Adoption

Have I mentioned we are adopting? Because we are! We are only a tiny way into the process and already this could be one of the hardest things I have ever done. There are so many emotions involved.

I'm happy over the thought of a new member of our family and all the joy they will bring. I am worried that this just doesn't work out, maybe they don't like us or we don't mesh. I am anxious over what my baby is experiencing right now. Are they here on this earth living in an orphanage. Is their orphanage like the one we went to in Lesotho where the children are treated well. Or are they in one of the orphanages we heard horror stories about? Did they get to eat tonight or did a bigger, older kid take their food? Are they wondering if someone is coming for them? Or are they even born? Is their birth mother pregnant right now and wondering how she will ever provide for the little one growing in her belly? Is she praying over what to do or is she turing to alcohol to make the confusion a little less troubling?

And that is just some of what I think daily.

We started this process knowing that it is something we knew we wanted, no needed to do. I don't want to just take care of orphans, I want to make them orphans no more. There are so many children in this world who are just viewed as a inconvenience. When they are the opposite. Children are a blessing from the Lord. We knew we had to do this.

So we contacted the only agency in the US that adopts to Lesotho. The told us their program was fairly new and had a lengthy waiting list. We didn't, and still don't care. We will wait as long as it takes. Because our agency is in Tennessee, we had to find a Mississippi agency to do our home study and post-adoption visits. We selected one out of Tupelo and they have been amazing to work with.

We finished our last home study visits a week ago. We are finishing up paperwork (no one prepared me for the paperwork involved) and are chipping away at the 10 hours of training that we have to do.

We did a t-shirt fundraiser which brought in around $700 and are close to ordering another order of shirts! I have been in utter shock at how people have supported us this far. We have never been a part of a church family that truly bears your burdens, celebrates the highs, and asks you "how's it going" and truly cares about the answer- that is until now. Our faith family has blown us away with the support they have offered us.

We also did a garage sale. We bared the coldest, wettest day in May and sold as much as we could. We were also reminded how much people love us and this baby because friends and family came out just to help out. The night before we were loved on by friends as we were setting up and the day of they put on their rain gear and stood by us!

So whats next? Well we have to finish up all of the paperwork for our home study and submit that to our agency for final review. Then we will begin our dossier (doss-e-ay). This is a collection of more paperwork and legal documents that will go directly to Lesotho for our matching.

Please join with us in prayer that this process would go as quickly as possible. There is a child in an orphanage who has been told they aren't worth a family. We are setting out to tell them they are so, so loved.