adoption weekend!

That's what this weekend (the first half, at least) is devoted to:  Adoption, and all of the paperwork required!

We had an outstanding visit from our home study social worker on Thursday.  There are some odds and ends that she needs in order to issue a favorable decision on our request to adopt.  But the good news is, she IS going to issue a favorable decision!  We spent yesterday and part of today assembling the documents she needs.  Things like our animal's vet records, a copy of our daughter's birth certificate, and miscellaneous other things.  We're also working this weekend to send off some documents that need authentication (apostille), primarily for me because I have documents that require this from other states beside Pennsylvania.  The Pennsylvania stuff will be pretty easy, all things considered.  We live close enough to Harrisburg to bring the documents in personally when the time is right.

The biggest thing we are still missing are our FBI background checks.  Our agency informed us that local FBI "channellers" who do this are not acceptable for Bulgaria.  We must have the report directly from the FBI, and this can take up to 8 weeks.  We mailed our information off a little more than a week ago, but this will hold up our home study because our social worker requires this information.  This is not welcome news, but news I must accept as we move forward.

Some of the money we expected to have at this point in the process is not here yet, either.  My husband has a wonderful bonus coming that should cover a good bit more of our adoption expenses, but it is delayed.  We're at a bit of a standstill with making our payments, although we are blessed to be able to pay for the home study and send some of the next set of agency fees.  After this point, we hope the bonus will appear.  I have read enough to know that so many who embark on this journey do not always know where the money will come from, and then it just appears.  This is a foreign concept to me, as I am such a "planner"!

"In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."  Proverbs 16:9

I sound redundant, yet we must remind ourselves that this process will change our family in more ways than we can imagine.  We must be open to that change and allow it to happen.  They will all be good changes, because all things work together for good for those who love the Lord, according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).  "Good" is a matter of opinion at times, and there are times when things seem exceedingly bad, yet we trust that God will reveal that goodness even in the "bad".

We were saddened to learn that our Bulgarian facilitator was not permitted to visit our Little Dude in The Bad Place last week.  This frightens us because we worry that there is a Bad Reason why they would turn her away.  We hope this is not the case.  Our new medical information has given us hope and reason to believe that Little Dude's medical problems will be manageable.

Many have asked how they can help us bring Little Dude home, especially because he lives in The Bad Place.  We are so touched and thankful for those offers.  Right now, we have no formal way to accept donations.  To be honest, we had never thought of it.  We have reached out to organizations that might be able to help us, and we will happily let you know if God provides a plan for us to fundraise.  Right now, our request is for prayer - lots and lots and lots of it.  Please pray for the Little Dude most of all, because he has to live in that Bad Place.  Pray for our family and for this adoption.  God funds what He favors, and we know prayer is the very best thing right now to help.