We are in the final stages of paperwork now! It is hard to believe we are almost to travel time. Some days I feel like I don't even have enough time to prepare, other days I feel like time is moving so slowly. Someone compared it to their last month of pregnancy!
We submitted our acceptance letter for our referral, and our I800 just over a week ago. The I800 is the next important document that we need. It clears Brielle to become a legal citizen, and clears us to take financial responsibility for her. So now we wait again...we received a 'receipt' for the I800 last Thursday, June 26th. That basically told us they had received it, and it is now being processed. It can take 3-4 weeks, but we have heard that people are getting them back as quickly as two weeks. Please pray that we get ours quickly! This momma is tired of waiting on papers!
Our next step will be submitting our DS-260, which has to do with getting our visas. This should only take about three days to get cleared. Then we wait for our meeting date in Colombia, book our plane tickets, and get our final visas! Still a few steps, but we have heard this part of the process is moving quickly. We are praying we could meet our girl in early August!!!
My type A personality has already started a packing list, and my task this week is to do some major shopping! It is hard to know what to bring when you're leaving the country for two months. Luckily I am part of a Facebook and Yahoo Colombian adoption group, which has been a great help.
So for now please be in prayer that our I800 approval comes quickly!
Our Family
Monday, June 30, 2014
Thursday, June 19, 2014
It's here!
We have finally received our referral!!! We were hoping that it would come this week, and I received it Tuesday (I was actually in class). Needless to say I didn't absorb all of what the professor said that day. :)
This is an important document for lots of reasons, but the most exciting to us is that Brielle is now legally our child in Colombia!
Now that we have the referral we can move forward with the last few steps before we travel. It is so nice to finally make forward progress again. Now we send in our acceptance letter for the referral, and send our final documents into the USCIS. They will clear Brielle to immigrate, and then we can apply for our visas. The last step will be booking our flights!!!!
We are still hoping to travel mid-August, so please be praying that we get approval quickly front he USCIS. You're prayers have been so helpful throughout the process, and we are forever grateful to everyone that has supported us. What a great journey it has been! We are truly looking forward to the journey of parenthood.
This is an important document for lots of reasons, but the most exciting to us is that Brielle is now legally our child in Colombia!
Now that we have the referral we can move forward with the last few steps before we travel. It is so nice to finally make forward progress again. Now we send in our acceptance letter for the referral, and send our final documents into the USCIS. They will clear Brielle to immigrate, and then we can apply for our visas. The last step will be booking our flights!!!!
We are still hoping to travel mid-August, so please be praying that we get approval quickly front he USCIS. You're prayers have been so helpful throughout the process, and we are forever grateful to everyone that has supported us. What a great journey it has been! We are truly looking forward to the journey of parenthood.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
The waiting...
The time that every adoptive family dreads...the time when all you can do is wait. Your baby is waiting for you, and you would literally leave tomorrow to go get her, but government approval stands in your way. Ugh. There is nothing fun or easy about it, but it is part of the journey. I like to keep the blog positive, but I want to keep it real too. And the waiting is very real, and I am really over it.
We are hoping that the process should begin moving again next week, but I'll save that update for then. For now I want to document what the past few months have been like. There are times when it has been very hard. Mother's day. Every time someone asks for an update and I say nothing. When I realize a month has gone by since I got the last picture of her.
But there are times that are good. Scott and I have been cherishing our moments together as a couple before we are a family. Dinners with friends. Walks in the evenings. Weekends at the lake. Most days go by without me compulsively checking my email every 20 minutes for an update.
What it really comes down to is that God is faithful through it all. He is the same today as he was yesterday, and He will be the same when we finally get to meet our girl. And He has to be enough for me. I cannot be a good wife or mother until I bury that truth deep in my heart. God is the only one who can fulfill me, not motherhood. In order to be the best mother I can be I have to be a servant of Christ. That is what He has been teaching me. And most days I still fail pretty bad, but I trust that God is working in me everyday.
So as our waiting season is (hopefully) coming to a close I want to put this lesson into writing. I must be filled with Christ to serve my husband and my daughter. That must be the priority.
We are hoping that the process should begin moving again next week, but I'll save that update for then. For now I want to document what the past few months have been like. There are times when it has been very hard. Mother's day. Every time someone asks for an update and I say nothing. When I realize a month has gone by since I got the last picture of her.
