Shower Photos

- Jessica

Showered with Love

Sunday was such a special day for our family.  My sister-in-law and friend hosted a shower in honor of Maeli at our church.  Our church is a church with a burden for orphans.  The love shown for Maeli and the support to help bring her home will forever be a reminder of how our church family is demonstrates God love!

I'll post some photos from the shower tomorrow.  It was perfect!  What a blessing to share it with four of my Chinese friends.

An update on the adoption process:

I love to talk about our adoption!  It's a passion and a burden for children to find forever families.  Many have asked: "When are you traveling?"  The answer.... We don't know.  We are hoping for the end of April at the latest.  However, on February 15th, we received a request for more documentation for the US Immigration Service.  Our agency's In-China rep is in the process of getting the documents collected so that we can submit them to Immigration.  We are hoping to have them by the end of the week.  Please pray that the paperwork we submit is exactly what USCIS needs and our application can be approved so that we can move one step closer to bringing Maeli home.  We will then be about 5-6 weeks from travel once our application is approved, unless we receive an expedited Article 5 (next step with the US Embassy) which we are also praying for.  

Maeli received her care package this week!  The email we got said that she was very excited about her package and especially loved the recordable photo album.  I can't wait to make those faces in the album a reality for her.  One of the volunteers showed her how to take photos with the cameras we sent.  They said she was clicking and grinning from ear to ear.  It's such a relief knowing that there are wonderful people there caring for her and preparing her for the transition.  The volunteer says that Maeli laughs and has the most beautiful smile and twinkle in her eye when she talks about us.  That makes my heart smile!  I know that is God preparing her heart for what is to come.  For that I am so thankful! 

We received a few new photos as well.  She is growing and gaining weight, which are glad to hear.  She was very thin when she arrived at the orphanage.  This means she isn't going hungry and her smiles in the photos look very genuine and happy! 

The volunteers also said that Maeli's English is "getting pretty good!"  I'm sure Maeli's little sister will appreciate that!  I can only imagine how Emma will react when Maeli doesn't understand what Emma is saying!  We have talked about how Maeli may not understand and we have to be patient...  We'll see how that goes, lol.

Next week I will be attending the Created 4 Care Retreat with other adoptive moms who share the same passion for children and orphans.  This is a much needed retreat and I'm looking forward to spending some extra one-on-one time with God while learning more about how to be a better mother to my adopted girls and homegrown boy!  

Answered Prayers

The past two weeks have quite possibly been the most difficult weeks of my life. I've struggled with patience and allowed myself be become consumed in things I can't control. I've prayed for mercy and for God to move mountains. I've asked our family and friends to join us. And I've asked BIG things from God, knowing that his timing is perfect and praying that His will and mercies make this part of the adoption process as as possible. I've prayed specifically for Maeli and that He would fill her belly, that she not be hungry, that He would fill her heart and that she wouldn't feel lonely, and that He would prepare her for our family and get us there before she had to spend another birthday without a family. God answers prayers! Maeli's story is a testimony. This process is a testimony. I can't wait to share with her all the ways God has worked to bring us together.

On Friday, February 1, 2013, God answered another prayer. At 12:58pm, my phone rang. It was our social worker from our adoption agency. Our Letter of Acceptance (LOA) had arrived! I began to sob as she explained the next steps to bring her home. I was in awe at how God had shown great mercy and blessings to her. I was in awe at how my faith had been challenged and how God came through and showed His glory and power.

Jumping for JOY!


Based on recent timelines, we received our LOA 2-4 weeks from "normal" processing times. Typically families travel 8-10 weeks after LOA. There are still a few steps on the US side to complete before China will issue travel approval. So celebrating her 13th birthday with her in China is definitely a possibility if things continue to progress smoothly. We are cautiously optimistic!

So what happens next?
-File I800 application to gain approval from immigration in the United States for her to leave China (this was sent Friday and arrived at the lockbox facility this morning). This process takes about 3 weeks
-Our approval and file is cabled (or electronically sent) to the embassy in China where they process her visa. Article 5 (regarding Maeli's visa) is approved. This takes 2-3 weeks
-Wait for Travel Approval from CCCWA. About 2 weeks
-Travel to China!


- Jessica

Care Package for Maeli

As Chinese New Year approaches , I wanted to send Maeli a care package with a few gifts and a card from us.



We included an outfit, journal, hair bands, and a couple of cameras for her to enjoy. My favorite is the recordable photo album that has pictures of our family with bits of information written on each page in English and Chinese. I was able to record a short message in which I told her we loved her. I just hope she can understand what I said through my southern accent, lol.




We also included candy and craft supplies for her to share with her friends at the orphanage. The children are learning to knit so we sent some yarn as well.




After learning that she is quite attached to our family photo, I made her a pendant necklace that she can wear until we come get her. Dad is on one side and mom on the other.




