Easy Night with the Kids and Answered Prayers

Tonight, I went and picked the boys up from a friends house after work and brought them home.  We had dinner and then spent the evening watching a movie together.  This is exactly what I wanted to do for our last few days at home.  Monday night and Tuesday night I didn't get to spend as much time with them as I had hoped, but tonight was all theirs...

And, we found out yesterday morning that GW knows we are coming!  Yet another answer to prayer.  His orphanage doesn't normally tell the kids ahead of time so this is a wonderful blessing.  I just pray now that he doesn't get too nervous while waiting these last few days for us.  I almost feel bad about not sending him something, but it has been such a whirlwind.  I hope he forgives us when we get there.  We have lots of neat things and a couple of letters for him when we finally meet.

We also got our travel packets from our agency that includes our TAs and all the paperwork we will need for our trip.  I'm impressed - we didn't get anything like this from our other agency.  It's all organized, much like the folder I've been using for our adoption from the very beginning.  I guess I won't need to take my folder - I can just take theirs!

The Rest of the Story (or Now I Know Why - Part 5)

WOW!!!! God just keeps blessing the socks off of us!!!!!

It has been one roller-coaster of a ride

But GOD is faithful! 



(Prologue:  If you don't know what this is all about,

check out the blog links on the left: Our Journey - Parts 1 through 4)

After our paperwork got kicked back from the lockbox a second time, I called our USCIS Officer.  I told him what happened and he said not to worry, that he would see what he could do.  Well, he was able to work some magic on his end and got approval to process our paperwork anyway.  (Miracle #1)

He said that he would approve us as soon as he got the necessary papers on his desk, but that it could take a day or two.  That was Tue 1/25. 

I began to realize just how tight the timing was going to be.  You see, the CCAA closes for Chinese New Year from 2/2 through 2/8.  GWs birthday is 2/9.  We have to sign the adoption papers BEFORE 2/9 or it is too late.  As a result, we need our TA issued on or before 2/1. 

Assuming the worst case, our USCIS officer would not be able to approve us until Thur, our papers wouldn't make it to the National Visa Center until Friday and they wouldn't be able to cable our information until Monday.    The Consulate would have to process our Article 5 that day so our agency representative could pick it up and hand carry it to Beijing on 2/1.  Then, CCAA has to sign the TA then. 

WHEW!!!!  I was concerned that any other delays might create a huge problem for us.

So, I sent an e-mail to the Consulate and to NVC to make them aware of the upcoming paperwork and deadline.  They responded to me and assured me that everything would be expedited due to the nature of the case. 

God then reminded me of a distant relative who "happens" to be a retired US State Department employee.  So I called him and explained our predicament and asked if there was anything he could do.  He said it had been two years since he retired and that since the State Department moves people around regularly, he wasn't sure that he would be of any help.

Late Tue afternoon, our USCIS officer e-mailed me that he would have the needed papers on Wed morning!!!!!   (Miracle #2)

Later that evening, I received a call from my relative.  He explained that he had been able to make contact with a former colleague and ask if he knew anyone at the Guangzhou Consulate that could help us if needed. 

As God had pre-ordained many years ago, this former colleague was now himself stationed at the Guangzhou consulate!  (Miracle #3)

I knew right then and there that GOD was in FULL Control of this adoption and NOTHING would stop it.  (Yes, I had doubted before, but this sealed the deal for me)

But Satan was STILL trying his darndest to keep his hands on our son.  I got a phone call Wed morning from a different USCIS officer.  He told me that our officer was out sick that day.  While I had a moment of panic, the confirmation from God the night before kept me calm.  Our substitute officer asked me a few questions, needed one more piece of paper from our agency and was able to e-mail me our I-800 Pre Approvals by 1:00pm and overnight our package to the NVC.  He was even gracious enough to send me the tracking number so I would know exactly when it got to NVC.  (Miracle #4)

Thursday morning at 10:30, I saw that our package had been delivered to NVC. I called them and got through rather easily (Miracle #5)  I spoke with a wonderful lady there who asked for the tracking number and said she would get right on it.  She said it would most likely be later that evening or Friday morning before we were cabled.  I asked if I could call around 4pm and see how things were going and she said that was a good idea.

