A typhoon...I mean REALLY?

I heard that the Today Show has been doing a series on international adoption, focusing on what they call "re-homing", which is a very negative take on what can happen if a family is unable to keep a child they adopt internationally for some reason.  I have not seen the series so I am not going to give my opinion on it specifically, but I did read a related article and will respond to a quote from it:

     "Americans have adopted about 243,000 children from other countries since the late 1990s. But unlike parents who take in American-born children through the U.S. foster-care system, many adults adopting from overseas receive little or no training. It isn't unusual for the children they bring home to have undisclosed physical, emotional or behavioral problems. No authority tracks what happens after a child is brought to America, so no one knows how often international adoptions fail."  from Reuters Investigates.

I can only answer for us personally and for our adoption agency.  We have gone through HOURS and HOURS of training and required reading in order to prepare for our upcoming adoption.  We have had more than one social worker in our home on several occasions since beginning our process.  We will be visited again after Fisher comes home, within the first few weeks and throughout the first year.  We have prayed and prayed for this child for over 2 years.  It is a 12-15 month process that is filled with rigorous paperwork and trials that are NOT for the fainthearted!  IT. IS. EXPENSIVE!  So while I am sure there are situations where the worst case scenario does happen, I am also fairly certain that this is another case of the media putting a negative spin on a story for shock value.  I worry about what you will think, now, though.  Will you worry now that our adoption might go sour?  Will you think that all who are adopting are doing so for the wrong reasons, or are not prepared enough?  I ask you, if you are reading this to please talk to an adoptive family you know, or email us if you have questions and don't rely on the media to influence your thoughts or feelings toward international adoption.  For the most part, adoption is loving parents, who bring an orphan into their home, to love and to care for them forever.  This is the case for us.  We have only good plans for Fisher, plans of love and of tender care...and also to lead him to Christ so that he will be eternally secure.

The Today Show thing is only one of the "storms" we have been weathering lately...

Typhoon Usagi made landfall last night in the province in China WHERE FISHER IS.  A typhoon...I mean REALLY?  We are awaiting word that they are ok.  Pray with us for his safety and for the safety of all involved.

AND...in my last post I said that our immigration approval was supposed to be in about a week.  Well...its been 2 weeks and guess what?  We got a pink letter in the mail saying they needed more information.  We were very confused as to how we were supposed to get the information they were asking for, but thankfully after a few days of phone calls and sweet, sweet family members stepping up to help out, we were able to send in what was needed.  So now, we wait again.

So when storms come, what do we do?  We are helpless in all of these situations and can feel so frustrated and angry.  Meanwhile, our sweet boy is waiting for us and so excited that he has a family that is coming for him.  We are praying.  We are looking at what God's Word says about storms and about our God who will never leave or forsake us.

"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
And He brought them out of their distresses.
He caused the storm to be still,
So that the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad because they were quiet,
So He guided them to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonders to the sons of men!
Let them extol Him also in the congregation of the people,
And praise Him at the seat of the elders."
Psalm 107:28-32