Adoption PROGRESS! CARA APPROVED

It feels good to be able to sit down and write a blog post, because that means there is progress. I still do not enjoy the actual part of sitting down and putting my thoughts into words. That part still intimidates me. BUT I am so thankful to be able to share REAL progress! The last you have read we were almost finished with our home study. We completed our home study on May 11th! Our next step was to continue waiting for our passports. We applied for those in April, you know right in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. We could not move forward until we had those passports. We received passports on July 31st. But we had another setback before we could move forward. Joey unexpectedly lost his job. We found out on a Tuesday (7/7) night that as of Friday (7/10) the pharmacy he worked for would be closing their doors and selling to Walgreens. It was a shock, but we are very thankful that he never actually had to miss a day of work as he was offered another really great opportunity with a different local pharmacy. The one thing that we did have to wait on now was redoing part of our home study due to the job change. So, we had been waiting for passports for so long and got them but then had to turn around and redo part of the home study before moving forward. One step forward and two steps back I tell ya! Once we finally had passports AND the home study updated we were able to send off for our 1800A which we received approval for on August 17th and we were able to register with Carings on September 3rd. 1800a is the US giving us permission to bring a child into this country. Carings is the web-based information management system in India. You must register on Carings before being able to receive approval from CARA (Central adoption resource authority) aka the governing body that oversees the adoption process in India. We knew when we registered with Carings we were more than likely looking at at least 12 weeks until we received approval. Many families wait much longer than that and some wait shorter than that but the average for most families is 12 weeks. We just kind of expected it to be at least until the end of this year before we received approval. We received approval in SIX DAYS! Did you read that!? SIX DAYS! Joey and were headed to the post office when we saw our case workers name come across the screen of my car. For a split second I thought to myself "why is she calling? There is no way this is CARA approval" She happily told us we were CARA approved. I was speechless. Tears filled my eyes and I had no words. We celebrated together in the car and our case worker celebrated too. She told us the whole India team rejoiced and celebrated when they saw "The Hollenbeck’s" were approved. They could not believe it, we could not believe it, it was the best moment! So much work and time had gone into getting to that moment. While it was so exciting to be approved my heart broke for those that have been waiting much longer. I have a friend that is currently waiting for approval and has been waiting for 11 weeks. We cannot wait to celebrate their approval, hopefully soon!

So, what is next? MATCHING! We are currently in the matching phase. We could receive a referral (a child’s file) any day now. Our agency has a matching team that works day and night to match families with their child. They are constantly reviewing files, praying over them, checking the waiting child list, staying up all night to wait for new files to be uploaded. It is something that they take very seriously and very prayerfully. They are currently waiting for a file that they feel would be a fit for our family. They know our openness to age, gender, and special needs. So, they will present us a file once they have one. We will be able to review that file for 30 days. During that time there are doctors and other resources that we can use to have help reviewing the file. Helping us to understand the special needs, therapies, medications etc. Once we accept a referral (say yes to a child) then we begin the process of making that child legally ours. Court, paperwork, etc. I have recently begun praying that we will have absolute clarity once we receive a file. I have found myself this week asking myself hard questions. Questions that I just do not have to know the answers to right now. Questions that can take me into a rabbit hole of worry. I have had to quiet my mind and listen to God's voice. I have had to remind myself of who is in control, HE is in control. I have had to ask myself where is my trust? The matching process brings another level of fear and difficulties, but I know that God is sovereign, faithful, wise, and good. I will continue trusting Him. I do not know all of the answers to how this matching process will go or how will I know I am looking at the file of OUR child. I just do not know how I am supposed to feel or what kinds of special needs our family has capacity for. We just do not have all of the answers that I wished were laid out in plain English for us during this process. But I do know the one that does know the answers and I am trusting Him, the Lord! I will probably have to continue reminding myself of that throughout this entire process and let's be honest for the rest of my life. I am thankful for a loving God. Thankful he continues to allow us to move forward in this process. He continues to be faithful and I want to continue trusting Him fully. I do not have to have all of the answers or understand completely because I serve a God who already does. Little baby Hollenbeck, one day when you read this, I hope you know how badly we want you home right now. You have a family that cannot wait to know you and to love you. We think of you and talk about you every single day and constantly talk about how special it will be to have you here with us. You are wanted. You are loved. There is no fear, worldwide pandemic, or distance that will stop us. We are coming for you!

Financials 

I want to be able to keep up with where we are with fees going out and funds coming in. We have now paid our Agency Fee C $3,562.50 that was due once we were CARA approved. Our Agency Fee D will be due once we match (same amount). Then we will owe $5,000 to our child's orphanage. Other than some smaller fees that we will pay to the international adoption clinic (the Dr. that will review our child’s file for medical diagnoses) we will have completed all payments to our agency! The only fees we will have left is travel fees. 

So far, we have raised right at $18,000! That number still blows me away. I am gearing up to start more fundraisers as I want to make sure we are prepared for how fast this could go from here. Our goal is $45,000. We are so close to halfway there. My mind has been going every which way with fundraising. I am spending the next week being very intentional about what fundraisers we are going to do and when. Also, we are applying for a grant this week. It would be so incredible if we received it. Would you pray for us and this grant? 

I believe that is all of the updates for now. So thankful to be able to share so much. So thankful to have you following our journey. Can’t wait to share soon (Lord willing) that we have matched!

With love,

Whitney