's other children.

"We are both required to appear in court," she said, "but only one of us is required to appear at the Embassy."

Bost said he had a conversation with the couple Thursday night and both expressed concern they would never be able to properly thank all the people who lent a hand cutting through government bureaucracy.

"I told them not to worry about who has done what or who gets credit," Bost said. "I told them to just get that baby and get home."

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