Article 5 Approval

January 30, 2013

After our 1-800 approval and we received our NVC the next step was approval from the US Embassy.  The Consulate reviewed our visa application for D**g  S*nM**ng to see that everything was in order for the adoption to be completed   Then an Article 5 letter is issued.  It is then picked up and delivered to the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs)  for travel approval.

Seriously, Underwear?

Seriously?  I found myself worrying about underwear today?  Really?  I could be worrying about 1 million different things about traveling to get John, and what on earth am I thinking about ?  I know what I am thinking....what kind of underwear do 10 year old Chinese  boys wear?  Will he like what I buy him?  Oh my goodness, Satan has me worrying about UNDERWEAR!  

Jeremiah 17:7-8

“But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers— Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts,bearing fresh fruit every season.

Time to calm my heart and realize that John is probably concerned about bigger things than underwear... his little heart has to be whirling in a million directions about leaving everything he has ever known and traveling to a new country with a new family. I have Jesus, who had shown me over and over again that He will provide for my every need during any season of my life as long as I am faithful to Him..  As of now I can only pray that the Lord will quiet John's heart until he can learn to trust in Jesus himself. 

Skyping

We (Sarah, Levi and I) Skyped with our son last night.

Talking about CrAzY!!!!

We where all so nervous including John. He laughed and giggled so much.  He thought it was amazing that Sarah could count in Mandarin, and he began to count with her.  Levi showed him a Build-A-Bear Monkey we got him for his birthday and he said very plain "monkey".  But that was about the only English word I understood. We sang "Happy Birthday" to him.  He kept asking where is bah bah (Dad) was and Aaron.  We are going to set up another time to skype when he can talk to Larry and Aaron.  We showed him his room and he seemed to like it.  He said "I want to go home now"....and we want him here NOW.

We talked about so many things:

- he wants to go to Disneyland

- he is going to teach me how to cook noodles

- he wants to learn to play basketball

- his favorite color is yellow, second favorite light blue

- they have snow there, and he wanted to know if we had any

- he had a dog at his foster home

- he can play ping-pong

- he wants us to call him JOHN

Each one of those thing just gives us a glimpse into the person he is.  Adoption is so much of a puzzle and every little thing you can learn is like a piece connecting things to another....there will be many gaps in his puzzle but we pray the Lord just fills the empty spots with His love. 

I LIKE Adoption

Take a few minutes and watch this clip...

your heart will be touched.

Happy 10th Birthday

Today, January 17, a little boy in China will celebrate his birthday without a family for the last time.  John was found February 17, 2003 in a vegetable market in a village in China.  The officials estimated him to be one month old and gave him the permanent birth date of January 17, 2003.

As much as birthdays are a celebration, I can't help from thinking about the woman living somewhere in China that gave birth to John. That day and the month to follow had to be so very difficult and full of pain as she made the decision that she could not raise John.  I can't even begin to imagine what was going through her mind and heart as she placed her little boy in a safe place in a vegetable market, knowing that it would be the last time she ever see him.  Every mother who has ever given birth never forgets and I am sure her little boy comes to mind often.  I pray that this woman, who is precious to the Lord, will come to realize that there is a loving God who wants a relationship with her.  I pray that the Lord sends someone to cross her path to lead her in that relationship.  My ultimate prayer is that after she develops a relationship with the Lord He will give her a sweet peace about her little boy.

January 10, 2013

NVC Cable Received

January 10, 2013

Chinese Visa's Arrived Today

We are just waiting for 
a travel date!

I800 Approval

January 4, 2013

We have our I800 approval

The official definition:

Form I-800 is your Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative. It's your approval from USCIS to adopt the child you were matched with specifically.