One Crazy Journey

We are all finally used to life back at our "Regular Home".  The whirlwind of the airport, unpacking, and trying to restock the 'fridge is behind us.  I am looking forward to life as a full-time stay-at-home mommy.  (I've been working about ten hours a week in our church office, and another wonderful lady stepped in to fill my position beginning this month.  Thank you, Ann!)  Now that things have settled down a bit, I have a lot to share regarding our adoption.  It's past my bedtime, so this will be a mini-update; but I promise to blog again very soon.  


Right now we are in a really tough spot with our paperwork.  As I mentioned in an earlier post here, we have everything we need collected and translated except for our approval from U.S. Immigration (a lovely form called an I-171h).  Sadly, Immigration hasn't changed their tune since the last time I called them...and the time before that...and the time before that...and...As of this morning, we still haven't been assigned to the officer who will process our case.  Our application is still hanging out somewhere in Filecabinetland.  The lady I spoke with today said not to call back for a couple weeks as they are processing cases from mid-March.  So discouraging.


According to our facilitator, the temporary closure that our country is anticipating is scheduled for June 14.   We need that one last paper in time to get it notarized at a local bank, apostilled in our state capital, FedExed to Eastern Europe, translated by our facilitator, and submitted to our country's adoption administration before that date.  If we do not get it in time, it does not mean we cannot adopt; however, it does complicate our process (and mean a longer wait to bring our little ones home - something I am really struggling with).


I also learned today that there was a bill passed in our Eastern European country that prohibits international adoption of children under the age of five, except those with medical conditions or who are part of a sibling group.  (There may be a couple other exceptions, but I had a hard time reading Google's translation of the wording of the bill.)  Apparently, the government will soon release a list of medical conditions covered by the bill.  Our children are considered "special needs" (more on that soon) and will likely be part of the exception to this bill; however, there is no guarantee of this until the list is released.  


All this to say, today has been a hard day.  I am continually learning (and relearning) that I am not in control of this process.  It is relatively easy to give up control when the road is smooth, but it is so. incredibly. hard. not to grab the steering wheel when things get bumpy.  I desperately want to DO SOMETHING to move this process along.  I felt so productive (and, thus, in control) when I was checking employment letters and doctors' visits and lab tests and trips to the state capital off of my adoption to-do list, but waiting is killing me.


The question that keeps coming to my mind today is "Am I willing to give this process to the Lord if that means things aren't going to turn out the way I want?  If that means the journey isn't going to be smooth and scenic?  If that means there are times when I cannot do anything except wait...and pray...and trust that my Heavenly Father is in control?"


I'm not there yet.  I'm still white-knuckling it over the bumps and around the tight corners.  But I want to let go.  I want this process not only to grow our family, but to change it.   I want to come to the end of this journey and realize that I have tighter hold on my Savior than on the steering wheel of my life.


Thank you for the prayers, love, and support so many of you have extended to our family.   Please keep praying for this process (and especially our one last, long-awaited paper).  We are not by any means the only family in this sticky spot.  There are many. many other families facing this same looming June deadline, as well as many, many other families waiting to bring their precious little ones home from all over the world.  Please remember these families (and these waiting children) as you pray, too.  Adoption is a crazy journey.  I can't tell you how much it means to know that we aren't headed down this road alone.