Marathons and Adopting

When we began our international adoption process, we had a number of people advise us that we needed to approach it as a marathon, not a sprint. While there is some utility in this analogy, it has one fundamental flaw: both sprints and marathons are measured races in which the participants can know at any time their position relative to the finish line. The adoption process, on the other hand, feels like a race in which the finish line continues to retreat as you get closer. And not only does it move, but each move is unpredictable in both timing and length.

As many of you know, our recent move to New York required us to re-do a number of documents and gain bureaucratic approvals to remain current in an approved status. Thanks be to God, we seem to have passed that hurdle quicker than we anticipated. However, we received news over the past couple of days that things in Ethiopia are not going as smoothly as we had thought. The US Embassy in Ethiopia is implementing additional verification requirements for every child approved for adoption. In our case, they want our adoption agency staff members to work with the Awassa Regional Police to verify witness statements regarding Solomon’s relinquishment. This requires the police to cooperate and, unfortunately, adoptions are low on their list of priorities. If the police do not provide the required information, the Embassy is requiring the adoption agency to run a 4-week ad in the Awassa newspapers to ensure that Solomon was freely given up for adoption.

Together, these changes will add weeks and possibly months to our process. We continue to trust God and his timing in all of this, despite our lack of understanding. It is frustrating and disappointing to feel so close and to think we can see the finish line only to have it moved over the next hill. We covet your prayers as God works in our lives and refines us in his fire.