While we wait . . . (Part 3)

Waiting has never been easy for me. My guess is it's not easy for most people. But through this waiting process the Lord is showing me (over and over) how He is directing our paths and leading us through the adoption process.

Take, for instance, the fact that I've been volunteering one morning a week at the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf. I started doing this last spring (before we ever even knew about Christopher and the possibility of adopting him). Every week I go in and help out in one of the departments at AASD. I do whatever they need me to do. It may be duplicating CDs or DVDs, scanning books to add to their computer library, making DVD labels, or batching orders of DVDs for families who have a deaf child. I'm happy to help out there and it gives me a chance to be around people who use sign language all the time. I usually come away from there with at least one new sign I've learned and can share with others I know who are learning this language as well. To me, it feels like a mutual give-and-take. I'm giving something (time, energy, help) and they are giving back to me (helping me to understand more of the language).

Last week I had the opportunity to have lunch with two of the women I've been working with at AASD. We had a wonderful lunch together (signing the entire time). During the lunch time I was able to share with one of the women about our adoption process. She is deaf herself and she was very pleased to know we were going to be adopting a deaf child. She also volunteered to take me around AASD and give me the "official tour" so I would be aware of all the things this school has to offer for deaf children.


So after lunch we took an hour tour around the facilities. I had never seen most of the school, as I go directly to the department I work in and never go anywhere else. So the tour was an eye-opener for me. I met many of the people who are on staff (faculty and administrators) and learned of some options that are out there for us to consider for Christopher when we bring him home.


I'm thankful we are still in this "waiting room" right now. If we already had our son home and I learned about the options at AASD, Bruce and I would feel pressured to make some decisions about his schooling. Right now the Lord is giving us time. Time to pray, time to seek counsel, time to wait on Him to know what the right thing is to do for Christopher in the long run. 


Would you pray with us? We'd really appreciate it. Right now we are committed to home schooling Christopher...at least until he grasps the language (English and/or ASL) better. But there are some definite "pluses" to AASD, and I'm thankful we learned of them now rather than later.