From Russia With Love

I've been told that when you're in the process of adopting, things can either move so slowly you might as well be watching paint dry, or so fast you might get whiplash.  The latter happened to us last week.

After waiting since April of this year with an approved home study and absolutely no movement, we began to get frustrated and discouraged.  On Monday, I met a man at our Rotary Club meeting who had been conversing with my dad (also a Rotary Club member) at their table, and he mentioned that he and his wife had adopted two children from an agency in the Chicago area.  He gushed about this agency and how great their kids are.  He gave me the name of his agency and his business card and I thanked him for the suggestion - never really putting much hope in now trying to connect to an additional agency and having anything come of it.

The next day, Tuesday, I thought I'd take a chance and email the person at the agency who was in charge of domestic adoptions - as we currently only have an approved domestic home study.  First thing Wednesday morning I had an email in my inbox from the founder of the agency asking me to call - she had options!  Immediately I picked up the phone and began the most encouraging conversation I've had in this entire process.  She was amazing.  And then she suggested something I never would have anticipated.  Would we consider an international adoption?  And would we be open to adopting a child who is HIV+?

Quite honestly we had sort of put away the idea of adopting internationally because of the tremendous cost - more than double what we were planning to pay for a domestic adoption with our agency in town.  The thought of an international adoption had never really re-entered our minds. As we continued to talk, she told me about a little girl in Russia, desperately in need of a loving, accepting home.  I don't think I'll ever be able to explain the overwhelming feeling I had in that moment. In that moment we felt only pure love and concern for this little girl, thousands of miles away, waiting for her parents.  In a true out-of-body moment I heard myself say to the social worker, "I would have to check with my husband, but yes, I think we would definitely be interested!"  We would?!  Holy CRAP!  We agreed that I would check with my husband about this new surprise, and get back in touch.  In the meantime she would contact the placing agency and get more details and possibly some pictures.

Well, I called my husband.  He didn't even hesitate.  It was like, of course we would consider it - how could we not?!  (My husband is awesome - by the way.  I'll admit I have some pretty outlandish ideas every once in a while - but this was a doozy.  He didn't even flinch.  Ah-mazing.)  The more we talked about it, the more the Spirit seemed to move in both of us, and the more we felt like we were being called to this little girl - that she was for us, and we were for her.

On Friday the placing agency sent us some pictures.  Is it strange that someone half a world away can look just like you?  She does.  She looks just like me.

Now is the hard part.  The part of finding the financial and logistical pathways to bringing her home.  I know that not everyone can help in a financial way, so I will put our financial outline in another post.  But everyone can PRAY.  If, however, you are able to help support us, we invite you to check out this post and, as you are able and feel led to do so, you can contribute to our From Russia With Love fund.  One hundred percent of the funds raised will go directly to our expenses, which we anticipate to be more than $46,000.

We are more excited than ever that this little girl has been placed in our path and in our hearts.  We will be posting more when there is more to say, so stay tuned!  And thanks, as always, for joining us as we travel this jamaa journey!