TaDa! We've finished our MAPP classes. Woohoo! Last week was our last class. It was a sad and happy event wrapped into one. We have bonded with many of the people in the class, and we will miss being with them every Monday. However, we are happy to move onto the step in our process.
All paper work has been turned in. Shannon has received all of our references, and we are just waiting on our background screening to come back (maybe about another month). Once our backgrounds are cleared and all paperwork is successfully processed, we can set up our home study visits.
There are two visits in the home study. One visit is more intense than the other, but we're excited to get that scheduled. Hopefully by the end of April, that will be set. We are praying to have the home study visits scheduled for the month of May. Once the home study is approved, we will begin the matching process (which can be a many month process).
The reality of meeting our child/children is growing closer and closer. As the days tick by, our prayers become more intense and fervent. As we think we could not pray any harder for our children, the next day, we find a new sense of longing and urgency to pray for these children.
Some of our specific prayers for our child/children:
- For their salvation (if they have not met the Lord yet).
- For healing emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
- Bonding within our family unit and also our extended family.
- Their current foster family that the family would be nurturing and caring. Helping them prepare for a transition into our family.
- Their case worker. For wisdom, guidance, and understanding as they make decisions in the best interest of the child/children.
- Our Adoption Specialist. For wisdom and knowledge on how to best handle our case.
- Education. For their current and future teachers so they have the patience and wisdom to teach and guide their minds and hearts.
- For us as parents. That we would have the understanding to parent the child/children to recognize their unique needs and wisely nurture them in God's love.
This weekend Mallory took some girls from the youth group to see the movie October Baby. This movie was wonderful but heavy. While it deals with abortion it also address the adoption story and all the emotions wrapped up in it. We recommend this movie, but you need to prepare yourself for it. Bring your tissues! We boycotted the Hunger Games opening weekend and purposefully chose to patronize a Christian movie. While we're not opposed to the Hunger Games, we wanted to show our support for movies that seek to edify the body of Christ and help the hurting. There was a line at the end of the movie that was especially moving. This line almost made me (Mallory) lose all control. As tears were rolling down many cheeks, the main character, Hannah, turns around to her adoptive father and runs to his arms and says, "Thank you for WANTING me!" Wow! How powerful. Children want to be wanted, and there are many out there that feel unwanted.
Now, we Wait, Pray, and Want.
October Baby Movie Trailer
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Disruptions, Dissolutions, and Adoption Panel
We're coming to the end of our 10 weeks of MAPP class! 2 more classes left! We've successfully turned in ALL of our paper work, printed our adoption scrapbook, and passed our physicals! Last week in class, we worked through the dark side of adoptions....disruptions and dissolutions. It is a reality that there are people who go through all the work, paper work, and red tape to get a child, and then GIVE THEM BACK! While it's sounds so unthinkable, there are MANY potential adoptive parents that give up when the going gets tough. Disruptions occur when potential adoptive parents decide to have the child move out before the adoption is finalized. We can't help but put ourselves in the shoes of that child...the rejection, hurt, unworthiness, and anger they must feel. Our heart can't help but to break. Dissolutions occur when a child is returned to foster care after the adoption has been finalized. WOW! Imagine taking someone's name and being officially a part of their family, and then, they reject you. Children from the foster care system are looking for the same unconditional love, support, and acceptance that any child desires. However, they experienced more hurt, rejection, and loss than the average child.
In tonight's panel class, we heard from post-adoptive families and children along with other workers within the foster care system. There were two special children that spoke and shared their experiences. Lilly and Jalen were both teenagers that have lived basically their entire life in care. They've experienced many foster families and unfortunately a disruption or two. Their main plea to us was, "PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP ON US." We will test you. We will try you. We will drive you to the brink. But it's only to know if you truly love us. The adults in our life have not proven faithful, and we need to know if you are different than "the rest of them." So please love us.
We gained a wealth of information from tonight's panel. We're feeling like we're forming a better understanding of what we're getting ourselves into. We'll never be fully prepared for this adventure, but that's why its an adventure. Something new is always around the corner.
Another step was achieved in tonight's class. We were assigned to our Family Adoption Specialist, Shannon. She will be guiding us through this process and our primary liaison in the match process. We would appreciate your prayers for her specifically as she handles our case and considers potential matches for our little family.
Lastly, we'd like to share with you one video from our class. It's a "Story of Aging Out." This is a man who grew up in foster care and NEVER was adopted. He aged out of the system. Praise the Lord...he became successful. However, he still cares the scares of his childhood. His statement at the end pulls at our heart strings. "Who wouldn't be proud now to call me their son."
Our heart is already given to these future children who we haven't even met yet. We've given our hear to adoption. It's our prayer that more christian families will answer the call and make room in their heart for a child.
Thank you for all of your continued support, love, prayers, and encouragement. We still covet your prayers.
In tonight's panel class, we heard from post-adoptive families and children along with other workers within the foster care system. There were two special children that spoke and shared their experiences. Lilly and Jalen were both teenagers that have lived basically their entire life in care. They've experienced many foster families and unfortunately a disruption or two. Their main plea to us was, "PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP ON US." We will test you. We will try you. We will drive you to the brink. But it's only to know if you truly love us. The adults in our life have not proven faithful, and we need to know if you are different than "the rest of them." So please love us.
We gained a wealth of information from tonight's panel. We're feeling like we're forming a better understanding of what we're getting ourselves into. We'll never be fully prepared for this adventure, but that's why its an adventure. Something new is always around the corner.
Another step was achieved in tonight's class. We were assigned to our Family Adoption Specialist, Shannon. She will be guiding us through this process and our primary liaison in the match process. We would appreciate your prayers for her specifically as she handles our case and considers potential matches for our little family.
Lastly, we'd like to share with you one video from our class. It's a "Story of Aging Out." This is a man who grew up in foster care and NEVER was adopted. He aged out of the system. Praise the Lord...he became successful. However, he still cares the scares of his childhood. His statement at the end pulls at our heart strings. "Who wouldn't be proud now to call me their son."
Our heart is already given to these future children who we haven't even met yet. We've given our hear to adoption. It's our prayer that more christian families will answer the call and make room in their heart for a child.
Thank you for all of your continued support, love, prayers, and encouragement. We still covet your prayers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)