July 17, 2017


Hello everyone! Jim and I have been receiving a lot of messages and questions since the last time we wrote! Here's your update...........

The committee did finally meet in mid-June. They did not complete the meeting, so they scheduled to finish on June 28th. (We're hoping the meeting took so long because they are placing more families than they have previously during these meetings.) Well the Central Authority was called away to Italy, so the conclusion of the meeting just happened last week.

Typically our agency hears from Pierre (the social worker our agency collaborates with in the adoption process) 4-6 weeks after the conclusion of the meeting.  Pierre is hoping to speed that portion of the wait up, but there is no guarantee. Once our agency, All God's Children International, hears from Pierre. We will hear from our agency either way. We requested an email if we did not receive a referral and a phone call if we receive one!


So here's to more waiting!!!!!  We will certainly keep everyone updated!!!

LOVE,

Jim and Kelly 

June 13, 2017

I've been meaning to sit down for the past few days to let everyone know where we are in the process, but there really isn't anything new to share...............................

STILL WAITING

Our social worker from All God's Children International called to check on us today. It was nice talking with her and simply processing the wait. Then around 7pm this evening, we received an email from Melissa, our social worker, she heard from Pierre, our social worker in Burundi, shortly after we got off the phone. The Committee is planning to meet tomorrow in order to assign the first round of referrals for 2017!!! This is exciting, but of course comes with more waiting!!!!!  

• We need to pray the committee actually meets! 
• Once the committee meets, All God's Children International won't know anything about how many referrals our agency received or who received them for 3-4 weeks. We need to pray we're one of the lucky families! 

Until then we will continue to pray and save money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOVE, 

Jim and Kelly 

Anxious!

April 29, 2017

Ourselves and all the other families adopting from Burundi through All God's Children International are anxiously awaiting the next Committee meeting. We are eligible to get a referral, but it doesn't mean we will. The committee is scheduled to meet in May, fingers crossed sooner rather than later in the month!

In the meantime, families from our agency have been traveling to Burundi to meet and pick up their children. Check out this picture......... It simply melts our hearts! Cannot wait to experience this day. Jim is team girl!

We still have a lot of money to save! We truly appreciate all the support, love and prayers we've received during this process! 

LOVE,

Jim and Kelly 

April 11, 2017


Hello friends! We found out last evening our paperwork, in official terms our dossier, has been translated. What does this mean?

• Our paperwork will be in the mix every quarter when the Central Authority meets to match eligible children with families! We requested a boy or girl age 2-5 (as young as possible). 
• The real wait has begun. 
• It could be anywhere from 1 month to 18 months before we receive a referral. 

We know and trust this process is in his time! Please continue to keep our family in your prayers if you are the praying type! Patience is our biggest prayer request at this time. 

Romans 12:12  Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. 

As I was doing some reflecting and reading today, I came across the following quotes that Jim and I really need to keep close to our hearts during this time! 

• Patience is not the ability to wait but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. 

• You can't rush something you want to last forever.

• Just because it's not happening right now, doesn't mean it never will. 

• Be careful about rushing God's timing. You never know who or what He is protecting you or saving you from 

• Don't count the days make the days count 

LOVE,

Jim and Kelly 

March 24, 2017

Yes, Jim and I are still actually adopting! Adoption is a LONG process! As most of you know our adoption was slowed when Jim took a job as a full time college coach at Ottawa University in Kansas. We recently updated our home study and gained immigration approval! After talking with our social worker at All God's Children today, we learned that our paperwork is in Pierre's hands in Burundi. That means he's working on the translation of the documents in hopes to be ready for the next committee meeting! So what are the next steps? How much longer? Here is what we found out today:

The Central Authority, committee that meets to place eligible children for adoption, meets quarterly. During that meeting, the committee looks over the paperwork of all waiting families and places them accordingly with eligible children. Not certain how many referrals are made during each meeting. Families have waited as little as 3 months, but as long as 15 months to be placed with a child. Once you are placed with a child, you are allowed to send gifts and pictures to him/her. It's currently taking 10 months from referral acceptance to travel, they are hoping to see that drop to 6 months. So basically our home study is in the hands of the Central Authority. We just have to patiently wait for them to match us with the perfect little guy or girl! The patient part is way easier said then done (ask Jim how crazy I've been driving him and the wait is really just beginning). We are hoping 2.5 years is the max amount of time we'll have to wait, but as our social worker stated today, the time frames are really just estimates. They (All God's Child) has no say in the speed of the process. They are in communication with Pierre daily receiving updates!

Pros- This gives us relief and plenty of time to continue to pay off the money we borrowed to make the 2nd payment, save for the 3rd and final payment, as well we save for our trip!

Cons- The wait!

What can you do? If you're the praying kind, please pray for our patience through this process to know that it's really in his timing. God will ensure we get placed with the most beautiful and perfect little guy or gal when the time is right!


You have no idea how much we LOVE and APPRECIATE each of you! A lot has happened in the past year and a half, but we know not only is our marriage stronger, but we're ready to be parents!


                   LOVE,
             Jim and Kelly

September 1, 2015

Jim and I are so excited to announce that our home study has finally been approved! We are now on the home stretch of our paperwork and preparing to file our immigration documents!  We continue to feel incredibly blessed throughout this entire process. It's hard to believe that we started this journey just 5 months ago!!! We need to make our next payment when we file our paperwork. We're sooooo close! We still have 140 puzzle pieces that are looking for sponsors for $30.00 a piece. Let us know if you want to help out! 

                     Love,
                Jim and Kelly

August 17, 2015


Jim and I are working hard to get the rest of our paperwork finished up. We are working on the final corrections for our home study, so this piece of our adoption process can be completed! All God's Children International (AGCI) has a goal for our paperworDok and 2nd payment to be submitted by September 14th. We are on track with the paperwork and getting there with the payment. We excited to announced that we have raised/saved $11,000 of the $15,500 needed for that payment thanks to the generosity of many of our friends and family as well as the diligent saving and cutting back that we've done.

2 Corinthians 9:15   Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

We, well I should say I'm getting  beyond anxious for this process to keep moving! Jim continues to keep me grounded on the realistic length of our adoption process. We feel so incredibly blessed that God is giving us the opportunity to be parents to some little Burundian girl or boy across the ocean! It's almost surreal to think the hardest part of our adoption process is almost over! Our paperwork has taken a lot of time and dedication. This is the largest of the three payments that we must make! (Praise the Lord!)

We ultimately know our adoption process is in his speed. We appreciate the continued prayers and support as we approach our big deadline of September 14th.

 Philippians 4:6  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God

Love,

Jim and Kelly