What to Expect When You're Adopting From Haiti - Compiling the Dossier

We are on step 6 of adopting from Haiti!  Here are the steps we've completed so far:

1. Decide to adopt - 6 months
2. Decide to adopt from Haiti - 1 month
3. Choose an agency to work with - 2 days
4. Apply to an agency and be accepted - 5 days
5. Send in agency fee - 3 days
6. Compile dossier - 

We are in the throws of compiling our life and what everyone thinks of us on paper, which also needs to be notarized and certified and authenticated (in some states) before it is translated, sealed and delivered to Haiti.  Yikes.  My 1 1/2 inch pretty binder is not going to be big enough.

But I'm in my element in this.  I love organizing and doing paperwork.  (I know that seems crazy to a lot of people!)  I have found my niche here, people!  :)

What to Expect with This Step

1. Paperwork - and lots of it.  Birth/marriage certificates, autobiographies, references, clearances, etc. all need to be compiled.
2. Exams from several different professionals saying we are fit to parent.
3. Getting to know a notary very well.  Our notary is about to be my new best friend.
4. For this step to take approximately 2-6 months to complete. 

The Risks Of This Step

1. Haiti is not a Hague Accredited country.  In short, the Hague Convention (and resulting treaty) asserts regulations to limit child trafficking as much as possible.  They enforce laws in regard to adoption that are tight and require a lot of leg work - this is all very good.  Haiti desires to be a Hague country and the governing body there has signed the treaty but not yet ratified it.  What that means is the second they decide to ratify, all new dossier acceptances stop until the ratification process is complete - which took the United States, a first world country, 15 years to complete.  Our dossier can't reach Haiti until August when I turn 35 (one of the requirements of adopting from Haiti).  So, we need this treaty to not be ratified until after our dossier is well into the governing body of Haiti (IBESR).
2. We just heard today that Haiti is not accepting new dossiers until June 1.  I'm praying this won't mean that they are stopping from accepting dossiers all together.
3. The home study.  I'm not sure what constitutes failing a home study, but a licensed agency in Pennsylvania needs to say we are fit to parent and our home and environment are fit to parent in.  If we don't pass this step, we're out.

 Now that I've brought you all this information and joy, here's the relational part.

I'm scared.  I've always been a fearful person.  I saw yesterday in a very simple matter how I am so very much like a child.  If I don't get my way, I am UPSET.  I mean, temper tantrum upset.  It really isn't pretty at all in my head.  I automatically question God's love for me as soon as I'm not getting my way about something - and I do it in anger!

In my life, fear typically presents itself in anger.  When someone scares me in jest my first reaction is to hit them.  It's like a powerful, emotive response.  I'm scared --> I'm angry.

So, when I believe something is out of my control and that God doesn't have my back, I get scared and automatically revert to anger.

I know how I'm going to feel if this falls apart.  I'm going to be scared that I've failed from this calling somehow.  That I've done something to Him and that He is disappointed in me.  And then I'll get angry.  I've seen it before in my life and I'm not excited to see it again.

I know getting my own way all the time is not good for me, just as it is not good for my children.  I know, also, that if this does not work out, He will have something else for me, for us.  At least, I pray He does. 

I have so much to learn and I'm thankful that this process is going to be one of those ways to learn those things.

Thank you for your prayers and support, friends.  We have been so joyfully surprised at the wonderful comments and encouragements we have received from you since our announcement.  We're so grateful!

Love,
Karyn