We had our first Home Study and met our new social worker (one for Domestic adoption, one for China adoption - and they are working together for us too). The study is usually in 4 parts, but because we are doing another one so soon after our first one, she is able to combine them into 2 parts. So the first one was a interview with the two of us together. And the second part was going to be my individual interview (since we are still in the heart of tax season).
When we started, she was mainly talking about the birth mothers. - who they see come into the agency and some of the truths about who they are. I handed in all the forms, questionnaires and checks that we had prepared for her. Then we got to the interview part. We went over (again) how we met, how our relationship has progressed and how we communicate. Lots of questions that you know the answer to, but they are sometimes hard to verbalize. Then she released us for lunch – and Daniel went back to the office. I knew that he would have to. So I did a little shopping and ate a quick bite, then headed back for part two. After lunch, I had to answer all the difficult questions about who I am - growing up, relationships and other thought-inducing topics.
One down, one to go.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Fingerprints, again
This past week, we went to the police station - again - to get our fingerprints done. One of the first steps for our new adoption. This is for our background and criminal record checks, required by the state.
We were a just a mile away from the house when Daniel asked if I had the fingerprint cards with me. I didn’t. I felt so unprepared. It was upsetting, seeing as how we've already done this. I just felt like I should remember - at least to BRING the cards. So we had to turn around to get them. I read the instructions on the way. We hadn’t filled out anything in preparation for getting printed. Again, feeling frustrated and unprepared. And then even MORE feelings of unpreparedness - having to sit in the car and fill out the forms – A LOT of forms. And we got in to the desk with 45 minutes to spare. The last time that we had our fingerprinting done (at the police station), it was $10 per person. So I made sure that we had enough cash this time – and the checkbook, just in case. But the price had changed. It was $5 PER CARD. And with us having 8 cards (4 each), it was going to cost $40. Only cash accepted. The only preparation that I had actually done for this day WAS to get cash out. But it wasn’t enough. Between the two of us, we only had $37. So we checked in anyway, and the lady wrote up a receipt. She was so nice and understanding. Daniel went to get some cash, and she finished up our registration. As she handed me back our IDs (both of our IDs) and the receipt, she said that she’d let me go ahead and have my prints done. I said that Daniel would be right back to pay. And she kidded that I had nowhere to run and that she had “connections”. So I walked down the long hallway past the detective offices to the booking area. And the fingerprinting commenced. Even with me having to do 4 cards, it went fairly quickly. So after wiping my hands with the magical ink-removing wipes, I walked back down the hallway. And Daniel was already back – and paying. As we walked back down the hallway, he said that he had gone to the bank – and there was a story to tell. When we got back to the car, he told me his bank story. He had gone to the bank to use the ATM. But it was broken, being fixed, but unusable. So he had to go into the bank to get some cash. And the bank had just opened – 5 minutes earlier. So if we hadn’t filled out the paperwork in the car “wasting” that time, he would have had to wait for the bank to open. So he grabbed a blank check and filled out the information and took it to the teller. And she asked for his ID. He had to tell her that he didn’t have his ID (it was back at the police station). So she told him that they had this new thing that he could swipe his ATM card inside the bank. And he successfully got the cash!
So even when I didn't plan out things very well at all - and it seemed like things weren't working out, God's hand was guiding us. Each step that we take in the adoption process always seems to have a little adventure that works out perfectly. Completely God! And He is providing wonderful stories that we can share how we are seeing Him work visibly in our lives.
We were a just a mile away from the house when Daniel asked if I had the fingerprint cards with me. I didn’t. I felt so unprepared. It was upsetting, seeing as how we've already done this. I just felt like I should remember - at least to BRING the cards. So we had to turn around to get them. I read the instructions on the way. We hadn’t filled out anything in preparation for getting printed. Again, feeling frustrated and unprepared. And then even MORE feelings of unpreparedness - having to sit in the car and fill out the forms – A LOT of forms. And we got in to the desk with 45 minutes to spare. The last time that we had our fingerprinting done (at the police station), it was $10 per person. So I made sure that we had enough cash this time – and the checkbook, just in case. But the price had changed. It was $5 PER CARD. And with us having 8 cards (4 each), it was going to cost $40. Only cash accepted. The only preparation that I had actually done for this day WAS to get cash out. But it wasn’t enough. Between the two of us, we only had $37. So we checked in anyway, and the lady wrote up a receipt. She was so nice and understanding. Daniel went to get some cash, and she finished up our registration. As she handed me back our IDs (both of our IDs) and the receipt, she said that she’d let me go ahead and have my prints done. I said that Daniel would be right back to pay. And she kidded that I had nowhere to run and that she had “connections”. So I walked down the long hallway past the detective offices to the booking area. And the fingerprinting commenced. Even with me having to do 4 cards, it went fairly quickly. So after wiping my hands with the magical ink-removing wipes, I walked back down the hallway. And Daniel was already back – and paying. As we walked back down the hallway, he said that he had gone to the bank – and there was a story to tell. When we got back to the car, he told me his bank story. He had gone to the bank to use the ATM. But it was broken, being fixed, but unusable. So he had to go into the bank to get some cash. And the bank had just opened – 5 minutes earlier. So if we hadn’t filled out the paperwork in the car “wasting” that time, he would have had to wait for the bank to open. So he grabbed a blank check and filled out the information and took it to the teller. And she asked for his ID. He had to tell her that he didn’t have his ID (it was back at the police station). So she told him that they had this new thing that he could swipe his ATM card inside the bank. And he successfully got the cash!
