Most adoptive families agree: the wait can be one of the hardest parts of the adoption process. It can be agonizing to not have a "due date" and often wonder if you'll still be waiting days, weeks, or even years from now. If you've found yourself in the wait and it's stretching for much longer than you anticipated, here's a few practical steps you can take:
Position yourself to be ready
Did you know in the United States, it's estimated that 1 in 3 couples talk about adoption, but only 2% of those actually adopt? So many families are open to adopting, but so few take the necessary steps. I've talked to a lot of families who say they want to adopt, but aren't actually moving forward with the adoption process. Some of the first steps to welcoming a child into your home through adoption is obtaining a home study and having the finances available. Finding a quality home study provider in your area, filling out the paperwork, and going through the medical and background screening is necessary to adopt. After completing the home study, take the time during the wait to continue to finance your adoption. Apply for grants available, fundraise, and save any extra dollars you can. That way, your home and your finances will be ready when you match.
Work with the right adoption professionals
Traditionally, when a family decided to adopt they would find a local agency, complete a home study, and wait to be matched an expectant mother working with the same agency. Today, the possibilities to connect with other agencies, attorneys, and ultimately expectant families are available across the country. Now you care hire an Adoption Consultant that will not only help "connect the dots" between hopeful adoptive families and reputable agencies and attorneys working with expectant families, but is also someone who can offer education, support, resources, and guidance. Having a personal guide through your adoption journey to steer you away from pitfalls, connect you to reputable agencies and attorneys, and help with practical steps can be an indispensable resource.
One warning: it's important in the adoption process not to sacrifice ethics for speed. Some adoption professionals promise a quick match but it could be at the cost of ensuring everyone in the adoption triad, particularly the expectant/birth family has the support needed both during the pregnancy and long after they have placed their child. Make sure you ask the right questions to find the right fit for you.
Create a quality profile
Most often in domestic adoption, an expectant or birth family chooses an adoptive family after reviewing profiles: a book that gives them insight into who you are, what your family is like, what you enjoy, and your hopes and dreams for your family and children. The measure of a good profile is not the design and layout or the quality pictures used (although those are important features). A great profile will be one that authentically tells your story: who you are and what you value. It allows the expectant/birth family to clearly envision what it would look like if you raised their child and welcomed them into your home. Having an adoption professional help to put your story on paper can be invaluable since it's such a critical element to the adoption process.
Say "yes"
I work with a lot of families who have gone through the steps of hiring a consultant, completing the home study, and created a great home study, but then feel "stuck" actually agreeing to present to situations. With so many unknowns in the adoption process, it's complex reviewing details about an expectant mother and deciding to move forward or not. But I've found that families who are most at peace in the adoption process decide to walk through every door God opens for them and pray he slams it shut if it's not his will. They keep saying "yes" and wait on God. And most of them say "yes" over and over and over before they are chosen by an expectant family. As scary as it can be to put yourself out on the line, you'll only be chosen if you take a leap of faith, risk your heart, and choose to be vulnerable.
Rest in God's timing for your family
Maybe you've read through this list and you've already checked all the boxes. Home study and bank account ready, beautiful profile that depicts your story, and working with adoption professionals you trust, but you're still waiting. We know that ultimately, it's not a home study, the right agency, or the perfect profile that determines your adoption: God does. This is probably the most important step, but often overlooked and definitely the hardest to do. Because this step isn't about doing: checking a box or making the calls. Resting in God, finding peace in the wait, and trusting His timing is by far the hardest step, but can be one of the most rewarding and fruitful parts of your adoption journey.
If you're in the wait, you can rest in this truth: you can't mess up or miss out on God's plan for your growing family. In the end, He is sovereign over the adoption process, and you can trust His perfect timing for your family.
Last week I was at a party and a friend introduced me. "This is Susan. She's married to Jamy and they have the most perfect family." I smiled and shook hands, but inwardly I had a million thoughts swirling in my head. It would have been awkward, but had I been honest in those moments, I would have corrected her. "Hi, I'm Susan. Actually our family has been through a lot - hell actually. Lovely to meet you!" The crazy thing is I think most of us have assumptions about others: the pristine lives we see on social media or sitting in a pew at church. And the reality is we could all probably introduce ourselves in a similar way: Hello, I'm Susan. I'm a hot mess most days. You? I wrote this blog two years ago and thought I would share again. Sometimes you need to dispel the myth of perfection. Other times you need to let others know they're not alone. And as a parent, we all need encouragement that we're not ruining our kids; more importantly, that our job isn't to save them. Our family, specifically our marriage, has been through a hot mess. And it's had tremendous impact on our children; they've lost a lot. But today, even years after beginning to process this, I can honestly say that God has been faithful. Not just to Jamy and I, but to Isabelle and Jackson.
