Nothing...

_{So we've had NO movement at all on the adoption front. Korea is still refusing to grant the necessary paperwork to any orphan awaiting overseas adoption. We are fast approaching eleven months, just waiting and hoping Korea will let her come home.   At this point one has to ask, “Will they ever let her come home?”  It’s a valid question.  Right now we have no timeframe and have been left hanging indefinitely.  Our conversations about Avery have gone from, “When she comes home…”  to “If she comes home…”}   

_{In spite of this, I send her a care package every month.  It’s the only way I can show her and her foster family we still lover her, we still want her, and we constantly think about her.  It’s the only tangible thing I can do.Here are some photos of the most recent package and new photos of her opening our February package.} 

_{We love you baby.  We miss you.  We long for you to come home.  You’re always in our prayers.}

Here are the kids holding the items we sent for her March care package

Addie holding her sister.

Addies kissing Avery.

Here's Avery holding her February care package.  We sent her a Minnie Mouse since its one of Addie's favorite things!  I think she likes it.

Here's her pretty face.

She looks so big here. In front of her is all the stuff we sent her. 

Adoption update

Yesterday we were told that Korea has decided to issue NO Emigration Permits until February, despite the fact that we were told paperwork would resume being processed in January. No reason was given. (Keep in mind, no child can leave the country without this piece of paperwork which they stopped issuing last June.) We were also told that they believe Korea will only accept one batch of Emigration Permits to be submitted each month, whereas last year there were months were two, three, sometimes even four batches were submitted within a month. What does this mean? It means that adoptions will be intentionally processed very slowly; much slower than ever before.

What does this mean for us personally? Who knows? We are two months behind those who are first in line to receive an Emigration Permit. Also keep in mind that once our Emigration Permit is submitted, it will still take 4-8 weeks to be approved and then we still have other paperwork that will need to be done before travel. This means even AFTER we get submitted and approved we'll still have things to wait on. All I know is that traveling this spring basically a pipe dream. I think summer is now the realistic season, but even then I hold to that very loosely because when we were first matched we were told fall, then we were told spring, and now were being told summer…so basically every time were get close, the date is changed – and it typically extends our wait by 3-4 months.

I will refrain from an emotional/angry rant about this situation as it will not do anyone any good and will not bring God glory. I am however BEYOND frustrated, and honestly wonder if we will ever get our little girl. Keep in mind, her birthmother or foster family can adopt her as long as she is in the country, so this line of thought is not unrealistic. I mean, how can her foster family bear to give her to us after she has been with them for almost two years?!? (…and how can I be the one to take her?)

So here's where I'm at: I'm WAY too far down this path to cling to unrealistic optimism that is based on absolutely nothing but unfounded hopes. I don't want to be pessimistic and negative either. I guess right now, I'm just staring into the face of the facts as I've been given them and the reality of what has already happened. I've long since stopped sticking my head in the sand and choosing ignore all the bad news that has been steadily coming my way since last June. I'd be foolish to pretend its all peachy when it is clearly not. I will say this; my prayers have changed from, "please bring Avery home quickly," to, "do whatever is best for her," and that's a very, very hard prayer to pray.

2012...and still no movement

So 2012 is here.  This was when Korea was supposed to start re-issuing Emigration Permits.  They would reset the quote and begin anew and we were so excited!  In past years there has been movement within the the first week with either approvals (in earlier years) or submissions in later years.  So all week, I've been waiting to see who gets submitted for their Emigration Permit so we can begin to calculated (roughly) when we might get ours and travel. Each day I checked email to see what was going on...and nothing. Nothing Tuesday, nothing Wednesday, nothing Thursday, and then Friday...nothing.  Last year there were batches of Emigration Permits submitted every week in January, but that clearly isn't going to happen this year.  So now, all I can do is sit and wait.  Any timeframe I had has been blown out of the water, and at this point no one knows whats going on.  To say I'm frustrated is not adequate.  I really have nothing to say.  I'm kind of numb, but I feel a stream of anger welling up inside of me, and the urge to rant maniacally is pecking away at my mind and tempting my tongue to unleash, so please pray that I can still be a reflection so Christ even when the small hope I had was simply wiped clean away and I have been left with nothing expect a photo of my sweet baby girl.

