Thank you so much for checking in with our adoption process! Thank you for thinking of us, praying for us, and encouraging us as we continue to wait for news! God hears every prayer and for that we are very thankful!
As many of you already know, we are hoping to adopt two siblings from Ethiopia. We started this process in December of 2012, completed our home study, and all requirements were completed in June 2013 and to Ethiopia by August 2013. It's been a long wait and amazing road thus far! God is with us all the way. He goes before us, and He stands beside us.
Last week we received a phone call from our agency. Not "the call" that we were expecting, but we knew this adoption journey would be long one, and turns out it's a winding road too. Twists and turns, waiting and more waiting that is out of our control. However, we rest in the peace that God is in ultimate control of this adoption journey.
Our agency proceeded to tell us that in the 7 orphanages that they work with in Ethiopia that there are no young sibling groups in sight. My heart sank....deep. She asked if we would consider adopting one child. I know that our hearts are set on two children. From the very start Todd and I both came together and agreed that if we were to do this that it would be two children. "Tarik and Elsa" have been born in our hearts and have grown there for two years now. This is hard news. We are faced with the options of either waiting another 2 to 5 years for siblings, or asking our home study agency for an appeal from the policy which would allow us to adopt non-siblings, or proceed for one child and go through the process all over again for the second child.
We called our home study agency and told them the situation. To adopt non-siblings during one process is becoming more and more difficult. Many agencies won't allow it. After meetings and discussions, it was decided that they would not "break policy" and that they could not grant our appeal to request for non-siblings. Their reasoning being that "research shows" that non-siblings have a more difficult time bonding and adjusting to a new family. (I'm not even going to go there with my thoughts on "policy" as I....well, anyway...no need to....it doesn't make sense to me when orphanages are full and families are waiting... that's all.) We respectfully accepted the answer given.
Doors open and doors close. After much prayer we decided to proceed with the adoption of one child. "Surprise us!" is what we told the placement agency. As of now we are requesting one child either gender age 0-3 years old. This news comes as no surprise to God as we confidently believe that He is in ultimate control and that He will make our paths straight.
If we have to go through one process at a time and bring home one baby at a time, then the Lord will walk with us, lead us, guide us, provide for us, and see it through. We keep pressing on and saying "yes" to our calling to adopt.
Romans 8:28 tells us that "All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord." We trust in that and know that God is working this out for the best. This is His Way of making our family and it is going to be perfect!
Throughout the tears of the mental adjustment that I needed to process through in my mind, I just kept thinking of Proverbs 16:9 that says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."
We still have our hearts set on two children coming to us through adoption, but it appears that they will come to us one step at a time! If that is the road God continues to open to us. One adoption process at a time. So what tomorrow holds, we do not know. We just know that we continue to follow the open path that is set before us this day.
When I was upset after the phone call, our 6 year old came to me put her hand on my shoulder and said, "mom, Tarik and Elsa will come to us, but today just isn't that day." She is so brave.
So where are we now? Now we are #1 on the list of waiting families for our agency! We are 47 weeks of waiting! We are ready to move forward and ready for news to come soon of this perfect little surprise that God has uniquely chosen for us! It should be soon that we get "the call"- the good news call that we have been matched with a child. And we are excited!!
Now the question is....is it Tarik OR Elsa! Boy or Girl??
Please be praying for us as we continue through this journey. Pray for us as we seek after God's will and for building our family in the future with yet another adoption process. This story is far from over and we are excited to welcome the next chapter as we welcome one new member at a time!
Write Your Story in our lives God!
As many of you already know, we are hoping to adopt two siblings from Ethiopia. We started this process in December of 2012, completed our home study, and all requirements were completed in June 2013 and to Ethiopia by August 2013. It's been a long wait and amazing road thus far! God is with us all the way. He goes before us, and He stands beside us.
Last week we received a phone call from our agency. Not "the call" that we were expecting, but we knew this adoption journey would be long one, and turns out it's a winding road too. Twists and turns, waiting and more waiting that is out of our control. However, we rest in the peace that God is in ultimate control of this adoption journey.
Our agency proceeded to tell us that in the 7 orphanages that they work with in Ethiopia that there are no young sibling groups in sight. My heart sank....deep. She asked if we would consider adopting one child. I know that our hearts are set on two children. From the very start Todd and I both came together and agreed that if we were to do this that it would be two children. "Tarik and Elsa" have been born in our hearts and have grown there for two years now. This is hard news. We are faced with the options of either waiting another 2 to 5 years for siblings, or asking our home study agency for an appeal from the policy which would allow us to adopt non-siblings, or proceed for one child and go through the process all over again for the second child.
We called our home study agency and told them the situation. To adopt non-siblings during one process is becoming more and more difficult. Many agencies won't allow it. After meetings and discussions, it was decided that they would not "break policy" and that they could not grant our appeal to request for non-siblings. Their reasoning being that "research shows" that non-siblings have a more difficult time bonding and adjusting to a new family. (I'm not even going to go there with my thoughts on "policy" as I....well, anyway...no need to....it doesn't make sense to me when orphanages are full and families are waiting... that's all.) We respectfully accepted the answer given.
Doors open and doors close. After much prayer we decided to proceed with the adoption of one child. "Surprise us!" is what we told the placement agency. As of now we are requesting one child either gender age 0-3 years old. This news comes as no surprise to God as we confidently believe that He is in ultimate control and that He will make our paths straight.
If we have to go through one process at a time and bring home one baby at a time, then the Lord will walk with us, lead us, guide us, provide for us, and see it through. We keep pressing on and saying "yes" to our calling to adopt.
Romans 8:28 tells us that "All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord." We trust in that and know that God is working this out for the best. This is His Way of making our family and it is going to be perfect!
Throughout the tears of the mental adjustment that I needed to process through in my mind, I just kept thinking of Proverbs 16:9 that says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."
We still have our hearts set on two children coming to us through adoption, but it appears that they will come to us one step at a time! If that is the road God continues to open to us. One adoption process at a time. So what tomorrow holds, we do not know. We just know that we continue to follow the open path that is set before us this day.
When I was upset after the phone call, our 6 year old came to me put her hand on my shoulder and said, "mom, Tarik and Elsa will come to us, but today just isn't that day." She is so brave.
So where are we now? Now we are #1 on the list of waiting families for our agency! We are 47 weeks of waiting! We are ready to move forward and ready for news to come soon of this perfect little surprise that God has uniquely chosen for us! It should be soon that we get "the call"- the good news call that we have been matched with a child. And we are excited!!
Now the question is....is it Tarik OR Elsa! Boy or Girl??
Please be praying for us as we continue through this journey. Pray for us as we seek after God's will and for building our family in the future with yet another adoption process. This story is far from over and we are excited to welcome the next chapter as we welcome one new member at a time!
Write Your Story in our lives God!
Todd, Erin, and family
Remember Jeremiah 29:11. Hoping you get the call soon!
ReplyDeleteContinued prayers for you through this process!!
ReplyDelete