Well we are pressing on in our adoption journey. We have completed our Psychological Evaluation and our Home Study at this point and are waiting to get the results back from both of those. We are still not sure if we are going to be considered sane or insane...I will let you all know. At this stage we are now working with a consultant company that is assisting us in completing the Dossier which is the massively huge packet that will be mailed off to Honduras for translation and approval. The Dossier includes the Home Study, Psch Evalutaion, our pet medical records, fingerprints, every possible paper on us notarized, every inch of medical info that is possible, and on and on. It is really mind boggling. I am learning to just walk through the hoops and not gripe and complain (even though it is tempting).
The Fall season has brought challenges to us. It was definitely easier to get paper work done and feel momentum in the summer but the insanity of the Fall schedule has really strained us. We are also at a stage of life where we are figuring out how to manage everything: 2 working parents, kids old enough to have real school work and tests, kids old enough to be participating in extra-curricular activities, church activities, etc. When you throw in adoption on top of all that it can be challenging. There are days where we feel like throwing in the towel and discouragement lingers over us. I find myself more naturally praying in a dependent and desperate way these days for sure. As I look at what needs to happen and get done I simply do not have the answers and do not know how it's going to happen.
I feel like we are entering into the next level in the adoption journey. Level 1 consisted of the initial decision and letting people know that we were doing this. Level 2 consisted of the first round of payments and paper work that really added a whole new level of reality - 'ok we are really doing this'. I feel like we have entered into Level 3 now. We saw God provide financially to cover all of our Level 2 finances (over $7000) and it was wonderful confirmation that He is with us and He is our Jehovah Jireh, our provider. So we got to the top of that mountain only to discover that it was a foothill and not a mountain and now a much larger hill is in front of us again. We are now needing to raise around $12000 worth of funds and navigate a whole list of paper work items to reach the top of this next hill.
So we are stepping out and trying to keep on moving. We are teaming up with Josh and Suzanne Bramlett, who are also adopting, to raise money through donated items at our church garage sale this Saturday (October 13). We are also stepping out to host a big fund-raising party on October 27th here at the Bridge, our youth building, that will consist of grilling out together, family games, and a chance for us to share what we're doing. Anyway, thanks for your support, your prayers and taking time to read my ramblings. May God bless you and may you step out and seek Him first today in all you do!
in Christ,
Brian
