It’s hard to believe that my last blog post was only 8 days ago – they have been busy, emotional, crazy, exciting days!
Roadblock #2
As I mentioned in my last post, we didn’t met a criteria for adopting from China – the net worth requirement of $80,000. So we knew that we would need to be willing to adopt from the Waiting Child list to even have a possibility of adopting from China. Well, no sooner had I posted that blog, then roadblock #2 arose via a question that I put to our case worker. A part of my journey in 2013 was recognizing a need for some medical intervention due to stress-related symptoms. I began taking a low-dose prescription, which has been very successful for me. However, ANY type of medication for anxiety/stress/depression in China is considered a mental health issue. So we had just failed another requirement.
This was not an easy thing to hear. Feelings of inadequacy and being “broken” flooded me, as well as fear that our door had closed. However, while the case worker did suggest a more serious consideration of another country, she also reassured us that they would do whatever they could to get us to China.
Two roads were before us. Do we take the “easy” path of another country where we fit the requirements with little effort, or do we trust God’s calling to continue to pursue China? And since neither of us felt our hearts letting go of China, the peace was in one path and one path only. We will pursue China until that door clearly and firmly closes for good. Because following the path that God chooses, even when it seems more difficult, is where the real blessings lie!
Moving Forward
Where do we go from there? The process for us will look a little different than if we had met all requirements right out of the gate. First, we only have a chance with a Special Focus child, which is a child with moderate to severe needs as opposed to mild ones. We were prepared for that.
It helps to understand something about adopting from China. To adopt a healthy or a LID only child (mild special needs), you must have a completed Dossier. This is a 4-6 month process with many expenses that begins once you have been approved for a country program. BUT a Special Focus child can be locked in (ie. reserved for a family) with only an initial application having been submitted. In our case, we need to find a child that we would like to pursue and then request pre-approval from China BEFORE getting a complete dossier to prevent the loss of time and significantly higher fees. We will request the waivers for our two roadblocks as soon as we find a child to pursue.
Thus we were presented with the moment that we knew would come . . . facing the Medical Conditions checklist. This was by far the most difficult task of the last week. Going down the list, checking the conditions that we feel prepared to handle, leaving others unchecked. The hardest part is looking at the list, seeing the unchecked boxes that represent children waiting for their forever families. I really don’t have the right words to describe the feelings. I’m thankful that this part of the process is “fluid” (meaning we are absolutely allowed to add more conditions later on if we feel led). Our first choice, as we’ve now officially indicated, is still some form of hearing loss. And now we wait!
Hurry Up and Wait
We sent that form two nights ago. And after the rush of asking questions, researching conditions, discussing what we both feel able to handle, and finalizing the list, this part is almost anticlimactic. We wait to hear. Wait for the China director to compare our list to the Waiting Child list of over 2,000 precious little souls hoping for a family.
And then, IF we are lucky enough to find a child to fit our parameters, we get the file from our agency and talk to a doctor (if need be) and decide whether or not to pursue that child. Then if we feel led with that child, our information will be submitted to China. And we wait again (2-3 weeks) for a decision that will either bridge this path or run it into a rock wall . . . will they accept us?
A Step of Faith
In the meantime, we took one more step of faith – we submitted the official application tonight. And paid our first fee! The application (and fee) are good for 90 days . . . 3 months to find a Special Focus child and pray that China will allow us to adopt. We know that God might use this process to lead us somewhere else (we have been told that we are eligible for the Philippines and encouraged to keep that option open). We also know that God will take us where He wants us to go. And if that is to China, then we might as well get our passports ready . . . because we will be going where He leads!
Roadblock #2
As I mentioned in my last post, we didn’t met a criteria for adopting from China – the net worth requirement of $80,000. So we knew that we would need to be willing to adopt from the Waiting Child list to even have a possibility of adopting from China. Well, no sooner had I posted that blog, then roadblock #2 arose via a question that I put to our case worker. A part of my journey in 2013 was recognizing a need for some medical intervention due to stress-related symptoms. I began taking a low-dose prescription, which has been very successful for me. However, ANY type of medication for anxiety/stress/depression in China is considered a mental health issue. So we had just failed another requirement.
This was not an easy thing to hear. Feelings of inadequacy and being “broken” flooded me, as well as fear that our door had closed. However, while the case worker did suggest a more serious consideration of another country, she also reassured us that they would do whatever they could to get us to China.
Two roads were before us. Do we take the “easy” path of another country where we fit the requirements with little effort, or do we trust God’s calling to continue to pursue China? And since neither of us felt our hearts letting go of China, the peace was in one path and one path only. We will pursue China until that door clearly and firmly closes for good. Because following the path that God chooses, even when it seems more difficult, is where the real blessings lie!
Moving Forward
Where do we go from there? The process for us will look a little different than if we had met all requirements right out of the gate. First, we only have a chance with a Special Focus child, which is a child with moderate to severe needs as opposed to mild ones. We were prepared for that.
It helps to understand something about adopting from China. To adopt a healthy or a LID only child (mild special needs), you must have a completed Dossier. This is a 4-6 month process with many expenses that begins once you have been approved for a country program. BUT a Special Focus child can be locked in (ie. reserved for a family) with only an initial application having been submitted. In our case, we need to find a child that we would like to pursue and then request pre-approval from China BEFORE getting a complete dossier to prevent the loss of time and significantly higher fees. We will request the waivers for our two roadblocks as soon as we find a child to pursue.
Thus we were presented with the moment that we knew would come . . . facing the Medical Conditions checklist. This was by far the most difficult task of the last week. Going down the list, checking the conditions that we feel prepared to handle, leaving others unchecked. The hardest part is looking at the list, seeing the unchecked boxes that represent children waiting for their forever families. I really don’t have the right words to describe the feelings. I’m thankful that this part of the process is “fluid” (meaning we are absolutely allowed to add more conditions later on if we feel led). Our first choice, as we’ve now officially indicated, is still some form of hearing loss. And now we wait!
Hurry Up and Wait
We sent that form two nights ago. And after the rush of asking questions, researching conditions, discussing what we both feel able to handle, and finalizing the list, this part is almost anticlimactic. We wait to hear. Wait for the China director to compare our list to the Waiting Child list of over 2,000 precious little souls hoping for a family.
And then, IF we are lucky enough to find a child to fit our parameters, we get the file from our agency and talk to a doctor (if need be) and decide whether or not to pursue that child. Then if we feel led with that child, our information will be submitted to China. And we wait again (2-3 weeks) for a decision that will either bridge this path or run it into a rock wall . . . will they accept us?
A Step of Faith
In the meantime, we took one more step of faith – we submitted the official application tonight. And paid our first fee! The application (and fee) are good for 90 days . . . 3 months to find a Special Focus child and pray that China will allow us to adopt. We know that God might use this process to lead us somewhere else (we have been told that we are eligible for the Philippines and encouraged to keep that option open). We also know that God will take us where He wants us to go. And if that is to China, then we might as well get our passports ready . . . because we will be going where He leads!
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