So even when I didn't plan out things very well at all - and it seemed like things weren't working out, God's hand was guiding us. Each step that we take in the adoption process always seems to have a little adventure that works out perfectly. Completely God! And He is providing wonderful stories that we can share how we are seeing Him work visibly in our lives.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
NEW Adoption
As the wait for our referral from China continues on, Daniel and I have been continually praying for where God is leading us. One afternoon, feeling very lost and not knowing what we should do, I just said, “What do we do?” And the next afternoon I went to the mailbox and got a letter from our adoption agency. It was notifying us of a new program for those waiting for a China referral.
The new program is a concurrent domestic adoption during the China wait. When I read that letter, I just knew that this was what we had been waiting for. I knew that we still had a call to China, that there is a little girl for us there. But it had just seemed like there was SOMETHING else - something that I was looking for – something we were missing. And immediately, I knew that we had found it. Daniel and I prayed and talked with our social worker about it. She thought that we were perfect candidates for this new program.
I have had many fears about adopting domestically. Mainly about the adoptions usually being semi-open or fully open. But I have felt those fears just falling away. We still have questions about how open the adoption will be – and it does range case by case – but we have a peace about it. We know that this is God’s new plan for us.
With this new program, nothing about our China adoption changes. I also feel that with this new program, the wait (that is still about 4 years) is not going to be decreasing any time soon.
So we embark on a new adoption. We basically have to start over. It is a brand NEW
adoption – so new social worker – and new application. Since we are doing it concurrently at the same agency, our social workers (from both our China and domestic programs) can work together. Many things that we filled out for the agency are the same and can be put into our new file. And there are some things that we are going to have to do again – like fingerprints and physicals. But some of these would have to be redone anyway for our China program. Because of the long wait for referrals, some things in our China dossier will expire.
There will be some repeating. There will be some overlapping. But the paperwork, forms, and documents have never really bothered me. It is a wonderful challenge that has a great ending.
We have already done some of the things to get started. Police and background check letters are sent off. Fingerprints are planned for next week. Physicals in April. Home study interviews in two weeks. We are moving right along.
So as far as time frame. Ideally, the wait for a domestic adoption is about 18 months. So, with God’s grace, we will have our domestically adopted child (we don’t really have preference of male or female) in our home for about a year (which is required by China) before we go overseas to get our little girl. So when we get home, we will have 2 one year olds at the same time. Exciting!!
Prayer: We need prayer that the timing will work out perfectly. And we know that it can. God is amazing!
The new program is a concurrent domestic adoption during the China wait. When I read that letter, I just knew that this was what we had been waiting for. I knew that we still had a call to China, that there is a little girl for us there. But it had just seemed like there was SOMETHING else - something that I was looking for – something we were missing. And immediately, I knew that we had found it. Daniel and I prayed and talked with our social worker about it. She thought that we were perfect candidates for this new program.
I have had many fears about adopting domestically. Mainly about the adoptions usually being semi-open or fully open. But I have felt those fears just falling away. We still have questions about how open the adoption will be – and it does range case by case – but we have a peace about it. We know that this is God’s new plan for us.
With this new program, nothing about our China adoption changes. I also feel that with this new program, the wait (that is still about 4 years) is not going to be decreasing any time soon.
So we embark on a new adoption. We basically have to start over. It is a brand NEW
adoption – so new social worker – and new application. Since we are doing it concurrently at the same agency, our social workers (from both our China and domestic programs) can work together. Many things that we filled out for the agency are the same and can be put into our new file. And there are some things that we are going to have to do again – like fingerprints and physicals. But some of these would have to be redone anyway for our China program. Because of the long wait for referrals, some things in our China dossier will expire.
There will be some repeating. There will be some overlapping. But the paperwork, forms, and documents have never really bothered me. It is a wonderful challenge that has a great ending.
We have already done some of the things to get started. Police and background check letters are sent off. Fingerprints are planned for next week. Physicals in April. Home study interviews in two weeks. We are moving right along.
So as far as time frame. Ideally, the wait for a domestic adoption is about 18 months. So, with God’s grace, we will have our domestically adopted child (we don’t really have preference of male or female) in our home for about a year (which is required by China) before we go overseas to get our little girl. So when we get home, we will have 2 one year olds at the same time. Exciting!!
Prayer: We need prayer that the timing will work out perfectly. And we know that it can. God is amazing!
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