Staying Public!

Just a quick update.

We're so close to completing our home study it's thrilling. It's these trainings that are holding us up. And with all of us being sick this last week (a first: all six of us marched into Patient First at 5:45 PM on Tuesday and walked out with $80 of antibiotics!) and school resuming, JD and I just haven't had the energy to sit down for a two-hour training after we've gotten the kids in bed. Needless to say, we only have about six hours left to complete, but we haven't done one since last weekend.

However...

Of the trainings that we did do, they were approved as completed and the certificates of completion were received by both our social workers! Our background checks were sent in and are in process. Three of our five references have come in, so our references are complete (the home study only requires three of the five requested). And I dropped off the copies of our physicals to our social worker on Monday! Once we complete these trainings (maybe we can knock most of it out this weekend?), then our home study will be D-O-N-E! I can't believe it.

Then we're really going to be moving closer toward identifying which children are going to join our family. That's truly exciting. To picture their faces. To peer into their eyes. I know I will study every inch of them that's visible in the photos. Like the light on a scanner as it scans across a document will be my eyes on those photos! I can't wait! Then the true love affair will begin!

And...I've been meaning to update you on the public vs. private dilemma. After much discussion and consideration, JD and I have decided to keep this blog public. I feel blogs (and other media outlets) can be a modern day mountain top to shout God's praises and to be a voice to what He's doing in lives. May this blog be a voice to what He's doing in the lives of two orphans through this little Beam Team. What a breath of fresh air it is to use the internet for good. If it weren't for the many positive uses of the internet, it would only be used by the enemy to spread evil and negativity. We're choosing to use it for good.

At the time that I was wrestling with this issue, this was posted and it was the confirmation I needed to say, 'If you wish, Lord, may this blog be a mountaintop.' Therefore, we are trusting God to hold us in the palm of His hand so 'Beam Team Inc' (or BTI, as we've often called it) can be a voice for orphans.

Thank you to all of you who have been so encouraging and supportive of our decision to adopt. We can't thank you enough. Truly. Your comments are what assure us that we're not completely off our rockers! :)