It's been awhile since I've shared a more personal post here. Much of it has to do with so many beautiful adoption stories to share of my adoptive families. And if I'm honest, some of it is because it's hard to put into words what's been happening in our family. And hard to put in such a public space. But I've learned these last few years that transparency has been freeing and healing for our family and for my heart. And if I boil it down, the real goal of this blog is to tell stories of God's goodness, for adoptive families and my own.
It's no secret our family has been through a lot. Just click on the marriage tab on the blog and you'll get a glimpse into our story. One of the hardest things about going through a crisis as a family is watching our kids lose some of their childhood. They've had to deal with hard things, lost some innocence, had to deal with loss, and experienced things no one would choose for their children.
The conversations we've had to have with them are hard enough to have with adult or even teenage children. But having them in grade school has been challenging. We've begged God for wisdom, and received godly counsel. We've fumbled through hundreds of questions that make you catch your breath and say a quick prayer asking for divine insight and direction before answering. And shepherding little hearts when you have a broken heart yourself is hard and exhausting.
As a mother, if I'm honest, it's been heartbreaking. Jamy and I have recently been grieving the loss of some of our kid's childhood in the midst of all of this. It's easy to think we've failed as parents. That our sin and brokenness has ruined them for life.
But this is not the whole story. This hasn't been all that's included in loss.
My kids are learning and experiencing the gospel in real and personal ways. When we talk about God's redemptive power, we note ways he has redeemed our family. When we talk about how God is our refuge, we can list ways we've run to him and ways he's cared for us. When we talk about miracles, we can point to amazing events in our family.
Gathered around the dinner table, we can talk and laugh and remember all of the ways God has cared for us. Huddled over them tucked in their beds we can whisper the promises again that He's given us. Crying on the couch we can cry out to God together asking Him to continue to be near.
Just last weekend for Father's Day, Jamy sat the family down and acknowledged the reality that this side of Heaven, all celebrations are tinged with some sort of grief. We talked about our past year and he gave us all gifts; leather cords to remind us how strong our family can be together with God's help (A cord of three stands is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12). We've learned that a good father points to an even better one. That our parenting isn't amazing because of what we do, but directs them to their desperate need for a Savior.
We've been knit together as a family. Going though hard things together has bonded us in incredible ways. Our kids come to us with questions, knowing they can ask anything and we'll always have an honest (and age-appropriate) answer. We often talk about fears and faith. We talk through hard things. And they are learning that we are a team; always working together for the good of our family.
My prayer is that when they look back at this season in their young lives, they can pinpoint the space when their faith became their own, they experienced Jesus in a real and personal way, and they grew to understand the gospel more fully. And looking back over these last several years and thinking about what I really want for my children, I realize my deepest desires are actually being met. Both Isabelle and Jackson came to trust Jesus during this time.
Would I have ever chosen this for my kids? Never. Was it God's plan for sin and brokenness to rock our family? I don't think so. But in his sovereignty, he has worked it all for our good and His glory, even for Isabelle and Jackson.
Maybe your story is a bit like ours. Your family has experienced some kind of loss and walked through things you would have never chosen if you could have written it yourself. When I think of the times of the deepest change in my life, when I learned to trust Jesus even more, it's aways during seasons of suffering and hardship. At the end of the day, I can rest in the truth that God has been sovereign over our suffering; even our kid's.
So my kids have lost some of their childhood. But they've gained a personal and deep knowledge of a God who loves them. A Rescuer who saves them. A Redeemer who restores them. A Heavenly Father who never leaves them.
I heard this song for the first time over the weekend and knew I wanted to share it. Then I heard the story behind it and knew I wanted to share. Kelly beautifully captures the heart of hopeful parents and wrote a song based on Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel. I love how it speaks to God's faithfulness for families in the wait.
Infertility.
Multiple miscarriages.
Failed adoption plans.
We grow up thinking that those words will never be part of our narrative or our friends’ narratives, that we’ll never suffer the agony of longing for a child that still hasn’t come, but all too many sit in the harrowing, ugly, silent pain of that desolate darkness.
Maybe you're one of those precious souls sitting in that darkness.
