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.