No Good News

We were notified by our agency that no EPs would be processed in July. There was a lengthy, drawn-out explanation that I do not wish to recount and my opinion on the explanation isn't something I'm going to share, nor would it be beneficial for anyone who reads my blog, so I have kept it hidden amongst the pages of my personal journal. When I contemplate this entire situation, which is entirely political, I tend to react…but these decisions, made by powerful people in a foreign country, directly impact many people and when I bring this information to a personal level; something I dread to do, I become very sad. I have a beautiful little girl in Korea, a little girl I love, for whom I've bought clothes, prayed for, created a room for, bought furniture for, and simply adore. She is beautiful, perfect…and yet she is no closer to coming home today than she was in June. She won't be any closer till next year…maybe. She is languishing and I'm sad.

During my devotions I always pray a random Psalm. I have no schedule I just browse the Psalms until I find one that speaks to my heart. It's random, but I find God always uses the ones I pray. I also I find this aligns my prayers and heart with God's so my prayers aren't selfish and misguided…well it helps. Anyway, this morning I was browsing, and I came upon Psalm 136. Here is a small excerpt:



¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

² Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.

³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

⁴ to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.

⁵ who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.

⁶ who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.

⁷ who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.

⁸ the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.

⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.



I almost didn't pray it because I it said, "His love endures forever," way too much; it says it 26 times! (I realize as I write this that is a very stupid reason...but it was very early!) But I did pray it and as I prayed, I was reminded, comforted, and strengthened by the fact that God's love does endure forever. If you read this Psalm it kind of odd really; Look at what I mean:



Verse 10: To him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt

        His love endures forever

Verse 17: Who struck down great Kings

        His love endures forever

Verse 18: and killed mighty kings

        His love endures forever



I find this odd because I don't think about God's love when He kills kings, or when I read about the firstborn children in Egypt being killed. But then I thought, God did this to protect his children, to ensure they could fulfill the plan he had for them,(I'm sure there are other reasons, but I'm not chasing that rabbit trail this morning) and in that light I can see God's love. I don't see God's love right now in this situation, but I know His love endures forever. I know this because God reminded me of this 26 times this morning - in every verse I read.



Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.

    His love endures forever.

The Aroma of Christ

(How deal with insensitive people & comments)

I am, obviously, an adoptive parent. I like to read blogs (some being adoption blogs). I read adoptive parent forums. I have even read a couple books written for adoptive parents. I don't consider myself an expert; not even close, but I do want to say something to adoptive parents and I respectfully hope they'll listen.

Over the past few years, I have read MANY posts & articles written by adoptive parents about what everyone else should and shouldn't say to adopted children, what people should and shouldn't ask an adopted, and more specifically adopted, non-white child. I've read posts that lecture the general public about what they should ask, where it would be appropriate to ask it, what not to ask etc… and I'll be frank, it wears me out. I find all of the pointed advice overwhelming to the point of giving up, and I often hear a small voice saying, "forget it! I just won't ask you, or any other adoptive parent, anything about adoption since it's such a sensitive topic." After such articles my thought is always this, if I feel this way, how must the non-adoptive general public feel?!

Here's the reality; when a family decides to adopt, and more specifically, adopt a child who is of another race, then they have kicked the door wide open for curious questions because racially blended families aren't the norm. This isn't just a United States thing; they aren't the norm anywhere in the world. It is pretty much common knowledge that whenever you make a decision to go against social norms, you're inviting questions, opinions, and curious looks. This is reality, and it is a reality everywhere in the world because people who break tradition or don't follow "normal" paths ALWAYS get this reaction, no matter what country you live in.

For example, when a teenager dyes his hair red and spikes it into a four-inch Mohawk, people look. Why? -because it's not the norm. When a family chooses to have no TVs in the home, people ask questions; its not the norm. When a family moves half-way around the world to be missionaries, people question and inquire about it because it's not normal. If I'm going to be honest with you, I too am curious as to why people do these types of things . Why did that boy put his hair in a red mohawk? Why did you make the decision to not have TVs? What led you to uproot your family to be a missionary? I truly want to know. (…and I'll probably have an opinion about it too…but I promise to bite my tongue!)

Anyway, when people ask you, adoptive parents, about your child, this should be expected. This should not be a reason to take offense, and I firmly believe that many adoptive parents do take the questions in stride and see it as an opportunity to help others understand the need for adoption. It is also a great opportunity to share Christ if the conversion goes that way. After all, adoption is a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for His children. These "general-public questions" are something that will NOT go away, so may I tenderly suggest that adoptive parents learn to accept and answer them tactfully and with kindness. In doing so, we teach our child how to handle various people (from brass and offensive to sweet and curious) and their questions with grace that reflects Christ, honors Him, and opens lines of communication between people who adopt and those who haven't.

