The name of this story is Hope…
We adopted 6 years ago, and back then the adoption process
itself was easy, straightforward, and predictable. One year from paperwork to
bringing our Levi home. But 6 years ago we were naively optimistic, and
unprepared for the challenges that adoption would bring to our family. I read
those books about toddler adoption and literally thought, “Oh, that won’t be
us." Silly me.
God used the past 6
years to stretch and teach us. We have grown to fiercely love and respect this
little boy who came to our family biting and yelling “Noooo!!!! No no no no!”.
We love him for his amazingly tender heart and now—finally!—we understand the
hurt and fear that was behind those challenging behaviors.
So last year we came to a place where we felt like we were
ready to adopt again—excited to adopt again! And this time, with lots of
conferences and reading and support groups under our belt, we felt like we were
prepared with the emotional, spiritual, and financial resources we knew we’d
need to complete another adoption. We were also SUPER excited to bring a little
girl into our testosterone-laden
world!
In June of 2013 we submitted the hundreds of pieces of
paper necessary to begin the process. After a relatively short wait, in
December 2013 we were matched with beautiful 8-month-old M!!!!
BUT… in February 2014, we learned that the agency that we
had researched and carefully chosen had been effectively dissolved after the
director was caught producing fraudulent documents. Our worst fears had become
a reality and we were left reeling. Had our adoption been tainted by fraud?
Would we ever be able to bring this little girl into our home—the little girl
we’d been praying over and falling in love with? Without our agency we
literally had nothing to legally tie us to M, and we had no idea where she
was or if she was even safe. Practically speaking, the funds that we had so
carefully saved were also now gone… after nearly all of the adoption costs had
already been paid.
After frantic calls and emails to the State Department, the
Department of Justice, the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, lawyers, congressmen and
senators all over the United States, and every adoption agency we could find
that worked in Ethiopia, we hired a reputable private agency to complete “orphan
status verification (OSV)”. The OSV came back clear and gave us the peace of
mind to know that M was indeed an orphan and in need of a home. What
bittersweet news… no, this baby has no
one; you can still ethically pursue her. It was a heart wrenching time.
We also had a few contacts who, by the grace of God, were
able to get on the ground in Harar, Ethiopia, to assure us of M’s location,
safety, and health. This was truly a miracle.
In May 2014, the Ethiopian government assigned our
case to a new adoption agency, IAN, and gave us the official go-ahead to complete
the adoption. Since then our new agency has been working hard to make sense of
all these cases that have been handed over.
Finally, after almost 4 months of waiting and uncertainty,
we have had a few weeks full of really amazing news! M was moved to the new
agency’s care center in Addis where we know she will be safe and we’ll get more
regular updates in her progress! We got a new picture and she just gets more
beautiful each time we see her! M’s case has been submitted to Ethiopian
courts for review, and after they make sure that she has all the documentation
she needs to be adopted, we should be able to travel this summer for adoptive
parent court, when we will become her parents by Ethiopian law. After adoptive
parent court it takes the US government at least 4-6 weeks to finish their side
of the paperwork (Pre-Adoptive Immigration Review, visa, birth certificate,
passport), so we will come back to Florida for a short time before we get to
bring her home.
We also found out at the end of last week that we were
approved for a matching grant of $2,500—the grant that had been delayed and we
had pretty much given up hope on. The goal for our fundraising is July 25th,
2014. Hopefully by then we will have passed court!
So…. HOPE is the
name of this story. Every time we have felt hopeless, God keeps showing up in
big and little ways, connecting us with people all over the world, to make this
desire of ours a reality. And why adopt? Because God loved us, when we had
nothing to offer and needed Him desperately; because we have experienced that
unconditional love, we want to offer it to others. And because children need
families. Period. Why another Ethiopian child? Part of that is because there is
no foster care and virtually no adoption in Ethiopia among nationals. But the
heart of it for us is because we have fallen in love with Ethiopia and will
always be connected to it through our children.
All that strength and naïve optimism we started out with on
this second adoption journey, feeling like we had come so far?
None of it
mattered.
We couldn’t have been prepared for this particular journey. But God knew, and He provides.
Emotionally, spiritually, financially. And when M comes home, scared,
confused, probably being hugged way too tight by enthusiastic big brothers, He
will continue to provide what each of us needs, moment by moment.
If you would like to be a part of what God is doing in our
family, we would most appreciate prayer. We are all going to need it, and have
appreciated those of you who have already consistently been in prayer for us
thus far! When we have been low, your prayers have helped to lift us up and
keep us going! We still need prayer for this process!!! Please pray that we get
a court date this summer, that the US government doesn’t delay our paperwork,
and that M will continue to grow and stay safe and healthy and come home
SOON!
If you would like to contribute financially (NO
pressure!!!), you can:
Give by Check
Please
make checks payable to Lifesong
for Orphans.
In the
memo please note your gift preference with 4363 Warren.
Please
mail checks to:
Lifesong
for Orphans
PO
Box 40
Gridley,
IL 61744
Lifesong
has been blessed with a partner that underwrites all US administrative and
fund-raising
costs
(TMG Foundation and other partners). That means 100% of your donation will go
directly to
the
need…helping orphans.
Give Online
2.
Select Give to an
Adoptive Family
3.
Complete online form and fill in Family Account Number 4363 & Family Name Warren
Fields
*Please
note that PayPal will charge an administrative fee (2.9% + $.30 USD per
transaction). Your
donation
will be decreased by the amount of this fee.
NOTE: In
following IRS guidelines, your donation is to the named non-profit
organization. This organization retains full discretion over its use, but
intends to honor the donor’s suggested use.
Individual
donations $250 or more and yearly donations totaling $250 or more will receive
a tax-deductible receipt. Receipts for donations under $250 will gladly be sent
upon request. Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization.
**anything we raise over $2,500 will not be matched
but will still go to cover our adoption costs.
We are not allowed to post her full picture online
but if you haven’t seen one let us know, we are happy to share in person or
over email!
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! J
Comments