Dan & Stef's Adoption Journey

Gov’t Approved

stefanieedwards — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:32:00 +0000

When you work towards an adoption you have to be fingerprinted and have the US government check you for clearance and grant you permission to adopt. I sent in my paperwork in the first few days of February and I just found out that I have rec’d my clearance. Dan was cleared a month ago. So now we have the biggest, longest step of the home study completed and we are ready to progress on to the joint in-home interview by our social worker. After that we will be ready to adopt. We covet your prayers for how and where we are supposed to adopt from. That hasn’t been made clear to us yet, and to be honest, since it is such a big decision, it has been something we have put off making for a little while because we are a little nervous about it. However, we are not the least bit nervous about getting a child. Just the opposite, we are so excited about the opportunity. I got to hold our friend’s son the other night and give him his bottle. He’s just six weeks old and super precious and it was such a delight to hold a sweet baby in my arms. Hope it will be me holding my own before long.

The shameful state effecting children

stefanieedwards — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:11:42 +0000

My heart broke reading this story. The more I research the more I hear about the tragic and horrific situations children are forced to endure each and every day. Not only in foriegn countries like we so often think, but right here in an America, in our own state, our own county. Dan and I had to stop attending foster care training classes because we were overwhelmed and underprepared to handle the truth of what is happening to children right here in our county. And the sad thing is, it doesn’t end when they are removed from their parents, abuse and shame follow children into foster families. Thank God he is raising up Chrisitan families in our church and others, to help provide safe homes for children.

If you read the attached link to this blog, do so with prayer. Pray for the children abused and tormented, poverty stricken and afraid. Pray for God’s provision. Pray for the uprising of Christians to reach out and help children. Remember you don’t have to go abroad, you just have to look in your own county and respond to the call to help children. You could be an advocate who speaks up in their defense. Someone who volunteers time or donates funds to help a worthy organization protect kids, etc. Remember God calls us to help the orphans, those so dear to his heart.

http://socialjustice.wrecked.org/?filename=a-sex-slave-at-three-years-old

Another step and good news on the job front

stefanieedwards — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:45:17 +0000

Yesterday Dan met with our social worker and got his personal interview completed for the home study. So yeah…one more step completed. Next up we have to set up a joint interview at our home for her to come question us and review our house to make sure it is suitable for raising a child.

Found out she is waiting to do the recommendation letters to our friends and family until further along in the process, so if you are one of those we have asked to write a recommendation letter for us, know it will be a little while longer before she contacts you.

On another note, Dan was offered another job this morning. If you read the previous post he was offered a job last week with one company. Quit his existing job this week, and this morning was offered a different job to come back to his existing employer. It is a better position than what he was in and has steady hours and income instead of the crazy structure he was on. We are overjoyed and excited. He would rather take the job he was offered this morning than the one he was going to start on Monday. So it all works out. Yeah!

Home Study Underway

stefanieedwards — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:44:46 +0000

Our home study is officially underway and making progress. We are hoping to have everything approved and reviewed by April at the latest. In the meantime we have to make a decision about how we wish to pursue adopting a child. International has come back into the picture with the possibility of Costa Rica becoming available soon. On the other hand we would like the experience of raising an infant and that is not a possibility if we go abroad. So many things to consider and decide. We are praying and hope you will join us as well, in coming to know God’s plan for our journey.

On another note, Dan has been offered a new job that will be able to provide a better schedule more conduceant with raising a family. So yeah! That is one answered prayer we are very happy about.

Our first contribution

stefanieedwards — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:12:54 +0000

I was listening to an old audio recording from Focus on the Family (www.family.org) from 2002 when one of the speakers testified to trusting God to provide the money needed for an adoption in His divine timing as it was needed. The guy telling the story said wouldn’t it be great if I walked out to mailbox and there was check for $50,000 to cover all our costs? Later that day, he goes to the mailbox and finds a check, (dramatic pause here), a check for $2.56. He laughs while saying that was God’s way of telling him to trust God to provide all the needed funds as they were needed.

Then less than 40 minutes later, I received our first donation towards our adoption. I was thrilled and awed at the generosity but also wowed by God’s use of the situation to teach me the same lesson I had just heard about. God will provide we just have to remain faithful to trusting Him.

