Talk about timing......

I was already planning on writing a bit today about our "preferences" in adoption.  It's a question I have been asked a lot lately.....

When you fill out adoption paperwork there is a special section where you answer this question:
Are you open to parenting a child who has a different race and/or cultural heritage than your own?

For us, it was a big fat yes.  Especially me.  You see - growing up my mom had a role at WSU working with international students. We grew very close to some of her favorite students - there were two especially who my mom brought under our family wing.  Shanaaz was from Tanzania and treated us like a sister - a really awesome sister :)  When she went home once to visit, she had her mom make saris for us and brought them back for us!  I still have it at my parents house :)

From my previous post you may have also read about the my good friend Britt's family - they have adopted 10 kids {plus the 4 biological ones!}  They have such a beautifully diverse family and growing up around them has shaped much of who I am today :)

You see - growing up being surrounded by dear friends of many backgrounds caused me to see the world differently.  In school we learned about the history of slavery in America, the history of the Holocaust and so on.  And that is exactly what I thought racism was - HISTORY.

Up until I was in 8th grade {YUP 8th} I believed that racism was no longer around.  It just didn't exist.  Once slavery and the Holocaust ended - so.did.racism.

In 8th grade I witnessed racism first hand - seeing a classmate being teased for his mixed-race heritage. It hit me like a ton of bricks - I was SHOCKED.  I had no idea that anyone still cared about the color of your skin.  I just remember crying myself to sleep that night - in pain that we lived in such a world.

So when I titled this - talk about timing - it brings me to today.  I have been planning on sharing about our hopes in a baby.  We want a baby.  Plain and simple.  Even if it is ill and needs to be in the NICU for a bit - we can cross that bridge.  It can be a boy or girl - any race - any mix of race for that matter.  Just a sweet babe to call our own :)

The timing aspect of this post brings me to this discussion of race and adoption.  Don't get me wrong - I know that if we do adopt a baby that isn't of our own ethnicity it will raise eyebrows - but it will also give us the opportunity to show the world that in our family - it doesn't matter.

BUT - according to the adoption "industry" it does matter.  Why? It matters because African-American babies cost less.

WHAT?

Maybe you aren't as shocked as I am - but when I read this article and saw the "postings" on the left below the picture of the momma and her boys - it shows how much each one costs.  I sobbed. Cried. I lost it.  I despise that before a baby is already born there is ranking of cost for each one.

I knew this statistic before - which is one of the many reasons we chose to apply through New Life Family Services.  They are first and foremost a crisis pregnancy center - their mission is to provide outstanding care - emotionally, physically, spiritually etc - for the mothers that come through their doors.  They do not charge the adoptive parents based off of race and they have built their organization believing that every baby deserves the best start possible.

All that being said - here is time for the update!!!

We will be starting our home study *much* sooner than we thought - JULY.  Yup - July 2013!!  With the holiday coming and some more paperwork needing to be done - it will probably be mid-July - but that will come soon enough.

Which means - we will be home-study complete in the FALL.  It is amazing to see where God has brought us and were we will be going in the coming months.  This doesn't mean that we are guaranteed to have a baby this fall - but once our home study is complete - birth moms will then be able to see our profile :)

We ask that you join us in praying for this part of the journey - as it will be starting right after having 6 weddings in 15 days.  We pray for guidance, health, strength and support in this - but most of all - we pray for our birth mom.  We still have no idea where you are, who you are, or even that you will choose us.  We are so grateful for the gift you will be giving us and we cannot wait to meet you and be on this journey together :)

xox,
the berdals :)