Preparing for Abby-Grace

Here are some photos of Chuck and I signing the "Letter of Acceptance" for Lianqing and her bedroom so far. Her room still needs a few finshing touches and I'll re-post when we get that done. I was excited to share what we have done so far. The agency said I could send her a welcome bag. I am going to send her a photo album. I have to get photos of faces and places that will be part of her new life. It is suppose to make the transition easier. I am also going to send a toy and maybe some candy for the older children at the orphanage. What an exciting time.:)

I just got the call ! WE are LOA

I Just got the call that we got our letter of approval today!! I am beyond excited. This is the final approval from China so ABBY is ours! We will get a final paper next day aired tomorrow, that we sign to say YES! we want to adopt her. Next step travel approval and then we go to China. I have so many emotions running through me, right now I could just burst with happiness. The agency thinks travel will be end of May or beginning of June. It won't be long now and best of all.. the orphanage will tell her she is going to be adopted:) Please continue to pray for her and us that the Lord continues to guide us! What an awesome God! I feel so blessed!!!!

What A Difference A Year Makes

A year ago today, I got the news that Vietnam was closing and we were not far enough on the waiting list to get a referral. We were 20 spots short. I remember reading the email at work and feeling like someone had punched me in the stomach, having to leave work early because I couldn't hold in the grief and heartbreak. Our "last chance" had fallen through and I had no hope and I didn't understand why God was allowing this to happen again. I remember feeling SO HOPELESS and now a year later, here we are with pictures of a little girl from China( the country we always felt we were supppose to adopt from) and a pink bedroom in our house. Our God IS Awesome and truly Amazing.I couldn't see this plan all those night I cried myself to sleep but he already knew he had picked out this little girl for us and what a long and crazy road we would have to take to find her. When we started on this adoption road, we would have never considered a child with a repaired cleft lip or an older child. We wanted a perfect little baby, like most parents. Now I look at Lianqing and she looks perfect to me and I wonder WHY I insisted on a baby, which brings me to a poem that was sent to me by a Mom we may be traveling with when we go to China. She said it reminded her of Abby and when I read it, tears came to my eyes because I am sure Lianqing has seen this scenerio played out many times.
The Waiting Child
An Adoption Poem
By Debbie Bodie
I saw you meet your child today
You kissed your baby joyfully
And as you walked away with him
I played pretend you'd chosen me.
I'm happy for the baby, yet
Inside I'm aching miserably
I want to plead as you go by,
"Does no-one want a child of three?"
I saw you meet your child today
In love with her before you met
And as I watched you take her out
I knew it wasn't my turn yet.
I recognize you from last year!
I knew I'd seen your face before!
But you came for a second babe.
Does no-one want a child of four?
I saw you meet your child today
But this time there was something new
A nurse came in and took MY hand
And then she gave my hand to you.
Can this be true? I'm almost six!
And there are infants here, you see?
But then you kissed me and I knew
The child you picked this time was me.
Copyright 1997
I can not wait for Lianqing to know,that indeed it is her turn. Please continue to pray for her and the adoption as we go through the last two stages, The letter of Approval and the invitation to travel. Thank you God for showing us the way to Lianqing and getting us to where we are.