A Piece of Mail

Yesterday, I posted about “Why” we are adopting.  I felt compelled to do so because of all the questions, but what I failed to share with you was the precious piece of mail delivered to our home yesterday.  In the mail was a disk mailer and enclosed in the disk mailer were two DVDs.  One was labeled Zou Ya Hui and the other Yun Lin Guo. Terry and I sat down and watched those priceless DVDs of our future sons.  If the DVDs show our sons’ true personalities, Zou Ya Hui appears serious and Yun Lin Guo appears quite happy.  Yun Lin Guo sung and has a very sweet voice.   It was enjoyable to see another glimpse of our future sons' and to see them interact with the interpreters and to hear them respond to questions. Watching the DVDs once was not enough for me, and I’ve had to view them several more times.

We know that these DVDs only show us a small part of our future sons’ thinking.  What it doesn’t show us is the effects that being in an orphanage may have had on them.  As with anything in life, there are uncertainties and we willing accept those uncertainties to raise these two boys. We selected these two boys with the information presented to us and trust that they are the right ones for us.

Why?

Many people have been asking, “Why are we adopting?”  Others ask, “Why are you doing this at your age?” One thing that set this process in motion for us to adopt was a book sent by our son, Troy, to his Dad.  The book, Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches, by Russell Moore.  This book stresses as Christians we should reach out beyond our biological children.  We need to remember to reach out to orphans and widows (James 1:27). Terry and I are embracing this challenge, at our age, and are reaching out to show love through physical and emotional support for orphans as encouraged by the Bible. Without families willing to take care of orphans or take them in, these children might die, or grow up with no one to love them.

According to study competed by UNICEF in 2008, and other humanitarian organizations, around the world there are as many as 132 million orphaned children (meaning that a child has one parent who has died) and at least 16.2 million of those are “double-orphaned,” meaning that both parents have died. 95% of all orphans are over the age of 5. We know that adoption is not for everyone, but opportunities abound as to where you can help orphans.  Consider sponsoring a child through World Vision, Companion, Save the Children, Feed the Children, and numerous other organizations.  Sponsoring a child can change your life and the life of the child you sponsor.

The adoption process has been a long and difficult one for us, but we are looking forward to the day when we can bring our sons’ home. We continue to ask for your continued support in the adoption process, and that you will pray for Terry and I, our sons, and our future sons.

Paperwork and Diversity

Yesterday and early this morning, I took time to compile and complete what I pray is the last of the paperwork for adopting our two sons’ from China.  But if I've missed anything, our social worker will follow up with an email on additional items needed to complete our dossier.

As I was getting ready for church today, I was pleased that I will not be going to work tomorrow.  For many of us, we are afforded the luxury of having the day off because it is Martin Luther King Day.  I was an unborn baby, when Martin Luther King, on August 28, 1963 delivered his beautiful dream. "I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. . . . I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Martin Luther King’s dream is yet to be realized. And I’m well aware that his dream is not realized as Terry and I are adopting two boys from China. As I’m concerned about this matter, a pastor today helped me put Martin Luther King’s dream into a Biblical vision of God’s purpose for the world. The Biblical vision is bigger than how blacks and whites relate. It's about people from every race and every language and every tribe uniting with God. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 5:9). So as I consider Martin Luther King and his beautiful dream, I’m mindful that God has the ultimate dream.  God does not just want blacks and whites. God wants black and white and brown and red and yellow and every shade in between. As Christians, may we accept a diversity of people.

One More Milestone

Yeah, one more milestone completed. Today started out very busy.  My phone at work was ringing off the hook with unhappy school districts and those that weren’t calling me, were flooding my in-box with emails.  I knew that I only had to make it until 2 PM at work today and then I could leave for my fingerprinting appointment at the USCIS office.  Terry’s appointment was earlier in the day. My fingerprinting at the office took about 20 minutes.  It probably would have taken less time, had not Officer L. Weber ask me so many questions about adoption and why we were adopting. My fingerprinting experience was easy and painless. After the fingerprinting, L. Weber took a photo of me. That was it! 

