Travel not likely at this time

One step forward and two steps back seems to be the theme of international adoption. Knowing this is common for all who pursue this route helps keep me sane. I've learned to be skeptical when I think I've heard good news. Our possible trip may not happen right now, because our agency doesn't feel a meeting with the Committee will be productive at this time. Our lawyer who we were asked to hire thinks otherwise. Now what? I don't want to do something rash, but Josh and I don't want to jeopardize the progress our lawyer has made this summer. Our agency thinks it is more a matter of adopting children with US families than it is a personal one.

If I could ask for specific prayer it would be this: that a meeting would be formed very soon between our agency and the Head of the Ministry in Estonia. That she would travel here because that would allow us easier travel to go and meet with her. That they will start working together as a team, just as things were with the former Head of the Ministry, who we met with in January.

On another note, we've been reading a great book called, Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child, by Patty Cogen. I can't believe the way it's opened my eyes and changed my mind set towards post adoption. For example: it gives ideas on the "three-photo story journey" to teaching identity, why holidays and "Gotcha" day can be especially confusing and difficult for an adopted child, etc. It hasn't scared me out of adoption, but it's opened my eyes to the realities of attachment...that we may work for years just to build small things like the eye-contact/connection a birth mother and child form in a matter of days or months. That we will have to do all the activities and games mentioned in the book x 3. We will have to be sooo intentional about the time we spend with each child doing these bonding activities. It's no wonder they recommend staying at home with your child for a year, which is something we plan to do...some how. This book has been a great resource to help prepare us for what we can do starting Day One of adoption. It has made me feel that although it will be exhausting and difficult, it is still something we really want, and more importantly that we will be able to do it (with the support we working on having in place). I'm glad I have been reading this book. I'm not even finished with it yet, and I'm sure I will be reading it over and over. Thank you for the recommendation, Janie! :)

I think the ideas in this book are great for any parent to read. It has great reviews on how it's helped many families. You don't have to be adopting internationally. If you are looking for a way to support a friend or family member, I would suggest reading this book along with them. I can't put enough value on the idea of having a friend who understands this side of adoption.

Early Fall Updates

I want to litter this blog post with crazy-exciting news about our adoption. But we will all just have to settle for a little hope, at least for the time being. It’s been a while, so I'll recap:

May- I was learning to cope with disappointment, and the realization that I wouldn’t spend my summer being a Mommy to three incredible little boys...perhaps not ever. Josh and I were also coming to realize that we wouldn’t hear any news until fall as to whether or not our adoption case could be settled.

June- I gained a new peace about everything, knowing that God will fight for us (see June blog post). I learned I don’t have to feel good about what is happening to have peace about being where God wants Josh and I to be.

Summer: Got to spend a lot of time near home working on Mind, Body, and Soul. Yep-hit all three this summer. Thank you, to all the amazing women who poured into me these last few months when I was on empty. Words will never describe the love I’ve felt from God through you all. I also spent a lot of time helping out friends and the community, but managed to get some deep cleaning and organization in there, too, and I've read almost 10 books! I took a week-long teaching seminar, and made some new goals for a fresh, new school year. I am very excited to greet my new second graders this week. Was this my usual, adventurous summer? No, and I truly missed it, but I know this is where God wanted me to be instead, and I can say I am (for once) ready to go back to school.

In July, we got a hopeful email from our lawyer in Estonia! Josh and I were both pleasantly surprised as the ruling of our current appeal to the Supreme Court in Estonia probably won’t be determined until September or October.

The International Adoptions Committee was considering the idea of having us back to discuss reconsideration for our adoption case!! However, once we scrambled to see if plans could be made in summer (when I was off from school), we learned everyone there went on vacation for the entire month of July. Last week, we were finally given the option to schedule a time to come back for a meeting/hearing. This is one of our answered prayers, though the timing is not convenient, as I am about to welcome a new class of students in two days. Leaving them right now would be difficult, but Josh and I can’t pass up an opportunity to fight for our boys. Before we spend money on travel plans, we are waiting on hearing more about what a meeting will entail. This way we hope to negotiate time to present our case and post-adoption support plan before the Committee.

This is still a high-risk situation. We very well could go back and be denied a second time by the Committee and new Head of the Ministry who took over in March. Our agency thinks if we wait things out until the end of the year, things will change for us and a few other families, who are also having similar trouble with adopting children in Estonia. Josh and I aren't really sure how certain this possibility is. 

We need continued prayer for wisdom, but we are feeling sure we will be traveling back there, and hopefully soon if I can work it out with school. We’ll keep you all updated. And now for some other great news: We just recently checked into our Lifesong/Both Hands fundraising account, and we now have over $10,000 combined w/ Lifesong’s matching grant to be used on finalizing adoption! Wow! Can you believe how remarkable that is? This brings us so much closer to our (unfortunately increasing) fundraising goal. With extra travel involved, we are still in need of funding, though we know at this point a loan will be necessary. We will be setting something up with the bank soon. The closer we can get towards our $50.000 goal before this point, the better. This is proof that your friends and family are donating through the Both Hands website, folks! Thanks for sharing our story and Miss Helen’s. There is no deadline, so if you could continue to share the link with those you know, I am certain God will continue to work in their hearts as he already has for so many, which has in turn, encouraged us to keep persevering. We’ve got many thank-yous to hand out!

Click here for info on how to share the video to help support our adoption. 

Our personal fundraising page: http://bothhandsfoundation.org/josh-and-jen-prusha.aspx 

 With Love,

Josh and Jen