I find myself in this weird limbo.
I know Hui-Mei is ours and I know that we will be physically united with her sometime this year. Currently, the wait is living up to its reputation.
I wish there was a manual for how to navigate this journey.
I’d certainly read the chapter on “How to send your love across the ocean.”
I’d flip to the section on how to answer the “How many children do you have” inquiry from the casual acquaintance.
I’d study for hours the paragraphs on “Preparing your home and heart for the upcoming transition.”
I’m sure I would find inspiration in the pages about “Financing your adoption.”
The authors expert opinion on “Whether or not to give an older child a new name” would come in mighty handy right about now.
And the tears would flow reading about “The moment you meet your child for the first time.”
Even though I don’t have an official “How to” guide, I do know the author of this journey personally. And knowing Him gives me peace beyond all understanding.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Receipt
I received an envelope from the Department of Homeland Security today. Me heart leapt as I saw it in the mailbox. However, it wasn't exactly the envelope I was waiting for! I was hoping for one that told me our appointment time and date for fingerprinting. Instead, this one told me that we had paid the fees and would shortly be receiving the letter to tell us when to report for fingerprinting. I smiled to myself......a letter to tell me that I would be receiving a letter.......I was disappointed. Still, it's progress and I'll take it.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The Check Was Cashed!
Never have I been so excited to see money deducted from my account as I was this morning! The check that accompanied our I600A application to the Department of Homeland Security cleared yesterday. Wooohooo! That can only mean one thing---progress. I'll be watching my mail for the official date/time for our fingerprinting appointment. We are officially one step closer to bringing our daughter home. Thank you God!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
First Deadline Met
In a HUGE step of faith, we sent our first set of fees to AGCI today. My husband and I met this afternoon at my work and had all the paperwork notarized. We overnighted the package. Our dossier materials should be arriving soon. This is no small step.........we've emptied our adoption pot and will have more money due soon. Please pray for us! We serve a big, God! I know He is faithful to the end.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
A moment of clarity
On Saturday night, Rich and I actually went on a date. We were able to hire a babysitter and go out to dinner. It was very nice to have a few hours alone. We went to the Cheesecake Factory and ate entirely too much. Somewhere between our entrees and our Peanut Butter Cup cheesecake (we split it) there was a moment of clarity.
We undeniably know God called us to adopt.
Between the generous donations from our family/friends and payment for some unexpected work, our adoption pot has risen to over $4000. That's 95% of our payment due in a few days.
The deadline is looming. If we don't meet it, we'd either have to apply for an extension or apply to the program again. Neither of which sounds appealing at this point.
Under normal circumstances, we'd be jumping for joy over the provision. We're literally within a few hundred dollars of meeting our goal! But.......we have this lingering concern.....this lingering sadness. Just when I felt our roadblock of financial constraint was lifting (read the entry from March 24th), our efforts to save Lucy dwindled our pot considerably. Our moment of clarity, allowed us to see that that situation was an attack to get us off course. We need to stand in faith....we need to step out in faith....we need to trust, that we will have perfect provision when the time is appropriate.
Yes, we will have to pay for our home study in full in just a few weeks. And yes, I have NO IDEA how that will happen. But for right now, I don't need to know how.
We agreed to take it one-step at a time. Our first fees are due in a few days and we have almost the whole amount. Let's just send it in and not worry about tomorrow......for as a very wise person said "tomorrow has enough worries of it's own!"
So, it was settled. We're stepping out in faith and sending in our pot! It was that simple and back we went to engorging ourselves on cheesecake.
We undeniably know God called us to adopt.
Between the generous donations from our family/friends and payment for some unexpected work, our adoption pot has risen to over $4000. That's 95% of our payment due in a few days.
The deadline is looming. If we don't meet it, we'd either have to apply for an extension or apply to the program again. Neither of which sounds appealing at this point.
