Adoption Application Saga

So I woke up at 3:30am this morning and called the Adoption Authority in Africa  This is how it went.

First call. 
Me: Hello.  Helloooo?

Line goes dead. I wait a few mins then call again.

Me: Hello?
G: Hello.
Me: My name is KC.  I am calling from Canada.
G: Oh yes. Let me get my boss.
G: Hello.
Me: Hello my name is KC.  I am calling from Canada.  We would like to adopt some twins from your country.
G:  Are you in 'Africa' now?
Me: No. No I am not.
G: Have you ever been to 'Africa'?
Me: No. I haven't.
G: Well you are going to have to come to 'Africa'.
Me: (Ignoring that) I need an adoption application.
G: From what region would you like to adopt?
Me: UW region.
G: UW region?
Me: Yes.
G: Well you will have to contact them in that region.
Me:  I would like to but I can't find a number for the Department of Social Welfare in that region.
G: We will look for the number.  Call us back in 10 mins.
Me: Ok. Thank you.

I call back in 10 mins. 

G:  We don't have the number yet.  Call back in another 10 mins.
Me: OK

I call back in another 15 mins.  Give them a bit of extra time.

G: We weren't able to get you the number.  It seems they have changed their numbers and we don't know how to get through.  You will have to get someone to go there and get the number.  Maybe the kids you want to adopt can go there? 

Me: OK ( I see there is no point in discussing any of this further). 

G: Will you invite me to come to Canada?

Me: Sure.  Anytime.

G: Great.  OK have a good time. 

Now I know she meant, "Have a good day."  But in light of the above situation, it is going to be a "good time" a helluva good time.  I mean what a great time to be having at 4am in the morning.

On another note, I have met a lady through my son's preschool who is a christian.  And today she told me many miracle stories about her life.  She says if you really believe, God will pave the way.  Though I know this, sometimes God sends us little reminders and speaks to us through the people in our lives.  And  I realized that I must begin praying in earnest for His guidance...whatever His will may be in all this.

The Phone Call

Today I phoned African and the call went through.  I was sitting there and just letting it ring and ring and ring.  Daydreaming sort of.  Then suddenly someone answered.  I got so excited I didn't know where to begin.  Then she informed me to phone tomorrow when her boss is available.  Around 11:30 Western African time.  Oh, that's about 3:30am our time.  I think the saying should be,  "Every silver lining has a cloud."

Official Signature

Today, Dec. 3rd, 2011, we officially signed our homestudy!

Things are Starting to Move...Finally

This weekend we will be signing off on our homestudy.  So glad this part of the process is over and we can move on to the nitty gritty of the adoption.  This next part will  prove to be much more difficult.  However, God has sent us someone who can walk us through the process and who has contacts in Africa.  She is keeping me afloat as there is no way I could navigate this alone.  She is an amazing blessing.  It is such a complicated process. I wouldn't even know where to begin.  I still don't think I understand it all.  It seems everytime I start getting a picture of what we have to do, something is added or changed. 

Not too many people know about this blog so it is safe to write that we would like to adopt two girls, twins, from Ghana.  It is a long story how we came to know of these girls and that is for another post.  But they are safe, well-cared for and not in an orphanage. When we went to the adoption agency this past week, we spent some time discussing other options. As we don't have 20-25 grand floating around, it re-affirmed that this is the only route we can take.  Though I have tried hard not to have any attachment to our girls, once you see some pics it is all over.

We would like to do this adoption independent of an adoption agency.  Today I have to phone the ministry to find out about  a letter that is required from the province.  If it is possible to attain this letter without an agency, we will cut ties with the agency.  This is due primarily to financial limitations.  We don't want to spend a ton of money to find out we can't go through with the adoption.  Though I do believe this is God's plan for us...everything seems to point to Ghana.

I have put together a little Christmas package for our African princesses.  I hope they receive it. God bless you L and L and  keep you safe.

Last Interview

We have finally had our last interview with the SW.  Thank goodness. We sure were getting sick of answering the same questions over and over again.  The questions are quite invasive and quite detail oriented and a lot of them irrelevant. Don't get me wrong, she is a lovely lady and all but boy we both just felt so tired of it all.  Anyway, we are waiting now to sign off on our home study (that could take another 2 weeks) and then on to the next step to complete our dossier (not sure what those steps are).  We still have to take a few more courses and join an association that will be a support network for us.  I am thankful for that.  She also recommended a book for us to read called, Connected Kids.  She said it is a practical book  and that is always good to have on ones' shelf.  So there is a bit of a sigh of relief now but there are definitely going to be challenges ahead.

X's Interview

Little Man had his visit with the SW.  It was really cute.  I told him that she was coming to play with him and to talk about  his possible future siblings.  So I think he was quite happy to have someone down on the ground who was going to play trains with him.  I was so proud of my guy's guy who wouldn't reveal his four year old feelings to just anybody (assuming he has ANY feelings at all about the adoption situation other than excitement).    She kept asking him questions like, "You are going to have to share your mommy.  How do you think that will make you feel?"  And my son would look at her pause and then say something like, "Well, this train here is diesel train and it can go slowly through crossings..." I mean he is talking about his feelings. It is just that most of his feelings revolve around trucks and trains. 

4th Interview

We had the fourth interview with the SW.  This time around it was about our parenting style and about our relationship.  All in all, I think it went alright.  Ben and I both felt that we had been to a marriage counselor after the session.  She even asked us to rate our marriage on a scale of one to ten.  At that point, I spoke up and said that that was a really horrible question.  Who has a perfect 10 anyway?  We got out of answering that.  I am still mad about that question.  The questions do seem a bit redundant and one does tire of the same questions formulated differently and asked a 100 different ways.  We have finished the course work and have to write the essay and then we should be close to complete.  It will be closer to five months that to four to complete this darn thing.

This Thursday Nov. 3rd, she will be interviewing X.  I wonder how that will go.