Colombia or Bust!

You may be wondering why we've chosen international adoption over domestic or how we settled on Colombia. Here's a few quick facts:

Our love began internationally!

When we were at Taylor, we went on a missions trip together which is where our relationship really began.

We both lived abroad in South America.

Also during our college careers, we each lived abroad either to study or student teach. The two countries we lived in were Ecuador and Peru, both of which border Colombia. For this fact alone, we felt like we had a better understanding of similar cultures to Colombia. We both speak some Spanish as well.

We aren't closed off to the idea of domestic adoption...

But at the same time, our hearts are just drawn towards international. We love the concept of having a family that is diverse and is a picture of Heaven. In Revelation 7:9-10, it says:

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Colombia has the shortest wait time for bringing your child home.

Andy and I are still fairly young, but adoptions do take time. In addition to feeling drawn to the Colombia program because of our international experience and Spanish-speaking abilities, we also chose Colombia because it has the shortest wait time between contract signing and bringing the child home. It still will take about two-three years before it's all finished, but that will put us at 32 & 34 years old, with a child who is 2-3 years of age.

Colombia is also the cheapest option.

While it feels a little callous to talk about the price of adoption, it's a serious factor we considered in making our decision. Andy and I both work in the not-for-profit world. Realistically, we knew that it would actually be irresponsible to spend beyond our means before the child is even in our home. We took a look at our finances and factored in the adoption cost plus the general cost of raising children. And, as many of you know, it ain't cheap! Again, we are confident the Lord will provide every penny we need - and we've already seen evidence of that.

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We have done a bit of research and settled on adopting through All God's Children International (AGCI). We are in the very early stages of what could be 2 years of paperwork, interviews, travel, and more paperwork. Here’s the typical timeline for a Colombian adoption with AGCI:

· Apply for adoption

· Create dossier (family portfolio): Within 90 days of application, pay for your dossier to be compiled. This can take about 6 months. We’ll have a home study, psych evaluations, write letters, be interviewed, etc. Then the package will be translated and sent to Colombia. (We’re about to begin this step.)

· Wait for a referral: This process could take 6-18 months.

· Travel to Colombia: We are expected to go to Colombia to meet our child and stay in the country with the child for 8-21 days. While there, we will be interviewed by government officials, receive court approval, obtain birth certificates and passports, apply for an adoption visa, etc.

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We would encourage you to help us if you can; I’ve listed some ways for you to get “involved” below:

• Pray for financial provision – we have not entered this process lightly. It is not cheap, but we know the Lord will provide!

• Pray for energy and peace – we are about to go through an extensive and vulnerable process. We hope that we will have comfort through it all, knowing that God gives us strength for each day.

• Read – there are tons of resources out there about adoption and specifically international adoption! Here are some recommendations:

1. In On It: What Adoptive Parents Would Like You to Know About Adoption. A Guide for Relatives and Friends

2. Raising Adopted Children

3. Thicker Than Blood

4. "Are Those Kids Yours?"

There are many more! AGCI has many resources listed on their website as well.

• Talk with us – we are more than happy to answer your questions to help you better understand our motivations, our joys, and our disappointments.

• Join in the journey – I’ve created this blog to update periodically during the process. I’d love for you to subscribe so you don't miss the latest news!

We're really excited, and hope you are too!