First off, let me stress:
I am not an expert on adoption from Uganda.
That being said, there are several ways that I know of that one can adopt from Uganda.
Single moms??
You are not disqualified because you are single!
{In fact if you are single and wonder what God thinks about you adopting, read this.}
As far as fees, or what we refer lovingly to refer to as the “ransom”, our experience has led us to believe that whatever option you choose, the ransom seems to come out about the same across the board {give or take not very much}.
All of these methods below require each family to have do a current home study and immigration approval. The home study does not have to be done ahead of time. Each method also requires a Ugandan lawyer to represent you in the Ugandan side of the process.
I have no clue about the laws in other countries or process in other countries {sorry Feona!}.
I have no clue about the laws in other countries or process in other countries {sorry Feona!}.
***
First off, one could
hire a reputable lawyer
in Uganda to find and match a child/children for you.
This is how our oldest daughter Abigail and her husband started their family {and made me a Mimi!}.
Here’s her blog and in it you will find their journey.
{And you get to see pictures of the most adorable baby boy ever – our Finley.}
Abigail and FinnFinn at his 1st birthday party…
There are two female lawyers who have good reputations and we will work with when we add again. Their names are Victoria and Dorah. We have heard only good things about them.
These lawyers have orphanages that work with them to match a child/children with you.
Again, you will need a current home study and immigration approval as you start the process.
***
Yet another way is to go to Uganda and
have the Lord lead you to your child.
{This is how Dw found our two youngest treasures – Elizabeth and Elijah.}
One of the first pictures I saw of our precious baby girl, Elizabeth Mercy…
{Can’t you just see the joy in my hubby’s face? One of my favorite pictures of him.}
This is the first picture I saw of Elijah Mueller…
Matter of fact: several who have gone with our GO Teams have met their
child/children on the missions trip and since brought them home.
It doesn’t mean you have to with our GO Teams but that is definitely one way {just sayin’}.
There were GO Team trips in January 2011 and April 2011 and there is another GO Team leaving in two weeks. There will, Lord willing, be {at least} one trip in the fall.
To adopt this way, one will have to have a home study done in the US and then have immigration clearance while hiring a Ugandan lawyer to complete the Ugandan side.
***
Another way is to apply directly to an orphanage….
{Redeemer House is one orphanage that will allow this.}
This would involve contacting them and filling out an application.
Yesterday I spoke to Shauna, the adoption coordinator for Redeemer House. Shauna and her husband are close friends of ours. Actually her husband, Justin, traveled with Dw to Uganda for the first time on our first Uganda GO Team in 2009.
While talking to Shauna she asked that I stress two things when posting about Redeemer House: {1} they do not have any babies at Redeemer House AND {2} they are adamant that they will only allow children to be adopted into Christian homes that are actively pursuing Christ and serving Him.
Several of the children in this picture are available for adoption and
a few have forever families working to get them home {yippee Jesus!}.
a few have forever families working to get them home {yippee Jesus!}.
For more information, fill out the information on Redeemer House website “contact” page.
Shauna will be happy to begin the process with you.
Shauna will be happy to begin the process with you.
Shauna and Justin are also adoptive parents and know how to do it!
***
Lastly, one could use an adoption agency.
One adoption agency who works with Uganda is Holt International.
{Holt Intl. is a long established adoption agency and
they actually have a contract with particular orphanages.
They will slowly walk you through the entire process.}
I’m sure you can google others.
I’m sure you can google others.
***
Some final thoughts:
*If your husband {or wife} is not into it, fast and pray {alot}. Do not badger or nag him! Let God move on his heart. God’s heart is for the orphan. He will move mountains {and stubborn husbands or stubborn wives} to bring them home. The battle is won on our knees. I will write soon about how to best change your husband’s heart…and it just may surprise you!
*If you are willing but don’t have the money, read this and
then read this. I can’t stress it enough, God’s heart is for the orphan. He will move every single mountain, obstacle, bureaucracy, government, work situation and economic challenge to bring them home. Period!
*If you are feeling a tug toward adoption, but have not really considered it,
then hop over to read how
*Finally, some tough {but necessary} words. Here at our Place Called Simplicity we are passionate about the orphan and passionate about adoption. But we could not talk about adoption in good conscience without mentioning this:
Adoption is a very, very, very serious matter. Uganda is a beautiful country with the most beautiful people who exude joy, in spite of their difficult circumstances.
If you should find yourself in Uganda {or any other country}, I would implore you to remember that their culture is completely different from America or the Western world. Sadly, we {and others who have led teams} have witnessed first hand people who disregard a foreign countries
culture and customs to elevate their own selfish pleasures.
It has deeply grieved our hearts and God’s heart is sickened……
culture and customs to elevate their own selfish pleasures.
It has deeply grieved our hearts and God’s heart is sickened……
Please do not even considering going to any foreign country in hopes of adoption until you have allowed Jesus Christ to make your heart tender, gentle, loving, peaceful, joyful, pliable, teachable, patient and full of self-control – exuding all the fruits of the Holy Spirit by demonstrating a true servant’s heart – just like Christ, who preferred to come as a servant of all – instead of one who came to be served.
Please continue to pray that God would allow adoption to be favorable in Uganda.
In two shakes of a lamb’s tail adoption could be put to a halt –
so we must intercede for the forgotten treasures of Uganda
and around the world!!
It is not a carefree word – we must!!
