Our Adoption Journey, Step 2: Orientation & Homestudy

This blog has taken me a few weeks to write.  Not because it is a hard topic, but because of our massive to-do list.  It seems unending.  Orientation. Fundraising.  Home study. Paperwork.  Research. So. Much. More.   At the end of September, we met with our agency to go over the basics of our adoption process.  It was three hours, much of which was discussing the paperwork process and the history of the agency.  Then, it was lunch and getting started on the mountain of paperwork.  Six days later, a social worker was in our home, explaining the home study process and discussing more of the paperwork process.

For the most part, the paperwork isn't hard.  It's just complicated and a little stressful.  Notaries.  Background checks.  Fingerprints.  Financial information.  Employment information.  Photographs.  Birth Certificates.  Marriage Certificate.  Physicals.  If we make a mistake?  We have to do it over again.  Which costs money.  And time.  I know that in the end, it will be ALL worth it.  Not just because we will be adopting a beautiful, amazing blessing from God.  But, because we are learning so much on this journey.  Learning to depend on Christ for all our needs.  Learning about ourselves and each other.  Slowly, carefully, lovingly being molded and shaped into the vessels that God wants us to be.

What's next?  We expect this process to take us through the next 4 months.  At that time, our paperwork will *hopefully* be complete and shipped to China, where it will be reviewed for the approval of our adoption.  Until then, we pray, trust and work.