Perspective

We received this in an email. It reminded me that none of us are perfect, and in spite of those imperfections God still has a purpose for each of us.

The next time you feel like GOD can't use YOU, just remember...

Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
John the Baptist ate bugs
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer...
AND Lazarus was dead!

Remember, we aren't the message, just the messenger...

It's in the mail...

I spoke to our USCIS officer last Wednesday, and she said our I797 would be in the mail later that day. I actually started crying on the phone with her. How embarrassing.

So now every afternoon I run to the mailbox and Bill the mailman thinks I have a crush on him again ;-)  Just wait until I ask him if I can take his picture for our life books...

As soon as we see that beautiful piece of paper, I will call my sister's good friend Lisa (who also conveniently lives in Chicago) so she can get ready to run our I797 to the Consulate for EXPEDITED service!

We're praying that our I797 is in our mailBOX on Monday. Then we start the next AND FINAL (insert woo-hoo and fist-pump here) round of dossier-overnight-shipping-stravaganza! We know the routine ~ I797 is notarized, I797 is driven to Secretary of State in Denver to be certified, I797 is overnight'ed to Chicago, I797 is ran (run, Lisa, run!) over to the Chinese Consulate, I797 is overnighted back to CCAI... then all the papers and pictures and certificates and seals that make up our dossier are ready to go.

And then it's time for a happy dance! Yay, God!

Isaiah 9:6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will
rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Classes

So in order to adopt, you are required to take classes. Here is our list of required classes:

1. The Adoption Process
2. Basic Infant/Toddler Care
3. Attachment
4. Parenting Through your Child's Developmental Stages
5. Grief & Loss Issues & Talking to your Child About Adoption
6. Being a Multicultural Family
7. Assisting the Development of your Newly Adopted Child
8. Chinese Culture

Did your eyes glaze over as you read the list?

It has taken a conscious effort to not be bitter towards people who don't have to go through all these hoops to add to their family. I wish we were that couple who always had a heart for orphans and who always knew they would eventually adopt. I wish we were that couple motivated not by their own desires, but by the needs of the orphans. We are not that couple. We have always wanted more children and that's how we got here. But in God's amazing way, He has been always present and active in our lives. After we were deep in this process, we realized He has changed our hearts a bit, shifted our thinking slightly. Now we see things more clearly and we KNOW this is so much bigger than our desire to have a larger family. So maybe He put that selfish desire in us, knowing that His plan was to give these two little boys a family. It is all about Him anyway, everything is for God's glory.

He is always giving me shots of perspective. Thank you, Lord, for continuing to open my eyes and remind me that it is not all about me.

So we continue on through our hoops. We are taking our last two classes tomorrow (see #7 and #8 above). All of the classes have been great except one ~ it was very disappointing since the topic should have been amazing. I am praying that our instructors tomorrow are prepared and enjoy teaching their topics...

And praying that our son is healthy enough to go to his friend's house so we can go to class...

And praying that dearest hubby gets home not too late... He just got called in to work...

So I am going to get some sleep and know that God will take care of everything. That's not in my job description.

And I'm OK with that...

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Next Project...

My next project is.....

drumroll, please....

LIFE BOOKS!

I am starting two life books for our munchkins. Life books are like baby books, but for adopted kids. Our munchkins have HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE missing pieces in their history. It is our job to help them know their story. As much of their story as we have, anyway.

So I am starting with the big life books ~ the books that will also include every single uncomfortable detail that we have. These big books will sit on a shelf or in a box and wait. And wait. And wait. They will wait until the boys are older and can better understand the answers to those difficult questions. It breaks my heart for them that they will never know so much about their stories.

I am also going to make shorter books that they can each have right away. Books with basic information that our families and friends will know too. Pictures of people they knew in China. Fun facts about each of our family members. Simple books with wipe-off pages for little fingerprints. These pages will tell their stories, to help them connect their China life to their American life.

After we travel, we will have LOTS more pictures to add. We'll have pictures of THE FIRST TIME WE MEET OUR KIDS (thank you, Lord! that will be the coolest day), our travels in China, the areas where they live now, and pictures from the disposable cameras we have been sending. Those pictures will fill much of the books.

We ask God for wisdom to guard the boys' stories when we need to, and for the right words to tell our boys their life stories in an age-appropriate, loving, respectful way.


Hebrews 11:6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Update on Samuel!

We received an update on Samuel! There is so much info, both on the lines and in between.

