Hurry Up And Wait
This seems to be the mantra of many adoptive families, and the more I'm in this process, the more I understand it. In fact, this has become my go-to description when talking to friends and family that ask how the adoption process is going - "hurry up and wait" is my response. You fill out forms as fast as you can... and then you wait. You complete training in record time.. and then you wait. You collect official copies of every single certificate ever associated with your life before they're even asked for... and then you wait. Your application is accepted, you rush to fill out the next set of forms... and then you wait again.
Those of you that have never gone through this process may think I'm exaggerating a bit, but really I'm not. There are so many processes during an adoption that are not in your control, so much of waiting on other people and governments. Even so, my personal desire and drive is to do everything that is in our control as thoroughly and quickly as possible, so that if there is a delay or there is a time to wait, it is not because of us not getting done what needs to be done.
So, what does all that mean exactly, and where are we in our process? I get asked this question by my friends and family often (unless you're my mother whom I tell every tiny little detail before she even has the chance to ask), and as hard as waiting can be sometimes, I love to tell others about our process so maybe they have a little more understanding of how it all works. So, earlier this week we officially received our completed Home Study (via email)! This was a HUGE step that we've been waiting for since the end of February, and there really wasn't too much else we could do during that waiting period, except for things like visiting my lovely grandmother for Easter (pictured above). To say I was excited was an understatement. I'm pretty sure I told basically every person in my path that day.
The next step is for us to fill out an application called the I800A, basically requesting permission from the government (USCIS) to adopt outside the United States. So, we received the hard copy of our Home Study in the mail today (Friday), which has to be sent in with our I800A application. And, we happened to have our application form completed, ready and waiting, so I gathered everything tonight, placed it all in an envelope, and it's waiting on the table to be mailed out tomorrow, and once that's sent out... WE WAIT.
It's true, a lot more waiting will ensue, but this time during the waiting we can also be working on adoption grant applications, so please be in prayer with us over those applications that we would be able to receive some of the funds still needed to pay for all of the adoption expenses. It could take up to 3 months for us to receive clearance from USCIS, but once that happens, then comes the best part (next to bringing our child home). After we've received clearance, we will be able to receive our referral for a child and officially be matched! I cannot wait for that day.
Those of you that have never gone through this process may think I'm exaggerating a bit, but really I'm not. There are so many processes during an adoption that are not in your control, so much of waiting on other people and governments. Even so, my personal desire and drive is to do everything that is in our control as thoroughly and quickly as possible, so that if there is a delay or there is a time to wait, it is not because of us not getting done what needs to be done.
So, what does all that mean exactly, and where are we in our process? I get asked this question by my friends and family often (unless you're my mother whom I tell every tiny little detail before she even has the chance to ask), and as hard as waiting can be sometimes, I love to tell others about our process so maybe they have a little more understanding of how it all works. So, earlier this week we officially received our completed Home Study (via email)! This was a HUGE step that we've been waiting for since the end of February, and there really wasn't too much else we could do during that waiting period, except for things like visiting my lovely grandmother for Easter (pictured above). To say I was excited was an understatement. I'm pretty sure I told basically every person in my path that day.
The next step is for us to fill out an application called the I800A, basically requesting permission from the government (USCIS) to adopt outside the United States. So, we received the hard copy of our Home Study in the mail today (Friday), which has to be sent in with our I800A application. And, we happened to have our application form completed, ready and waiting, so I gathered everything tonight, placed it all in an envelope, and it's waiting on the table to be mailed out tomorrow, and once that's sent out... WE WAIT.
It's true, a lot more waiting will ensue, but this time during the waiting we can also be working on adoption grant applications, so please be in prayer with us over those applications that we would be able to receive some of the funds still needed to pay for all of the adoption expenses. It could take up to 3 months for us to receive clearance from USCIS, but once that happens, then comes the best part (next to bringing our child home). After we've received clearance, we will be able to receive our referral for a child and officially be matched! I cannot wait for that day.
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