So, at 3:30 I started calling and got through right about 4pm.  I spoke to another very helpful lady who told me that we had just been cabled!!! (Miracle #6)  I profusely thanked her and hung up giddy with excitement. 

Friday morning, I was up early and checked my e-mail.  I had an e-mail timestamped 11:02pm Thursday night from my agency (who by the way has been ABSOLUTELY AWESOME throughout this whole process).  The first line in the e-mail was

We have your consulate appointment!



I nearly fell off of my chair! This meant that
1) the wonderful folks at the consulate processed our Article 5, (Miracle #7)
2) our agency was able to get that to the CCAA in Beijing (Miracle #8)
3) the CCAA issued our Travel Approvals, and (Miracle #9)
4) the consulate gave us our Consulate appointment (Miracle #10)


all in SEVEN HOURS!!!!!

I called our Senator's aide who had been helping us on Friday morning to tell her the good news.  Her words to me:

"You realize this is a miracle don't you!" 

I said, "Yes, I do!"

She then proceeded to tell me that she had been e-mailing people and leaving messages but had so far received NO REPLIES to any of them.  So, in my mind, there is no doubt who the "Higher Power" was that was expediting this adoption (and he doesn't live in Washington, DC) 

Oh, and on a side note - our paperwork did NOT get kicked back a second time. It turned out that the person our Senator's aide had talked to at the lockbox was talking about the FIRST (and only) time it got kicked back. They apparently didn't realize that we had already corrected it and sent it back and had been in their hands for four days when our Senator's aide called. But I believe that God used that misinformation to start the process that got all of this moving. Our papers did eventually make it out of the lockbox, but not until Thursday 1/27.

So, if there was ever any doubt that God is still in the Miracle business, I think this should be MORE than enough to put that doubt to rest.

This is my Memorial Box Monday post for this week. 

WOW!!!!!

I serve an AWESOME and MIGHTY GOD!

Is there really any question that his heart is for the orphan?

I feel somewhat like the Grinch at the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  You know the line where it says "that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day"  Well, God has grown my faith three sizes through this adoption.

Someday soon, I will post more of the details.  I'll try to do it before we leave.  But here is the latest update:

We have our Article 5!!!!!

And our Travel Approval!!!!

And our Consulate Appointment!!!!

Now is God AWESOME OR WHAT!?!?!??!

See, I told you God was moving!!!

God keeps sending me clues

As I was cleaning up some today to prepare for GW and TJ coming home, I ran across a fortune from a fortune cookie.  Don't ask why I kept it.  It was in the middle of a bunch of receipts from Christmas 2009 (I know - don't laugh!!!)

Here is what it said:

Chill while you can, big project is coming your way! 

Of course, it was quite applicable back in Dec 2009 (I just didn't know it)  and it is extremely appropriate now!!!

Here are a few other fortunes I've kept over the last year

You will soon discover how truly fortunate you really are.

Be not simply good;  be good for something.

You have a strong desire for a home and your family interests come first.

JA got one that he kept too:

If you have knowledge, let others light their candles by it.  

God is in Control

I am amazingly calm considering the huge speed-bump we ran over last night.  When I talked to our agency contact, we both said that God just wanted something to be able to show just how BIG he is!!!

I have contacted our USCIS officer and our Senator's office (who was already working with us) and they are both on the case. 

I don't believe God would bring us this far to have things fall apart at the last minute. 

God is in Control!

Memorial Box Monday - Now I Know Why - Part 2

Many of you may remember Part 1 of this post.  We turned down our original referral due to additional special needs that we found out about after we received our LOA.  Here is the rest of the story.