No tiny onesies to buy, no bonding during late-night feedings, no abundance of baby snuggles — none of the joys of parenting are currently part of your story. Instead, there’s soul-crushing silence.
And while that deafening silence swirls around you like a constant storm that won’t let up, you may be feeling like there’s an even greater silence from God.
No sounds of baby coos or the pitter-patter of little feet running down the hallway; no heartwarming calls for “mama” or “dada”; no “I love you’s” as you breathe in the scent of freshly shampooed hair from the little one who is curled up in your lap before bedtime.
Just. Silence.
The kind of sorrow that sneaks up on you in the dark as you try to fall asleep. The kind of sorrow that makes its way inside of your chest and quickly builds until it rises to take residence as a lump in your throat… Which eventually gives way to your devastating grief manifesting itself through heavy tears, guttural cries, and convulsive gasps that leave you breathless.
You’ve prayed, begged, and pleaded with God, and yet there’s waiting, waiting, and more waiting. Three months, six months, a year, two years, five years… The longer you wait, the more hopeless you feel, and the wait has induced a type of gut-wrenching sorrow that you never knew existed until now.
As you bring your knees to your chest and hug them tightly, you wonder how this will ever change.
It’s scary to hope. It requires trust. It requires faith – faith that things will get better, even though we don’t know when or how.
As the tears soak your neckline and the grief mercilessly sucks the air out of your lungs, you wonder how much more of this you can endure. “Where is God in all of this? If He’s the Giver of good gifts, why am I drowning in a sea of sorrow? Am I doing something wrong?...”
As you question your circumstances, your life, and maybe even your faith, you wonder if it’s worth it to keep persevering in prayer. You hear people telling you that you need to hold onto hope, but you know all too well now that ‘hope’ is often a four-letter word.
While I’ve never experienced this particular sorrow myself, I’ve witnessed it closely firsthand, and have had the honor of walking beside two of my dearest friends through each step of this arduous journey. After years of waiting, they finally have their beautiful bundle of joy, but the hardship that they endured to get there was heart-rending.
It forces us to break down the walls around our hearts – the ones that we’ve carefully and strategically built in order to protect ourselves from the pain. You know that if you choose hope as you continue to fight this draining infertility battle, you’ll have to continue to face the harsh reality of grief head-on, and that feels like too much to bear.
It’s overwhelming, exhausting, and terrifying, and my heart breaks for you.
After witnessing the immense pain that came from loss after loss; the deep sorrow, anguish, and unimaginable grief; the difficult conversations they had with God and with each other; the words from their hand-written letters to their future little one whom they hoped they would meet someday; the days filled with hope and the days filled with mind-numbing devastation…
The song is called “For This Child I Prayed,” and was also inspired by Hannah’s prayer of gratitude after struggling through years of infertility. After years of waiting, she finally received her precious baby boy, Samuel, and dedicated him to the Lord.
And then finally being able to celebrate the impending arrival of their sweet baby girl, a song was placed on my heart.
It’s a song that chronicles their suffering and loss, their longing and angst, their confusion and hope, their sorrow and faith, their prayers and pleas, and ultimately, their indescribable joy. It’s meant to capture the heartache of the valley, as well as a type of mountaintop joy that can only be born out of the depths of great sorrow.
While a six-minute song could never fully capture the highs and lows of walking through infertility, I hope that this song still resonates in your heart if you’ve been on (or are currently on) that same journey.
After holding her beloved son for the first time, she went to the tabernacle, offered a sacrifice of gratitude to the Lord, and proclaimed, “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me what I have asked of Him.” (1 Samuel 1:27)
I know so many couples and families who have been affected by infertility, and if you’re one of them, my prayer is that this song will bring much-needed hope. If you’re courageously fighting this battle, I pray that you feel acknowledged, heard, and understood after listening to it.
If you've been trying to start a family, and are still waiting, this song is for you.
If you’ve been trying to expand your family, and are still waiting, this song is for you.
If you have gone through this journey, and are now on the other side of it, this song is for you.
If you’ve been trying for a long time, and are in the deepest part of the valley and wonder if your prayers will ever be answered, this song is for you.
If you’ve never gone through this journey, but are hurting for someone you love who IS going through it, this song is for you.
If you’re just starting out on this journey, and are at the beginning stages of fertility treatments or adoption plans, this song is for you.
If you’re nearing the end of this journey, and your answered prayer is going to arrive any day now, this song is for you.
If you’ve suffered a miscarriage or multiple miscarriages, and are grieving the loss of those angels as you bravely keep fighting this battle, this song is for you.
