The Stork Has Landed.....

The Letter Seeking Confirmation (LSC) is the official referral of a specific child from China. Up to this point all approvals are preliminary, etc. As a result, many in the China Adoption community refer to the receipt of the LSC as "the stork has landed". We received our LSC today so we have been completely and legally referred Hannah and Sara to adopt from China. We now send this paperwork back to USCIS to petition to adopt these two specific children using the pre-approval that USCIS gave us to adopt two children from China, then get a visa, travel, etc. I have updated our adoption process on the right-hand side of my blog with where we are and what still has to happen. The time-frames given are typical ranges, but as we have already experienced with these adoptions, there is nothing "typical" about what God is doing!

If you have not already done so, please join us in prayer as we continue to pray Sara and Hannah home. God has led us to not share any more specific prayer needs (like we really know what our needs are anyway), but rather to ask you to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what you should be praying about. We feel like God is telling us that He can tell you what you need to pray about better than we can. As we wait for the rest of the process to work out, I hope to share more about what God has been teaching me about prayer and relying on Him.

Ben

It's Official--We have our referrals!

Today our agency called me to let us know that they have our official referrals for both Hannah and Sara. 

We should get them tomorrow and then we have to do a quick turn around and get our paperwork to Immigration for some more paperwork. 

Then we have to get some more paperwork completed before we can get our Travel Approval.

So sometime in the not so distant future we will be traveling to bring our girls home.

How long, you ask?  We do not really know, but we know the one who does.

So with thanksgiving and much joy in our hearts we say Thank You to our Heavenly Father who is able to do so much more than we are able to do!

A Humbling Quote

I saw this quote on a blog just recently.

It caught my attention, and made me THINK!

Here's what it said, "Sometimes I would like to ask God, why He allows poverty, famine, and injustice in the world, when He could do something about it . . . but I'm afraid He might ask me the same question."--Anonymous

Stop.

Think.

Really think about those words. 

Have you ever considered that YOU might be ONE PERSON'S difference in their life?

A simple meal.  A warm bed.  A bottle of water.  A job.  A smile.
A hug.  A place to live.  Clothes that fit.  You fill in the blank


I don't know what God might have you do, but I do know that He would have you something.  Make A Difference for ONE!

Going, Going, Gone!

It's started!

The Nesting!

After completing Leighanne and Hannah's room (pics to come maybe later this week), we started Sara's room.

Remember that mural that my youth group kids helped paint?  Well it is no longer.  Here's what happened ...

Before and

During  and

After

Prettty GREEN walls and a little animal print!  We are still working on all of the details, but my sister Kelley did a fantastic job painting the dresser(which I found on the side of the road in a trash pile).   AND she helped this pitiful rolling paint girl finish rolling the room.  (Note:  Ben usually rolls and the large part of a room and I do the cutting in and details-we make a pretty good team!)

We were able to snag a few throw pillows for the bed at 80% off at Hobby Lobby.  Taylor and Leighanne helped pick them out.  Her comforter was ordered online on sale for $30.00 including sheets--it was a big bargain.

As soon as we get it all together with curtains and everything, I'll post some pics.

But for now--I am being a little artsy--and LOVING creating a room for our sweet Sara.

Our New Paperwork Should be in China!

Our new I-797 from USCIS should be in China now.  This form gives us permission to bring Hannah & Sara to the US.  We already had approval for Hannah, and now we have approval for Sara.

We are now waiting for our LSC's (which are our official referral's from China.)

Then we will do some more paperwork. 

International adoption usually follows this pattern.  Hurry up and wait, Hurry up and Wait.  Go back and repeat these steps.  :)

Please continue to pray for this adoption process.  We appreciate the prayer.

Happy Father's Day!

We are having a funny Father's Day!  (Pics below)

Yesterday, Leighanne made  a decorative plate with a picture on it for Ben.

She drew out her idea on a blank paper and then did NOT look at it again when she started drawing on the plate.

You need to know what she drew was a picture of Ben on the day that we "GOT" her in China.

and then she thought she wrote, "Happy Father's Day!"


BUT . . .

What she really wrote was this! 

Yes--Happy Fatter's Day!   What every middle-aged daddy wants to see!  :)



After laughing, and laughing, she corrected her oops!  This is what it now looks like . . .

Sweet!

Here's Father's Day Morning and Gift Giving . . .



Ready with coffee and present

Daddy reading his card



Wow! Leighanne -- I've trained her Right!  She's a Georgia Girl!







Ben with his New and Improved plate!

Happy Father's Day to the Bestest Dad in the whole wide world!!

I love being a parent with you--you help make our life a great

adventure!  I LOVE YOU!!

One Less

I came across this video last week.

I've been running the words of this song through my head.

The lyrics are powerful.

The song is amazing by itself, but you really need to see and listen to the behind the scene video.

One Less by Matthew West (The Story Behind The Song) from emicmg on Vimeo.

Now check out this adoption video set to the words by Mathhew West.

If you are not tearing up--you will be.

I keep thinking of our girls- Hannah and Sara waiting for their family to make them "One Less" orphan in the world.