• Samuel has grown a little in the past two months. (This is important because it is sometimes hard for kids with cleft issues to eat.)
• He knows his name and answers questions. (His hearing might be OK.)
• He imitates people talking on the phone and picks up the house phone when it rings. (Imitating is developmentally appropriate, but let's not have the 1 year old answering the phone... LOL)
• He loves to play outside with friends and does not mind cold weather. (He plays ~ developmentally appropriate ~ and he has friends yay! :-) 
• He is getting better at cruise-walking.
• He makes a funny face to get others to laugh. (He's a jokester, and he initiates positive interactions with people.)
• When it's time to eat, he sits in his little chair and waits for his food. (I wonder if he waits quietly...)
• His favorite food is egg with noodles. (His foster family feeds him solid food that includes protein ~ sounds obvious but that's not always the case with orphan cleft kids.)

I guess I have to learn how to make egg with noodles.

And you guys should SEE the picture they sent ~ I think it is exciting. Here it is. It is Samuel with his foster grandmom, and she is leaning into him and snuggling him... OOH he is LOVED!!! Thank you, Lord for putting our son in a loving home!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Everybody All Aboard

I feel great these days. Why? Oh, I'm glad you asked. I have been connecting with people who are on the same love train. OK, I just found The O'Jays song "Love Train" and am playing it to get in the groove... :-D
People all over the world... Join hands... Start a love train, love train...

OK, I'm back from my geek moment. (You too can pull up the song and listen while you read this ;-) If you don't blog about it, noone will know.)

Most recently, we have been connecting to people through online groups and local adoption meetings. We are connected to Samuel's foster family by sponsoring him. We are connected to David by our angels on the inside. We will forever be connected to the boys' birth parents and China. We are connected within an adoption community. We are connected to friends and family who are so excited for us. We are connected to our Lord because we believe that Jesus is our Savior. We are interconnected in so many ways... Kinda mind blowing, eh?

Love is like spaghetti ~ each piece touches so many other pieces that touch so many other pieces...

It is impossible to function without affecting and being affected by those around you directly or indirectly. So God asks us to love Him and love others... and by loving others we shine His love out for the whole world to see.

OK, you still with me?

So while we are on this journey together on our love train, we want everyone to climb aboard. We are going to remember our interconnectedness and love others so we will show God how much we love Him, and then the spaghetti theory will take effect and His love will ripple out and touch so many others. We are still keeping our eyes on the prizes at the finish line, but also remembering to enjoy the journey...


1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us,
and his love has been brought to full expression through us.

Patience, my dear Watson!

Waiting.

This is a test. This is only a test.

