No End in Sight???

In the last post, I proudly wrote, "We also are VERY happy to announce that our home study has been scheduled for next Tuesday, October 25!  FINALLY!"  


HA!  Like things would really work out like we expect...


The coordinator we are now working with came into our home, sat down at the kitchen table, laid out a set of what looked like really important papers and folders, and began talking to us about different things that had originally been very unclear.  As she went on, she dropped this phrase, "...and when you they come to do the home study..."  Huh???  We thought this WAS the home study!!!  She apologized for having misled us and went on to answer the questions that kept growing in our minds afterward.

Needless to say, we were pretty peeved/ bummed.  Here we are getting super excited about getting this step completed and then another wrench gets thrown in the way.
BUT, here's where God's work is evident:

In recent conversations, Clif and I began to think realistically about the time frame behind awaiting a child to adopt- especially a very young child.  When a young child becomes available for adoption (say, an infant up to 3 or 4 years of age), there are AT LEAST 80 profiles that are accepted within a very short amount of time for that child.  Our chances of being selected and being a great match for that child at that point are not necessarily slim, but also not great.  As we discussed this with our new coordinator last night, we came to the decision that we will foster to adopt, which is different than straight adoption in a few ways (which I can explain at another point or at your request).  This DOES mean that there is a possibility that the child coming into our home could be removed and returned to his/ her birthparents.  However, if they are not removed and are a good match for us and us for them, we would have first "dibs", if you will.

Because we have made a slightly different decision, we now are required to take more courses to qualify as a foster home.  Therefore, completing our home study right now is irrelevant, because we cannot take children into our home without first having had these other courses.  And we probably wouldn't have come to this decision without having first met with our new coordinator last night.  And maybe we would not have gotten our last few bits of preparation complete had we not assumed last night was the home study and had we not somehow had the extra bit of money this month to complete those preparations.  

In all things, God is good.  Even in our frustrated state of mind, God is present and working in ways we cannot understand.  We are excited about our new decision, but again are praying that we can quickly accomplish these tasks that will get us "qualified" as foster parents.  We are anxiously awaiting our turn to become parents.  Even though there seems to be no end in sight, we know that God has already constructed what will be and in this, we are faithful.