Adoption Timeline

This is the whole story. You may want to grab a cup of coffee and hang out for a while. :)






May 2004~God opened our eyes to adoption when some friends of ours adopted their son from Guatemala. We began praying and talking about adoption.

July 10, 2007~I heard an adoption story that changed my heart and my life

August 2007~ We began researching agencies

Sept 2007-Dec 2008~ We thought God was calling us to South America but as He closed one door after another He continued to show us that we needed to press on in our search for a way to serve Him through adoption

Jan 2009~ We began the process of foster to adopt

March 2009~ We pulled out of the program, just not feeling it was right for us

April 2009-April 2010~ We continued to pray and ask God for guidance on our journey. We were beginning to get discouraged. Our hearts were longing for this adoption to become a reality. 

May 2010~ I finally contacted a woman who I had been referred to years before, regarding domestic adoption. I always thought that domestic adoption wouldn't be for us because we already had biological children. When I met with her one of the first questions she had for me was, "Are you open to any racial background?" My answer, "Absolutely!" Then she told me that African American males are the hardest type of children to place in America. :( She referred us to a small adoption agency in Macon that I had heard about only days before from our county foster care office. 

May 2010 (Later that same day)- We decided to begin our homestudy and pursue an African American domestic adoption. After hearing their name twice in a week, we decided that God was steering us in the direction of Covenant Care Services. 


June 2010~ Working on homestudy paperwork 

July 2010~ Working on paperwork, collecting documents, dr's visits, etc 

Aug 2010 ~ Adoption seminar at our agency. Also working on our birthmom profiles. 

Sept 2010/Oct 2010~ While we were waiting on a form from DFCS, we had a yard sale at our house to benefit the adoption. Many friends donated items to sell. We raised about $400! On the 2nd day of the sale, I got a phone call from a couple at church who had recently lost their first grandchild to an early miscarriage. They decided that they wanted to honor that child and donate towards our adoption. They took the items that didn't sell, collected more donated items and had a sale at their house a couple of weeks later. Our friends and family rallied and raised over $1000 for our adoption!!! One precious little 4 year old girl raised over $50 selling baked goods and lemonade. They even ran the sale without us on the first day because we had our 2nd seminar at our adoption agency. I signed up for an adoption retreat for Feb 2011. I only knew one person going, I had no roommates, but Tim and I really felt God calling me to go. and He would work out the details.  He did and within a few days of signing up, I found two  girls from NM to room with.


Nov 2010-We had our last meeting with our agency and turned in our profiles. We were officially waiting to be matched. We send out letters to a few different grant and loan ministries that help finance adoption. We diligently prayed that God would put us where the greatest need was. 



Dec 4, 2010- Spoke with a friend who was adopting independently from Uganda. After discussing things with her, we began to pray about the children in Uganda. 


Dec 22, 2010- We contacted an attorney and a baby home in Uganda, and began updating our home study. This also began the time of year when Tim is home most of the time. We always have more time to talk in the winter. 


Jan 4, 2011- We found out that all of the babies at this particular home were matched. We were put on a waiting list. We kept praying that God would show us where the need was. 


Jan. 5, 2011- Found out about another baby home that may be looking for families. 


Jan 8, 2011-I spent about 45 min talking with a director of a baby home. She had two little boys that would be perfect for us. She was a Godly woman, who encouraged me greatly. But there was something in my heart that felt uneasy. We kept praying, "Lord, we want to obey and be where the need is." Is it Uganda? After being snowed in for a few days, we were looking for anything to keep busy and we found out a movie was coming about adoption. Change of Plans. The plot involved a woman and her husband taking in orphans from a couple who were in a plane crash. What we didn't know was that they were missionaries in
.....................Uganda. 


Jan 20, 2011- Uganda homestudy is done. On the way to pick it up, I received a call from our domestic agency about a possible match. We prayed through it and quickly came to the decision that we were not the baby's forever family. 


Jan 23, 2011- We received an email from the baby home in Uganda informing us that they were taking us off the waiting list as they would no longer be doing independent adoptions. They directed us to the attorney (the same one we were in contact with already) and the agency they would be using. We decided not to sign with the agency just yet. We prayed that God would show us where the greatest need for our family was. We believed God would guide us. 


Jan 28, 2011- We decided that we would accept boy/girl twins. We have always wanted twins or siblings. But since we already have so many girls, up to that point, our heart had been only for boys. But God changed that and I emailed our domestic agency to let them know that in the rare case that they got a call about boy/girl twins, we would be interested. 


Jan 31, 2011- I received an email from my friend that said, "Are you interested in 18 month old boy/girl twins from Ug*nda?" I was standing in the kitchen and I heard the email alert on my phone. I read the email and responded "YES!!" Then I looked at Tim and told him what it said. :) He said, "You said yes right?" He was headed to take Madison to karate, and I told him I would let him know as soon as I heard something. My friend emailed me with the name of an agency and a contact. It was the same agency that the baby home we were waiting with before was now using. Interesting. The director of the program got back to me quickly and told me that there was one piece of paperwork still to be done, but there were no families with the agency ready to take these babies. Because we had updated our home study earlier in the month, we were ready. We went back and forth a bit about the babies and the process and then she sent the financial paperwork. Tim has always said we couldn't move forward if we didn't have the money in the bank. So when he got home, I showed him the paperwork. And he said to me, "I believe that God is asking us to step out in faith." 


