Our LOA has Arrived!

It seems that when you’re waiting, the days drag on and on . . .

And this wait, in particular, has been a hard one.

We were logged in with the Chinese government on October 8, and on that day the wait for our LOA (Letter of Acceptance) began.

During that time several important things occurred.

We received a referral on November 4. Yay!!  

Just look at those sweet cheeks!

We sent in our Letter of Intent on November 6. This is the document that informed the Chinese government that we were interested in adopting this particular child.

We received Pre-Approval on November 13, the first document that linked our names and hers.

Around Thanksgiving we sent Baby Girl a package.  .  .

And we received these updated pics in return . . . 

 

Can you believe that smile?

 

We amended our Home study and our Immigration paperwork and then . . .

All was quiet . . . utterly, miserably QUIET . . .

Somewhere I read that the average wait for the LOA was 52 days, with times ranging anywhere from 30-70 days. I read numerous blogs to keep up with others’ progress and saw people getting their paperwork in 48 days, 35 days and some even in 22 days . . .

Needless to say, our QUIET became deafening.

When we reached the 70 day mark, I began to get concerned and every day after became more and more difficult.

Some days, I handled the wait well, knowing that God’s timing is perfect. But more often than not I was consumed, sad, worried that something was WRONG. . . and sometimes I was downright hysterical.

After one particularly tough morning, Wayne contacted our agency to express my our concerns.  The next day, we learned that where we were in the process was perfectly on track. My stress was based on my own misinformation, and all my worry was completely unfounded.  He explained that based on the timeline of those just ahead of us, our wait would most likely last another two weeks. Disappointing . . .  but armed with TRUTH, I was able to wait without worry.

Then out of the blue . . . Just 10 days after that email . . . on Jan. 23 . . . we got THE call . . .

The wait for our LOA is OVER!! The paperwork was actually issued on January 17, meaning that we had waited for a total of 99 days since being logged in. Truly – an average wait.

Once the LOA arrived, we began another paperwork marathon . . . filing for immigration in her name and applying for our visas. While it doesn’t seem like much, completing these forms and getting them ready to be mailed took several evenings - -not to mention the time we had to take Saturday to get new passport photos (I think this is our third set!!!).

We are overjoyed that this wait is over but now a new one begins. Please pray that I will focus on what is TRUE . . .

We hope to travel sometime in April, but there are several steps to be completed before we will get an actual date. Every day we get more and more excited, and the kids can hardly wait.

Please continue to pray for our sweet girl, that God will prepare her heart for this unbelievable change. Pray that God will prepare us for this transition as well, and please pray that while we wait, we will remember to give God glory for the great things He has done.

To God be the Glory (Part 2)

 

Sunday was an awesome day filled with celebrating Memommy and Gandaddy’s 50^th wedding anniversary and their 40^th anniversary in the ministry. The day was filled with family, friends, and lots of good food and was certainly all about giving God glory!

On the way home from Dearing, which is about a 2 1/2-3 hour drive, Emmie said, “Mom, tomorrow is the day we are going to see Lexi’s face.” Wayne and I laughed and agreed that would be great. However, we knew the possibility of that happening was highly unlikely. The list came out last Monday and with no match, we had resigned ourselves to look forward to the next list. We were even content to wait until January, when our agency would receive files from two orphanages in Guangzhou. 

Fast forward several hours later. . . With the two days of traveling, the time change, and my nagging allergies, I was in bed and asleep at 8:15. Imagine my surprise when Wayne woke me around midnight to say we had a REFERRAL! I was completely in shock and had a hard time even comprehending what he said.

Needless to say, we quickly opened the email and scoured her information and her SWEET pics. With each and every description, we knew she was ours. Here’s the description of her personality and you’ll see what I mean:

·         Active

·         Restless

·         Talkative

·         Has ready smiles (makes my heart melt!!)

·         Fond of reading picture books

·         Energetic

·         Extroverted

·         And my very favorite . . . She likes to DANCE!

