Chapter Eleven: Another Miracle

Friday we talked with L.M., who tells us she was talking with the orphanage director, who told her that he felt strongly impressed we needed to pick up the pace in our adoption process. I too, had been feeling this way, but discounted it, thinking that I was just being overly-anxious to bring Sufi home. We have been trying to pace ourselves in this process, because we are still students, and have so much already going on. But this was like a fire being lit under us. We decided to call the director ourselves to talk with him about what he would like us to do; plus we had questions of our own about our little boy.

 So we make the call. Our questions about Sufi could not be answered because the director was not near the files on the children (he does deal with over 300 children). So we asked what it was he would like us to do to pick up the pace. He of course said to get our homestudy completed. Then he did say, if we sent part of our fees, he could get a jump start on tracking down the birth certificates and all the documents needed for his side of the work. He wasn't sure what the costs might be, but said to call back and he could give more specific details.

The next morning we call, our hearts anxious. We had been discussing how it was we would be able to come up with the fees right away. We also were anxious to find out more information about Sufi. The first part of our conversation, we discussed where Sufi had been born. What he did know was that Sufi had been born in the Central Region of Ghana. He gave some specific names we couldn't quite catch (we will be reciveing this information written down for out benefit). We found out that Sufi speaks a language similar to Fante (we think he said it was Gomoa...our brains still can't wrap around all of it, especially by phone). This may not seem like alot of information, but every little ounce we recieve feels like such a blessing. More could not be said until the director is able to track down the documents.

Our conversation soon turned to fees. Due to happenings in the adoption realm of Ghana, it is now very important to hire an attorney in addition to a social worker over in Ghana. Certain countries were becoming unhappy with Ghana for not demanding interim adoptions, as the law states a judge might require. Judges in Accra are now expected to be making most adoptions interim adoptions (meaning we would have to return in two years before the adoption was final). This has scared many prospective adoptive families.

So to be on the safe side of things, the director and L.M. decided we better have an attorney helping, and that we should start going to the judge in the Central Region (where the orphanage is located) instead of going into Accra. This caused some of the fees to increase (though I was surprised at how little it was...but it was still a moderate increase). We don't mind, it was jsut an unexpected amount to have so suddenly and on such short notice.

Side note: L.M. decided to go to Ghana. She is leaving on the 9th of September. We will be sending our fees with her.

We figured we would find a way to come up with the money. We hoped and prayed the Lord knew what was needed. We had raised some money, but we also have the homestudy, and documents required on the 11th. We decided to take out a short term small loan and hope we could pay it off later when we had done some serious fundraising.

After our phone call, we headed out to run some errands, and dropped by our mailbox. In the mailbox, was a letter from a dear dear friend. In this letter was a check with a large donation. I was shocked and so grateful. This friend, has a large family of her own, and I was surprised they could make such a wonderful and blessed sacrifice to help us out. This donation definately will help keep us from having to borrow so much money at one shot.

We want to give public thanks to her, her husband, and family; they had mentioned they wished to be anonymous - in fact, she did not even want to let us know they had donated the money, but did not know a 'safe' way to ensure we recieved the money (we now have Paypal up and running to aid those who wish to stay anonymous).

So Thank You so much for being a miracle in the Lord's hand!!!!
We are so grateful to you and your generosity. We feel so blessed and so grateful, words can not express how we feel.

Chapter Ten: L.M. is going to Ghana

I am so excited:
L.M. is going to Ghana.

While she is there, L.M. is going to take our dear baby Sufi, strap him on her back (as the Ghanaian women do) and go around doing all that she needs to do.

She is going to find out what the orphanage needs, and how we can all help to improve the conditions for the children!!!!

She is also going to meet the team (Orphanage Director, the Social Worker,and now a Lawyer) who helps families adopt. Due to some changes in adoption proceedures on that end, interim adoptions seem to be more likely in the future. This means that we will need to use a lawyer after all to ensure we can get final adoptions there.

Also, it has been decided to take our adoption cases before the judge in the Central Region (where the orphanage is), instead of into Accra.

