Well… Here we go! It is official! Over a week ago, we submitted the initial myriad of paperwork to start the adoption process and now we have been officially accepted! We also were just assigned a case worker to help us through the process!
“What?!?! You’re crazy!!!” you say. Well, yes, we are but that is beside the point.
This is just a continuation of a journey that God has led Chris and I over several years. God had placed the initial concept in our hearts several years ago. We have been blessed to watch our friends, Chad & Lora and Merle & Christy walk through the adoption process over the past year but the proverbial ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ was when our girls started praying for us to adopt a sister or a brother. Knowing that God had placed this in their hearts as well helped to seal the deal.
We have decided to adopt internationally but have not fully committed to a particular country just yet. Our initial thought is to adopt from Ethiopia as there is a growing community of adoptions from Ethiopia right here in our area. Just recently, though, the Ethiopian government has initiated some changes that may draw the adoption process out so we are waiting and seeing what will happen.
The next step, now that we have actually passed the background check J, is to begin adoption classes through Bethany Christian Services, the wonderful organization who is walking with us through this journey. After that, there is more paperwork (which already arrived) and then we begin the home-study process (which will, more than likely involve more paperwork). After that, we will have to choose our country and put together a dossier (which is basically paperwork). Don’t know if going through this process will be fun or not but I am sure it will definitely be interesting!
We hope you will join us as we go take this adventure. Come back often and peek into the “Frosty window panes” to see what God has in store for us. Don’t be shy either, we would love to hear from you!