If you feel like no one understands what you’re going through, and it’s hard to describe the depths of your pain, this song is for you.
If you haven’t told anyone about this harrowing journey, and you and your spouse are living with this secret pain, this song is for you.
If your heart is grieving due to adoption plans that suddenly fell apart, this song is for you.
If it’s too hard to go to the baby shower, the birthday party, or the church service, and you can’t bring yourself to even get out of bed on those days, this song is for you.
If you’ve suffered heartache due to unsuccessful IVF treatments, and are grieving the loss of those angels as you bravely keep soldiering on, this song is for you.
If you go to a baby shower, a 1-year-old’s birthday party, or a Mother’s Day or Father’s Day church service with a smile on your face, but sob alone in your car on the way home, this song is for you.
The Lord is on your side, sweet friend. Even if you’re at the point where you can’t stomach the word “hope,” the Lord is still fighting for you. If you have a mama heart or a daddy heart, and are struggling to cling to hope when it seems as though everyone around you has had their desires fulfilled, and you haven’t… This song is for you. Hold on, dear one. Miracles are possible. When you allow yourself to grieve while simultaneously clinging to hope, even if your grip is slipping and you’re barely hanging on, the fear will eventually start to crumble and light will break through the cracks. When you feel alone in your mourning or you feel like giving up, remember that there is One who hears, who understands, who comforts. My dear friend, when you weep, Jesus weeps with you. You can lay your broken dreams, your grief, your pain at His feet. Keep persevering. Keep praying. Keep trying. You won’t be in this place forever. I don’t know how or when your precious one will arrive, but I do know this – GOD WILL NOT LEAVE YOU HERE. He can do more than you could ever think to ask or imagine. You are loved. You are treasured. You are held by the Father. While I can’t claim to understand God’s timing and why some couples have to wait longer than others, I do know that there’s purpose in the pain, and that you are not alone. Give Him your sadness, your anger, your confusion, your tears. He is waiting to embrace you, to mourn with you, to comfort you. And while I’ve witnessed the depths of despair that infertility brings, I’ve also witnessed the height of the mountaintop joy that can come from that sorrow, and I am praying that soon you will experience that glorious mountaintop. Even when your grief smothers the words that you desperately want to pray, and you bring nothing but tears before Him, know that those tears are not in vain. Those cries are ushered into heaven as precious prayers and broken hallelujahs, and the Holy Spirit is interceding on your behalf when all you can offer is a collection of teardrops in the palms of your hands. Not only does Jesus grieve with you, but I do too. While I can’t say that I know the exact pain of infertility, I’ve witnessed it so closely in the lives of many who are precious to me, that I’ve almost felt as though I was going through it too. Whether you’re praying for finalized adoption plans or a long-awaited pregnancy, there is hope, dear friend. There is always hope. I am hoping with you and for you, along with so many others. May we cling to this hope together, as we anticipate the joy that is to come. “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning… And let us hold unswervingly to the hope that we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” – Psalm 30:5b, Hebrews 10:23
Kelly O’Roark is freelance marketer, song writer, and musician from Louisville, Kentucky, and is a graduate of the State University of New York at Geneseo. She’s been playing the piano since the age of 10, and started writing lyrics and composing music at the age of 17. While she creates music as a hobby, she uses it as a ministry to bring hope, love, and encouragement to others in various seasons of life.
She also has a passion for creative writing, and hopes to start a blog someday where she can share her faith and life experiences through both music and writing. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and is excited about her new, upcoming role as a first-time aunt!
Rob and Sarah have an incredible story to tell of how their sweet daughter joined their family. An unexpected phone call, a stay on an island, and finding God's faithfulness in every twist and turn...
Ya'll, I almost said "no" to this new adventure. Actually, I almost said "heck, no!" How could I, a hearing person in a hearing family, in a hearing community, adopt a (potentially) deaf newborn. I didn't think I could and I didn't think I wanted to. I didn't know how to raise a deaf child. I wasn't familiar with the challenges or the needs and I didn't know ASL (American Sign Language). My husband was much quicker then I was to say "yes." He was ready to jump in. It took me a little bit of time to settle into the thought of it all but, I'm really glad I did. I'm glad WE did. In October of 2017 our little Lucy, our profoundly deaf little love, joined our family and now we can't imagine our life without her.
