Paperwork’s Done
June 12, 2007 | Filed Under Adoption, Family
The mountain of paperwork Rebecca and I have had to complete for our adoption is complete. The process that began with an in-depth, nerve-wracking home study, and which continued with letters of recommendation and financial statements and medical attestations, numerous qualifying fingerprint and background checks, trips to the Arizona Secretary of State for official signatures and notaries, and on and on, came to an anti-climactic end on Saturday when we boxed the just-under-two-inch-thick pile of documents and sent it to our partner adoption agency.
We began to walk this road last June when we really began to consider the possibility of adopting a child or children. Once we decided to pursue adoption, Rebecca took the lead, and over the last year she’s been tireless in our calling to become parents to two children from Ethiopia. She’s an amazing and beautiful woman, possessed of an incredible endurance for this often confusing, depleting, but ultimately rewarding enterprise. I’m blessed that she is my bride, and I am confident she’ll be a fine mother.
All that remains is for our agency to translate our paperwork to Amharic then send it to Ethiopia for the government and orphange to review and, we hope, agree on a placement for us. If we’re approved to adopt, we should receive a referral with pictures of a boy and girl who may become our son and daughter and who we’ll travel to see and meet perhaps later this fall or early next year, although it may be sooner or it could be later. It’s no longer in our hands.
Thanks to everyone for your support, whether you’ve brought in one or one hundred printer cartridges, or if you’ve collected only one or one hundred phone, or donated heaps of toys and clothes for the yard sale or pledged to our adoption grant,or just offered a supportive shoulder or ears, you’ve all helped make this adoption a reality. Our children will know your hope.
As soon as we know more we’ll post an update. Until then, all of your prayers are appreciated.