In my last post I likened our journey as a pregnancy and the eventual "water birth" by traveling over seas. Well, it looks like this is going to be a 10 months pregnancy instead of 9!! Oh, the waiting is so hard!!
It is 1am in China right now and the government offices are closed until October 8th as the country celebrates their holiday. I know people need to have holidays and vacations.... but the whole country?? So, our paperwork is sitting on someone's desk with a pile of other family's paperwork while the workers are out on vacation. Many of us know the drill by now. W.A.I.T. Many families have been waiting years for their little ones, others are trying to expedite the process before their teen ages out of the system, and others, like us, actually have a fairly fast processing time from start to finish. It has been a long year.
Starting out this process pretty much on January 1st and going through all the paper chasing, fee paying, form filling requirements is only part of the beginning. The beginning of a new family dynamic. A family of 5 instead of 4. A new soul to teach of God's love and forgiveness. A new culture to infuse into our lives as we keep up with traditions of her home land. We are a month away from the beginning... not ending.
As we have stretched and grown through this year of Hurry up and WAIT for days and months, we are seeing God's hand through it all. He has provided EVERY PENNY and every opportunity to cover the costs of the individual processes and paper stamping. Even going into debt to cover the costs we are still blessed to have the ability to use our credit cards. We know He will continue to help us in the years to come to pay off those debts. We may have to wait another 8 years to redo the master bathroom, or repaint the basement, or finish our deck and back yard.... But that is ok! We have our family and that is what is most important. Focusing on the health and well-being of our children and their learning and growing is most important.
We are so thankful for the continued prayers from friends and family! They are needed and felt! We pray for you also that God is working in and through you and refining your walk with Him.
As we wait for Travel Approval that will now not arrive until mid October, we are finishing up our responsibilities and looking at a travel date in November! We hope to be home with Joy by Thanksgiving! How exciting!
Our fund raisers are still in full swing. Check out the list on the right side of this blog for the various ones going on. We still have 450 puzzle pieces left for sponsors! If you don't want your name on them that is fine. We will just put your favorite verse on them. :) Our Connected Hearts Ministry link is still active. Anyone can donate a tax deductible amount up until we get our Travel Approval. Go here to donate.
Or go to this site: www.connectedheartsministry.org/#!family-listings/c126c
If we get 50 more puzzle pieces sponsored at $10 each or 5 pieces for $40, or 10 pieces for $80, I will post one of the update pictures we received last week!!
Who wants to see an update pic? :)
No comments:
Post a Comment