Long Overdue Update

Well, haven't I  been poor at updating our status? It's been a bit crazy around here doing holiday, adoption & end-of-year stuff!!  We completed our Home Study (the portion of the adoption process where a prospective family interacts with a Social Worker who through a series of visits/interviews provides education/preparation for adoption as well as assesses the prospective family) visits during the month of December & are now finishing the gathering of necessary documents so that our Social Worker, Amber, can complete her report.   We also continue to gather the necessary documents to get the Dossier (the document that we will send to the Ethiopian government for their review & acceptance) ready to be sent.  Each document is required to be just so.  We are making significant progress - yeah!
Blake is so very excited about adopting but also about being part of the process.  He did an awesome job during his interview with Amber.  He is also excited as we will go tomorrow morning to get his passport photos & to send off his passport application.  He is anxious to go to Africa!
We continue to pray daily as a family about this adoption process - that we are being obedient to what God has in store for us & to trust in Him for provision both spiritually & financially to make this adoption a reality.  We continue to be shown by Him that pursuit of this adoption is part of His plan for our lives.  Most days are up but there are times when doubt clouds my mind & I have to pray for strength & guidance.
We are working on a couple of fundraisers & will post more info soon with regard to that!
Thanks so very much to each of you that are providing prayer & support for our family - which includes our little one that we have yet to meet!  We could not make this journey without you!

Our Paper Chase Begins!

Now we're really on our way.  We were assigned our Family Coordinator yesterday & were contacted to begin our Home Study.  I believe between the two emails there were 19 attachments! :-)  It's exciting and overwhelming all at the same time.  I'm getting ready to leave on a mission trip to Malawi, Africa (not going to make it to Ethiopia on this trip  :-(  ) this Sunday so have already been feeling overwhelmed this week... Ah, to have more time...
So, the attachments were primarily to begin applying to the government to adopt our child & also to begin putting together our Dossier which is the document that will be presented to the Ethiopian government in order for them to approve us to adopt a child from their country.  I have not yet had the opportunity to view all of the attachments so more to come on this as we learn more. 
We value the prayers of each and every one of you that God will provide for this connection with the child that he has planned for us!

Ethiopia or Bust!!!!!!

We borrow this phrase from another Ethiopia adoption blog that we love because it is now official.  We just received word that we have been approved for the America World Ethiopia program! Words cannot express how blessed and thankful we feel right now.  Our "Paper Pregnancy" officially begins today.  What a gift.  More to come very soon!

America World Adoption Agency

Today we attended an Information Session hosted by America World Adoption Agency.  We are thankful to have had the opportunity to meet Amber with America World and to have had the opportunity to hear the adoption stories of the Peters, the Triggs and the Moffetts.  We also enjoyed meeting Reagan, Annie, & Rosie - three of the adopted children.
We were sad to determine today that it does not appear that we will be able to adopt from Rwanda due to a new country requirement but we are happy to say we will apply for Ethiopia instead.
We have ultimately decided to apply with America World so we have completed our Initial Application and are now sending that forward.  We should hear back within 10 business days regarding acceptance into the Ethiopia program.
We should have more info soon!

Moving Along...

Well, we have heard back from Gladney & have our phone orientation scheduled.  We feel like God has opened the first door and are very excited!  More to come...

Getting Started

Hi everyone!  Today we (Shane, Blake & I) attended a Gladney Information Meeting as well as the Gladney Family Association of Central Oklahoma Fall Kickoff meeting.  We were able to meet people from Gladney, many families who have adopted through Gladney and many adopted little ones.   Great fun!

The Beginning...

Hi family & friends...the journey begins.  We have been and continue to pray that God has planned for us the privilege of adding to our family through the miracle of adoption.  We have been researching adoption agencies and are looking at two different agencies.  We have completed an Information Sheet for the Gladney Center for Adoption in Fort Worth & sent it on its way.  We are additionally considering the America World Adoption Agency (AWAA).  We are scheduled to attend an information session with Gladney on September 13th & one with AWAA on October 3rd.  Our desire is to adopt a child from Rwanda.  We believe God has intentionally placed Rwanda in our path several times over the past couple of years & has recently opened a door with the government of Rwanda allowing adoption of orphans.  Please pray with us as we begin down this path that God will guide us & open doors for us along the way to make this a reality.  Please also pray that we are still enough to listen and that we are patient enough to follow God's timeline rather than our own.  We look forward to sharing with you along the way.

Shane, Valerie & Blake

God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Hebrews 11:40