Tracking Our Journey to Int'l Adoption

I added a ticker to track how long we’ve been waiting for Baby C to come home. Technically we’ve been waiting for this moment much longer than the tracker currently reads, which is 2 months & 1 week. In my heart I’ve been waiting much, much longer. I decided, however, to use the day we received confirmation from our agency that we had been accepted into their Russia program. Their “welcome” letter to us is dated October 23, 2007. (Side note: They received our application October 21, so I knew right away that they are very efficient and very quick!)

In some ways, October 23 was the official start date of our journey. In many other ways, the planning stages of our journey began a long, long time ago...

High school is when I started to truly learn – not just listen to or read about - issues such as poverty, orphans, malnutrition in third world countries, persecution, prejudices, etc. As a senior, I took Archaeology as an elective and now I realize that this is likely where my journey to Baby C began. Our teacher, Mr. Droz, expanded our curriculum to not only speak about ancient cultures and ruins, but to also really make us delve into modern cultural differences and issues. It was after one of these insightful classes that I told my mom I wanted to make a difference in the life of an orphan.

In 1997 Norm & I learned that it would be unlikely, if not impossible, for us to have biological children. I admit that that news was heartbreaking. At the same time, though, I knew that adoption also builds families. I was terrified of the adoption unknowns – finances, wait times, the process as a whole – but I did know that there were children all over the world who needed parents. I hoped (but was nowhere near confident) that we would one day be those parents.

In 2001 and again in 2006 we became pregnant only to lose both children. I suffered from disappointment, discouragement and depression after each of these losses. Looking back on it now, I realize God did intend for us to be parents but in His time and in His way.

Our journey to IA (International Adoption) started in Nov. 2005 when I attended the After Eve Young Women’s Conference with some friends. At one point during the conference I was walking down a relatively empty hallway alone. There was one vendor table at the end of that hallway, and a few young ladies were arranging materials on it. As I was passing by them, one of the ladies looked me straight in the eye and said “Hi! My name is ____. You’ll probably be interested in these materials someday. Good luck!” I said thanks and went to wait in the Starbucks line, not looking at all at what she had given me. That is, until the person in line in front of me said “Oh, that’s wonderful! You’re thinking of adopting! What an awesome and amazing thing for you & your future child!” HUH??? What was this woman talking about? Then I looked down and saw what she was referring to…the young lady at the vendor table was with America World Adoption Associates, a local international adoption agency. And thus, our journey began but poor Norm wouldn’t learn about it for another month or so.

A few days ago I tore apart our closet looking for who knows what, and I ran across an unexpected treasure. I pulled down a tote bag I hadn’t used in ages and out flew a book that first hit me in the head, and then fell open to a page that renewed my spirits. The book was my journal from November 2005, and the page it fell open to was the first entry I ever made about international adoption. It was dated November 23, 2005 and I wrote about how God was speaking (no, yelling!! lol) to me about adopting an orphan, and how concerned I was to even talk about this to Norm. Fast forward a few entries later and I wrote about the night Norm & I took our friends Jeff & Michelle out for ice cream and how we spoke to them about what we were thinking of pursuing. They were the first people we mentioned this to, and they remain a huge source of support and encouragement today. Thanks to you both!!

In December 05 we became pregnant and sadly in April 06 we lost our child. After that my adoption hopes lay somewhat dormant but were still persistently in my heart and mind. In August 07, as our 12th anniversary drew near, God fueled that fire again and we began researching different types of adoptions (domestic vs. international, the US foster care system, etc.), and finally in October we signed with our agency.

Looking back on what started when I was a high school senior to where I am today, I realize there were plenty of “God Winks” along the way. God Winks are situations that seem like they are just coincidence – such as the young lady who handed me the materials at the conference – when actually they are God’s way of putting us in places and situations that change our lives forever. I believe they are His way of letting us know that He is watching over us, that He does care, and that eventually, if we continue trusting in Him, things will work out in His perfect timing.

So, I go into 2008 refreshed and renewed, and grateful for the path that brought me here today. The new ticker is pretty cool, but in the same respect it isn’t entirely accurate!