So thankful!

A family that we met through our adoption agency just got back with their son. We got a Christmas card from them yesterday and there was a surpise inside. They sent us a donation for Adam's adoption, right after they got back from China! We are so blessed! Thank you all! By the way, we put your card next to the pictures of Adam!

Beth

Waiting, waiting, waiting....

Right now we are waiting...we are waiting to find out when our dossier was/will be logged in at China. (From what I've heard a dossier can be logged in for two weeks before you find out your login date) It seems to take about 1-2 weeks for the dossier to be logged in after it is sent to China...hopefully our dossier was logged in sometime last week. We're also waiting for our LOA (letter of approval) from China which will allow us to be OFICIALLY matched with Adam. Once we have our LOA we can post pictures of Adam on our blog and we can send Adam a CARE PACKAGE! He will know we are coming for him at this point. I keep looking at the websites that send adoptive care packages and trying to decide which to send him. We definately want to send him a letter about our family, a photo album of our family/house/pets and a toy/art supplies for him. We recently sent out applications for more adoption grants and so we wait for the decision on those.

A friend from church has volunteered to do the puzzle for us...Mark and I are NOT puzzle people! So far Bonnie has put 450 pieces together (we had only gotten about 250 and that was after months of working on it!) So far we have had 763 pieces sponsored. As soon as Bonnie has the puzzle up to date on pieces she will take a photo and email it to me. Bonnie, thank you so much for doing this!!

We did have one family donate money as a Christmas gift for family members. I printed up cards for them to present to their family and I think they turned out very well. I printed " A donation has been made in your name toward the adoption of Adam Smith. Adam is an 11 year old boy living in Yueyang China. The Smith family is grateful for the donation and wishes you a Merry Christmas." If anyone else wishes to do this for a Christmas gift, please let me know.

Well, I think that covers all of our adoption news for the moment. I hope everyone has a good day.

Beth

Trying to trust...

We found out that we were not approved for one of the adoption grants that we have applied for. They told us we can apply again but right now they do not have any funds available. I am trying to trust in the Lord but, in my human-ness, I keep worrying about it.

We have two more grant organizations that we will be applying to this weekend.

I just need to keep remembering that we have all the money we have needed so far.

We are still waiting for the Letter of Acceptance from China and for our dossier to be logged in at China.

Thanks for all of your prayers.

Beth

Early Thanksgiving present!!

Cindy from our adoption agency just emailed me. She told me that our dossier was sent to China today(11/24)! Yay!! So, now we wait for it to be logged in and she said things should happen quickly after that. Keep in mind that "quickly" in the adoption world is not always the same as "quickly" in real time! Of course, God can make things happen at lightening speed, and that is our prayer.


Brian just told me that he wants to watch "Mu-wan" which in "Brian speak" is Mulan.


Emily lost her second tooth yesterday and reminded me several times to put the tooth under her pillow. (I had a hunch why she was so insistant.) When she lost her first tooth a couple of months ago she gave me her fifty cents to put towards the adoption. This morning she did the same thing. She has such a loving heart!

Abby is constantly trying to figure out new ideas for fundraisers! Such seweet kids we have!

I pray that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and that we spend time thanking God for all the blessings we have.

Beth

Christmas fundraiser!

A friend from our church suggested a fundraiser. I know some people donate to a good organization/cause in someone's name and then they can give a "A donation has been made in your name" card. I know it is getting late in the season to start this but if anyone is interested in this fundraiser I will print out a card to be given.

"A donation has been made in your name to help adopt Adam. Adam is an 11 year old boy living in China. The Smith family wishes you a Merry Christmas."


If you know of anyone who would be interested in this fundraiser please pass on our blog address.

Beth

AMAZING!!! Please pray for the Kambergers.

The following is from a blog for a family who is adopting a 10 year old girl from China. They now feel led to adopt a 13 year old boy who turns 14 on December 12th. He has to be adopted by that date or he cannot be adopted internationally. This family adopted a child from Adam's orphanage in 2007. If you'd like to follow their journey the blog address is http://www.afamilyforchristina.blogspot.com/

"Two weeks ago, on October 30, Dick and Cheryl Graham with Bringing Hope to Children advocated for a boy rapidly approaching his 14th birthday. We have been in process to adopt Christina DuJie since August and had just recently sent in our I800A after an extended wait for our Home Study. I don't usually open these emails, but was moved to see what the situation was. The moving has not stopped.

We are now PreApproved to adopt Zhang LuShi in addition to DuJie and are trying desperately to give this child a home. His 14th birthday is December 12th .... just 4 short weeks away!! China is willing to do whatever it takes to get this child a family. Our agency, CAWLI, is doing everything THEY can to expedite this process. And we see days flying by with little to no time to raise the money needed to bring these children home or give USCIS the time to process our case.

I am asking for TWO things from this fantastic adoptive community:

First - PRAY for God's will to be accomplished - if He is pleased to place LuShi in our home, then He can pave the way through this seemingly IMPOSSIBLE short time period to do so. Pray for USCIS to be moved by compassion or whatever it takes to truly push this file through. China is willing to have everything else in fax only and even to let us travel without TA in hand.

Second - help us is ANY way feasible and within your power to get to China and give this boy a chance. There is a chipin right here on this blog and a purse fundraiser (done by the lovely Kelly R!) at http://www.hopeandhealingfororphans.blogspot.com/ . We could use frequent fly miles to help get us there and back or help with our stay at the hotel. Spread the word to any groups you belong to!

LuShi is from Linfen, Shanxi and has urinary incontinence and was diagnosed to have a tethered cord 2 years ago (tho he has no history of spina bifada). He has only been allowed to go to school the last few years after LWB stepped in to support the cost of adult incontinence pads. There is no surgeon in China that feels skilled enough to do his surgery. He is nearly 14 and I am sure growing like any other 13 year old boy!! That cord could snap at any time, leaving him in a worse place than he is already in.

John and I are willing to do whatever the Lord desires regarding LuShi - we want to give him the opportunity for family, support, love, expert medical care and the chance to be told there is a God who loves him very much. Could you or your coworkers be looking for a great compassionate giving idea for the Christmas season? What a gift this would be for LuShi who has been overlooked for far too long. And what a story to tell him in future days of the support and love of a huge adoption community who KNOW what a true miracle this would be!!"


Beth

Dossier being authenticated!

Our dossier was received last week and is now being authenticated! I'm not exactly sure what all "authentication" includes but I know it is sent to the Chinese consolate to get some more of those offical gold seals! It is also translated at this point, I believe. This process takes 3-4 weeks.

Have a great day everyone!

Beth