Rising out of the pit...

It's hard to believe that this journey began more than six months ago! Our case file passed through three people before we completed the home study! The staffing changes at the adoption agency really slowed things down. We completed the home study in October, but it was finally approved at the national office last week! We were starting to lose faith that we would ever make any more progress, and just sort of sunk into a pit thinking it might never happen. The official approval really helped pull us out of the pit and we are so glad to be able to move forward now. We also received new pictures of Paul from Christmas, and that really helped spur us on. He has grown so much since the last pictures, but he is still just precious as ever! He was described as being "sweet, smart and polite". He even helps a friend in the orphanage who has trouble walking. I can't help but think about how hard it will be for him to leave his friends, but we are ready to bring him home!

The only thing getting in the way of our progress now is money. Despite taking an interim teaching position to make money for the adoption, the snow days and Christmas break cost me, so now money is the issue! We have to do some fundraising, and time and planning is limited due to my new job. I am praying that I will be able to pull together some fundraisers to help and am very fortunate to have a fellow adoptive mom who has been through this process several times who is willing to brainstorm with me and share ideas. I am also pursuing some grants, and hope that our church family can assist us with some matching grants.

We need prayers... by the truckload! Paul also needs lots of prayers as well. Once we finally do get to go to Lithuania, it will be very difficult to pull him from the only caregivers, friends and life he has ever known. It will be a tough transition for all of us, but it will be most confusing and traumatic for him. People forget that children living in these orphanages do not know life to be any different, so they may not find being adopted to be as big of a blessing in the beginning. I hope and pray for a comforting transition when that time comes.