An answer to your question about what agencies I would recommend? I am in the middle of adopting so can't necessarily recommend any agency based on experience. However, I would suggest you visit the FRUA chat page and take a look for yourself what others have said about different agencies. I only checked out 4 agencies myself for Bulgaria and they were St.Mary International in N.Carolina, Adoption Ark, All God's Children International and Tree of Life. I decided to go with TOL because a number of people recommended this agency for Bulgaria. The coordinator has adopted 2 children from Bulgaria herself and they continued adoptions in this country when others stopped because of the slow down. So I personally felt that they had good connections. Now having said this, All God's Children International works with the same in country agency as TOL and I think they have an excellent agency overall. It will have to be a personal decision and you will have to just research what other's are saying.
The dossier is pretty easy to compile compared to other countries, and the timeline to bringing your child home is shorter than China but a bit longer than Russia and Ukraine. We are being told most likely 18 months. I am hoping though, because we want a boy, it will be 12 months to get our referrel. Hope this answered your questions.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Not much to report on the adoption front. This week the agency in Bulgaria should be done with translating all our paperwork and submitting it to the Ministry of Justice. Once MOJ gets our paperwork it can take them up to 30 days to register it, which puts us in line for consideration.
So we aren't even in line yet, until the end of the month, for consideration. I will let you know the first week of November where we stand when I contact our agency. We are going to a "waiting families" meeting at AAI on October 16th to learn about bonding and adjustment issues. A psychologist will be meeting with us and answering any questions we have. I am looking foward to that.
I will end off with my favorite verse: Prov 3:5-6 "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your path."
I memorized this verse when I was living in Switzerland and I turn to it often. Have a blessed week.
So we aren't even in line yet, until the end of the month, for consideration. I will let you know the first week of November where we stand when I contact our agency. We are going to a "waiting families" meeting at AAI on October 16th to learn about bonding and adjustment issues. A psychologist will be meeting with us and answering any questions we have. I am looking foward to that.
I will end off with my favorite verse: Prov 3:5-6 "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your path."
I memorized this verse when I was living in Switzerland and I turn to it often. Have a blessed week.
Friday, September 19, 2008
6 months Today
Not sure if you noticed at the top of our page but it has been six months since we sent in our application to our first agency to start the adoption process (to bring our son home). It wouldn't have taken us that long to gather all our paperwork if we hadn't switched countries and agencies. So techincally the count down to bringing our son home starts from when we submitt our paperwork to the Ministry of Justice in Bulgaria which hasn't happened yet.
I am praying that our dossier is in the process of translation and will be submitted to MOJ in Bulgaria next week some time. Please pray for us that we won't have anymore set backs (such as paperwork they need) and that things will move along. Please pray for our son's safety and emotional well being. We really should pray for all the orphans, that the Holy Spirit will move in the hearts of people to adopt an orphan. We have so much and they have so little. We should use the blessings God has blessed us with for his Kingdom and glory.
If adoption is not something you are able to do, then please consider looking at the site in my previous blog. You can help these children, until they find a home, by providing for there medical needs, physical needs, and educational needs.
Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where theives do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
I am praying that our dossier is in the process of translation and will be submitted to MOJ in Bulgaria next week some time. Please pray for us that we won't have anymore set backs (such as paperwork they need) and that things will move along. Please pray for our son's safety and emotional well being. We really should pray for all the orphans, that the Holy Spirit will move in the hearts of people to adopt an orphan. We have so much and they have so little. We should use the blessings God has blessed us with for his Kingdom and glory.
If adoption is not something you are able to do, then please consider looking at the site in my previous blog. You can help these children, until they find a home, by providing for there medical needs, physical needs, and educational needs.
Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where theives do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Monday, September 15, 2008
How You Can Help A Child in Bulgaria
http://www.oneheart-bg.org/orphanages/gabrovo.php
Matthew 25:40 "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."
Matthew 25:40 "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."
Monday, September 8, 2008
Dossier on the way to Bulgaria
I just heard from our agency that they did mail our dossier off to Bulgaria Friday afternoon via Fed Ex. It should be there in 8 days. Please pray that everything is in order and that we will have a referrel within 12 months. It would be wonderful to be able to bring our son home next Christmas.
I will be following other blog's of families who are adopting from Bulgaria and post their blogs when I see some referrels coming in. So far nothing is happening I believe because Bulgaria is still catching up from previous dossiers submitted in 2007 (not many submitted in 2007 thankfully for those of us waiting).
