This week is the first week of school. With this brings many many emotions. My children our very excited for school to start which is a wonderful thing. The reality is we thought we would have our daughter home by now. We know God has just the perfect timing but it still doesn't take away all the sadness. We know Hope is very far away without her family. We pray every night that she has someone to love on her and tell her about Jesus and most of all we pray that she will come home soon.
We were offically LID (Log in Date) on July 6. The next step is to get our LOA (Letter of Acceptance) which should happen as early as 30 days and as long as 150. The average is 100 days. We are now at 43 days. I am hoping it is 50 days.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Trip to Kentucky
So many of you have been asking about my trip to Kentucky so here goes the story.
First of all our Dossier has NOT even been sent to China, I just thought it had. I get a call from our social worker on Friday May 28 at 11:00 saying my birth certificate did not have a state seal on it from when we got it authenticated. OK I said what does that mean. She said you have to mail it to them and wait for them to send it back. No way was I going to wait another 2 weeks just to get the state seal. So I asked my sweet friend Jennifer if she wanted to go to Kentucky today. She said sure. So off we went.
Before we left I called to make sure someone would be there and what time they closed. They said they closed at 4:30.
We had plenty of time to get there. We left around 12:00 and it was about a 3 1/2 hours trip.
We find the state building. It was very beautiful up on this big hill. We walk up to these huge wooden doors and the sign says push hard. So I push really hard. I could not get the door to open so I ask Jennifer to try. She couldn't either. Jennifer suggested I call the number of the office. I could not find my phone so Jennifer got hers out and opened it. She said Shelly it says 4:32. NO WAY!!!! I did not realize they were on Eastern Time.
We quickly run around the building to see if any door was open. We find these people and tell them our story please please all I need is a state seal could someone please help me.
I think the man felt sorry for me and said let's got see if anyone is left in that office.
When we got up on the 3rd floor there was 1 lady left. The man asked if she could get a state seal for me. She said no all she did was accounting and everyone else has left for the Memorial Day weekend.
We asked if she was sure there was not anyone there. So she went to look for someone. She did find 1 more lady left. This lady asked for my papers and what I needed. She said hold on let me see. I thought this is a really good sign she is looking the papers. She calls another lady who does the state seal and walks her through how to do it. WOW GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!!
She comes back and hands it to me.
I thanks her a billion times and then off to FED EX to get it on its way.
God is so good He already knew that lady would still be there and did not what us to wreck trying to get up there on time. We had just a few minutes of panic as opposed to 3 hours of panic.
As of today our Dossier is still not sent to China but we definitely know He is on the journey with us.
First of all our Dossier has NOT even been sent to China, I just thought it had. I get a call from our social worker on Friday May 28 at 11:00 saying my birth certificate did not have a state seal on it from when we got it authenticated. OK I said what does that mean. She said you have to mail it to them and wait for them to send it back. No way was I going to wait another 2 weeks just to get the state seal. So I asked my sweet friend Jennifer if she wanted to go to Kentucky today. She said sure. So off we went.
Before we left I called to make sure someone would be there and what time they closed. They said they closed at 4:30.
We had plenty of time to get there. We left around 12:00 and it was about a 3 1/2 hours trip.
We find the state building. It was very beautiful up on this big hill. We walk up to these huge wooden doors and the sign says push hard. So I push really hard. I could not get the door to open so I ask Jennifer to try. She couldn't either. Jennifer suggested I call the number of the office. I could not find my phone so Jennifer got hers out and opened it. She said Shelly it says 4:32. NO WAY!!!! I did not realize they were on Eastern Time.
We quickly run around the building to see if any door was open. We find these people and tell them our story please please all I need is a state seal could someone please help me.
I think the man felt sorry for me and said let's got see if anyone is left in that office.
When we got up on the 3rd floor there was 1 lady left. The man asked if she could get a state seal for me. She said no all she did was accounting and everyone else has left for the Memorial Day weekend.
We asked if she was sure there was not anyone there. So she went to look for someone. She did find 1 more lady left. This lady asked for my papers and what I needed. She said hold on let me see. I thought this is a really good sign she is looking the papers. She calls another lady who does the state seal and walks her through how to do it. WOW GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!!
