Don't be put off by my experience with Bulgaria!

It occurred to me that there may be some reading my frustrations and thinking "Well, I will not be adopting from Bulgaria! It takes too long!". The fact is, it does take a while, but not really much longer than a lot of international adoptions.

One reason ours took so long is because we had trouble finding a social worker who could do a homestudy for Bulgaria and that would do one for 2 unrelated children. So our homestudy that should have been completed in only 3-4 months ended up taking 6! Our homestudy was done in August. We traveled on trip one in only 5 months from that date of completion. God willing, trip 2 will not take longer than May to happen. So in 9 months from the date of our homestudy, there is a good chance the girls will be home.

Any extra wait/delay in an adoption journey is paramount to a huge disaster! Perfectly normal to feel this way! After all we are fighting to bring children home and into a Christian family! No amount of time is quick enough.... :)

Waiting is part of the adoption journey, delays are a common part of it, frustration and sometimes heartbreak are also included, but you know what? So is JOY beyond your greatest imaginings my friends. So are MIRACLES that you will ONLY see as you follow the PATHS GOD HAS SET BEFORE YOU! And so is the freedom to hear the laughter of a child to long in the dark, to long absent, to long without the love of a family, to long alone.... and now free, as the "ransom" has been paid! Which way will the scales tip for you? Are you brave enough to choose suffering now for greater joy in the end? For the assurance of seeing GOD like you have NOT seen Him before? For the chance to save the life of an innocent child?

It's worth it my friends! Embrace the frustrations, waits, heartaches, sufferings... and in the end GOD will BLESS you with HIS greatest gifts. A CHILD created intimately by HIM! WHAT a GIFT! :)