I want to tell you all our story. The story of how Lucy came to join our family. Adoption is such an amazing, crazy, scary, wild ride. Our story is not like someone else's story, it's only ours. One thing that I try to caution people who are considering adoption against is comparison. You're going to read adoption story after adoption story and you're going to want to build a narrative in your head about how it's going to go for you or about how hard or easy it might be or what it's going to be like when you first meet your new little baby... don't do it. You will likely be wrong and get discouraged along the way. The way our story played out was NOTHING like how I imagined it would go. Nothing.
We had decided to officially pursue adoption after talking about it for years, in September of 2016. We began our home study and spent the next several months filling out paperwork, getting background checks, having meetings, and finally being approved to adopt by the state of Virginia in March of 2017. We hadn't planned on it taking so long to finish the home study but, we hit a few bumps in the road along the way that made the process longer.
In the meantime, we were coming up with ways to save extra money and fundraise. We sent our letters to our family and friends. We sold chocolate. We held a big silent auction (with a lot of help from friends, family and our community). People supported us in a big way and we are forever grateful! Words can't express what it's like to know that you know that you NEED to do this thing, you need to adopt, but you look at the cost and you look at your bank account and... nope. But God had a plan. He knew what we needed and He spoke to the hearts of so many who gave time, money, prayers and encouragement to us over and over again. We were so blessed.
Summer came and we were still fundraising. We had joined Christian Adoption Consultants (Look them up; such a great concept!) after our home study was complete and I was definitely glad to have someone to counsel me during the many crazy moments. After our home study was complete, I still didn't feel the peace to move forward with filling out applications to agencies. In my mind, I wanted to have more money in the bank before we got on any waiting lists. I knew that if we got chosen by an expectant mother we didn't have the funds yet. If I'm honest, I definitely had times of frustration thinking that it was going to take forever for us to ever get to a place where were had the money and we chosen to adopt. We tried to stay cool and keep trusting God, but we had our moments for sure. Along came mid-July and everything changed.
A friend called who had a relative who was pregnant and wanted to make an adoption plan for her baby. She asked if she could give her our information and show her our family profile book. Of course, my emotions went haywire and we were both getting excited! She then asked if we'd be willing to consider adopting a baby who might be born deaf, because the mother was deaf and it was genetic. Wait, what? "Um, I don't think I can do that." was my response. We had considered and prepared for adoptions that might include substance exposure or other skin colors but, deafness? This wasn't something we had thought about and I wasn't ready to say "yes." My excitement level dropped and I told her we'd talk and pray about it.
Rob and I talked about it for days and we sort of brought it up casually to our son, as well, just to gauge his reactions. We started thinking about having to learn ASL and what having a deaf child would mean for our family. We really didn't know much about what might be in store for us but, we knew that there was a woman who was going to have a baby in just 2.5 months and we needed to decide if we were willing to jump into this situation or if we needed to walk away. Well, I think you know what we decided to do. I shot my friend a text and gave her the green light to show our profile book to the mother-to-be and then we waited. Oh my goodness, waiting is hard! You wonder what she's thinking. You wonder what you're thinking. Your emotions are all over the place.
On August 3rd we first made contact with Lucy's expectant mom over Facebook messenger and soon after that we spoke on the phone through an interpreter. She told us she needed several weeks to explore her options. So, the waiting continued but of course the choices that lay before a pregnant mother making an adoption plan are hard choices! They are choosing a family to raise their precious child and you can't rush that. My heart was eager to know but it also broke for her. While we waited we were in the middle of the final preparations and then hosting our silent auction, which ended up raising around $4k! It was a ton of work and so many people donated their time and goods to make it happen. It still blows my mind to think about. After that was all over, we still hadn't heard anything so I decided to go to IKEA to buy a crib in faith that, one way or another, we would eventually adopt. I drove the three hours with my son to IKEA only to find out that the crib I wanted was out of stock! Talk about bummed. Was it a sign? After wandering around a bit and buying a few little things (does anyone go into IKEA without buying anything?!) we left, slightly defeated. I got to the car and got us loaded up and I pulled out my phone. I had missed a text from the expectant mom. My heart started to race. I opened the text... "I have decided to choose you to adopt my baby." I read it and re-read it 50 times. She chose us! I called Rob, all shaky from excitement. "You're going to be a dad again!" We couldn't believe it was happening.
