Here's one example:
Back in the summertime, we had a medical exam and lab work done as part of our home study. Recently, we've been getting paperwork ready to send to Peru (in a fat packet called our dossier). But the medical exam is only considered valid for three months. So we went back to our doctor, a kind man in his 80s who reminds me of a doctor in a Norman Rockwell painting. We had another exam, got chest X-Rays taken, went to the lab and got blood work done ... again. The report that goes to Peru must be perfect. It must be filled in by the same person in the same pen, and nothing can be crossed out or whited out. So first it took several days for Dr. Norman Rockwell to get around to filling it out. He told me he wanted to take it home over the weekend and do it in peace and quiet because he was afraid of making a mistake. Then when we needed to get the report notarized, the doctor wasn't able to leave his office. So our saint of a notary left the bank and walked over to the doctor's office with David. As we were putting the form in the envelope we noticed that the doc had signed it in a different pen than what he had used to fill out the rest of the form. Doh! We emailed our adoption agency: Do we really need to get this re-done. Yes.
The individual steps in this process aren't a big deal. But there are dozens of things along the way, and each document and every little delay can have a domino effect on the whole process. Here is a small sampling of the forms and processes that we've been working our way through:
The length of time in the chart above is about how long it took to get the document in our hands. That doesn’t count the time to get it certified for overseas use (something called an apostille, which is given by the respective state's Secretary of State office), or the time to get it translated, or—the biggie!—get it amended if it arrives in Peru and someone wants more information or clarification.
So that's just the tip of the iceberg, but you get the basic idea.
Several people have asked how they can contribute to help with our adoption costs. We got into this process and didn't intend to do any fundraising. But then people asked, and then some people just gave us money without asking—and we are deeply touched. So for those who want to show their love for us and/or their support for international adoption by contributing, there are some options.
1. To help some of our family members who wanted to contribute, we set up a profile with a non-profit organization that awards grants to adopting families. It's called AdoptTogether, and they take a small percentage (3-5%) before passing along the gift to us. But the advantage to the giver is that the donation can be a tax-deduction. Our profile is at www.adopttogether.org/martins
2. A few ladies from my parents' church are planning a fundraising event for May, selling those beautiful tote bags from Thirty-One and other goodies, and then sending us the proceeds. I'll pass along details when I get them.
3. Of course, you can also write us a check, which we will gratefully accept and feel loved when we see it. We've gotten anonymous checks and personal checks. Both kinds are meaningful in their own way.
4. We also have a paypal account under the email address doctormartin (at) msn (dot) com.
Whether or not you give us money, the fact that you're reading this tells us you care about us and our adoption journey. Thanks for your love and support. We can't wait for you to meet our kids!
Speaking of the kids, we've been advised not to post photos online of the kids we are hoping to adopt. But we have a good old fashioned letter with photos that we're getting ready to mail this week. Chances are good you're on our list anyway, but if you definitely want to get a letter and think we might not have your address, please send it along.
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