How Long Does the Adoption Process Take? | One Family’s Journey
A common question for families diving into adoption is:
How long until I can bring my child home?
Unfortunately, like many pieces in the adoption process, there’s no clear answer to this question.
Whether you adopt out of foster care, adopt a newborn domestically, or pursue adoption internationally, it can take anywhere from months to years. Thankfully, God knows the length of your wait when He calls you to adopt.
When we received the following letter from James and Jenny, we were struck by their beautiful example of faithful, steady waiting. Two of the three children they brought home from India weren’t even born when they first felt called to adopt.
See how God worked in their waiting to impact not just one child, but three. In their words…
In March 2020, we traveled to India to add three precious children to our family.
Our adoption has definitely been a journey. At times, it felt a lot like the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years! There was a clear sense of calling and promise that started in our hearts 11 years ago when we first started pursuing adoption.
No matter the obstacles and delays, the disappointments and the hardships, we could not shake what we felt God was calling us to do.
We did have many in our lives who wondered and even tried to gently prepare our hearts for the chance that perhaps God would not make adoption happen for our family. The wait grew longer and longer.
What is so amazing about our journey, however, is that God used it to open our hearts to not one child but a sibling group of three! And these children were not young, as was our hope ten years ago, but they were older. These three children are so amazing, and it is evident they were made for our family. The 10 years of tears and praying were not lost on God’s ears.
But as you can imagine, 10 years of journeying is exhausting.
Adoption is not something lighthearted and easy. It requires tenacity and hard work. It is expensive. Expired paperwork, expired physicals, a country closing to adoption after waiting five years (and so losing money in that process), I-600, I-600 renewal, I-800, I-800 renewal all add up.
As God does so well, He provided everything that we needed along the way. We worked extra jobs, extra hours, and found new hobbies that would help with the adoption expenses.
When we were matched with our adopted children, we were so elated and knew that this is what God wanted us to do. However, our emotional and physical storehouses were empty for more fundraising. We faced a $25,000 need. It really seemed impossible.
We are so grateful to Lifesong for meeting us in our deep need.
The matching grant we received fortified us and propelled us forward. It was absolute evidence of God and an affirmation to us that taking on three more children was part of God’s plan. He would provide for us in the adoption and He would continue to provide for us in the future.
Thank you so much for linking arms with us, for pulling us up when we felt like we had nothing left to give.
Thank you for your generosity which made it possible to go get our kids.
Since coming home, our kids are doing super. They are growing and learning. They have spiritual hearts and have all three expressed a desire to know Jesus personally. Our days are not always easy, but they are good. Often the children express thankfulness for being adopted.
We didn’t expect this, but it speaks to what Lifesong enabled us to do. Thank you from the deepest depths of our beings.
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