Our fingerprints are officially in the FBI database. Fingerprints are processed and on their way home! HOORAY! And I have the preliminary home study in my inbox. DOUBLE HOORAY! This piece of documentation is the last piece to the craziness that is our home study. So I will celebrate. I feel like I am through the first trimester…is that weird? It’s taken less than 3 months and there has been no nausea and I think I may have even lost weight during this time because of the stress but there has been struggle trying to collect every piece of documentation that proves that we have existed and done good in this country. So there. I have been through a first trimester in pregnancy before so I know they are much different but it is our first big hurtle (and I say first lightly because it has been a long, long road) to get through in this adoption and boy has it been work. We are thankful that we get to go through this process.
Fingers crossed and voices to heaven that the FBI fingerprints leave the Pentagon on time and nothing gets confused in the mailing process. I actually have no clue if it is in the Pentagon but I like to think we are that official that we have to go there. And I called the FBI. The people from Criminal Minds were not available and I let them know that maybe they should be looking out for a serial killer in Miami named Dexter but they were not interested. I digress. Stupid television shows.
Our next step is applying for grants, loans, scholarships, or go on the streets and beg for money, which I am not above. We have talked to our adoption referral friend/lady/answerer of many questions and she said that once we have the money things will move very quickly – like weeks quickly…. The amount of money is pretty unbelievable but we serve an amazing God and I know He doesn’t even blink at that money. In one weekend we raised/sold/saved 25%. That is pretty unbelievable.
So if you have stumbled on this website I ask that you join us in prayer. Things never come easy to us Sykes so I don’t have any expectations about money just appearing but we also don’t dismiss it but we ask that we can earn or raise this money in a way that will bring the most glory to him. The other night while out to dinner with friends Greg said something that just made me proud to be his wife.
“I would love to see this big sweeping God moment where He just drops some huge amount in our laps, but also it would be special if our community dug deep and did it using a lot of people giving a little so that they could all feel like they were a part of it and that they are invested in it. When we explain to our child the circumstances of their adoption, it will be so much more meaningful to them to know how many members of our community fought to get him/her here.” Mr. Greg Sykes
I don’t say this to deter any of our loved ones to, you know, write a $25,000 check but just to say that we love our community and know our kiddo will love them as well and can’t wait to share with our child that not only were we anxiously awaiting his/her arrival but so were a few other folks. Please pray for us as we apply for grants, save money and ask for donations. This is humbling but I know this is where we are supposed to be right now. We are ready to have a family. I don’t know if it is wrong to ask for this to move quickly but I really want this to move quickly.