Can you picture that day?

When they walk into a room after leaving everything they have ever known behind, and are greeted with big hugs.

With hope in their future whether they realize it or not.

It will be a glimpse of Heaven. It will be an Amazing Day! One that only our Heavenly Father can orchestrate.

So here's the video . . .





Whether you are called to adopt or not, God has set before you the task to help the orphan.

How can you help make a difference?

Here are some ideas . . . Sponsor a child, be a foster parent, work in an orphanage on a short term mission trip, send money to bring in a well for a village, help families to bring home their children, provide chickens, goats, or other animals to keep families in need be able to feed their children and stay together as a family. There are many options. You just need to do ONE.

Above all--pray and ask God what He would have you to do. I guarantee you that He will answer your prayer because God cares for the orphans.

Maybe God will call you to make One Less.

Making Memories!

We've been making some great memories.

My nephew Josh stayed a week with us and we have loved having him with us.

Josh


We've gone to the movies, to the pool, to the beach including a picnic and to top off our week we went fishing!

The best part is that we went fishing at my sister's house and got to spend more time with more cousins (or rather my nieces and nephews).

Look at all the great memories we made!

Jordan fishing on shore

Zach trying to fish from the canoe

Bethany and LeiLei hanging out

Will and Josh stopping for a minute to cheese it up!

Caroline and Max (the puppy)

Bethany giving LeiLei a piggy-back ride

Finally, I caught a fish with a hand-cut bamboo pole.



Lots of wonderful memories to store up!

I think this is why summer is one of my favorite times of the year. 

Our schedule goes out the window (okay--out for a control girl) and we try to spend our time with friends and family. 

Suppers get later and later and we try to sleep in.  (Note-my kids have this part down while I still struggle to sleep in past 7 or 8 am.)

So if you want to catch us -- we just might be at the pool or the beach or having a movie marathon.  It's Summer!

Just a few updates . . .

Thanks for praying for all of the needs that were listed in my last blog.

Here are some updates . . .

* Our church team in Honduras arrived safely and spent the 1st day ministering in an HIV/AIDS orphanage.  Yesterday they had church services in Las Mesas and our 19 year old friend of the family got to preach his first message.  Go Mike!  Continue to pray for this team--that they will point others to Jesus!

* My friend Robbie had some extra stress thrown on her plate before she and her daughter Josie Tatum left for Africa.  Please continue to pray that our mighty God will take care of their needs while she is gone.

* YAY!!! We received our approval for 2 children today from USCIS.  Our 1797 form came in.  What an amazing God we have.  Now we are rushing to get it authenticated at the various levels before it can go to Ch*na.  Please pray for God's timing.

* Please continue to pray for the money needed to complete our girls adoptions.  Pray that our Problem-Solving God continues to give us peace about the finances.

Thank you -- our friends and family who lift our needs to our Mighty God.

Also, please continue to e-mail me your prayer needs--I have enjoyed praying for you also.

julie@ageeweb.com

Please Pray Today!

I am asking for Prayer Today! 

When I was having my quiet time this morning--in Psalm 66--I got to these last few verses and read them over and over. 

      "Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.  For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke.  If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened.  But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.  Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer and did not withdraw his unfailing love from me."

Maybe you--like me--need to spend a few minutes before God asking Him to reveal any sin in your life.  And then get the full blessing of peace when you know you are forgiven.  The other key words that got my attention was "praising him as I spoke" .  God wants us to have a spirit of thankfullness and praise as we are making our requests known to him. 

My heart is burdened for many things and so--I am asking that as God leads you to--you will join me in prayer.

* For a family who had to make the incredibly hard decision to not bring a child into their family, after planning to do so for 3 years.  They need comfort and peace.  And for this sweet boy who needs a different family--please pray that his new family will realize that their son is waiting for them in Africa.

* For our church team that is going to Honduras tomorrow.  That God will work through them to reach the Honduran people.  As they minister in His name that God's love will flow through this team.  That all that they say and do will bring Glory to God.

* For our friends Robbie and Josie Tatum and their trip to Africa this week to work with orphans. That God will work amazingly through this team.  That God will use this team in Great and Mighty ways.

* For my friend Tonya who is going to Brazil later this month.  This will be her first mission trip.  Pray for her finances and for God to show her the specific tasks he has set before her to complete.  Pray that she will show others Jesus through her life.

*For all the tornado devastation across our nation.  For the people suffering as a result of the storms.  That God would send christian  people to minister to the hurting.

* For God to be at work in Hannah and Sara's lives that they will be ready for our family to be their family.

* For our paperwork--for God's perfect timing.  For us to accept God's timing and not our desires.

* For the finances for Hannah and Sara's adoption. 

* For orphan ministries all over the world that are struggling to meet the needs.

* For our House of Hope: for the house parents, for all of the kids who are hearing about the love of God and for the newest kids who will be moving in this month.

Please pray!  Pray that God's will be accomplished in all these requests. 

If you have a prayer request that you would like for me to pray for--I would love to pray with you.  Send me an e-mail to julie@ageeweb.com