The Adoption Page
"For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my
petition which I asked of Him" (1 Samuel 1:27).
Daniel Mac 20 Months - January 2007
Wanting to be a Family
Michael and I tried for many years to become a family and were not successful. We went to Doctor's and underwent some incredible procedures, including a minor surgery. The problem is with me. However, we persevered. Medical science was not going to produce a baby for us; there were only so many methods that we felt were for us. After a couple of years and birthdays, we agreed that medicine was not working for us. However, hopes and prayers were not to be dashed as we realized that we could get on another avenue to have our family.
Our Domestic Experience
After the fertility experience, Michael and I hired a Social Worker to conduct a Home Study of us to begin
our Domestic Adoption. We had a friend who recommended a Home Study Provider and a Domestic Adoption agency
in the United States.
We met with our Social Worker on several occasions and provided her with many documents and forms. She
visited our home and interviewed us, together and separately. The paperwork that she needed consisted of
diplomas, titles and deeds to property, recommendations from our employers, bank statements, bank notes,
criminal background checks, medical evaluations and possibly more. She was friendly and helpful. Upon
completing the Home Study, our Social Worker forwarded it to the Adoption Agency of our choice.
The Adoption Agency requested that we put together a scrapbook of our life to be reviewed by expectant
Mothers desiring to place their child up for adoption. We waited nearly 2 years. From our understanding
our book was shown approximately five times to expectant Mothers who fit our criteria.
After 2 years of hoping and waiting for THE phone call, we decided to move forward with our lives and my
husband took a job in Germany. We agreed that I would join him later so that I could complete the school
year at the College where I was teaching. The movers were coming to our house in a couple of days and
Michael was flying to Germany in 2 weeks when we got THE call. We had waited and dreamed of this moment
for over six years.
We were briefed about the birth mother and her family. The procedure is for the potential adoptive parents
to go and meet the birth mother. We explained that Michael was leaving the country and inquired whether
she could meet only me or if we both needed to come (which would have been that weekend). When the birth
mother was told that we were moving out of the United States, she rescinded and went to her 2nd choice.
Again, we were left with no child and now we felt that our plans to be a family were over... Michael moved
to Germany and I joined him there 7 months later.
Our International Experience
After settling down in Europe, we started talking about a family again. Since we have Armed Forces
Television, we do not receive regular commercials as in the States. We have more infomercials that
usually remind us not to drink and drive, to keep a low profile when traveling, to wear our seat belts
and many others. We frequently would see one about adopting to expand our family while in Europe.
They had a web page and we finally agreed to check it out.
We hired another Social Worker (an American living in Germany) and we started the Home Study process again.
This time the number of documents for the Home Study had increased due to the international aspect. Many
of the documents had to be obtained from the states. It was a grueling and tedious process to say the least.
After many months, we finally had a complete Home Study that was forwarded to our Adoption Agency in the
United States. (This was not the same agency that we used for the domestic experience). Instead of a
scrapbook (that would have been very easy), we had to put together a dossier that would go to the two
governments involved: the United States and Russia (or so we thought)...
The Russian dossier is about 40 documents that must be obtained and Apostilled. This is a procedure done
by the Secretary of State or the State Department of the US. It is more than a Notary. Every page of the
dossier required this.
Michael and I had a great deal of trouble in getting the Russian dossier together. It seemed that we were
always in a battle and it was not working out. Then in November 2006, we received a call from the Adoption
Agency telling us that we were going to receive a referral and the country would be Kyrgyzstan. It would be
half of the Russian dossier and we could use some of what we already had. Also, we did not have to apostille
the documents; they could be notarized. Praise the Lord. This was an answer to prayer.
On November 15, 2006 we received our photo and very brief history of our son, Daniel. We fell in love and
prayed that he would be our son. The dossier was not complete and the adoption agency wanted us to fly to
meet him in January, 2007. We made the trip and spent 2 weeks in Daniel's native country. We visited with
him for 13 days in a row; sometimes as little as an hour and a half each day. He was sick most of the time,
but it was apparent that he was glad to see us and he would cling to my sweater as I held him. After 2 weeks,
we had to leave him there and return to Germany. It was one of the most difficult journeys that I have ever
made.
Now we had to wait to see if the court would approve our adoption. We were notified that our adoption of
Daniel was final on March 9th, 2007 and I went to pick him up at the end of March. (That was the earliest
that the coordinators would allow us to come). Daniel and I stayed in Kyrgyzstan for 8 days and then we
flew direct to the United States. It was imperative that we plant him on US soil so that he would
automatically become a US citizen. As our adoptive child, Daniel is automatically a US citizen, but there
are requirements. Daniel and I stayed in the United States for 9 weeks. We had to wait for his US
Citizenship and then obtain his US Passport. Daniel originally flew to the US with his Kyrgyzstan Passport
and a Visa to enter the US.
Daniel is a happy, well-adjusted toddler. He loves to dance, play with his cars and trucks and ride on his
hobby horse. He loves his Daddy and his grandparents. He attends Church and plays with the children there.
We are thankful, blessed and know that the Lord has answered our prayers.
"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you
the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).
I am available for Adoption Coaching and receive great joy from supporting others going through the Adoption process. To schedule your COMPLIMENTARY Coaching Session, please email me at Carolyn.Dennis@gmx.net or call 910-223-7193.