She comes back and hands it to me.
I thanks her a billion times and then off to FED EX to get it on its way.
God is so good He already knew that lady would still be there and did not what us to wreck trying to get up there on time. We had just a few minutes of panic as opposed to 3 hours of panic.
As of today our Dossier is still not sent to China but we definitely know He is on the journey with us.
Monday, April 12, 2010
DOSSIER SENT TO CHINA
Hooray!!! We got our immigration approval after many trips to the post office. Our Dossier is sent to China. We are getting closer and closer.
Next step is LID (Log in Date)
Then LOA (Letter of Acceptance)
Now comes the waiting game.
Next step is LID (Log in Date)
Then LOA (Letter of Acceptance)
Now comes the waiting game.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Roller Coaster Ride
Monday afternoon Abigail went to get the mail and came running to me saying "We got it! We got it!" We got our immigration papers back. I was like WOW that was so fast. I was so excited until I saw what kind of envelope it was in.
It was a big envelope which meant it was NOT the paper I was waiting on. I did not want to crush her excitement but knew it could not be good. I told the kids to go on outside and play I would be there in a minute. After they left I quickly opening the envelope and in the top left corner it said REJECTED. That's all I could see for the moment because tears were streaming down my face.
I knew that it was not really that big of a deal I just needed to send some kind of other paper or something but I also knew it would take that much longer to bring home our sweet little girl. I could not even read the paper right then so I tried to pull it together and take my kids on that bike ride they wanted to go on. The minute the children saw me they knew. I told them it was fine I was just sad because it was just going to take a little longer to bring Hope home.
After I bike ride I decided to look at the papers to see what the matter was and only found it to saw there was a missing paper but what missing paper I could not figure out.
I called the 1-800 # they said to call and explained everything to the lady. She in turn sent me to someone higher up because she could not answer my question. There was a message saying they were open 8a.m.- 8p.m. and my wait time was 20-25 minutes. I decided I would fix the kids dinner and call after that maybe the wait time wouldn't be so long.
At 7:05 p.m. I called back and the message said no one was available at this time please call back between 8a.m.-8 p.m.. Yes you guessed it they were on Eastern time.
So I decided to just to put the kids in bed and go to bed and try again tomorrow. ( I forgot to mention my husband who is NEVER out of town was out of town)
Next morning I got up early, called at 7:10 am and finally talked to someone. Who sent me to the next level. They said I had to email the people in Memphis. I thought great finally an answer.
I emailed the people in Memphis they emailed me back within 5 minutes. Hooray finally an answer about the missing page. But no they said I had the call this 1-800 # . I could not believe it that was the same 1-800 # I had called that morning. Now I was really beginning to wonder what I was going to do. Yes stop and pray!!!
As so it goes on and on and on and on for about 5 hours until I finally figured out that I had to have my new homestudy and old homestudy with the application I could not send it later like our social worker told us.
So off the post office again.
Hopefully this time I will get it right.
What did I learn through all this????
God is good all the time. All the time God is good.
It was a big envelope which meant it was NOT the paper I was waiting on. I did not want to crush her excitement but knew it could not be good. I told the kids to go on outside and play I would be there in a minute. After they left I quickly opening the envelope and in the top left corner it said REJECTED. That's all I could see for the moment because tears were streaming down my face.
I knew that it was not really that big of a deal I just needed to send some kind of other paper or something but I also knew it would take that much longer to bring home our sweet little girl. I could not even read the paper right then so I tried to pull it together and take my kids on that bike ride they wanted to go on. The minute the children saw me they knew. I told them it was fine I was just sad because it was just going to take a little longer to bring Hope home.
After I bike ride I decided to look at the papers to see what the matter was and only found it to saw there was a missing paper but what missing paper I could not figure out.
I called the 1-800 # they said to call and explained everything to the lady. She in turn sent me to someone higher up because she could not answer my question. There was a message saying they were open 8a.m.- 8p.m. and my wait time was 20-25 minutes. I decided I would fix the kids dinner and call after that maybe the wait time wouldn't be so long.
