The Littlest Two

Here are my 2 littlest sweeties (for now).

Lenea loves being a big sister and Asher loves being a little brother.

Asher is 2 1/2 and Lenea is 4 1/2. She is about double his size though.

2nd Pre-Approval for Isaiah!

We got it!! Our pre-approval to adopt Isaiah came in from China today. We are very excited and happy to introduce his precious face to you. This photo is almost a year old, and we area asking for updated photos which we hope to have soon. 

He just turned 2 in August. What a blessing he is. We did also find out that he had a second surgery in April of this year. We have the medical release report. However, it is in Chinese so we still don't know what was done during that surgery. His orphanage director says that he is "healthy and doing well since his surgery". So we have faith in our God about his health and future. We are looking into a translation as well.

We also got all of our criminal clearances in last week!! Such good and long awaited news. We are still thinking we should be able to have Immigration applications sent out by the end of this month.

Please keep praying paperwork will move forward in a timely manner and that finances will be there as we need them.

We are having a coffee store fund raiser. Each bag of coffee (beside the Pink Beans) we can make $5 or more from a sale, toward our adoption and the others items we can make some $ as well. Everyone likes coffee (well besides me LOL, but Jay does!), and it is a Fair Trade coffee and I hear really tasty. Please check out this store front and consider buying some for a try or a gift.

Just Love Coffee Adoption Fundraiser 

Adoption Update

Adoption Newsy Stuff:

First of all, the garage sale on Saturday only made $120. We ended up getting rained out 2 hours into it. We know God will show himself through His provision and we are at peace about it all. 

Secondly, we "heard" that our clearances should be coming in this week! It took a long 2 plus months and we would have been almost sent off to China in the next couple weeks if it had been quicker. But again, we know God has the perfect timing for each step, taking us to China at just the right time. Once those clearances are in, the homestudy goes to our state for approval and then to our agency, who will in turn send it to USCIS (immigration). USCIS we think is taking about 6 weeks to approve lately. Whew...then that piece of paper (Immigration approval) needs to be authenticated, for another weeks time. Then all China required documents (The Dossier) will be sent off to China. Wow, that is a huge step in the international adoption world. I can't wait until we are onto that step. Still praying for December.

Thirdly, we pretty much decided that when we travel to China that we WILL be bringing Asher along with us. The thought of leaving him for 2 or 3 weeks was just not giving me peace at all. Jay and I were concerned that with bringing 2 new little people into his world and him having to begin really sharing his Mama and Daddy, would be doubly hard if he had to stay home without us. We think it will help him by doing it together. We know it will not be an easier trip with 3 little ones, so we have also decided to take Eliza, who will be 15 at the time, to help with Asher's care. This will bring up our cost at least another $4000. However, we feel confident this is how we should proceed.

And the last, but definitely NOT least news is that we have found our second child. It is another 2 year old little boy!! He is just 2 months younger than Ellie, who is 4 months younger than Asher. So by the time we adopt, we will have 3, three year olds!! I am so excited! Our house is going to be so busy and wonderfully full. I can't wait. This sweet little boy we have decided to name Isaiah. Isaiah means "God is salvation". 

Isaiah has a significant heart condition, called Tetralogy of Fallot. This is sometimes called "Blue Baby Syndrome"  The good news is that if successful surgery happens in a child with this Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) they can live a very active and healthy life. He has had one surgery already and the pediatric cardiologist we spoke with said he will need maybe one more as he gets older and then likely more as an adult when the pulmonary valves where out.  They have to build him a new one and they only last for 10-15 years I guess. But for adults they do most of the surgeries through a catheter so it is a much less invasive and quick recovery.

This week we are hoping to put in our Letter of Intent to China for them to pre-approve us to adopt him. As soon as I have that news I can post his photo and share his preciousness with everyone. 

Please pray for that in the coming days and that we can still travel by June 2013 to bring them both home. From the sounds of his description he is still not walking yet and is very tiny as well. So instead of having 3 active 3 years old, I am already imagining that we will developmentally have our strong active and busy 3 year old and 2 very delayed more like 1 year olds. But we will see. God has his hands over them, already walked this road for our travel and we can't wait to walk down this path He has brought to us.

A Little About the Money

Yes, adoption is expensive. It cost 1000's and 1000's of dollars to adopt from China. And with us adopting 2 little Chinese sweeties our cost is going to be close to $45,000~!
I know that amount sounds huge. But God is bigger than that and His heart is for orphans being cared for in this world. I have no doubt He will provide the funds. Jays has been working overtime whenever possible, at least a few hours each week, which all helps. I have been starting to post things on Craig's list hoping to sell some things.
But the big project we are working on the last couple weeks is for a huge garage sale. I don't mind garage sales, I love shopping them! However, they are a ton of work. I am so thankful for all the donations we have been given.. Over 20 families have put their used items in our sale. I am so thankful for a hard working husband, who just had knee surgery 2 weeks ago and has been helping so much, even moving furniture. I am so thankful for my eldest son who helped his dad pick up the furniture. I am so thankful for my daughter-in-love and 2 oldest daughters helping me with all the sorting and pricing, but especially helping to keep me sane. They are also baked some goodies to sell.
I am so thankful for my younger kids who are so excited to be helpers at the sale, including manning the homemade lemonade stand.

So we went ahead and had the first day of the garage sale last Friday, in spite of the first freezing cold temperatures of the season. Just a couple days before that, the weather was gorgeous. There wasn't as many shoppers as I had hoped for, but there was as many as the Lord wanted. While we did freeze for 6 hours, it paid off as we made $370 dollars, plus a I sold some gently used cloth diapers on Craig's List for another $70. It wasn't the $1000 that I prayed for, but I am choosing to rejoice in what God did provide. We did not do the second day on Saturday as the weather was even colder and had some flurries as well. Although nothing did end up sticking to the ground. We are praying to finish our garage sale next Saturday the 13th, as the weather is looking good for the 7 day forecast. God is in control of it and I can trust His plan for our sale. We have lots of expenses for this adoption coming up this month, about $5,000, so please pray we are able to save that in God's provision.