But there are times that are good. Scott and I have been cherishing our moments together as a couple before we are a family. Dinners with friends. Walks in the evenings. Weekends at the lake. Most days go by without me compulsively checking my email every 20 minutes for an update.
What it really comes down to is that God is faithful through it all. He is the same today as he was yesterday, and He will be the same when we finally get to meet our girl. And He has to be enough for me. I cannot be a good wife or mother until I bury that truth deep in my heart. God is the only one who can fulfill me, not motherhood. In order to be the best mother I can be I have to be a servant of Christ. That is what He has been teaching me. And most days I still fail pretty bad, but I trust that God is working in me everyday.
So as our waiting season is (hopefully) coming to a close I want to put this lesson into writing. I must be filled with Christ to serve my husband and my daughter. That must be the priority.
Friday, May 9, 2014
A little bit of progress...
It's been awhile since we had anything to update, but we are finally making some forward progress! Last week we received some medical updates, pictures, and a new video. That is always the best part for us, getting to see our girl making progress. Today we received our official dossier approval! That means we have been approved by the Colombian government, and can be 'officially' referred to Brielle. They estimate that will happen in about a month, so hopefully by the end of May. That would be an awesome birthday gift for me!
After we receive our referral we have two more things we have to do before travel. One of them will be to get visas for us to travel. The other is get US customs and immigration approval for Brielle to come into the United States. They estimate that can take anywhere between 2-6 months. We are praying that it will come in two months (from the end of May) or sooner! We will go as soon as we can!
Please be praying for all the paperwork to continue to get approved quickly, and for continued improvement for Brielle's health. She is doing great, but we are ready to get her home!
Thanks for all your support and prayers!
After we receive our referral we have two more things we have to do before travel. One of them will be to get visas for us to travel. The other is get US customs and immigration approval for Brielle to come into the United States. They estimate that can take anywhere between 2-6 months. We are praying that it will come in two months (from the end of May) or sooner! We will go as soon as we can!
Please be praying for all the paperwork to continue to get approved quickly, and for continued improvement for Brielle's health. She is doing great, but we are ready to get her home!
Thanks for all your support and prayers!
Monday, March 24, 2014
One year ago...
It is hard to believe that is has been a year since we officially started the adoption process. We applied on March 23rd, the day Scott turned 25. It is possible that I had our application complete by January, even though I couldn't apply until March. I thought it was a good time to look back over the past year and commemorate all of God's faithfulness. There has been so many small things I don't know if I can list them all, but here are a few big ones.
1. Our goal for 2013 was to have our dossier finished. Then the government shut down and the FBI stopped processing fingerprints. We thought for sure this would keep us from meeting our goal, but we received FBI clearance in the middle of December, and finished getting everything certified by December 31st!
2. Finding Brielle. There are so many God moments in our choosing to adopt Brielle, but I will share one story. When we were first married with both liked the band Sky Sailing, and one of their songs was titled Brielle. We both decided we liked that name, and tucked away for potential children. In April we found a little girl on the waiting list names Juanita Gabrielle. We knew she had medical complications, so we wanted to consult a doctor. We took several months praying over the decision before applying to adopt her specifically. Her name just confirmed our decision because my great-grandmother's name was Juanita. Then one day Scott spoke up and asked if I remembered the name we liked Brielle. I remembered, but didn't recognize the connection. He said that Brielle is from the name Gabrielle. I knew then that this little girl was supposed to be my daughter.
3. Fundraising. We knew we would have to raise around $36,000, and our prayer when we first began was to finish debt free. After a few months of fundraising I didn't believe that would be possible, so we began looking at our options for adoption loans. I set the resources aside to look at later, but I am now happy to say we will not need those! As of yesterday we have completed our fundraising goal! That is a testimony to God's faithfulness because there is no way we did that on our own. Thank you to all of you who personally gave; you have played an important part of our story. We cannot wait to tell Brielle about all of you! We may still have some unseen medical costs, but our travel and agency fees are now fully funded!!!
Praise God for all that He has done in the past year! We cannot wait to see what the future holds, and hopefully we will be in Colombia this summer. Please keep praying that our paperwork will be processed quickly, so we can go get our daughter!
