Homestudy Interviews Complete!

Anyone who has ever adopted or known someone who has understands what it is to dread the homestudy. For those who don't, the homestudy is essentially an endless process of signing documents and collecting paperwork about every detail of your life to be handed over to a social worker. This all concludes with a series of interviews and a home inspection, then they issue a report with a pass/fail for becoming an adoptive parent. I certainly understand the spirit of the homestudy - in fact, some argue they should create something like this for biological parents, but I don't think that would hold up in court. They place a big emphasis on parents being ready before the child comes home, it would be nice to see them also offer more help for parents after they are actually parenting.

In any case, yesterday we had the joy of inviting two social workers into our home for the interviews and home inspection. Ironically, I thought things went much more smoothly than I expected, even though I was the one stressing about the inspection and Vanessa was asked some of the more difficult and thought provoking questions about parenting styles and our relationship. In the end, I think we will receive pretty positive remarks. The nice thing about international adoption is that the social workers come from a private non-profit organization who's goal is to help families adopt as opposed to the county bureaucrats who guard the foster care system.

Another hurdle down. We should receive the final results of our homestudy report by the end of the week. Two weeks ago, we sent in documentation to the Department of Homeland Security to pre-approve visa status for our child. Now we are just waiting for their approval, which can take up to three months, and then we wait for a child referral. Continue to pray for God's mercy during this time of waiting.

A Long Long Time Ago...

All great stories have beginnings which draw the reader in. From Dickens (It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…) to Shakespeare (Two households, both alike in dignity…) to Star Wars, each captures their audience with an invisible force which demands all attention. This story is different. There are no catchy beginnings, and the ending has yet to be written. In fact, most of it is yet to be written. But I guess we must start somewhere.

My name is Randy and this is the story of my family, or rather, the story of how my family is growing. I am blessed to be married to my best friend, Vanessa, and God has done many amazing things in our lives. We have been blessed to live in Southern California, to have good jobs, wonderful loving families, and an amazing church. We have been blessed to travel, have a home, to go to school, to work with students, and to serve others. 

But God has called us to do more than live blessed, comfortable lives. To quote Francis Chan, “God doesn’t call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn’t come through.”

Last year, we were called to our first trip to Haiti to serve with an amazing orphanage called Mason de Lumier. God captured both of our hearts and began to make many changes in us, not the least of which was planting the seeds of adoption. We had always discussed the option of adopting internationally, but assumed that we would have biological children first and adopt “someday”. Thankfully God had other plans.

James 1:27 says “religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” We have decided to take this verse very literally and answer God’s calling to care for orphans.

Yesterday, Vanessa and I submitted our application for adoption from the Democratic Republic of Congo. After much prayer, speaking with family and friends, and through God’s intervention, we are excited to announce that we have begun the process of becoming parents to a beautiful Congolese baby girl or boy. 

In the coming weeks and months, we will be chronicling our story here as it unfolds. We will also share much more about our reasons for adopting and about the adoption process. In the meantime, we ask for your prayers as we begin this wonderful journey toward parenthood. To Christ be all the glory.

And so the story begins...