When we are rude, short tempered, and irritated after encounters with curious people, we teach our children to react the same way. We teach them to have a chip on their shoulder, to dislike people who don't understand, to be short with people who don't phrase a question 'just-so," to lash out when the question is insensitive. We should instead teach them how to be merciful and handle these situations tactfully and respectfully. (I'm not saying they, or we, have to answer every question…certainly not!!!) We should teach our children, and be examples of how to kindly decline to give out information without offending the questioner, thus showing the grace and mercy Christ has graciously extended to us.

This is part of our job as parents of adopted children; to prepare them for a world that may not understand them, so they, and we, can become little bridges of understanding that span the gap between those who have no idea why people adopt and those who do.

No, our adopted children didn't sign up for this; (but nether did the child whose blind, or the one with Cerebral palsy, or the quadriplegic ) but God has placed them, and us, in this situation and thus, it has become our God-given mission to honor Him by being examples of grace, gentleness and kindness; even when the questions are inappropriate.

Isn't this what the Bible calls us to do? Didn't Paul say, "I have become all things to all people that by all means I might save some." (1 Corinthians 9:22) Shouldn't we too strive to be like this so that maybe, just maybe, someone's mind will soften to the concept of adoption, or maybe even Christ? And maybe this softened heart will result in that person supporting an orphanage, a child, or loving their adopted grandchild more. Or maybe it will be that "pivotal moment" that God uses to change their hearts so they too follow God down the path of adoption.

I pray that we will, all be more like this. It is my prayer I am more like this so I can leave a legacy of kindness and an example of God's mercy for my children to follow. After all, God has been, and still is merciful to me even though I have denied Him, sinned against him, and deeply offended him, so it only makes sense that I, in turn, extend that mercy to others and in doing so be "the aroma of Christ."

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 
2 Corinthians 2:15

Can you guess what we're doing?

??? hummm....... ???

She's legally ours!!!!

On Friday, December 10th Ha seon Yi legally became Addison Hope Ha-seon.

Here is the photo of us with the judge.
Here we are in the courtroom waiting for the judge.

Nick was video-ing Addison.

She was lovin' her Daddy.

Waiting outside the courtroom

Sweetness.

My boys & my daughter.

So cute.

All my kids.

Politcal Barriers and Adoption

Unfortunately, the number of Korean babies needing permanent homes is growing, not diminishing. Obviously, having children stay in their country of birth is best and would represent less loss for children in need of adoptive homes, but unfortunately this is not always an option. In Korea, there is still significant prejudice against adoption, which has prevented many children from finding forever families in their native country.

Unfortunately, Korean laws have restricted the amount of children who can be adopted internationally in hopes that domestic adoption will grow. Each year the number of children who are permitted to be adopted internationally is cut, and although domestic adoption has increased, it still is not enough. This article exposes the need for more people to adopt Koreans orphans, and the need for their government to think more about the babies waiting for families, than the numbers published in newspapers.

How sad that a politician can say, “I’ve reduced the number of international adoptions,” and yet have an increased number of babies languishing in foster care waiting for families who are available, but not allowed to adopt them.

Click here to read this compelling article

A Testimony of Faithlessness

Last Saturday, I was invited to speak at my church's mother daughter brunch. I was asked to share about our adoption journey. I realized as I prepared for the event, that my testimony was one of faithlessness and failure; but in my stumbling God proved Himself to be incredible gracious, patient, loving, and oh so longsuffering. I think I proved the following verse: "If we are faithless, he will remain faithful for he cannot disown himself." (2 Timothy 2:13)

A Testimony of Faithlessness from Noel on Vimeo.

Thoughts on Embryo Adoption

I came across this very intersting post by Dr. Russell D. Moore, the author of Adopted for Life - a very good book by the way. In it, he was exploring the issue of adopting frozen embryos that were "left over" from in vitro fertilization. (IVF) His comments were insightful and thought provoking. Moores says,

"Someone can donate sperm or ovum or even a heart or a liver, but no one can “donate” an “embryo.” No one can “own” an “embryo.” An “embryo” isn’t a thing; he or she is a “who.” Our Lord Jesus is the pinnacle of the image of God (Heb. 1:1-3). He was an “embryo” (Luke 1:42-43). The “embryonic” John responded to our Lord’s “embryonic” presence in precisely the same way he responded to his adult presence on the banks of the Jordan River.

