Q&A's

We have had a lot of people ask us questions regarding the adoption process and such, so I thought it'd be easier to just address those questions here.  If anybody has any other questions, I'd be happy to answer those as well.

Q: How long does the whole process take?
A: That is really hard to predict.  We are told it could take anywhere from 4 months to 12+ months. Since we are attempting to bypass the whole referral process by adopting children that we have specifically inquired about, we can probably expect things to go quicker.  Still, it's a long, detailed process that can be unpredictable.  If I were to make a guess, I would say that we could have them home this summer.  

Q: What can you tell us about the kids you are adopting?
A:  There's certain information that I'm not supposed to post online.  I can't post pictures until we are further in the the process.  I can tell you that we have given them American names and their Ethiopian names will be used as their middle names.  Of course, we will let them choose what they go by.  Their birth names are difficult to spell and pronounce and we thought it would make their life in america a little easier if they had american names as well.  We have chosen Nyah and Nathaniel.  They both have very appropriate meanings. The kids got to help pick their names and I think they are perfect.  Nyah is 7, although she could be closer to six.  People in Ethiopia don't keep track of birth dates and it's common for the orphanages and doctors to have to work together to come up with an estimated age.  These estimates are based on medical and dental exams.  She is described by her caregivers as sweet, cheerful and very protective of her little brother.  She is in overall good health with no major medial issues.
Nathaniel is 5 but could be closer to 4.  He is described as playful but also a little shy.  He too is in overall good health.

Q: Do you worry about the cultural differences and language barrier?
A: Of course we worry about that.  But, we are going to do our best to make sure that their transition here isn't too overwhelming. We will work together as a family to make sure that they feel comfortable and are able to keep some of their cultural traditions.  We will make sure they always know that where they came from is a huge part of who they are and we love that about them.  We are already researching the types of foods they are probably used to eating and hopefully I can perfect at least one recipe before they get here. I'm pretty sure if they came here and ate the crap that my kids eat, their systems would be shocked!  We are working on making diet changes now.  As far as language goes, they most likely speak Ahmaric.  I haven't researched that language yet and I'm also not sure if they have been exposed to the English language at all.  Either way, we will do our best to teach them our language and I've heard that children learn quickly.  It should be interesting.

Q: Why wouldn't you just adopt from your own country? Aren't there thousands of kids here that need help?
A: This questions kind of bugs me. True, there are countless numbers of children here that need homes.  But, really, how do you gauge where the greatest need is?  It bothers me when people say, "We need to help our own."  What do they mean by "our own?"  Aren't we ALL God's children?  Does He see boundaries and borders?  I don't doubt that there are horrible, destitute and poverty stricken situations for children in America.  That goes without saying.  I will say (and I'm sure this will cause controversy) that the most poverty stricken situation in America is still better than the conditions that children in Ethiopia are living in.  At least if you live in American, you have a CHANCE.  At least you have access to decent medical care and the opportunity to have better.  There isn't even a CHANCE for that in other parts of the world.  I'll leave it at that.
Q: How expensive is it?
A: Very. We haven't come up with a total yet but it looks like it could total more than 30K.  A large portion of the expense is for travel.  We have to make 2 separate trips to Ethiopia and plane tickets are very expensive. We are a bit overwhelmed by the financial strain, but we are praying for a miracle.  That is definitely what it's going to take. 

Q: What do your kids think about it?
A: They are very excited!  It was really important that all the kids were on board.  This was a FAMILY decision and it had to be approved by the kids.  They are aware that it is going to be a big sacrifice for them too. They will have to give up a lot for these children and all of them are willing to do that.

Q: How will they fit in to your community where there tends to still be a racial stigma?
A: This was actually a big one for us.  If we were still living in AZ, this would not even be an issue.  The truth is, there are still quite a few people in these parts that have unkind and downright racist attitudes.  I have only personally seen a couple of instances that were negative and a little shocking.  It really bothered me. Overall, people are tolerant and accepting of those from other races. The ideas and stigmas definitely vary depending on what part of town you live in.  I worry a little about how they will fit in to the schools our kids go to with 90% of the school population being white.  But, we both feel strongly that this could be good for our community.  I hope that they are accepted and loved regardless of their skin color. Plus, I fear for any person who messes with my kid.  You can mess with me, but don't you dare mess with my kid!

Q: What will you do about a vehicle?
A: Honestly, this is the least of our worries right now.  I will say that I refuse to drive one of those huge JonandKateplus8 type vans.  We will most likely try to get a 9 passenger SUV and get creative or just take 2 cars wherever we go.  We'll figure it out.  I'm really not worried about that.  Yet.

Q: Will you have enough room in your house?
A:  Luckily our house is fairly big.  We will have to do some rearranging and modifying, but I think we'll be just fine.  

Hopefully that answers some of your questions.  Feel free to ask me any questions you might have and I'll do my best to answer.