While waiting for DJ (our original referral), we realized his transition would be easier if we spoke at least some Mandarin.  As a result, we signed up for Chinese class at our local university.  When we got there, we ran into another adoptive family that we had met previously, but didn't interact with a lot.  We started talking during the breaks and started a friendship.  When I mentioned that we were adopting an older boy, the friend, SA, told me about a boy that she had met this past summer. 

SA had volunteered at Starfish Foster Home in Xi'an province .  While she was there, she decided to visit the Xi'an orphanage specifically to meet and talk to the older kids.  When she was at the orphanage, the caretakers there brought a boy to her and asked her to take a picture of him.   She did, but then asked why.  They told her that he was listed for adoption and wanted her to advocate for him.   She explained that she would need his Chinese name, birthdate and any special needs he might have so she could attempt to locate his file.  They willingly provided the information.

While we were talking back in October, she mentioned this boy to me and asked if I could advocate for him.  I posted asking about him on the Advocate for WC yahoo group, but got no responses.  I completely forgot about this boy until we began our search for our son. 

After we turned down DJ's referral, I was going back through my e-mails and ran across the information that SA had sent to me.  I quickly e-mailed our agency contact and sent him the information SA had provided to me and asked if he could find this boys file on the shared list.  This boy has an SN that we had not originally considered, but his age fell exactly in the age range to which we were open.

Our agency couldn't find the file of the boy in Xi'an, but they sent the file of a boy with a birthday 2 days later and the same SN.

We requested a number of other files from our agency of boys with SNs with which we were comfortable.  We started reviewing files one by one.  We (including the kids) had initially gravitated to one of the first boys, but there was something in his file that just didn't sit right with me.  So we kept looking.  When we reviewed another file, the kids quickly switched from the first boy and latched onto this boy.  I was pretty comfortable with this file, but wanted to make sure we didn't jump to a conclusion too quickly - especially after what we had been through with DJ.   So we kept looking at files. 

There were a couple of other boys that really caught our eye and we set about to find a specialist to review their files.  I contacted a friend whose two kiddos from China shared this SN, but she said they were currently between doctors and couldn't recommend anyone.  I called a local specialist in the phone book and asked them.  They didn't want to review the file, just see the child.  I then called a well-known national hospital network to review the files and they wouldn't do so either.  I kept running into dead ends. 

During this process, the kids would not waver from the second boy;  it became clear which child was to be our son....

the boy with the birthday 2 days off from the child SA had met, with an SN that we hadn't previously considered - HEALTHY!!! As CP said, "They all need homes."

So you see, if we hadn't been in process for DJ, we would have never signed up for Mandarin class, I would have never struck up the friendship with SA, and I would have neven known about the other boy.  We may never have considered a boy who was healthy as I figured they would have a better chance of being adopted, especially since we are open to a wide range of needs. 

Also, since we weren't planning on adopting again, I would have never seen our son's file. You see, for the last 4 yrs (since we got home with HJ), I have checked the various agency photolistings and prayed for kids to have a family (that is how we found DJ).  But our son was just added to the shared list in September and despite him being healthy, there was not a single agency advocating for him.  He wasn't listed anywhere except on the shared list. The only reason we found him is because we had a referral for an older child and had to turn it down. 

So, in my Memorial Box, goes a picture of my new son. 

Gan en ji kwai le!

Translation - Happy Thanksgiving!

or


We finally got our LOA today!!!

In ALL things give Thanks

In my human flesh, I am having a hard time giving thanks right now for this delay in our adoption.  But, with God's help, I can be thankful for a lot of other things.

