Great fortune!

So we are nearing the end of the month and so much has taken place in the past thirty days to bring us so much closer to meeting our little girl - whoever she is.....

We have successfully completed ALL the paperwork, interviews, dossier work and have just received our FINAL part - our approval from USCIS stating that we are fit to adopt internationally!!! This approval, by the way, came in record time according to our agency - it took less than a week to get it - who gets anything that quickly from a government agency when you are not standing right in front of them waiting?!  This means that our file, which has been waiting at our agency office for this final piece of paper, can now be sent off for translation and then on to the People's Republic of China :) This is beyond exciting.  As a matter of fact I have only just now been able to sit down and write about it - it is just so big and had to sink in a little while. 

I am confident that our daughter is out there and waiting for our file to arrive so that she can be chosen.  So that someone will read our dossier and pick her out of a pile of beautiful children needing families and say, "this one belongs here". This process, though very difficult at times, has been full of incredible blessings.  It has been full of love, hope, prayer and strengthened friendships and family bonds. It has been full of marriage strengthening discussions, personal reflection and a new commitment to our dreams.  We have had so many wonderful and meaningful discussions with our boys over the decision to adopt a little sister for them.  We have seen their understanding of how to love and look outside of their selves expand. I believe that the remainder of this process will be as blessed as the first. I know that God's hand is absolutely on this entire process and that His timing will be perfect. 

We are big believers in God giving us signs of encouragement, words of knowledge and other such things to let you know that He is watching and, most of all, cares. This process has certainly given us our fair share of God's encouragement.  It's not always an earth shattering thing or a blinking neon sign that shows up in the sky ahead of you.  Often, I believe, His love is shown through other people. For instance our notary, who was recommend by a friend, who took extra effort and time to notarize all our dossier documents for us. Doesn't sound all that spectacular until you realize that she had to type out a specific phrase on most of the documents before she could even sign them. That required a typewriter in order for the wording to be typed on the original document as required - who has a typewriter sitting around????  The notary that God led us to did....she was being a blessing to us for absolutely no gain of her own and she was the perfect one! She was the one God wanted to use to bless us and keep us moving forward for his perfect timing :)

Just this past weekend we went out with the boys to find something quick to eat before joining some friends at the Blue Ash Rec Center for a "family fun night".  We needed something quick, but are not big fans of fast food so we were desperately looking for a compromise.  After driving around Kenwood, Blue Ash and Montgomery unable to decide on something for nearly 20 minutes we pulled into a shopping center to turn around.  As we pulled in we came face to face with a sign that said "May's Chinese".  Derek and I decided that sounded pretty good and it would be fairly quick. During our dinner we met the owners and chatted with them a bit. Jesse was a sweet woman who was originally from Shanghai. We discussed learning some mandarin with her and that we would be traveling to China hopefully this year to adopt our daughter.  She was fascinated and wished us much luck on our journey.
As we were getting ready to leave Tanner started passing out the fortune cookies to all of us. When I opened mine and pulled the little piece of paper out of it I was delighted to read that it read, "nu er" which means "daughter" in Chinese.  I do believe that God wanted us to know that he has not forgotten about us or left us to finish out this process on our own. We need to know that we are still on the right path and that this is His desire for our lives and for the lives of all those that this process is going to affect.  I believe he wanted me to get that "note" (yes, I think God will even use a fortune cookie if he so chooses ;).
There are so many opportunities to be a blessing and to receive all the blessings God has for you throughout a day, a week, a month.  I fear that I miss so many, but I am so grateful for the ones that I don't miss.  I am so thankful for our GREAT FORTUNE!!

"Give and it shall be given to you, but not merely given back, but given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity." ~ Luke 6:38 (The Message)

A Redemption Story

What you are about to read was sent to me by my mother in law today, Derek's mom Jeannie.  She wrote it this morning and emailed it to us to read. When I started reading it I thought it was a "forward" and thought that it sounded so similar to the story we were currently in the middle of in our own lives.  By the end I realized that it was written for us, for our daughter and as a message available to anyone who desire to receive it by our own precious Jeannie. What a treasure! 

A Redemption Story - Two Adoptions

Psalms 111:9a  He provided redemption for his people.

A little girl is waiting in a crowded orphanage in a city someplace in the huge country of China.  As she accepts the daily routine of living day to day, she has no idea of the price that has been paid for her.

The price is high, not only monetarily, but in the laboring of mountainous paperwork, meetings, interviews, visits, phone calls, letters, notarizing, and more paperwork.  She has no idea of the love that has been shown for a little lost girl, so many miles away, and prayers that have been petitioned on her behalf.  She has no idea that one day she will have a new citizenship in a different land, a new room all her own, medical needs that will be met, nutrition that will be available every day, no worries or fears because her new parents will see that she is protected, and will be aware of her cautious heart and listen to every word she utters.  She will be adopted into a new loving family where she will be secure, safe, and warm, never a fear of being abandoned again.  She will learn the greatest redemption story ever lived, other than her own.  She will even get a new name.

When we become a Christian, the same principles apply.  We are bought with a price.  We are secure for life.  We are protected from the enemy.  We have a new citizenship, in heaven.  Provisions have been made - Jesus told us that he goes to prepare a place for us, yes, our own room.  He said he would never leave us or forsake us.  He also said he would bear all our burdens, keep us safe, and make us smile.  And, yes, we will be given a new name.

How many people have the opportunity of being blessed, by being adopted twice?

Mom and Grandma Jeannie

1/15/12

Children are a gift from God; they are his reward. 
LB Psalms 127:3