The adoption process requires a lot of work and action but it also requires a lot of waiting. As we shared in our last post, we have been waiting for approval from the Indian government for almost 5 months and it finally arrived! It was late morning and I returned from the airport after picking up my good buddy and 4 year college roommate. We arrived home just in time to receive the phone call from our agency. What was already going to be a fun brunch with a close family friend turned even sweeter as Bryan was there with us to receive the news that we had been praying over for months. As amazing as this news was, the story continues. Now that we were approved, we could begin the matching process. The first step in this process is to receive a referral from our agency of an available child that we can potentially adopt. The question was – how long would we have to wait? What can often take months upon months took days, and we are so grateful for the Lord’s faithfulness and goodness. We received a referral for a six month old little boy and he has already won our hearts. We studied his medical files and the Special Adoption Agency information with doctors and specialists. We had conference calls with more medical professionals and prayer with family and friends. Then on Friday morning, November 15th, we communicated with Lifeline Children’s Services that we would like to accept the referral and pursue this little boy for adoption. His name will be Ravi Glenn Griffiths after my father, his grandfather, Glenn Griffiths. November 15th just so happens to be my father’s birthday. What a sweet and special birthday present it was.
And so now……. we wait some more. The Indian government must once again give us a stamp of approval before we can move forward to the next administrative steps of adopting him. Throughout this adoption the struggle of waiting has always been difficult. But now we know him. We have seen him in pictures and videos sent to us from his orphanage. We know the face and beautiful smile of Ravi. We know the sound of his coos and the way his body moves when he is excited and is interacting with those around him. And we know of his physical needs and what the doctors say we can do to help. The pain of not knowing how soon we will be able to bring him home and love on him and meet his needs is excruciating. But we also know that as much love as we already feel for Ravi, he is loved even more by his Heavenly Father.
Please pray with us that we would be accepted as his adopting family. Please pray that the Indian government would move swiftly so we can bring Ravi home, not only to be with us, but to also be with all of you who have already shown him so much love.
A Full Table 