5 Million Minus 1

First, the good...

Natalie and I travelled to Louisville last Friday (11/6) to attend the one year anniversary celebration of Arise Adoptions Inc (http://www.ariseadoptions.org/). In their first year of operation, Arise was able to bring 35 children home to 25 families. How amazing is that? We were able to meet with Susan, the director, and meet many of the families that have used Arise.

After the celebration, we went out to dinner with Paul, Bethany, Camden, and Lincoln (http://carmadann.blogspot.com/). We were able to ask them questions about the adoption process and spend some time with their newly-adopted sons. They are two of the sweetest and coolest kids I have met. Lincoln or "Baby" as he is called loves to eat, so he sat next to me at dinner and coerced me into giving him some of my food! After this night, Natalie and I knew that adoption from Ethiopia is in our NEAR future. It confirmed all of our feelings.

We decided that we want to work with Arise especially when we discovered they can help us even if we leave KY (which is a distinct possibility with Natalie's impending residency). We scrounged together some money and completed our application. It will be mailed to Susan at Arise in the next few days!!! I hope they like us.

And the bad...

Natalie and I are starting to realize what a massive undertaking international adoption really is. I have been down in the dumps for the past two days when I think of the huge amount of money it costs to adopt. Natalie will be a doctor in one month but she doesn't get paid like a doctor yet and will not for six more years. This makes paying for an adoption very difficult. The only thing keeping me sane is knowing that if God wants this adoption to happen, my lack of funds cannot and will not stop it! Also, the amount of paperwork involved is mind-blowing. I wish that teenage boys and girls had to fill out these forms before they could have children. This mountain of paperwork would be instant birth control.