Open doors

Less than a month ago we took a deep breath and started forward, following the urging in our hearts toward another adoption, believing that God was nudging us in this direction. We trust that if this is God's will, doors will open. In the last few weeks, doors have swung wide wide open.

I submitted an inquiry late on a Friday night. Before noon on the following Monday, the agency had sent me the full file. Less than two days later both our pediatrician and a specialist had reviewed the file - reassuring us that the medical issues were easily addressed and going so far as to suggest a future for her that is 'functional and happy'. Two days - for two busy doctors to take the time to review a lengthy medical file. Two days! And how amazing to see that little word in a medical opinion. Happy. She'll be happy. Another little sign from our great God. It makes me smile just to think of it.

Required in the first set of paperwork we sent back to the agency was a form, signed by a physician, that we had indeed consulted a doctor about the special needs in the medical file. All accomplished before the first week was out! Open doors.

And so now we have submitted the first of the paperwork. This will be translated and sent off to China, asking that we will be allowed to apply to adopt Faith. Now we wait for China's response. Meanwhile, DH's biggest worry is the money. It takes alot of $$ to complete an international adoption. I am trusting there will be a way. And as if to show just how faithful God will be, already help has come from many directions. We thank everyone who has sent support already - thank you thank you!! We still have a long long way to go to raise the full funds that will be necessary, but we're headed in the right direction.

In addition to generous donations, last week I discovered that my Flexible Benefits accounts for 2010 were carrying balances. I thought I'd submitted claims for the full amount that was being withheld way back in May. But last week I noticed (on an old paycheck - and I have no idea why I came across a pay stub from September) that I hadn't received the dependent care reimbursement that had been in every check since the first of January. So I investigated and discovered a claim that had been denied due to lack of documentation (my receipt stuck to the back of the claim page when it was faxed and they never saw it). I also discovered I'd submitted claims only through May 31st. So I sent in claims for June, July, August, September and October. This week those claims were paid, resulting in an unexpected $1300 in our bank account this week - and the promise of another $600 in the remaining pay periods of 2010. Just what is needed for our homestudy update! Our first big expense - covered. God is so good.

Memorial Box Monday

A few weeks ago I followed a link from a link from a blog I read regularly and discovered A Place Called Simplicity. Since then, Linny has been such an inspiration. At the same time that I was discovering Linny's testimony, I was in the middle of both the Love Dare and the 40 day Spiritual Journey to a more generous life. God was working in amazing ways in my life! I found people living and blogging about God's generosity at the same time that I was reading his word as expressed through these two studies. But there's more.

While all of this was happening, God kept putting little signs up all over the place that seemed to be telling us we were not done with the journey to an adoption in China like we thought we were. Back in 2006 we submitted a dossier for a NSN adoption in China, expecting to travel in early 2007 to a new daughter. While we waited I made a baby quilt, with a map of China on it. In 2008, the wait stretching from months to years and years, we withdrew our dossier from China when we adopted from Taiwan for a second time. We believed at the time that the door to China had been closed for us. All this time my China quilt has waited on a shelf above the sheets and towels. Back in August I tried to get in touch with a woman I'd met during the wait, who was finally traveling to China for her daughter. I thought I'd give her the quilt. But I never heard back from her. I tried again in October to reach her, but still no response. Earlier this month I was lamenting the fact that I hadn't heard back. The quilt still sat in our closet and I was so eager to send it along. Out of nowhere my husband said, "Maybe it's not supposed to go to her." I looked at him, surprised, and instantly, without either of us having to say another word, realized we were at that moment both hearing the same thing from our amazing God - that quilt is for our daughter who is in China.

Not too many days later I found her on a waiting child list. We sent off an email of inquiry just before midnight on a Friday night. And with that, doors started to open. So many things have happened in the last two weeks that I could fill a year of Memorial Box Mondays, but I'll save them for another post. To God be the glory!

Welcome

Welcome to our little corner of the world! We have been blessed by God with a passion for children and parenting. After raising four biological children, we were called to adoption. We brought our fifth child home from Taiwan in 2006 and our sixth in 2008. God has placed it in our hearts to open our arms to a waiting child in China. We'll keep you posted on the process and pray that many will be moved to help fund the cost of bringing her home. For this adoption we are stepping out in faith with only one tenth the needed funds. We have faith that God will provide. We hope you might be moved to help be God's hands in this work, help us see that there is one less orphan in need of a family.

In Isaiah 1:17 God encourages us to care for orphans:
Learn to do what is right! Promote justice! Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! Take up the cause of the orphan! Defend the rights of the widow!

We invite you to join us. Thank you for your prayers and support!