We have passed court!!!! It's time to make travel plans!

The judge officially signed the court order on Wednesday, December 17, 2008. Praise God! The bonds were submitted and the lawyer picked up the court order later that week. Now, the folks in India are applying for Ambika's visa and passport. We are also applying for our visas and getting travel plans in place. We are going to try to go between M1 and M2 birthdays. We might not be able to, but that's what we will shoot for.

We are so excited and are ready to go!

December 15- Gotcha Day!

We are scheduled to have our FINAL court hearing on December 15. We are earnestly praying that the judge signs the guardianship papers and we can begin travel plans. Since I last wrote, the judge did our evidence and argument hearings on the same day, thank God. It was actually on our Thanksgiving day, which is so appropriate!

I have been in touch with our new adoption agency several times this week as our case is in its final stages and every minute counts. Sadly our old agency had to close its doors due to the economy and so we were transfered. I know our new agency will do a great job, but it's still sad to be at the end of this journey without them.

I am attaching some new photos of the Indian Angel. She is absolutely precious. Here's hoping and praying the judge finds favor with us and grants us guardianship. We are ready to go!!!

Another delay

Our court hearing did not happen on Nov. 5th. The judge went on medical leave. As soon as she came back, our attorney was petitioning for our case to be heard. This is what happened in the words of our attorney:

After the Judge returned from leave, an Application was filed requesting that the Case be advanced and posted to the 20th instant. The Judge however, while allowing the aforesaid Application, mentioned that the Case could not be posted to the 20th instant as there were already many Cases posted during this week. The Case was therefore advanced and posted to the 24th November for evidence. On that day, after evidence is recorded, a request will be made to also hear Arguments and to post the Case to the earliest possible date for passing Orders.

So, all we can do now is continue to pray that the Nov. 24th case happens and that all goes well. We get more excited everyday and we are ready to see Ambika. However, we know that she is in good hands. Please pray for us and for our Indian Angel. We will keep you posted.

More court delays- USCIS cleared

Well, it's two steps forward and one step back. We have round one of our USCIS stuff finished which is good and the next steps shouldn't be too difficult. We did have our court case on Oct. 14, but it was merely a hearing and not a full fledged evidence hearing. That will come on Nov. 5. Then, we will have two more after that. So.....now, it's looking like Jan. instead of December. We are sending a package today of clothes and things for the other children in the home. Even if she can't have Christmas with us, she can still feel our love across the miles, even if it is in the form of clothing and stuffed animals. She'll be with us soon. I have to keep remembering that.

Court Postponed and our civic duty

Well, it's typical India, but our court date was delayed. We were scheduled to have our first hearing, the evidence hearing on Saturday, Sept. 20. On Wednesday, Sept. 24, we found out that the court hearing did not happen and now it is rescheduled for Oct. 14. I am severely disappointed, but not terribly surprised. Since I 've had some time to think about it, I am much calmer now, but it's still quite frustrating. We will continue to pray the Oct. 14 hearing goes forward successfully.


On a completely separate note, I want to encourage everyone to take advantage of early voting. It began on Sept. 22 in many states. You can search online for your state's secretary of state office website and they should have all of the information on where to go. It's quick, easy, and will allow you to cast your vote without the hassle of long lines. I went Friday and was finished in five minutes.

We continue to pray, knowing that our Indian Angel is in the best hands possible- those of her Heavenly Father!

Here she is- our Indian Angel

The moment we have waited for has finally arrived. We can now tell the world about Ambika! We have been matched and have officially passed No Objection Clearance from the Adoption Governing Agency in India, therefore, we can show off our Indian Angel to the world! Ambika lives in Bangalore, India and we can't wait to have her in our neck of the woods.We have already sent her, as well as the other children at the orphanage, gifts and a picture book, so she knows about us, but it will be wonderful to talk with her!

This is an awesome day and we are so excited! We are one step closer to getting her for good! Isn't she lovely? What a great addition!!!!