Feb. 1, 2011~ Still being in his slow time at work, he was able to hang out with me for a couple of hours while Vivian went to her weekly classes. So we sat and had coffee and talked about all the variables. We would need to sign up with this agency but what if the twins aren't adoptable? So we made the decision that we would proceed only if we could hold off on signing up with them until the paperwork was official. We thought that might be a deal breaker. It wasn't. They agreed to let us wait. Later that evening, we saw their faces for the first time!!!


Feb. 3, 2011- We needed to apply to the agency and send in a $300 application fee. I was working on that paperwork while also working on our taxes. I was gathering all of our tax-deductible paperwork when I saw the paperwork from a consignment sale I had sold at last year. I looked more closely and realized that the check for what I had made was still attached!! It was for $317.


We had heard about a ministry called Promise 686 and I had even spoke with one of the board members before. Now that there is a pressing financial need and we haven't heard from any other ministry, we decide to send in an application and just let them know our situation. We also sent an update to the other ministries to let them know our situation has drastically changed. 


Feb.4, 2011- I went to an adoption retreat with the friend who told us about Ug*nda. This is the one I had signed up for back in Oct. It started on Friday evening. While I was in the first session, my cell phone rang. I went out in the lobby to return the call and it was a woman from Promise 686. She said that she had received my application that day but it was too late for their bi-monthly meeting which was to be the following Mon. However, she said that her husband read our story and wanted to make an exception. One of the requirements was an in-person meeting and that would have to happen that weekend! 


Feb. 6, 2011- Meeting with Tim and Amy Rider of Promise 686. The meeting went really well and we loved getting to know them better and sharing our heart about adoption. 


Feb.7, 2011- The board met and approved us for a $6000, DOLLAR for DOLLAR, matching grant!!! We kept praying, "Lord, if you open the doors, we will keep walking!"


Feb 17, 2011- We receive a call from Lifesong that they are offering us a no-interest loan to help with our adoption. 


Feb. 26, 2011- Paperwork being done in Ug*nda


March 14, 2011- We received a letter from Show Hope approving us for a 3k grant!! "Lord, if you keep opening doors, we will keep walking."


March 21, 2011- Waiting for the official word.....


May 12, 2011- File I600A


June 9, 2011- First biometics appt that needed to be rescheduled


June 22, 2011- Find out that the orphan investigation is complete. Also find out that our homestudy is expiring. Mad dash to get everything redone and homestudy rewritten.  


June 27, 2011- New home study is done and sent to agency and to USCIS. 


June 28, 2011- Biometrics!! Took all of 15 min. 


July 25, 2011- GOT THE REFERRAL!!!!!!


July 26, 2011- I-171H approval


Sept. 27, 2011- Received our affidavit. 


Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 2011- Worked like crazy people to get the dossier done and notarized. 


Oct. 3, 2011- Mailed our dossier to agency for approval. The payment was being made by Promise 686 and the dossier couldn't be sent to Uganda without it. 


Oct. 4, 2011- Promise 686 processed the payment but we weren't sure how long it would take to arrive. 


Oct. 10, 2011- Three families from our agency received court dates all within less than 15 days notice!! Asked our friends to begin praying that our paperwork would be in Ug*nda soon so we can be next! One friends prayed specifically that our paperwork would arrive in Ug*nda this week. We didn't think that was possible, but we still hoped. 


Oct. 11, 2011- Received an email from Promise 686 that our payment was being mailed. We checked in with our agency, hoping they would be willing to go ahead and mail the dossier without the payment. Got an email back saying that they had mailed the dossier already! We emailed them back to get a tracking number, only to find out that the DOSSIER WAS IN UG*NDA!!!!! The agency mailed it out in good faith, and it had arrived in Uganda on Oct 10. 


Oct. 12, 2011- Waiting to be filed for court.  


Oct. 25, 2011- Found out that our dossier never was picked up and was sent back to the US


Oct. 31, 2011- Dossier is back in Africa.


Nov. 15, 2011- Our dossier was filed in court!


Dec. 6, 2011- Heard the words we have been waiting for almost a year to hear! WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!!!!!!! 2/15/2012

Jan 9, 2012- Hear the words, "We may have a problem." Our flights were booked and we were ready to go but we found out that the baby home's paperwork has expired. We may not be able to go to court as scheduled.

Jan 10-Feb 6 2012- Things are very uncertain and we don't know if we will be leaving or not. We continued to pray for God's guidance and decided to take a step of faith and go to Uganda anyway. We had no idea if it would be a visit or if we would be going to court to bring our children home.

Feb 7, 2012- Get on a plane for Uganda!!!!

Feb 8, 2012- Arrive in Uganda

Feb 9 2012- Meet our children for the first time. Begin serving at the baby home.

Feb 13, 2012- The director of the home gets permission from the ministry of gender to allow us to go to court. PRAISE GOD!!!!

Feb 15, 2012- A full 12 hour day in court, only to have it postponed until the next day.

Feb 16, 2012- Another really long day in court, but our case was finally heard!!

Feb 24, 2012- Another very long day , but we got the verbal ruling. He said YES!!!!

Feb 25 2012- Move to a guest house in Kampala without the kids while we wait on the written ruling.

Feb 27, 2012- Get written ruling late that night after waiting several more hours.

Feb 28, 2012- Gotcha Day!! We finally have custody of the kids. Tim leaves that night.

Feb 29, 2012- Fixed typos in ruling and filed for passport.

March 1, 2012- Moved to a new guesthouse with other adoptive families

March 5, 2012- Nana comes to Uganda. 

March 14, 2012- Finally have the passports in hand and can file for the visa

March 15, 2012- Visas in hand and flying out!

March, 16, 2012- HOME!!!!