We're all trained up--evidently

So, on Wednesday (the 19th of April), we attended our first and evidently last training session for the adoption. This type of training has become a common requirement for adoptions worldwide, which is a good step because there are a lot of things that adoptive parents need help being prepared for. For example:

• potential developmental delays that kids who have lived in institutional care often have
• tips about the process of attaching in a relationship with a child who was not born to you
• building trust and helping children adapt to a new environment
• how to deal with the grief and loss that children (and parents) experience in adoption in healthy ways
• honoring your child's history and cultural background, instilling a health sense of identity
• and lots more things that are good to think about it advance

In March and April, we took an online course about these and other topics, which was produced by the state of Illinois. It was really helpful and we hoped the Czech authorities would accept it in place of having to attend the Czech training sessions.

On Wednesday we went to the first Czech training session, just to cover our bases. We were able to talk with the Magistrate--the woman in charge of our case--and show her our certificate from the online course. She said it would be fine and all we need to do is come in and meet with her for about an hour to go over some additional details.

We were excited to hear this news because it potentially puts us closer to "B-Day" (being "Baby Day.") Things are still a little up in the air, but this is a good step.

How to be praying:

• for this one hour meeting with the Magistrate, that we'll get a clearer sense of what comes next and what to expect in terms of timing of being matched to a child
• for wisdom about timing (because we will be moving to a new flat at the end of June, around the time of my sister's wedding in California, we aren't sure if the baby might come before that or not--it could be tricky, but we'd love to meet the baby as soon as possible)
• for our first meeting with our child and for God's grace in the process of attachment and coming to love and trust each other
• for the American immigration process she'll have to go through (all the paperwork to make her a citizen and help her be able to move back with us when the time comes)
• for peace as we wait and attention to the things we're still involved in (teaching, relationships, etc.), to stay focused on "the now"