It's like... HURRY UP and WAIT! :)



Waiting... has probably got to be one of the hardest things to do...  It seems like I'm always trying to get somewhere fast, eating fast food, doing drive thru banking, running from one place to another...

Thankfully, Jesus Christ teaches me that there is a precise purpose in those few minutes, long hours, days or even years of waiting. 

"And not only so, but let us have joy in our troubles: in the knowledge that trouble gives us the power of waiting. And waiting gives experience; and experience, hope: and hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:4-5

"I am waiting for the Lord, my soul is waiting for Him, and my hope is in His Word." Psalms 130:5  

"Now may the God who gives comfort and strength in waiting make you of the same mind with one another in harmony with Christ Jesus…" Romans 15Love is never tired of waiting."1 Corinthians 13:4

I can say, it feels GOOD to wait right now!  ...and to be on the WAIT LIST at AGCI... means SO much more than just waiting in a line.

The decision to adopt (to be added to this LIST) ;) - How God placed this on our hearts (and everyone else's hearts on this LIST)... how we want to passionately and obediently SERVE Him, Glorify Him, Honor Him, Praise Him... long for what he longs for... love, a home, a family, hope... for the orphans.  

Then the process to get on the LIST was AMAZING! From, notarizing documents, submitting financial statements, tax returns, letters from our accountant, Verifying funds in our bank, local criminal checks, FBI criminal checks, Connecticut Criminal Checks, Medical Checks, Vet Checks, Home Study evaluation and visits, Letters of recommendation, guardianship letters... all for the purpose to verify that we are a suitable family to be ABLE to adopt... It is INSURANCE that research has been done on our family and our Agency finds us a family that will be able to take care of our Ethiopian baby(s) beautifully financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually!!!

Being put on a WAIT LIST with other families who are also on this journey is an honor and a HUGE blessing!! It is SO cool to listen to God, follow Him, and know that he has got a PERFECT plan just for us!!

After reading so many BLOGS - I felt like I understood the Wait List better when I read about it HERE Thanks for the insight Vanessa! :)

"Why is there a waitlist?"

"Well the first thing is that the transitional home (the home where children go once they are taken out of the massive government run orphanages to be adopted out) only holds so many children. Then both the adoption agency and the Ethiopian government want to make sure the child has not been kidnapped or illegally abandoned (aka child-trafficking)- therefore it takes time to get the proper paperwork on the child (background checks on the child, any living birth family interviews, research into abandonment cases, etc). Then CDC wants to know about the health of the child so they require screenings and tests. Once it has been proven that the child is a legitimate orphan, they match the child with a family on the waitlist. Once that family accepts their referral, they must go through the Ethiopian court system. A court date is given where all paperwork will be reviewed and they require any living relative to be present in court for questioning. If all paperwork is good and any birth family members have answered the questions correctly, you then pass court and the child is legally yours. However, you now wait for a travel date to pick up the child as your approved paperwork is sent to the Embassy for Visas etc. At the same time the US government wants to look over all the paperwork and make sure they get a chance to approve it before you bring a child home." 

...As many times as I FED EX'd my documents or RAN to the bank for a Notary or DROVE to Olympia to re-do a State Certification! ...It was ALL on God's time!  Nothing was going to get there and get done any faster than He wanted it to!  :)

Thank you so much Dear Jesus that I don't have to WORRY about when something is going to happen, where it will happen, or why it happens and the way it happens.  I am SO glad that YOU have control over all these things!! Please help me to always remember that and always put you first and give you the control. :)


1 comment

  1. Wow...amazing was not the word I used to describe putting together the dossier. Frustrating. Rewarding even. Long. Intense. Those were words on my list! =)
    And you had to re-do state certification? No wonder you've been so busy...we barely escaped that one I'm sorry. Well! You are done now!!! =)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your kind words! ♥