It's Here!

We received our packet of information from the adoption agency today! In it is all sorts of forms and contracts and information on what to fill out and how. It looks daunting, but I think we can complete everything by the end of March, probably earlier. When it comes to paperwork, I love to dive in and work until it's all done.

On to Step 2!

Is it a boy or a girl?

Yes. :)

We're still a long way from this decision being set in stone, but we have been thinking about it a lot. Initially my husband was set on a little girl because the conditions in country for a young woman are just terrible. There is a level of sexism that rates on the scale of the Middle East. Forced marriages, rapes, lack of education, and lack of access to proper healthcare top the list. We watched A Walk to Beautiful and caught only a glimpse of the life some women must endure.

After further thought (and prayer), my husband wants to be open to either a boy or a girl and let God choose our child. After all, the conditions aren't much better for a young man. Jeremy makes a good point that, if we raise a son, there will be one more man who is raised to respect, honor, and cherish women. A man who will not have his mind poisoned by sexism. A man who may choose to return to his country educated and equipped to help the women there, much like the OB/GYN from the movie who repaired the women's fistulas and gave them a second chance at life. Oh, how proud I would be to raise such a son!

So, as soon as the paperwork arrives (they've received our application and cashed our check - should be any day now!), we will begin the home study/dossier process and state our wishes to let God choose our child. Either way it will be a privilege. I continue to pray that God gives comfort and peace to the mother and father who will face the decision to let their child go in hopes of a better life. Oh, that I may prove worthy of such a trust.

What's in a Name?

When I began this blog, I had to think up a name. I chose "More than Conquerors" because that comes from my favorite Scripture verse. It was never intended to be a permanent title, but I haven't been able to come up with something clever, pithy, unique, and yet conveys all the intricacies of what it means to be called as Christians to adopt. Yeah, I know, sounds like it should be pretty easy. :)

I've renamed the blog "Open Doors" because, for now, that is what we have encountered (Revelation 3:8). From surprise reimbursement checks from our insurance company, to finding certified copies of birth certificates I didn't know I already had, to finding that the cost of filing a form was less than I originally calculated (in one case it was $0), we have so far had our paths made smooth (Isaiah 45:2-3). I want to honor God in this moment. It may not last much longer and, when we stumble and our paths are not as easy to walk, I know He will still be by our side, guiding and never forsaking. He will see the good work He began in us unto the end.

Paperwork Pregnancy

I've heard the process of gathering the dossier as the "paperwork pregnancy." If that is accurate, then I am still so newly pregnant that morning sickness has not yet set in. I love paperwork. I know, that makes me mentally ill. Hey, I went to college to be an accountant, what can I say? :)

The application should arrive at the adoption agency today. In the meantime I have begun filling out the paperwork for our passports. Mine only needs renewed, which is a somewhat easier process than getting Jeremy's brand new. Next I have the forms to request certified birth certificates for us and the kids, a certified copy of our marriage certificate, and my divorce decree all printed out and ready to mail.

That's about all I can do until I hear from the agency about starting on the home study. One thing I am not is patient and I have read from others who went through this process that God does some serious pruning in that area. Paperwork requirements and timelines will test even the most patient and easy-going. Lord help me to trust you and know that you're timing is perfect.

I've also spent time this morning organizing our loft/office. Too much paperwork has piled up and the sun motivates me to get busy. I'm so glad we'll be going through the paperwork pregnancy during the spring and summer.

In the Mail!

I officially mailed our application this morning! It should get to the agency by Friday and we should hear back within 2 weeks. Then the fun begins! (read: incredibly sarcastic) From what I understand, the next step is the home study in which a social worker comes to visit us a few different times and dissects our family to determine if we're fit to parent. Kinda hoping we are since we've already got 3 children and I'd hate to find out now!

After the home study is the dossier which is a packet of financial and legal information, including the home study, which will be sent to Africa to be translated and used to match a child to our family. Once a child is found, we will be sent a referral which we can accept or decline (I can't imagine declining!). Once we accept, the court process begins and the adoption is finalized in Africa. Then an embassy date is set which is where the child receives a visa to come to America. Usually the adoptive parents fly over to the country to pick up the child and go to the embassy date together, but we are opting to use an escort to bring the child home. Not only does it save us some money, but it means that we don't have to risk something happening to us which would leave our biological children orphaned. It's just not worth the risk, imo.

I'm so excited that we have begun this journey. It may be the most important thing we have done or may ever do. It's one thing to marry and make babies and raise a family. It's a completely different calling to raise someone else's blessing. As much as I look forward to providing a family for a child, my heart simply aches for the mommy and daddy who are unable to care for their little one. I pray I can do them honor by loving their child like he/she were my own. I ask God that He give them peace in their decision to let their child go.

A Perfect World

I have the application packet complete and ready to send first thing tomorrow morning! Praise God for answered prayer! Our pastor and his wife know a couple who recently adopted two girls from the country we are applying to adopt from. I prayed that if they used the same agency that we have found, then I would consider that a sign from God. The agency is a small one, so the likelihood of them using it was pretty small. Well, I got an email from that couple today and they used the agency I was praying over!

Here is the family photo we took for submission. It's not professional, but at least we're all looking at the camera! :)

And She Was

still waiting. The last few weeks have felt like waking up from a dream exhausted because you thought you were running a marathon, but it was only in your mind. A lot of effort and no movement. *Sigh*

In a perfect world here is what will happen: I will get an e-mail or phone call today answering my questions satisfactorily. Jeremy will come home with a new printer ink cartridge and I will finish making copies of the necessary documents, attach them to the application and mail it first thing Wednesday morning. In 10 to 14 days, we'll hear back that we've been approved, and can begin the home study process.

In the meantime I've been reading a lot of other blogs from people who adopted from Africa. The pictures are wonderful! The children are simply beautiful and I love reading the entries from when they first met their new children. It is a good motivator. We also watched A Walk to Beautiful which is a documentary about women in Ethiopia who suffer from fistula, a tearing in the bladder or intestine during obstructed delivery during childbirth. So sad. I wish I were a multi-millionaire and could donate large sums of money to organizations like the ones that help these women.