What We Take For Granted: Screening

So, I currently feel as though I fall somewhere between a Criminal and an Adoptive Applicant. Those of us who apply for adoption (internationally) truly do have to dot all of our "i"s and cross all of our "t"s. Each time we complete another step of this journey called adoption, we are reminded not to take our children for granted. We are reminded that there is no value great enough to be placed on the life of a human. For most of us, having a child is simple in so many ways. It's a one-step process (sorry to get so technical).
We had our fingerprints taken yesterday at our local RCMP office. We now have to mail them off to Ottawa to be scanned. OTTAWA!! I never had to call them when we wanted to have Noah or Tait. I never thought I would create some sort of link between CSI and my life!
Next week, we will go to our notary to have a bunch of papers certified. These will include copies of our Life Insurance. Life Insurance? Surely no one looked in our files to see what kind of policy we had before the birth of Noah in 2005.
We made mention of the red tape involved with international adoption to the officer taking our prints yesterday. I find it interesting how even those who have not directly experienced the miracle of adoption, but have helped those seeking to complete it are aware of it's pricelessness. "Oh, it will all be more than worth it when you hold that child in your arms for the first time" Phil (our RCMPer) reminded us.
Don't get me wrong. Though there are days when I just want to be done with this process, I find comfort in knowing that we (as a country and as parents) are not allowing "just anyone" to adopt. This tells me that in our world of processed and pre-packaged, of here-and-now syndrome, and of consumerism, there are some things that cannot simply be grabbed. There are things we cannot just "charge" and wait to find out the total cost on our next credit card statement. There is a value of inexplicable sorts placed on the life of a child...as there should be.
I wonder what our next "i" will be. I look forward to it.
The experience of parenthood and the journey to adoption, it is not a Right. It is not something we earn through good deeds and through being "nice" people. This experience truly is a Privilege.

Food Costs Strain Efforts To Save Starving Ethiopian Children

Ok, so we have all heard about the food shortages and increase in food costs all over the world. This is a situation which is, or will affect us all sooner or later. And, of course those living in Third World Countries especially, are facing serious crisis. Becoming closer and closer to our heart and our life is obviously Ethiopia. Ranked as the 5th poorest country in the world (it was ranked 164 out of 169 countries worldwide, I believe) it's people (read "children"!!) are understanding devastation in a way we never will.

While reading a CNN article about a small Ethiopian Village, "Egu Village" just a few moments ago, I was left with goose bumps:

"Ethiopia's Health Ministry, along with UNICEF, monitors the health of thousands of children [in Egu Village] but the number of areas they have been able to regularly visit has been cut in half this year...

UNICEF estimates that 6 million Ethiopian children under the age of 5 are at risk and that more than 120,000 have only about a month to live..."

So the question remains: What are we doing about it?

Quick Homestudy Update

I have to apologize for my lack of blogs. It's been a crazy month between going away, everyone getting sick, going away again, and of course the adoption!
So, here we are on May 14 and as of yesterday we have completed the second meeting with our social worker. These meetings happen about every 2 weeks for 3 months. It's exciting to know we're getting further and further into the journey but there is much ahead!
Noah keeps asking about his "baby seester" so we're trying to teach him that she lives very far away and it will take quite some time to get her here. It's very sweet watching him relay this to Tait.

Bedtime Prayers

Ben, "What do you want to pray for tonight, Noah?"

Noah, "I want to pray for my baby seester in Epiopia."

Maritime Adventures

Well, here we are in New Brunswick...
We've had a great time so far...playing with cousins, playing with grandparents, enjoying the sun,
and family time.



The boys have been really great.
So good that we didn't realize Tait was quite sick until we took him to a walk-in clinic a couple of days ago. He's quite the trooper - a double ear infection, throat infection, and something bad enough in his lungs that it could (have?) turn into bronchitis or worse. Poor guy is on a nebulizer, a steroid inhaler, and antibiotics. We're hoping he gets better really quickly as we are scheduled to leave on Tuesday evening.
We're looking forward to going home...the comforts of a routine and our own beds. This has been a really fun time though as it's the first time Noah will really remember well, all the things we have done.

How "Imagine Adoption" Got It's Name

On February 14, 2008 Kids Link International (our Ethiopian Facilitator) officially changed it's name to Imagine Adoption. Sue Hayhow, the Executive Director of Imagine explains the reasoning behind this change:

..."International adoption is more than bringing a family and child together. It has a limitless depth to it, which extends globally on multiple levels.

Our core values are pure and life changing for every individual who is touched by the adoption experience...

