In the beginning of 2019 we felt like we were finally on the road to wrapping up our adoption that has been two years in the making. Well, we quickly found out our story wasn’t done with the twists and turns just yet. We received and email that our agency was merging with an other agency that lost accreditation with India in 2017. We were informed we needed to find a new agency before April 1st and we would only be recieving a small portion of our fees we had paid. We were overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions. I was not able to understand why this was happening. We were so close!
So, I started the frantic race of calling every agency I could find to accept us and not charge us an arm and a leg. We were paid completely at our previous agency and now were looking at $5,000 or more in repeat fees. With God’s grace we were able to speak with several very wonderful agencies and picked the one we felt best matched our needs and our non-existent budget. We decided on Children of the World located in Alabama. The first time I spoke with our social worker she just felt like a friend. We are still unsure of how the fees will transfer, but we know that God is sovereign.
Shortly after we received news that we were in need of a new agency, we received some of the most exciting news in India adoptions; NOC!! These beautiful letters shared that CARA approved us as S**** family. It is equivalent to guardianship in domestic/foster care placement. We could go to India and live with him, but could not leave the state with him. To be able to leave the country with him, we must get a court approval for our adoption and then his birth certificate with our names listed as parents (I am glowing with excitement as I type this). Then we can get his passport for him to travel to the USA with us. This process is so long and full of red tape, but we know that they work to insure that children who are adopted are kept safe by these steps. Our timeline for travel can vary still but we are praying to be there on his birthday in May.
Please pray for us to be registered in court and to receive written approval quickly. This will allow us to be able to share his name and sweet face with you all, as he will be legally our son.
Also, please pray for S***** to be with his family for his fourth birthday and his first birthday party.
The love we have for our amazing tribe is truly overwhelming. We treasure our church family, friends, and family who allow us to share with them our triumphs and the lows of this process. We treasure each one of you dearly!
