Long-Awaited Update on the Home Study!

   So, my last post was over a month ago and a lot has been going on since then!  With the daily "grind" of life and working on the paperwork for the Home Study, life if busy...good, but busy!  For those who really know my personality, I am not the typical person who will just sit and post an update every day or so...sorry.  I get intimidated from time to time as I look at other adoptive families' blogs for their adoptions...how elaborate!  And, then, there is ours...I like to call it simplistic!
   In the last month, Ben and I have made good progress on the paperwork for our Home Study.  Between the doctor's physicals and TB/Drug Testing being completed, the marriage/birth certificates, and all of the other papers in between, we have made what I like to call a "paper-by-paper" progress.  It can be a little overwhelming, as I was just telling my brother yesterday; however, Ben and I try to just look at one piece of paper at a time and work through it.  That way, it doesn't seem so bad!  This weekend, Ben and I have a goal to work on our Self-Studies (lots and lots of questions) and continue working on our 8 hours of required online education for international adoption.  We then, have 2 more hours of face-to-face education with our adoption worker in about a week.  Needless to say, we have both learned so much already, and we know so much more is ahead of us to learn!  What takes the pressure off is knowing that this is God's desire for our family - to type and think again on that group of words makes me so excited!!!
   A few weeks ago, we sent in certain paperwork and our first payment towards the adoption.  That first payment was both scary and exciting at the same time.  It made the process so much more real as if in pregnancy you felt your baby move for the first time!  As a family, we are trying to live each day more conscious of how we spend money so that we have more to put into our "Adoption Fund."  Our desire is to save enough money to pay for the adoption and be able to have Brock join us on our second trip to Ethiopia when we bring home our son!  This is definitely a prayer need with the added expenses, but we believe the experience for Brock would be priceless!
   We have family and friends that will ask us the time limit question of: When will this finally happen?  Our response:  We're not really sure but maybe in about a year or a little sooner.  I am learning quickly that it is not as easy as when I was pregnant to "nail" down a more approximate date.  But that is part of the "fun" of the differences in having the two children!
   As we continue in the process, I will do a better job of keeping up with the blog information!
   Please continue to pray for our family as we journey through this process.  Please pray for stamina with all of the paperwork, and please pray for the financial reality of the adoption fees!  We know, and have already experienced, God's graceful hand is upon us in this journey.  He does provide for our needs, and we can already give praise to our Lord for provisions already!
 

The Country!

   After prayer, research, personal discussion, and much more prayer, we feel that God is leading us to adopt a child from Ethiopia!  We are excited and nervous about this journey we feel God is leading us; however, we trust that God will see us through the process.  In taking consideration of Brock and his age, we are going to request to adopt a boy who ages in range from three years old to five years old.  Brock is excited as we have begun to teach him a little about the children/people of Ethiopia. 
   A couple of week's ago, we completed our first home study.  We were unsure about what exactly that meant for us.  Our social worker simply came to our house and discussed the country adoption information as we begin the official process, and then she took a look around our house to check out specific rooms such as kitchen with fire extinguisher, living room, and bedrooms.  It was a simpe process!
   Now, we are at the point of completing the official application for adoption.  This is just the start of lots of paperwork, but we are excited about it!
   Please covet with us in prayer as we embark on this new season of our lives!  We desire prayer for the emotional unknowns and time period of completing paperwork and waiting on each part of the process.  We also desire prayer for the financial part of this process and that God continues to prepare our family for this new member!

How this Journey Began!

   Our journey began a little over seven years ago.  Our biological son, Brock, was born and has been such a blessing!  After a few years, we began to think that God had decided that our family was set at three.  However, about three or four years ago, Ben and I began thinking about adding to our family through adoption.  Over the past few years, we have been going back and forth with "should we" or "it isn't for our family".  At different points in time, I would be a "go" for adoption and Ben would have his reservations.  Other times, Ben would be a "go" for adoption and I would be the one with the reservations.  This past summer, 2010, we decided that we needed to decide one way or another and put the wavering to rest!  Our new prayer was: "God, we are open to adoption for our family.  If you don't want this for us, please close the door on this subject." 
   One day, Ben and I were talking, trying to be discrete, and Brock picked up on the topic.  We talked with him about the idea that we were praying through.  Ben and I wanted him to be ok with adoption as he has been an only child for quite some time.  Brock surprised us with his excited response.  He seems to understand what adoption means and that we believe that this is a calling on Christians lives to care for the orphans.  To have his excitement in the mix is such an answered prayer as our entire family is "on board" with this journey!
   We decided to attend an informational meeting with a Christian Adoption agency.  During that meeting, we were even more confirmed in our hearts that adoption was for our family and it was international adoption.  Scary, so much unkown, and more scary!  We left the meeting feeling excited about proceeding with the adoption process knowing that God would be our comfort, security, and strength to guide us through this journey.
   Our new prayer is now: "What country God?"