We finished up with our fingerprinting last week and are waiting for final CIS approval, which allows up to bring our newly adopted child into the USA. Once our approval is given we will put it in our dossier. Our dossier (the massive document containing our last 9 months of paperwork!) is already authenticated and just awaiting a few more final documents. Then it will be sent off to some federal agency (I forget where), the Rwanda Embassy in the US, then to Rwanda for their approval. Our "paper chase" is almost done... and "the wait" will begin.
One of my favorite adoption/parenting books is The Connected Child by Dr. Purvis and Dr. Sunshine (don't you just love that last name). If you haven't read it and plan to adopt or are a relative/close friend of someone adopting it is an almost mandatory read... especially if you are adopting an orphan from another county or a child through the foster care system. Dr. Puvis has now helped develop additional resources through Empowered to Connect! I am so excited about their new study guide: Created to Connect: A Christian's Guide to the Connected Child! You can download the free study guide from this link and view the videos on line. If you sign up for their emails you will get occasional videos/articles on related adoption stuff. They also are having an upcoming conference in Nashville, TN. I would love to be lucky enough to go!! Our church is also in the editing stages of producing an adoption small group study- I can't wait for it to be completed!
Now we are off to an family picnic with other families from church who have adopted or are in the process of adopting. It is so great to have a church family that supports adoption and is cultivating an adoption culture. It's so important to have a support system and knowledgeable resources available.
