On Easter Sunday April 8, 2007 our Pastor preached the most life changing sermon. We were beginning a series called FAQ where you could send in questions and Pastor Alex would answer them. He wanted to start with his question, what about the orphans? He took us through how often it is talked about in the bible and how it was hugely on Jesus’ heart. A couple of months later this turned into a sermon called Adopt(ed) which is now an amazing ministry in our church.
Adoption has always been on our hearts. We had looked at it as a someday thing (much further down the road) not a lets do this first thing. After that Easter Sunday what kept stirring in me was when Pastor said, “why is adoption plan B, why isn’t plan A?” What a statement with not a good answer to give. When we are young we plan our lives…you graduate from high school, go to college, get married, and HAVE kids. I just always assumed HAVE kids meant biological.
So on to the details…a couple of weeks after Easter Jonathan and I were driving home and the discussion of kids had come up (again). We had been married going on 4 years and it just seemed about that time. I can still picture as we are pulling into our neighborhood you curve around a large pond and the words coming out of Jonathan’s mouth that he would like to consider adoption first. My eye’s welled up with tears and I really didn’t say much for a couple of days as I let it sink in. I knew in my heart that God had been telling me the same thing, but just didn’t want to admit that my planned out life now had unknowns.
Once we began to discuss it Pastor did the Adopt(ed) sermon which continued to confirm what we had been feeling. In July of 2007 our church had our first Considering Adoption class. It was the perfect setting to discuss with other couples who had the same questions, fears, and to just be able to talk to them about the excitement of it all.
After completing the 6 week class we decided to seriously start looking into the process. We discovered that before you choose an agency you have to choose a country. Every agency does not adopt from every country. Through lots of prayer, fasting, and God’s guidance we decided on Ethiopia! We were ecstatic! We felt like we had made some progress.
Ethiopia it was, now what agency do we use? I started calling just about every agency that adopts from Ethiopia with a list of questions that Jonathan and I wanted to know. We went over how the agencies answered the question and how the phone conversation went as well. When we spoke with Gladney it just seemed to click. We went to their informational class in January 2008 and decided they were who we were going with.
At the time we were 24 and to adopt from Ethiopia one of you had to be 25 (my birthday was the next one in July) before we completed our home study so there was a little waiting involved. At the time seemed awful, but looking back I am really glad that we did have to wait. It took a little over a year to start the process from that Easter sermon. Taking so long confirmed for us that we weren’t experiencing a “camp high” or jumping on a bandwagon we were following God’s will for our life.
We have been on the waiting list for over 7 months now. It has been hard at times, but we know that it is all in God’s hands and it is His perfect will and plan for us. We are so excited to be able to see Him work in our lives as He continues to give us patience that we don’t understand.
S
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Almost 7 months
We are coming up on 7 months this week for the wait list time. We have had mixed feelings in this process. Sometimes feeling like the time is going by so fast, but at other times questioning why it takes so long. We have several big celebration over the next month. First is Sarah 26th birthday this week. Then in the middle of August we will celebrate our 6 year anniversary. Hopefully we will also be celebrating being parents! Until we get the phone call, we can only wait and pray for the safety and well being of our child.
It is funny how I have began to look at babies over the past few months. Now, when I see a baby I think to myself, "I wonder if my son/daughter is doing the same thing", "I wonder if my baby has the same size foot, cute nose, smile, etc". Until you get the referral, the baby seems to just be a fuzzy gray figure in my mind. I want to see details, I want it to be as clear as the waters of Cozumel, I want to hear their laugh, see their smile. But until that day....
J
It is funny how I have began to look at babies over the past few months. Now, when I see a baby I think to myself, "I wonder if my son/daughter is doing the same thing", "I wonder if my baby has the same size foot, cute nose, smile, etc". Until you get the referral, the baby seems to just be a fuzzy gray figure in my mind. I want to see details, I want it to be as clear as the waters of Cozumel, I want to hear their laugh, see their smile. But until that day....
