Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Please Pray us on our Way!

Our travel date is approaching quickly! We'll be on a plane to China in less than 36 hours! I have many things yet to do on my list, but things are steadily being checked off and I am thankfully feeling calm and ready. Our more full itinerary is listed in the sidebar to the left so you can see what each day holds for us.

As you follow our journey, would love to have you praying us on our way. Here are some specific things to pray about, and please pray as the Spirit leads you for any other needs I may not have even considered!!

  • Safe travels on the 11th. Leaving VPS at 9am, flying through Atlanta to Seoul then on to Beijing. Arriving Beijing around 9pm Thursday evening, the 12th. Pray that our connections are smooth, luggage makes the flights, and that we stay healthy and sane on that long flight!
  • Good health and protection over all of us--protection from tummy ailments from the food and water, protection from colds, flu, etc., safety on Chinese roads and air travel domestically, etc.
  • That we would be full of God's grace and love as we spend lots of time with other families traveling to receive their new family members. This group has already been a tremendous source of support, advice, and encouragement and I am thankful for them all!
  • That this would be a wonderful time of bonding for our family--both before we receive Lillian (our first two days in Beijing with just Jared and ANna, sightseeing) as well as after we become a family of 5.
  • That Anna and Jared would in no way feel left out or unimportant as we welcome Lillian Joy (Lilly) into our family. That they would quickly and seamlessly settle into their new roles with a younger sister to love on, help, teach, comfort, and set an example for.
  • THat Lilly would be kept safe and healthy as she waits. That she would have some understanding of what is happening in her little world.
  • That Lilly would quickly feel safe, loved, and secure with us. That she would be able to quickly attach and bond and be open with us.
  • That would we be able to communicate well with Lilly-in Mandarin, in English, and in sign language (I am praying that she understands and speaks Mandarin, not a local dialect that I don't speak).
  • That we would have wisdom as we decide whether to bring her along when/if we have the opportunity visit the orphanage where she spent the first 2 years of her life.

Thanks for following! Please leave comments so I know who is following!

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Why Adoption? Why China?

I'm sure that many of you, when you learned that Tom and I were pursuing adoption of a little girl from China, wondered "why?!" We may have taken some of you by surprise, and we thought it might be nice to share some of our thinking about this journey we are undertaking.

Adoption is something that, even from the earliest years of our marriage, we talked about as "maybe someday." The idea of adoption is appealing to us for many reasons. As Christians, we are adopted by God as his children through faith in Jesus. Adoption allows us to provide a child with the needed love, warmth, and financial resources we have been blessed with as a family. Finally, adoption allows us to add to our family at a time when our biological children are old enough to be more self-sufficient, and we are in a position financially to be able to welcome a child into our family in this way. What we hope to gain is an additional family member to love and learn from, and an opportunity to share the joy and love of our family.

We recognize that an adoption will bring unique parenting challenges to our family--especially since we are considering a child with special needs--and it is likely to put unique stresses on our family in a variety of ways. We are grateful for Tom's medical knowledge and for the great medical coverage we get through Tom's Air Force career, and we look forward to providing a forever family for a child whose medical needs might make it more difficult for another family to take on.

Finally, why China? My love for China, the Chinese language, and the Chinese people made China the natural choice. It was never really even a consideration whether to go with a domestic adoption or international; China was simply the natural choice that we immediately pursued, especially since there are so many children in China that need a forever family.

Chinese Word of the Day

The Time in China

When Love Takes You In

Our Adoption Timeline

  • Travel Dates--11-26 March
  • Swearing In Ceremony at Consulate--25 March (Lilly's 3rd Birthday!)
  • Consulate Appointment (CA)--24 March
  • Travel Approval (TA)--19 February 2009
  • Received Letter of Approval (LOA)--22 January 2009
  • Received Pre-Approval (PA)--25 November
  • Submitted Letter of Intent (LOI) to adopt An Xiao Xue, soon to be named Lillian Joy Xiao Xue, 1 November (logged in at CCAA 21 November)
  • Referral Call from CCAI asking us to consider An Xiao Xue's profile--31 October
  • Dossier Log-in-Date (LID) 3 July 2008
  • Dossier to China (DTC)--June 27 2008
  • Dossier Submitted to CCAI--June 2008
  • Fingerprinted at USCIS Jacksonville--April 2008
  • Application Approval ("We're Pregnant!") January 2008
  • Submitted Adoption Application and 3 References--December 2007
  • Requested Application from Chinese Children Adoption International (CCAI) --November 2007
  • Decided to Investigate Agencies--October 2007