Hello family and friends,
It has been 5 months since I posted here. This adoption process has been very discouraging, and it has been hard keeping our spirits high in the midst of so much disappointment. We were told that when our dossier was sent to India on June 23 - it would be an 8-16 week wait to receive our NOC (Non Objectionable Clearance). It has been over 29 weeks!!!
Just today (before I got the news), I was sharing with the ladies in my Bible study what's been going on in my heart. We were talking about what it means to have Faith. It really hit home when we were reminded that Noah was told to build an ark - in which he built for 110 years!!! Not only did he build for 110 years, but he did so in an area of the world that had rarely if ever even seen rain!! He trusted the Lord for 110 years that His plan was "higher" than his own. Even when he didn't understand, he kept his faith, plugged onward, and in the end, he triumphed. Wow - putting that in perspective, we have ONLY been waiting for just over 3 years!!
Though we have now been "approved", our file has to now be approved in the Indian court system. It usually takes them 1-2 weeks to file for court, then it takes another 8-16 weeks to be approved through the courts. That is merely a formality, our real approval was our NOC clearance, but with our court approval - our little Kahlia will officially be ours. Then it will be another 3ish weeks for the approval here in the states. Once that is approved - we will be cleared to make travel arrangements to finally pick up our little girl.
To give a little update, Shakti (Kahlia) turned one on September 25. We received our last update right around her birthday, and she was only 13 pounds and barely sitting up. She is very weak, and very much in need of heart surgery ASAP!
Our kids pray for her literally every day, it has been such a blessing for us to watch our children grow in their own faith as they go through this heart wrenching process right along with us. Makenna will be 7 in a few months - she was only 3 when we started this adoption journey.
Now that we have HOPE, there is real progress moving forward, I will be more active in my posts so all of you can stay "updated" on our progress as we get closer and closer to bringing our little girl home. Thank you all for your prayers and support. What a blessing to us!!! :-)
Love,
Michelle
It is here that I've been documenting our adoption story. It was a discouraging journey for many years, but we are now in the midst of an amazing story. Kahlia has blessed us beyond words. She has filled our hearts completely with who God made her to be, and none of us could imagine our life with out her. We are now a family of six and continue on with the journey we call LIFE. Colossians 1:17 - He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
