We got the wonderful news today that our agency, CCAI, received our LOA today!! Yea! Rejoice with us!! What? You don't know what that means?! (hee hee... neither did we until we got submerged into this process.) Let me explain so you can REALLY celebrate!
LOA is the "Letter Seeking Confirmation of Adopter", or in layman's terms, the paper that asks us if we REALLY want this little man. Ummmm.....Heck to the YEA-YAH! Even though we were pre-approved in September, and China agreed to work with us to adopt our sweet one, it was all pending final approval once they got our dossier and reviewed it. Welp, this is the final approval. (big grins!)
AND, even though US Immigration has already approved us generally to adopt a little one from China, we now file another US Immigration application to bring this specific Chinese dude home. This LOA is part of that immigration application. Hopefully, very soon, we'll have USCIS approval for the 2nd time around.
THEN, the US & Chinese government agencies get together, have lunch, go out for drinks, or whatever they need to do to talk about when we should travel to get said Chinese little dude. Those little friendly gatherings result in an Article 5, Travel Approval (TA) and Consulate Appointment (CA). Each step takes a couple weeks, SOOOOO...we could (realistically, hopefully, prayerfully) travel sometime late May/early June.
ARE WE EXCITED? You bet your sweet bippy we are! Are we freaking out? doing the happy dance? totally distracted? Whoaaa, YES!!
But mostly, we are so incredibly thankful that we have the privilege of growing our family and parenting this beautiful boy. Truly. God has lavishly blessed us with another son. Words cannot contain our joy or amazement at His plan. WOW! We are really With-Out-Words.
OK, so now we get back to work. More paperwork to fill out, more preparations to be made here for a toddler to join this household, and a little more money to be raised!
Saddle up!
Soli Deo Gloria.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
So thankful
A beautiful little boy a half a world away was examined by a wonderful orthopedic surgeon from Nashville, Tennessee. In the Chinese orphanage. Out of all the children who live there. Tender touch; encouraging prognosis. And images were captured to share this extraordinary moment with his eagerly waiting forever family.
And then, the beautiful little boy got a package from his eagerly waiting forever family.
~A stuffed horse that belonged to his big brother~
~Warm socks for sweet, small, toddler feet~
~Fleecy sweatsuits for the cold days of winter that remain~
~"Thank You" chocolates for nannies who hold him until we can~
Items we chose... and touched... and prayed over were placed in his uncertain, scared hands.
Now, we wait...
...and pray that his precious heart is comforted somehow by his Heavenly Father with the knowledge that he also has an earthly father, mother, brother & sisters that love him dearly and are coming soon for him.
...and desperately hope for fast processing of all remaining paperwork by 2 governments.
Timeline update: We were logged-in (LID) to the Chinese government agency that processes adoptions (CCAA) on February 15, 2011. Our long-held hope of traveling in April is not realistic at this point. There are still several steps before we are invited to travel to pick him up. Estimates are that travel should happen approximately 4-6 months from LID, but we are really, REALLY, REALLY praying & hoping that we can travel in May. Our angel's birthday is in June; we'd love to have him knitted in to this crazy family before then.
This is God's Word on the subject: "I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
Jeremiah 29:11 (The Message)
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