No phones, no drinks, just prints- oh my!

Today Keith and I went to the United States Customs and Immigration Services Building to have our fingerprints taken. We couldn't take in anything but our notification and our driver's license. I prayed that no emergencies happened with M1 and M2 while we were there. As it turns out, we were in and out in 45 or so minutes. It was really a very smooth process. This was the last step on the United States side. We should have official clearance from them, I am guessing within the month, and then we can officially bring an orphan into the US.

We are still waiting on No Objection Clearance from India and it has been about a month. I am growing anxious with each passing day, but I know it will all work out. Once we have that, we can get our shots and apply for our travel visas.

We learned from LifeSong that even though they will only match up to 2k, we are allowed to raise as much as we can. This is great because people can get the tax write off and we can still be assisted with the adoption. It really is amazing just how smoothly all of this has gone. Go God!!

We welcome everyone's continued support and prayers and will keep you posted as we get more news!

You can't outgive God!!!

Man, the blessings just keep on coming....

This week, we were informed that we would be getting a matching grant from LifeSong for Orphans. They are matching up to 2,000 (dollar for dollar) what we raise in support! This is so exciting and such an answer to prayer! I continue to be amazed at God's faithfulness and now others have the opportunity to be blessed even as they are blessing. I know God has great plans! We are so fortunate that we get to play a role!!!!

It's all in India!

It's been quite awhile since I have written and that's simply due to the fact that I have been busy! Our dossier is now in India. We are waiting on No Objection Clearance and then court proceedings can begin. Basically, our part is finished. We still have to get shots for when we travel, get travel visas, and make travel arrangements, but the majority of our work is done. We will now wait and pray that all goes smoothly in the Far East!

We were given a grant by the Athens Adoption Ministry and that was such a blessing. It's great to see people come together for a cause that's so much bigger than any one person! We are so thankful for all of our friends and family who have supported us through this journey!

Check back soon! We hope to have NOC soon and then maybe we'll have some news!

We need clearance and I am not talking about the sales rack!

On Saturday, June 21, I sent off our United States Customs and Immigration application, better known in adoption land as USCIS clearance. I couldn't send it off until we had the homestudy and now that it's complete, the process can continue to move forward. I am not sure how long it will take, but I am guessing it will take three months or so. If anyone out there knows any different, feel free to post and let me know.

I bought M1 and M2 some books on adoption and they are great. One is called Waiting for May and it's about a big brother who is getting prepared to meet his sister who they are naming May. The other book is called Sisters. This is about an older girl who suddenly has an adoptive sister that is close to her age, but doesn't speak any English. It is a sweet book that tells both sides of the story.

On another note, a few weeks the kids and I went with a friend of mine and her two children, one of whom is adopted from Delhi, India, to the Global Mall in Atlanta. The kids had so much picking out Indian dresses and seeing the different cultures represented. M1 couldn't believe that the Indian mall had a dollar store. He was in Heaven!!! The pictures are of the kids in front of the entrance and M2 in her new Indian dress, which she loves! I am sorry she is turned sideways. Sara, I need your help in how to fix this!

I continue to be amazed at God's faithfulness. I can't wait until our Indian Angel is home!

Life is good, even with the gas prices!

Little by little, more information is coming in from India. We are almost ready to send our application to USCIS and our dossier to India. All of our child abuse clearances have come back except the one from North Carolina, so we pray that it comes next week while we are on vacation. The week after that, I plan on getting everything notarized and apostiled, but you know what happens when you "plan" things. God's timing is still perfect and we are still so very excited about getting our Indian Angel just as soon as we can! Happy Summer everyone!

Homestudy.....check!

Our homestudy is finished! Hooray! We had our last meeting with our social worker on Monday night. After 2.5 hours, we finally wrapped it up. Our homestudy will now go, along with about a billion other documents to USCIS, India, and to some grants that we've applied for. But, most importantly, it will go to Bangalore, where a very special woman is taking good care of a very special girl. We pray that this very special woman likes what she reads in the homestudy and feels that we would be great parents for this very special girl. We know God has it all worked out, but I feel so much better knowing that at least the homestudy hurdle has been cleared!

