"The check's in the mail..."

It's been a busy two weeks in the McLennan household, hence the lack of posts! Between finishing up some home projects and preparing for houseguests, our time for adoption paperwork has been sorely lacking.

This morning Tim and I finally found a few minutes to read through and sign our official agreement with America World, as well as a few other legal documents. AND we wrote out a check for the first big installment of our program fee (gulp). The savings account is looking a bit anemic!

Now that the check's in the mail, we should soon be assigned to a family coordinator and begin making progress toward completing our home study. And, of course, we're still plugging away at our online adoption education course.

If there were only a few more hours in the day...

A Sobering Education

One of the requirements for our adoption is completing 10 hours of adoption education. Eight of those hours come from an online course, which Tim and I must complete individually.

I'm about halfway through the course, and so far everything I've learned deals with the risks of international adoption. Few adoptions run from start to finish without some hiccups, and the chances of adopting a "healthy" child are basically zero. The majority of internationally adopted children, especially those coming from orphanages, will arrive in the U.S. with ear or respiratory infections, developmental delays, malnutrition-related growth issues, or some kind of virus.

As I read through the endless lists of physical, mental, and emotional problems our son or daughter may encounter, I keep asking myself, "Can I really handle this?"

The answer, of course, is "no." Not a chance.

I remember dealing with the same question during my first pregnancy, when I agonized over the many birth defects or disorders my daughter could develop. Thankfully, both of my children have been born healthy and whole. So, if I want another baby, and I want him or her to be healthy, the odds definitely suggest that another pregnancy would be a smarter choice than international adoption.

Or would it?

We often base our decisions on odds, chances, likelihoods, and statistics, but what do these things really mean in a world where God is sovereign? If His plan for me is to experience the challenge and growth of caring for a chronically or seriously ill child, then it doesn't matter where that child comes from - my womb or someone else's. I could just as easily give birth to a Down's Syndrome baby as adopt one with Hepatitis. In either case, I would be in way over my head.

But isn't that where God wants me? Each time I'm faced with the reality of my weaknesses, His limitless power shines a little brighter. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "When I am weak, then I am strong." Without acknowledging my own helplessness, I'd never learn to trust Him.

Yes, the thought of adopting an unhealthy child concerns me, but it doesn't have anything to do with our decision to proceed. Healthy or not, all of our children are in God's hands. And it is in His hands that Tim and I will find the strength to face whatever challenges await us on this journey.

It's Official!

We're approved! Yesterday we received the call we've been waiting for from our agency, America World Adoption. They have finished reviewing our application and officially given us the go-ahead for their Rwanda program!

This was the second call we received from America World this week. The agency also called on Tuesday to let us know that our approval looked promising. However, they were "in discussions" with some Rwandan officials concerning possible changes to the adoption process, and were waiting to approve anyone else for the program until they had some answers.

This left us a little uncertain, especially knowing that the Rwandan adoption process is so new. When we first contacted America World about Rwanda, they were encouraging but also very honest about the risks involved in any pilot program. What a relief it was yesterday to hear that adoptions are expected to proceed without interference! We know this could change, of course, but for now we're taking it as a green light to move forward.

Now the real work begins...filling out more paperwork, scheduling our home study, completing 10 hours of required adoption education, chasing down a mountain of official documents, and scraping together that first big program fee. Please pray for our organization, stamina, and financial responsibility!

Adoption Announcement

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families...”
Psalm 68:5-6a

Welcome to our blog! If you're here, you've already heard our exciting news: in May 2009 we officially began the process of adopting an orphan from Rwanda, Africa!

Why Rwanda?

Rwanda has only recently opened to international adoption, so the process there is still somewhat unpredictable. This is a risk we have decided to take for several reasons, including the relative speed of the adoptive process, the overall cost, and the overwhelming needs of the orphans.

Our adoption, from application to placement, is anticipated to be completed in 10-15 months, so we're hoping for a “due date” in the spring or summer of 2010. The journey ahead will no doubt seem slow and full of new challenges, but we eagerly anticipate the day when we will cross the ocean to embrace our new son or daughter!

Why Adoption?

Tim and I first discussed adoption while we were dating, but for years I viewed it as “something we might do someday, when we're finished having our own children.” Without consciously acknowledging my attitude, I perceived adoption as a second-best or last-resort method of growing our family.

Tim, on the other hand, has always been confident about his desire to adopt. As he told me recently, “Adoption has never been a question of 'if' for me. 'When' and 'how' are the questions, but not 'if.'”

In retrospect I can see that my initial feelings about adoption began to change several years ago, through a series of small but poignant moments God used to soften my heart. It wasn't until recently that I recognized a major heart-shift had occurred—adoption had moved from “second best” to “Plan A.”

The most significant part of this transformation came in the form of an answered prayer.

A Search for Understanding

A few months ago I had a revelation about my faith: I didn't really understand the concept of God's grace. As a teenager I had learned the acronym GRACE: God's Riches At Christ's Expense. It seemed simple enough, and for years I claimed understanding without giving the issue much thought.

But then, through some difficult circumstances, I recognized that I was still trying to “earn” God's approval. In a moment of total honestly, I acknowledged that the idea of grace wasn't simple at all, but rather so profound that it seemed too good to be true! I begged God to help me wrap my feeble mind around this important concept—to give me a tangible picture of His grace.

His answer came a few weeks later, shortly after Tim and I began researching adoption. While I was praying I envisioned a baby sleeping in a crowded orphanage, unaware that across the globe love's arms were already opening wide, sweeping aside every obstacle in their eagerness to embrace.

And then it hit me: In so many ways, I am that helpless child. I've done nothing to deserve God's love, nor could I ever hope to earn His acceptance through my feeble efforts. And when I consider the depth of my brokenness—my selfishness, pride, greed, malice, and an untold host of other sins—I can't understand why God has adopted me as His daughter. But He has. Even before I knew He was there, the work of adoption had already been finished.

More to Learn

This grace God has taught us through adoption is radical—bridging the chasms of time, distance, and culture to embrace a stranger as one's beloved son, daughter, sister, or brother. What a beautiful portrait painted by a loving God!

Our family has much to learn in the coming months, and we already face many unanswered questions: How will we find time to chase down all the necessary paperwork? How will we meet the financial challenges of this process? How long will we have to wait for information about our child? How will our children adjust to their new brother or sister?

We look forward to sharing our discoveries with all of you. We also appreciate your prayers and support as we navigate this unfamiliar path.

With love and hope,

Tim, Alison, Annabell, and Liam