Our home study journey has begun!

We had our first of four home study meetings today!  We met with our social worker and liked her immediately. We are excited to be working with her.  We've  moved since we applied (April '09) to AWAA (America World Adoption Agency) and failed to give them our new address.  Our social worker went to our previous address, luckily though, she doesn't live very far away (in the Rochester area!) and it didn't take her too long to get our new place.  If the social worker lives more than 10 miles away then fees would come into play for us to pay.  It's such a blessing not to have to pay for those fees (miles, gas, food, lodging) cause we have enough fees to pay for!! =D  Our first meeting was basically about meeting our social worker and vice versa, educating ourselves on the culture from which our child will come from and what motivated us to adopt.  Infertility has definitely played a role in that decision, but we've come to realize that it's more than that.  We feel a certain calling or life goal to adopt, not just one child, but as many as God wants us to adopt.  We see adoption as a good representation of the Gospel.  
   
James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit            orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. 


Ephesians 1:4-6 ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.


We are adopting from Ethiopia and we talked about what that would look like for us and our child.  We have decided to adopt internationally because of the uncertainty with domestic adoption or foster care (the birth mother changing her mind; adopting through foster care can take years!).  In Ethiopia, a child will be available to adopt after 3 months of being in the orphanage.  They use those 3 months to look for family that may want to take the child or if family comes back to take the child.  Of course, life is full of uncertainties, but we feel with international adoption the children in orphanages are just that, orphans, and there are so many orphans around the world!  We've been learning that an orphanage is NOT the best place for children.  In America, we at least have the foster care system, which yes, isn't the best either, but when you have 75 plus kids to 5 or so care takers, you have children not getting the attention, love, affection, etc. that they need.   


We had a really good first visit.  It felt as if our adoption journey was real, almost like when you find out your expecting, just the excitement of knowing that soon a child will be added to your family!