These so-called “snowflakes” are brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus are stored in cryogenic containers in fertility clinics as the “extras” of IVF projects. They already exist, and they already exist as persons created in the image of God.

And there are Christians called to adopt them, to bring them to birth through pregnancy, and to raise them in love. To be sure, the numbers of children who can be adopted in this way are a microscopic percentage of the whole. And the numbers even of those who can be safely brought to birth is even smaller."

I was also very impressed with the intelligent and thoughtful repsonses to his post by his readers (I would encourage you to read them all, they were as infomative as the post!!) Here is one:

"Dr. Moore,Thank you for touching on the subject of violation of the one-flesh relationship…I am wrestling with whether sperm/egg ‘donation’ is permissible or a violation of the principle of marriage. While I lean toward it being a violation, I want to be careful that I don’t place a burden of sin on a situation where there is no sin, yet don’t want to sweep it under the rug if it is sin, either. I’m actually working on a post about this subject for my blog, and praying for wisdom on this matter." - Stephanie

Honestly, I have never thought much, or read anything on this subject, so I found this to be a very interesting topic that I clearly need to learn more about. If you have any suggestions for further reading or research please let me know! I'd be very, very grateful.

Click here to read his entire post along with reader comments.

Adoption Update

I’ve had quite a few people ask for the latest on the adoption, and realized, I hadn’t really haven’t posted an update for quite some time. So here it is: we are currently waiting on our Emigration Permit (EP) to be approved by the Korean government. It was submitted January 12th but we’re still waiting. They typical timeframe for an approval is is 4 weeks, but were already on week 5, so clearly that doesn’t apply to us. (Not that any of the timeframes have…really NONE of them have held true…it’s frustrating to say the very least)

So basically, were just stuck, waiting on the emigration permit. Nothing can go forward without this, so until we get that there will be no movement - we'll just be stuck…again. After we our EP approval, we still have another 6 weeks (give or take) until we travel. So, that means were probably looking at traveling in April, not March. And given our sorted history, that can, and most likely will, change.

Our P3 has been Sent!!!!

I Just found out that the Embassy in Seoul has mailed our P3 packet to our adoption agency!!! The P3 is a packet the agency completes and returns to the embassy. It contains all the necessary paperwork and approvals the embassy needs in order to issue Addison a Visa. Once this is returned, the agency is able to make the various appointments needed for our baby's case to be processed so she can be issued a Visa!

Heres the catch... the p3 can't be return until we have our Korean Emigration Permit...which were still waiting on. We expect it to be approved in a couple weeks, so hopfully that will come sooner than later!!!

We have been officially approved!

I came home today to find an envelope lying on my counter. The return address was marked U.S. Department of Homeland Security. I became immediately interested, thinking that this may be our i600 approval we've been waiting for form immigration. I also thought it could be yet another request for something else immigration needs; another file, document, who knows…So I opened it and to my complete delight I saw the words, "Notice of Approval…" I flipped!!!

I really didn't expect this so quickly! I thought it would take at least a couple weeks to process our fingerprints, but it only took two days!!! I'm so happy!!! I'm about to cry right now. I even took a picture of the note for you all to see! It's the one of the most beautiful things I've ever read!!! I have no idea what this means as far as our timeframe, but it's a huge obstacle that we are now FINALLY over!!! I'm so, so thankful.

Yes...I'm a dork and took a picutre. Isn't it beautiful?

I’m just emotionally spent…

This afternoon I received an email from Holt stating they had submitted the paperwork for our baby's emigration permit on January 12^th (AKA: EP) I was baffled. You see, on November 2, 2009, I received an email stating our baby's emigration permit was already approved. I was, of course, delighted because this is a key document and can and does hold people up and slow down the process. So I asked Holt what was going on and sent them the old email. They apologetically explained that the original "approval" I received in November was for our first baby, Brooke, not Addison. They of course were very apologetic and I do understand how the confusion happened; lots of families, lots of babies, lots of paperwork, mistakes will happen.

