Researching

We've been busy reading everything we can get our hands on pertaining to adoption, international adoption, parenting, parenting adopted kids, Congo and fundraising.  I think the librarians might know our names based on how many trips we've made to the library recently.

There's just so much information out there that we are hungry to learn, much more than we had anticipated even existing.  We have especially enjoyed all that we have learned about the DRC.  I am hoping that the traditional woman's hair style is not required to adopt.

We also came across a great graphic (thanks Pookie!) that shows just how large the DRC is compared to all of Western Europe. 

In a country this size, it was not surprising to learn that there are over 200 African ethnic groups.  Four tribes make up 45% of the population.  The official language is French although most citizens speak more than one language.

We have also been busy filling out paperwork to begin our home study.  There was a lot of hurrying to get the necessary documents together so that we could mail in our paperwork as quickly as possible and get the process started.  We had to get reference letters filled out, physical exams and letters from our doctors, employer verification letters, tax returns...the list goes on and on.  Here I am surrounded by one night's worth of paperwork.

We will be mailing out our paperwork tomorrow!

We are adopting from...

 

We have chosen to adopt from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the 2nd largest country in Africa and the 2nd poorest country in the world, according to the United Nations' 2010 Human Development Report.  It is estimated that 15% of the DRC's under-18 population are orphans, which amounts to just over 5,000,000 people.  This is equal to the entire population of Scotland! 

These pictures are of children who are in orphanages due to war. Rwanda's genocide in 1994 plunged Zaire (now DRC) into the deadliest conflict since World War II. Over two million Hutus fled Rwanda into Zaire, many of them militiamen, who began to attack the Tutsis. The militia eventually toppled the government and the new president renamed the country the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

The "African World War" continued for five years on Congolese land, with fighters from six countries represented, many of them child soldiers. Although a peace treaty was signed in 2003, fighting continues in the Eastern regions of the country. 

“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; 

he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.”     

1 Samuel 2:8 

God bless the people of this country, especially the helpless children 

that have been made orphans.

It's Official!

Today feels like Christmas even though we just handed over a big check.  This morning, after much prayer and a TON of research, we signed with our adoption agency, A Love Beyond Borders.  I can't tell you how happy and relieved I am that we finally made it to this point. 

I truly believe that we have completed the most difficult part of our journey - deciding what kind of adoption (domestic or international), then narrowing down the countries, and finally choosing an agency to partner with.   We are so excited to start the process of bringing our child home!