By then it was early September and the baby was due in just a few weeks. We only had a month to get ready for the trip. The mother lived in Hawaii and we had a lot to prepare for: arranging flights, preparing our home to be gone until we were granted permission to travel home with the baby, and of course, preparing for a little one. During that time I began building a relationship with the expectant mom and started texting her more frequently. We chatted about random stuff; birth stuff, names for the baby, our feelings, her feelings, favorite foods, and more. We were trying to get to know each other as much as we could before the birth. I knew it was to be honest with her during this waiting time; she was placing such a huge amount of trust in our family and we wanted to honor that and show her all of the respect she deserved. We discovered we shared a deep love for chocolate and peanut butter and joked that surely this meant everything was going to be fine!
In was late at night on October 4th she texted me. "We're going to induce labor on Saturday morning." Saturday was just four days away - it was "go" time! We bought our plane tickets the next morning for Honolulu and stayed up and we stayed up all night long packing, cleaning, and preparing for the 15+ hour journey to the island. After just 20 minutes of sleep, were were on our way! Getting there was so surreal. We couldn't believe we were on a beautiful island and that when we left we'd be a family of four.
The next day met the expectant mom and grandmother at a botanical gardens. We were nervous because they are both Deaf and we only knew a little bit of ASL. How would we have conversations? Would they like us? What if they didn't? I'm sure they were just as nervous as we were. We hugged in the parking lot and instantly loved them. I know that's not always the case with birth and adoptive families but it was true for us. We did our best to communicate and, for a first meeting, it went amazingly well. They were so incredibly welcoming and loving toward us and I was really blown away by all of it. By the end of our time we all expressed excitement for the next day's events (birth day!).
Birth day came and they induced expectant mom at 8am. We waited all day around the hospital and around town. No birth. We eventually went home and they said they'd call us when the baby came. We were feeling so tired from the time difference and we needed some sleep. I slept restlessly and didn't feel very well. I kept checking my phone. Morning came and we finally got a text that the baby had been born at 9:07am. She was beautiful and momma was doing great, but tired. It was very exciting! What wasn't exciting was that Will and I had come down with influenza overnight (probably from the plane/airports) and so it was too dangerous for us to go see them. I can't even begin to express how disappointing it was for us that I was unable to go to the hospital and love on Lucy and her birth mother. I was devastated. It was horrible. Our son, Will and I both were running high fevers, couldn't eat and were just miserable. Thankfully, Rob stayed healthy and was able to go and visit with them and then bring home Lucy the next day. We didn't want either of them to get sick, as the flu is so dangerous for infants, so we rented the apartment below the house we were staying in for the two of them to stay in for the next week to give us time to be fever free and better. What an amazing blessing it was that the apartment was open that week for us! Every other week was booked but, God knew we would need it. Once we were a bit better Rob would bring Lucy up to our deck and we would sit outside with them without too much risk. At the end of the week our fevers were finally gone and we were feeling much better. I sanitized the whole house and Rob and Lucy moved back in. It was so amazing to finally be together, though I mourned the fact that I had just missed the first week of her life. Rob did an amazing job caring for her though and I'm forever grateful that he was able to!
The unexpected sickness wasn't the only wrench in our plans. We ran into paperwork issues that turned the typical two weeks to wait out approval to head home into six! It was beyond frustrating (and expensive!). But we made the best of it (I mean, who gets six weeks of vacation in Hawaii?!) We were able to enjoy the beach and see the sights. We drove around the island checking out the North Shore, Honolulu, a coffee plantation, cute little towns, beautiful beaches, a huge mall, and botanical gardens. Multiple times per week we had dates with Lucy's birth mom and her mother. We so enjoyed our time with them and our ASL slowly improved. Since we weren't sure when we'd be allowed to leave so we soaked up every minute. That time with them was such a gift.
Back home our parents and siblings and friends were all constantly wondering when we would return and sometimes I think they were more frustrated than we were. I think we would have stayed in Hawaii forever if it wasn't so expensive and we didn't miss everyone so much! In the end we finally made it home the week before Thanksgiving and everyone was so excited to meet Lucy in person.
Looking back I know God had His hand on the whole thing. I'm so thankful I didn't know in advance all of the hardships we would go through to get her. Our adoption ended up costing a lot more than we had anticipated with a direct placement and I'm sure I would have said "no" if I had known this from the beginning. I'm so glad I didn't know! God knew and He has provided. I'm such a planner and I like to know everything about everything before jumping in but, I saw God be bigger than all of that. He always knows the way through, even when we don't. For anyone considering adoption, I always tell people to just jump in. If you know that the desire from God is there, go for it! Heed His leading, follow the peace, and trust Him for provision. It's a wild ride, but it's so good.