It all begins with understanding the global need within developing countries – which is where we are moved to action by bringing hope to a needy child, and placing them into a loving Canadian home – thereby bringing ultimate fulfillment to an adoptive parent’s dream. At this point the extended family has a raised level of awareness surrounding the child’s birth country, which provides an opportunity for them to learn more about the “big picture” – and what they can do to address the present global imbalance. Beyond the extended family is the community in which the child will live. We recognize that everyone from neighbors, to elementary school teachers and peers, to local and community services, to provincial bodies, will all influence and be influenced throughout the course of the adopted child’s life.

When you travel to the foreign country to bring your child home, you are ambassadors of Canada – you are bridging the gap between our two countries – which brings the whole process full circle – back to understanding our roles as individuals and families to a world in need."

Great Quotes

I love inspirational quotes. Maybe I get that from my Dad, as he's always got something intelligent and profound to say. Maybe it's that sentimental bone deep down somewhere inside me. Who knows. I stumbled across this one today and it seems fitting as I look ahead to what we have in front of us, and as I think of not only the daily tasks that life throws at us but also just the chaos that "normal" life brings.

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God...

We're Expecting!...

...but I'm not pregnant.

We are embarking upon an incredible journey, to adopt a child. We feel that it is time to complete our family and this is how it will be done.

From where, you ask?
Ethiopia.

Why, you ask?
Well, many people go out to Africa, Asia, or heck they stay here in North America, and serve as missionaries. They feel called to the field of missions. Adoption is sometimes referred to as "Reverse Missions". What a cool term

A site I have visited often (our agency...www.choicesadoption.ca) over the past many months states that, "Nowhere on this planet do more helpless orphans exist, than on the continent of Africa". In a place where 1 in 10 children will die before their 1st Birthday; where 1 in 6 children will die before their 5th Birthday, and in a country where the doctor to children ratio is 1:24,000; we feel led.

We contemplated and researched the prospect of adoption after Noah was born and before we were expecting Tait. The timing wasn't right. The cost scared us a bit. And, I just don't think we would have been ready. What an intricate process it is for us to merely be accepted to begin the adoption process!

I remember the morning I mailed off our Application. I walked into the Post Office, paid for my postage, put the stamp on the sealed envelope and hand almost shaking passed it across the counter to Barb, our postal worker. This in itself was such a huge step (oh - did I mention the big juicy cheque you have to send in JUST to have your application processed? this guarantees nothing, nada...but, bu-bye money).

Since that day, we have started our (very thorough!) physicals...a six page "in and out" of Ben and Ashleigh. They aren't kidding when they want to ensure we are in good health. HIV/Heb B/Mantoux (TB) tests. Criminal Record check. Prior Contact check with the Ministry Of Children and Families. Four letters of Reference. This is just the beginning! Sometime late April or very early May, we will begin what is known as our Homestudy. We'll get up close and personal w/ a Social Worker and over the following 3 months will learn more about ourselves individually, as a couple, and how we function and will function as a family. We will take a 1 day educational seminar. During these 3 months we will learn more about Trans-Racial adoption than we can even fathom at this point in our life. We are so excited!

After our 3 month Homestudy, it will take another 1 month (& more money, gulp!) to prepare our dossier, send it to Ethiopia and have it translated. Then, we will wait another approximately 2-6 months to receive a proposal of our (potential) child. This proposal will include what is known in layman's terms as a "mugshot" of the child. We will also receive as much information on the child's family and personal history/health/(family) background as is known. In countries as poor and poverty stricken as Ethiopia this usually totals 1 page...maybe 2, if we're lucky. We will have 30 days in which we will declare our intent to accept the child (or not, if for some reason alarms go off in our heads). After this we...yes, you guessed it...send off more moola, then wait 3-6 months to travel to Ethiopia (!!) and pick up our child. This last wait time is due to court dates, etc.

Now you are wondering what kind of a choice do we have as far as age, gender, etc goes, right? It's pretty incredible actually. The Facilitator, (Kids Link...this is not our Adoption Agency...which is CHOICES...I know it's complex!) we will work with runs 2 baby and 1 toddler orphanage(s) in Addis Ababa. This is the capitol of Ethiopia. So, there are many children. We will request a child between the age of 0-12months. We will also request a girl.

All in all this process will take anywhere from 9-24mths. Adoptions are anything but predictable time-wise...regardless of whether a family decides to stay domestic or go international.

Well, there it is in a nutshell. We're an open book so please feel free to email any questions or thoughts. If it's in your beliefs to do so, please pray for us. We will continue to update this journal so-to-speak, with much frequency.

Ah, The Energy Of A Child

These guys never seem to be unhappy to either go or to be outside playing. They say that having children is for the young but I think that having children is what keeps us young. Roll On Spring.