Getting ready

Dear Family and Friends,

So much to get done and so little time to get them done in! That's the story of my life these days. I still have no firm idea on when I'll be traveling, but if I do get to travel with my original group, it could be as early as 2-3 weeks! That seems so very close and I started to panic last night! I had spent Sunday afternoon trying to make sense of Sophie's room and thought I had done a decent job of it. When I got home last night, I realized I still had mountains of things to get done! Soooo I did what any crazy person looking for a dose of sense would do... I phoned a friend! Thanks, Maria! You are an angel! I got so much done even when on the ph0ne! Who knew you could take apart a day bed one handed??

I'm still trying to figure out what to bring - it's not that I don't have an idea about it, it's just that everything seems so essential. But, with a limit on how much luggage we can bring, I need to cut even more out and it just seems impossible. Thank goodness Uncle Paul is bringing a big suitcase! I think I'll make him bring the diapers and formula!

I hope to have news on travel approvals soon and will keep you posted!

Blessings,

Chinamom

Giving Thanks

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Thanksgiving.

It's that time of the year that our nation celebrates Thanksgiving. Over the years the meaning of the holiday has been lost. It's become a day of feasting and football. There is a time with family and friends but that too is not the true purpose of Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims of old used this time to give thanks to God for His provisions in their lives. He gave them food, protection and provided them with new beginning where they could worship Him openly and without persecution.

Thanksgiving is a day for giving thanks to the One who owns all the cattle on the hills. He provided for our needs and gives the free gift of salvation to all who sincerely ask Him for it.

This year, I want to take a few minutes and thank my LORD for His gifts. I thank Him for providing me with the gift of the Lord Jesus. For bringing people into my life who shared the Gospel with me and brought me to the foot of the cross 7 years ago tonight. I thank Him for my family at Grace Baptist Church and those who are my brothers and sisters in Christ, who prayed for me then, and continue to pray for me now as I prepare to become a mother to Sophie Joy Xiucheng. I am so thankful for the gift of my daughter.

I thank Him for my family who have been supportive and so loving in my lifetime. I have wonderful friends, both old and new who mean so much and bring such joy in the day to day things. My prayer for them is that they would see the true meaning of Christ and ask Him to be their Lord and Savior. I pray they would freedom that comes from living a life where Jesus guides them in a personal relationship. I am thankful that the LORD has tarried so that they still have an opportunity to come to that saving knowledge.

This year I am especially grateful to God for answering my prayers for my child.

Thank you LORD for giving me a beautiful daughter and I ask that you would help me to be a Godly mother to her.

Blessings,

Chinamom

More information has arrived....

Dear Family and Friends,

I got Sophie's medical information on Saturday afternoon. My agency didn't even wait for everything to be translated before they sent it out. The medical stuff is both in English and Chinese and is primarily checked off boxes as to what is appropriate for her.

Being the nurse, I looked at her lab work results, her developmental results and other available information and have found nothing there that concerns me. With that in mind, I signed the document accepting the referral and sent it back via next day delivery to Living Hope! It should arrive there tomorrow morning!

From there, they will send this back to China to process the travel approval which is my invitation to travel and bring Sophie home!

I asked Living Hope what the chances were that I might be able to travel with my original LID group who got their referrals on November 5th. They are very hopeful that I will be able to do that!! That would amazing since I am about 2 weeks behind them in the process!

If everything goes well, there is a chance we could be in China before the end of December! Keep praying!

Thank you all so much once again for your unending support and prayers!

Blessings,
Chinamom

Did I hear you say you needed more pictures??

Check out that cute little dimpled cheek!

Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Dear Family and Friends,

I got the MOST amazing call yesterday morning! I have my referral! Yes! Yes! Yes! Praise the Lord for answering all your prayers!

She is ABSOLUTELY the most BEAUTIFUL baby in the world - don't you all agree???? OK, those of you who are parents don't have to agree 100% but pretty close, huh?

Her name is: Xiu, Cheng
She is from: the Xiu shui County Social Welfare Institute in the Jiangxi Province.

She will be one year old in just a few days!
I don't have a whole lot more but will add it as I get it.

Blessings,
Chinamom

"For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of Him"
1 Samuel 1:27

Things are looking brighter.....

Dear Family and Friends,

Since you all have been so kind to keep me in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, I wanted to give you an update on what happened today with my missed referral.

I spoke at length with the director for my agency today. Their Beijing employee was able to meet with the matcher for my agency. They did find my file (thank goodness for that answer to prayer!).

They were going to put me in with my agency's next LID group for a referral (the next LID for us is January 2006). The agency pleaded with the matcher to reconsider and to expedite my referral since there was no reason for my waiting that because of anything I did - all my paperwork is in order - it just got misplaced when my special needs adoption fell apart back in December 2005.

Once the matcher heard this she did reconsider and agreed to work on matching me this week! As a relief as this news is to me, I won't be half excited until I actually see this happen. The best case scenario is I would hear next week. Of course I won't be completely happy until I leave China and pass through the immigration line in the good ole USA!

My agency kept trying to reassure me that nothing else could go wrong, but I've been there too many times in the last few years to believe that one!

Anyway- things are at least looking brighter than they did last week!

Thanks so much for your support!

Blessings,

Chinamom

Maybe more news on Monday

Dear Family and Friends,

I spoke with the co-director for my adoption agency yesterday afternoon. She had their China employee go directly to the CCAA on Friday morning to find the person who handles my agency. It turns out this woman is on vacation this week. They do expect she will return to work on Monday. My agency is having their employee go back there in person on Monday morning to speak with the CCAA directly.

I have been assured that I will eventually get a referral but the timing is very uncertain. My agency will try to get things expedited so perhaps I can still travel with my group. I have told them if that isn't possible, I don't want to have to wait until the next group for my agency (their next LID group is January 2006) as that would mean at least another 3-6 months of additional waiting time.

I will keep you all up to date as I hear news.

Blessings,

Chinamom

Wish I had news....

Dear Family and Friends,

I was hoping by now to have at least an inkling as to what happened in China but no such luck. The person assigned to my adoption agency at the CCAA has been out of the office all week and without her looking into things there is no answer.

Please continue to pray.

Blessings,

Chinamom

“And He said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness, most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Still nothing new

Dear Family and Friends,

Still no news on what the problem is in China. I have heard from the adoption agency (the director's wife has called me daily) but unfortunately the person at the CCAA who they need to talk to has not been in the office this week. The agency will call again tonight and call me in the morning with an update.

It's hard to be pessimistic about this but those awful thoughts do cross my mind. I know in my heart that this is probably that old Satan using his time tested tools to make me doubt, but it's hard not to fall for his tricks. Please continue to pray him out of this situation.

I'll keep you posted on what happens.

Blessings,

Chinamom

As my stomach turns

Dear Family and Friends,

I had been hoping to be writing you all with wonderful news about my baby, however, as has been the rule rather than the exception in this journey, the call I got from my agency on Monday started with: "We have some bad news for you".

Seems to me I heard that from them once before - when they called to tell me that I would not be able to adopt my son, Adam.

Sure enough, this news is just as devastating. Everyone in my group got their referrals except for me. No one knows why - it just wasn't in there. No explanations. Nothing.

The agency is trying to reach the officials at the CCAA to sort this out but, of course, the person they needed to talk to was not in the office. Same old story.

I'm feeling very defeated right now. I don't hold out much hope in all of this.

For those of you who know Christ as Savior, please pray that God will show His perfect will in this mess. If He is closing the door to adoption for me, please pray that He will give me the Grace to get through it because right now I don't think I can handle this.

Blessings,

Chinamom - or maybe not.........