Adoption comes with lots of questions and we know that if you are considering supporting us in any way, you likely want a lot more details!  So, we have answered some of the most basic questions about our adoption below and will add more specific information as we get farther along in the process.

Who?

We have been matched with a 7 year old boy from Thailand!  He is slightly younger than our middle child, but likely a grade below her based on how his current school situation is in Thailand.  We can’t share his name publicly until the adoption is finalized, but his nickname is Sunny!  It seems fitting since, in almost every photo we have, he is beaming with a mischievous smile from ear to ear. Sunny was part of Holt’s Special Needs Project, which is the waiting child program for Thailand. These children usually have a range of special needs and can vary in age from 2-15 years old.

Sunny is an animated young boy that lives in an orphanage in a rural area of Thailand. He was born prematurely and spent the first year of his life in the hospital facing significant pulmonary issues, some of which he still deals with today. Despite a difficult start, Sunny is happy and sociable. He enjoys KFC chicken, playing with his friends, and studying math in school.

Where?

We are adopting from Thailand through Holt International’s Special Needs Project.  The Special Needs Project includes waiting children that can have a range of special needs and vary in age from 2-15 years old.

When?

Adopting internationally is a lengthy process.  From the start of the paperwork to traveling to bring our child home will likely be 2-3 years.  Some programs with waiting children can move quicker whereas other programs with slower processes can take up to 4 or 5 years.  The Coronavirus pandemic adds a unique obstacle to compiling all of our paperwork while state departments and government offices may be closed or operating with limited staff, so we continue to pray for patience and hope we are able to complete our requirements without too much delay.

We are currently waiting for First Approval from the Thai government, which is typically 6-12 months.  Once we receive First Approval, it will take another few months to submit additional paperwork and government forms to be prepared to travel to Thailand.  We hope we will be able to pick up our son by Spring or Summer 2022!

Why?

We have always wanted to grow our family, but going through three high risk pregnancies and premature births and knowing there are so many orphans around the world that need homes, we felt like adoption was the right choice for us.  We feel like we have the room in our hearts and in our home for another child and look forward to growing our family through adoption.  You can also read more about how we arrived at our decision to adopt on our previous blog posts.

How?

“How are we going to do this?” is the first question we asked ourselves when we started to consider adoption.  We had a lot of doubt at the onset of this journey, but realized that our faith was the answer to this question.  We are first relying on God, prayers, and family and friend encouragement to get us through this emotional process.  All adopted children come with an inevitable level of trauma so we will be reading a lot of books, completing adoption training courses, and talking to other adoptive families about how to best prepare for our adopted child. In terms of adoption costs, we have set some money aside, established donation pages, applied for grants, and hosted fundraisers throughout the process.

If you have more specific questions about our adoption journey, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly!