Our Journey so far.....

A few months ago, the hubs says I think it's time.
Time for what?
Time to pursue Adoption.  Time to pursue the organization Miriam's Heart. Time to get movin.

I have been waiting to hear those words for a long time but I decided about a year ago to wait and not push things.. to wait for the hubs to be ready.. to wait for the right timing. 

Miriam's Heart is a non profit organization that started in a local church nearby.  Check out the website!  Their mission is to support people in the adoption/foster care process and to equip the church to care for the orphans like the Bible talks about.  They also have get-togethers once a month or so with families who have adopted. The hubs works with someone who knows the leaders of the organization, so we gave them a call and within a few days we were drinking 'blue water' with them in their home and asking tons of questions.  3 hours felt like 15 minutes and we knew we had made new friends.  Our new friends told us about the 3 main routes to adoption.  International, Domestic via a private agency and Foster Care/Adoption through the state. 

After taking a week or so to investigate, and from what we learned, we decided Domestic adoption through a private agency was the way to go.  After telling our immediate families on Mothers Day about our ventures, we sent in the initial application and were told we would hear back in a few weeks.

During those few weeks however, another door seemed to blow wide open. We had dismissed Foster care/adoption through the state because we live in a one bedroom apartment and were told we couldn't even apply until we had the extra bedrooms.  However, my heart still leaned that way.  Almost every day at my job I work with the social workers of the state.  Some of my clients children have been put into foster care.  I know their stories, I see their faces when I close my eyes, I hear my husbands story playing in my head.   I told my boss that my initial contact at 1800-NJ-ADOPT was less than pleasant.  She called some connections of hers at the state and within a few days I received two separate phone calls from a state worker saying they wanted to answer my questions. 
All of a sudden, the door was open....  if we wanted to Foster/Adopt a child under the age of 2, we didn't have to have a separate bedroom upon applying.    That contact hooked me up with another contact and within a weeks time we had filled out the application... made a date for fingerprinting... and signed up for our 9 classes!   AND  the initial class we will miss due to vacation, so they are sending the trainer to our house to do the first class so we aren't delayed!   Our Own Personal Class! BOOM!  All hooked up within a weeks time! 

Finally after 3 weeks of sending in the application to the private agency we received a phone call back.  During those 3 weeks, all of the above happened with the state and so we have closed the doors to the private agency. 

Is this process scary?  Sure.  I have heard heart breaking stories from every avenue.   Sometimes things get held up with International adoptions and families have been matched with a child but can't bring them to the states for like 2 years or more or, they never get officially adopted!  Sometimes a birth mother chooses to place her child via a private agency and then changes her mind.   Sometimes children are placed in a home via the state and then their biological parents get their act together (Praise God!) and then children are returned to their biological parents.  All of the above would lead to heart ache for the adoptive parents.... All of the above are 'scary' scenarios for adoptive parents...  Does that mean we don't try?  NO!      We move forward in what we feel called to do and trust that we can get through whatever!  We have each other.. We have God.. We have awesome family.. Whatever heart-ache (the bad kind) and whatever heart-ache (the good kind) -  we will embrace it all.

Monday night we have a meeting with Miram's Heart where they will have representatives from the State, and from private agencies both Domestic and International.  People who are interested in adoption/foster care will be there. We will drink coffee.. meet new friends.. and learn more about it all.  Any New Jersey peeps interested in adoption, come join us!  www.miriamsheart.org

Tuesday night we will meet the first of many state workers.  In our home no less!  aaahh!  Now this guy won't be inspecting things... but for cryin out loud I must get this place spotless!  :) 

Hubs just shared this song with me...... oh my.... definite tears...  this will definitely be our song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooYWCAG3veo

Psalm 27: ¹³ I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.