Encouraged

We wanted to give a quick update on where we are on the adoption process.  We are ready to submit our paperwork to our social worker to begin our home study!  The home study is a big part of the paperwork that is sent to Ethiopia and can take up 4 weeks to complete.  Our prayer is that things continue to go smoothly and quickly!  Looking back over this past month there is only one word that comes to our minds to sum up our thoughts and feelings... Encouraged.  Brent and I have been so encouraged over the past month.  Even though this last month has been extremely busy and stressful gathering documents, getting finger prints, doctors appointments, lab work, communicating with our employers regarding life insurance and medical insurance, gathering references from friends and family, and having EVERYTHING notarized VERY specifically to meet NC and Ethiopia standards.  All while working full time hours.

Paperwork

If you know Brent and I at all, you know we have a hard time asking others for help.  Not because we are proud but just the simple fact that we don't want anyone to have to go out of their way to do something for us, or cause more work for someone else.  It's just the way we are, just a bit timid.  Well... that certainly has changed over the past month!  We both have had more conversations, phone calls, emails with people we don't know, complete strangers basically laying it out that this is what we need and this is what you have to do to help us, in a nice way of course.  But these interactions with others have been so encouraging.  I just wanted to share a few stories.

One morning we took off a few hours in the morning from work to obtain a certified copy of our birth certificates at the register of deeds office which is right beside the county police station.  We had heard to get finger prints you have to make an appointment which means needing to take off more time from work and increased time to get our background checks back from the SBI which is included in our home study.  So we decided to walk in the police station and make an appointment.  We found our way to the appropriate office by the help of a police officer who reminded us we would have to make an appointment for fingerprints.  This lady approaches us who is obviously in a hurry asking us what we needed and why.  When Brent responded with "we need fingerprints for international adoption" she stopped what she was doing, just looked at us with a big smile for few seconds and responded with, "I will just work you in, have a seat." This was our first encounter with sharing with someone other than our family and friends of why we are adopting, why Ethiopia.  We had great conversation with this lady who reached out to help us, and encouraged us with her words.

Fingerprints!

Outside of police station

Another vital part of the paperwork process is our medical examinations.  This requires a doctor to fill out not one but two forms regarding our health history and lab work and they must write a separate letter for every medication we take and address every medical condition we have been treated for past and present.  On top of this a notary must be present to notarize the form once the doctor signs.  What medical professional has time for this??  This made me extremely nervous as this is a lot to ask for.  As it turns out again we were so encouraged as both of our doctors were extremely helpful and excited for us.  Brent's doctor actually had to make a correction requiring him to revise his letter with the help of a friend Teresa that was graciously willing to assist with this process.  My doctor as well was very helpful  making sure all the information was correct, taking her time to look over the paperwork several times.  She even said to me, "I am just nervous for you, I don't want you to run into any problems, let me add my middle initial here just in case" as she signed the forms.  The doctors office also was very helpful to ensure a notary be present at the time of my appointment.

A side story that was so encouraging for me was a few days prior to my doctors appointment I had my lab appointment.  I was called back by a lady phlebotomist, I gave her the instructions of what lab test were required by our adoption agency.  I sat in the chair, she placed the tourniquet on my arm as she asked, "If you don't mind me asking, where are you adopting from, and why?" In short I replied Ethiopia, as my husband and I felt the Lord has placed this on our hearts.  She immediately began to cry, having to step away and get herself a tissue! She responded, "you just don't hear people say that everyday, I'm sorry for crying."  Throughout our conversation we both dried up our happy tears, and I told her, she must stop crying, I was getting a little nervous for her to take my blood!  Here I was in the middle of having my blood drawn, crying and hugging a complete stranger, encouraged.

Brent and I are so blessed with wonderful family and friends, who have been so supportive to us during this process.  Our families have been especially supportive and encouraging.  It was so fun to tell our parents, grandparents, and sisters with their families that we were adopting.  We were able to do this separately with each family, each time was so encouraging!  Our nieces and nephews (7 total who are all under the age of 5) have been so excited. They were a little confused at first on what adoption meant.  It has been fun to see our families have a more personal understanding of adoption and to teach their children about adoption.  Our sisters have shared with us the funny things our nieces and nephews continue to say about our adoption.  They have a little trouble with pronouncing Ethiopia which is funny to hear what they come up with.  Our families are in the process of helping us raise support financially for the adoption process.  We are thankful and encouraged.