L.M. has felt that to better help us families to adopt, and to know what the school/orphanage needs, she should go and see for herself. It has been ten years since she has been in Ghana; although she has often wanted to go, the time didn't seem right. Now is the right time!!!

I am just mostly glad that she is going to be with our boy; she is a relative after all!!! We just found out that she and Fridrik are related. We felt from first meeting L.M. she was family. Now we know she is, albeit somewhat distant.
It brings tears to my eyes, knowing that "family" will be over there with our baby boy, taking care of him, playing with him, loving him, kissing him, and hugging him.

We send our love baby boy:
We love you with all our hearts!!

Chapter Nine: A PLEA FOR HELP.

Help us bring Sufi Home!

Dear Everyone,

We are writing to ask for your help. To make a long story short, we are adopting a little boy from Ghana. His name is Sufi and he is about 8 months old. He is currently living at an orphanage near Accra, the capitol of Ghana. We are currently working with the owner of the orphanage, who is taking care of the adoption process on that end. Because this is a private adoption the majority of the money for the adoption process will do direclty towards the orphanage and its 300 occupants.

For more information on the orphsnage, please visit ??? .
Also for the whole story of Sufi & more information, visit http://www.thebookofsamuel.blogspot.com/ .
We would also be happy to explain this spirit led journey we have been called to embark upon. Please email us at lovingacrossborders@gmail.com with questions and/or concerns.

Your help would be greatly appreciated. No, we do not excpect you to baby sit, change dirty diapers, or take Sufi to the doctors. But a donation through our blog or by mailing us a check would be a great blessing. Fundraising help would also be greatly appreciated. PLEASE pass this on to anyone who might be interested and feel free to call or write us any time.

So far, this amazing journey has been led by the hand of the Lord. It will be exciting to keep you informed of the progress and miracles that will unfold as we proceed. Thank you so much for your support and prayers!

Yours truly,
Mamma and Pabbi

Chapter Eight: Homestudy Appointment

We finally have a homestudy appointment set up for September 11th.
I can hardly believe it: and I am scared.

We orginally going to go through another agency and social worker; but things did not work out with her. The final straw was when she said she would not approve us for more than one child and absolutely would not for a non-related child. We had hoped to keep our options open to adopt more than one, and since Sufi is an only child that meant we would have to adopt a non-related child. I have to admit though, that everytime Pabbi would talk with this particular person, I would get sick to my stomach and just felt very uncomfortable.

So we counseled with L.M. and she recommended a social worker who worked with them 10 years ago, and also worked with Shelley. We decided to give her a try. We called this woman and immediately felt she was the one we should work with. although, she did say she would caution against adopting more than one, she would talk with us and check out our situation. That is all we ask, is a a bit of openess.

So she sent us the paperwork back in the end of July, & boy was I shocked: it was an eighth of the paperwork, & her cost was half the price. But this does not mean she is any less thorough (I have read reviews, & talked with others about it). She is very effecient & prompt. We sent in most of our paperwork & documents, the only thing we have to wait on is our final check in Iceland. I was amazed that she even recieved background checks on me from RUSSIA so quickly!!!

I think L.M. is right, that you really have to shop around for a social worker, because not everyone is going to click with the same person. These social workers are here to help and they are going through our lives with a fine tooth comb. It isn't easy to let a stranger into your home to inverstigate you, and so you have to find someone you are comfortable with. I think we found that in this woman!

I do worry that we won't be "good enough" to adopt, or that as 'poor students' we won't qualify. I often ponder why it is at this time the Lord has directed us to adopt; why not wait another year when we might be more settled (well, Pabbi will have graduated) and stable. But I won't question, and we WILL act, but it is taking alot of faith to hold on and hope we are going to be approved to bring our son home to us. So I worry and then pray I have enough faith.

After our homestudy, we wait to be approved and then we take on the next big task of battling with the USCIS (used to be called INS).

So until then we are...to become parents.

***Insert ***: I Saw What I Saw...

This is a beautiful video, that L.M. shared with us, and I had to post it here as well.