Oh my, she is going to fit right in! This list could describe any of our four children! We could hardly wait to share the news with the kids, but being the sweet parents that we are . . . we let them sleep until 6:45 :)! We asked Emmie how she knew and she said, "I just did!" Wow! They all laughed and felt at once that she was the one. Zachary must have looked at her pictures on my phone a million times throughout the day.

We wanted to share a few details about Baby Girl. She is 2 1/2 years old and will turn 3 in March. She is walking and talking and POTTY TRAINED!! She had surgery at 2 months to correct this really long name that I cannot pronounce and is healthy and meeting all developmental milestones. We cannot be more thrilled. (She was even holding an elephant in one of the photos. Wayne says that’s a clear sign – Roll Tide!)

Today we have submitted our Letter of Intent and will share her photos as soon as our agency says it’s okay. We are happy to show her off . . . just want to make sure it’s okay to post them.

Thank you for your prayers. Now the real wait begins!  Throughout this entire process . . . the good and the bad . . . we continue to learn that it’s not about us . . . it’s all about Him! So again we say, “To God be the Glory! He is Good!”

To God be the Glory

As many of you already know, THE LIST came out late Monday night. We prayed that somewhere in the wee hours of the morning we would see Baby Girl’s face. We stayed up late and got up off and on to check our email. By the time I left for school, I was nervous because we hadn’t heard, yet I was hopeful. Around 8:00, I got the nerve to text another waiting mom . . . she hadn’t heard either. We gathered strength from one another, ecstatic that if neither of us had heard maybe it was because the calls had not yet been made.  Together we waited, still hoping.  We checked on each other off and on, but there was no word. Lunch came around and then finally the end of the work day, and we knew that this was not the time. Our Baby Girls were not on that LIST. Late in the afternoon, we received a text that our agency had not found a match (for either of us). We were disappointed to say the least.

However . . . I had thought many times about what I would title the post in which we introduced our new baby girl to our family and friends. “To God be the Glory” seemed to be the only title that would fit, and yet several days after hearing that we must continue to wait, I can honestly still say . . . To God be the Glory!!! He is good .  .  . not because He does the things I want Him to do, when I want Him to, but because He is GOD. 

I will never understand how God takes the hopeless situation and brings peace. I will never understand how he takes those dark, hard, heartbreaking days and turns them into good. But what I do know is that He is Peace and He is Good. He defines the two; they are His very nature. And it is often during the sad times that we can see most clearly. 

This week has been tough for numerous reasons, and although not getting a match was heartbreaking, it was only one of several HARD events. It took me a couple of days to remember that when we said yes to adoption we entered a spiritual battlefield. Couple this with the fact that 47 people received Christ at church on Sunday and another eight agreed to follow Him last night at the Fall Festival, and we have waged an all out war! We would have been naïve to believe that it would all be smooth sailing. 

And yet . . . it is in these times that we must depend on a Savior. It is in these times that we can do nothing but pray and watch God work. We long to be a part of something that only God can do, but stepping out is scary. Yet, KNOWING that God is at work is so worth it. Today, God reminded us in so many ways that He is working all things for our good -  a sweet card from a student, an unexpected answer to prayer, a text from a new friend, supper from some OLD friends :) - all ways that God was just reassuring us that He’s got it all under control. How can we keep from singing His praise? And so we say . . . To God be the Glory! He is God and He is Good!

Good News Deserves to be Celebrated! (L.I.D.)

And this is how we like to celebrate . . .

Today we received a much anticipated e-mail from our agency. . . We are logged in with the Chinese government. In fact, we've been logged in since October 8th! (One whole week!) We are so excited.

This means that we are now available for a referral. Our agency believes that the next list will come out at the beginning of next week, which makes it completely possible (although it's still a long shot) that we could be seeing Baby Girl's face very soon. So much to think about. . . I can hardly wait!

Of course waiting is such an intricate part of this journey, and I must admit that this last week I've kind of grumbled and complained about the wait. I just wish it could all move faster!

While I truly know that God is completely in control of this process, our Sunday morning Bible study gave me a clear reminder of why we wait.

