Thanksgiving in China

Thanksgiving in China!
We have had our daughter, Jaelynn, for 4 days now. The best word I can use to describe her is joyful. We have heard so many giggles in the last few days and we are loving it.
On Monday morning the twelve families in our group loaded up on a bus and headed for the Registration Office. Our children were coming from about six different cities in the Henan province. When we arrived a couple of children were already there waiting. The children from Jaelynn's city had not arrived yet so I went around the room taking pictures of other families receiving their children. Some children showed no emotion, some screamed, and some seemed happy and content. This was the most intense yet beautiful thing I have ever experienced. It was such a mix of emotions. Most of these children were between 20 months and 28 months and didn't understand anything that was going on. On one hand I felt so badly for them because they were so frightened, on the other hand I was so happy that these precious little ones had a mama and a baba now. One of my favorite "Gotcha Moments" was a little girl, around 2 years old. Her father came to China alone to get her and she just cried and cried for a good thirty minutes. Her daddy took her outside and comforted her. When he came back in she had settled down nicely and was even smiling and she has not quit smiling since. I think she has her daddy wrapped around her finger... If you saw her I am sure you would say, "how could she not?" About forty five minutes after we arrived at the Registration Office we were only waiting on the children from Luoyang and then a van pulled up. My heart jumped and then I saw her, my daughter! I stood by the door and when she saw us she recognized us from our pictures. It was a moment that one cannot adequately describe and also a moment that is meant just for a little girl and her mama and baba.
Monday we spent most of the afternoon in our hotel room getting to know each other. A huge blessing is that Jaelynn understands us very well and she speaks English very well. She has had fun trying to teach us some Chinese. She is incredibly smart. I have asked her who taught you that several times, and almost without fail she responds "Rebekah". Rebekah is the pre school teacher at Maria's Big House of Hope and has done an amazing job teaching and loving these children. I will forever be grateful for what you have done! In the evening we walked about a mile to Wal Mart with several other families in our group. Wal Mart in China is certainly different than the Wal Mart we know.
Tuesday we had to travel to the city where Jaelynn is from to apply for her passport and we also were able to visit Maria's Big House of Hope. This was a highlight of our time here in China. I have always wanted to visit here and especially since Jaelynn spent over three years of her life there. I walked in this building and it took my breath away. This special care facility cares for some of the sickest babies and children. We met the nannies that have been taking care of Jaelynn and Jaelynn was able to show us her friends. It was so touching when one little girl who could only lay on a pallet on the floor smiled really big when Jaelynn got close to her face. We met Dr Martin and his family and they were so very kind to us as they showed us around the facility. David and I felt that this visit helped give Jaelynn some closure.
Wednesday we walked to Wal Mart again with some families and then we had lunch at Pizza Hut. Jaelynn loves pizza.
On Thanksgiving day David, Jaelynn, and I walked through a large park near our hotel, ate lunch at McDonald's, and had dinner with some of the families in our group. Not a traditional thanksgiving meal, but we enjoyed it just the same.
Today we are all waiting on our children's passports to be delivered and tomorrow we fly to another city (Ghuangzhou) where Jaelynn will have a visa physical examination and her picture taken. We are looking forward to arriving at the next city.
It has been such wonderful experience to watch God knit the hearts of these little ones together with their families. It has been fun getting to know people who have been on similar journeys to bring their children home and to know that when we left the Registration Office on Monday there were twelve less orphans in the world. So happy and grateful that our family could be a part of welcoming one into our family. We have truly seen a picture of the Gospel this week as so many children were given the gift of a family and as they learn every day what it is like to be part of a family.
Thank you for your support and prayers. Please continue to,pray for Jaelynn as she adjusts to her new family. You all are going to love this girl!

We're Counting Down The Hours!

We arrived in Beijing on Thursday evening Beijing time (Thursday morning Florida time). We took a bus ride to the hotel and got some much needed rest. Our guides, George and Michael kept us busy on Friday and Saturday. We left the hotel early in the morning and didn't get back until early evening both days. We visited The Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square, the Great Wall, the Olympic Park Village, and the Hutang Diatrict of Beijing (very old area of Beijing). We left Beijing early Sunday morning for our second city, the city we've all been waiting for and the reason we are here, Zhengzhou. This is the city where we meet our new daughter. In six hours we will load up on a bus and head to the registration office and twelve families will meet their children and there will be twelve less orphans in the world. In the group we are with most of the children being adopted are between 20 months and a little over 2 years old. I am sure there will be a lot of crying as these new babies meet their families. At this age they have no idea what is going on and are likely to be very scared. Please pray for these sweet babies that God would knit their hearts together with their new parents and that everyone's anxiety would be calmed.