Brent and I have been visiting Parkwood Baptist Church in Gastonia, NC for the past seven months, in which we have recently joined.  This past month when sharing with our growth group we were adopting we have been overwhelmed with their support and help with us getting in touch so many other members of the church who have adopted or currently adopting.  They actually have an adoption/foster care support group that meets every other month. We had no idea this church has so many other adoptive families.  One of the adoptive families has recently called Brent and I to give us more information on the group.  To us this is affirmation of the Lord leading us to this body of believers.  We are grateful.

We realize with adoption there are unknowns, there are unpredictable and uncontrollable situations during this process, but we are encouraged.  We feel the Lord is guiding us in the process and that his hand is upon us.  We give all these encouraging moments to the Lord, for His Glory.

Beth

He who began a good work...

It was in July of 2011 our youth minster and good friend Patrick encouraged us to travel to Santo Domingo, Ecuador with our church youth group to serve as chaperones.  Little did we know how much the Lord would use this trip to begin to change our hearts and grow closer to Him.  This trip radically changed our lives in many ways.  Our hearts were transformed with this growing desire to love and care for others and to tell those who may not know or have not heard about Jesus Christ.

Over the next few months we continued to grow in our faith and were presented with an opportunity to travel with the same organization, NEXT Worldwide to Mombasa, Kenya.  Of course we were excited and were definitely on board and began to prepare for the trip!  We prayed often that God would somehow again use this trip to help guide us as we began to make decisions in our lives.  We felt God was continuing to place different situations and events on our hearts and we weren't exactly sure what we were to do, how were we to act?  Were we being called to be missionaries? To sell our house and move?  Should we have children?  We just continued to pray for clarity.  During this preparation time for the trip we began to feel more of a desire to have children.

In June 2012 we traveled to Mombasa, Kenya.  This again was such a wonderful experience.  It is really hard for me to write and put into words to explain the clarity that God ended up giving us through these two mission trips.  All that God has allowed us to see in two very different parts of the world including poverty, illness, misfortune, sadness, lostness has lead us to this strong desire to adopt.  

The growing desire for us to have children and to start a family in my mind felt atypical.  I seemed to always be surrounded with the idea of adoption.  Throughout the day at work I would just randomly think about adoption, I would hear others adoption stories as I have four friends from high school that have adopted children.  It just became this constant thought.  Brent and I had discussed adoption earlier in our marriage and we were both open and willing, but felt we would like to try to have children biologically. 

A few months went by, it was sometime after Christmas of this past year.  I remember we were driving in the car and I told Brent I really felt the Lord was placing adoption on my heart.  It was more of a feeling he was leading us to adopt NOW not later, and as PLAN A, not plan B.  Brent tentatively listened, supported, and helped me talk through what I was feeling.  We both felt like this was something we needed to pray together and separately about. 

Less than 2 or 3 days went by and we were getting ready for church. I came into to the kitchen and Brent was standing there waiting for me and he said "Ok I feel the same.  I am ready.  Lets do this. Where do we start?  We need to find an adoption agency soon.  How do we do that?" What a wonderful affirmation!

Through several circumstances and events we have found an adoption agency and have applied to adopt a child from Ethiopia!!  As of February 4, 2013 we have been accepted officially into their program.  We are up into our eyeballs in paperwork.  Every spare minute of our days are spent chasing down documents and gathering information. The entire process will be from beginning to end approximately 2 years.  We would appreciate your prayers!!

We have come to realize over time the Lord has graciously allowed us to be a part of His plan and that this is only the beginning. "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."  Philippians 1:6

Beth

Ryan, Katie, Kenny, and I with very sweet kids in Mombasa, Kenya

Brent and I with Pastor Anthony and his wife Dorcas 

Kenny, Brent, and I playing with kids in Ecuador.