Itinerary

Several people have asked what our itinerary looks like.  I guess I'll post it here so you can be praying for us each step along the way.

Itinerary for CHINA trip, 2012

Thursday, November 29, 2012

            Fly, fly away!            Depart P. @ 10:12 AM

                                          Arrive  C.   @ 10:45 AM

           Change planes           Depart      @ 11:55 AM

                                   Arrive  Beijing    @ 3:40 PM   Nov. 30

Saturday, Dec. 1:  Sightseeing in Beijing

Sunday, Dec. 2:  Flight to Henan Province

Monday, Dec. 3:   GOTCHA DAY for Isaac !!!  YEAH!

Tuesday, Dec. 4:  Civil Affairs Appointment (Adoption day)

Wednesday, Dec. 5:  Day trip to Luoyang (Isaac’s town)

for passport appointment & sight seeing

Thursday, Dec. 6:  Free day

Friday, Dec. 7:  Flight to Guangzhou

Saturday – Sunday, Dec. 8-9:  Sightseeing & shopping

Monday, Dec. 10:  GOTCHA DAY for Jennai !!!  YEAH!

Tuesday, Dec. 11:  Civil affairs appointment

Wednesday - Friday, Dec. 12-14:  Adoption appointments and sightseeing

Saturday, Dec. 15:  AM: Children’s medical exams

                                  PM: US Consulate “paperwork party”

Sunday – Tuesday, Dec, 16 – 18:  Sightseeing & shopping

Wednesday, Dec. 19:  Consulate appointment @ 8:30 AM

                                    Consulate Oath-taking ceremony

Thursday, Dec. 20:  Pick up children’s visas and Depart for Hong Kong 

Friday, December 21, 2012

            Fly home!   Depart Hong Kong   @ 11:25 AM

                                       Arrive  N.        @ 1:55  

Isaac and Jennai 

will become US Citizens as soon as

the plane touches down!! 

          Immigration/Customs    Depart      @ 4:29 PM

                                         Arrive P.        @ 5:55 PM

Since I only have 3 hours before I need to get up and head to the airport, maybe... just maybe I should try to get some sleep.  But, maybe I'm just getting ahead on the switching days and nights.  Either way, I think I will try to sleep a little.  Thanks for your prayers.  

Why so surprised?

Why so surprised?

As we’ve been preparing for this adoption trip we have been seeking the Lord’s guidance as we make decisions that will affect our family for a lifetime.  We’ve asked that He provide the funds we need when we need them.  We’ve asked for His timing to be perfect.  We’ve asked for protection and health.   As I’ve reflected on these things, I ask myself, “Why are you so surprised?  Isn’t that what you asked for?”  I’d like to share some of those “surprises” with you.

The latest “surprise” was a financial gift from friends.  One friend gave me an amount and apologized that it wasn’t more.  She said that even though she couldn’t give us more she was praying that God would multiply it 100 fold.  Several days later, another friend handed me an envelope while we were at a meeting.  She said, “Bring those babies home.”  I didn’t open the envelope at that time, but later, when I did open it I wept!  There was the amount – multiplied – 100 fold!  Why so surprised?  Our God is an awesome God!

Another recent “surprise” is the timing of our trip.  Ever since we got our referral acceptance (Sept. 13) I have been praying for travel sometime around the end of November or the first of December.  I (selfishly) didn’t want to travel at Christmas time because I don’t want to have to deal with the crowds at the airports, the higher airfares, etc.  As I looked at other people’s timelines I saw that travel from the referral date was taking close to 4 months.  Some were sooner, but 4 months looked like the average.  But, I kept praying for our Nov/Dec. travel.  On Friday, Nov. 16, I was a little sad and kind of resigned myself to not traveling until next year.  I know God’s timing is perfect, sometimes I just don’t understand His timeframe.  And then the phone rang!  Why so surprised? 

When we started this adoption journey we decided to ask for approval for two children while doing our home study.  We thought it MIGHT be possible, but weren’t really planning on adopting two children at the same time.  But, if we got approval for two on our initial home study, we wouldn’t have to do updates and addendums, adding to the overall cost.  At the end of May, as we were walking up to the post office to mail our letter of intent to adopt Jennai, Guille asked me, “Now what?”  I said, “I guess we wait.”  He very quickly replied, “And keep looking at files!”  I asked him why we would do that.  “We found my sister, now we have to find my brother.”  And that was that.  Why so surprised? 

