Dossier Progress - Adoption Update

The last few weeks have felt like a marathon race completing our dossier paperwork. As with much of the adoption process, we often find ourselves waiting for a time... like Dr. Seuss' Oh, The Places You'll Go -- 

"The Waiting Place...for people just waiting. 
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow. 
Everyone is just waiting."

But once the one step you were waiting on is completed it's time to race through the next 16 steps before you're back in The Waiting Place... again. 

Covid has added a layer of burden to this process for sure. For example, to get our fingerprints taken for our background checks, we had to drive 2 hours round-trip to a different county's sheriff's office because none of our local law enforcement office (sheriff/pd, etc.) were offering those services to the public due to the pandemic. 

Several government agencies are now experiencing slower turn-around times for certain documents because all services once open to the public (walk-in appointments or same day services in-person) are no longer available. We've ended up paying more than usual for shipping fees because we're expediting everything we can in order to speed up the process as much as possible. Nevertheless, so much of this is out of our hands. It is what it is (que sera sera). 

Well, we finally got several appointments and documents for which we were waiting, and now we are almost done with our dossier! We are waiting on 3 documents to be returned to us after getting an apostille, then we're done. Our next step will be to submit our dossier.

So, let's check off one more step!

Adoption Process (Generally)

Apply to Adopt ✔

Home Study ✔

Prepare Dossier ✔

Submit Dossier

Receive Referral

Accept Referral

Receive Travel Dates

Travel 

Receive Court Date

Complete Adoption

Come HOME

Prayer

We are so grateful for prayer and support through this process. Thank you to so many of you who have graciously prayed with us and encouraged us in this season! Please continue to pray for wisdom, peace, and an unwavering trust in the Lord, in His plan and His good purposes. Above all, pray for our strength to endure in faithfulness to the Lord in every step, waiting patiently with eagerness. 

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Romans 8:23-25