While I was out chatting with some new friends last night, Chad was busy sheetrocking the closet in Sierra's new room. What a fun surprise to come home to!What was I up to while Chad slaved away? I was having coffee with some new friends!
One of my lingering concerns in adopting a son from Ethiopia has been our ability or really lack of ability to provide Joshua with other Ethiopian(or even just black) friends and mentors. I find myself counting how many kids walk by my car at our Elementary school that are not white. How does it feel to be a minority in our community? I have NO experience with those feelings. I have always been able to blend-in physically to any crowd I have ever been a part of. I have been praying that God would connect our family to other families that can provide support and reassurance as we raise Joshua.
Last night God began answering that prayer. I was invited to have coffee with 5 other local mom's who have or are in the process of adopting children from Ethiopia. Between us we were able to list several other families with children who were born in Africa. I think the count we came up with was about 10. Now 10 does not sound like many, but it makes my heart happy to know that I will be able to arrange play dates for Joshua and myself with those 10 kidos. I will have other moms to talk to about all the special issues that may come up! We will not be alone, God is already providing support, advice, and direction from real live people in my community. Isn't he amazing?
We had our final home study meeting today. It was really just some follow up on things we have already covered. We discussed more about attachment and bi-racial parenting. Lindsey had a few questions that she wanted clarified about our childhood, finances, and our kids' likes/dislikes, how we are preparing them for Joshua's arrival. Nothing too earth shattering. She is planning to send the home study off to her mom/boss for review, and also to IAN (our adoption agency). Once everyone signs off on it, she will send us the final copy. Then we take that copy to the sec. of state to have it certified, send it along with all the rest of the documents we have gathered for our dossier to IAN, and THEN we are on the waiting list.
I would be thrilled if all that happened before we go on vacation next week, but it is unlikely. It may even be January before everything gets sent off because of our trip, Christmas, and the New Year's holidays. I am a little disappointed at that thought, but I am also OK. I know God has this timing all figured out. Our dossier will get there at the right time to be matched with the right little boy. I am only human and I get impatient sometimes, but I try to remind myself who is in control here. It is most definitely not ME! Here is the verse I and so many other adopting families rest in, "God sets the lonely into families." Psalm 68:6. God and God alone has this all figured out, my job is to trust and wait on him.
