Our Adoption Video

Here's a very rough version of our adoption video! The birthmoms will either watch this or look at a booklet with similar pictures. Sorry we couldn't get it to play any clearer!

Big Steps of Faith

As we've worked on filling out a bazillion agency applications and have read the risk of adoptions it is hitting me that we are making our biggest step of faith yet in adopting! Seems like so often when the Lord leads us to do something we can easily and almost blindly step out in faith initially without knowing the details of what He is truly calling us to do. But in the midst of it is where the true faith is tested and challenged.

Adoption isn't cheap in any way! First it cost a chunk of change but there is also the investment of hours of time and energy, prayers as well as emotions! (As a side note, my insight on us as Christian being "bought with a price" from 1 Corinthians 6:20 is deepening all the more. ) So now we're getting ever closer to turning in a large sum of money and as the paperwork says, "There is a risk to any adoption" We just don't know what can potentially happen. Adoptions fall through every day and people loss thousands upon thousands of dollars in the process. The test is arising as the honeymoon, endorphin stage of the idea of adopting is rubbing off, the rubber is hitting the road and the risk factors are being made known.

God is good in the midst of it all. Many of you know that Bryan's dad wrote a book on hearing God's voice which has tremendously impacted our lives and lately these principals are being put before us again. We're reading a John Elredge book Walking with God which has similar principals and scriptures in it. God is reminding us to not just seek the advice of our adoption consultant but to seek His advice at every turn of this process. We will hear His voice and hearing Him will substantially eliminate our "risk" factor! This is our greatest form of insurance. So here we go! We're sending out our applications and now believing in faith that we will be lead forth in peace and in joy (Isaiah 54:12) and get our baby.

We took a month off!

Bryan has been to South Africa since our last post and because of his work schedule, the planning of the trip, trying to raise more money and then my holding down the fort here we decided to take a month off from the adoption process.

Check out the links about his trip -

http://www.lifeschoolinternational.org/Media/Videos/SouthAfrica2008.wmv
http://www.lifeschoolinternational.org/Media/Trips/SouthAfricaReport08.htm


So the next phase of paperwork has begun! We're applying to 5 different agencies in 4 states - Iowa, Virginia, Utah and Kansas. The second phase seems just as busy as the first. If all goes as planned we should have our applications in the mail at the end of the week. Once the applications are in the hands of the agencies at any time we could potentially get information on birthmoms. We hope our waiting game won't be too long!

Prayer Request

If you are interested in praying for our adoption process, here is a list of things to pray for us -

• We'll have God's perfect match as far as the baby and birth family are concerned.
• We'll have His perfect timing in when we get our baby.
• We won't have any mismatches where we almost get a baby and the birthmom backs out at the last minute.
• For the perfect location in where we go to get the baby. We'll definitely go out of state since our state's laws are more favorable to birthmoms than the adoptive parents (i.e. - birthmoms have more time to take their babies back.) Most likely we'll be away for a week to ten days for the legal paperwork to process in which ever state we're adopting from.

On another note - next week we have our final meeting with our social worker and will begin to connect with agencies! Yeah! It's another milestone!

Horton the Movie

Check out the new movie clip to "Horton Hears A Who." www.hortonmovie.com

Horton's motto - "Even though you can't hear or see them at all - a person is a person no matter how small."

Could he be a a pro-life/pro-adoption kind of elephant?!

By the way, the promotion of this movie wasn't happening when the Lord confirmed to Bryan and I we were supposed to adopt. It was a first addition book He confirmed it with!

Our Home Study

The first major round of paperwork is over with and we have completed our home study!!!! That's a true milestone in the adoption process. Overall, the home study visit was a breeze - quick and painless. Before the visit we had weeks of hours upon hours of paperwork and running around to do! For all of you that want to know - Winston is up to date all on all of his shots. Yes, they even wanted to know information like this! And our 30 page self-studies met our social workers approval. She said we both got A+s. I felt like a kid bringing home a good report card when she said this. Often times when I was growing up my dad would take me to Baskin Robbins for my good grades. I wonder if I can cash in for another scoop? Hum.

For those of you who are into details - During the home visit Winston was very docile and sweet in his little pen (he did have his benadryl in the morning for allergies), the social worker didn't go outside to see the tree in the very back of the yard that is dead at the top and will be cut down after we complete the adoption process and have more flexibility in our funds. Also, our ants that appear mysteriously at random through out the year around our kitchen sink stayed tucked away! I don't think these things would have made a difference either way with a child being placed with us but sometimes I don't want my flaws shown.

So what's next? Within the next two weeks we'll meet with our social worker again when she has completed her reports on us and THEN WE'LL START CONNECTING WITH ADOPTION AGENCIES THROUGH OUR ADOPTION CONSULTANT!!!!

Details on our Adoption

Here are some added details about our adoption---

We're using an adoption consultant who was referred to us by The Call. http://christianadoption.blogspot.com/ With consultants they can generally place a healthy infant with adoptive parents in 4-12 months which is amazingly quick compared to using an adoption agency which can take over a year to a couple of years for placement and sometimes that long to get on a waiting list.

We are not picking a boy or a girl but will wait to see what the Lord brings us just like when giving birth to a baby!