J
Monday, April 6, 2009
Update Expiring Documents
OK, so we now are coming up on the 1 year anniversary of many of the documents needed in submitting our application to adopt to Gladney. Depending on the document type and if it is a Gladney or Dossier document it can have a 12, 18, or 24 month life before needing to be updated. To keep track of the documents and the expirations, I created an Excel spreadsheet with date created, expiration date, and 60 days out (prep time for update).
As for wait time for a referral, average wait times vary each month but as of last month were 8 months. While we understand the process and its complexity we both are eager to see our baby! It has been almost 4 months since we were placed on the wait list, but during that time average wait times have basically slowly increased; therefore having no net gain or loss in referall time.
We keep saying that it will happen in His timing.
J
As for wait time for a referral, average wait times vary each month but as of last month were 8 months. While we understand the process and its complexity we both are eager to see our baby! It has been almost 4 months since we were placed on the wait list, but during that time average wait times have basically slowly increased; therefore having no net gain or loss in referall time.
We keep saying that it will happen in His timing.
J
Saturday, February 28, 2009
No news is not always good news… / Names / Food
No news is not always good news..:
We have been waiting for around 2 ½ months which is like nothing in adoption terms. We knew that it would be a while before we received our referral, but thought it would be easier than it has increasingly been. I am not usually an emotional person, but lately whenever someone asks how the adoption is coming my eyes unavoidably start to well up. Fortunately, we have been extremely busy lately so time has been moving by semi fast until lately when things have been slowing down. We wonder that if it weren’t our first if it would be as hard, we are just ready to be parents.
I have been extremely fortunate to have great friends that I get to hang out with them and their kids. I always feel so blessed after spending time with them.
Names:
Most know by now, but for those of you who don’t know we have decided on names...
If it is a Boy: Silas James
Reasons:
Silas means ‘man of the woods’ – our last name is Woods and it seems like a manly name. Also, I have always loved the stories of Paul and Silas in the bible doing their mission work.
James is after Jonathan’s dad and grandpa.
If it is a Girl: Addison Elise
Reasons:
Addison is after the capital of Ethiopia, Addis (you pronounce it like the beginning of Addison). It is actually Addis Ababa, but everyone refers to it as Addis.
Elise is after my great-grandmother, Dollie. It is her middle name. She is one of the Godliest women that I know!
Food:
We go home just a little bit ago from an afternoon of Ethiopian Cooking and great fellowship with other families who have adopted or are adopting from Ethiopia. This is the second time that we have done this now. We don’t have an Ethiopian restaurant in Tulsa, the closest one is in OKC which we go to occasionally, but is not exactly great for a night out. A couple months back some Tulsa and OKC families got together and the owner of the OKC restaurant came and cooked/showed us how to cook some of the meals. We love getting together with everyone, but it would be wonderful to have a restaurant in town, I am sure that Caleb and Becca may agree after all of the amazing prep work they did for us today! If you are ever in OKC you need to stop into the Queen of Sheba for some fantastic food!
I would love to say that we will update this blog more often, but I wouldn’t want to mislead you. We will get the hang of this eventually, but until we get a referral there isn’t a lot going on, but we will try to update you every so often even if the title is no news. Have a wonderful evening!
S
We have been waiting for around 2 ½ months which is like nothing in adoption terms. We knew that it would be a while before we received our referral, but thought it would be easier than it has increasingly been. I am not usually an emotional person, but lately whenever someone asks how the adoption is coming my eyes unavoidably start to well up. Fortunately, we have been extremely busy lately so time has been moving by semi fast until lately when things have been slowing down. We wonder that if it weren’t our first if it would be as hard, we are just ready to be parents.
I have been extremely fortunate to have great friends that I get to hang out with them and their kids. I always feel so blessed after spending time with them.
Names:
Most know by now, but for those of you who don’t know we have decided on names...
If it is a Boy: Silas James
Reasons:
Silas means ‘man of the woods’ – our last name is Woods and it seems like a manly name. Also, I have always loved the stories of Paul and Silas in the bible doing their mission work.
