Wow! I can't believe it has been 2 months since I my last post. I apologize for not keeping everyone updated on the search for Josiah and Jeremiah. Unfortunately there hasn't been much to update.
When we first submitted our application back in July I just knew that things were going to start happening fast. I knew I had heard the Lord speak to me that night and I knew we were on the right track by submitting our application with Building Blocks Adoption Services. Well, the first packet we received after submitting the application was very overwhelming. It said we only had 10 days to decide which country we wanted to choose from and it was all about international adoption. Although we have seriously thought about international adoption, we haven't felt the Lord give us a definite answer about it. We know He wants to be in total control of this and we want to make sure we are following His will.
The summer got so busy and before we knew it the 10 days had past. I was sure we were going to have to start all over with the initial application. We let it go for a few weeks and then out of no where I got an email from the lady handling our file. She wanted to know if we knew when we would be able to have to paperwork finished because she wanted to open our case. I was excited that we were still able to get things going even though we had past the due date for the paperwork. I emailed her back and asked about the difference between international and domestic. She said there was a big difference between the two and they each had their own homestudy process. I asked a few more questions and she suggested I call the office to talk with the Executive Director. She would be the one to answer all of my questions.
Finding time to call her during office hours has been very hard the past few weeks. There is never a dull moment at school and I barely have time to eat my lunch, let alone call and talk to someone on the phone. Who knew that on the 15th of September school would be canceled because of the power outages everywhere? I was trying to nap on the couch when the Lord woke me and said "Now is as good a time as ever to call and talk to Denise at BBAS (Building Blocks Adoption Services). I got up and called her right away. She was very helpful and answered a lot of my questions.
I got off the phone with her and felt better about the difference between international and domestic, but I still didn't feel the nudging of the Lord like I wanted. I still wasn't sure which path we should take...domestic or international. International is definitely the easiest route. You choose which country, they help with the paperwork and the entire process, you pick out your child from the country's adoption agency and then you go pick up your child from that country. Some countries have a turn around rate of about 9-12 months from the time your initial application is filed. That is fast!
Domestic adoption is a different story. BBAS isn't a placement agency for domestic adoptions. They can help us with homestudy and they can do all of the post-adoption stuff, but we will be responsible for finding a domestic agency, the birth parents, an attorney, and anything else that comes up with the adoption. There are no guarantees with domestic adoption because the mother can always back out. Plus, most families wait a very long time for domestic adoptions. However, something still tugged at my heart toward this path of adoption. Wouldn't it be just like God to have us go the path that would be the toughest? I mean think about it...where will He get the most glory? International adoption is very prescribed and pretty much a guaranteed thing. Domestic adoption is like diving out into the unknown and waiting to see what comes your way. Isn't that what we have been doing for the past few years any way? Haven't we been saying all along that this is going to be a God thing through and through?
I picked up the phone and called BBAS back. I asked them if they could switch our file to a domestic file and if they could get the paperwork sent out asap for the domestic homestudy. After a few more questions and a great conversation with them, they said they would have it in the mail tomorrow. The process should take about 2-3 months and then it's up to us to find the birth parents or go through an agency that does domestic adoptions. I hung up the phone and said "Nope. It's up to God to find the birth parents!"
I have such a peace now and I am excited to see all of the doors He is going to open in the near future. So keep your eyes and ears open. You never know who He might have cross your path. Maybe He will use you to help us find our boys!