I am thankful for a God that is walking with me through this horrendously long wait.
I am thankful for a husband that takes it all in stride and who helps me keep my perspective.
I am thankful for a son who graciously bought dinner for the entire family out of his own money yesterday.
I am thankful for a son who has a terrific sense of humor.
I am thankful for a daughter who is always willing to try something new.
I am thankful for a daughter who is sweet, snuggly, and loves her family.
I am thankful for a Dad who will babysit with 5 minutes notice!
I am thankful for a Mom who tried to love me the best she knew how.
I am thankful for real life friends who understand the frustration of the wait.
I am thankful for cyberfriends who help me in countless ways.
I am thankful for a sister who is a good sounding board.
I am thankful for a brother who works hard all the time.
I am thankful for a special friend who takes the kids to special places and has become an uncle to them.
I am thankful for a job that allows us to be a blessing to others.
I am thankful for a house, a soft bed, and running water.
I am thankful for a car that gets me to work and back.
I am thankful for a closet full of clothes.

Ok,  I finally thought of two things to be thankful for about this wait:
I have more time to lose weight so I can climb the Great Wall.
I have more time to learn Mandarin so I can communicate with DJ.

God's Timing

I have been in church all my life.  Many times, I have heard people say that things will happen in "God's timing".  I used to believe that.  My perspective on this has changed over the last year. 

I do believe that God is in control (another familiar cliche in church circles), but I also know that God has given man free will.  Man's free will can make things happen in a different manner than God would prefer.  People talk about God's will - and I believe in God's will - but I believe there are "levels" to his will. 

Let's take the Israelites, for example.  God freed them from Egypt, but they chose to not trust God about defeating the inhabitants of the Promised Land.  As a result, the Israelites didn't enter the Promised Land until 40 years AFTER God had originally intended.  Numbers 14:26-35

God's perfect will was NOT for the Israelites to die in the desert - his perfect will was for them to enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land.  God's permissive will allowed the Israelites to choose (free will)  disobedience and to suffer the consequences of their choice.

Now, lets look at our adoption of DJ.  I don't believe for a minute that God's perfect will is for him to be a part of our family.  I believe that God's perfect will was for DJ to be raised by his birth parents.  DJ was finally made available for adoption in late 2008.  I believe it was God's pleasing will that we would have adopted DJ back when we first saw his picture in 2008.  However, for various man-centered reasons, that didn't happen (i.e. free will).  As a result, God's permissive will is that DJ will be adopted by us in 2011.

Now, we have been waiting 73 days for our LOA.  Why?  I don't know why on the spiritual level, but we have found out why on the earthly level.  A man chose to do (or in this case, not do) something that needed to be done.  As a result, we are waiting significantly longer than average for our approval.  Do I believe this is God's will?  Yes - His permissive will.  Is God in control?  Yes, DJ will be come a part of our family, just not when he should have. 

You see, I think we try to package God into a nice, neat simple box and say nice little platitudes that make our "faith" easier.  However, I just don't buy into these platitudes anymore.  My understanding of God and faith have become more complex and mysterious over the past year.  And in other ways it has become more simplified.  Do I think I understand it all?  Absolutely not.  Do I think I need to?  Absolutely not. 

What I do know, is that I need to be willing to say "Yes" when I hear God's command. 

Are you?

I'll Praise You in this Storm

While getting ready for work this morning, I was listening to my favorite radio station, Z88.3  The song Praise You in this Storm came on and it really touched me.  Here are the words:

Praise You in This Storm
words by Mark Hall/music by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms

I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,

stepped in and saved the day.

But once again, I say amen

and it's still raining

as the thunder rolls

I barely hear You whisper through the rain,

"I'm with you"

and as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise

the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:

And I'll praise you in this storm

and I will lift my hands

for You are who You are

no matter where I am

and every tear I've cried

You hold in your hand

You never left my side

and though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind

You heard my cry to You

and raised me up again

my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You

and as the thunder rolls

I barely hear You whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

and as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise

the God who gives and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes onto the hills

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

I lift my eyes onto the hills

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Chorus

So, while I sit here in the storm of waiting for our LOA, God is by my side.  He holds my tears in his hands and He will raise me up again.  I still don't know why we wait - but He does.  And best of all, I know He is by DJ's side as well.

