Well, it has been one week since we got the exciting news from Colombia, but it feels like a month. There were so many things to do and so much to think about that it has been really hard to stay focused on anything else (like work, but don’t tell my boss…grinning sheepishly). We have managed to get our immigration paper work and our home study update both started in a very short period of time. We are very thankful to the folks that have help us with that including our doctor’s office, the Families First ladies, and our adoption coordinator just to name a few. We are also very grateful for the family and friends that have expressed their support and prayers over the last week. We love you all and are looking forward to the role that you will play in Cameron’s life (…tearing up again as I read this, thank you, thank you, thank you!).
Growing up I remember singing that song, “I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.” I always envisioned a quiet peaceful stream lined with trees ordained with the leaves of fall.
Over the past 14 years Mary Ann and I have had several experiences on rivers when I was a youth pastor and more recently as kayaking enthusiast. Sometime the water is exactly like this, quiet and peaceful. You can sit back in your boat and enjoy the creation around you without a care in the world. Peace almost comes natural in a setting like this. It is easy to trust God because there doesn’t seem to be any danger or risk.
Well, right now my river feels more like this! Fast moving, lots of danger, lots of risk, lots of uncertainty. The weird part is that I am just as at peace as if I were floating down the quiet, peaceful stream. It is such a strange sensation when you have that kind of peace. You begin to think that maybe you have slipped into some sort of shock. You think that maybe you are trapped inside your own numb body that is being tossed to and fro in the boat. The class five rapids are straight ahead, but you don’t feel the fear, your not anxious about the outcome. You hear what could be a huge waterfall in the distance, but you are okay with it, because you know Jesus is piloting the boat. I am thankful to God for that kind of peace. I know that He is going to work out all the details. I just need to trust in Him.
Boy, did I just start preaching? Sorry about that (not really). Back to the update.
Right now we are waiting on two things:
First, we are waiting for the completed update to our home study. For those of you not familiar with adoption, the home study is a document that basically lays out your whole life. It tells the state or country that you are adopting from all about you and whether or not you would be good adoptive parents. This is our third round with the home study (the original and two updates), so we are hoping that it will just be a matter of changing a few lines with updated data and we will be good to go. Once complete, the document has to be translated and certified before being sent to Colombia.
The second item is the immigration document that says we are cleared to bring Cameron back into the United States. This application was sent to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service and could take several weeks to process. We are hoping that it gets processed quickly as we will need it to get the necessary clearance in Colombia to come home.
Other than that, we are just waiting on an estimated travel time. We completed our referral acceptance letter this week and it has been received by the adoption agency. They will be translating and overnighting it on Monday of next week. Once received, that should really get things moving.
We have begun planning a little garage sale for the first weekend in March (assuming we are still here) to help raise some money for the trip and final expenses. It is amazing what you are willing to give up when your children are concerned. I am ready to sale all kinds of things that I wouldn’t have considered before (Mary Ann is still waiting to see if I will really get rid of all my books…we’ll see).
Thanks for you continued prayers and support.
Patrick & Mary Ann
