THE PAPERCHASE BEGINS!!

Friday, May 14 was a big day in our journey!! Not only did we get our first phone call and email from our Family Coordinator, but we also decided on our Home Study agency!!!

After much thought and prayer we chose G.L.A.D. (Greater Love Adoption Decision) as our agency to conduct our home study. There were two agencies we looked at for our home study. Both have worked with AWAA in the past, but neither were close to home. One agency was in Indianapolis, IN (about 160 miles) and the other was in Evansville, IN (about 250 miles). After talking with both agencies we chose G.L.A.D. in Evansville. Although it was further away we were extremely impressed with their efforts to get back to us, work with us, and answer questions quickly and honestly. We should be getting a call from our social worker early this week to set up our home study interviews! This process could start as soon as this weekend (we hope). AAAH!!!

After receiving our agreement AWAA assigned us a Family Coordinator who handles adoptions only from Ethiopia. Our coordinator will be our guide through the rest of the process. We received our first phone call and email from our Family Coordinator on Friday ~ unfortunately we weren't home to get the call. But we DID get the email, with all 16 attachments! YIKES!

You know what this means?? It means we're PAPER PREGNANT!!!

Now we begin the dreaded paperchase (however, we're odd and are kinda looking forward to this part)! We have to get together a long list of documents including: birth certificates, marriage certificate, police reports, fingerprints, and many, many.....many others.

We will also be writing an application letter (which will go directly to Ethiopia's Ministry of Women's Affairs - MOWA) asking for permission and explaining why we want to adopt from Ethiopia. The decision of our request is in their hands. We'll also be putting together family photo pages. Eventually all of this will get sent, with our home study (if we pass), to the Indiana State Government for approval..... then the U.S. Federal Government..... and then the Ethiopian Government.

This process can be long and stressful, so please pray for us as we go through this.