News and Going Private

We have decided to pursue an independent adoption from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Everything is beginning to move pretty quickly. Our first home study appointment is next Wednesday; we are going to DC in March to meet with the some important people and DeWayne is flying to DRC next month to meet our lawyer, translator, orphanage director and most importantly our children (more info on that to come in the next week or two)! God has made this decision very clear for us and we are very excited to move forward! Since we now have a plan, our blog will be going private. If you wish to follow our blog, please send me an email so that I can invite you.

Please Pray with Us

I can't go into any details, but DeWayne and I have been presented with a possible adoption situation. It would be an independent adoption which would involve a lot more risk on our end, but we feel it would help us keep the whole process more ethical. We are praying about this decision and ask that you all will pray with us too. This has all come about in the last couple days and we hope to have clear direction in the next week. God is definitely moving, and if this works out, I can't wait to share.

Once we do decide what direction we will be going, I will be making our blog private. This is to insure confidentiality and security in the adoption process. Many adoptions have been complicated by misinterpreted information given on blogs. I will give a warning before we go private and ask for your emails so that I can invite you to follow.

Thanks so much for your prayers!

Waiting and Praying

It's been a while since I've given an update. We are still waiting and praying about how to proceed. We know this is what we are supposed to do and plan to do so as soon as possible. Our tax returns should at least allow us to begin the process. We have sold about 30 shirts, so that will definitely help. We are hoping to sell 100. We have been cutting back in almost ever area of our lives. When I think about how privileged our lives here in America are compared to the lives of our children in Africa, it makes it very difficult to spend money that is not necessary.

Aside from finances, our greatest concern is completing an ethical adoption. I don't ever want to wonder or have my children wonder what our money was used to accomplish. I don't want to have any concerns that our money aided in child trafficking, that our children were bought from their poor parents, that judges or important officials were bribed. There are so many concerns when adopting from an under-developed country. We want to know without a doubt that our adoption is ethical so that we will never have a problem looking our children in the eyes when they ask the tough questions. We hope to start our home study this month. Until we have a clear answer from the Lord as to how we should proceed as far as an agency goes, we are waiting and praying.