Under normal circumstances, we'd be jumping for joy over the provision. We're literally within a few hundred dollars of meeting our goal! But.......we have this lingering concern.....this lingering sadness. Just when I felt our roadblock of financial constraint was lifting (read the entry from March 24th), our efforts to save Lucy dwindled our pot considerably. Our moment of clarity, allowed us to see that that situation was an attack to get us off course. We need to stand in faith....we need to step out in faith....we need to trust, that we will have perfect provision when the time is appropriate.
Yes, we will have to pay for our home study in full in just a few weeks. And yes, I have NO IDEA how that will happen. But for right now, I don't need to know how.
We agreed to take it one-step at a time. Our first fees are due in a few days and we have almost the whole amount. Let's just send it in and not worry about tomorrow......for as a very wise person said "tomorrow has enough worries of it's own!"
So, it was settled. We're stepping out in faith and sending in our pot! It was that simple and back we went to engorging ourselves on cheesecake.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Our Flood
On Sunday morning, my daughter was a little cranky during church. So, I took her outside to enjoy some fresh air and we ended up sitting in the car as she fell asleep. I kept changing the radio station hoping to hear a sermon of my own. Instead, I ended up looking around in the abyss of our mini-van basket. Between the DVD's, take-out menus, gum wrappers, single socks and ball caps: I found the tape of another prophetic word that was spoken over us about one year ago. It blessed my heart mightily.
I just see a mighty, mighty......I see a mighty flood coming. It's not a flood that should harm. It's a flood of refreshing. A flood usually washes away things. This flood is bringing things. It's a mighty wave. A mighty flood. It's not a flood of destruction. It's not a flood of harm. I hear the Lord saying it's a flood of resources.
Along with that flood, I think it's like a washing away or a cleansing of things in the past and everything's going to be washed. After this flood I saw you on a big plot of land....or a farm. I saw you digging up and plowing, plowing and re-plowing and planting seeds. A lot of seed. Rich was out there digging (specifically him), digging and planting. As you plant and water, the seeds will grow. New things are coming. This is a season of plowing and planting.
With the flood, I saw deposits in the Earth. You guys are looking for treasure. I see you with a metal detector and a digging spatula. You are digging for deposits that the flood embedded in the Earth. I see a mighty outpouring. I hear the Lord saying He is giving you strength for this season to do these things. It's going to be a supernatural strength. He says as you find time in Him, He's going to give you time. You feel as though your time is stretched. Your time is thin. You are tired. God says He's going to give you supernatural time. You are going to see the Glory of God. He's going to stop the clock and give you time. Time to listen. Time to be strengthened. Time to be refreshed for this new season.
Sometimes people do not see the results of their work or the fruit of their harvest. God says you are going to see the results of your work. I see multitudes and multitudes......I see many people coming just to be refreshed by you; to listen to your words; for you to minister to them. Many, many people will come to hear you.
I hear the word vacation. Don't worry about the finances. God says who needs money! Just watch and see. God is going to bless your socks off! Rest. Honeymoon. Vacation. God is opening the floodgates of Heaven and pouring out a blessing on you.
That afternoon, we took the kids to the shores of Lake Ontario. We are blessed to live about 1/4 mile from a public-access beach. We often walk along the jetty, throw rocks and sticks and just enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. I was given a visual for the above word. It blessed my heart mightily.
I just see a mighty, mighty......I see a mighty flood coming. It's not a flood that should harm. It's a flood of refreshing. A flood usually washes away things. This flood is bringing things. It's a mighty wave. A mighty flood. It's not a flood of destruction. It's not a flood of harm. I hear the Lord saying it's a flood of resources.
Along with that flood, I think it's like a washing away or a cleansing of things in the past and everything's going to be washed. After this flood I saw you on a big plot of land....or a farm. I saw you digging up and plowing, plowing and re-plowing and planting seeds. A lot of seed. Rich was out there digging (specifically him), digging and planting. As you plant and water, the seeds will grow. New things are coming. This is a season of plowing and planting.
