With our part of the Home Study done, I contacted our Adoption Consultants to find out what our next steps would be. I had a hard time getting a hold of our case worker and finally, after a few days, found out that we had been assigned a new case worker because our old one transferred to a different department. That's fine, but we weren't notified and lost a few days of work so I was a little disappointed. Thankfully our new case worker is awesome and spent a lot of time going over what needed to be accomplished with me. Unfortunately, I found out that we would have to repeat a lot of things that we did in our Home Study like doctor visits, employment letters, fingerprints etc. that would have been nice to know about earlier so we could have accomplished both requirements for the Home Study and the dossier at the same time. I mentioned this to her, but she said that the dossier documents are time sensitive and needed to be done after the Home Study so they can be as current as possible before we send them to Ukraine. I guess I just thought we were closer to being done than we actually are. We are still projected to travel this spring, but we have a lot to do in a small amount of time. I felt quite discouraged. I took a few more days off from adoption stuff to catch up on things my other kiddos needed help with (pinewood derby car, science fair, and other things). When those were over I really had a hard time finding my motivation. It was like I had climbed a mountain and got to the top only to see another mountain. My husband had left on a business trip the week before and I really just had my hands full. I knew my motivation wasn't completely gone, but it was like finding a lost sock in a dryer full of clean clothes. It was somewhere in there, but not easy to see. I dropped my kids off at school and then just sat at home and watched TV until I had to leave again to pick up my preschooler. I did absolutely nothing productive all morning. I just felt weighed down and needed some extra help to get moving again. I prayed in the car for God to help me so I could get moving again with the adoption. When I pulled up to the school a song came on the radio (Matthew West's Do Something). I had never heard it before, but it was a direct answer to my prayer. (I posted a video of this song on a separate post on this blog if you'd like to hear it). I just started bawling! God spoke directly to me with that song. Here was my motivation! I finally found the lost sock! I got my second wind to climb that next mountain! I was also inspired to write down several very specific things to pray for:
1)Someone to watch my kids while my husband and I are in Ukraine. (My sister had already volunteered for part of my trip, but I needed at least one other person to help.)
2)Our social/case workers who are helping us prepare our documents.
3)Our caretakers of our future children in Ukraine
4)All of the people (Dr's, Boss, realtors, etc.) that have to prepare documents for us.
5)Help with completing paperwork.
After I put down my pen, I thanked God for answering my prayer and prayed for the things on the list above. Later that day, I saw two quotes that spoke to me and encouraged me to keep going. Another answer to my prayer! The very next day I was talking to a friend at church and she volunteered to watch our kids while we are in Ukraine. I was shocked by her generosity and thanked her, but told her I would keep her in mind, but I had a couple of family members I wanted to ask first to see if they could come watch the kids at our house. Both of these family members, are very busy people and live across the country, so I had put off asking them because I couldn't possibly see how that would work for them. Their names kept coming to mind so I knew I had to ask. I really hate asking for help, but I finally got the courage to do so. Both of them said yes! I was stunned! Another answer to my prayers! While out shopping I received a phone call from another friend who is adopting. She shared with me a short-cut that she had learned for paperwork that would work for us because we are a military family. Another prayer answered! Each time I have been driving in my car Matthew West's song keeps coming on reminding me about my motivation! I have just been amazed and humbled by how quickly and deliberately my prayers have been answered over the past couple of days! I know moving forward on this adoption is what God wants us to do. There have been countless other times that I have been told to keep working. I have had to push through and out of my comfort zone many times, but I know this will be worth it in the end. Many of you have offered to pray for us. Please continue to do so. Miracles are happening and I'm glad to be a part of it!
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