Our Adoption Story----Part Five

(See earlier posts below for the beginning of this story.)


OK. So we were to adopt a baby boy from Kazakhstan. Where does one start? Wise friends said, "Choose your agency first."

We were so impressed with the agency who hosted the information meeting, we met with the director immediately. KidsFirst Adoption Services is located in Indianapolis and has a stellar reputation. In late November 2003, we met with the director, Inna Pecar, who answered our basic questions, outlined the adoption process, and spent some time getting to know us. She was amazed that we had actually lived in Kazakhstan. She doesn't hear that too often! After later checking their references, we "signed on the dotted line" to officially begin the process.

At this point, two things begin to happen simultaneously. KidsFirst (Inna) began to look for a baby boy from Kazakhstan who needed a family. We began the daunting task of filling out nearly 50 pages of documents. And through it all, we continued to pray.

The prayers took on a new tone: Lord, please provide all of the resources we will need. Please help Inna to find the right baby for us. Help him to know we're trying to find him. Help him not to be sad. Help us to get all of this paperwork done! ...

For those of you who don't know what I mean about a mountain of documents: We were expected to provide the government of Kazakhstan with copies of our fingerprints, financial statements, photos of every room in our house, our marriage certificate, driving records, medical reports and that's just the beginning...

I kept puzzling over the reality that almost anyone can become a birth parent and they actually let you leave the hospital with your child! There is no parental competency exit exam. But to adopt, we had every facet of our lives examined. Even our water. Perhaps the world would be better off if everyone had to undergo such rigorous examination in order to become a parent.

Somewhere in the beginning of this process, Erika marched into the living room one day and announced, "Mommy, I would like a brother." [She knew nothing about the adoption plans at this point.]

Oh? I replied, "Well, I guess you should pray about that."
"Okay, (she bows her head), Dear Jesus, please give me a brother. Amen." She scampered off.

Several months later, Erika brought her wish up a second time and I encouraged her to pray once again. She assured me, "Mom, it's already done. I prayed about it." She was full of faith and without our knowing it at the time---completely right.