Praying for Strength...


This past week, for some reason, has just seemed really hard in this waiting process. I don't know if I am just getting antsy, or impatient, but I've found myself battling to stay positive in the waiting process. I guess some weeks are just like that.

A lot of people have been asking about the timeline of our process, so I thought I would give an update of where we are at, and how long we expect to wait. We started our process officially last May 2010. However, our Dossier (the big fat packet of paperwork) was not finished and submitted until January 31, 2011. After the Dossier is submitted, families become part of a wait list for what is called a referral. A referral is when a family is matched with a child.

You can specify ages and sex when it comes to the adoption. Nate and I are waiting for a referral of a sibling group of 2, both under the age of 4, and one being as young as possible (0-12 months). We have said we would like one to be a girl, but are open to girls or boys. When we started the process, the timeline for receiving a referral was 6-12 months from when the Dossier has been submitted. Today, they have increased that to 8-14 months.

When you receive the referral, you have several days to accept or deny the referral. There is information about the children, including developmental, medical, and background information. When you have accepted the referral, you then wait for a your first court date...that can be anywhere from 2-3 months away. Once you have received your court date, you travel the first time...only to come home without the children. You wait again, anywhere from 4-8 weeks for the second court date, where you will travel to bring the children home.

So far, Nate and I have been on the wait list for 6 and half months. Today, we were told because we are looking for one to be so young, we would definitely be waiting longer than a year.

SIGH...big SIGH. Have I mentioned how much I long for a family? This process is so challenging and stretching. I wouldn't trade it for the world, but I just feel really challenged. We haven't been able to have our own children, so naturally, I want a little one...baby size! We feel like this is what God has called us to, but at the same time, the waiting is hard.

I guess that's where you guys come in (my blog reader family). A lot of people tell us we are strong and have such a deep faith. Tonight, I feel like my strength isn't quite there Would you say a prayer for Nate and I today as you read this...that we would stay strong and keep trusting God? I keep hearing that verse that is stated over and over again, "For I know the plans I have for declares the Lord...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I believe that God has the ultimate plan, even when we feel weak and broken. And I believe that he has a plan for two little ones in Ethiopia that I desperately find myself praying for tonight.

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