We looked at a couple of files for little boys but didn’t feel that those were the ones God was preparing for our family.  By now it was the middle of August and we were still waiting for our referral acceptance letter telling us that Jennai was ours.  We were on the road traveling home from Iowa when I used Guillermo’s phone to check my email.  There was a letter from our adoption agency with a newsletter on a new project in Henan province hoping to find families for more children.  As I skimmed through the newsletter, I saw the picture of a little guy riding on a “little tykes” school bus.  I read his information to Guillermo and asked if we could look at his file.  So, from somewhere in mid Illinois we sent our request for Isaac’s file.  We had his file reviewed by an adoption doctor and decided to see if we could proceed with his adoption too.  We sent in our letter of intent to adopt him on August 24.  On that next Monday I got an email from the agency saying that Jennai’s referral acceptance was ready but had not yet been printed.  And, since it had not been printed, we were able to have Isaac’s acceptance expedited and we received RA for both of them on September 13!  God’s timing here:  If we had sent in our letter of intent for Jennai back in February we would have missed Isaac.  And, if we had sent in that letter in February, chances are that Jennai would not have been taken in to a program where they repaired her cleft lip.  While preparing for that surgery they found a hole in her heart and the doctors decided to repair that so it didn’t cause damage to her little body.  So, she has been in the care of an organization that gives pretty much individualized attention to the little ones who need extra TLC since then.  She will have to go back to her home orphanage before we get her (in less than 2 weeks), so we continue to pray for her safety and that all these moves won’t be too hard on her emotionally.  We are so very thankful that God placed her in the care of LWB and the Heartbridge Healing Home.  Why so surprised? 

I need to get busy and get ready to go get my children!  While I continue to prepare, I’ll continue to ponder these things in my heart, the Love of our Heavenly Father and the goodness and great gifts he gives to his children.  I’ll continue to look for those “surprises” and trust Him for the provision of ALL we need.  

It's snowing, it's snowing.

 First Snow of the Season!  I AM SO HAPPY!!

OK, so there wasn't a lot of snow,

but there was enough to build a snowman.

 OK, so maybe there wasn't enough snow to build

a standing up snowman.

But, a lazy snowman is still a snowman.

There was even enough snow to 

"scoop up" two snowmen.

We're trying to get things ready for Christmas 

since there won't be a lot of time

between when we get back from

China

and Christmas.

Guille was a BIG help and decorated the tree

while Guillermo and I worked on trip preparations.

I think he did an awesome job

for only being 5 years old.

Guille has also been staying busy creating things with Le gos.

This robot even has moving parts.

One week from now we will have had Isaac for one night

and it will be noon of the second day with him.

Two weeks from now we will have had Jennai for one night

and it will be noon of the second day with her.

It's hard to believe it is so close.

I have heard that 'blogger' is blocked in China,

so my backup plan is to email our updates 

to a friend (who is adopting 3 little ones from Russia).

She will post the updates for us.  

I told her that she doesn't have to put the captions under all the pictures

and try to figure out what goes where. 

Thank you, Ashley, for doing this for us.

Two more days and we're off! 

We covet your continued prayers for our travels

and for our little ones whose little lives will

soon be turned upside down.

We serve an awesome God

and look forward to what HE has in store for our family.

TEN

Yep, TEN days, and counting!!

If you had asked me last week when we were going to China,

I would have probably said, 

"We're still waiting on travel approval.  Once we get that,

it could be another two to four weeks until we travel."

Well, last week is over and if you ask me today,

I will tell you ... "TEN DAYS!"

Yes, it is unbelievable!  We are still in a bit of a shock, 

though I don't know why since we've been praying for

travel at the end of November or the first of December.

Friday, when the agency called to tell us we had travel approval

I whooped and hollered (with my laryngitis voice)

and marveled at the prospect of traveling so soon.

There was a question as to whether or not we could get

our consulate appointment for that time period

so I didn't let myself get TOO excited.

We did tell family though.

So this morning we got the confirmation that we are leaving on 

November 29!

We'll fly into Beijing and do some site-seeing there.

IF Jennai is still at the care facility in Beijing

we will try to visit her there.  She will have to go back to 

her home province for the "transfer" and adoption finalization.

From Beijing we will travel to Henan province to get Isaac!

FOURTEEN DAYS, Babe!  We're comin' to get ya!

We will spend most of the next week in Isaac's province working on 

paperwork and completing his adoption.

Then we'll travel to Guangdong province where we will get Jennai.

THREE WEEKS, Little One!

Here are a couple of updated pictures that we got of Jennai

last Thursday.  

I can't wait until we can show you more pictures of Isaac.

I WISH we HAD more pictures of Isaac to show you,

but, soon that will change!

Today was a busy day with scheduling new doctor appointments,

changing already scheduled appointments,

making travel arrangements,

printing out paperwork that I have put off printing,

and doing all the "regular" stuff. 

We are still a little (or more) short on funds.

BUT, God has been so faithful to provide what we need

when we need it.

We continue to trust HIM on this journey 

that He has so strongly called us to.

In the meantime,

we press on!

Look out, China, here we come!!