8 weeks. That is how long we have been waiting to receive initial approval from India. Our agency had told us to expect at least a 10-20 week wait for approval from India but that some families were having to wait way longer. I had just prayed last week that our paperwork would be in the hands of CARA (Central Adoption Resource Agency) and that God would move mountains to bring our child home soon. Of course, trusting the Lord’s timing in it all, even if we had to wait. I know and am so thankful that God shows compassion to His children and even though He doesn’t have to hear and answer our prayers, He chooses to because He is a good, compassionate and personal God.
So today, against all odds we got a phone call. Around 12:00 pm today our agency called. “Hello.” “Hey this is Merrill your caseworker, Is Kyle with you?” He wasn’t home at the time because he had gone to pick up our oldest, Annistyn, from school. So, we three way called him. I knew it had to be really important because she wanted to talk to both of us. This is what she said, “I have some super exciting news to share! India has given you the initial approval from CARA. This is so exciting and unexpected even for the agency. This approval has happened so fast! Now you can be matched with a child!” I was feeling all kinds of emotions after that call! Haha. I was not expecting it to be this soon. But afterward, I remembered praying and asking God last week for this very thing. Our little family is praising Him for being a God who is so kind to His children and for hearing and answering our prayers.
A lot of cool things have happened since our last update. On October 9th we filed our I-800 A (Application for determination of suitability to adopt a child from a convention country. This is the first step in the immigration process for our adopted child. That was a cool experience.
We have also been planning our fundraising event (dinner and silent auction) coming up this month on the 16th. If you haven’t gotten tickets and want to come we would love to have you there! You can contact me for tickets.
Just a little side note about this event and to share the Lord’s faithfulness, He has literally gone before us in everything and provided our every need! Starting with the food. We have family friends (who are caterers) who told us they would donate food if we wanted to have an event. Then, they told us about a venue that they have known and done weddings for. So, I called her and she also donated the venue! For free! Then, when trying to decide on decorations my mom had a client whose daughter recently got married. Well, the decorations she had used for the wedding decorations were exactly what my mom was wanting to decorate with for our event. So, my mom reached out to this lady and told her about our event and asked if we could borrow or buy the decor from her. She told my mom that her daughter that had just gotten married was adopted! My mom had no idea. She told my mom that the day prior to her asking, she had gone to meet someone else who had wanted to buy the décor from her and they no showed! She told my mom that we could use all of the decorations and she was so excited to be a part of our journey. Everything we have needed has been provided including our auction gifts. We are just so thankful!
So many people have been so generous to us. We cannot even begin to express our gratitude to God for how He has provided for us and for all the people who have given to make this journey possible. One of those stories comes from a recent stranger that I met. I met a lady at our salon one day. Her and my mom had been talking and my mom had shared with her our adoption story. Her and her husband had also adopted years ago. She also has a best friend from India who she has since then connected us with which, is so neat! This sweet lady recently gave us a generous amount of money for our adoption. I sent her something thanking her for it and she told me that the same day that she came into the salon the Lord had laid an amount on her heart and she has been praying about what to do with it. Then she met me and heard our story that day. Her actual words were, “God had actually put it on my heart to find a worthy cause to donate to before I walked in that day. It’s amazing how He works.” There are just so many stories like these. Where it’s been evident that it’s just the Lord going before us and Him working out all the details.
Right now, financially we have raised a little over $18,000!! So, we are over half way there!
To everyone who has prayed for us, given financially and encouraged us along the way, Thank
You So Much! This would not be possible without every single person jumping into the journey
with us and I am beyond grateful that we have not walked it alone!
Next steps, we will receive a file (potential child for us to adopt) to look over and make a
decision on. We will have around a month to review a file and have medical professionals look
at it. They will give advice on care that the child may need short-term and long-term. Once
we decide on a particular file we will take steps to bring them home! Yay! Right now, our
agency is telling us that process could take up to 6 months or longer. But, as its been proven to
us so far, it’s all in Gods timing and not ours. So, we are trusting Him with our child and how
long that may take. We are so excited though!
Lastly, I just want to share some ways that you can be in prayer for us and our child in India
right now.
• Join us in praising God for providing for us and for getting initial approval! He deserves all the glory for that!
• Pray for the fundraising event coming up on the 16th! That we will be completely funded by the end of this year/first of next year. Also, for the event to go so well and that hearts there will be encouraged.
• Pray for our family as we move into the matching phase. That God would prepare us emotionally as we learn our child’s background and medical needs.
• Pray for our little one in India who is very likely over there right now. Pray for healthy attachments and caretakers that are loving on them well. That they will know how to give and receive our love well from the moment we get them. That they will be safe and healthy.
Thank you, thank you, thank you again everyone!! We appreciate you so much!