*Home Study Update

The condo was almost as spotless as it gets, and our social worker only spent time in the dining room. He was in and out in about a half hour. It really is quite simple to do a home study update, thankfully.

Negotiations were to start today. Please pray for progress and open doors. Thanks!

BTW: Check out my google ads: two potty training entries, and now it's advertised here. :)

*An Update With Little News

My heart started to pitter-patter today when I saw an update from our agency, hoping there was good news. I opened it and found very little new info. The news is that our dossiers have been returned by the government, but will stay at our agency's office in Hanoi. And, negotiations will start on October 27th - that's next Monday. This wasn't welcome news, as I thought they had already started. Oh well - at least now I know a for sure date.

Also next Monday, we will meet with our home study social worker to begin working on our update. Our Immigration Approval expires March 6th, and we need to file a new I-171H form by December 6th to keep it active. This requires a home study update, that costs and entails more than we realized. Are we just wasting time and money?

Oh Lord, please open the gates to Vietnam adoptions again, and soon. Let negotiations be fruitful and effective at cleaning up any unethical practices. Also Lord, please open all the orphanages of Vietnam to international adoptions in this process. Provide those children with loving families. Guide us to Liv. Thank you for your faithfulness. Amen.

*And So We Embark On This Journey....

We have officially begun the adoption process. Two days ago we met with Mike, the social worker doing our home study. He came to our place in the evening and asked us a few questions about our home, we exchanged a little bit of paper work, and then we mostly asked him lots of questions about the process. We are pleased as he seems to be very knowledgeable about Vietnam and adoption in general, and is a nice guy. We paid our first check in the adoption process, and now face a big pile of paperwork and things to put together.

Talking with him convinced us all the more that we will adopt through Faith International Adoptions out of Tacoma, WA. They have such good relationships with the Vietnam orphanages, and have been doing a lot of relief work there. All of their references gave them good reviews.

Last night we received the Voice of the Martyrs magazine and it happened to be about Vietnam persecution. We think this was a little confirmation that Vietnam is where our child is. I learned quite a bit from the articles – about the communism that punishes believers, but the love and passion and courage of the believers there that is softening the hearts of the police. God is good. We pray that we can have an impact on Vietnam and that communism will fall and Christ be preached.

To our child:
I don’t know who you are yet, or even if there is one or two of you, or if you’re a girl or boy, a baby, toddler, or young child, but I love you so much, and can’t wait to meet you. Are hearts are so excited to go through this process. We have been called to it since our early years, and now God has brought us to the point of beginning to seek you.

We pray for you. You are likely in the womb right now, and we pray you are being well cared for my your birth mother. Know that you are loved and that God has a wonderful plan for you, that involves us and your brother, Koen. I know our family will be more complete, as will our lives, when we are with you.