Road Trip: The New Mexican Expedition, Day 3
9 years ago
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Our Home Study is Complete!
Our h
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Well, since this has been posted of Facebook (this wasn’t for publication for a little while), I can now officially let you all know that we will be having “company” for our adoption journey. We’re so excited to be sharing this experience with George’s brother and sister-in-law, Art & Vickie. Art & Vickie have also applied to adopt from the DRC.
When we first began considering adoption, my thoughts were that we would adopt from Korea. Art & Vickie have two biological children and four adopted children from Korea. We absolutely love our nieces and nephews and figured Korea would be a logical place from which to adopt. As I’ve said before, God has been leading us in this process and Korea was not part of His plan. People have told me that God leads you to the country where your child is. I truly believe that because we already feel so incredibly bonded to a child in the Congo we’ve yet to meet!
Instead of Korea, His plan was for us to adopt from the DRC. Art & Vicki have a heart for adoption and have talked about adopting more children, but weren’t sure they’d meet the criteria for Korea anymore. Long story short – I mentioned the DRC to Vick one day and said, “Wanna join us?” I thought they might be interested, but since we don’t have the opportunity to talk frequently, that was all that was said.
When I contacted Vickie to let her know we were definitely filing our application, I asked again, “Are you joining us?” She answered my question with an email that said, “Does this answer your question?” Attached was correspondence she’d had with adoption agencies on the DRC. Unbeknownst to me, she had spoken with many of the same people as I had (not just at our adoption agency). How confusing it must’ve been for them to have two very focused women with the same last name trying to weed out the details that would lead them to their children! I’m sure they were thinking, “Didn’t I already talk to Mrs. Laubach once (or twice or three times) today?” While Art & Vickie are in Hawaii and we are in Pennsylvania, we’ve both chosen the same adoption agency. We’re hoping that it will work out that we will be able to travel to the Congo together when the time comes to pick up our children. Please be praying for them as well as for us.
In the meantime, we’re continuing to work on paperwork. Our home study is nearing completion. We’ve gotten our fingerprints, pet immunizations, etc. I don’t know how I’ll feel when the paperwork’s finished. I’m not an overly patient person. The paperwork makes me feel like we’re being productive - like what we are doing is getting us one step closer to our child. Somehow I don’t think the waiting will give me the same satisfaction as checking items off my list of things to do! I’m reminded that it doesn’t matter what we do. Things will happen as they’re supposed to. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God’s timing is perfect. The waiting, whether it ends up being short or long, is all part of God’s plan and His timing.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in HIS time.”
When we first began considering adoption, my thoughts were that we would adopt from Korea. Art & Vickie have two biological children and four adopted children from Korea. We absolutely love our nieces and nephews and figured Korea would be a logical place from which to adopt. As I’ve said before, God has been leading us in this process and Korea was not part of His plan. People have told me that God leads you to the country where your child is. I truly believe that because we already feel so incredibly bonded to a child in the Congo we’ve yet to meet!
Instead of Korea, His plan was for us to adopt from the DRC. Art & Vicki have a heart for adoption and have talked about adopting more children, but weren’t sure they’d meet the criteria for Korea anymore. Long story short – I mentioned the DRC to Vick one day and said, “Wanna join us?” I thought they might be interested, but since we don’t have the opportunity to talk frequently, that was all that was said.
When I contacted Vickie to let her know we were definitely filing our application, I asked again, “Are you joining us?” She answered my question with an email that said, “Does this answer your question?” Attached was correspondence she’d had with adoption agencies on the DRC. Unbeknownst to me, she had spoken with many of the same people as I had (not just at our adoption agency). How confusing it must’ve been for them to have two very focused women with the same last name trying to weed out the details that would lead them to their children! I’m sure they were thinking, “Didn’t I already talk to Mrs. Laubach once (or twice or three times) today?” While Art & Vickie are in Hawaii and we are in Pennsylvania, we’ve both chosen the same adoption agency. We’re hoping that it will work out that we will be able to travel to the Congo together when the time comes to pick up our children. Please be praying for them as well as for us.
In the meantime, we’re continuing to work on paperwork. Our home study is nearing completion. We’ve gotten our fingerprints, pet immunizations, etc. I don’t know how I’ll feel when the paperwork’s finished. I’m not an overly patient person. The paperwork makes me feel like we’re being productive - like what we are doing is getting us one step closer to our child. Somehow I don’t think the waiting will give me the same satisfaction as checking items off my list of things to do! I’m reminded that it doesn’t matter what we do. Things will happen as they’re supposed to. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God’s timing is perfect. The waiting, whether it ends up being short or long, is all part of God’s plan and His timing.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in HIS time.”
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Week One - Beginning of the Paper Chase
The paper chase has begun! We spent the week filling out a ton of forms and gathering documents – everything from our pets’ vaccination records to car registrations to insurance documents to clearances, only to name a few. I imagine the next couple of weeks will hold more of the same as we still haven’t checked everything off the list.
