Tonight I thought I would take the time to update this blog, which hasn't been updated since September. The reason it hasn't been updated is because we're kind of at a standstill in the adoption process at the moment. It's the moment of waiting for a referral. It's a very long moment.
However, we have to remind ourselves that things are happening-- things that we can only imagine and cannot see. Our little Gabriel, when he first arrived at the orphanage, first had to wait while people searched for his birth parents. After a certain period of time passed and they determined that his birth parents couldn't be found, he had to be placed on an in-country adoption list for a few months. After that, paperwork had to be done to make him eligible for international adoption. So... we're assuming that he's in the paperwork stage of the process, and we're both just waiting for that paperwork to move through so that he can make it to what is called "the shared list" and we can be matched.
What are we doing in the meantime? Besides doing the tons of work that teachers do, we are reading blogs, articles, and books, and watching countless videos about attachment mostly, which is the most important thing to focus on when we finally get our little guy. We're also learning about how to deal with discipline issues and when to worry if our child has a sensory processing disorder caused by his time in the orphanage. We're learning a lot, and these are videos that we will likely watch again before we travel-- which will likely be six months after we accept our referral. Yes, more waiting, but also more paperwork on our end, and a care package to get together for our little one.
We've also been able to meet with a couple who has experienced an international adoption. Their adoption was from Bulgaria. We have so enjoyed meeting with them and spending time with their sweet little guy and look forward to more outings soon. It's shown us how much kids can really grow and learn over several months. It's neat to see such a transformation happen.
Another couple whom we met through our agency is in the process of waiting just as we are. However, in their case, they met their little guy in person while they were serving in China with their church. They have been waiting for over a year for his paperwork to come through, and their hope is that once he makes it to the shared list, our agency will be able to lock him in immediately for them. We're hoping this will happen soon. His orphanage indicated that it should be soon, so we'll see if they're right. This couple has also been great to communicate with. We've shared our concerns, our celebrations of receiving grants, and our desire to stop waiting. We also have a lot more in common. We started dating our spouses at about the same time, we were married on the exact same date as they were, and we like doing the same types of things, such as playing board games. Our hope is that our sons will be able to meet each other and be great friends once they are both home and are adjusted to family life.
So, yes, we're still waiting and trying to make the wait count as much as we can. We're still trying to get something together at our church, too, so that we can help widows and at the same time raise funds for orphan care, and we're still learning a lot about how to make that happen.
There isn't a day that goes by that we don't think about our son, wonder what he's doing, hope he's safe and warm and is getting enough to eat, and hope he feels loved by someone whom he sees every single day. Thank you to all who have said prayers. Please keep those prayers coming! God will match us in His time. We remain confident in that.
Oh, and for all of you who shop Amazon, please shop Amazon Smile-- it's the exact same Amazon that you know, but you can pick a charity to benefit from the sale of what you buy. Pick Show Hope or Orphan's Treasure Box if you would like to do something that will both provide for the care of orphans and help other people like us receive grants to help in their adoption.
Thank you for reading, and may you all have a blessed 2014! We'll keep you posted. :)
Jenn and Howie
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