Well, it’s now the beginning of May. It’s been two months since we started working on paperwork. We’re close, but not quite there yet. We don’t anticipating any problems completing the paperchase in three months from our start on March 3rd. We’re planning to send in our application to the facilitator over the weekend. Our home study is almost completed. When that’s completed we’ll send in our I-600a application to the USCIS office in Des Moines, and work on completing translations of our entire dossier. When we get the translations back, we’ll send it to the Haitian Consulate in Chicago for “legalization”, and then it’ll be ready to send off to Haiti.
Somewhere in there we’ll have to decide on our children. Recently this has been a topic of discussion amongst us and our family. This is going to be difficult for us to choose our children, but we’re not alone. I’ve been following a web forum for a while, of other families adopting from Haiti. Choosing your children from a photo listing vs. being matched (called receiving a referral) to your children has been a recent topic of discussion. Several such posts told stories of their prayers and how they became “matched” or “chose” their children, which very much matched our sentiments. Even though the orphanage may allow parents to choose from a photo listing, we’re looking for God’s direction regarding who our children are. We know He will give us the confirmation we need to know we’re making the right decisions and following His will.
Another post, to the contrary, from a woman who is adopting from an orphanage that does the matching for you after they receive your dossier said that she didn’t know if God was involved in her referral, nor did she care. I don’t know this woman, so I hesitate even mentioning this, but my only thought was, how sad that she doesn’t know the joy and hope that God can bring to her life, if only she opens up to His presence in her life. I can’t imagine how lost I would be without Him in my life! Anyway…
We felt led to this orphanage twice (two years ago, and again this year), and we know He will lead us to the children He has chosen for us. We strongly believe in His plan for us. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer 29:11 NIV. This is very much a theme in our lives, and has been for quite some time.
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