seminar

Kevin and I got the privilege of attending an adoption education seminar hosted by our agency. We agreed to attend at least one of these (they are offered every 6 months) before our child arrives. We chose to attend this one, even though we could have waited.

It was incredible. We learned so much. We got to hear from the social workers, who are our coordinators, about the "normal" things you would expect from infants and toddlers and how that might differ in our child. Then a psychologist spoke to us regarding attachment and bonding, amazing! Then a pediatrician who has an international adoption clinic (who knew?) spoke to us regarding health issues unique to internationally adopted children. We also had in informal panel of adoptive parents. One couple had a little girl from Kazakhstan and little boy from China, and there was a single mother with a little boy from Ukraine and a little girl from Guatemala. Their stories were incredible and very encouraging to those of us who are still waiting. It was an all day thing, 9am-5pm jam packed with info.

I know I have never raised a child, but I have been a close observer of my friends and family. I can tell you this, everything I thought I knew about young children was pretty much flushed down the toilet in regards to our child. Due to the fact that she will have been in a orphanage or a foster home, the way things are done are very different. I know we have only reached the tip of the iceberg with international adoption. Hearing about all the needs of these children just made it so much clearer (as if it wasn't clear enough already) that we are doing the right thing. God has been equipping us for this journey for so long, and we didn't even know it. He is AMAZING!