Picking a Country

We couldn't decide if we wanted to go through this process independently or through an agency.  Independent is significantly cheaper but it's virtually impossible to do (in my opinion) without some sort of contact on the other side of the world.  How do you know if the person you are wiring money to is legit?  You need someone on the other end to help you with those sorts of details.  


We contacted missionaries we knew in Latvia, Russia, and India.  All three, we found out, are Hague countries.  Which basically means that they don't allow independent adoptions.  That seemed to settle that question for us: we would go through an agency. 

But what country?  What agency?  How do you decide where to get your child?? 


Of course, by this time, the holidays were upon us.  With the craziness of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, not a lot of conversations about this were happening.  Finally on Sunday morning, New Year's Day, I sat on the bed before church and said, "What are we going to do?"  Our options, we felt, were Eastern European or Ethiopia.  Those were the two areas we felt drawn toward.  Bret's only hesitation with Russia or other areas in that region, was the length of time we would need to stay in the country.  We weren't sure we could stay a month or more.  Bret's response, "That leaves Ethiopia".  And again, just like that, the decision was made.


Apparently that's how we do things: don't make a decision for days, weeks, months...and then decide in five minutes.  At least I know we had been praying about it or I'd worry that it was a rash decision.  

All of our parents and siblings know about our decision to adopt.  Everyone who we have told has been supportive and encouraging, and I can't tell you how grateful I am for that.  


I filled out the initial application for the adoption agency today and will be emailing it in the morning.  We are planning to use Lifeline as our agency.  It is Christian based and they recently re-opened their Ethiopia program. 

I'm praying that we get just the right caseworker, home study agent, etc.  But most importantly that He will send us just the right little boy for our family.  Any prayers you say for us and him would be greatly appreciated!