Time for an adoption update!
On August 2nd we had the Third Annual Wallace Home Study. Like I said in the August Martini, it's never comfortable when someone you barely know comes into your home, asks you a bunch of questions and evaluates your ability to parent, especially when you have two living breathing specimens on display. However, by the third time you're almost use to it. Almost. Also, we love our case worker and she's super easy to talk to. That helps. Our house was not nearly as clean as it was the first or second time that she came. It was clean enough.
On the 12th I picked up the final report and delivered it to the USCIS. They received it with 108 hours to spare! The "average" (a term that is really obsolete in the world of adoption) turn around time is 75 days. We have been praying that we would receive approval much quicker than that - AND WE DID. 20 days - booyah! Smooth and quick. Smooth and quick has been our prayer.
The Ethiopia program, which was once one of the most appealing international adoption programs because of the short time frame, relative affordability and ease of the process, has now become one of the more tumultuous international programs still open. Last month, a couple seeking to adopt from Ethiopia was denied by the government because the husband is a cancer survivor. Ethiopia has talked about enforcing stricter guidelines for the adoption of their children but they have made no policy before or after this ruling to do so. They. Just. Did. It.
This is obviously concerning to us.
We don't know any other details about this couple or what other factors regarding their case may have been influential in this decision. Our agency suggested that we take a proactive approach and mail a copy of our home study (which states that William is healthy enough to parent), and additional notarized letters from his doctors stating the same thing, to the government to be pre-approved, which we are doing and this new packet of paper should go to Ethiopia on Tuesday. Our agency is estimating that it will take three weeks for "pre-approval".
In the meantime, with our CIS approval, our dossier is now complete. Funny thing is we don't have the money! We spent it on t-shirts. Ha! We didn't expect CIS approval to come in so quickly. We are expecting our t-shirts any day and then we should be all good on the cash flow. Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered!
We are forging ahead with fundraising. In addition to the t-shirts, we are also selling some beautiful rolled paper jewelry hand made by women in Uganda. We will be at the Sojourn Affordable Art Show so stop by and buy a t-shirt and some jewelry!
If you'd like to host a jewelry party please let me know that too - we're gonna tap out our inner circle at some point and would love to tap out yours too:-)
We have two big prayer requests this time: (I use to be a bit shy about always being the family with prayer requests but God has healed me of that. Clearly.)
1. The government official would read all of the positive things William's doctors stated, have mercy on us and grant us pre-approval. Quickly.
2. We plan to submit our dossier if we do not hear from the government by the time we have the necessary funds. Some may say this is unwise or risky - if we receive a referral and travel to Ethiopia and are denied... well let's just say that will be a whole lotta money and even more heartbreak. BUT, here's the thing, God keeps leading us down this path. Every time we pray for smooth and quick, He delivers.
I feel like getting our CIS approval in the mail on Friday, in the midst of collecting all of this extra paperwork from William's doctors, is His way of saying "Lindsy trust me. I got this. I brought you here, keep walking down this path."
So please pray that we are listening for His voice and that we would remember we are not stepping into uncertainty, we are stepping into God's plan. And that is the best path to be on.
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