***
What a beautiful post!i am praying that these TREASURES will find homes! And that the mountains of unsure spouses, finances, redtape, will be moved in the mighty name of Jesus
love this. glad you did it, linny!
Thanks, Linny! We loved our inquiry trip (where I met you in the middle of the mall in Uganda!) and we loved Redeemer House and the kiddos there. This is super helpful. I get all of those questions quite often, so I will have to link people to this post.
Thank you for your words of warning and caution! So appropriate and well timed I might add! Hugs.
Can I add that older child adoption is so wonderful…can be challenging but so great:) Redeemer House and Holt Intl. have some awesome older kids looking for families!!
Thank you so much. My husband & I are adopting our first 2 children from Uganda…. independently. Working with Victoria. We are in the beginning stages, just working on the home study side now. It feels so far away…. but the tender presence of the Savior who called us to adopt our children as He has adopted us has been very evident to me. Thank you for posting this. It helps me to know that we are on the right track.
Thank you so much Linny!! Reading this makes me wish I was coming in June so badly! What I really need now is the 'how to change your hubby's heart' post! Cannot wait for that one!!!!!!
Wonderful post! I can't help but wonder if God will lead us to Uganda on our next adoption journey :)))). I hope so!
I loved how Redeemer's House ensures that the children go onto to families who actively pursue
Christ, that is so beautiful! 🙂 And it is wonderful that the children there are immersed in the Word, may their faith in Him grow strong and may He lead them to safety. 🙂
Thank you! Really needed those words of encouragement this evening. We are facing financial mountains and paperwork mountains in what had at first seemed like a smoothly-flowing adoption of an older child with cerebral palsy. Our first two adoptions had some stressful moments in the process but not to the point that we feared they might not go through. We are anxious, now, with this third adoption and are trying to practice Phil. 4:4-7. Your words this evening were very encouraging. Blessings!
this was awesome. I especially like the last part. As we are waiting for a referral from Ethiopia and seeing things slow down over there, my heart is so desperate for our baby. Learning to fill my desperation with Jesus. Its all about Him anyway. You are an inspiration to me. Blessings.
Christina
Such wonderful information, thank you! Curious, about how long do you spend in country to "finish" and bring your child home, in Uganda? Thanks! In process with Hong Kong currently, but you never know where the road will lead! 🙂
Love this post! Thank you so much for providing and sharing this info! I will most definitely be passing it on 🙂
We returned from Ukraine with our newly adopted son 3 months ago. We spent about a month in country and are curious about length of time in country for a Ugandan adoption.
Blessings!
Allison
http://www.togiveafutureandahope.blogspot.com
Love this post. Thank you so very much for sharing and encouraging others!
Linny this is an amazing post! Thank you so much for letting people know about all the great opportunities to adopt. I did an independent adoption but I also love the program that Adoption Advocates International is doing. I look forward to going back and becoming more involved in my daughters country!
Thank you for posting this! It is so encouraging! I am looking forward to more on God moving the mountains….and hearts….and financial circumstances. I've praying to adopt again for two years.
Lydia
P.S. I would LOVE it if you could add me to your prayer list!
Thank you! This is very informative, and definitely something to pray about.
Like "thesleepyknitter" we, too, are facing huge mountains, nothing we ever experienced in our previous adoptions. At the very time we got our referral for two girls in Ethiopia, we found ourselves in a very difficult place financially. It seems so impossible right now! Thank you for your encouraging words again.
Very very interesting. We are in process to adopt our son's 5 y/o bio brother from Ethiopia (through Holt) but I have long been curious about Uganda. Thanks for sharing the links.
We are facing huge stalling our adoptions from Uganda and Lesotho right now. We're also scared about some details that God needs to work out to make all three adoptions happen. But I want to encourage people to look at "older children" when considering adoption. Our boys are all under the age of five but because they're over two, they're considered older children. Really, they're still babies.
Some days it's hard to believe God will bring all three home. But I know He will. It's just a matter of time. And He'll work out all the details of three adoptions from two different countries that have me going crazy.
Thank you Linny for sharing all this wonderful information. I expecially appreciate your prayerful disclaimer at ther end of your post. As a foster mom who has taken children in from failing international adoptions…you can not stress enough the servents heart that goes into this process. At times when your heart is self fulfilling and not serving him, it is engough to break a family apart! So thank you for being open and honest about Gods hearts for orphans, the process it takes to bring them home and the heart that must be softend and ready to serve…in order to do it!!! You touched me!
Jamie
THANK YOU for this post!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, thank you for doing this post, Linny! We're praying for God's direction as there are so many different ways we could go and it's just not clear right now. I so appreciate you taking the time to give us this information!
Yes, thank you for the post. A friend from FL forwarded your blog to me as I have 2 sons from Uganda and sensing a third one to come home. That will make 7 boys for us. Just this morning, I communicated with one mentioned attorney and yes it is time to pray. I went with a heavy heart to the Word and prayer. I was encouraged in Proverbs 23 that the Redeemer of the fatherless is STRONG and He will plead their case. Praying!!!
Thanks you for posting this! I have really been wanting to know more about adoption from Uganda! Is it typically the same "ransom" for going through an agency such as Holt, as finding an adoption lawyer in Uganda or going directly through an orphanage?
i know this is an old post, but i am just reading it as i am beginning the process in uganda. how would one get in contact with these lawyers victoria and dorah? thanks for anyone's help!!