Forms...

So what's been happening this past month?

Well, we've been working on filling in forms. It's about as fun as it sounds. :) One of the forms, and probably one of the most difficult forms to fill in is called 'Risk Factors and Special Needs Issues'.
We are given a list of 14 different ethnic groups and asked if we would adopt a child that comes from that particular ethnic group. For example, would we be willing to adopt a Hawaiian child, whose full ethnicity is Hawaiian. What about if the child is part Caucasian? What about if the child is part other ethnic background? We have to answer these questions about all the 14 ethnic groups. And with this comes the question, do we feel we are being led to adopt a child whose skin is a different color than ours and deal with our child not fitting in, racism issues, and other things that may come up?
We are also asked if we are prepared to parent a child if the birthparent had used any substances during pregnancy. (eg. Alcohol, marijuana, crack, etc.) These questions take a long time to answer, especially since so much research has to go into each substance and what the impact would be on the child, if any.
Another question - Are we prepared to parent a child where any special needs are evident already? eg. Down's Syndrome, physical handicaps, FAS, Asthma, heart conditions, etc.
Are we prepared to parent a child with a risk (genetic or otherwise) of developing the same special needs as listed above.
So many questions... In many ways these are the hardest questions to answer. Of course we just want a healthy child. Don't all parents? Daily we remember that God is in control. And no matter how we answer these questions, God has a child chosen for us since long ago. He knows what kind of child He will bless us with. And if it is His will that he blesses us with a child with special needs, he will also give us the strength, wisdom, and patience that we need.

Our second form is all about us, and we each have to fill one in. It asks questions about our childhood, big events that happened that made us into who we are today, our marriage, parenting, education, family relationships, reasons for adopting, religious background, current interests and activities, etc. A little bit about everything.

We hope to have these forms finished and sent away in about a week. From there will get assigned a social worker and then starts our homestudy.

Our journey continues...



Phillipians 4:13 - I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.