When we arrived in Zhengzhou one of our guides pulled her cell phone out and showed me a picture she had taken just last week. I was so happy, it was a picture of Jaelynn! She saw her and spoke to her just last week. She told me that Jaelynn is very excited that she will be meeting her mama and baba soon. Pray for us as we meet Jaelynn in just about 6 hours. Pray that we will be able to comfort her and that she will know that she is loved so very much. It is so hard to believe that after 14 months (for most of those months not knowing when we might meet her) of waiting she will be in our arms so soon now. I still have a hard time believing that God is allowing David and I to be the mama and baba of a little girl that we prayed for. Our prayer for Jaelynn was that someone would adopt her and that she would know the love of a forever family. I know I have used this verse several times, but it is just so appropriate, "God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!" Ephesians 3:20
Well, it is about 4 AM and I guess I will try to get a little rest before we are off to meet Jaelynn. Check back later tonight for pictures of a beautiful little Asain girl and her ecstatic and emotional parents. Praying the Internet continues to work well for us because it is very unpredictable. Signing out as the mother of three and next time I blog I will be the mother of four.

T - 34 hours

It has been hard to concentrate on anything today, but I did manager to tie up some loose ends before Wednesday when David and I leave the US for China. Did I really just say that? Yes, we are leaving. Over the last fourteen months I have read blogs, prayed for and followed other families as they made the journey to China and I have followed them since they made it home. I've looked at the pictures of those families and dreamed of the day that it would be our turn. Well next Monday, China time (late Sunday night US eastern time), we will be taking pictures with our new daughter.
As I have prepared for this trip, one thing that I was not expecting is how I am feeling about leaving my other children behind. I guess I had not allowed myself to spend much time thinking about that part. They will be well taken care of, I know. Katie, Matt, and Abby will spend Thanksgiving the same way they do every year, at my sisters house with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. I am so thankful for my family who has been consistently supportive to us on this journey. Thank you all for loving our children and watching out for them while we are away. When my family found out we would be gone for Thanksgiving they were a little upset, they wanted to know who would pray before they ate dinner, that has always been David's job (they weren't really upset). One of the benefits of being the preacher in the family. I'll see if I can wake David up in the middle of the night, maybe he could still pray if we used facetime.
If I remember correctly this will be the first Thanksgiving I have ever spent away from family, but it is also the first time I've gone to China to get a new daughter. I am very happy that I will be spending Thanksgiving with Jaelynn. We definitely have so much to be thankful for.
Please pray for us while we are away and pray for Jaelynn's little heart, that we would be able to help her as she grieves over the only life she has ever known. God has chosen us to be her parents and my desire is to do that job well. I am so very thankful for the people who have taken care of her over the last several years. It is obvious that she has been loved well.
We will post pictures on our blog and Facebook as the Internet allows. I am looking forward to sharing "gotcha day" pictures with everyone.
See you all in China!
"God sets the lonely in families" Psalm 68:6

We're Going To China!

I have been wanting to blog, but I have had so many thoughts going on I felt too scattered. This blog post may be scattered a bit too, filling you in on recent happenings for our family.
On October 20th my daughter had a shower for me and Jaelynn. She had everything decorated so pretty. We received practical gifts like a car seat and a stroller and we also received fun gifts like hair bows, toys, and gift cards. It is fun to imagine Jaelynn sitting in the car seat and playing with those toys.
One word I would use to describe the adoption process is waiting or anticipating. You wait to be matched with your child, you wait for a letter of acceptance (at least for a Chinese adoption), you wait for immigration approval, and on and on the waiting goes. We have finally reached the milestone where yes we are waiting to meet our daughter, but the guessing games of when it might happen are over. David and I will leave on Wednesday, November 14 for China. We will be in Beijing for a couple of days and do a little sight seeing then on the 19th we will head to Guangzhou and meet Jaelynn. I feel like I need to keep pinching myself to be sure it is all real. This is an adventure I never dreamed I would ever be on, but it has been so amazing as we have watched God move mountains and provide for our adoption.
Around ten months ago my parents began planning a cruise and they a asked if our youngest daughter, Abby, could go with them. It was planned for this week. My husband and I agreed and made arrangements for her to be out of school for the week. She left today and will be back next Sunday. When she gets home David and I will be home for just two days before we take off and then I will not see her until December 1st when we return from China with her little sister. Almost an entire month I will be away from her and this thought has me a little sad, I am thankful she has this chance to spend time with her nanny and papa because there will be some big changes in her life in about a month. She is a sweet girl and I know she is going to be a wonderful big sister.
When I was in high school I used to frustrate my guidance counselor. She would ask me this question, "Where do you see yourself ten years from now?" Without question I always responded married with a couple children, and being a stay at home mom. She would always try to get me to choose a career, because to her being a stay at home mom was not an acceptable choice. Happily, ten years after graduating High School, I was right where I wanted to be. I was happily married and I had 2 beautiful children. A few years later God blessed us with another child. Four years ago when our youngest daughter was in first grade we needed some extra income and God provided a job for me. This was the first time I worked outside the home since my oldest daughter was born. It was and has been a very tough adjustment for me. I am thankful for God's provision of a job when we needed it, but my goal was to one day quit my job so that I could be at home again. Last Monday I gave my employer my two week notice so that I can once again live my dream. It is a little bit scary, but God has is faithful and I am thankful for scripture like Psalm 37:4 which says,
"Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. "
So now you've had a glimpse into a few of the many thoughts rambling around in my head. I told you this post would be scattered - kind of all over the place. I'll try to post another short blog before we leave and then some updates while we are away. Thank you for your prayers!

