Whew . . .

Another leg of the journey is complete!!

We are excited to share that yesterday we sent in the paperwork for our Dossier (home study, medical reports, financials, passport photos, etc.) minus our immigration approval.

Immigration approval usually takes around 3-4 weeks. So, since we did our fingerprints on July 17^th, we didn’t expect approval until next week at the earliest. Imagine our surprise that on the very day we sent in our Dossier, we also received our immigration approval in the mail – only 13 days from our screenings. Wow!!! 

Again, God is reminding us that this is all according to His timing. He’s got it all under control. In Proverbs 3:5-6, Solomon writes, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”

Isn’t it overwhelming and awe-inspiring to know that God’s already got it all mapped out? I don’t even have to know all the details, and His will will still be done. Please pray that our family will continue to trust in Him throughout this wild, unpredictable roller coaster ride (AKA the adoption process). We look forward to taking the path He lays before us.

One Step Closer!!!

This summer has been a whirlwind to the say the least. We’ve barely had a minute to catch our breath, and now it’s almost time for school to start back. We have some adoption news and wanted to share that we are ONE step closer! On Tuesday, we stood in line at the Homeland Security office in Atlanta to have our Biometric Screening. 

For those of you not familiar with adoption lingo – biometric screening is just a fancy title for FINGERPRINTS.

We ought to be professionals by now – this is our third set!!! Well, actually it’s my fifth, since I had to have both my FBI and GBI prints redone. (No, I do not have a hidden criminal history!) The lady at immigration said, “Man, your prints are thick.” Soooo, I’m not sure if I should hold out hope for this set either!

The approval takes three to four weeks, and the next step is to complete our Dossier! Now, that’s exciting, except for the fact that it means another paperwork marathon!! We are definitely up for the challenge.

One step closer. One step closer to a referral. One step closer to China. One step closer to holding our baby girl. We can hardly wait! Please continue to pray for us as God gently reminds us that He is in control and has ordered each step according to His perfect timetable.

What? Are you CRAZY?

Don’t you know you’ve got four kids? And the estimated cost of raising ONE child is nearly $300,000 spread out over the first 17 years of life? (Yes, I know that for us that is already $1.2 million and when we add number five, it will equal $1.5 million.) And you’re still considering adoption?

The answer to all of these questions is . . . YES! 

As a matter of fact, we are CRAZY! We’re crazy about Jesus, crazy about the Gospel, crazy about being a Forever Family to a little Chinese girl who has no dad, no mom, no brothers or sisters either. We know it’s going to be costly. We also know it’s going to be worth it!

I know the next obvious question is WHY? 

I could answer by saying that Wayne and I have always wanted a big family, and that would be completely true. In fact, we always said we would have five. (Gluttons for punishment I know!) And the Lord only knows how many we’ll have now that He’s opened the door :)!

I could say that since I can no longer have children due to some female issues that adoption is the only way to expand our family, and that would be true as well. 

I could answer by saying that because of Wayne’s position, we desire to create a culture of adoption within our church community and to lead by example, which is certainly true.

I could say that when Wayne traveled to China, he fell in love with the people, the country, and the culture and that he made lifelong friendships while he was there and that is absolutely true.

But the truth is that while all these things were factors as we considered adopting, this adoption is all about obedience. While God calls us all to care for the fatherless, He has specifically called us to adopt - to be a physical representation of His love. Within our family, He is building a testimony of the Gospel and is painting a real-life picture of salvation.

Are we crazy? Sure! Are we nervous? Absolutely! Do we understand all the whys and hows? Certainly not! But we do know that God is guiding, and as we step out in obedience, there is freedom and there is peace. 

Don’t worry if it looks as if we are overwhelmed and have too much to carry - His hands are big enough. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

It's official! We're Adopting!

We are so excited to announce that we are expecting - on paper that is! We will soon be adding to our family through adoption. Hopefully, within the next year or so, we will be bringing home our baby girl from China. Although we don't know her yet, we love her all the same and eagerly await the day the she will join her forever family. Her brothers and sister cannot wait! 

Our adoption journey began in March as we sought pre approval from our adoption agency. After receiving the  pre approval, we then located a home study agency (with the help of some close friends) and began the LONG paper trail that is adoption. Today, we are happy to share that step one is complete! Praise the Lord! In the adoption world a day is a like a lifetime, so when we opened the mailbox to find six wonderfully certified copies of our home study, we quickly if you ignore several unforeseeable detours made our way to the post office to mail our immigration paperwork. Yay! We have officially begun step two. And now . . . we wait. 


Waiting . . . it's such an incredibly hard thing to do! If we had our way, we'd be on a plane to China today, but as we wait, we know that our heavenly Father is shaping and molding us into the people He wants us to be. In fact, He loves our baby girl more than we do, and it is He who has given us the heart for adoption. So, as we wait, we see each obstacle, each struggle as an avenue to greater faith. 


And as we wait, our desire is that at the end of this long journey, we will look more like Him -  give more, serve more, love more. That we will truly understand what it means to be adopted by the Father and to be joint heirs with Christ. We long for our children to see the Gospel up close and personal -  to know the love of the Father and understand His heart for the fatherless. 


We are so excited to share our journey with you. Please pray that God will use our family for His glory and that He will show Himself strong as we wait.