Wow! it has been a while since I updated the blog. We have been very busy with all of the paperwork and training required for the home study and the Colombia program at CHSFS. I have to admit that we were often very discouraged while we worked through the training and reading material. It can be overwhelming and there were several times when we just had to take a break from it for a few days. It is very easy to loose the sense of urgency and excitement when it seems that every question is the same only slightly re-worded. Even after we had turned in all of our paperwork, we were asked by CHSFS to do some additional reading and answer questions on the adoption of an older child. Initially we did not give this area of training much thought since we felt that the questions applied to children older than we would be adopting. The two books that we were asked to read were Toddler Adoption: The Weaver's Craft and The Connected Child: Bring hope and healing to your adoptive family. We were initially very frustrated to have to do the additional reading. Looking back now we have a much better understanding of the potential issues with adopting a toddler or older child than before. I read Toddler Adoption while Kristi read The Connected Child. The books have really opened our eyes to the emotional and psychological damage that can be done to a child (even an infant) who lacks a consistent caregiver or who has been neglected. I highly recommend the Toddler Adoption book for anyone adopting no matter the age of the child.
     As of this week we have been officially approved for the CHSFS Colombia program! We are now in the process of preparing our I-800A and additional documents for our dossier. It finally feels like we are gaining some momentum and the initial excitement and passion have been rekindled.
     I spoke with the Colombia adoption coordinator at CHSFS yesterday and we have been matched with the Ayudame Casa Privada. This is great news since Ayudame is located in Bogotá. We were hoping for an adoption house in Bogotá since we already have some connections there. Hopefully it will be possible for me to visit Ayudame on one of my visits to Bogotá. From what I can tell, Ayudame is a fairly large private adoption house so maybe that will mean a shorter waiting period.
     We are going to try and update the blog more often but please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as our journey continues.