A prayer by Dawn Davenport from The Complete Book on International Adoption

I pray that all children will be loved for who they are, for no reason other than that they are.
I pray that all children will be loved as first best, not second best; that they will be loved with an intensity that can move mountains, because life will present plenty of mountains that will need to be moved.
I pray that all children will have someone who will...
...seek them, and only them, out of the crowd on the stage;
...push them to reach for their goals and discover their unique gifts;
....hold them accountable for their actions with love and dignity;
...advocate for them through this maze called life;
...explain the unexplainable; and
...smile when they walk into the room, just because they did.
Mostly I pray that all children will have someone who knows them well enough and loves them deeply enough to see the divine spar that is unique in them.
I pray that this be the birthright of all children through out the world. And since this birthright can only be fulfilled by parents, I pray that each child, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, finds their parent and each parent finds their child.
Thanks, God.
Amen.

The Paperwork Pregnancy Begins

Yes, sign me up! Now, what do you need from me?

What our Home Study Agency needs from us...

Background Checks for each state where you have resided since the age of 18 years...Ohio (both of us), Mississippi (Danielle), Alabama (Danielle), Illinois (both of us), Tennessee (both of us), California (both of us), Iowa (George), Minnesota (George), Florida (George), Pennsylvania (George). If only all states would agree about one form and process!

Medical Exams...George--scheduled, Danielle--scheduled, Elliot--had it done in past twelve months, Gavin--had it done in past twelve months.

Birth and marriage proof...Certified birth certificates--Danielle and George, certified marriage certificate, Copies of birth certificates--Elliot and Gavin

Questionnaires...Adoption questionnaires, Marriage questionnaires, Autobiographies for George and Danielle

Finances...Tax returns, Personal Financial Review, W-2 statements, Employment letter/verification/income

Insurance...Life insurance policies for George and Danielle, Medical insurance proof

Passports...Copies of passports for George and Danielle

Driver's Licenses...Copies of driver's licenses for George and Danielle

Family photograph--Easy one!!!

Classes scheduled--May 7, May 14, May 21

Interviews with social worker--George, Danielle, as a couple, as a family in our home, home safety review

"All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." Proverbs 14:23

Tracking the Delivery

We have officially submitted our application and contract to International Family Services. After meeting with notary Diane Reese at Morgan Stanley, we sent our packet by Express Mail to Texas. Our first hurdle in what we have been told could be a long journey was tracking the package until it reached the IFS office. Having been sent on Friday, delivery was expected by Monday. The USPS tried to deliver it on Saturday and discovered only a doctor's office. After George made a few phone calls on Monday when the internet tracking said "undeliverable," Patsy at the small post office said she had tried to deliver it, but it appeared to be a doctor's office. Someone in the post office confirmed that it is a doctor's office with suites for other companies as well, IFS being one of them. She apologized and made sure it was delivered on Monday by 3pm. We were officially the first family enrolled in the Moldova program at IFS!

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'"  James 4:14-15