Certificate of Good Conduct

This is our Taiwan Criminal Record Certificate. Isn't it cute??!

Finishing the Paperwork

Okay we are almost finished with gathering all our documents.

Our Taiwan criminal record has arrived in the mail. My personal reference and pastoral reference are working on their forms. We have the completed, notarized medical forms for all 6 family members, four certified copies of everybody's birth certificates, certified copies of our marriage license. On and on!

This is my collection of files. It is getting fatter and fatter. That's a good thing! We are very excited!!

Be Still My Heart

Nicholas wanted to sleep with our little African baby doll the other day.

My heart is literally melting!!

A Peace

I recently sent a follow-up email to the adoption agency in Kenya to make sure Kenya has no restrictions on the number of prior children living in the home.

I looked all over the internet and found nothing with restrictions listed.

And yep, Kenya has no such restrictions.

But...the standard is "best interests of the child", so we have to be able to show to the social worker that we are able to "accomodate" another child. Aw man I love my big happy family and I cannot wait to show the social worker how our family functions. I know I will be judged whether I can "handle another kid", so it is sort of nerve-racking realizing someone else is judging me as a mother. And honestly there are days when I don't feel like I can handle ONE kid, let alone a whole house of kids.

But that's the point: I can't handle ANYTHING on my own! It is only with the power of the Holy Spirit that I do any of this on a daily basis.

So I have a peace and a confidence that only the Lord has been able to give. I will not be anxious about the home study. Bring it on!

Creation Groans from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Saving My Shirt

Today on the way to church, Sabrina, our 4-year-old, suddenly said, "When God sends us our African baby, I am going to save this shirt for him."

She was wearing her favorite Oscar the Grouch shirt. No one was even talking about the baby at that time.

Of course, I cried :)