"AND WHOEVER RECEIVES AND ACCEPTS AND WELCOMES ONE LITTLE CHILD LIKE THIS FOR MY SAKE AND IN MY NAME RECEIVES AND ACCEPTS AND WELCOMES ME" MATTHEW 18:5







Sunday, June 3, 2012

Home Study Bound!

 "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us…let us not love with word or tongue, but with action and in truth." (I John 3:16-18)

We have been so very busy getting ready for our Home Study.  This is the first “major” part of the adoption process. We had to hire a licensed home study social worker to do this for us. She collects a whole-lotta paperwork from us, all of our birth certificates, SS cards, marriage license, financial records, even divorce decrees, as well as employment, education and address history. The entire family has to have physicals, Michael and I had to write very extensive autobiographies that addressed everything about us from childhood to the present. Michael and I had to have background checks done; even our little doggie has to be up to date on her shots. Then, she comes to do the home visit, which will be about three hours long. She will ask all kinds of questions and inspect our home. This is all done to deem us acceptable to raise another child and our home a safe place with plenty of room for the child. This, my friends, is only step one! It’s getting more “for real” now and I am so excited! Woo Hoo!
Most everything has been done for the home study, except for the visit, and that is in a week and a half! The home study visit sends adoptive parents into a psychotic flurry of over-perfecting their home. We have been tirelessly finishing up all unfinished projects, painting, planting, trimming trees, organizing, hanging curtains, deep cleaning, and we are not done yet! Was our house in shambles? Not hardly. Is the social worker looking for our house to look like the cover of Better Homes and Gardens? No way. But, she is coming to “judge” us and our home in a sense and that tends to push people into doing WAY more than necessary to prepare for the visit. That would be us! It just feel like what we "should" be doing. To me, it is effort put forth to show just how much I want my little man home! I am willing to go above and beyond and further to save him!
Once the homestudy is complete, we get to move on to get our approval to immigrate a child and start gathering more paperwork and the funds together so we can submit it all to our little man’s country to get to travel to meet him. So getting the homestudy done is VERY exciting!
One good thing about keeping ridiculously busy these past few weeks has helped keep my mind from wondering to “that place”. That place that I feel helpless to get to my boy on the other side of the world in great need of love and proper care. I know this was going to take time when I started, but sometimes I find myself with this sense of urgency that is frustrating because I cannot make it go any faster.
But, we are actively doing everything we can; he is the main subject of our dinner time prayer. We have been saving, and praying, and saving some more and getting as much paperwork done as we can! We are organizing all kinds of fun and exciting fundraisers to raise the money needed to get him home ASAP!!!! Stay tuned, I will plugging the first of our exciting giveaways soon!