First Contact

I got a call from Johnna today from our agency. Well, it’s not our agency yet, but hopefully soon. Anyway, she is the Honduras contact and just wanted to answer any questions we might have. I’m pretty excited about the call. It was nice to connect, which feels a little weird. Anyone that knows me knows that I’m not really into talking on the phone, especially with strangers. But, it was good. I’m pretty sure I prayed as the phone was ringing but even if I didn’t request grace right then, God knew my heart and He knows my silly issues. And He provided. So, the best information that I got from the call was that Jonathan would only HAVE to be in Honduras for about a week for the second trip. Let me back up a bit. The requirements for adopting from Honduras are that we have to travel there twice. The first trip is 5 to 7 days long and we both have to go. Then we wait at home 2 to 4 months. Then we both have to travel back. All that I have read states that we have to be there for 6 weeks. I thought that meant both of us. But Johnna said that only one of us has to stay there the entire six weeks. Jonathan would only have to been there for the first week. Wow. That is such a relief. I don’t really want to be in a foreign country with new children alone but it means that we can do it. I am still praying that Jonathan will be able to be there the entire time. I think it would be better for the children…and me. But then again, I guess I should leave that up to the Lord. It would be better for us to get these kids here whether we all get to pick them up or not. So, I think we will get a move on. I feel like I should be nervous or something. Maybe that will come. But for now, I’m just excited.

Just the Beginning

A couple of weeks ago I filled out a pre-application with the agency I want to go with. The website said that I would get a response within three business days. Well, on day 14 I realized that I hadn’t heard back. So, I sent an email to ask about this. This was two days ago. A Thursday. And by the way, Thursday is my absolute favorite day of the week. Anyway, Thursday was a crazy day. I was in town most of the day running from here to there trying to fit in 8 hours worth of errands into 4.5. So, by the time I arrived at church and sent my kids into Pioneer Clubs and dropped into my chair at a book study on One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp, I was spent. And as I picked up my phone to silence it for the meeting, I noticed I had a few emails. And one was from our agency. So, I clicked on it without even thinking about it. I should have waited. I was excited. But, the email stated that the agency had some concerns. AHHHHH! Right before my book study!!!! I should have waited. Anyway, I finally read the email as my kids piled into my tiny SUV an hour and a half later. They were concerned on two fronts. One, was our income. She said that the USCIS has a minimum annual salary that families have to make if they want to adopt. For a family of 6, we were short $242. Wow. (By the way, I had to Google USCIS.) And number two was that I am on an anti-depressant for PMDD. I’m not depressed and don’t think I have ever been but I am MOODY monthly, if you know what I mean. I struggled with this for years and tried tons of home remedies, but nothing worked and I finally went to the doc and asked what my options where. And three years later, I haven’t regretted it for a second. But, now the thought of it keeping us from adoption is hard. My meds have keep me more level then I have felt in a decade or more. It’s good. I know the Lord knows that and He is in control of all things. That is what I have to hang on to. It just feels weird to be judge for something that you prayed hard about and think is the right thing to do. Oh well. It’s not the first time…or the last.
After driving home I sat down at the computer and emailed the agency our fix for the income thing. Our monthly income is only part of our salary package. Our house and utilities, phone and truck, among a lot of other things are included in our compensation package. So, now I had to wait…just overnight. The agency got back to me mid-Friday morning. The next email had good news. The good news is that USCIS takes our entire compensation package into account. Victory. The agency, also said that the meds shouldn’t be that big of a deal as long as my doc gives the thumbs up. So, it was one of those 12 hour periods that I just had to wait it out and see how God was going to work. I know 12 hours is nothing compared to the waiting I’m going to have to do during this process. This is just the beginning.

Last Duck

So, we aren’t very far into the process of adopting even though we have been thinking about it and praying about it for a long time. But, right now we are in the middle of deciding on an agency, which I think I have found, and getting all of our ducks in a row before turning in the application. To adopt from Honduras you must be able to take two trips there. The first trip will be 7 to 10 days long and the second trip is a 6 week trip. Yes, a 6 week trip. Who can do that? It is such a bummer that little ones aren’t finding families because average people can’t take 6 weeks off of work. So, that is our “last duck” so to say. We need to talk with the boss and make sure that is something we can do. A culmination of things gives me hope that our answer will be yes. First, and oh so simple, is that God is good. He has asked us to do this and He promises that if we trust in Him and lean not on our own understanding, that He will make our paths straight. My own understanding tells me that asking for 6 weeks off is ridiculous, but that is not what I am leaning on. And second, our boss is amazing. And she is our boss for a reason. She has an adopted granddaughter and she loves the Lord and she is amazingly generous. But all that to say, it still makes be a bit woozy in the mean time. Our boss is out of town so we have to wait. I’m not good at waiting. (No chuckling, please.) I live in the moment. I make decisions quickly and run full blast to achieve them. But, I am being told to wait. What do you do while you wait? Well, I’m going to pray and read and talk about it to who ever will listen and hope that time will fly by.

Room at La Posada

In 1995 God impressed upon my husband that he would adopt an orphan. When we married in 2000 I had no hesitations about that, we agreed though that the timing wasn’t right yet. We have talked about it through the years and had four biological children. But, there is still Room at the Inn…La Posada. Room at La Posada. I have faith that our journey will be God’s journey for us. We are trying to seek Him and can’t wait to meet any other children He has for us in His time. But I know we will need support along the way and that is where you come in. If you think of us pray for us. If you have wisdom for us, please share. I’ll try to keep you up to date on logistics and I’ll also just share what is running through my mind. Hope to hear from you.