A special thanks to Vivianna, my dear Chinese friend who translated everything so that Maeli could read what we wrote. Vivianna has been a blessing during this process with translating and providing information. We hope our sweet girl receives her package before Chinese New Year and knows just how much her family already loves her!




-Jessica

In Process...

We received some wonderful news yesterday!  As of January 17th, we are "In process!"  In the adoption community, we call it out of translation (OOT).  This means our dossier has been translated into Chinese and is in the process of being reviewed to be approved!  Typically, LOA's are approved 4-6 weeks after OOT.  It is likely that we will get approval toward the end of February.  We are still praying for an earlier LOA in order to get to China before her birthday.  This is unlikely, but as I've mentioned before, God is an amazing God, and we are specifically praying for His will and His provision to bring her home before her birthday April 12th.

I learned this week that China's spring import and export fair is April 15-May 5.  This wouldn't affect our first week as we will be in Zhengzhou, China in the Henan province for the first week of our trip.  This is where we will have Maeli's gotcha day and also process some provincial paperwork.  However, the second week is spent in Guangzhou where the trade fair is held.  During this time airline prices as well as hotel prices significantly increase and in some cases are doubled.  This is another reason to pray for a super fast LOA in order to get our sweet girl before the trade fair.  There are a few days that the trade show is inactive during this time, but pricing typically remains elevated.  We trust God's perfect timing and know He hears our prayers.

Please join us in praying for Maeli, those who are caring for her, her friends who are still in need of a family, and that we receive our LOA soon.  Thank you for sharing in this journey with us!

Learning English

I've spent the past few days brainstorming phrases that Maeli may need to communicate to us during our first days together.  We will have a guide in China, but our guide won't be with us when we are at the hotel and during our "bonding" time.  We plan to use translation apps on the iPad but I also want to make some flashcards with simple phrases in English, Chinese, and pinyin that we can use to communicate wants, needs, and emotions.

So while I've been studying Chinese pinyin, Maeli has been studying English.  I received an email today with photos of our sweet girl working hard in English class.  It's neat that while I am focusing on Chinese and how to make her transition less stressful, half-way around the world she is focusing on learning how to communicate with her new family.  This is such a blessing to know the orphanage volunteers are preparing her.

Here is the latest update:

Li, Ya Nan is so excited about being adopted!  She looks at your photo and the biggest grin spreads over her face! She had us to print another photo for her. She already really loves you guys. She will be a joy in your home. You will be so proud of her!  She is practicing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star; Row Row Row your boat; and Oh Susannah in English.  She really likes It's Yesterday Once More  by the Carpenters; but cannot sing it yet.  She is trying.  She is practicing the days of the week, the months of the year and the seasons in English.

Doesn't that just make your heart smile?  

Growing Pains

Yes, we are LID! We were officially "logged in dossier" on December 28th. This means our dossier (adoption paperwork) is being processed by the CCCWA. I've been hoping that we were but when I spoke with our social worker yesterday, she hadn't heard. She received an email today... What a wonderful birthday surprise! When they finish processing our paperwork, they will issue our Letter of Acceptance (LOA). We will travel approximately 8 weeks after LOA. Hypothetically, we could receive LOA as soon as a few weeks. However, it is realistic that we will wait approximately 2 months. A 2 month wait would mean that we would miss Maeli's birthday. I am fervently praying that we get LOA quickly. I want this process to be God's perfect timing... Our God is a big God and I will continue to ask for a miracle.

This past week has been one of the most difficult weeks in the process. I think missing Maeli at Christmas, not knowing if we had been logged in (nothing processes until we are logged in), and coming to terms with the fact that we will likely miss her 13th birthday hit me hard... God has called me to be Maeli's mother He has woven the same love and protection I have for Chase and Emma in my heart for Maeli. The hard part of this is that I know where Chase and Emma are. I know they go to bed full and fed with hugs, kisses, and warm clothes. I know they are safe. Most of all I know that they know they are safe, secure, and loved. Our precious Maeli is half way around the world and I am helpless and unable to "mother" my child. It's a helpless feeling... I just pray-pray that God will wrap His arms around her and put people in her life to show her love, compassion, and security. He's been faithful in allowing us to have updates from American volunteers at the orphanage who report that she is excelling, learning English, and is clinging to our photos we sent. This makes my heart jump with joy and break at the same time. The volunteers say she grins big when she looks at our family photo and even had them print her an extra one. I'm glad she is excited when she looks at our photo. She should have more than a photo, and that breaks my heart...

I find myself feeling guilty. Guilty about having fun, doing things without her. I find myself wondering what her reaction to all the new experiences will be. I find myself being sad and even angry that my little girl is having to experience such loss and loneliness at such a young age. Adoption is a wonderful way to grow a family. But adoption is hard and full of loss for the child, the birth family, and even the adoptive family. So I try to put it all into perspective, when my heart is breaking, it's means my love is growing and God is preparing my heart for a lifetime of motherhood to a little girl who grew not under my heart but in it.


- Jessica