Adoption Update



This week concluded the first major step in the adoption process: our home study! Our social worker was great, and we were blessed by her favorable report, which we signed this week. She recommended us for approval to the State and seemed to appreciate our preparation and heart for adoption. Our ‘missions-lifestyle’ goals and plans seemed new to her, but she was intrigued and enjoyed hearing about it and we’re praying it has some impact in her life.



The study consisted of several hours of interviews with her, both together and individually. It was neat to actually sit down and put into words our entire life story; we seem to always move forward at breakneck speed so it’s nice to look back and reflect every now and then. The one thing that was a little surprising (though not overwhelming) is that we have to be ready to bring our baby home tomorrow if it came to it! Do our blinds have strings that hang down? Where’s the fire extinguisher, and do we have a written fire escape plan? Have we picked out a school yet? All these things came up so suddenly! It’s all very exciting, though.



Finally, here are some answers to questions many people have asked us:

How long will it take? A good estimate is 18-24 months from when we applied in April, 2012.

Can you choose an age/gender? Yes, we’ve requested a referral for a boy under 12 months. The more specific our request, the longer the potential wait, but we want to start as young as possible so the adjustment process is easier.

How will you pay for it? There are several grant-writing organizations that we will apply to, but our homestudy needs to be approved before we can apply. We recognize that many friends and family may want to be involved in the miracle of bringing our boy home, so we’re looking into options for donations. For now, if you’re interested in helping financially you can email or call us to discuss it further.

Why Ethiopia? Stay tuned for the next post…