HURRY UP.......and wait!

It's been a long time since I have written and that's simply due to the fact that I have been doing about 80 million things. However, in the adoption department, things are going well. Or, should I say, were going well? We are getting ready to have our final homestudy meeting and a new regulation pops up. Keith and I now have to get Child Abuse Clearances from every city we've ever lived in since age 18. That's three different states! So, this is a minor setback, but it's nothing we can't handle. God is in control. Everything else is going great. Our social worker is absolutely awesome and the training we are going through is fabulous!

There are some developments going on in India that I am not quite ready to put out in computer land, but most of you know what I am talking about anyway. Just keep praying. Things are going well, although we can't say anything "officially" yet. We know that all things work as they should and that our Indian Angel is waiting!!!

Circle of Friends

It is so wonderful to be associated with people who believe in us and in the miracle of adoption. Our family and friends have just been awesome during this special time in our lives and we are so grateful. We are learning more and more everyday and it is great to share it with people who really want to hear all about it. Thank you dear friends!

Keith got his passport in a record 8 days! That's absolutely incredible! It's a good thing, though because India requires that you have your passport for six months before you can apply for a visa and you must have a visa to travel in India.

We are almost finished with our homestudy. Keith will meet with our social worker on Tuesday. I will meet with her the following week and once our fingerprint reports come back, she can write the report.

Thank you again, everyone, for your prayers and support. I know you are as excited as we are as we wait for our Indian Angel.

God is so good!

God is absolutely the author and finisher of our faith. But, He is also the sustainer of our faith. It has been awesome to see Him move so quickly and expertly. We have received all of the documents we have requested. Our fingerprints arrived at both GBI and FBI headquarters in record time and we have already had two of our four homestudy appointments. Keith will meet with our social worker next week. Then, we will meet together and the homestudy appointments will be complete. We also got our police clearance this week. So, all we have to do now for our homestudy packet to be complete is to get a rabies letter from the vet, do Keith's medical exam and go through the online adoptive parent training. Like I said, God is good!

I am thrilled that God has allowed us to know a different side of His Kingdom through the miracle of adoption. I pray that He will be honored and glorified in all that we say and do throughout this journey. As we continue, please pray that God will truly show Himself as Jehovah Jirah, our Provider. Adoption is very expensive. God will not let us down, I know, but we must pray believing and asking, as James 4:2 says. We know this is God's plan for our lives, but we also know it will only be through His divine intercession that this miracle will happen. Won't you join me in praying for our future family member? Pray that God would lead, guide, and direct us and that He would provide the funds to bring this child home, so that she/he may one day know that saving power of Jesus Christ.

I count it a blessing to know all of you. Thank you for walking this path with us.

Born into Brothels

Last night, Keith and I watched a documentary on the lives of Indian children who live in the red ligt district of Calcutta. These children are parented by prostitutes and live in the most horrific conditions. If there was ever any doubt as to why we are adopting from India, that doubt was removed for me, after seeing this film.

Jesus has taught us to rescue the perishing. I believe He meant this spiritually as well as physically. I know there will be challenges that we will face by brining in an "outsider" into our neck of the USA. But, as Joshua said as he was building the wall, "I am doing a good work and I must not come down". Even as we pray to be a blessing to this new child who will enter our family, I know that God will bless us as well.

Friday was a busy day for Keith. He had his passport appointment, picked up the kid's medical reports and we both got fingerprinted. My next visit with the social worker is Tuesday, then Keith will have his. We are still waiting on the birth certificates from Gwinnett County, but we have everything else. Our police clearance letter is getting written tomorrow.

Our program director told us that we were in a good place with our documents. Because the Indian courts shut down for part of the summer, we wouldn 't get a referral anyway. So, we are on track to be ready to receive a referral hopefully by late summer or early fall.

