Sometimes I get ahead of myself when it comes to blogging and what not. So for those of you that we haven't discussed this in length with, here's a little FAQ section!
Q: How long until you get to bring him home?
A: Hopefully between 1 1/2 to 2 years. D.R. Congo has some exit letter stuff going on right now that may push this date back if it isn't cleared up soon. We're hoping for the best though!
Q: How old will he be?
A: Anywhere between the ages of 2 and 6.
Q: What agency are you using?
A: We'll be working with WACAP, a well-known non-profit that has been doing international adoptions for decades. They are a Haque accredited agency and we have heard nothing but great things about them from families we know and trust. We did a lot of digging before we chose them to make sure there was no funny business going on.
Q: What does the process look like?
A: It is pretty similar to our adoption of Layla, with a few key changes:
Apply.
Complete a home study.
Complete a ton of paperwork (Dossier.) Send said Dossier to be translated into French and then send to the Congolese government.
Agency sends us a referral of a boy that they have matched us with.
We accept referral.
We wait months for a court hearing date.
We travel and stay in the DR Congo for 14 days.
We come home!
(There are tons if other smaller pieces to this puzzle, but these are the big ones of all goes well.)
Q: What does my donation go to?
A: international adoptions aren't cheap. All of the money we need to raise and save from our own paychecks goes toward paying agency fees, US govt fees, DR Congo govt fees, keeping our child alive and healthy in an orphanage or foster care situation until we can get them, travel, and new documents for him to become a US citizen, etc. There is a LOT that goes into this.
Q: What are you doing to share the fundraising burden?
A: Every extra penny we have is going toward this adoption. We've cut out all kinds of unnecessary bills and are selling anything that we've collected over the years that we don't need or use.
Q: Is now a good time?
A: I know it looks like we've lost our minds. We've wrestled long and hard with this choice. Life is hectic, just like it always is. If you've spent any significant time with us, you know that we like it this way. There is always something going on, and that won't change in the next 10 years. We could sit on this for a couple of years in order to be more comfortable before we begin, but I find it impossible to justify letting our child eat out of a garbage can, sleep on the streets, and possibly be recruited as a child soldier for the next couple of years just because we are busy. We are busy simply because we like being busy. No job, volunteer work, or hobby should or will ever come before family.
I think that's it for now! If you have other questions, let us know and we'll be happy to grab some coffee or just shoot you an email if that's easier. :)
"Where He leads, I'll follow."
Anna
