Another Hurtle Cleared!

Just a quick update... We finished our agency paperwork and sent that off this off to them on Monday. Once that packet is reviewed we will be assigned a caseworker and then the REAL fun begins. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the process of adopting outside our country I'll give you an aerial view of what the process looks like and then I'll show you where we are so can have some perspective on all that goes into this journey.

First step is to find an agency that works with the country you desire to adopt from. This is a lot harder than it might seem. There are many agencies but only a small handful that have strong relationships with the country. Once that decision is made you have a rather large packet of legal papers that will cement our relationship with the agency we picked.

Next, you're on to finding a homestudy provider that will spend the better part of two months learning everything there is to know about you and your family. During this process there are doctor appointments, police records are checked, financial documents are reviewed, etc. Basically, they will leave no rock unturned. If there is dirt on you, it will be found out. Once that completed and notarized it is then sent on to your agency for approval.

After that you're on to I N S paperwork to begin the process of getting your child here legally. From what I understand these are difficult papers to fill out and there US forms as well country forms. All these items will build a dossier which will eventually be sent on to your child's country to be translated and reviewed as well as...accepted...then you are sent a referral. This of course, is a brief overview.

Referral day!!!! Very exciting because it's the day we learn what our child looks like and in our case it will also be the day we learn whether we have been blessed with a boy or girl. You receive a picture, in some cases you will receive a dvd of your child, as well basic information. Health, family situation, birthday (if known), etc. On that day, if you happen to hear screaming in the distance, that'll be me rejoicing! There will be some serious celebrating going on! Once we receive that and accept the referral (like we're going to refuse), we wait for a court date to travel to the country to go before the courts to petition for adoption of our child. Once that happens we will be sent back home to wait for finalization and a call telling us we can come pick him/her up and FINALLY bring her home. I'm trying not think too much about this step because the thought of having to leave our precious little one for even a day will tear my heart out.

I'm exhausted just typing all of that and you can imagine (or know first hand ;)) how this process has the potential of draining the life out of you. Thankfully, we don't look at this from the aerial view very often but rather we are taking it one step at a time and celebrating each hurtle cleared along the journey.

We are currently finished with the agency papers but we did one step out of sequence. We already have our homestudy completed. This is HUGE! We will need to wait for our agency to review it and approve then it will need to be notarized. Still, we are deep in the process and I feel strong and hopeful about the rest of the journey. I am certain that I'm in God's will in this and that He set us on this journey. What peace comes to us when we know that we are listening to His voice and walking in obedience to it. He tells us to "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:8a. Gospel.com put it best "The Bible often tells us that when we take a step of faith, God reciprocates by giving us more than we dared to ask for. Here, we are promised that when we simply draw near to God, He responds by drawing near to us with His glorious presence. " Once I was certain that God was drawing us to adopt again I began to ask Him about that. Really?? Are You sure??? Then my prayers became petitions for another child and restored the longing I had always had for a large family. Pictures of several children began to pop into my mind and I'm positive these were from the Lord. "He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children." Ps 113:9

You see, before this year, I had been clinging desperately to the hope of giving birth to a baby. I chose to remain in self-pity and; to be honest, self-loathing because I felt like less of a woman. That is such a lie from the pit of hell! Infertility can be an indescribable ache that only those of us who have (and always will) walked in can understand. Satan used that to distort what God intended/intends to use for His GLORY and kept me in a pit of despair for many years. Thank you, Lord for giving me a "hope and a future" Jer 29:11 and for awakening my heart to what YOU want for my life. I've set aside my will and have allowed His to take over and amazing things are happening in my life. Joel 2:25 says, "Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten." I'm receiving that promise for my life!!

All that to say, even if this process takes longer than they are telling us, even if things get harder and harder along the way (which they will) I am going to stand firm in the promises He has given me. Our God is still the mountain-moving, miracle-working God of all and I'm waiting and watching for all the ways He's going to take my breath away along this journey. My prayer for all of you reading this is that you, too will allow your breath to be taken away. He is wooing each of us towards Him. Would you give Him a chance to steal your heart and knock your socks off?

With Love,

Cris