Adoption Update

We announced back in January 2011 that we were officially beginning the process to adopt a baby from Uganda.  Since then, we found a home study agency (we can't use Lifeline for our home study since Daniel works there), began all of the paperwork, and have been working on raising the $30,000.00 needed to bring our baby home.  Seven months later, we are nearing the end of our home study process after waiting 4 months for our CANs to come back, 4 months for my fingerprint clearances to return, 5 months for Daniel's fingerprint clearances to return, reading and researching adoption, attachment, Uganda, etc., and gathering lots of paperwork for our social worker.  While it seems like a really long time already that we have been on this adoption journey, we honestly rest in the assurance that every single perceived delay and every piece of paper and task are all actually a very intentional part of the Lord's plan to unite us with the child He has created for us. 

We are very eager and excited about meeting our baby, holding him/her, introducing him/her to our family and friends, and we continue to be touched by the outpouring of love and generosity that has been shared with us on the journey thus far.  Love in the form of pouring time and hard work volunteering at our yard sale, donations for us to sell there, customers at Daniel Isaac's lemonade stand, friends baking cookies for him to sell, monetary donations given via this blog, checks in the mail with priceless letters, prayers, inquiries about our process.  It's all a part of the big, unique picture of adoption and of our baby coming home.  His/her story won't have the details of me feeling flutters and kicks within my belly or my "last" meal before delivery, or naps with his/her brothers along the way with them talking through my bellybutton to him/her.  No details of labor and delivery...of visitors in the hospital. We may never know what our baby's first days, weeks and months entailed.  But what we do know is how we were being prepared and loved on while we waited.  We will have stories of how our church, family, and friends prayed.  Stories of how everyone eagerly anticipated his/her presence in all of our lives.  Stories of how loved he/she has been before we even knew him/her.  Stories of how he/she was created for a purpose and has a beautiful, bright future.  Stories of big brothers finding pennies on the BK playground in the midst of playing and running them over to us to be sure to keep safe to save for our adoption.  Stories of Noah David telling everyone, "my baby A-fa-ta...plane...go get it."  Stories of mommy overhearing Daniel Isaac telling a newly made friend at the park, "Yeah, we are adopting a baby from Africa.  So I'm gonna be a big brother again and I'm gonna teach my little brother Noah David how to be a big brother."  Stories that tell our baby's beginnings from this end of the world.

Please remember our baby and his/her birth mother and family in your prayers. 

Once our home study is officially complete (hopefully by August), we can move forward with additional paperwork and grant applications.  We hope to have a more specific timeline and time estimates for when we will know WHO we are adopting and when we will get to travel later in the journey.  We will continue to post updates on Facebook and here. 

Thank you so much for your prayers and for being a part of this special journey.