Pick a Path

That title make anyone besides myself sing a song from Rob the Robot?  (Pick a planet, doo doo doo, pick a planet)  Yeah, I'm a mother of little kids! 

 

 

Friends, we're at a crossroads.  Many of you may have seen this link to PEAR about Ontario closing its doors to Congolese adoptions.  Or perhaps you read this series by Jen Hatmaker on adoption ethics.  We've got a lot on our minds these days in regards to the adoption.  And then again, we've got nothing on our plates because we're just waiting.

 

You see, the Congo had been our "chosen path." Because each country requires such different things, we have to decide where we want to adopt from. The agency we're using has specific countries that it works with, and each country has rules as to whom can adopt from there. At the very beginning of this process we narrowed down our list of countries to one, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (you can read about that here). Now that it seems like Canada will no longer allow adoptions from there, we have to discern what country God is calling us to. 

 

Having known this may happen, I started to open my Ipad the other week to look into what other options felt like they might be right.  God clearly told me, before I even had the cover lifted, "Wait for me!  The decision hasn't been made yet."  Ok God...I'll wait!  The thing that is throwing me off is that the decision about the Congo hasn't been definitely made...but the agency said we have to choose a country before our homestudy ends, which is slated to happen the second week of July.   We have about 6 weeks until we have to "declare" some place.

 

A friend of ours asked on Facebook about what a closure to a particular country means.  It basically means that there have been red flags raised in regards to the ethics of that country's adoption practices.  From what I have read, the High Council in Africa has turned away at least one adoption from the Congo in the recent past.  That is a major red flag.  As far as I know the suspensions take quite a long time to be changed. It often takes a change in the political climate, the suspended country honoring The Hague conventions, and lots of time.  Sorry I can't give more information than that, but I really don't know too much more.

 

  The bad news?  At this point I don't feel released from our initial decision.  The good news, however, is that I don't really feel tied to it either.  The WHOLE reason we're doing this is to follow what God is leading us into.  If the door to the Congo closes, then it wasn't right.  I'm sure that if we hear it is closed, I'll lament some, but it seems so much better to follow Him another direction.

 

    I want, more than anything, to be doing exactly what he has for us! I want to be open and flexible to follow his calling and to bring home the child He has in mind. Right now I am praying that the decision will be handed down by the government soon so that we will feel free to look at other paths. We're really praying to hear what God wants for us and to feel good about moving on from the Congo. Your prayers are so important and really treasured! 

 

 

I thought I'd leave you with this super cute picture of the boys.  One day, I'll try and get one like this with all three of my kiddos.