the Waiting Child List

Yesterday we had our home study visit.  I think it went pretty well and should be done quickly on our social worker's end.  The only thing she has to wait on to complete her write-up is our clearances from DCFS...we were told to expect 12 weeks (!!!!!) for the clearances to come in.  That seems ludicrous to me. Can you all pray that those will come in quicker than expected?

We were also given clearance to the Waiting Child List through our adoption agency.  Basically, the list is made of kids who need homes NOW.  If an adopting family wants one of these kids, they can be yours in a matter of weeks, not months.  The only stipulation to these children is that they are older, or are a sibling-group (the Ministry of Women's Affairs likes to keep sibling groups together), or have a mild medical issue.  As Peter and I looked at this list, we couldn't help feel sad for these children.  These are God's children too, even if they're 6 years old or a set of brothers...why should one kid get adopted before another?  It's heartbreaking.  Want to know what is even more heartbreaking?  One of the girls on the list is perfectly healthy, beautiful and happens to be part of a sibling group.  Her brother and sister are both deaf, making them harder to be adopted.  Recently, the littlest girl in the family has been begging her orphanage workers to find a home for her, she's become withdrawn and sad.  The orphanage director approached the little girl's siblings and asked if they could separate the kids in order to give this little girl a better chance on being adopted.  Can you imagine?  The oldest sibling is 14 and deciding on the fate of her little sister.  It is all too much to think about.  Peter and I can do nothing in this situation because Ethiopia wants our adopted child to be younger than Lydia...no child on the list is younger than 4.  Pray with us that these children will find their forever home, please.  Looking at the pictures of these kids really does break our hearts, and we know that as soon as these kids get adopted, more will be put on the list.  It seems overwhelming and insurmountable, but prayer is the most powerful thing that can be done in this situation-please pray!

The Dreaded HOME STUDY!!!

Man, I have to tell you that Peter and I were very intimidated about this portion of the process.  So far, I have to admit, it has been a piece of cake.  We met with our social worker in Springfield, Illinois last week and just chatted for an hour or so.  She asked us each one question "describe your marriage" and sent us on our way.  REALLY?!?! Could it be so easy?  Well, we'll see.  She's coming back on Monday to do the official, inspect our house portion of the home study.  She said it would take about an hour or so, just wanting to chat with us more and see how our family interacts.  Really I'm so relieved by all of this...when we first started thinking about adoption, there are a million things that make you feel like you can't do this, reasons that make this seem too hard.  The home study was part of my worries, as it is such a big part of the process and we've heard that it can be a pretty invasive process.  So, in the meantime, we've been scrubbing the floors, and organizing closets (not that she'll inspect either of those),  writing our self-studies, and preparing a fire evacuation plan.  We're moving right along!

On the flip side, with such a huge part of the process nearing completion, there is a tendency to worry about finances...as in "how in the world are we going to be able to finance this?!?!?!"  We know that God is completely in control here (just at Christmas alone we were given enough money to finance the home study)...but there are still days that the devil tries to persuade us to stop.  I know that it'll all be fine, actually more than fine-God says he fulfills beyond what we can even imagine...we just need to trust in that.  I'm looking at getting a job as a barista at Starbucks and we're cutting corners any way we can.  Be praying that finances come in and job offers are there!  Also, be praying for our meeting on Monday...that our children cooperate, that the weather cooperates, that our social worker finishes up our home study quickly.  Thanks so much for all of your support!