One Year

One year ago today David picked me up from work and we were headed to a banquet, but before we got there he asked me, "are you ready to make a phone call?" Confused a bit I asked, "what phone call?" His response was, "to see if we qualify to adopt." My heart just about stopped. You see I had been looking at one particular picture all summer. The picture was on the dashboard in my car, and I usually ended up crying every day on my way to work looking at a precious little girl that needed a family. David never saw this and didn't know what was going on in my heart... yet. On September 21st after reading a blog that in our home we refer to as "The Banana Blog" I began to sob thinking about the little girl without a family. David asked me what was wrong and I handed him the computer and let him read the blog. The average person reading this blog would have enjoyed it but the emotions that it evoked in us that evening was God whispering something I wanted to hear for several months. It was God confirming to us that we needed to take steps toward adopting this little girl. So tomorrow will be one year ago we made our first phone calls about adoptiyng our daughter from Chin@. We had no idea who to call, so we called Show Hope and most of the staff was out of the office attending a conference,  but there was one person in the office and she took our call. Cathy was that one person, and I know God designed that because in the months since that phone call she has become a very dear friend. That day Cathy told us that she couldn't help us with adoption information, but she was so encouraging and gave us the phone number of CCAI (Chinese Children Adoption International). We hung up the phone and called CCAI and spoke with Judy Winger, who was also very helpful and provided us with information we needed to begin our journey. I don't think that one can fully understand what is involved in adopting a child and especially adopting internationally until they have or are experiencing it. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I also knew it would be worth it. If you are just beginning this journey, remember it is all worth it.
 This past year has brought many new friendships into our lives. People who share the same heart for orphans and adoption as we do. It has also strengthened some friendships as they have been so supportive, even helping our family with fundraising through a yard sale, buying t shirts, and hosting a spaghetti dinner. I am so thankful for those friends because there have also been times when I have felt very lonely, feeling like no one really "gets it" and at times even feeling judged (nothing specific, just that feeling you get sometimes). Through God's Word and verses like James 1:27, we are confident that we were/ are doing exactly what god has called our family to do.
There were times over the last year when I wondered if we would ever receive our referral to adopt Jaelynn and it took much longer to receive than we imagined, but God is good and his timing is perfect.  The tunnel was very dark with no light in sight for so long but I am so happy today to say the we see that light at the end of this tunnel. In just about 2 months David and I should be boarding a plane to Chin@. Just like when I was pregnant with my three children bio children, I dream about our new daughter. I dream about the first time I see her... I just love those dreams.
I was putting a timeline together of the adoption highlights of this past year and thought I'd share it (see below). On Tuesday paperwork should be dropped off at the US embassy in Chin@ that all has to do with Jaelynn's visa and immigration. This is the last step before travel approval is issued. It normally takes 2 weeks to get this approval, but because of some holidays in Chin@, it may take three weeks. After the approval (called Article V) is issued it can be anywhere between 2 and 4 weeks for travel approval. Then after travel approval is issued it could be anywhere between 1-4 weeks for travel.
Please pray for our family over the next several weeks as David and I prepare to travel. We will be having a yard sale on Saturday, September 29th in Pinellas County to help with the remainder of the adoption expenses. If you would like to donate to help bring Jaelynn home you can click on the paypal link on the side of this page.
Timeline:

9/22/11- after many prayers and tears David and I made the decision to pursue the adoption of Jaelynn 

9/23/11 -called CCAI to see if Jaelynn was "paper ready" for adoption. She was not, but we were told that she should be by February 2012

9/30/12  - Approved by CCAI to  begin the adoption process

12/2/11 & 12/3/11 - yard sale fundraiser (thank you Walt & Bobbie for letting us use your home and for all of your help!)

