We want to say thank you for so many encouraging emails and comments these past few days. They have meant a lot to us and really affirm this direction we are headed. It has also been neat to hear of others who are interested in adopting in the future and of some who are familiar with the agency we are using, Bethany Christian Services.
After receiving word last week that our preliminary application had been approved, some additional items were sent to us. One of those being a link to the "adoption portal," which enables us to communicate with the agency and to fill out our formal application online. Another item sent to us is that "formal application," which isn't as bad as I thought it would be. We need to provide all the general information -- personal details, criminal history (none there), references, information about our parents, and a description of our house and community. I enjoyed telling them that our house was newly carpeted and painted thanks to many people from our church. A third bit of paperwork we need to fill out is called the "self study." This one's the whopper. It has too many questions for me to count and they aren't easy answers. Amanda and I both have to fill out the self study, describing things like our personality, our marriage, what it was like for us growing up, and what we think our roles are as parents. This is going to take us a while. They have told us that they are also sending through regular mail some other items for us to fill out. I didn't realize that this journey of life and hope is also a journey of paperwork. Nonetheless, it's one we're happy to endure.
Prayer needs:
- Please continue to pray for that unknown mother out there who has a difficult decision to make.
- Please pray that we could be patient as we wait on God's perfect timing for a little one.
- Please continue to pray for us as we gather our resources. Once our "home study" is completed in a few weeks, we will begin applying for grants and doing some fundraising to help cover the expenses.
- Please pray for us as we fill out all of this paperwork. We want to seize the moment to enjoy the journey.
Thank you!
