How You Can Pray

Specifically, please join us in fervent and consistent prayer for the following:
(from the GLA website and also my own requests)

• Pray that the Haitian government will not make any decisions regarding adoptions and the children in Haiti without consulting with the Association of Creché Directors.
• Pray that in the absence of a Prime Minister (just stepped down after just 4 months in office), God will still move adoptions through the process and find a way for forever families to unite.
• Pray that the orphanage directors will be able to consistently and fervently communicate the need of the children in Haiti for an adoption system that works well and reduces the time that children spend in an institutional setting.
• Pray that the Haitian government will not ratify the Hague Convention without taking the time to make sure that they have sufficient staff and resources to handle the increased requirements.
• Pray that UNICEF and IBESR will realize that adoption is an integral part of the overall plan to care for the children in Haiti who don't have parents who can care for them.
• Pray that the children at GLA and the other orphans in Haiti won't be damaged by pending changes in legislation in Haiti.
• Pray that people will rise up and speak on behalf of the orphans in Haiti and be a voice for those who can't speak for themselves.

What we've been working on....

Our Formal application was sent in and our contract with Bethany is signed! We are now officially clients of Bethany Christian Services!
Our next step is to complete the following paperwork that pertains to our home study in South Carolina.
So here is what we're working on:

Affidavit of Health insurance
SAFE questionnaire (questions about our childhood, family values, how we discipline, etc.)
SLED criminal record inquiry
Family Residence History
Physician's report for all four of us
Net Worth/Cash Flow Statement
Statement of Intent from our Will
Parental Discipline Policy
Adoption Release and Consent
Permission to serve as a Reference
Training Commitment form
Duty of Disclosure form
Special Placement Needs questionnaire

Copies of:
Birth certificates for all four of us
Marriage certificate
IRS 1040 from most recent tax year
Verification of vaccinations for household pets (two dogs)

We also need to reapply for passports.

In our spare time :) we are to be completing 10 hours of online training and choosing three books from their book list to read and be prepared to discuss at our home visit.
I've pulled the following three to read:

20 Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew by Sherrie Eldridge
Talking with Young Children about Adoption by Susan Fisher and Mary Watkins
Toddler Adoption: The Weaver's Craft by Mary Hopkins Best

A lot to get done but we are hopeful to complete this in the next month and be close to our home visit.  :)

Formal Application - ACCEPTED!

We are so amazed at how God is moving! We just got word that our Formal Application was accepted! We received an email with documents that we must sign and send back along with our application fee. Once those documents are received we can begin our home study! Thank you so much for your continued prayers! We see God opening doors for us! :)

Creche Application - ACCEPTED!

We were thrilled to hear today that our Creche Application to GLA (God's Littlest Angels Orphanage) has been preliminarily accepted. We have been invited to submit the Formal Application to Bethany!
Praise God from whom ALL BLESSINGS FLOW! So overjoyed at God opening another door for us!
We plan on finishing up our Formal Application and submitting it this weekend!
One step closer.....

Bloodlines

Amazing short documentary by John Piper.
If you haven't seen this, please take 18 minutes watch!

Bloodlines Documentary

Love this

A principle from the BSF Seminar I attended this week on Becoming a Servant of God describes totally where we are right now on this journey:

Every step of faith involves some lack of complete understanding of what you are to do and/or how it will turn out. Otherwise, it would not be faith.

Adopted for Life

The book Adopted for Life was one of those I don't want to read but know I need to read books. I first read it about two years ago and recently reread it. Russell Moore gives awesome "from the trenches" wisdom on many aspects of adoption.
I highly encouraged you to read this book and learn more about the priority of adoption for Christian families and churches!