Tim's Experience in Africa and Moving Forward

(Post written from events in March 2014 through May 2015)

Well, Tim flew over the ocean and the desert before landing in Uganda where he experienced chapatti, boda-bodas, and the hug of an orphan. He visited 6 orphanages or homes for children, all as different as their funders and managers.

 He remembered the names of orphans like Barbara and Freddy, but wasn’t convinced we could trust the international adoption process.

International adoption is a very tricky thing.

After his time in Africa, Tim didn’t feel so duped by the mishandling of funds with Edmond and Edina in Ghana. While his feet were on the ground, he understood how easily American dollars could disappear.

Uganda made Tim more cautious.

During his visit, he saw a lot. He experienced the foster and orphan care system in light of how each organization used US dollars. He visited orphan group homes with a stench so potent he couldn’t walk in the room, let alone sleep in it as those children did night after night. He also visited an orphanage with competent Ugandan staff and floors clean enough to eat from.

 He saw the spectrum of orphan care in Uganda and he began to pray.

I prayed too.

After a few weeks, Tim felt comfortable with only one option…explore the one home he visited owned and run by Americans.

The heart of this home was family and the kids enjoyed spiritual growth through intentional teaching, plenty of love from Ugandan staff, and exposure to Americans through volunteer “aunties” serving as nurses, cuddlers, and playmates. As amazing as the facility functioned, the founder believed in a family for each child…

…a Ugandan family first…

…a Ugandan foster family second…

…and international adoption third.

We appreciated the value placed on keeping kids close to family and home, but saw their real need for families to adopt those without kin or an available bed at the relatively few foster homes available in Uganda at the time.

We decided to contact the agency connected to the orphanage.

A prayer for open doors to orphan care became our anthem. Closed doors in Uganda were welcome too. We only wanted what God intended for our family and didn’t want to force anything.

We applied with the organization. We trained, we signed paperwork, we signed more paperwork, were subject to doctor’s approval on a few occasions and finally qualified for an interview with the facilitator state-side.

And the meeting wasn’t cake and party balloons.

The gentlemen explored many aspects of our family, even interviewed our kids, before emphasizing the expectation of the families they approve.

Those were very high.

So high, in fact, that we were unsure at the completion of the interview if we would pass to the next step.

We waited about three weeks for results of our interview, praying the whole time. We had peace in the process, knowing the door could open or close. We were okay with whatever God had for us and were trusting he could work in many ways to open up orphan care for us.

Finally the call came….approval for international adoption!

I don’t think it was our biological children, freshly showered and shiny-faced, answering the state-side facilitator’s questions. I don’t think it was our education or income. I don’t think it was even our theology or lifestyle.  I think what made this facilitator most comfortable with us was hearing my husband pray. A short closing prayer confirmed my leader’s heart for family and orphan care with an inspiring reliance on God.

And that qualified us.