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.