At 7:05 p.m. I called back and the message said no one was available at this time please call back between 8a.m.-8 p.m.. Yes you guessed it they were on Eastern time.
So I decided to just to put the kids in bed and go to bed and try again tomorrow. ( I forgot to mention my husband who is NEVER out of town was out of town)
Next morning I got up early, called at 7:10 am and finally talked to someone. Who sent me to the next level. They said I had to email the people in Memphis. I thought great finally an answer.
I emailed the people in Memphis they emailed me back within 5 minutes. Hooray finally an answer about the missing page. But no they said I had the call this 1-800 # . I could not believe it that was the same 1-800 # I had called that morning. Now I was really beginning to wonder what I was going to do. Yes stop and pray!!!
As so it goes on and on and on and on for about 5 hours until I finally figured out that I had to have my new homestudy and old homestudy with the application I could not send it later like our social worker told us.
So off the post office again.
Hopefully this time I will get it right.
What did I learn through all this????
God is good all the time. All the time God is good.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Home Study
Hooray!!! Home study has been updated and approved. As of 9:00 this morning. I just ran down to the agency to pick it up and went straight to the post office to send it to immigrations. Now we wait again for immigrations to update our papers. They said it could be up to 6 weeks. We are praying for 2 weeks. We really really want to go to China this summer. God is good and he already knows the time.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Paperwork
We are going as fast as we can trying to get all the paperwork done. We have hit a few bumps in the road (as all adoptions go.)
First, we can not get our immigration papers updated for China (changing from Hong Kong) until our Home study is approved. Our social worker has finished her part and sent it to headquarters in Michigan and it is waiting for the China social worker to sign off. As soon as she signs off I am going to the agency to pick up the official papers and send to immigrations.
Next bump is our medical papers and blood work has to have been done within the year. We had ours done 1/19/09 so we have to go get all of that done again. No big deal. It just takes time.
Please pray with us that this will all go quickly as we really want to travel this summer so our whole family can go together.
All I have to do is look at sweet Hope's face and all the headache of the paperwork is forgotten. We cannot wait to kiss all over her face.
We know God already knows the best time for us.
Nathan and Abigail are so excited to bring home their sister. At breakfast the other day Nathan said he was just going to walk to China. We said that would be a really long walk. He said he did not care he just wanted his sister home!!!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Hope Meng
Introducing Hope Meng. We got our referral from China last week, PRAISE GOD!! We are now in the process of redoing all of our paperwork and transferring from Hong Kong to China. Many have asked when we will be able to bring her home. Our social worker has told us around September but we are praying for June or July. Since both of us teach it would definitely be more convenient for us to travel in the summer, Lord Willing.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
WE ARE MATCHED
WE ARE MATCHED WITH OUR LITTLE GIRL FROM CHINA!
PRAISE THE LORD!!
I WILL POST MORE LATER!!!!!
JUST TRYING TO LET IT ALL SINK IN.
PRAISE THE LORD!!
I WILL POST MORE LATER!!!!!
JUST TRYING TO LET IT ALL SINK IN.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Our Plan is Not Always God's Plan
His plan is always better. God is doing BIG things in our life right right with our adoption. I can not say much yet but just keep praying that we will listen and move out in faith. Christmas is the season of miracles. God is so good.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Blessings to Come
Sorry it has been so long since I have posted but we have not received any news on our referral from Hong Kong.
Those of you who have been down the adoption road or who have walked with someone down this road know there are many ups and downs. During Thanksgiving my family and I have been praying through many options with our adoption. I will keep you posted as things unfold. I know you guys are praying because there is no other explanation why Abigail has not cried another day for her sister but instead she keeps turning to Jesus and just asking why and then just smiles. We know God has called us to adopt and we are being faithful listeners.
Those of you who have been down the adoption road or who have walked with someone down this road know there are many ups and downs. During Thanksgiving my family and I have been praying through many options with our adoption. I will keep you posted as things unfold. I know you guys are praying because there is no other explanation why Abigail has not cried another day for her sister but instead she keeps turning to Jesus and just asking why and then just smiles. We know God has called us to adopt and we are being faithful listeners.
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