Thanks, Lord, for giving us patience while we wait for these two munchkins. We feel at peace (at least most of the time) and we know your hand is in this. We know in our hearts and in our minds that this is your plan for our family. While we don't understand the path you led us down to get to this point, we thank you and give you all the credit because everything is coming together down to the smallest details. Only you could make something that people have made so complicated come together so beautifully. So we'll wait on your perfect timing, because really if all we have to do is wait and be patient... we'll gladly turn the rest over to you...

~~~~Something hit me the other day. While this process is stressful, it is NOTHING like what we have been through during the time we were trying to make a homegrown baby. NOT EVEN CLOSE. Doesn't even come near to the pervasive stress and raw pain we experienced over those years. We do carry that experience with us ~ our experiences shape who we are, don't they? So while that pain is something that other people don't see, it has affected who we are today.

A part of me walks my life with those six children, because they are my babies. Invisible to others so they are forgotten, but never forgotten by me. I accept the painful memories as a part of me.

God certainly has given us perspective...

So here we are today. Adoption. We're joining the "adoption community" where there are lots of adoptive parents who "get it" ~ who understand what we're going through. We love the experience of the BTDT's, and we love being on this journey with good friends. The Lord has surrounded us with His love. And this is undeniably His plan. It feels like a big hug.

Psalm 138:8 The Lord will work out his plans for my life - for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me.

Denver Post article

Here is an article from the Denver Post on the owners of our adoption agency, CCAI.

http://www.denverpost.com/rss/ci_17321996?source=rss

Lily and Joshua are amazing people who have an incredible passion for the Lord and for Chinese orphans. The second picture in the article shows a wall of pictures. There is a picture on the wall at CCAI for each child whose adoption was facilitated by CCAI. The walls are COVERED with these 5x7 pictures which is not surprising since they have helped over 9,300 children find forever families. It is so cool to walk up and down the halls looking at all the munchkins. We can't wait to add our two pictures to the walls!

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are
like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it
clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
2 Corinthians 4:7

Love Your Little Brothers

This evening Josh and I were coloring in a dinosaur coloring book, and we started talking about Josh's little brothers. We agreed we were both really excited to bring them home.

A few minutes later, Josh told me he was really excited to play with David. Josh said he would play catapult with him and fling him across the room...

giggle-giggle

Josh said he would play submarine with David and shoot him out in a torpedo...

giggle-giggle

I asked if he was planning on also playing with Samuel. Josh said, "Nope."

Josh said he would play Nerf with David and make him the bullseye target...

roll-on-floor-&-giggle-giggle

Josh said he would play pirate with David and make him walk the plank...

belly-laugh-giggle-giggle-oops-gotta-run-to-the-bathroom-before-I-pee-my-pants

Oh my. Here we go. (I can't make this stuff up.) We'll be working on this verse:

John 15:12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

No walking the planks involved...

Happy Chinese New Year!

Today is the Chinese New Year, and we are welcoming the Year of the Rabbit. What is that all about? Here's what I found:

Chinese New Year 4709, or 2011 in the Western calendar, is the Year of the Metal Rabbit. The Rabbit represents the fourth year in the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.

Like the houses of the zodiac in Western astrology, the animals of Chinese astrology are thought by many to dictate personality traits or, in the wider scope of things, even impact world events in any year they rule.
The year of the Rabbit is traditionally associated with home and family, artistic pursuits, diplomacy, and keeping the peace. Therefore, 2011 is very likely to be a relatively calmer one than 2010 both on the world scene, as well as on a personal level
So this is interesting since it is part our sons' Chinese culture. We pray that 2011 will be calmer and filled with peace. We pray 2011 is all about home and family. That would be really cool. If that happens, we don't believe it is because the astrological calendar page caused it to happen. We believe in God, we believe life happens because it is part of His plan, and we keep our eyes focused on Him.


Psalm 27:4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—
      the thing I seek most—
   is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
      delighting in the Lord’s perfections
      and meditating in his Temple.

Travel Info

We have a travel information update... No, we don't have word on when we're traveling yet. Are you kidding? It has only been 5 months since we started this process ~ it is way too early to know that! We're still aiming for traveling late summer-ish (please, Lord, August at the latest... our munchkins are waiting).

Our travel update is not about when do we leave, but the logistics. Remember, our two boys are in different provinces so we have to go to three different provinces if you include traveling to the U.S. Consulate. This means that if Jason and I travel together we can expect about a week in each province. Yup, that would be minimum 21 days. Three weeks. Three-quarters of a month. In another country where we don't speak the language, we can't drink the water, we are eating in restaurants every meal, we are dealing with jet-lag and government appointments and not driving each other crazy, and doing all this while we are running on adrenaline from the excitement of finally meeting our sons and trying to bond with these two beautiful little munchkins while missing our #1 son on the other side of the world.

What's that saying... If He brings you to it, He'll bring you through it. We know adding these two boys to our family will stretch us beyond our comfort zone. We know that while we're in China we will be uncomfortable and waaaaaaay out of our element. These are just the inconveniences and discomfort of life, and it is so temporary. And God has such a greater purpose for us. It is not about us. He is driving this bus, all we have to do is trust and go along for the ride. We can do this for three weeks.

If we had to.

But we'll choose what's behind door #2...

We emailed the CCAI travel gurus and we do have a two week option. If Jason and I split up for the first week, we can git 'er done in 14-16 days. (This is the typical length of a single adoption in China.) We prayed about it, we talked about it, and we're doing it. Jason is going to pick up David in northern Shanxi province. I am going to pick up Samuel in southern Henan province. We will both have in-China CCAI representatives available 24/7. The difference is that I will probably be in a travel group with other Americans who are adopting, and Jason will probably be in his own travel group by himself. We can do this. It is only a week. We're already leaning on God throughout this process, might as well keep on trusting that this is His deal and His idea. Who else could orchestrate something so beautiful?

The three week travel trip would give us each other to lean on the whole time. The two week travel trip gets us home faster. Either way it isn't about us. Let's enjoy China while we're there, but let's get these boys home a week sooner. We'll trust that this is His idea.

Isaiah 55:6 Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.