The end is in sight

We wanted to give a quick update on our adoption process since it has been awhile since we posted. To date we have been in process with this adoption for almost 14 months. Truly, we thought we would be home with our daughter by now, living a whole new normal. Turns out God's story for us was different than we had imagined (surprise surprise) but it is so good.

Finding "the One"

For those who do not know, we have been logged in to China's system for almost 7 months now. This means that we could have been receiving files to review and hopefully be matched with our daughter for the last 7 months. Surprisingly, this has not been the case. At the end of April we discovered a beautiful little girl's picture on a page that features orphans being cared for in a special medical foster home. We had our "SHE'S THE ONE" moment and began a journey of Faith like I have not experienced in a very long time. Here's the catch. Because of her medical condition, her file had not even been started yet.

Where are we now?

We were able to receive news in the last few weeks that her file IS BEING STARTED in September (Happy Birthday to Larry and Me) but there is another catch. It COULD take 6 MORE months for us to receive her file, and then it will take another two, typically, before we can travel. Have mercy.:)

In the past we have prayed for a timeline, but truly, I am praying God's will be done. His timing is so very perfect. His plans are so very good. I trust him completely. We are blessed to know that she is in a wonderful care facility where she is on the road to healing everyday. This makes it so much easier to wait. For many families waiting to bring their children home, the experience is quite the opposite.

So here is what we are doing in the meantime:

1. We continue to finish renovations on our house. Larry's time is very limited and he (and his band of merry men from time to time) are doing an amazing job slowly finishing things room by room.

2. We continue to pray and trust God's timing, and to prepare the girls for a new sister. Everyday that goes by I see a new level of maturity and responsibility in our daughters, and I know this is an answer to our prayers. Time may have been the only way for God to answer our concerns about the transition of a new sibling into our home.

3. We continue to prepare our finances. We are approximately $6,000 away from meeting our goal. We have taken a big, long break from fundraising, but now that there is an end in sight, some of that fundraising may resume again over the next few months.

During this interesting journey toward our daughter I have truly discovered what it means to be JOYFUL IN HOPE, patient in affliction and FAITHFUL IN PRAYER. My heart wants to burst as I think of each one of you who have carried us in prayer, supported us with good words, cards and inquiries about our progress, who have given relentlessly towards our monetary needs to help bring this precious child of God into a forever family. There is nothing on earth like the Body of Christ. We are a force to be reckoned with.