Home Study Prayer!

We will be beginning and completing our home study in the next 2-3 weeks. This is an expedited home study so that we can get it done and move on with the rest of our dossier collection. While the thought of having a "stranger" in our home to assess our marriage, family and home is a little nerve-wracking, it is even more so for homeschoolers, I think. There can be some real misperceptions about homeschoolers in our culture.

So, as we enter this next part of "Phase 1", we ask for your prayers especially for this home study process. Below is the email Erik sent to friends this morning. I thought it would be good to post here and get my bloggyland friends praying along, too!!

As we go through this adoption process, there are various points along the way where the Lord's favor and grace is needed (as with life in general.) We have just sent off our paperwork (and fee) for the home study. From an adoption website I retrieved this description of the home study:

"The home study is a detailed written report of your family compiled and prepared by a social worker. The home study requires the prospective adoptive family to gather different documents, answer several questions, and explore their reasons for adopting. Through a series of visits and interviews the social worker can get a a complete picture of who you are and what life is like in your family. The home study is a part of the decision making process for both the prospective family and the workers. Not only can the home study help the worker place a child into your home who would best fit into your family, but help the family and the worker decide if now is a good time for your family to adopt."

Here's a good page about the home study process, and all that is involved: http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_homstu.cfm

Our prayer requests are that: we would be assigned a social worker that is accepting of our homeschooling and our (Christian) lifestyle, we would be strong witnesses through this process, the process would go quickly (we have paid extra to expedite the process), Kerry and I would not be anxious during this time, and that any schemes of the devil to delay or disrupt this process would be thwarted. Please pray for the protection of our family, and for the protection of Lydia Grace and her birth mother. Lastly, pray for the Lord's provision throughout this process, financially and otherwise, and for us to understand His will in all things.

Brothers and sisters, we covet your friendship and are grateful for your prayers. Thanks for walking with us.

Thank you!