Paperwork!

So now it's time for the hardest part; miles and miles of paperwork!
Our trip to Hope Adoption Services in Abbotsford went well. We enjoyed meeting the staff, many of whom I have spoken to on the phone and communicated with via email for more than a year already. It was so nice to get to know them in person.
Everyone at Hope has a personal connection to the life changing experience of adopting. They are so real about the joys and challenges involved in the process. Steve and I both felt like we became part of an adoption family.
We were there for the Process Plus course, the first of two educational requirements for adoption. It was a one day course and it covered the 3 basic steps in adoption; the home study, the application to another country and the process of immigration to bring your child home. (For us, only the first step is relevant, then we will switch over to the embryo adoption agency and fertility clinic for the remaining process.) We also heard testimony and teaching about the grief and loss associated with adoption; sometimes for adoptive parents who are unable to have children and always for an adoptee who experiences some level of rejection, loss and questions about their identity. We were also given lots of articles on adoption related topics like grief and loss, appropriate adoption language and infertility. I will just say that my eyes have truly been open in areas that I did not expect.
We have couples in our lives who have been unable to conceive or unable to carry a baby to term; both in close relationships and those more distant. I have always felt that I am least able to relate or support them because I have always taken my own fertility for granted. I have been caught up in the dilemma of wondering what to say to people who have a personal struggle in the area of infertility. I have grieved for them in my own way, praying fervently and deeply on many occasions. It never occurred to me to learn about the things that they may be experiencing. I never thought that I could educate myself by reading other peoples stories, by learning about the emotional needs of a couple going through infertility. I only wish that I had done this sooner; though I will never fully understand, I have a new respect and deeper love. I would urge anyone who has friends or family experiencing infertility: read something, be committed to learning as much as you can, and never underestimate the significance that infertility may have in their daily lives! May this be a growing awareness in my life!
Now that we are home again, the mountain of paperwork looms above my head. I have many forms to fill out and checklists to monitor my progress. It is a blessing that the process is clearly laid out and can be completed one step at a time.
The next step for us is to attend the Parenting Plus course February 23-25. In the meantime, I am challenged personally to do everything as unto the Lord! Daily life has so many opportunities to grow as a wife and a mother. I must not get so caught up in adopting that I loose sight of the whole purpose and that is to serve God and my family from day to day.
If it is in your heart to adopt someday, start praying about it now! There are so many things to consider and God is faithful to work out the details!
Blessings!