1. Our goal for 2013 was to have our dossier finished. Then the government shut down and the FBI stopped processing fingerprints. We thought for sure this would keep us from meeting our goal, but we received FBI clearance in the middle of December, and finished getting everything certified by December 31st!
2. Finding Brielle. There are so many God moments in our choosing to adopt Brielle, but I will share one story. When we were first married with both liked the band Sky Sailing, and one of their songs was titled Brielle. We both decided we liked that name, and tucked away for potential children. In April we found a little girl on the waiting list names Juanita Gabrielle. We knew she had medical complications, so we wanted to consult a doctor. We took several months praying over the decision before applying to adopt her specifically. Her name just confirmed our decision because my great-grandmother's name was Juanita. Then one day Scott spoke up and asked if I remembered the name we liked Brielle. I remembered, but didn't recognize the connection. He said that Brielle is from the name Gabrielle. I knew then that this little girl was supposed to be my daughter.
3. Fundraising. We knew we would have to raise around $36,000, and our prayer when we first began was to finish debt free. After a few months of fundraising I didn't believe that would be possible, so we began looking at our options for adoption loans. I set the resources aside to look at later, but I am now happy to say we will not need those! As of yesterday we have completed our fundraising goal! That is a testimony to God's faithfulness because there is no way we did that on our own. Thank you to all of you who personally gave; you have played an important part of our story. We cannot wait to tell Brielle about all of you! We may still have some unseen medical costs, but our travel and agency fees are now fully funded!!!
Praise God for all that He has done in the past year! We cannot wait to see what the future holds, and hopefully we will be in Colombia this summer. Please keep praying that our paperwork will be processed quickly, so we can go get our daughter!
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
The Waiting Season
We are in the waiting season now. Our paperwork should be to the orphanage for evaluation this week, but it is out of our control about when they will review it. They may ask for additional paperwork, which will increase our waiting. Some exciting news is that in addition to our matching grant from Lifesong, we received a $500 grant from Families Outreach!
I am currently using the YouVersion App for my morning devotions, and going through the She Reads Truth: James devotion. I love it because it's just the right amount of reading for my mornings. Today's devotion was so relevant to our adoption adventure that I wanted to post it here. I thought it was very interesting how she tied waiting and judging together.
The Waiting Season
I’m waiting.
After months of tracking down hundreds of pages worth of birth certificates, references, financial and medical records, getting them signed with the right color pen in front of a notary, then getting the notary stamp state-certified, then putting the big brick of papers into the properly addressed envelope and mailed with tracking to the proper address, I’m waiting.
The referral for our adopted daughter could come today. Or it could come in six months.
I’m waiting.
It’s easy to say, “It’s in the Lord’s hands!” and “Or she’ll come home in His perfect timing.” Speaking these truths confidently makes the waiting a little easier, but waiting patiently and being an obedient servant? That’s a bit more difficult.
Because when we are forced to wait is when our flesh likes to take over. As pressure builds, we turn on those we care about most, grumbling against one another. We look at others and judge out of our own aching, empty parts. We forget that our own Judge is standing at the door, with His hand on the handle.
We get exasperated in our impatience, swearing, negotiating with the Lord, carelessly throwing around thoughtless phrases like “Oh dear Lord, if I have to wait another day!” or “For heaven’s sakes, this shouldn’t be so hard.” We’re wrong in this. The waiting isn’t just the hardest part, it’s the growing part. And the Gardener can’t be rushed in this season. He won’t be rushed in this season.
We should think of the waiting as our labor pains. The contractions are getting stronger, closer together, more and more painful, the longer the process continues.
While we are waiting, we are changing--He’s changing us in the waiting. He’s rounding out our sharp, controlling edges, gifting us an appreciation for the small milestones, teaching us to better disciple those already in our lives. He’s tenderly waiting for His land to yield its valuable crop.
And in the end, as He always is, He will be compassionate and merciful. Then, together, we will celebrate the harvest.
What promise are you waiting for the Lord on? How is He changing you in the interim? Let’s praise Him for every blessed second of the wait and all He’s doing in the meantime.
I am currently using the YouVersion App for my morning devotions, and going through the She Reads Truth: James devotion. I love it because it's just the right amount of reading for my mornings. Today's devotion was so relevant to our adoption adventure that I wanted to post it here. I thought it was very interesting how she tied waiting and judging together.