I, on the other hand, am upset. The Emigration permit was the only thing we've had go smoothly. It was fast, and it was the one "key" pieces of paperwork which we no longer needed to wait on. Instead, we now find out we will indeed have to wait on it. I can't even begin to articulate how discouraged and upset I am. Truly, I'm a wreck. When I say, "We've had nothing go smoothly" that is in no way an exaggeration. I know we throw around all inclusive words like "nothing" and "always" without meaning them, but I really do mean that NOTHING has gone smoothly; absolutely nothing.

Before you berate me for not being a good Christian or for being ungrateful, please note, I do understand that God is sovereign over this adoption. I understand that these circumstances are ones he has allowed. I fully know and believe that God will work it out for my good. I truly do intellectually agree with the saying, "God's timing is best." All of this I fully affirm and know very well, but the fact remains, I am human. I have emotions and right now I am emotionally exhausted and my heart is breaking…again. I'm to the point that I do not have the emotional fortitude to get up and scrounge for even a one morsel of good news because everytime I find one, I turn around to be slapped in the face. Maybe that's a harsh analogy, but I'm not in the mood to sugar coat it today. I am sad, I am at the end of my rope, and I just want to either burst into tears, or scream. I can't decide which would feel better…so I've done neither. I truly don't know how to cope or even how to think. To give you just a small glimpse into our situation; there are several families who had were matched with their babies in September who have already traveled to Korea. We, on the other hand, aren't even half way there. 3 ½ months later, and we've only had one piece of paperwork arrive; Her legals. That's it.

I know that if she ever ends up in my arms this will all melt away into the trivia of life, but that is so far away it holds no comfort right now, especially if you consider the fact that her birthmother could come back at any time and legally take her back. I'm just simply drowning right now, and I can't see any way to cope, or go forward with a smile on my face. I'm sure I'll come around, but right now this is really, really difficult. This arduous path is overwhelming me to the point of wanting to quit.

I just ask for your prayers, because clearly, I need them. I would also love for you to send me scriptures that God may lay on your heart. I really need God's word right now, not shallow platitudes. God has been very good to surround Mark and I with such good friends who love and support us and we are very thankful for you all.

"Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. Hide not your face from your sercant; for I am in distress; make haste to asnwer me."

-Psalm 69:16-17

Good News for a New Year

We are very thankful to have some good news to report!

First....We received a new photo!!! the above photo is Addison with the various items from the care package we sent her. She appears to be thinking, "What is all this stuff!?!"

Second: Addison's file was reviewed by a neurologist (Thank you Troy!) and he believes that she may have been misdiagnosed. He couldn't be sure, considering he has not physically seen her, does not have all of her medical records, or have her complete EEG, but from the limited amount of information he does have, he thought this could be a viable possibility. This doesn't answer all of our questions, but it is very encouraging.

Third: We received Addison's December Doctor's check-up and she is doing great! She is 8 months old and now weighs 20.2 lbs and is 27.6 in. long. This places her in the 81% for weight and the 41% for length. She is currently rolling over, crawling, sitting up, pulling herself up, walking holding onto furniture, and playing peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake. We are delighted she is doing so well, and yet, we really long to have her home because were missing it all!

fourth: We received an email from the Kansas City Immigration office yesterday. They have our file, it has been reviewed, and all they need to give us our immigration approval is an updated homestudy. I sent it yesterday and it will be at their office Monday morning. I really hope this means we'll have our approval by the end of next week! Once we have this we only have about 6-8 more weeks to wait!!! YEAH!!!!

Have a Happy New Year and may you see God's blessings in every aspect of your life!

A Troubling Update

About 6 weeks ago we received an update on Addison. In it, the foster mom noted that Addison's head would shake in 2-3 second intervals when she slept. In response we asked that they take video of her, and run and EEG. They were more than willing. As you all know, we received the video about 3 weeks ago and Addie looked happy, and developmentally right on target, even ahead in some areas. They also did an EEG and we received that a couple days ago. It noted that "there were several sharp wave discharges from the right and left central areas of her brain" which indicates she is having partial seizures. She has been put on an anticonvulsant medication called Valproic Acid for 6 weeks and the doctor has ordered blood work, and an MRI.

I think it goes without saying that we are heartbroken and worried about our little girl. It is also somewhat surreal that this is happening again. I would be lying if I didn't initially struggle with anger, but after much prayer and struggle, God has brought me to the place where I can see that this is clearly no accident. Very few people have adoptions fall through like we did. Very few people have serious health issues arise with their babies as these children are very well cared for. So when you consider that we have had all this happen once and now are walking that path yet again, it impossible to face the fact that God has placed us here.

