Evidently, I am a horrible blogger. Then again, what seems monumental to us
may seem trivial to others, so I guess it isn’t all bad that I am consolidating
the past couple months of adoption updates into one post.
The paperwork continues, but thanks to my super organized
husband we always knock it out! He truly is the organization behind not just
the adoption, but nearly every aspect of our household.
Before I go on any further, I want to send a shout out to
TLC. Granted, some of their shows
are ridiculous and not very wholesome, but two of their shows have shed some light
on international adoption. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar of 19 Kids and Counting
have mentioned multiple times that they are prayerfully considering adoption
and visited an orphanage on their trip to China. The kiddos shown at the orphanage were adorable by the
way!
Speaking of China, Jen and Bill of the Little Couple are
journeying to China to adopt a three year old little boy, and shortly
thereafter to adopt a baby girl from India. It just goes to show, family isn’t about skin color or
sharing genes. However, I must
make a statement about how the process is portrayed on “The Little Couple,” –
it is NOT that fast by any stretch.
We sure wish it was because we are ready to have the rest of our family
home!
Our current status is that we completed the home study last
month, but it is still in the process of getting typed out and finalized. Hopefully, within a few days it will be
finished. It, along with some
other paper work, will be sent to US Customs & Immigration Service (Dept.
of Homeland Security) so that we can be approved by the feds to adopt
internationally.
While this is transpiring, we are compiling our dossier for
Colombia’s central adoption authority.
(This is a word I had never heard until we began this journey.) We have a lot of it completed,
and just lack our medicals and our psychiatric evaluation. Honestly, the most frustrating part of
this whole journey has been with the medicals. Things that should be common sense and easy for a doctor’s
office have been seemingly impossible.
We have had to have the medical form redone multiple times because of
mistakes made on their end. We
have done our first psychological interview and an extensive personality test
(as in 568 questions each), and are awaiting our second and final interview
with Dr. Hamblin. He is fantastic,
and evidently has e-mailed back and forth with our social worker.
So that’s where we are right now – basically in limbo in a
few areas. We still ask that you
pray for our family and our child/children in Colombia. This is such an intense journey, but we
truly feel that we are doing what the Lord wants us to do. We can’t wait when the day comes that
we receive a referral. It’ll be over a year or more away, but that day will be
so exciting!!!
One last thought before I close, the first family from
Lifeline in the Colombia pilot program is going to Colombia this Friday. We don’t know their names, but keep
them in your prayers. They are heading to one of the rural areas, which still
have issues of violence and drug crimes.
Based on their journey, we will learn more about what it in store for
us.
God Bless and Happy Belated Mother’s Day!
