Home of Hope

Stole this picture from another blog….this is more than likely the orphanage where our son is staying…..Ahhhh…the wait is torture!

While I’m waiting….I will serve you!

Well, things have really slowed down in our adoption.  We are entering the painful  “we can do nothing more, but wait” stage.  It is truly in God’s hands now.    We are into Week 6 of our 3-5 month wait for approval from the Rwandan Ministry.   And we continue going about our daily lives, all the while thinking about and praying for our son who has no idea that within the next year his life will be turned upside down.

On an up note, we have truly been blessed financially during this process.  Truly, Jason and I entered this adoption knowing that we had really no idea how God would come through for us with the financing.  But, praise God!!!  He has blessed us with two grants.  One from LifeSong for Orphans who graciously gave us a matching grant for $2500.  We wrote a letter to family and friends inviting them to join with us on our journey and we received a total of $5,800 including the matching dollars.  Then, last weekend we received notification that ShowHope, Steven Curtis Chapman’s foundation, was giving us $3000.  We are so very humbled and thankful.  I knew God would not disappoint.

So, for those of you out there, who have not begun the process of adopting because you don’t know how you can pay for it.  Take the step of Faith!!!  Adoption is God’s Heart.  He is faithful.  Remember the story of God’s people crossing the Jordan into the promised land.  They had to actually step into the high waters BEFORE God parted the Jordan so they could cross.  He wanted to see their obedience and faith, then he acted.

So, right now, we wait …and watch several families with America World as they anxiously awaiting their referrals any day now.  I can’t wait to see their pictures as most of them will be from the same orphanage that we will adopt from.

Dossier officially in Rwanda!

After 12 days of Fed Ex tracking, our dossier made it to Rwanda and was signed for by Nyanja, the AWAA representative.  WHEW!!!

Praying the next few months go by quickly.

Dossier is on its way to Rwanda!!!

After our annual Labor Day camping trip to Turkey Run State Park with my entire family, we came home to an email from Terra Bailey at AWAA that said our dossier had been authenticated at the Rwandan Embassy and is on its way to Rwanda.  Whoo-Hoo!!!!

We now join the wait for a 3-6 month approval time from the Ministry in Rwanda.  Then, a 4-8 week wait for the referral of our little boy, then travel shortly after that.

I can hardly contain my excitement!!!!!

Approval Letter CAME!!!!!

 

We finally got our Immigration approval letter in the mail on Friday.  However, as luck would have it, I am not able to go to Indy today to get everything Certified by the Secretary of State.  I must wait until Tuesday.  This is the last step in my paperwork chase.  My part is officially done.  On Tuesday, I will overnight everything to America World, who will in turn send my documents to the Rwandan Embassy in Washington DC to have it authenticated and translated.  Then, they will finally be sent to Rwanda.

It is very easy in this process to get frustrated.  For example, when I realized that I could not go to the Secretary of State today.  I was frustrated.  That is one more day in an orphange for our little boy.  I was frustrated that my family coordinator was on vacation for a week and couldn’t return the USCIS phone call that I needed.  And I am sure that I will frustrated with the long wait that ensues with the Rwandan Ministry.

However, I love The God who exists outside our time frame.  He sees all, knows all, and has already been where I am going.  Thus, I prepare as best I know how for what lies ahead and trust God for the rest.

Still Waiting for I-171H approval

Good News…..

I spoke to our new family coordinator at AWAA today, Terra, who informed me that she had just got off the phone with our USCIS officer.  He was questioning why we wanted our visas in Ethiopia instead of Kenya.  Anyway, Terra got it taken care of and said we should be receiving our approval letter shortly.  (evidently, he had tried calling a week ago, but she was on vacation…..it figures:)  I will be anxiously checking our mailbox each day!!  As if I hadn’t been already

Good News, Part two

LifeSong for Orphans has given us a $2500 matching grant.  Praise God!!!!!  We will be sending out letters to our family and friends this week.  We have been frantically stuffing envelopes and addressing them with our kids.  We have until October 8th to raise the funds!!!  This has been very humbling for us as our pride gets in the way because we have to ask for help.  Our prayer is that God is glorified throughout this process.

Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow!!

Our fingerprint well appointment went smoothly.  We were in and out in about 15 minutes.  So, Jason and I decided to make a day of it and have a “day” date in Indianapolis.  What a great day we had.  We had an awesome steak at The Weber Grill and the went on a paddleboat ride on the CanalWalk. 

I just got a call a few minutes ago from Lifesong for Orphans.  The lady had a few more questions for me about my grant application and then told me that she was putting our application through to the Director as a matching grant.  He makes the call as to how much we get.  I should know something within two weeks. 

Can I just get an “amen” that God is good….all the time!!!!  Martin Luther King once stated that “Faith is taking the first step when you don’t see the whole staircase”.  This is exactly what Jason and I did as far as financing for this adoption and God is providing the means.  Praise God!!!

Here are some pics that are going with our dossier to Rwanda once we get our approval letter.

Fingerprint appointments scheduled!!!

Good News….we got our fingerprint appointments in the mail today. ….Bad News—we have to wait three weeks until we can go (July 17th at 12 p.m.)

Repeat:  All in God’s timing….All in God’s timing

Good News…Jason leaves for a week long golf trip on July 20th and I was so afraid our appointments would be scheduled while he was gone and I would have to reschedule.  We get our fingerprints the business day before he leaves.   God always knows what we need.

It is gonna be awhile….Ahhh!

Well, I sent my I-600A in to USCIS on June 11th.  America World tells me it can take 6-12 weeks to process.  However, I was encouraged by others who got theirs processed much sooner.  I mean how many immigration forms can the State of Indiana have anyway, right?  WRONG!  I just got online and processing time right now is 3 months, maybe longer.  We were hoping to have our little boy by the end of the year, but it doesn’t look like that is going to happen.  All in God’s timing, I know.  It is hard to wait, though.

Home Study Finally COMPLETE!!!!

We received the final draft for our home study today after about 6 weeks of waiting.  Needless to say, it made my day!  I can now apply via Form I-600A to the US Dept of Immigration Services to adopt an ophan abroad.  This is just a simple application with copies of our birth certificates, marriage certificate, and our home study.  And, of course, the $830 fee.  It should take 6-12 weeks to receive our approval letter.  Then, all of my dossier documents can be authenticated and sent to Rwanda.  (Big Sigh:)  One step closer….and my excitement grows.

It was very exciting to hear from three families in my chat groupwho just traveled to Rwanda to pick up their children.  I cannot wait!

In the meantime, on the family front, here are a few pictures of our recent vacation to the Wisconsin Dells with our good friends, the Ulrich Family.