With the flood, I saw deposits in the Earth. You guys are looking for treasure. I see you with a metal detector and a digging spatula. You are digging for deposits that the flood embedded in the Earth. I see a mighty outpouring. I hear the Lord saying He is giving you strength for this season to do these things. It's going to be a supernatural strength. He says as you find time in Him, He's going to give you time. You feel as though your time is stretched. Your time is thin. You are tired. God says He's going to give you supernatural time. You are going to see the Glory of God. He's going to stop the clock and give you time. Time to listen. Time to be strengthened. Time to be refreshed for this new season.
Sometimes people do not see the results of their work or the fruit of their harvest. God says you are going to see the results of your work. I see multitudes and multitudes......I see many people coming just to be refreshed by you; to listen to your words; for you to minister to them. Many, many people will come to hear you.
I hear the word vacation. Don't worry about the finances. God says who needs money! Just watch and see. God is going to bless your socks off! Rest. Honeymoon. Vacation. God is opening the floodgates of Heaven and pouring out a blessing on you.
That afternoon, we took the kids to the shores of Lake Ontario. We are blessed to live about 1/4 mile from a public-access beach. We often walk along the jetty, throw rocks and sticks and just enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. I was given a visual for the above word. It blessed my heart mightily.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Mystery Rides
When I was a kid, we would take "mystery rides." This tradition dates back to my own mother's childhood. On a Sunday afternoon, we would pack lunch and head off down the road with no idea where we were going but ultimately having the adventure of a life-time. We would sometimes get to our destination by flipping a coin at different intersections; heads we would turn right and tails left. Other times my dad would ask "left, right or straight?" and a different kid would answer each time.....of course, sometimes we would end up going in circles!! But mostly, we enjoyed the sites along the way.
Looking back on these adventures, I'm struck by a few things:
1) The ingenuity of my grandparents and ultimately my parents in keeping this tradition alive. It was such a great way to spend family time AND now that I'm a parent, I realize it was a way to keep the peace......no one had to decide where we were going. We all had an equal say in the destination and the road we took to get there. We thought our parents were the coolest people in the world.......letting us decide each and every step along the journey.
2) I sometimes think my parents had a destination in mind and others were true mystery rides even to them. They enjoyed the open space of the road and not being restricted by a time or a deadline to be somewhere.
3) They trusted that adventure was just around the corner. No matter our destination, we could enjoy ourselves anywhere!
Of course, I relate this to our current "Mystery ride:" God ultimately lets me decide "left, right or straight." Will I be obedient to the still small voice telling me which way to go? When I'm at an intersection, will I prayerfully consider the choice in light of the destination? He knows the destination and He is waiting for me to string together the steps to make it there. I am not restricted by a timetable or a deadline. He is in control. No matter the destination (or how long the journey takes), I will have an adventure and should enjoy the ride!.
Looking back on these adventures, I'm struck by a few things:
1) The ingenuity of my grandparents and ultimately my parents in keeping this tradition alive. It was such a great way to spend family time AND now that I'm a parent, I realize it was a way to keep the peace......no one had to decide where we were going. We all had an equal say in the destination and the road we took to get there. We thought our parents were the coolest people in the world.......letting us decide each and every step along the journey.
2) I sometimes think my parents had a destination in mind and others were true mystery rides even to them. They enjoyed the open space of the road and not being restricted by a time or a deadline to be somewhere.
3) They trusted that adventure was just around the corner. No matter our destination, we could enjoy ourselves anywhere!
Of course, I relate this to our current "Mystery ride:" God ultimately lets me decide "left, right or straight." Will I be obedient to the still small voice telling me which way to go? When I'm at an intersection, will I prayerfully consider the choice in light of the destination? He knows the destination and He is waiting for me to string together the steps to make it there. I am not restricted by a timetable or a deadline. He is in control. No matter the destination (or how long the journey takes), I will have an adventure and should enjoy the ride!.
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