Decision Made!

After a lot of research and prayer, we've decide that Caleb needs to come home!

Now -  that's a lot easier said than done if you haven't figured that out!  We are kinda caught in the middle of some recent changes made to the DRC adoption process.  If we follow these changes through to the end, we don't know when we'd get to bring Caleb home.  On the flip side, when the end arrives, there wouldn't be much to do in the DRC and our trip to pick up Caleb would be short and sweet.  However, since we don't see an end in sight (seems like it could add at least another couple of months to the process).  we've decided to be a little more proactive, which we feel could bring Caleb home by the end of the year!  Woohoo!  The bad part of this is that the stay in the DRC will be MUCH longer. 

We've opted for me (Hope) to travel as soon as possible (we're waiting for ANOTHER Embassy appointment date - hopefully it will be within a month) and to follow the paperwork through to the end.  We are being told to expect this to take a minimum of THREE (yes - that's right - THREE!!!) weeks. 

Ok, so for those of you know me, you're all thinking what a wimp I am.  And, you're right!  I don't know how I'll manage being away from George and the other kids for that length of time. I'm already homesick for them.  :(  And, I look over my shoulder in MILLVILLEto make sure I'm safe!  Can you imagine me in the DRC?  Not to mention the critters.....I may have killed a mouse of two (some of you OR friends may know what I'm talking about!!!), but I'm afraid of bugs and mice and....rats....yuk!

So, I may not know how I'll manage, but I know that I will.  And, I'll have my sister-in-law (who's much braver than I am - right, Vickie??!) with me.  We'll be picking up not only Caleb, but my niece as well!  Can't wait to meet them!  We should have our children with us very soon after we get there and will have lots of bonding time while we're shuffling around Kinshasa doing paperwork.

I'm counting on you all to be praying for us!  Please pray that our stay is NOT three weeks or four weeks (7 days would be nice- and I believe in miracles!!).  Pray that our Embassy appointment is SOON  - I am so over waiting!  Pray that our paperwork is in order and processes smoothly and quickly.  Pray that our airfare won't be outrageously expensive.  Pray for our safety.  And, please pray that Caleb and his cousin are healthy and that they adapt to their new mommies, daddies and siblings quickly.   Pray that someday they will realize how much they were loved and wanted even before they were home with their forever families.

Gotta run - soccer tonight (again) :).  Have a great evening!

Pray, Pray, Pray!

We were warned that International adoption is volatile and that changes can rapidly occur.  Now, we are experiencing it. 

We've spent the last couple of months waiting on corrected court documents (which still are not correct) and waiting for our Embassy appointment in Kinshasa.  The appointment was set for September 29th.  It was the middle of "fair week".  For those of you who are local, you know what that means.  We were in the thick of washing, cutting, frying serving 3,650 lbs of potatoes, 1,400 lbs of wings, making wing sauces, etc. at the Bloomsburg Fair.

We took time out the morning of the 29th to have breakfast as a family.  We prayed for Caleb and "celebrated" that it wouldn't be long until he'd be joining us.  That evening, we received an email saying that the process is changing and that the appointment that we waited five weeks for did not happen!  All paperwork must come back to the United States to be processed.  It's my understanding that it will then have to go back to the DRC.  Our agency still does not have clarification, but long story short is that we thought we'd be on a plane by the end of October and, as of now, there is no end in sight. 

Disappointed?  Definitely. 
Frustrated?  Yeah. 
Angry?  A little. 
Worried?  Actually I am.  This is the first time during this process that I've been worried.
Anxious?  Yes.
Losing faith?  Not in God, but in people (maybe this is how it's supposed to be?)

The list goes on and on....I guess it's hard because we were really planning for his homecoming within a couple of weeks.  The process was down to just a few weeks left.  He's been ours on paper since June.  It's time we get to officially welcome him home into our family.  He needs us and we need him.

I've read information from other agencies saying that this new step in the process can now take three weeks to three months, but our agency has not released any information (and our paperwork is "caught in the middle").  I'm hoping OW comes back this week with really good news.  Please pray with us that this issue is resolved quickly.

Thanks, Everyone.  Happy Monday!

Just like a roller coaster

For those of you who don't live nearby, there's an awesome amusement park in Elysburg called Knoebel's Grove.  Each summer we make a trip (or two...or three...) to the park.  All four of our kids love roller coasters.  They come by that naturally.  I've been to known to say that I love the feeling of having my stomach rise to my throat and fall back down again!  The scarier, the better!

Well, let me tell you that this adoption process is a little bit like a roller coaster.  One day things are moving along great, the next day we feel like we're screeching to a halt, only to begin up the big hill again.  This type of roller coaster is NOT as much fun as the Phoenix at Knoebel's, though.  This is the kind of roller coaster that plays with your emotions.  It has its emotional ups and downs, twists and turns - so much that it almost makes us want to hop off and not finish the ride.  Ya know - to look for a more peaceful, "choo-choo train" type of ride.  Then we look at Caleb's picture and remember the nagging feeling that we had before we started this adoption process...the feeling that we needed to be doing something important that God wanted us to do.  We recognize the feeling of emptiness in our hearts, knowing we have a baby boy waiting for his mommy and daddy to come and get him. 

No, this roller coaster ride may not be totally fun, but we are hanging on until this ride is completely over and Caleb is with his forever family.

The Waiting Game

July 8, 2010

Once again, I've been delinquent in my posts, but let me bring you up to date because a lot has been happening.

For starters, everyone keeps asking me, "What's his name?". I think it's "legal" for me to post the name we're giving him, so I'll tell you all that his name will be Caleb. We have decided to keep part of his African-given name as his middle name (can't post any part of that on here - sorry).

Secondly, we spent nearly the first two weeks after his referral with no new information, other than his picture. We were beginning to get discouraged wondering if he was really going to be ours when we received his "official" paperwork (referral papers, health information, etc.). We spent a little bit of time compiling all the pieces of our dossier. Then we went another two weeks without hearing a thing. Let me just say that it is unbelievably hard to be patient, especially now that we have his picture. We look at it, hug it, kiss it, talk to it, but that's enough -We want HIM!!

The good news is that things are moving along. We spent a week on the Outer Banks. It was great family time, but we found ourselves talking a lot about Caleb. Check out the completed family project in the picture below.

On the way home from our vacation, we were told that we were not in court yet, didn't know when our case would to to court, etc. We were slightly discouraged, but still trusting God for his timing. Long story short, we got home and the very next day, we got a phone call saying the adoption was final. Now we begin a 30-day waiting period. I think the whole thing should be called a "waiting period"!

Continue to pray for us as we prepare for his arrival. We are hoping that he will be home in August, but that remains to be seen.

Above photo was taken while we were talking about Caleb on the beach one day during our vacation.  We decided to put our thoughts into action playing in the sand.  :)