When? When? When?

So WHEN are we going to China?

If only I knew.  If only I knew.

Our last step in this process which should be really quick, may potentially be delayed because of Chinese New Year.  Although it is still a week away, many people in China are already taking time off to the with their families.....   thus our last little piece of needed approval may have to wait until after the holiday there. 

**SIGH***

It also means that we may get travel approval after the holiday and then travel very quickly.......

It also means that I may miss two of chidlren's birthdays because I'll be in China.

***SNIFF***

So for the last two days I have been fretting.  My heart and my head.  Spinning 100 miles an hour trying to figure it all out.  Frustrated that a holiday in China is keeping me from traveling NOW.  Wondering if there is anything, anyone who can help speed this up.  Then, I saw this:

And I am reminded of what I already know.  I do not have to fight.  I do not have to fret.  He has this.  I need only be still........

Hope your Christmas was full of JOY.JOY.JOY!

Guess What We Got ????

LOA!  LOA!  LOA!  That's right folks!  This is BIG.  We got our Acceptance/Approval in 28 days.  China definitely has us on the expeditition highway!!!!!  Now, if the United States Immigration Office will agree that we need a speedy approval, we could be on our way in February!!!!  Thank you God for answering our prayers.  We've witnessed one miracle after another, and this is definitley one of the BIG ONES.  Looking foward to seeing what He has in store for us next!

Merry Christmas from China!

Late last night I opened my inbox to find this beautiful picture of Pearl.  China had sent a brief update to our agency.  One photo, a video that we can't open, and a lab report.   Our email also said that China has agreed to expedite our case based on Pearl's medical needs.  If I compare our timeline to that of a recently expedited family that would put us traveling in Feb/March.  Chinese New Year falls in January, so that could hold us up a bit.  And, as always with international adoption, timelines aren't very predictable.....  so I'm TOTALLY guessing here.

I've been staring at this precious face all day.  While I dread traveling like crazy, (I have this totally irrational fear of flying), I can't wait to get my hands on this girl. 
After our experience with Mia and older child adoption, I'm not expecting everything to go smoothly at first, but I have hope that in time, the love of a family and a gracious God will put a smile on sweet Pearl's face.

Hand Over The Keys.

While riding with my 15 year old driver recently, I had quite a revelation.  I spent most of our 20 minutes drive with my hands and jaw tightly clenched.  He's great at almost everything he does.  EXCEPT FOR DRIVING.  My one way conversation with him went something like this:
"Slow down"
"Two hands on the wheel"
"Stop turning the radio"
"Slow down"
"You're getting ready to run off the road"
Bad curve ahead"
"Listen to me.  You don't know what you're doing."
"Pull over."
"Get out."
"I am driving now."

Here's the revelation:  I wonder if God feels the same way I felt when we try to drive too fast and make a wreck of our lives.  We don't slow down.  We don't listen to him.  We run off the road.  We don't see the curve ahead. We crash."

Maybe we need to sit still, slow down and listen to The One who knows the road we are traveling.  Maybe we need to stop, pull over and hand Him the keys.  He's a much better driver.

Shannon

Shannon is 13 years old. She's in the 7th grade, is smart and does well in school. She likes to take walks and jump rope, and she lives in an orphanage in Guangxi province, China. Her two best friends were adopted to the United States a year ago, and she keeps in touch with them over the internet. She regularly pleads with them to find a family for her. She's asked her orphanage to prepare her paperwork for adoption, but they hadn't done it before because they didn't think anyone would adopt an older girl with mild cerebral palsy (a slight limp and some weakness in one hand). 

Any interested family really needs to already have their paperwork ready.  You can read more about her and find more info at http://www.untiltheyallcomehome.blogspot.com/.

A Miracle for Isabella

Little Isabella's family needs a Christmas Miracle.  This family lives just a few houses down from us.  They are one of four families on our small street who are in the process of adopting from China.  One day I'll share all those God-sized stories, but today it is about Isabella.

She has a very complicated heart condition.  Different from Pearl's, and more dangerous.  She needs to come home quick. Last week this family received expedition from the US government side of their adoption.  Things turned around MUCH.MORE.QUICKLY than they ever anticipated.  This is a good thing.  However, this family thought they had much more time to raise and save the funds they need.

Here's where you come in.  I know this time of year we can all be overwhelmed by the needs around us.  There are angel trees, Salvation Army collections, Samaritan's purse and a million more wonderful causes to participate in.  This year, as you think of how blessed you are, would you consider sharing your blessings with Isabella and her family?

You can visit their blog for more information - or contact ME and I'll help you get in touch with them.  They have lots of fundraisers going on (my personal favorite - wild olive tees) OR you can just simply write a check as a way of helping take care of "the least of these among us".