A lot of families are going the Bulgaria route because of Guatemala being closed, China's wait is 3 years for a child and Kazakstan is having issues as well right now. Russia seems to be a good program if you have over $40,000 (which we don't) and Korea (but they only have a certain number of children available each year assigned to each agency so it closes quickly). Ethiopia is another country that many people are starting to adopt from because of the travel time, cost and age of children. For those of you adopting check out Adoption Forums there is quite a bit of chatter on there if you need info about different countries and agencies.
Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."
I will be following other blog's of families who are adopting from Bulgaria and post their blogs when I see some referrels coming in. So far nothing is happening I believe because Bulgaria is still catching up from previous dossiers submitted in 2007 (not many submitted in 2007 thankfully for those of us waiting).
A lot of families are going the Bulgaria route because of Guatemala being closed, China's wait is 3 years for a child and Kazakstan is having issues as well right now. Russia seems to be a good program if you have over $40,000 (which we don't) and Korea (but they only have a certain number of children available each year assigned to each agency so it closes quickly). Ethiopia is another country that many people are starting to adopt from because of the travel time, cost and age of children. For those of you adopting check out Adoption Forums there is quite a bit of chatter on there if you need info about different countries and agencies.
Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Embassy Letter to TOL
Yes we got our letter notarized, apostiled and off in the mail this afternoon. Pray that there are no more set backs and that our dossier will be off soon to Bulgaria. If it is off this weekend we will be most probably registered with the Ministry of Justice by the end of October, which means we could be on our first visit to Bulgaria next Sept or October to see our son! Can't wait.
We bought him a "car" toddler bed this past Saturday at a garage sale. It is so cute. The girls want to play in it. It takes a crib mattress and is in the guest bedroom right now. I am thinking depending on his age, he will probably be in a bed and this would work for him to start with to sleep in our bedroom. From what we have read, children adopted have night/sleep issues in the beginning (having to do with grief and fear). So we will have him in our room to start off with, but in his own bed.
It is exciting to buy stuff for him already. We have some clothes (donated from my friend Sarah) and garage sales. We probably won't buy anymore until we meet him because we don't know for sure what age he will be when he comes home. Thank you for your prayers and support!
We bought him a "car" toddler bed this past Saturday at a garage sale. It is so cute. The girls want to play in it. It takes a crib mattress and is in the guest bedroom right now. I am thinking depending on his age, he will probably be in a bed and this would work for him to start with to sleep in our bedroom. From what we have read, children adopted have night/sleep issues in the beginning (having to do with grief and fear). So we will have him in our room to start off with, but in his own bed.
It is exciting to buy stuff for him already. We have some clothes (donated from my friend Sarah) and garage sales. We probably won't buy anymore until we meet him because we don't know for sure what age he will be when he comes home. Thank you for your prayers and support!
Letter arrived today
Yes, for those of you who are following our blog, we did receive our letter today from the British Embassy. It looks very plain (grey paper) for such an important letter. Kind of like the I171 h we had to get from the US government (very informal looking).
I would love to say we will have it apostilled today and in the mail to our agency, but one thing I have learned from this experience is nothing goes as we plan. This is definitely something I have a difficult time with as I love to have control over my circumstance and this is something that God is making we work on in my life. Patience is another area I am working on. I can only do what I can do other than that I have to be patient and rely on God.
By the way, change of topic, did you see the Republican convention last night? You have got to love the Republican party now. I was not 100% for McCain but now am excited because of his choice of V.P. Palin is awesome she did such a good job last night. Just my opinion as this is my blog. :) Also did you know that McCain adopted a daughter from Bangladesh 16 years ago? Pretty awesome.
I would love to say we will have it apostilled today and in the mail to our agency, but one thing I have learned from this experience is nothing goes as we plan. This is definitely something I have a difficult time with as I love to have control over my circumstance and this is something that God is making we work on in my life. Patience is another area I am working on. I can only do what I can do other than that I have to be patient and rely on God.
By the way, change of topic, did you see the Republican convention last night? You have got to love the Republican party now. I was not 100% for McCain but now am excited because of his choice of V.P. Palin is awesome she did such a good job last night. Just my opinion as this is my blog. :) Also did you know that McCain adopted a daughter from Bangladesh 16 years ago? Pretty awesome.
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