Please do not dump your baby

stefanieedwards — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:26:52 +0000

I was viewing a photo gallery my sister-in-law Tish posted from her mission trip to South Africa in November and I saw this picture of a sign saying, “Please do not dump your baby.” It then offers info on a safe way to give up your baby. I see signs around my own city for crisis pregnancies and no abortion, etc., but I have never seen something with a message so vivid and bold. It made me think what the environment must be like over there. The word dump alone sends terrors through me thinking of babies being left alone in the middle of no where, left to die.

In talking with an adoption professional I heard a horrible statistic. I thought that more and more orphans were being adopted (which they are) and that was helping the problem worldwide. But he told me only about 10% of these millions and millions of orphans are ever adopted. And the number of orphans is rising due to the numerous issues robbing these children of their parents. It is staggering to think about.

We as a church must rise up and fulfill our command to serve the orphans. They need us. It is not a calling for some and not others, it is a command for all of us to help. You don’t have to adopt, but you do have to help. Maybe you volunteer your time or you donate funds to someone who can adopt, but please do something to help these innocent children in need.

Considering Costa Rica

stefanieedwards — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:30:49 +0000

Since we found out about the adoption program in Costa Rica we have been doing some research on the country (it has a functioning democracy and is a peaceful country) and seriously considering the possibility of adopting a child from there. One thing to keep in mind is that an adoption from Costa Rica results in a toddler to child, not an infant. We would also have the opportunity to adopt a sibling group. That is something that we are both open to. We like the thought that our children would have that connection to each other. There is a Christian agency here in Birmingham that is preparing to be a Costa Rica placement agency, and if all that works out (sounds like it should be soon) we would be delighted to work with them.

Orphanages in Costa Rica are better kept and maintained than in some of the other countries around the world. One of the great things they do through the agency we are considering, is they do counseling with the child to prepare them for their adoption, talking to them about the changes ahead and what to expect. They also offer video conferencing, so once you are matched you start communicating with your child, months before you actually travel to pick them up. This is a great benefit for everyone involved. And of course the children of Costa Rica are beautiful and in great need.

Please keep us in prayer as we consider Costa Rica.

Orphans from Costa Rica

Comparing agency vs. consultant

stefanieedwards — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:49:39 +0000

Yesterday I talked with an adoption agency about a program in Coasta Rica and today I spent an hour on the phone with an adoption consultant out of California for a domestic adoption. Since our goal is to adopt a child of Mexican/South American decent, this area of California is ideal to pull from. Each option has some advantages and disadvantages to consider, but I think we are pulling more for the consultant in California. A consultant acts on your behalf and connects you to a birth mom, guiding you along the way. A agency does the same thing but will take on more clients and have a wider range of services, which can increase the length until a match is made. This consultant only works with up to 30 couples at a time.

So that’s my educational minute on agencies verses consultants. Both are good it’s just a matter of preference.

Napkin Hats

stefanieedwards — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:58:20 +0000

There is no better way to get started on a journey than to visualize the end goal and know what you are striving for. We got to enjoy this experience when we met with Deidre and Brad King for lunch with their adopted daughter Kendall. They were blessed with Kendall over two years ago from Guatemala before the country was closed to US adoptions. How unfortunate because that was our first county of choice. However it was a delight to listen to their story and talk about our anticipations and delights in starting this process.

Throughout lunch Kendall would glance at me with a smile or come around the table to poke me and run but finally she warmed up enough to hop up in my lap and together we wore paper napkins on our head as hats. She thought it was hoot. If it fell off, she graciously supplied me with a new one. So that explains the attached photo. See how cute she is?

Kendall and I wearing paper napkin hats.

Jumping on in

stefanieedwards — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:23:33 +0000

It has been a long time coming, but together Dan and I are finally jumping heart-first into adoption. Yeah! I am so excited (as is Dan) about this journey and the end result…a child. We have spent the past three Sundays involved in talking with others about adoption from all the various aspects and avenues and are thrilled to be meeting such encouraging people to help us along the journey. We are also committed to helping bring the beautiful blessing of adoption to light to our friends and family who are not as familiar with the whole process. So for starters let us say this is our heart-felt desire from God to adopt a child. We don’t feel any sorrow over never conceiving a biological child, but just feel blessed that God has chosen us, to be privileged enough to care for one of his children in need. As we continue to move forward with this process we will do our best to keep you informed and in return we ask for your prayers. A lot of faith and patience is required of us; and anyone who knows me well, knows those aren’t my strongest attributes. But God is so good and has already taught me so much. So as we step out in faith and anticipate the arrival of our child, we ask you to come along and see what amazing things God can do.