1/20/12 and 1/21/12 - home study visits

4/30/12 - 1 797 notice of approval

5/21/2012  - received letter from Show Hope in the mail informing us that we had were being awarded a Show Hope grant. This letter was received the on the 4 th anniversary of Maria Sue Chapman going to be with Jesus.

6/08/12 - DTC (dossier to China)

6/21/12 - LID (dossier was logged into the system I China)

6/28/12 - Spaghetti dinner fundraiser (thank you Tom & Gina for all of your hard work and generosity)

7/9/12 - finally after 9  1/2 months received Jaelynn's file

7/9/12 - LOI (sent our letter of intent to adopt Jaelynn)

7/20/12 - received PA (pre approval) 

8/27/12- LOA

8/31/12 - I 800 arrived at lockbox 

9/14/12 - I 800 approved

9/17/12- Received approval in the mail

9/20/12 - NVC received I 800

9/21/12 - NVC letter received via email (PDF format) 

9/25/12(?) - Paperwork dropped off at US Embassy

        - Article V picked up

        - Travel Approval Issued

        - Gotcha Day!!

Thank you all for following our journey. Just think the real journey is just beginning!

Our God Is Greater

This was an exciting week in our home as we received our LOA (letter of acceptance) to bring our little girl home.  The next few steps in the adoption process have much shorter timelines than the pervious ones and this means we may be leaving the end of November to fly to the other side of the world and meet our very loved daughter. This is such an emotional time and Jaelynn is in our thoughts constantly. Right now we are on our way to go shopping and we are listening to a Children of the World CD. Their CD's always made me cry before, now I am just a total mess listening to children from around the world singing songs about our Lord.  I love hearing "I Am A Promise" , with their precious accents. 

This is also an emotional time when I think about our family, friends, and even complete strangers who have given sacrificially to bring Jaelynn home. You all are a living example of the Gospel by helping bring this orphan into a family. I have been humbled by the kindness of so many. I quote Mary Beth Chapman by saying that, "not everyone is called to adopt, but we are all called to do something". Although "thank you" seems inadequate, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you would like more information on what you can do to help us in the final steps of our adoption, please see the previous blog entry dated August 27, and titled "Bringing Jaelynn Home".

Please keep our family in your prayers as we prepare to travel and the as we all adjust to our new life. Pray for Katie, Matt, and Abby while David and I are away. Pray for Jaelynn. She is very loved in the orphanage she is in and will miss her friends and caretakers. Although having a family is better than growing up in an orphanage, she will likely grieve the loss of her past in the months ahead. Pray for us as we do all we can to help her transition to life with a family. We are looking forward to reuniting Jaelynn with some of her friends one day from MBHOH, especially one of her best buddies Isaac. Isaace was adopted last December. I am thankful for Isaac and for his family, they have been such a blessing and encouragement to us. Pray for us as we have some other decisions to make in the future. Pray that the Lord would go before us and work out details. He is much better at working out these details than I am.

Keep your ears open for the squeals of excitement when we receive our travel approval.

"Our God is greater, Our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other"

Bringing Jaelynn Home

Yesterday we received our LOA (Letter of Acceptance) from Chin@ to adopt our girl. We are still in shock as we were told to expect to be waiting between 90 and 120 days. Yesterday was day 46 from our Letter of Intent and day 38 from our pre-approval. God is so good in giving us this miracle. This now means that we should expect to travel in the next 10-15 weeks.

We are beyond thrilled that in just a short amount of time Jaelynn will be in our arms forever. As exciting as this is we still have one giant obstacle in front of us and that is funds. We have been humbled and blessed as we have raised such a large amount starting at zero. We are so thankful for friends and family who have helped us fundraise through yard sales, t-shirts, buying coffee,  and our spaghetti dinner. We have come such a long way but with this new exciting news we still need $4,000 fast. This is so out of my comfort zone but right now the need is urgent.

Here is how you can be a part:

We still have about 10 t-shirts left in various sizes. The shirts are $25 with shipping so leave a comment to find out if we have your size!

Pictured above is our shirts that feature John 14:18

We have lots and lots of bracelets for sale. Each bracelet is $5 and says "Bringing Jaelynn  home". The wide bracelet has it printed in white and the thin have the letters embossed. 

If you are a coffee lover head over to Just Love Coffee where a portion of your sales will benefit our adoption. 

Our last fundraiser is a puzzle where you can purchase a piece for $2 and we will write your name on the back so one day Jaelynn can see all the names of those who helped bring her home. 

All purchases and donations can be made through the paypal link on the right side of the page. Please consider how you can be a part of bringing this precious one home. In a Show Hope sponsor video Mary Beth Chapman says it best when she says. "Not everyone is called to adopt, but everyone is called to do something." How will you be a part of this beautiful story that God is writing?