update

I didn't receive the letter today either, so I sent the NVC an email at 4:51.  They promptly replied at 5:04 that we would receive our letter shortly, but included the information I needed to do the online submission for our DS-260.  SO, I have finally officially submitted our DS-260 for MingJian.  This is his immigration paperwork so we will automatically become a US citizen when we land on US soil.  This is the paperwork that gets sent to the consulate in Guangzhou, China.  I am however, still waiting on the letter.  I will upload a confirmation page to our agency tomorrow morning and hopefully the letter will magically arrive in my inbox by then so I can upload it as well.  Then we will finally be in the wait for Article 5 and Travel Invitation.

God is at work, I know he is.  Listen to this story.  My friend, neighbor, and co-worker has children living in Shanghai.  They have offered to have a driver meet us at the airport and invited us to stay with them in Shanghai during our visit.  We found out where they live and told them about our Australian friend who is in Shanghai right now teaching at a local university.  Would you believe that she is teaching at the university that is just mere minutes from their house?  How incredible is that?  Coincidences like that don't just happen!  Then, we received an email from our agency stating that they are already putting together the travel group for April for families with Article 5 and Travel Invitation already.  There is a chance that we could still make it into that group or we would wait until the May group.  Are you kidding?  We need prayer.  I know that this is in God's hands and His timing is perfect, but May!  Seriously.  That was depressing.  Our friend is leaving China to go back to Australia on April 13.  We need to be in Shanghai at least by the 12 so we can meet her!  Pray for that, please?  The next few weeks will no doubt last forever while we wait for this anticipated news.

Thanks for listening to me whine!  Please feel free to share our blog with your friends and loved ones and don't forget to check back with us the week of March 17 for the Give 1 Save 1 donation week and to see Brooks and Reese's video!

And still waiting!

Once we received our provisional approval, I got to send most of our Article 5 documents to our agency while we waited on the last pieces.  Well, We're still waiting.  We are needing a letter from the national visa center so I can do an online submission.  The letter is supposed to take 10-14 days.  Tomorrow will be day 14!  If I don't get it tomorrow, I can email them to request an electronic copy of the letter.  I was so hoping to just get the letter, but no.  Jerry is so much better at waiting than I am.  Waiting is hard.  I feel like we've already waited long enough. I'm ready!  I know I need to be patient and I need to quiet myself so I can hear God speaking.  I know that I need to rely on Him for He knows what the future holds, and His timing is perfect.  I know all of this, but it sure is hard to live with.  In our bible study, we are working through James.

         2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4.  

I need to recite this over and over.  Consider it pure joy!  Progress will be made. We will receive our travel dates. We will meet and bring home our son- in His time and not mine.  

We'll have another update soon!

Don't forget to share our blog with everyone you know!  Our week to be the family for Give 1 Save 1!  Help spread our story and be a part of bringing home Chazz!  God Bless

   

I-800

We found out today that our I-800 was provisionally approved by USCIS on Tuesday!  We should receive a letter in a day or two.  Then I may out another round of paperwork for our agency to get started filing for our Article 5. We are mailing this packet incomplete, because I read that it could save us a few days when it comes to travel.  While we still don't know our travel dates, I'm hopeful for early April!  Jerry mailed out our care package for Chazz on Tuesday.  Not sure how long it will take to get there, but I'm sure he will be excited to receive mail!  Continued prayers please!  We serve an awesome and mighty God!

Give One Save One

See that button over on the right?  The Give One Save One button? It is a site that promotes adoption.  They publicize a different family each week in hopes of helping them raise money to fund their adoption.  Guess who is going to get to be the family the week of March 17?!  We just found out today.  We made a video, but you'll have to visit our site again that week to see it.  Brooks and Reese were our producers during one of our many snow days.  In case you are wondering, they used iMovie on an iPad.  It was great fun.  We are so excited.  There is also a grant that we may get that would match any funds we receive from this site.  We hope to find out soon and then we'll let you know.  Please help spread the word. 

Isn't he just the cutest?

News...well, we have submitted our paperwork for immigration - I-800.  We've gotten notice that they have received it.  I can call them this coming week to check on the progress.  I've read that families typically get this within 2-3 weeks.  Our 2 weeks will be Tuesday.  Then we wait for a letter to send more paperwork.  Wait for Article 5 and finally travel invitation.  Sounds excruciatingly long, but hopefully we'll be in China in April.

A few years ago, we heard Third Day say that they think everyone should be involved with adoption in some form - advocacy, financially, or adopting.  We happen to agree.  Watch this video and see why...Global Orphan Crisis

Introducing our son!

Today is the day!  We at last received our LOA - Letter Of Approval - from China.  This grants us permission to publically share his picture and send him a care package!  We've been working on the care package for a few months now, and it still isn't finished...  We're going to get that done this week.  I can't wait.  We've created a brag book of pictures of the family.  We realized though that we used primarily pictures from Florida, so now we have to include some of snow!  We don't want him to get the wrong idea. :)
OK, so here is Chazz Jian Long.  He is 8 years old (4 months older than Hanna) and currently lives in the same orphanage that Hanna used to live in.  They were friends, as they were part of the same group.  We have many pictures of both of them together; however, the pictures and their friendship are more than 5 years old.  Hanna will get to travel with us - mainly because we are traveling to her home town.  We are hoping to get to see her sponsor family.
We are so thankful to God!  Without Him, this would not have happened.  He just kept whispering and we finally listened.  Blessed for sure.
We definitely welcome your prayers.  Prayers for paperwork to go thoroughly quickly and easily, prayers for speedy and safe travel, prayers for open and loving hearts, prayers for his transition to a family, prayers for our transition to him, prayers for Hanna when traveling, and prayers for the boys staying home.
Stayed tuned for more updates.  We most likely won't get to travel until April, but I'm hoping for earlier.  I feel like I've waited long enough - and these next three months are going to be killers!

Tonight we had Chinese for dinner- orange chicken!  You'll never believe what my fortune cookie said...  The object of your desire comes closer!

11 weeks and counting

Oh goodness.  We were told that our LOA (approval from China) could take 6-12 weeks. Well isn't it just fabulous that ours is taking the longest possible?  I was hoping to be in China in February, but that is not going to happen.  It is more likely April!  On the bright side though, the weather in northern China will be much nicer in the spring than in winter.  Hopefully this week, Thursday will be 12 weeks, we will get some news.  After LOA, we will apply for our I-800, travel visas, and send Chazz a care package!  We've been gathering things to send to him and even made him a brag book of pictures.
     We've kept ourselves busy these last 11 weeks with school, sports, Christmas, church, and Florida.  We so can't wait to get these next steps over with and just have our son home.  So many things we can't wait to share with him
     Tonight our friend Hillary prayed for God to prepare his heart for our family, a seamless transition for everyone, and love. It was just what we need.  Please keep Chazz in prayer while we wait and pray that he is ready for a family of his own.

LID

I can't believe it!  We received an email from our agency telling us that we are "Logged in" at China.  Our official LID (log in date) is October 31.  While this doesn't mean much, it is at least progress.  We are still waiting on our LOA (letter of approval).  We should hopefully get this in 6 to 12 weeks.  Our God is great, so let's all pray for the quickest possible!  We weren't expecting LID for another week or two, so all things are possible with God!  Until then, thanks so much for prayers. We appreciate them.