Tedious paperwork and activity

 

While we waited, we chased more documents on each list, including several background checks, fingerprints, medical forms, pet vaccinations, family photos, pictures of our home, etc., plus we continued to seek financial aid.

Where did we start with so much to tackle?

First, we contacted the psychologist on staff in the Counseling Department at our church to ask him to conduct our psychological evaluations. Not knowing what to expect, we surprisingly felt quite at ease through the evaluation. He also addressed the specific family history issues that Colombia requested, so everything seemed to go well.

He sent us home with a test, similar to a personality test, to complete separate of each other. It’s one of those tests where you choose the first thing that comes to your mind. Trying to analyze your answers can actually skew the results or will not give an accurate description of your true personality. We both completed them on our own time and returned them to the psychologist to include the results with his report.

Our agency’s guidelines stated to take a specific test, or “one similar” that showed a certain type of result. It looked for any psycho-social issues. Our psychologist went with the similar test because he always used it for these types of purposes, so we didn’t think anything of it. We had no idea how much weight Colombia put on these test results.

I rejoiced every time I crossed a task off one of the many lists. Every accomplishment moved us closer to the day I could bring my children home. This lifelong dream became more of a reality each day. It humbled us to know God chose these two specific children for our family all along.

I wondered often how many ways God intertwined our lives since the day of their birth, preparing us for them and them for us. I journaled daily throughout it all, documenting every step we took, every penny we spent, and every time I thought about them. I wrote their story with passion, the story of God bringing our family together.

When time discouraged me, I tried to live by my new motto of faith. “It's all on God's timetable, and who am I to try to get ahead of His plan?” He knows the day we will travel to Colombia and the exact day they will officially become my children. (I desperately hoped for the spring, by Viviana’s seventh birthday in April, also our tenth anniversary as a husband and wife. What a celebration!)

Despite all the “hurry-up and wait” instances, the tedious paperwork, and the added expenses, I still felt on top of the mountain. Nothing could give me more joy than pursuing this adoption. My children awaited me, and I would do everything necessary to bring them home. It amazed me to actually be in this process after dreaming for so many years. I reflected over many events in our lives and realized how God prepared and equipped us our entire lives for this purpose.

Humbling, to say the least.

 



 Picture found earlier on themadnessco.com