I am finally recovered from the last week. I think!
We had our home study interview a week ago Wednesday. Our social worker is so sweet and we had a great talk. Everything took about 3 hours and she was on her way by 8:30pm. We only have a few documents we are waiting for from DE and NJ and our home study and dossier list should be complete! Now to wait for the completed home study write up so we can get our I800a out to Immigrations for approval.
We are moving along relatively well in the process compared to some but it feels like it is taking forever! Please pray that our social worker can have the home study completed and approved (by our adoption agency) before she has her own baby! I am amazed at how hard she is working to help us and she herself is due to have her own baby in just a couple weeks! (She is due near my birthday, so that would be a fun coincidence. :)
The next day after our home study interview I was up at 2am and off to Georgia for the PCA Women's Leadership Conference in Atlanta. What a blessed weekend! There were over 250 women in attendance and such a great line up of speakers. I learned so much more and connected with some really great people! What a blessing to be reminded that we need to simplify our lives and focus on eternal thinking. Asking "How is what I am doing today furthering God's kingdom in the lives of the people I am in contact with?" Also, in reading 1 Timothy 4 - keeping watch on your life with Christ, how you invest your time, where you set your hope, what you talk about, who you love and how you show it, and how you develop your spiritual gifts. Then Ellen talked about our Treasures. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13. We are called to share our treasures. God has entrusted to us His treasure to be held in fragile clay pots. He has given us his Holy Spirit. We are to treasure our Treasures. Treasure the weaknesses, struggles and limitations. "Through our shattering we can see the glory of God in us." We are weak, but He is strong.
There are so many times I think that I am not strong enough, or good enough to be an adoptive mom. And I am not! But God shows me that He is strong enough and good enough to equip me with what our daughter needs. We have love and willingness to let go of our comfort zone to be a family of 5. This journey is a long one, and there are good days and bad days. God is sovereign over all and he is equipping us each and every day to live for Him.
After getting home Saturday night I was not feeling well, but thankfully I was able to rest and feel better by Monday. Jared was sick with a fever for most of this week! We are praying the rest of us can stay healthy through the rest of this winter. God is good.
I pray that each and every one of you who reads this blog knows Jesus as your Lord and Savior and know that through each weakness, trial and pain, it points our eyes to the one who will redeem every tear and make us whole for Eternity! I look forward to that day, but I know that my time here on earth is not done yet. I still have a job to do and pray that each day I can do it well. If you don't know Jesus but want to know more about him ask me! Also, pick up a Bible and start reading. God's word is living.
1 John 3:16-18
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
We want to thank everyone who has so graciously and generously helped fund this process! It truly is a blessing and we appreciate every bit of help. It is crazy how this process is so expensive, but priceless at the same time. God has truly been showing us daily how He is providing in every way. We are just so thankful!
I honestly have been feeling overwhelmed with all the paperwork that is required for this journey. I pretty much have been keeping track of all the orders, requests, appointments and figuring out the details to get everything notarized. In some ways I feel like I am back in college!! Parent training, book reports, physicals, blood work, money flying out of our account for all sorts of fees and postage. It is truly a test. A test to see if adopting this beautiful girl from China is worth all the stress, time and money. And EVERY time I even think that question: "Is all this worth it?" IT IS A RESOUNDING YES! Yes, it is worth it. I just wish it didn't take so long. Hours of studying and research and filling out questionnaires takes so long and crams my brain with so much information. I know there is still so much to learn and so much time to wait.....
Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
We pray every day for Joy that she would be protected by her foster parents and cared for until we can meet her and bring her home. We pray that her heart would already be captured by God's love and that she does not fear.
It is so hard. Every day we take to get through this process I am afraid that is one more day she feels she will never have a forever family. She still does not know that we are working our tails off to get this paperwork done as fast as we can so that we can go to her. We are not exactly sure when the agency will tell her she has a family wanting to adopt her. I hope to be able to send her as much information about us as soon as we are allowed. The agency will most likely wait until we have our USCIS approval or even until our Dossier is sent to China and the official request to adopt Joy is approved. That is so far off! But it is all God's timing.
Pray for her, that in her heart, she knows deep down that her family is racing to her. That she will not age out (they age out of adoption eligibility at 14) and be adrift without a family to protect and love her. That she will not feel alone. Pray that her disappointment, at being left in foster care for so long and seeing so many other kids get adopted because they are little, will be lifted from her and not scar her too deeply.
Pray for us as we continue through this process. We meet with our home study agent this Wednesday and it will take about 3 hours to get through all the information and questions. Pray that our agent can write up our home study quickly and accurately so it can be approved and sent with our I800A application to the USCIS for approval to adopt internationally! It seems like so many steps and doors to walk through, but we are trusting God. We will keep walking forward as long as the door keeps opening.
Thank you to everyone who have been donating and praying so fervently! It is greatly appreciated! Each dollar is a huge help! We almost have enough for the $2000 fee for our home study this Wednesday. God is so good. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! You are greatly appreciated!!
Over the past week and a half I have held three Origami Owl Custom Jewelry Parties. All of my commission from these parties has gone towards our adoption fund raising efforts to help bring Joy home. I want to thank Dana M. and Cindy O. for hosting great parties for me and to each and every guest at these parties and online who ordered beautiful jewelry!!! Want to know how much you raised!?!?!?!
$450 dollars!!
That is $450 dollars in commission that was raised to help bring Joy home!! I am just astounded! Thank you all sooooo much for being part of this journey! I can't wait to see all your beautiful designs that you ordered and hear how you are telling your story with beautiful jewelry!
I am so blessed to be able to work from home and to have the opportunity to be involved in such a great business with Origami Owl Custom Jewelry! All commission I make over the next year will all go towards our adoption costs. Check out my site www.jharrison.origamiowl.com. Share with your family and friends. If you would like to host a party there are really great hostess rewards! (average $99+ in free jewelry!).
We are very close to finishing up our home study document collection. We have 12 hours of training to complete (DVD course) and 3 books to read and report on and then our Home study interview!! We are moving along and I am praying that we can submit our I800A form by the end of February or early March. God has been showing us so many blessings in this early part of our journey. We have connected with so many new families and are not alone in this process! I am so thankful for you all who are praying for us and with us. We still have a lot of work to do and long days of waiting.
This week has been difficult health-wise for us. I woke up with a migraine on Wednesday that was so bad I was unable to do anything but drag myself to my chiropractor and a massage appointment to help relieve the muscle tension. Thankfully I felt better by the evening, but it pushed my busy schedule into today! Joel woke with a pulled muscle in his back this morning and ended the evening by spraining his ankle. Please pray he heals up quickly. Despite the setbacks, we are thankful for what we have and cannot complain one bit!
This has been my passage this week. Through this whole process I have ups and downs but always came out to the same conclusion... Doing things in my own strength fail. But trusting in God's timing and commands keeps my path straight.
Psalm 119:1-7
Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart—
3 they do no wrong
but follow his ways.
4 You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.
5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying your decrees!
6 Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart
as I learn your righteous laws.
God has been good. We are thankful for your support and prayers during our journey! Each and every one of you are so appreciated!!