We heard from our adoption agency that our application has been accepted. We’ll be mailing our signed contract back to the agency shortly. Adopting from the Congo is a little different from some of the other countries because one’s dossier does not have to be complete before the search for a child begins. What this means is that we’ll continue working on completing our paperwork and our home study while the adoption agency is looking for a referral. We still don’t have all the adoption “lingo” down, but I think that’s correct. We’re told that the time frame could be fairly quick, but we’re trusting God for his perfect timing – whether that’s four months or twenty months. We know that He has a plan for us.
This week began to pray faithfully not only for the child that God has for us, but for the birth mother. We’re not sure how to pray. Is the baby in womb? If yes, we’re praying for the health of the birth mom, for a peace in her decision making, for a healthy delivery, etc. If our baby’s been born, we’re praying that she/he is getting enough food, for his or her health, and most of all, that the baby is being loved by someone until being joined with his or her forever family. Please pray with us as we continue on this journey.
Hope & George
We heard from our adoption agency that our application has been accepted. We’ll be mailing our signed contract back to the agency shortly. Adopting from the Congo is a little different from some of the other countries because one’s dossier does not have to be complete before the search for a child begins. What this means is that we’ll continue working on completing our paperwork and our home study while the adoption agency is looking for a referral. We still don’t have all the adoption “lingo” down, but I think that’s correct. We’re told that the time frame could be fairly quick, but we’re trusting God for his perfect timing – whether that’s four months or twenty months. We know that He has a plan for us.
This week began to pray faithfully not only for the child that God has for us, but for the birth mother. We’re not sure how to pray. Is the baby in womb? If yes, we’re praying for the health of the birth mom, for a peace in her decision making, for a healthy delivery, etc. If our baby’s been born, we’re praying that she/he is getting enough food, for his or her health, and most of all, that the baby is being loved by someone until being joined with his or her forever family. Please pray with us as we continue on this journey.
Hope & George
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Beginning of Our Journey
Well, here we are.....how do we begin? Let me start by saying that I can't believe we're at this point!
For months now, God's been "ripening" us for this process. Nearly a year and a half ago, I felt like God was laying the idea of adoption on my heart. It was so CRAZY, I couldn't even speak it! We are so blessed with four biological children, I couldn't imagine why God would lead us in this direction. In March of 2009, we attended a Steven Curtis Chapman concert. Of course, he spoke of his own adoption triumphs and tragedies. For weeks after, I could barely sleep...still afraid to even breathe the word "adoption" to George.
Finally, after a few weeks, we were talking one evening and I said to him, "There are two things that God's been laying on my heart. One is adoption and the other is short-term mission work." I braced myself for the "Are you out of your mind?" question. Instead, his reply was simple. He said, "Me too". WOW!! I couldn't imagine how this could or would all happen, so we remained fairly silent until a few months ago, but God was not letting us out of this!
We prayed for signs. When we got those signs, we prayed for "bigger signs", still unable to phathom why we would have this burden and how God would accomplish it all.
We still don't have all the answers (the finances of it are daunting), but we know that beginning the adoption process for the Democratic Republic of Congo is the first step. The application is ready to be mailed in the morning. The kids are sooo excited. Hallie cried happy tears as she called and told our family members that we were beginning this process. I'm sure they're thinking that we're crazy....we think it sounds crazy....crazy and right and wonderful all at the same time!
If we were eloquent with words, we would say something like this couple....details are different, but our hearts are very similar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH73KHN_nUw&feature=related
Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act.Prov. 24:12
Please pray with us as and for us as we begin this journey to giving an orphan a forever home.
Hope & George
For months now, God's been "ripening" us for this process. Nearly a year and a half ago, I felt like God was laying the idea of adoption on my heart. It was so CRAZY, I couldn't even speak it! We are so blessed with four biological children, I couldn't imagine why God would lead us in this direction. In March of 2009, we attended a Steven Curtis Chapman concert. Of course, he spoke of his own adoption triumphs and tragedies. For weeks after, I could barely sleep...still afraid to even breathe the word "adoption" to George.
Finally, after a few weeks, we were talking one evening and I said to him, "There are two things that God's been laying on my heart. One is adoption and the other is short-term mission work." I braced myself for the "Are you out of your mind?" question. Instead, his reply was simple. He said, "Me too". WOW!! I couldn't imagine how this could or would all happen, so we remained fairly silent until a few months ago, but God was not letting us out of this!
We prayed for signs. When we got those signs, we prayed for "bigger signs", still unable to phathom why we would have this burden and how God would accomplish it all.
We still don't have all the answers (the finances of it are daunting), but we know that beginning the adoption process for the Democratic Republic of Congo is the first step. The application is ready to be mailed in the morning. The kids are sooo excited. Hallie cried happy tears as she called and told our family members that we were beginning this process. I'm sure they're thinking that we're crazy....we think it sounds crazy....crazy and right and wonderful all at the same time!
If we were eloquent with words, we would say something like this couple....details are different, but our hearts are very similar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH73KHN_nUw&feature=related
Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act.Prov. 24:12
Please pray with us as and for us as we begin this journey to giving an orphan a forever home.
Hope & George
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