Sticky

There are a few questions that some of you may be wondering about but feel it would be rude or intrusive to ask. I am one of those kinds of people....I like to know. :) Here are a few "sticky" questions and my answers. It's my opinion and my life - so I can't get the answers wrong, right?

Are we not able to have more biological children? (some have already asked this one.... - don't worry - not offended).
Yes - we are able to have biological children. Have had no problems getting pregnant. Have had great pregnancies and healthy babies.

Why would you adopt then? Why not do a domestic adoption as opposed to an international adoption - there are so many kids right here in USA that need good homes? (yes, someone has asked me this!)
This question evokes in me a great emotional response. I would come back with a question.... Great - you see the need is there - what are YOU doing about it? I would love to engage in a conversation about our call as God's people to help the orphans and the widows. Maybe God is giving you eyes to see this need/hurt in the world and providing a passionate way for you to get involved?
I've never been on my knees more before the Lord than through this adoption experience. I don't know how people who don't have a faith adopt.(I know they can and do, I just don't know how they do it!) I have leaned so hard on my Jesus. It's a call. It's a desire to seek out where and how the Lord wants to use me. All of me. Josh and I listened to the call that was placed on our family. Is it tough at times - sure. But deeper that that is a peace and strength that the Lord gives us and a great love and desire to raise our son.

Adoption is expense...how much is it?
Ahhh, money. If only we had a money tree,right! Adoption through an agency can cost anywhere between 20,000-50,000 smackers, depending on the country and the agency you use. Have you heard the saying, God funds what He favors? Love it. Our adoption will cost roughly 20,000-25,000. Yikes. (btw- feels funny telling everyone how much it costs - just want to be open and honest).

Are you nervous about having a multi-ethnic family?
No. Back when we were considering adopting from Rwanda I had the thought about my son struggling when he was a little older with his identity. Will he struggle with the fact that he is dark and his parents and sisters are white? I felt like the answer is that we are called to find our identity in Christ, not in people or the color of their skin. I pray that my girls find this same identity. I do think we need to be aware and place ourselves in strategic areas where there are people of all colors, shapes, and sizes. :) I will encourage all my children to find their identity in Jesus alone.

hey - you can ask...doesn't mean I'll answer. :)
peace out-

do a little dance

On Monday we headed up to our adoption agency's office in Portland. We were there to throw, I mean, hand in our homestudy documents and paperwork. I was so excited. A small weight came off my shoulders as so many hours of hard work was turned in completed. One step closer.... I wanted to do a little dance. A little shakin' of the tail feather in honor of my son. I assumed this could cause severe embarassment to myself and family so I contained myself as all was being carefully looked over and reviewed to be done completely and correctly by our agency. After all this is official business and I must show how mature and sound I am. (keep comments to self :) )

Next step....we were assigned a social worker who will meet with us a total of four times. All countries have their own specific requirements that adoptive parents must accomplish. I hear four times is more than most countries require but none the less, Rwanda wants to be very thorough. Jodi is our social worker's name and she sounds awesome. We've talked on the phone and her first meeting with us is tomorrow (Friday) night. Being new to this adoptive stuff I asked her what her role is and she said that she will ask us a ton of questions about us personally and as a family. We had to fill out personal files (Josh and I did) as part of the our homestudy and she will go over those with us. Sounds kinda intense but Jodi was quick to add that we shouldn't be nervous and it is a very casual process. I'm guessing they want to make sure we are in real life who we said we were on paper.

This is an interesting ride. I was just telling a good friend today that I would never have thought in a million years my life would take this kind of turn. I love how God leads. I love how God is strectching me to rely on him. Adoptive stuff feels sometimes too big to accomplish. And on my own - it is! I am on my knees for His guidance and strength. It's drawing me so much closer to the Lord. I am so thankful.

Get going

We said yes to adopting. We said yes to our agency. We said yes to filling out the application and paying an application fee.....then we met with people from our agency and got allllll our paperwork. I'm talking two notebooks worth of items to retrieve, copy, find, sign up for, fill out, type up, etc....It is no small task. On top of the dossier notebook (for international adoption) and the homestudy notebook (state adoption), our agency requires us to take on line training courses for internatinal adoption and complete a 170 page workbook. We were taking in all that we had to do at the agency and when we got home I looked at Josh and said, "What are we suppose to do?" Talk about overwhelming. I'm one of those chicks who has to take in things for awhile, make lists, wrap my head around what needs to be accomplished. I truly didn't know where to begin at that moment. I was spinning.

Josh is the calm one in this duo. He was so great. He said let's get going. He took on the legal documents junk. I don't do well there. I took on the more emotional areas. Things like getting our reference forms out to people, making appts. for various dr. visits to fill out forms, etc.... What a great team we make. Thank you Lord for my man. After about a month of pouring every extra minute into our notebooks and training, we are close to being done. Yeah - the light is getting bigger. Please pray with us that our FBI fingerprints will come in the mail to us very soon. We sent them in right away but haven't received them back yet. It's so hard to be patient when things are out of my control. Funny lesson in life maybe :). I'll tell ya what a good motivator is though.......thinking about my boy. Thinking about looking into his eyes and kissing his cheek. Come on' - what mom wouldn't climb the highest mountain or swim the biggest sea for their kid. There is a fire that burns in me when I think about him. We keep on going......