Early in his life, God promised Abram that he would be the father of many nations. However, as Abram and Sarai aged there was still no heir. At one point, Abram even considered giving his inheritance to one of his  servants. But again, God assured Abram that his heir would be of his own flesh and his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Years passed and still no son. Sarai decided that she was tired of waiting and developed her own plan. She would give Abram her servant, Hagar. Hagar soon conceived but instead being the much sought solution . . . the problems had just begun. Hagar bore a son - but he was not the heir God had promised. I imagine Abram and Sarai had really grown tired of waiting!! More years passed and finally . . . when Abram was 99 years old and Sarai was 89 . . .  God proclaimed that Sarah would soon bear the chosen son. He even changed their names to Abraham and Sarah so that they would always be reminded of his promise. But, do you remember how they responded??? They laughed!!! After all these years . . .

As we discussed this story yesterday, someone asked . . . why do you think God made them WAIT so long. That's such a good question!

However, now that we're at the end of their story, His reasoning is very easy to see. At 100 and 90 the only way these two could become parents was if God did it. Why did they have to wait? So that God would be glorified!

And isn't this what our purpose in this life is all about . . . bringing God glory??? And even as hard as it may be, we can bring Him glory as we patiently wait . . .  always trusting . . . knowing that He always keeps His promises. Is it easy?? Absolutely not! Do we sometimes, like Abraham and Sarah, try to help God with "His" plan? Certainly. However, like those who have gone before us, we can choose to bring God glory by refocusing on His plan, knowing that the process is all about Him and we're just blessed to be a part of it.

D . . .T . . . C . . .

Who would have known that those three little letters could mean so much? Wow! We are finally DOSSIER TO CHINA!!! We first sent our Dossier (which includes everything from birth certificates and medical reports to family and passport photos, to our home study and so, so much more) to our agency on July 30, and after almost two months of being authenticated and certified at the county, state, and national level, we received word today that our paperwork is on its way. Praise the Lord!  It should be in China by Friday!

The next step is to be logged in and then it’s a REFERRAL! I can hardly wait to see her sweet face. Although each day brings us closer to the day we meet Baby Girl, I am not going to lie . . . the wait gets harder. 

However, through the emotional highs and lows, God continues to carry us through. Throughout this entire process, He has blessed us beyond measure and has miraculously provided in ways we would’ve never considered.

Thank you for praying for our family as we continue this journey. Please continue to pray that we will trust that God is in control and is continuing to work all things for our good and His glory.

Where did August go?

School started back and now it’s September! The days seem to be flying off the calendar, and we are as busy as ever! Most everything seems to be moving at breakneck speed and yet, among grading papers, lesson planning, baseball practices, recorder concerts (definitely a ploy to get parents to come to the band meeting), sight words and did I mention laundry for six people . . . our adoption process seems to be on the slow boat to China!!! 

                                                   

By the way, we did receive news that our paperwork is moving again. Yay!!! We’re hoping our dossier will be heading to China in two weeks . . . hopefully on a plane, not a boat!

As the days turn to weeks, and the weeks to months, I find myself constantly thinking of Baby Girl. Across a continent and an ocean, there’s a Bray baby waiting. Waiting for arms to hold her . . . waiting for goodnight kisses and bedtime prayers . . . waiting for shared secrets with her big sister.  . . waiting

And I am waiting. As I wait . . .  I wonder . . . is she being cared for . . . is somebody holding her bottle . . . is she healthy . . . is someone whispering while they hold her . . . your mommy loves you . . . your daddy’s coming soon . . . I can hardly stand the thought that we are here.  . . and she is there

When Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His followers that He had to go in order that the Comforter could come. The Holy Spirit . . . able to be in all places at once.  . . here in Georgia and with Baby Girl in China. It is in that knowledge I find peace. Though I can’t hold her, Baby Girl is not alone, and when I wonder . . . I know the Comforter is there . . . preparing her heart  . . . and ours  . . . 

Although we long for the day when the wait is over, we trust that our Father is at work . . . for He understands waiting. In fact, He too is waiting . . . waiting for the day that His children will take up eternal residence with their forever family.  But until then . . . He is here and He is there  . . . offering comfort, constantly reminding . . . you are loved  . . . your Father is coming  . . . soon