Thank you to all who are reading our blog and giving us support with your prayers. We love hearing from you!

The Docs keep rolling in!

Today I had to go back from a much needed Spring Break! It was very hard to get myself and the children out of bed this morning. However, we got through it and when I got home, I had some very good news waiting for me.

Concering all that we need for our homestudy, we found out that our septic tank was pumped right before we moved in. So,if we can just find the company that pumped it, we will save quite a few dollars. Also, I got the 411 on our rabies vacinations and it looks like we could save money there as well. Finally, all the birth certificates and the marriage license came in today!

KW is also doing his part. He has filled out his passport application. Now all he needs to do is go to the post office and send it off. He also has to go the doctor and we still have to do our FBI and GBI fingerprints. But, we are making progress and that's what counts.

There's going to be an Indian moms get together this Wednesday night and I am looking forward to it. I am anxious to hear from all of these seasoned adoptive moms who can give me a shoulder when I am sure I will need it.

Well, I must go. It's been a long day and it will be a long one tomorrow as well. For the rest of you out there in adoption land, good luck and God's Best!

Wow! Now we are moving!!!

Yesterday and today were busy!!!! I went to the bank and got all the signatures and information I needed, of course all notarized....I also went to my doctor to have my medical exam done. I dropped off the medical forms at M #1 and M #2's pediatrician.

Today we had our first home visit. Charissa walked through our house, talked with us for an hour or so, and made us feel completely at ease. I was a little worried because I had just sent the application on Monday and already we are moving right along with a homestudy. But, it's really the perfect time since I am on Spring Break. I think the visit went well. M 1 and M 2 were well behaved and interacted with her well. My next appointment with her is on Monday, the 21st. Between now and then, here's all we have to do:

Get reference letters finished and submit them
Septic tank inspection
Keith's physical at the doctor
Tax info. for the last 3 years
Pets immunized
Marriage License

It's going to be a lot of "hurry up and wait" but I am still excited about the journey. I would love to hear from any of you out there who are doing the same thing. Please let me know how your journey is going.

Until next time....keep praying for our Indian Angel!

The Journey Begins.....

April 9, 2008

Well, it's official. After much prayer, research, and guidance from the Lord and from our friends and family, Keith and I have decided that we are adopting. This is a process that has been several years in the making and I am grateful to God for seeing us this far. We have decided that India is where we need to adopt from and are looking forward to meeting our Indian Angel!

However, before we can do that, we have mounds of paperwork to wade through. Those of you who have adopted before or who are in the process of adopting understand this perhaps even better than I do. So far, the task is not unsurmountable, but it is big! What I am beginning to understand is that so many people will play a part in this adoption process. I am trying to record everything through pictures and blogging so that one day, our Indian Angel will understand our awesome journey to him/her.

So, here's the timeline so far:

Sunday, April 6th: Completed Hope For Children Application, prayed with Small Group for the adoption journey.
Monday, April 7th: Called Hope For Children to schedule Home Study, mailed application (Post Office worker took our picture), filled out requests for marriage license, birth certficates
Tuesday, April 8th: Mailed requests for marriage license and birth certificates (three different counties and two different states), called Doctor's office for medical examination and paperwork, emailed the bank for letter, had a playdate with M #1's friend and mom, had dinner with my friend Sara and also set up the blog (see, I am trying to have fun in the middle of this, too), got Keith's passport application (I am trying to convince him to fill this out himself...we'll see)
Wednesday, April 9th: Worked on blog, went to the doctor and the bank for forms to be signed and notarized, talked with social worker and set our first appointment for tomorrow.

Keith and I covet your prayers during this awesome time in our lives. We are looking forward to partnering with each of you in prayer as we strive to fulfill God's command to care for the "least of these".

Please feel free to leave comments, prayers and advice. We greatly value your friendship. Keep checking back often....it's going to be a wild ride!