I posted an update on our adoption at the beginning of March where we asked everyone to pray for us that we would receive NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the Indian adoption registry (CARA). For those of you who missed the post, NOC is a certificate issued by India stating that we are approved to adopt a specific child. It was a scary process of waiting on that approval but I am happy to report that we received NOC on March 9, after only 11 days of waiting!
Woohoo! We were thrilled when that email came through!
After receiving NOC, the next step is the Indian court process. During this phase, we literally have zero control. Everything is in the hands of the judge and the court system in India, and our agency has told us that it could take anywhere from 1 month up to 2 years for the judge to issue written orders allowing our adoption to be finalized.
We have our first court date THIS FRIDAY April 26. We would love your prayers as our case goes before the judge. India is actually 10-1/2 hours ahead of us so we will be praying all day Thursday as well as Friday as we wait to hear any news.
Here are some ways you can pray for us:
- pray that our daughter will continue to receive good, loving care at her orphanage
- pray for a compassionate judge who has a heart for adoption
- pray that the judge would push to unite us and our child as quickly as possible
In addition to your prayers, we are currently doing one final fundraiser to help with travel expenses to and from India. We have purchased a 500 piece puzzle and are asking friends who want to participate to “adopt” a piece for $10 each. For every piece you “adopt,” we will write your name on the back and once the puzzle is complete, we plan to hang it in a double sided frame as a keepsake for our daughter. If you would like to be a part of bringing our daughter home, you can send money through PayPal to acterrebonne@yahoo.com. Here is a picture of what we have completed so far! We are so thankful for all those who have contributed to this fundraiser!
Most importantly, though, and I’m serious when I say this: We need your prayers. Our family has a lot on our plate at the moment – Peter graduates in June from Physical Therapy school, he takes his PT boards in July and will be looking for a job, and the home we are renting is currently under contract so we will be moving within the next few months.
I want to travel to India to bring our daughter home NOW and It feels a little overwhelming sometimes, but I know that God’s timing is always best. So I’m asking that you please remember to lift our family and our adoption situation to the Father. Thank you, friends, for supporting us.
Adoption is hard and heart-rending and exciting. It’s a long process that sometimes feels unmanageable. But I know that God is working behind the scenes on our behalf to bring our sweet little girl home to us.