Changing Country from China to Ukraine

Well, we've had to switch gears and start looking at other countries besides China. Effective May 2007, new adoption regulations will go into effect in China that may prohibit us from adopting from there. My heart condition may very well become a stumbling block to a successful adoption, therefore AWAA recommends that we choose another country. Our options are Russia, Ethiopia, and Ukraine. We were told that out of the three options, Ukraine would be the most predictable because Ethiopia is a relatively new program and Russia is currently experiencing great turmoil within the adoption world. Ukraine's adoption program has just reopened this month and has been re-vamped over the last several months. We have decided upon Ukraine. Of course, the program is a lot more costly than China, however we are trusting God to provide. It is amazing how His presence has been so strong throughout this process. We are submitting our modified intent to adopt letter to AWAA today. It's time to buckle-up and get ready for the roller coaster ride!

Mailing Preliminary Application to AWAA

Today, we submitted our preliminary application to AWAA. This is the first bit of paperwork that we have had to complete. An intake coordinator with America World will review our paperwork and determine what country we are eligible to adoption from. Our jobs, financial status, religious background, and health conditions will all be considered in making a decision whether or not AWAA will agree to serve as our agency. We are excited and scared at the same time. We've shared several family prayers over the paperwork, and it's all in God's hands!

Attending the Adoption Seminar

We attended the adoption seminar this morning. It was wonderful! I (Erica) actually cried throughout the majority of the program. Families from China, Ukraine, Russia, and Ethiopia gave their testimonies about how God led each of them to their child. A social worker spoke about what to expect in completing the homestudy and how to prepare for the overwhelming paper pregnancy. Paper pregnancy is the term used that refers to the period of time in which you are collecting documents for the dossier (adoption application) and waiting for a referral or travel date. I can't wait to be enter the paper pregnancy phase - hopefully it won't include extreme nauseau like I experienced while pregnant with Ashton! We are really excited but are still praying that God will ead us to the right agency and country.

On the way home, we ate lunch at Chick-fil-a and found ourselves parked beside a vehicle with an adoption magnet and then sitting beside a Caucasian family with a Chinese little boy. Is God trying to tell us something or what?

America World Adoption Seminar

We have just registered online for an adoption seminar conducted by America World and to be held at Fellowship Baptist Church in Bentwood, Tennessee. This is a huge step for us, however after a lot of research on agencies and countries, we really feel led to find out more information about America World. Included in the initial package from AWAA was a DVD - we have watched it repeatedly. We're not sure how we are going to finance the adoption, however we are confident that if this is God's will then He will provide all of our needs.