The Waiting Season
I’m waiting.
After months of tracking down hundreds of pages worth of birth certificates, references, financial and medical records, getting them signed with the right color pen in front of a notary, then getting the notary stamp state-certified, then putting the big brick of papers into the properly addressed envelope and mailed with tracking to the proper address, I’m waiting.
The referral for our adopted daughter could come today. Or it could come in six months.
I’m waiting.
It’s easy to say, “It’s in the Lord’s hands!” and “Or she’ll come home in His perfect timing.” Speaking these truths confidently makes the waiting a little easier, but waiting patiently and being an obedient servant? That’s a bit more difficult.
Because when we are forced to wait is when our flesh likes to take over. As pressure builds, we turn on those we care about most, grumbling against one another. We look at others and judge out of our own aching, empty parts. We forget that our own Judge is standing at the door, with His hand on the handle.
We get exasperated in our impatience, swearing, negotiating with the Lord, carelessly throwing around thoughtless phrases like “Oh dear Lord, if I have to wait another day!” or “For heaven’s sakes, this shouldn’t be so hard.” We’re wrong in this. The waiting isn’t just the hardest part, it’s the growing part. And the Gardener can’t be rushed in this season. He won’t be rushed in this season.
We should think of the waiting as our labor pains. The contractions are getting stronger, closer together, more and more painful, the longer the process continues.
While we are waiting, we are changing--He’s changing us in the waiting. He’s rounding out our sharp, controlling edges, gifting us an appreciation for the small milestones, teaching us to better disciple those already in our lives. He’s tenderly waiting for His land to yield its valuable crop.
And in the end, as He always is, He will be compassionate and merciful. Then, together, we will celebrate the harvest.
What promise are you waiting for the Lord on? How is He changing you in the interim? Let’s praise Him for every blessed second of the wait and all He’s doing in the meantime.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
It's been awhile…but good things are happening!
So I haven't posted anything on here for a while, but it's not because nothing has been happening. After Christmas we began planning in earnest for our big February fundraiser. It is our final big fundraiser, so we wanted to do it right. God has really moved our hearts towards the cause of adoption, not just our adoption. We wanted to share our hearts and calling towards adoption as part of our fundraiser night. It look a lot of prep, possibly more than our wedding, but I had some awesome help. God came through in some big ways, especially that all of our food was donated! We had around 80 people attend the dinner, and our silent auction was also a great success! We did a style of auction called Pick-A-Prize, which is like and auction/raffle combined. If you would like more info let me know! Overall, we raised about 1/4 of our travel cost. That doesn't sound like a lot, but since our travel will cost around $10,000 it was an awesome start! Thank you so much to everyone who came out and supported us that night!
Our other great news is that we have received a matching grant from Lifesong for Orphans! Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta is providing the funds through Lifesong. We were awarded a $2500 grant, so if we get all of that matched we will get $5000. That puts us so much closer to be able to finish debt free. Our goal from the beginning was to do this adoption without taking out a loan, but I have doubted that along the way. It just goes to show that God is always bigger than our expectations! If you are interested in giving we will be putting up a Paypal link on the blog, and on our website Our Adoption Adventure.
Our paperwork should be finishing up translation in Colombia, and be passed along to be reviewed anytime now. Please pray that we will find favor with the officials, and the paperwork will be processed quickly. You can also continue to pray for the health and development of our little girl, Brielle! We officially announced her name at the fundraiser. We cannot post pictures until after her adoption is finalized though.
Thank you for all your support and prayers!
Our other great news is that we have received a matching grant from Lifesong for Orphans! Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta is providing the funds through Lifesong. We were awarded a $2500 grant, so if we get all of that matched we will get $5000. That puts us so much closer to be able to finish debt free. Our goal from the beginning was to do this adoption without taking out a loan, but I have doubted that along the way. It just goes to show that God is always bigger than our expectations! If you are interested in giving we will be putting up a Paypal link on the blog, and on our website Our Adoption Adventure.
Our paperwork should be finishing up translation in Colombia, and be passed along to be reviewed anytime now. Please pray that we will find favor with the officials, and the paperwork will be processed quickly. You can also continue to pray for the health and development of our little girl, Brielle! We officially announced her name at the fundraiser. We cannot post pictures until after her adoption is finalized though.
Thank you for all your support and prayers!
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