So what will it take?

As we’ve begun this process we’ve been asked tons of questions about the process.  How long will it take to get a child home?  Why does it take so long?  How will your child be referred to you?  With so many children in need, why does it take so long to get children into loving homes?  Why does adoption cost so much?  So the main question is, “So what will it take?”  These are all things that we are learning along the way. 

I’ll start today by answering the first question of, “How long will it take?”  In a world of instant gratification we know that our journey to bring home the little girl that God chooses for us will be far longer than we would prefer.  Provided there are not additional delays in the process, it is expected to take between 18 and 24 months for us to bring a child home from Haiti.  We had considered changing to Ethiopia because of the uncertainty of what the ratification to The Hague Convention will do to the Haiti program, but after much prayer and consideration, we are going to stay with the Haiti program.   

We are currently in the process of completing our Dossier, which is basically a large amount of paperwork to support our eligibility to adopt a child.  Many people refer to this as the paper chase or the paper pregnancy.  It doesn’t quite have the same effect as being pregnant because it is certainly not a process that makes you glow. It can be a little daunting at times to make sure that we have all of the right information pulled together and that it is all accurate.  It is important because the Dossier is what is used throughout the rest of the process by the United States and Haitian governments to finalize the process. 

Once our Dossier is complete it will be sent to Haiti for review.  Within one to two months we should receive notification that we have been matched with a “paper ready” child.  This means that paperwork on the child to prove that she is truly an orphan has already been pulled together.  Haiti works differently than most countries, in that, this referral process is done at the beginning of the journey.  Most countries do not refer a child to you until a few months prior to your travel to get the child.  This is something that has drawn us to the Haiti program, among others.  We are very anxious to begin that bond with a child even though we know that we will not have her home for 18-24 months.  Knowing that we can visit and support this child as we wait for her is important to us. 

So throughout this process we trust that God will be faithful and he will fill our time as we wait for our precious little girl to join our family.  We will continue to cherish every moment with our son, who keeps us busy enough for two children and we'll pray for the daughter/sister that God has for us.  We'll prayer for her safety and health.  We'll also pray that she has someone in her life who is loving on her until we can do it ourselves!! :)

Psalm 130: 5-7

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

And in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the LORD,

more than watchmen for the morning,

more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the LORD!

For with the LORD there is steadfast love,

And with Him is plentiful redemption.