James is after Jonathan’s dad and grandpa.
If it is a Girl: Addison Elise
Reasons:
Addison is after the capital of Ethiopia, Addis (you pronounce it like the beginning of Addison). It is actually Addis Ababa, but everyone refers to it as Addis.
Elise is after my great-grandmother, Dollie. It is her middle name. She is one of the Godliest women that I know!
Food:
We go home just a little bit ago from an afternoon of Ethiopian Cooking and great fellowship with other families who have adopted or are adopting from Ethiopia. This is the second time that we have done this now. We don’t have an Ethiopian restaurant in Tulsa, the closest one is in OKC which we go to occasionally, but is not exactly great for a night out. A couple months back some Tulsa and OKC families got together and the owner of the OKC restaurant came and cooked/showed us how to cook some of the meals. We love getting together with everyone, but it would be wonderful to have a restaurant in town, I am sure that Caleb and Becca may agree after all of the amazing prep work they did for us today! If you are ever in OKC you need to stop into the Queen of Sheba for some fantastic food!
I would love to say that we will update this blog more often, but I wouldn’t want to mislead you. We will get the hang of this eventually, but until we get a referral there isn’t a lot going on, but we will try to update you every so often even if the title is no news. Have a wonderful evening!
S
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Officialy on the Waiting List!
Today was one of the more exciting days so far in our journey to Ethiopia.
We received news from both our dossier service and our caseworker that
we have been officially placed on the waiting list. What does that mean?
Well, now the wait begins. Up until now it has been a mixture of gathering
information, filling out mounds of paperwork, and giving FedEx a good
amount of business.
The most recent data leads our agency to estimate a 4-6 month wait from this
point for a referral.
J
We received news from both our dossier service and our caseworker that
we have been officially placed on the waiting list. What does that mean?
Well, now the wait begins. Up until now it has been a mixture of gathering
information, filling out mounds of paperwork, and giving FedEx a good
amount of business.
The most recent data leads our agency to estimate a 4-6 month wait from this
point for a referral.
J
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Blessings
I am just so amazed and blessed by our friends. We have such an amazing church family that supports us and has continued to pray for us through our adoption process. Today was one of those days that we just felt so blessed to be here (tcabc.com) and have the friendships that we do. God never ceases to amaze me in how he is a Faithful God and a Loving God!
Please continue to pray that our I-171H arrives soon. Once it does we will send it in and be on the waiting list! Praise Jesus!
S
Please continue to pray that our I-171H arrives soon. Once it does we will send it in and be on the waiting list! Praise Jesus!
S
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
CIS Fingerprints and Ethiopian Dinner
Yesterday we were scheduled to go to OKC for our appointment with USCIS. We received the the letter about 4 weeks in advance. At first we were pretty bummed out in that it was going to be on a random Tuesday. A week or so later, we received an e-mail from Gladney letting us know that they were planning a special Ethiopian dinner in Ft. Worth. Well, that's when we knew that we were given that Tuesday date for a reason. Under normal circumstances we probably would not of taken off of work and drove down to Ft. Worth, but since we were already going to be half way there by going to OKC; we went on down.
The USCIS appointment was pretty low key. I guess they send out appointments in blocks throughout the day. We were the 11:00 AM group. I was warned by a co-worker who has gone over there for fingerprints not to worry about getting in early, as they do not let you in early. Well, she was not kidding. We arrived at 10:41 AM (they had a cheap digital clock right in front of the metal detector). He advised us, after looking at our appointment letter, that we would have to wait outside until 10:45. Finally, the 4 minutes passed and he gave us the hand motion to come on in. We went through security, then went to the fingerprint appointment room. We were the first in, so right after 11:00 they called us back for processing. Please keep in mind that we have already had our fingerprints taken in Tulsa and they were sent off to the FBI for a criminal background check. Apparently FBI and USCIS/Homeland Security do not talk. So, we had to drive over to our "local" USCIS office for the biometric fingerprint scanning. The technicians were very friendly to both Sarah and I, even asking us about the adoption process and what country we were adopting from. After the couple of minutes of swiping our fingers across a flatbed scanner, we were done. Next stop was BJ's in Norman for an awesome pizza for lunch!