Tears...

I had hoped that our LOA might come today - but it didn't.  All of the other folks on RQ who have dates close to ours and even after got their LOA.  I guess we are destined to be on the slow boat to China for this entire adoption. 

No News

is NOT good news in the adoption world - HMMPPPHHHH!!!!

No LOAs came in today, but at least 8 TAs came in. I guess the good news is that at least we didn't get skipped. It's so hard to wait - especially since it's been two weeks since anybody got a LOA.  Also, another family who submitted their LOI the day we did got their TA today.   The big difference is that they didn't need a waiver and so they were submitting their I-800A the same day as their LOI.  We ended up not being able to submit our I-800A for 55 days!!!  I guess, it was a lack of faith on my part that God would move the waiver mountain for us.  I wasn't willing to fork over the $$$$ for our updated homestudy until we knew for sure we would get our waiver. 

All in God's timing.

No News

Someone from our agency got their LOA today - only 12 days after submitting their LOI. They had been DTC for over a year and their dossier was already out of review. I have been hopeful for the last few days that we would get our LOA soon since another family who was LID the same day as us got their LOA on Friday. I guess it's not meant to be. I am still hopeful that we might get our LOA next week, though.

It's been tough to get a post up the last few days. Baseball is consuming most of my "free" time right now. Usually, I can post during lunch, but my computer is kaputz at work, so it all has to wait until late in the evening.

Yea teeth and 20 hrs to go...

Fortunately, due to lots of prayers, my tooth is doing well today. We decided that we would try a temporary filling and postpone the root canal until after we return. The dentist said that if the root canal was necessary, I would know it by now. Fortunately, my tooth is feeling fine.

We now have less than 20 hrs until our flight leaves tomorrow. I had lunch with the boys at school today and we are finishing up last minute items. Please pray for our friends who are going to be keeping the kids as they aren't feeling well!

This will probably be the last post until we are settled in Beijing. We arrive very late Friday night (Friday AM here) and probably won't post again until Saturday morning (late Fri night)

Such Fun -- NOT!!

Just to make things interesting, God decided to give me one last hurdle to overcome before going to get Hannah Joy. My tooth started bothering me last week a little and I thought it was just something I got stuck between my teeth. However, it has still been bothering me and I can barely bite down with it. So, I have an appt at 2:oopm today to get it checked, but the Dentist thinks I'll need a root canal!!! This will make the 2nd one in TWO months!!

Oh well, better today than next week! :-)

Three days to go...

Our 5yr old got sick on the way to school today :-( I hope he'll be feeling better before we leave. I think it is probably a nervous stomach since we are leaving so soon. He is the "quiet introvert" but talks very loudly :-) so I think our leaving is probably starting to bother him some.

Chris got his last shot today. I can't get mine until next month. We still have a few details to wrap up, but all is marching smoothly toward a timely exit on Thursday

Sunday at Church and Cleaning up...

Today has been pretty busy. We went to church at 8:30 this morning and had a wonderful sermon on being Yoked with God. It's so nice to know he is in this journey with us helping every step of the way.

We came home and spent the afternoon cleaning more around the house in preparation for our friends who are coming to keep the kids. We then went swimming in the pool across the street (well, the kids at least!) We had a nice relaxing evening watching Extreme Home Makeover and then put the kids to bed.

Getting Closer

Today a friend who is going to watch the kids while we are gone came over. We went through all the "routine" stuff and introduced her to the neighbors. The countdown is on... Only 5 days until we leave...

Disappointment...

A wonderful organization called Half-the-Sky has some programs in various SWI's in China to help with all of the children. One of the SWI's they work at is Hannah Joy's. I contacted them to find out if she, perhaps, was involved in their program as they would potentially have a lot of information on Hannah's first years. Unfortunately, today I got a reply that she is not listed in their database :-(