Prayer requests

Our family has submitted our application for the I800, which is a document from our government that gives us permission to bring Adam and Megan home to the US. Our agency has told us that we might be traveling by the end of summer. We might get a closer estimate after we have our I800 approval. Obviously, I don't want to wait that long...obviously I will wait if I have to. :smile: Megan's birthday is June
10th, I don't want her to have to spend one more birthday without a family. The later travel may be a blessing though. During the summer is when airline fees spike, if we can book lower airline flights that would be great!

Also, our agency is requesting that Megan's orphanage donation be waived...this is a $5,000 fee that we have to pay for each of the children. That would be a big help if we didn't have to pay both orphanage donations.

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers.

Beth

It's here!!!!

I am so excited I can hardly stand it. We just got the call that we have Megan's Letter Of Acceptance. This is the document that officially matches Megan with our family. I can also post a photo of Megan now. ::Drum roll:: This is our daughter-to-be!

We can now send a care package for both Adam and Megan to let them know that they will be adopted together and will be brother and sister!!!

Jiaozi!

I finally made something I've been wanting to make...Jiaozi! They are also called Dumplings or potstickers. It took quite a while. I took pictures of the process! Abby, Mark and I loved them but Emily didn't and Brian didn't even try them.

There is a picture of the filling, one of the jiaozi filled, then waiting to be cooked and the final product! I haven't posted several photos together and now the photos are out of order...but I'm sure you can figure it out.

Prayers for TB tests!

There is something that is causing stress for adoptive parents recently. Our international kids need to have a TB test before they are issued a visa to travel to the US with their new parents. There are some kids who have not been allowed to travel home with their families. I know of at least one little girl who had to stay in China while her parents traveled home. After her parents advocated for her she was able to join them in America after several weeks. Obviously this is hard on the children and their parents. Some families have been faced with the possiblity of staying in China for several weeks with their newly adopted child and paying extra money for food, hotels, etc.

We have requested that Adam and Megan's orphanage get a TB test done on them before we travel so if some treatment is needed that it can be started before we travel so that there is no delay in bringing our new children home. Our agency has passed the request on to the orphanage but they told us that they don't think a TB test will be done. Obviously I am praying that they don't have TB and that this is a moot point while we are in China but I also would like to have as much information as possible before we travel. I guess I don't know what I am asking for. Please pray for Adam and Megan's health and safety.

When we have Megan's LOA (Letter of Acceptance) we can post her picture. I can't wait to share a photo of our beautiful girl!

I can't wait to bring them home! They need be a part of a loving family soon. I feel so blessed that we were chosen to be that family.

APPROVAL!!!

We have gotten approval from China to adopt two children at once!! Yay!!! Now we have more paperwork to complete and we will be waiting for the Letter Of Acceptance (LOA) for Megan. It might be here within a month, or we might have to wait a little longer for that. Once we get Megan's LOA we will be sending a care package that is designated for both Adam and Megan and that is when the orphanage will sit them down together and tell them that they will be adopted into the same family. Friends will become brother and sister!

Please rejoice with us!!!!

Beth

Praise the Lord!!!!

Thank you to everyone who prayed for us. Our contact at our adoption agency called today and told us that she has Megan's referral information (basically all medical and social information that they have about the child) for us to review. China wants us to review the referral before they approve us to adopt Megan and Adam. It turns out that there are two children at the orphange who have similar names so that is why it took so long for them to sort it out.

We got some information on Megan and photos. Oh yeah....she's not 12! She is 11 but she will be turning 12 soon.

So, we will be filling out forms to adopt Megan in the next few days. Please pray that all of the "adoption steps" happen at lightening speed! I can't stand waiting for red tape to bring these sweet children home. They need to be in a family, they've waited too long already.

Oh yeah, there is the small matter of money for adoption fees, travel costs, etc. I know God knows where all of that is coming from...I'd just love it for Him to let us know too!


Beth

Request for prayers

Our family has not gotten a response to our request that we be allowed to adopt two children at once. We have been waiting 3-4 weeks and we cannot submit paperwork for Adam until we get the Yes or No. I am asking that everyone pray that we will get a response soon. (As a frame of reference another family's agency made the same request on a Monday and got the answer on Friday).

We need a covering of prayer over this situation. Please pray for this and ask others to pray for this as well. Feel free to post about this prayer request on any blogs you might be have and feel free to post a link to us. Thank you everyone.

Beth