I realized after visiting with some family this weekend, that I haven't really shared the nitty-gritty of where we're at with our adoption! So here it is:
We signed with a new adoption agency about two weeks ago. This was a huge relief for us! It took truly several weeks of researching agencies. This involved emails, phone calls, and more and more of that! And just when we'd think we were getting close to narrowing down our options, a wrench would come into the works, leaving us with more research. But, we do feel very good about our new agency! The Operational Manager told me on the phone, "Remember Katie, there is no 'try' this time. Unless Ethiopia closes the door, you will bring a child home!" That felt so good to hear -- mostly because he was recognizing that this road has not been easy for us as this is our third time around. We got the sense that our new agency will really take good care of us! We only needed to revise 4 items from our original dossier, and these are all done and ready to go! Now we are only waiting for a letter from our insurance company stating that our adoptive child will be covered under our insurance. Let's hope that comes quickly! As soon as that arrives, we will be able to send everything off to Washington, DC again for certification (again) and then it's off to Ethiopia! (again) :)
But the GREAT news is that we are officially on the wait lists again in Ethiopia!! Our new agency has allowed us to be on the wait list at the time of contracting with them, rather than waiting until our dossier went to Ethiopia again. We are on 4 lists at this time: infant girl #40, infant boy #26, toddler girl #28, and toddler boy #20. These numbers include the families that are currently on-hold (meaning they can not accept referrals at this time), so we're actually a bit ahead of these numbers. Our wait time for referral will probably be 9-12 months. I'm praying for sooner, of course -- but I also know that realistically we could not accept a referral too soon because we will need the time to secure the needed funds. Our GoFund Me button says 100% raised, but this covers the first fees to our agency only. Still trying to prepare for in-country fees and travel expenses. But of course we're VERY VERY thankful for these first fees being covered by the help of so many!!
We've also been working hard to apply for a few grants. The last two times we were able to work things out on our own financially, but we decided that this time we would be seeking assistance. This has been my very least favorite part of this process so far! Most grants require mini essays from both parents, as well as various items such as tax information, pay check stubs, and credit scores. Ugh. It's like pulling horses' teeth trying to get these things done! Definitely not easy to do with both of us working very full jobs and trying to keep the balance at home too, for Johnathan and Tenleigh.
So that's the nitty-gritty -- with faith and hope, still truckin' along! :)
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