Craig's Adoption Journey

If you know me at all, you know that my lifelong dream has been to be a father. 

I am pleased to share that I have been accepted into a program that will allow me to adopt one or two children from Colombia. At this time, there are over 577,000 orphaned children living in Colombia. Many of these children have been orphaned from a young age, spending most of their lives in foster care. I had the privilege of hosting a 10 year  old boy from Colombia for three weeks back in Indiana this summer.  Juan (not his real name) spent a very special three weeks with me and my family enjoying a Cincinnati summer. His time with me went very well. We bonded and connected well. Additionally, Juan enjoyed the time he spent with my family and seemed to fit right in. Over the three weeks, he visited the Newport Aquarium, Kings Island (amusement park), Museum Center, went fishing for the first time, and enjoyed lots and lots of swimming. Juan turned 11 while he was with us, and enjoyed a small birthday celebration with my family followed by more swimming (his favorite). We finished off the trip with a beach day in Miami, his first time visiting the ocean. Toward the end of the trip, Juan and I had a conversation where I shared that I would like to move forward with adopting him. I asked him how he felt about that (he isn't big on sharing his feelings). He replied with a vigorous nod, a big smile, and a huge hug.

Today marked a huge milestone in our adoption journey. I am excited to share that my translated dossier has been registered with ICBF in Colombia.  My best hope is there will be 2 more months in the process, but I am preparing myself for more. 

I know that this is not going to be easy, and it will not be possible without the support of my family and friends. I ask first for your prayers, prayers for my future child/children, for his health and for his safety. And prayers for me as I prepare to be a father. 

As you can imagine, this will be costly. If you feel led, and would like to be a part of this journey financially, please consider making a donation to help us complete our little family. For your information, here are some of the costs incurred thus far:

Home Study (Dec. 2017): 6,050.00
Psych Evaluation (June 2018): 1150.00
Summer Hosting (July 2018): 3200.00 
Fees submitted with dossier (July 2018): 10600.00
Fees due at referral (estimated September/October 2018) - 12130.00
Costs for airfare/hotel for one month in Colombia to finalize: ????

I look forward to sharing more with you as the journey unfolds. Thank you for being a part of our adoption story.