We completed our first homestudy in 2013, since then
we have updated it two times. We are
coming up on our THIRD update
to our homestudy this next month. Over
the past 3+ years, we have been tested for HIV, STDs, tuberculosis, and
drugs. We have been finger printed and
screened. Filled out mountains of
paperwork. All of this, not once, but
multiple times. Chuck and I have also completed
many hours of training. Part of our
lives has been essentially on hold… prayerfully waiting. First, there was our failed adoption in
Uganda. And, now Ghana has essentially
stopped processing international adoptions.
It has been emotionally and financially draining.
Based on advice from our agency, we made the
difficult decision this week to not update our homestudy for international
adoption from Ghana. Our family will
remain in the Ghana program, but our agency simply does not expect to have any
referrals of children aged 0-8 years old in the foreseeable future. We submitted our dossier in March 2015 and
the last referral was May 2015. We believe
that God is in charge of the details and that He will continue to show Himself
to us through this journey.
Our prayer still remains that someday we will be
able to adopt a child that needs a family, but for now we feel like we have done everything we can do in regards to international adoption. We plan to
continue fostering children from within our community and explore foster care
adoption in states where there are waiting children. Over the past year, we have had four children
in our home through foster care. A four
year old girl for one day. A four year
old boy for four months. We currently
have a three year old girl who has been with us for three months, plus a nine
year old girl who is with us only for a few weeks. Loving these children has been one of the
biggest blessings in our adoption journey.
Something we almost missed out on because it seemed "too scary.”
The first thing many people ask when they find out we do foster care is, “isn’t it hard to let them go?” Yes, yes… it really is. However, Jason Johnson said it perfectly…
"Yet, as we
weigh in balance what we stand to lose against what they stand to gain, the
answer is simple - not always easy to do - but simple to see as worth it in the
end. We can't let the fear of loving a
child who might leave deter us; we must let the fear of a child never knowing
love drive us."
Please join us in praying for children that are
waiting for their forever family. Blessings, Nicki
