Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Update: Home Study in Progress!

Hellooo,

We have had an exciting few months on the adoption front.  In January we filled out all of our paper work to get the Home Study Started.  In the midst of that, we realized that a document was missing from our placement agency (the one that facilitates the entire adoption).  So I sent an email to our contact at the placement agency...no answer.  And again....no answer.  So I called them.  No answer.  No return call.

Then I received an email from the agency with some shocking news.  Remember how Russia closed its doors to American adoption? (You are thinking, "But you guys are adopting from Azerbaijan!")  Well, the majority of our placement agency's clients were adopting from Russia.  When Russia closed it's doors, our agency lost most of it's income.  The email we received announced that they were closing...as in, no more agency...no more adoption?!!

We didn't panic...but we were certainly concerned.  We prayed and waited on the Lord.

Of course He came through right away.  Within a few days we were in touch with Children's House International.  They have a fairly new Azerbaijan program and were willing to take us on.  Here's the best part:  Our original agency was unable to refund any of our money.  We figured we would have to pay another $3,000 to our new agency to get the process started.  Nope!  Children's House is not getting any money from our old agency, but they are not asking us to pay any of the fees from the beginning of the process!!  We are picking up with them exactly where we left off with the other agency!

We are now preparing our house for the 4 home study interviews which will take place during the month of April.  We will be doing one interview each week.  Three take place in our home and one will be in our Social Worker's office.  After that is over, it will take another month for our social worker to write up the home study and get it approved by our new placement agency.

In the meantime, we are beginning to think about more fundraisers.  A friend of mine and her mom want to do a yard sale at the end of the summer...around August.  Lots of people could chip in stuff you don't need anymore, and all proceeds would go to the adoption fund.

What other fundraisers have you heard of in the past?  Do you have any words of wisdom for us?!

Thanks for the prayers!