Adoption Update... (By Jason)

I want to take a few minutes and catch everyone up on where we stand in the adoption process. I realized over the last few days as I have received more and more questions about the adoption that we have done a poor job of relaying information to family and friends as it has come along. While we have had plenty to write about, Britney and I simply haven’t really had time to slow down and get it all down on paper. So here we go.

The last several weeks, although productive, have been quite frustrating at times. The primary frustration relates to a miscommunication (for lack of better words) from our adoption agency. The long and short of it is that they (the agency) suggested we go ahead and start our home study process a couple months back, which we worked very hard on, only to find out that we have to re-do a good bit of the paperwork to comply with our adoption agency’s requirements, which they didn’t send us until later. That was really a bubble buster to say the least, to think you have completed a step and put a check in the box only to have a new box drawn right below it… Luckily, only a couple of the items directly impacted our home study agent’s report, so it only slightly set her back. She has been great in this process and has been a great motivator for Britney and I. She has helped us set deadlines to aid us in finishing this stage of the process so we can focus on the next. We had a follow up visit with her a week or so ago, which went extremely well (that was another sideline change – have to have four in home visits with her, not three as we had originally planned). I think it makes it a little more difficult that we are using a different agency from Georgia to do our home study, and Georgia’s requirements are slightly different than Oregon’s. We are not saying this to talk down about our agency at all because other than this one thing they have been WONDERFUL at communicating and answering ANY questions we have.

One big thing we are currently working on is a great deal of adoption parenting education, online courses and a GIANT booklet. Some of the education has been extremely helpful, while other parts…. not…so….helpful….. We feel like some of the exercises we are asked to complete are a little silly, but I’m sure they have their purpose. Most of it has been great, and will be beneficial down the road as it covers the full spectrum of ages and potential problems we will face. As a matter of fact, one of the online courses, related to adopting/fostering older children, was really useful, so if anyone is looking for a course on older children we can point you in the right direction.

All in all, we are probably hopefully a month away from having our dossier completed and getting onto the wait list!! We both have doctor’s visits and drug screens to complete, as well as finishing up the remaining education, both of which are holding up our home study report. So as we are able to finish these documents/visits up in the next couple of weeks we will be that much closer to bringing Baby Cannon home!! Pretty exciting times around the Cannon Household!!! Just for reference, the waiting list as of last week included 92 families waiting for referrals for a girl and 64 for a boy.  We are not specifying a gender, so we will probably be adopting a boy... but only God knows for sure).

A few prayer requests for the coming weeks:

1. For God’s continued blessings and support. That he would go before us and prepare the way.

2. For Patience with this process as well as with the people we encounter as we move forward.

3. Please be praying for our child and his/her birth mother, especially considering that the birth mother is probably somewhere in the time frame of mid pregnancy. Be praying that they would both be healthy and find the nourishment that they need and that the birth mother would simply make good, sound, wholesome decisions in the coming months.

4. That our home study and dossier progress would be swift and smooth and that everyone communicates exactly what is needed to eliminate duplication of work/effort.

5. Lastly, simply for rest and peace of mind as this process can and has been tiring/frustrating/and time consuming. Pray that we would find the time and energy to complete the tasks at hand.

Thank you all for you continued prayers and support!!

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. ~Hebrews 10:36~