Remember way back here when I first told you about checking the mail like a little school girl? You may have thought I was just kidding, but I was not. Since then, I have been running to the mailbox (usually right as the mail-lady drives to the neighbors house) in anticipation of the next step in our process. Each time disappointed when our immigration papers weren't there-every now and then there would be a package or birthday card that would soften the blow. But TODAY it arrived! Wohoo! Our fingerprinting has been scheduled!
Not only is this a praise that is got here, but the date we were given is perfectly planned as well. We are going to be out of town much of the next three weeks, and we knew the odds of us being here when our appointment was, was slim to none. Then we would have had to request a change of date and add to the process. BUT-that was not the case. We are getting fingerprinted July 11- the day after we return from NYC! Wohoo!!!!
Of course this is just a small step in what is a very lengthy process, but we can celebrate the little steps especially when the road hasn't been easy! If I am this pumped about making it through the US Immigration process, can you imagine the excitement when we get paired with our sweet child?! No post will probably be necessary because you will be able to hear my enthusiasm from states away!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
A Mother's Heart
Although I am exhausted right now from being at teen camp all week, I have been awake for the past few hours dreaming and praying for my baby. Not the sweet precious little girl that I can see through the monitor soundly sleeping in her crib, but the one that is on the other side of the globe. This might sound crazy to you, because the truth is, that baby might not even be born yet. We don't know really know anything about this baby-whether it is a boy or girl, how old they are, what their features look like, how their voice sounds when they cry or when they laugh, but that doesn't matter to this mother's heart.
I have actually been thinking, dreaming, and praying for this child for over a decade. It hasn't always been an everyday thing. At first, when I returned from Uganda it was heavy on my heart. I would often think back to the children I had met and pray for their life there. Then the Lord made my burden heavier and heavier. I would tell those I was very close to about this passion in my heart for a people whose life is so different from mine, yet created by the same Master. Finally, when we moved to Kenya, I could truly share this experience with the one I am honored to share my life with. Now, he too could understand.
Words can't accurately describe this connection and love I have. I only know that it has to be from my Heavenly Father. When we came back to the states, everything fell into place in our lives and we felt confidence that we were living in the center of the Lord's will, what an awesome place to be! But my heart has always longed for my baby. I was very fortunate that I had a fantastic pregnancy. I really felt great, and I loved having Emory inside of me. During that time I would dream about what she would look like and be like, and as weird as this may sound to you, even then I would think about and dream about my other child on the opposite side of the world.
God has placed this love in my heart for such a long time, and I cannot wait to see His plans unfold. Right now, this process feels like it is slow and never-ending, but the truth is I am closer now than ever before. I firmly believe God already has our child chosen for us, and it will be in His timing that we are finally joined as a family. Until then, I wake up in the early morning hours crying, praying, and trusting our baby is in the Lord's hands until I can hold them in my arms.
I have actually been thinking, dreaming, and praying for this child for over a decade. It hasn't always been an everyday thing. At first, when I returned from Uganda it was heavy on my heart. I would often think back to the children I had met and pray for their life there. Then the Lord made my burden heavier and heavier. I would tell those I was very close to about this passion in my heart for a people whose life is so different from mine, yet created by the same Master. Finally, when we moved to Kenya, I could truly share this experience with the one I am honored to share my life with. Now, he too could understand.
Words can't accurately describe this connection and love I have. I only know that it has to be from my Heavenly Father. When we came back to the states, everything fell into place in our lives and we felt confidence that we were living in the center of the Lord's will, what an awesome place to be! But my heart has always longed for my baby. I was very fortunate that I had a fantastic pregnancy. I really felt great, and I loved having Emory inside of me. During that time I would dream about what she would look like and be like, and as weird as this may sound to you, even then I would think about and dream about my other child on the opposite side of the world.
