Have you ever received a package or letter back from the post office that is completely destroyed?  Us either….until now!

Yep, our package to the USCIS came back soaking wet and all crumpled up.  On the plus side, they did give us a friendly note to ease any frustrations we might have.  It went kinda like, “Sorry about that, but sometimes this kinda thing happens” (our paraphrase).  Anyway, we captured the moment  on video for you all to “enjoy”.

P.S. We were able to get the forms sent back out only a couple days later with very little trouble.  Thanks for watching! 🙂

Sometimes it’s hard to wrap our minds around the fact that when this adoption is complete we will become a multi-racial family.  Even though we have known this for a long time, it is so important for us to be continually preparing our hearts and minds for this transition.  To help us make the most of the time we have, our agency has recommended several tools to guide our learning.  The past few weeks we have been chipping away at those resources and are being skillfully coached on how to handle difficult situations that will inevitably arise.  We want to know how to respond when people ask genuine questions about the adoption.  We also want to know how to respond to people who ask intentionally hurtful questions.  In the same breath, our hope is that learning new things would not puff us up so that we would make others feel foolish for asking questions.

We are an open book.  Ask away! 🙂

Something we appreciate very much about this training is that it does not focus on us saving face.  Rather, the goal is chiefly to protect our child especially as they are in those formative years.  We know it is impossible to shelter someone from every hurtful situation, but we want to do everything we can to show the love of Christ to this little one.  That little boy or girl will be %100 ours and we want them to know it!

A note to others who have or are adopting internationally:
We would love to hear your story and learn from you!  The best knowledge is often from first-hand experience, and we want to talk.
Either respond to this post or email: drewncass@gmail.com

Thank you friends and family for all your love!