That afternoon we drove on to Ft. Worth to attend the Ethiopian dinner at Gladney's campus. This was our first time to be at the office, and were very impressed (not only with the building, but most of all the staff). Not only did we get the chance to meet Gladney staff that have already helped us out in the process (Tonia Anderson), but also were able to meet with our caseworker (Mary Thottukadavil). Belay Tafesse, In-Country Coordinator for the Ethiopia Program, and Travis and Joanna Norwood, In-Country representatives were in the United States for the past couple of weeks. In addition, we were pleased to have Ato Jima, Head of the Associations’ Registrations Office with the Ministry of Justice, and Ato Desalegn Berhe, President of the Federal First Instance Court of Ethiopia. Both of these gentlemen hold leadership positions in the Ethiopian government. In fact, Ato Desalegn Berhe has almost 80 judges who report to him. These judges are the ones that review the adoption cases. It was an honor to get to meet with them at the dinner. While Belay was in Ft. Worth, he was asked to appear on a "Good Morning Texas" interview. I have attached the link here: http://www.wfaa.com/video/nspparent-index.html?nvid=288305&shu=1
All in all, we were in thr carheading out that morning around 8:30 AM, and did not return home until around 2:45AM!
We hope to get our I-171H letter in the next few weeks, as at that time we will be on the "official" waiting list.
JW
The USCIS appointment was pretty low key. I guess they send out appointments in blocks throughout the day. We were the 11:00 AM group. I was warned by a co-worker who has gone over there for fingerprints not to worry about getting in early, as they do not let you in early. Well, she was not kidding. We arrived at 10:41 AM (they had a cheap digital clock right in front of the metal detector). He advised us, after looking at our appointment letter, that we would have to wait outside until 10:45. Finally, the 4 minutes passed and he gave us the hand motion to come on in. We went through security, then went to the fingerprint appointment room. We were the first in, so right after 11:00 they called us back for processing. Please keep in mind that we have already had our fingerprints taken in Tulsa and they were sent off to the FBI for a criminal background check. Apparently FBI and USCIS/Homeland Security do not talk. So, we had to drive over to our "local" USCIS office for the biometric fingerprint scanning. The technicians were very friendly to both Sarah and I, even asking us about the adoption process and what country we were adopting from. After the couple of minutes of swiping our fingers across a flatbed scanner, we were done. Next stop was BJ's in Norman for an awesome pizza for lunch!
That afternoon we drove on to Ft. Worth to attend the Ethiopian dinner at Gladney's campus. This was our first time to be at the office, and were very impressed (not only with the building, but most of all the staff). Not only did we get the chance to meet Gladney staff that have already helped us out in the process (Tonia Anderson), but also were able to meet with our caseworker (Mary Thottukadavil). Belay Tafesse, In-Country Coordinator for the Ethiopia Program, and Travis and Joanna Norwood, In-Country representatives were in the United States for the past couple of weeks. In addition, we were pleased to have Ato Jima, Head of the Associations’ Registrations Office with the Ministry of Justice, and Ato Desalegn Berhe, President of the Federal First Instance Court of Ethiopia. Both of these gentlemen hold leadership positions in the Ethiopian government. In fact, Ato Desalegn Berhe has almost 80 judges who report to him. These judges are the ones that review the adoption cases. It was an honor to get to meet with them at the dinner. While Belay was in Ft. Worth, he was asked to appear on a "Good Morning Texas" interview. I have attached the link here: http://www.wfaa.com/video/nspparent-index.html?nvid=288305&shu=1
All in all, we were in thr carheading out that morning around 8:30 AM, and did not return home until around 2:45AM!
We hope to get our I-171H letter in the next few weeks, as at that time we will be on the "official" waiting list.
JW
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