God has placed this love in my heart for such a long time, and I cannot wait to see His plans unfold. Right now, this process feels like it is slow and never-ending, but the truth is I am closer now than ever before. I firmly believe God already has our child chosen for us, and it will be in His timing that we are finally joined as a family. Until then, I wake up in the early morning hours crying, praying, and trusting our baby is in the Lord's hands until I can hold them in my arms.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Update on Immigration
Hope you are all doing well! Thank you so much to all of you that have been asking us about how things are going. I am sorry that once again it has been a little while in between posts-I have now identified why I take so stinkin long-2 reasons. Reason #1- we have a lack of info, so it is hard to write when there aren't a lot of answers. Reason #2- I have realized I tend to be a more private/internal person. This is also why I am terrible at fb-I am not really comfortable having my thoughts published for everyone to see. You may be saying, why did you start a blog then? Great question-I really want to use this to keep people involved in our adoption process and to share in this journey. So I am going to work to eliminate Reason #2 and I am praying Reason #1 takes care of itself:)
Where we are right now-before you can adopt internationally, you have to have permission from the US government. Once again this is something that requires a good amount of paperwork, a chunk of money, and about 60 days. We have an awesome social worker who got our home study completed crazy fast, so we were able to overnight everything required in the very beginning of April. About halfway through the process we were supposed to be scheduled for fingerprinting. Then shortly after get our approval. I would run to the mailbox everyday like some giddy little schoolgirl anxiously awaiting our fingerprinting info, but it just wasn't coming. After numerous phonecalls for about 2 1/2 weeks someone finally told us that our homestudy was not with our paperwork and needed to be resent. We were very frustrated, but were relieved to at least have some answers.
We overnighted our homestudy to them again 3 weeks ago. We were told we would have our fingerprinting in 5-10 days. Frustration and disappointment. I called once again yesterday to check on things, and I was told everything was there and we should be assigned an officer anytime as well as receive our fingerprinting notification. Officer White was the name of the person that was so helpful to us 3 weeks ago and finally got us some answers, and she is also the person I was put in contact with yesterday. We have talked to many different people, but she has been the nicest and most helpful. Thankfully, she said she should be the one to receive our case and promised she would make sure we were taken care of. We are disappointed that things have taken this long and still aren't resolved but I do feel better knowing this kind woman is willing to help us with this piece of the process.
Our timeline had us sending in our dossier the beginning of June. Now we are hoping to send it by the first of July. We know it is only a month delay, but that is one month longer til we get to hold our sweet baby. Jonathon and I both can get overwhelmed by the weight of the process. Thankfully, it usually hits us at different times, so we can balance the other one out. We KNOW this is all in the Lord's hands. Our "timeline" is just feeble anyway. He has our son/daughter chosen and we will be joined together in His perfect timing. Most days, we stand firm on this and have an incredible peace. But some days are harder than others.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We truly cherish it.
Sneak peek for next post:
Where we are right now-before you can adopt internationally, you have to have permission from the US government. Once again this is something that requires a good amount of paperwork, a chunk of money, and about 60 days. We have an awesome social worker who got our home study completed crazy fast, so we were able to overnight everything required in the very beginning of April. About halfway through the process we were supposed to be scheduled for fingerprinting. Then shortly after get our approval. I would run to the mailbox everyday like some giddy little schoolgirl anxiously awaiting our fingerprinting info, but it just wasn't coming. After numerous phonecalls for about 2 1/2 weeks someone finally told us that our homestudy was not with our paperwork and needed to be resent. We were very frustrated, but were relieved to at least have some answers.
We overnighted our homestudy to them again 3 weeks ago. We were told we would have our fingerprinting in 5-10 days. Frustration and disappointment. I called once again yesterday to check on things, and I was told everything was there and we should be assigned an officer anytime as well as receive our fingerprinting notification. Officer White was the name of the person that was so helpful to us 3 weeks ago and finally got us some answers, and she is also the person I was put in contact with yesterday. We have talked to many different people, but she has been the nicest and most helpful. Thankfully, she said she should be the one to receive our case and promised she would make sure we were taken care of. We are disappointed that things have taken this long and still aren't resolved but I do feel better knowing this kind woman is willing to help us with this piece of the process.
Our timeline had us sending in our dossier the beginning of June. Now we are hoping to send it by the first of July. We know it is only a month delay, but that is one month longer til we get to hold our sweet baby. Jonathon and I both can get overwhelmed by the weight of the process. Thankfully, it usually hits us at different times, so we can balance the other one out. We KNOW this is all in the Lord's hands. Our "timeline" is just feeble anyway. He has our son/daughter chosen and we will be joined together in His perfect timing. Most days, we stand firm on this and have an incredible peace. But some days are harder than others.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We truly cherish it.
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