Waiting on God's timing...

Some days are really easy to wait. Other days I am impatient with how long this process is taking. But through it all I have to remind myself, it is all in God's timing. It is equally hard when we are wanting new information and a detailed update on our daughter we still have yet to meet and there is only silence. We have not gotten pictures we requested when we sent her a cake for her birthday back in June! It is totally up to the Foster family on whether or not they will supply an update and/or pictures. All the information we have on Joy is from over a year ago. So many unknowns and I just sit here and have no way to change things. All I can do is pray. 

Our Fall is jam packed with school, volleyball (I coach at a local private school), youth group, choir, and retreats. Travel will greatly depend on when we get our Letter of Approval (LOA) and when all the visa and travel documents get approved. China moves at their own pace and there is nothing we can do about it. When we get our travel approval we travel within 2 weeks! So, having an idea of when we might travel is very sudden. We need to "drop everything" and go. So plan need to be made without solid dates and we just pray it will all work out. How hard this is for me who is a planner and likes to have everything thought out ahead!! (driving me a little crazy I will admit!)

I try not to compare our journey to other waiting adoptive families as it just causes me to wonder why some get their approvals earlier while others of us wait so long. There is no rhyme or reason to the approval process and we just have to wait.

So as we wait, we finish up much needed cleaning, we evaluate what doctors may be needed and health concerns checked.... so many unknowns, we go on with our daily routine and pray! I have a list made (and continuing to grow!) of things we will need to transition from a family of 4 to a family of 5. Joy comes from a part of China that is sub tropical. She will be coming home to a place that gets much colder than her coldest days! Kind of like someone moving from southern Florida to the north east! So, we need extra warm blankets and layers for her to wear to keep warm this winter, flannel sheets and other things we can't really know until we meet her. I have no idea what size clothing she wears either!

In the mean time, we have a huge yard sale coming up on August 23rd. We have cleaned out a lot of unnecessary things to make room for our new daughter. God has been good in allowing us to get a great deal on twin beds for the girl's room and a friend giving us a bed for our son's room. We realize just how much stuff we have and don't need. So, all of it goes into the yard sale! All money from the sale goes towards our travel costs!

One of the ministries we applied to for a "grant" or funding help is Connected Hearts ministry. If you have been thinking of making any donations to help us with travel costs and medical costs to add to our family through adoption, now is your chance! Connected Hearts Ministry has listed our family on their non profit site for the next two weeks! ALL donations are tax deductible and go directly to our adoption agency to be used for our travel and over seas expenses for finalizing our adoption. Go here to see our story!  http://www.connectedheartsministry.org/#!family-listings/c126c

We continue to be grateful for your prayers during our journey! God is listening and we are being blessed beyond measure! He provides just when we need it! Thank you and please continue to pray that we will lean on Jesus and be content to wait on His timing through all of the paperwork being reviewed and approved!

Psalm 5:11-12
"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them, 
that those who love your name may exult in you. 
For you bless the righteous, O Lord, 
you cover him with favor as with a shield."