January has passed and so has the first week of February! Time is moving quickly and we have been busy with the adoption process. Many have inquired of the latest with the adoption process so we thought we would write a quick update. We have spent our time filling out form after form and trying to get all applications completed. We have to have all paperwork completed, submitted, and approved before we can start the home visits. All forms are completed, background checks are being processed, and the initial funds of $7,000 have been submitted for Phase I.  Thank you again for everyone who was been supporting us along the way! We could not and cannot do this without you! It’s been such a blessing!

Our hope is to have the home study completed and approved by the end of March. We cannot do this any sooner because of the marriage requirement set by Korea. We need to be married for 3 years, which will be March 26th. Once we have the home study approved, we can apply for grants. Someone explained to us that this is like filling out college applications and financial aid forms, but worse. And these are hit and miss. Some people get a lot of grant money and others do not receive any. We’re hoping for at least some assistance in this way. It seems like most grant deadlines that fit our timeline will be in March. Timing is key with this.

Our goal is to send our dossier over to Korea for a match in April/May. Again, timing is key. We want Lydia to be 2 years old when our file is reviewed, which is only a couple of months away. Korea is particular about the age difference between the children. The child we adopt has to be 12 months or younger than Lydia. Most children who are in the process of being matched right now are around the age of 12 months. So ideally, we will be matched after Lydia’s 2nd birthday.

When we are matched, we will need to write a few large checks. The total due at matching is around $27,000. We are planning 1-2 more fundraisers on top of grant writing. We will announce our plans shortly for the first one once we iron out all of the details. Stephen’s tax business is gearing up and he’s already submitted a lot of people’s returns. I am still teaching ESL online. The 4:30 am class has been a challenge, but the job is so much fun. I love my coffee now more than ever! I have also started to teach on Friday nights, which oddly enough, is fun and relaxing in its own way.

Anyway, in sum, where there is a will there is a way. It is very likely that our son or daughter, most likely son, has been born. If we are matched in June or July, which is the estimated time, it means our child is around 6 months or so. He has been up for domestic adoption in Korea, with no results, because we are meant to be his parents. So now, he has just qualified for international adoption. I wonder if he is sitting up. How many teeth does he have? Is he a picky eater? All of these questions will hopefully start to get answered in due time. For now, we wait expectantly. God has a plan, He will provide, and He is watching over our son (or daughter) for us until we can hold him in our hands! Thank you again for everyone’s support. We are so blessed!!