An Eventful Week

To say this week has been eventful is a small understatement!  We started the week by receiving our USCIS paper that told us that they give permission for us to adopt two children.  Phew we passed that!  This means we can get the extra papers the Chinese government was requesting sent to be authenticated with the hopes of having LOA for the girls by the first week of May.



The all important paper








Tuesday our daughter Ciara found out that she has a job for the summer at Canine Country Club.  Her first official job.


WE also found out this week that we are being reviewed for a grant from Adoptions from the Heart.  Please be in prayer May 3rd that we receive this.






We were realizing that in order for us to be able to travel when we would like to that we needed our LOAs to come quickly.  We were under the understanding that this probably wouldn't happen until after the CCCWA (Chinese government) got the copies of our authenticated paperwork.


Well to our surprise we got a phone call yesterday morning saying we have "soft" LOA for Chayla. This is the letter that we need from the CCCWA saying that they give us permission to adopt her.  SHE IS OURS!



 I read a post on one of my facebook groups this morning about weather adoptive parents "nest" like pregnant parents do?  I would have to say a BIG yes to this.  Nesting  is a very human reaction to the fact that a child (children :) )is arriving and life is about to change.  Somehow instinctively, we now that things need to be ready. That is the same, weather that child you are expecting grows in your body or in your heart.  Adoptive parents definitely nest and they definitely have that drive to prepare for their child or in our case children. . 


We have been preparing to repaint Ciara's bedroom and this week is when I really felt it was time to take the crib down in her room.  This is the first in 19 years that it isn't set up.  Kind of sad :(  We also took down her rope bed to make room for a daybed and bunk beds when the girls come home. I sanded the bunk beds to paint when we do Ciara's room.


I have been sorting and cleaning out every dresser, corner and closet in the house the last few weeks.  We are having a yard sale at my Mothers this Sat. and felt I need to just get everything sorted out and organized.


We have been BLESSED by friends with some clothing for the girls already so I went through all of them today and organized it by size.


Nesting?  YES!!! :)



Ciara's room with no crib.



Sorting the Blessing of clothes for the girls.

All organized and ready!


We feel like we are just starting with the true labor pains of this adoption.  We realize there is going to be a time where we are just so ready to "deliver" travel to meet them.  Then we will have the "new baby" just getting to know them stage.  Then we will have the "new parent" time to bring home and get acquainted and attached to each other stage. This will be the hard "labor pain" time.  All of this before we can enjoy "the delivery" just being together.  And just like with biological children there will forever be times of attachment, challenge, change, growth, flexibility, sadness, joy and love.  We hope you will continue to remember us in prayer even when we bring the girls home because that is when the true "work" will begin.  The fundraising was work but now we have two new daughters that we need to show love, patient, grace and how to be a family.




Prayer requests:
*That Callie's LOA comes today
*That they will now move the girls together in Callie's room since we have LOA
*That the orphanage will consider lessoning the second orphanage fee or even drop it completely
*That we can travel when we feel is best for our family
*That we can find plane tickets at a reasonable price
*That I can continue to keep everything straight with all the paperwork so we don't experience any more delays
*That this train keeps momentum and we can get to our girls quickly
*Wisdom on how soon after we have them home we need to get hem to doctors for their individual special needs

Letting God fight the fight to our Daughters

We were blessed and reminded again this past weekend at an adoption conference that we attended that we need to rest in the Lord and allow Him to fight the fight to our daughters.  We can be prepared and organized so when the next step comes we are ready to do what we need to do but we need to continue to rest in the fact that His timing is PERFECT!  That we will be able to travel to the girls in his timing and not ours.


The day after I posted our last entry the Lord reminded me of this verse:
2 Corinthians 20:15, thus says the Lord to you, "Do Not Be Afraid nor dismayed for the battle is not yours, but God's."


Then my devotional reminded me, Some battles will only be won when God takes over the fight.  You can know you are in that kind of battle when all you have tried has failed, all you have prayed has fallen flat, and you know nothing else to do.  It is at that point you can stand still and let God so the fighting.  Just do what is in front of you to do and know God is with you. (Woman of Faith Devotional Bible)


This is exactly what we went through with Chayla.  We had tried all we knew to do to secure her file.  It wasn't until we stopped fighting and allowed God to do the fighting for us that we were able to lock her file.  We had given up and were TOTAL relying on God to fight the battle for us. 


The other verse that has been very important to us during this journey has been,
 Matthew 17:20, I say to you if you have Faith as a mustard seed you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there and it will move." Nothing will be impossible for you.


We have seen so many mountains moved in our behalf and seas split in our journey so far and yet there are still so many more that need to move.


Just a few mountains and seas to split:


*Still waiting on our USCIS update-need this to submit our home study update to be authenticated before being sent to the Chinese Government so we can receive our Letters of Acceptance for the girls.
*That the authentication process happens quicker than normal.  We really would like to have our LOA(letters of acceptance) before the end of April.  All the while reminding ourselves God's timing is perfect :)
*That once we have LOA the orphanage will be willing to move the girls to Callies's sleep and play room.  We are asking specifically for Callies's room because from some pictures we have received we feel the children in her room may be being better taken care of then Chayla's.
*That the Lord starts to prepare the girls little hearts for the huge change that is about to take place in their lives.  We thank the Lord for the blessing of bringing the girls home to their forever family which is ours but along with that blessing comes lots of loss and pain for the girls also.  We pray He gives us the wisdom, courage, compassion and direction in helping them to process all of that as it comes.
*Attachment-this so so important for all of us.  We want the girls to know that we love them and will be there for them forever.  This process will  take time.  That we are aware of the signs the girls give  to tell us they need more "me" time with Mama and Daddy.


Praises:
We did receive a video update on Chayla and Callie last week.  That was fun and made them feel "real."


Thank you! all for your continued prayer support and encouragement through our journey.  We know it is the prayers of you all that help to sustain us each and every day.



How appropriate!
The mountain and the sea.