Here's how you can pray, (and we covet your prayers)

• Pray we can find a good pediatric neurologist to look at her file who can give us a clear indication of what were dealing with. It could be a very minor issue, we just don't know.
  
• Pray the doctors in Korea have wisdom and insight as they treat her so she gets all that she needs while we wait to go get her.
  
• Pray we will not worry. It extremely difficult knowing your baby is out of your reach, being cared for by strangers, and you have no say in her care. For lack of a better analogy, its just a weight that hangs over you.
  
• And of course, pray we glorify God in whatever path he has for us.
  
• Psalm 40:11 "You, O Lord, will not withhold your compassion from me. Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me."
  

What’s Next??

I've had many people asking me what happens next in our adoption. Right now we are waiting on immigration to approve our i600 which is a petition for the US government to legally classify Addison as a relative so we can get her a visa to bring her home. Right now our paperwork is in Texas. They have received it , processed it, given it a case number and it is now awaiting review. I have no idea how long that will take. It could be one week, or it could be 6 weeks. You just never know! After Texas processes it, they will mail it to the Kansas City office where they will actually review our file and make sure our ducks are in a row so they can approve the i600. They won't approve it initially because we will need to be re-fingerprinted, but once that's taken care of, we should get that approval. The total time frame is really hard to nail down. I think the fastest would be 6 weeks, and the longest, well who knows, but I don't think we'll wait more than 10-12 weeks. We would have to have some pretty serious snags for this to happen.

After we get our i600, then we our paperwork is sent to the National Visa Center where we start the process to get her Visa. This is a completely different timeline and process, so I'll explain that when we get there!

We appreciate your prayers and support so much! Thanks to all of you!

Video, Legals & Doctor's check-up!!

When it rains, it pours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have legals!!!!!!!!!!!! I already overnighted them to the immigration office and they should arrive there tomorrow morning!!! YEAAAAAHHHH!!! Things are finally moving!

We also got Addison's monthly doctor report and she is doing great!! She weighs 19lbs 4oz and she is 26inches long! She is developmentally on track and is was noted that her "head shake" is "disappearing!" YEAHHAHAH!!!

And we also got video!!!!! She is so CUTE!!! I'm so incredibly happy I can't stand it!!!!!

Where are Our Legals?

Good question!! Normally, Legals take 4-6 weeks to arrive from Korea. This is packet of paperwork that contains legal documents that must be submitted with our application for Addison's Visa. Basically, nothing can happen without this paperwork. Everything is hold until we get this. Everything. So, we are currently on our 7^th week waiting for these important papers to arrive. I emailed Holt and they immediately looked into it. They do not know where they are at this point, and we were told to contact them at the end of the week in order to give them time to reach Korea. It is suspected that the Legals are taking longer because she wasn't born in Seoul. I've been told it could be 7-9 weeks as a result of the delays. AHAGAHG! Its so frustrating! Basically, everything has now been pushed back a month. I'm really tired of delays, waiting, and bumps in the road. Ug.

The Financial Side of Adoption

I think it’s common knowledge that adoption is not a cheap endeavor. I’ve had people ask me how we can pay for this adoption and I’m sure there are plenty of other people who don’t ask for fear of overstepping personal boundaries. Well, I’m a pretty open person and I believe that questions about our adoption just give me more opportunities to share God’s hand in our lives. I’ll be frank, when we started this journey we were doing well financially. At that point it seemed quite affordable and more importantly we both knew God was leading us to this.

As God would have it, as soon as we were accepted as adoptive parents (in April 2008) by our agency our financial status began to slowly change. Over the past year and a half our finances have slowly dwindled, and we are financially nowhere close to where we were at the beginning of this journey. I don’t say this to solicit sympathy or money…God has been faithful to provide (of course!) and in this path we are learning to really, really lean on Him, trust Him, and be faithful even when life doesn’t appear to be “panning out” nicely. I am learning so much by being in this place…and I know I have much more to learn.

I say all of this because I found a post written by an adoptive father whose reflections on faith, money and adoption also reflect my heart. I could rewrite it, but his words are perfect, so I’ll just borrow them and tell you, that his beliefs and heart are also mine. Please read his post and really think about what he says. It is applicable reagrdless of where you are in life.

Read his post by clicking here.