Interviews and Imagination

This past Wednesday morning, we finally sat down with Bethany staff for our first face-to-face interview.  We have been talking with folks from Bethany all along the way via e-mail, training events, etc., but it was nice to have our worker all to ourselves for an hour and a half so we could ask questions, she could get to know us, and we could all continue to be on the same page regarding our upcoming adoption.

As I sit here on this stormy, dark Saturday morning, I can't help imagining what Saturdays will be like when our baby comes home.  Last weekend, a friend from South Carolina, her husband, and their four children visited and stayed with us.  The house was chaotic, loud, and oh so much fun!  I wasn't sure how Justin and I would do with the craziness...we have grown accustomed to having our schedule fit our lives and our home as our sanctuary.  But we loved having them here and playing with the kids.  We have (at least) a head knowledge of the facts that we will be sleep-deprived, there will be toys all over, dishes always in the sink, laundry that never gets done, and we will have to make an extra effort to spend time together as a couple.  I have often said that the best gift my parents gave Amber and me was their love for each other and their committment to their marriage. 


We humbly ask that over the next few weeks, you help us pray specifically for the following concerns:  1) That God will continue to prepare us for our sweet baby and will help our baby, even now, to know how much he or she is loved and wanted; 2) That we will represent ourselves honestly and be able to communicate well with the staff during the interviews; 3) That God will draw us closer to each other and closer to him during this time.

Our timeline is as follows:  Each of us will interview individually, Stephanie on May 10 and Justin on May 13.  On May 20, our Bethany worker will visit our home for a safety check.  Over the next couple of weeks, we will be working on our profile books which will be shown to the birth mothers.  Our worker will write our home study, compiling all of the information she's gathered, and once the Bethany director approves the home study, we will officially start our wait.  At Bethany, they affectionately call this being 'paper pregnant.'  Once our home study is approved, we will be able to apply for loans and grants to pay for placement.  Our phone call could come at any time following home study approval and once we get the call that a birth mother has chosen us, we have 24 hours in which to pray, consult family, physicians regarding health concerns the baby may have, and decide if God is leading us to say yes.  

We are excited that the process is moving along and are hopeful that we are one step closer to the day we meet our little one!   

In fundraising news, we are planning a yard sale on May 15 in the Donelson, TN area.  More info to come, but if you have items you would like to donate to our sale, we will be splitting the proceeds with another family in our church who are also in process of adopting through Bethany.  We appreciate your support.  If you have things to put in the sale, please e-mail me at stephaniekaye73@hotmail.com and we will determine how to get them. 

Ladies, I also invite you to visit www.stelladot.com/krystalmann, shop the lovely jewelry, and if you find something you like, click 'find my hostess,' and enter my name before you order.  My party closes on May 14, so if you place an order by then, we will get 10% of retail sales for our adoption fund.



Thank you so much for your continued prayers, financial support, and love for us and our baby to come.

Comments

  1. JoyMay 1, 2010 at 7:44 AM

    I get more and more excited every time you post an update!

    ReplyDelete

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