Dossier

Our International Home Study was approved and has caught up with our I-600A paperwork! Yippee!!! We received the copy of the home study for the dossier as well as a our own copy in the mail yesterday. This is a huge milestone after the up and down, twists and turns we have encountered getting us to this point! We now are working on the Dossier and waiting for our finger printing appointment letter to arrive in the mail. We will have our finger printing done (again) at an official USCIS office - the closest ones are in Jacksonville and New Orleans. ROAD TRIP!!

We are reminded constantly that all of this is in God's timing. We get country updates from our agency via a blog and read it to keep up to date on changes that are happening with Ethiopian adoptions. We KNOW we are with the right agency - nothing against other agencies at all - we don't know what their practices are and can't speak about them - we can only speak about Bethany and we are impressed that they double check and triple check everything. Things may take a little longer, but we know that it is being done right and the will of God is being carried out.

There are some other changes besides the new two trip requirement to Ethiopia. By the time we get to the stage where the new requirements are implemented, we hope and pray the kinks are worked out and the process is running smoothly and timely. Again, God's timing. Had we been further along in the process, with all of these changes, we could get caught in a hole. God's protection and timing prevail. We trust Him alone - He has the blueprint. He knows how this episode goes, and how it ends.

So we are working on the Dossier and killing about 1,345 trees along the way. The amount of paperwork is amazing. BUT... we understand why. There is a saying, it's easier to have a child than to adopt a child. It's true. If you are physically able to have children, it's not a problem. But to adopt a child - it's tough work...all to protect an innocent child. There are people, agencies, governments, villages, countries, nations, who are looking out for and doing what is best for this child. We have laid every part of our lives out on the line - we open up and share very intimate information with our case worker (she knows us as well as we know us), we have shared details about our life that are not every day conversation. There is not one part of our life, our home, our very being that has not been looked at and discussed. Is there anything private? Nope. Does the agency, case worker, US government, Ethiopian government, etc...know EVERYTHING about you? You betcha. Except for maybe the color undies I chose to wear today but it would not surprise me if they knew that too. They HAVE TO do this...and we get it. If we were not able to care for a child, I would want the fine tooth comb and every single detail of a person inspected before my child was placed with someone...so we expect no less.

So the tree killing continues - we need a notary for a best friend (every page of the dossier has to be notarized) and we are anxious to get the letter to go get our finger prints done. All in God's time...all in God's time.