I guess the Durango was feeling a little neglected, and decided to compete for our attention and financial resources by killing off its transmission this week. Yep. Which completely destroys my "the truck's a much wiser choice for now than a minivan (even though the van is WAY more accessible for kids) because it is more durable and the higher gas costs are offset by having fewer repairs" theory.
And so continues my 2008 lesson in never having an opinion or prediction or expectation or theory about how anything "works" in this world or what is "meant to be" (such as, "Gatsby can't possibly be deathly ill, because Phineas JUST died & it would be too coincidental for both dogs to die in less than two months", or "this adoption process will be exactly what we pictured, even if it goes slower than expected", or "of course my thesis will be done without another extension so that we can move on with life, adoption, etc." [ok, that one I did doubt...often], and then of course the vehicle theories...). But I think I get the point. And really, I'm pretty good at keeping busy and productive without all these extras! The good news is, this stuff might have been super-stressful a few years back, but I think I'm much better at taking things in stride now, and so (at the moment), I really am just smiling and shaking my head...and then on we go...
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Here Goes...
Well folks, we seem to be making haste toward Ghana. It is so difficult to make these decisions, but it seemed clear after talking with our agency and seeing some of the connections with Ghana emerge in talking with people we know, that this is the direction for us. We hope to have our file off to Ghana in early January, once our homestudy and Ontario approval are complete.
The Ghana process is similar to the Ethiopia process, in that we don't travel until after court AND until after the permanent resident visas are issued. This does mean a little longer wait before we meet our children than it would in the Zambia program, but also means that there is little uncertainty about our length of stay in-country (unlike Zambia, where length of stay would have depended on the unpredictable time between court and visa issuance). Travel to Ghana only needs to be 7-10 days or so, but we would like to aim for about 3 weeks to experience the country a little better.
We have been so thankful the way things have come together to point us toward Ghana - it is reassuring having that sense of heading in the right direction.
The Ghana process is similar to the Ethiopia process, in that we don't travel until after court AND until after the permanent resident visas are issued. This does mean a little longer wait before we meet our children than it would in the Zambia program, but also means that there is little uncertainty about our length of stay in-country (unlike Zambia, where length of stay would have depended on the unpredictable time between court and visa issuance). Travel to Ghana only needs to be 7-10 days or so, but we would like to aim for about 3 weeks to experience the country a little better.
We have been so thankful the way things have come together to point us toward Ghana - it is reassuring having that sense of heading in the right direction.
Ghana Orphanage
Here's the link to the organization our agency is partnering with in Ghana, which runs the orphanage in Accra where children will be coming from:
www.handsmercy.com
www.handsmercy.com
Sunday, 23 November 2008
Gathering Momentum...Things are Happening!
Well, we are ready to move on and move forward.
We are very thankful that in June 2008, our agency announced a new adoption program in partnership with Ghana. This week we will be looking further into this possibility. International adoption has been happening in Ghana for a while, although the program is new to our agency. So far, the process appears fairly stable, and we very much look forward to learning more about the country and its people.
It was very affirming this morning at church to talk with a couple, originally from Sierra Leone, who both lived in Ghana before coming to Canada. They were very enthusiastic about the country, and are happy to have us consult with them along the way. They described Ghana as a beautiful, friendly, and well-developed country. Good friends of ours also have missionary friends in Ghana, and so we are beginning to see some connections building there, which is encouraging. While we had originally been expecting to go ahead with the Zambia program, we believe that moving forward with Ghana is the best and most exciting fit for us - we remain very confident about our decision to adopt, and about seeing how things unfold in the coming months.
We will certainly keep you posted!
We are very thankful that in June 2008, our agency announced a new adoption program in partnership with Ghana. This week we will be looking further into this possibility. International adoption has been happening in Ghana for a while, although the program is new to our agency. So far, the process appears fairly stable, and we very much look forward to learning more about the country and its people.
It was very affirming this morning at church to talk with a couple, originally from Sierra Leone, who both lived in Ghana before coming to Canada. They were very enthusiastic about the country, and are happy to have us consult with them along the way. They described Ghana as a beautiful, friendly, and well-developed country. Good friends of ours also have missionary friends in Ghana, and so we are beginning to see some connections building there, which is encouraging. While we had originally been expecting to go ahead with the Zambia program, we believe that moving forward with Ghana is the best and most exciting fit for us - we remain very confident about our decision to adopt, and about seeing how things unfold in the coming months.
We will certainly keep you posted!
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
One Thing Down...!!!
At long, long last, the master's thesis has been successfully defended! And now that means we can focus a lot more on adoption preparation and planning. SUCH a lovely thing to know that school is out of the way and won't be getting mucked up with the adoption process. Yay!
Friday, 7 November 2008
Hanging In & Keeping Up
Well, the usual questions about when we expect things to start moving along for our adoption keep coming. And the answer is still that we just sit tight...for a little while. It seems harder for others to accept the unknowns than it is for us, I think.
And never fear...we're still knee-deep in a few of the things that need to be "of the past" before we will feel truly ready to put all of our energies into adoption planning and referrals. If all goes well, that thesis of mine will hopefully be all done in about 3 weeks.
This week, we've been getting acquainted with our new little niece, who was born November 2 (contemplated, conceived, carried, and born in much less time, I might add, than we have been working on this adoption). She's quite lovely, and we're glad she's nearby & will be a big part of our lives!
And never fear...we're still knee-deep in a few of the things that need to be "of the past" before we will feel truly ready to put all of our energies into adoption planning and referrals. If all goes well, that thesis of mine will hopefully be all done in about 3 weeks.
This week, we've been getting acquainted with our new little niece, who was born November 2 (contemplated, conceived, carried, and born in much less time, I might add, than we have been working on this adoption). She's quite lovely, and we're glad she's nearby & will be a big part of our lives!
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