Adoption Strategies from Here

So, after I learned of the potential problems with my independent adoption from Haiti, I have been looking at strategies to fix the problem. 

1.  I can hire an agency to continue the Haiti adoption.  This solution will likely cost considerably more, although I have found a couple agencies that may cost minimally more than I originally planned.  The downside is that these agencies do not work with the orphanage that I had wanted use for the  adoption. 

2.  I can hire an agency and look at another country.  I have a soft spot in my heart for Haiti, but I also like the looks of several other countries.  Since I started this search, China has reopened to singles.  India, the Congo, Burundi, Ecuador, and others are possibilities. 

3.  I have not confirmed from the orphanage what their new policy will be, but hope that I find out more next week.

4.  I could just do foster care and try to adopt that way (which was part of the plan anyway).

5.  I could use the home study I have to do a domestic adoption.  This significantly changes things.  First, I was thinking a toddler aged child, not infant.  The cost is about the same.  Birthparents choose the adoptive parents in domestic adoption, so there is no guarantee of success.  With this option, I could use the agency who did the home study.  Costs seem to fluctuate more under this option than under international adoption.

Discerning God's Will

I attended a retreat yesterday and one of the topics being discussed was how to discern God's will. 

One thought that struck me was the question "Why do we always assume that what we want is not what God wants?"

I sometimes struggle with the idea that if I came up with something, then it may not be God's will.  But if we truly are trying to live according to God's standards and are seeking Him, then it does stand to reason that our plans may be His plans.  The danger is that we still need to discern between ideas.

For me right now, the road to adoption is taking time.  This frustrates me in some ways, but in others I can see that the slow and steady approach is the right one.  Without taking my time to make decisions, save money, and get some parenting advice, I would probably feel less certain about my decision to adopt.  I also would have missed out on the background knowledge I have learned about international adoption, foster care, various countries' process and how agencies work.

First Big Hurdle

I finally made a decision on which agency to use! I sent in the application and the application fee on Thursday, so hopefully they will receive it by mid-week next week (silly holidays!).

The next big step is to get a home study lined up and started. I have already started working on this by contacting a local agency. They should be getting back to me next week. I may be able to use the adoption agency, but again, the agency will be getting back to me.

For now, my big projects are arranging my finances, focusing on my school work, and waiting patiently for the next step.

Patience is not my strong suit, so we'll see how God shapes my character through this process!