Our adoption story began 4 1/2 years ago when we decided that we really wanted a third child, but were ready to "do it differently". I had always had a spot in my heart that was drawn toward international adoption, so when Ryan called me one day and said, "I just had lunch with a man who adopted a baby from China last month. I think we should do it." I was elated! That was July of 2005.
We took our sweet time (1 1/2 years) doing our agency search, home study, immigration approval, etc. We had a baby at home at the time and didn't feel the need to hurry things along. Little did we know that the adoption wait times in China would dramatically increase, and we would have our dossier sitting at the CCAA for 30 months and still have no assurance that our baby would be coming for years, if ever.
Between then and now, I must admit that I think I've been very patient. The Lord has really given me peace that the baby would come in His timing. As cliche as that sounds, it was real for me and it sustained me. But in the past few months, I've been experiencing more heartache and pain and yes, exasperation over it. My dear friends have supported me and comforted me every month as the news of ever-more increasing wait times was received. I think the Lord was stirring Ryan and I to seek His heart and direction for our family.
People have asked, 'have you looked in to adopting from other countries?' - and yes! We did. I researched on-line and never found a program that would bring our baby to us any sooner than the elusive "12 months" that we supposedly had to wait currently. I don't know why I never saw it before. It was right in front of me. I guess that the Lord knew just the right time to make it click and finally opened my eyes to make me see that switching over to Ethiopia would be such a program. Currently families are waiting a maximum of 10 months to be matched with children there.
So, I'm not holding back my joy and hope. We will continue trusting the Lord to complete our family as He has designed it and in His timing. Already He has helped me relate and be inspired by the story of Jacob and Rachel in Genesis 29. Jacob had to wait 14 years to marry Rachel, but verse 20 says, "his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days." The desire of my heart is to have that kind of faith to follow the Lord however He leads!
Thanks for all your prayers. Keep 'em coming!