I had wanted to post earlier, but I had a hard time.  We would have loved to have had the boys’ home for Christmas, but we are still going through the process.  One of our sons celebrated a birthday on December 27^th.  He is now 13 years old. We are still unable to communicate with the boys or send them a gift.  We look forward to the day when the CCAA gives us permission to communicate with both our boys in China that need us!

As we wait, we are reminded that God has a divide plan and that he guides every step. We know the waiting can be hard, but this is how God develops the fruit of patience and faith. There is a saying that many have heard – “God is never late, but He is never early.” This means that God will come in with the breakthrough on His time schedule – not ours!

We ask that you walk with us through this time of waiting and to pray for our sons’.

Conversation With Our Social Worker

Today I had an appointed time to talk to our social worker.  This appointment was set-up last week, but what I failed to take into consideration was the possibility of snow and a slow commute.  Everything had to be just perfect for me to be home at the appointed time.  Well, the snow started falling this morning.  I would glance out a window from time to time and try to gauge how fast the traffic was going.  As the day progressed, the traffic slowed, and at times, the cars and trucks were just sitting on the highway.  Now, it became apparent that I was going to need to leave early.  It wasn’t too long after I had that notion that the department “worrier” came around and told me, “You need to head for home.”  She, being older and wiser, I heeded her wisdom and left work.  My commute was two hours long and I arrived home late for the appointed time. I tried calling Elizabeth, our social worker, on my cell phone and received a lovely message from my Verizon operator, “That all circuits are busy.” I tried calling again, and received a busy signal. Just then our land-line rang and it was our social worker.  Finally, we connected and we would get an update on our “locked in” son. 

Our “locked in” son wants to be adopted.  He doesn’t mind if he has brothers or sisters. He likes playing games, drawing, being on the computer, and watching Kung Fu movies. He enjoys running, but doesn’t consider himself a fast runner. He likes to ride a bike. His favorite color is black, followed by gray.  He would like to be a police officer when he grows up so that he can help people.  He likes cats and dogs, but likes dogs a bit more than cats.  And his favorite subject is physical education.   Sounds like a typical boy to us.

Then Elizabeth, our social worker, proceeded to mention she had spoken with the CCAA today.  The CCAA? I’ve wanted to hear those 4 initials, but did I want to hear what they had to say? Elizabeth blurted out, “You’ve been approved for your second son from China!” I can’t express how sweet it was to hear those words.  We are grateful that the wait from the CCAA is over and we rejoice that we have been approved for two boys from China, who will become our sons.  Giving thanks to God!

The Gifts

On Friday, we received two letters from Department of Homeland Security.  One envelope was addressed to Terry and the other was addressed to me.  Upon opening the letters I discovered this was our long awaited fingerprinting appointments! We will be visiting the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in St. Paul, MN in January, 2011.  As if this wasn’t enough, we received and email from our Social Worker.  She was hoping that she could set up a little bit of time to talk on Monday or Tuesday next week!  They’ve almost got all of the updated information ready to go for Ya Hui . Or as we refer to him, son number three. Just getting this news was such a great gift.  Is this Christmas?!  But as I thought I just received two wonderful gifts, I was reminded of the perfect gift given to us over two thousand years ago. His son, Jesus, was born in a stable in Bethlehem to a humble carpenter and his engaged, a virgin named Mary. There was no get-together to celebrate the blessed event, only a star casting down its light from the night sky. This Christmas, as you celebrate the birth of Jesus, thank God for the life-changing gifts he gives the believer: a faith that works, a hope that is alive, and a love that last forever.

Waiting

Have you ever had the chance to sit in a waiting room? The waiting room, a place where time seemingly stands still. It is a place where life is put on hold. Right now, we feel like we are in a waiting room.  We are awaiting word from our social worker on whether the CCAA has approved our second child.  We are waiting for updated photos, video, and answers to our questions for our approved son.  And as much as we dislike waiting, we are told to wait. Lamentations 3:25  When we enter God’s waiting room we are not to just sit as one might in the doctor’s chair. Rather, we need to spend time seeking Him.  So as we wait, we pray for God to protect our son(s) from harm, to guard their heart, and to keep them healthy.  And if you would, please pray with us. The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. So as we wait we are seeking the Lord.