Just in case you thought we might "buy" babies (I have really heard that before) with our adoption fees or wonder why does it cost so much; I am going to break down a little bit what it costs and why.\

Homestudy Reports: (includes initial report, education, and post adoption reports for 5 years per child)
$6000
 
Adoption Agency Fees: (includes all adoption services in finding our children, being the liaison for us with China, translating files and updates, planning our travel , authenticating documents, holding our hand with all questions  and much more)
$7800

US Government Fees:   (including passports, Immigration, certificates like marriage and birth, visa, authentication fees)


$2000

Travel Fees: (including out of country flights, in country flights, hotels, food, Guide for adoption work, driver, small bit of sight seeing, orphanage visit)

$12,000-$15,000

China Government Fees: (including orphanage donation for 2 children, Visas, Medical check ups, Log in paperwork to process the adoptions)
$12,000-$14,000

So there you go, that adds up to almost $45,000. It really is all necessary. Sure things could maybe cost a little less, but we all know they just don't anymore.

Truth be told, many people in our country don't think twice to buy a car that sells for that amount, or even just spending half that on a nice vacation that lasts only a couple weeks.  Those things are nice sure. I have had them before, maybe not for that cost, but still enjoyed many material things that I didn't need.

Though today, I want to bring home two precious little ones that are living in an orphanage and need a Mommy and Daddy; along with lots of brother and sisters to love on them. Oh, how my heart is full of love for these orphans, whom God has called me to take care of. I want to build a legacy in these children through Christ who lives in me. I want to give them His unconditional love. People adopt for different reasons and I am not interested in debating Jay's and my reasons. It is because it is God's heart and we want to live like Christ, plain and simple.

A Family that Has Touched My Life

I have had the privilege of praying for and even meeting this amazing woman and some of her children. Their testimonies are encouraging.

Please take a moment to watch this video they made sharing about the ministry they began in Haiti a couple years ago.

How AM I Able to This Anyway?

Do  I believe the Bible to be 100 % true and God to be incapable of telling a lie, ever? Do I believe that He is the one alone who takes care of our physical, financial, emotional and spiritual needs? It is nothing that I can do alone, by staying "healthy", spending every penny as if "I" know exactly what I am to do with it, get as much sleep I "think" I should have or deserve, fill my emotional love "tank" with all I believe it should have, doing "a, b and c" making sure everything will work out just "right" for my family..etc. etc.. Do you see what I am saying? I can do nothing alone, without living IN Christ and walking minute by minute in the Lord's path for me, none of us can do that. My walk with the Lord, my marriage, my children, my parenting skills, my adoption journey and the rest will look similar on many aspects to some people, but mostly different in all situations. The Lord takes us each on a walk that will speak individually. What speaks deepest to my soul and moves me to obedience, what looks like discipline to me and what I need to keep my eyes focused on Christ will likely be vastly different than anyone else. So when I talk of  "our" story, keep that in mind. Jay and I want to always walk in obedience to Christ and his commandments. But mostly we want to love Him with all we are.Yes, we fail in that desire and I am so thankful that Jesus knows this and He loved me first, while I was still a sinner.

I will say that at times, many times my faith is so very weak and small. I feel so inadequate to this calling of motherhood and especially adoption. I just simply can NOT do this, at all. There are many moments through out my day that I just fail over and over again. I get irritated over silly things, I become lazy when I have a mountainous list before me of jobs and responsibilities, I feel frustrations sometimes over my own hard working husband's inability to be the "perfect" father that I often expect (even though I am NOT that perfect parent either), I battle anxiety at times over what will happen to my children if they don't walk with the Lord, I want to control every penny that enters our home and my list goes on and on. Marriage helps me to die to my flesh and learn to give to someone else, otherwise our marriage would be doomed. Parenting keeps me humble and on me knees. And fortunately the older my children become and the more we have, the more humble I become and the more needy on my Lord. Praise God!!

So I focus on scriptures like these that give me encouragement as a Christian, mother and wife:

Philippians 4:13 " I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me."
James 1:27 " Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Psalm 82: 3-4 "Defend the cause of the weak and the fatherless; Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Deliver the weak and needy from the hand of the wicked.”

Titus 2:4-5 "Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."
When we began our first adoption to Asher we had just about $4000 saved from that year's taxes and that was it. We lived from pay check to pay check and didn't make the income requirements to meet China's standards. (We were thankfully able to use Tyler's income as he lived full time with us and was considered our dependent even though he was keeping all his own income, he lived here rent and board free. That helped us to qualify.) So when we looked at the adoption ticket price of over $30,000 it seemed astronomical to our minds. But we knew we had a father who owns the cattle on a thousand hills and asked us to walk through the door of adoption that he put on our hearts so many years ago and from his scriptures he blesses us by taking care of orphans. So we started the process. We quickly began keeping a very tight budget. We already shopped frugally and thrift stores, we had cut out things like cable TV, eating out for meals and extra entertainment for the most  We just didn't know how we could save any more money. We did eat some simpler, less expensive meals on many occasions (beans and rice, homemade oatmeal, eggs, spaghetti, potatoes etc). We sold a car that we knew we could get some cash from and bought a junky car (and I tell you, it WAS Junky, but it got us through that year). We were more diligent with every penny we spent but we kept tithing and giving back to the Lord as well. We believe without a doubt today that every penny that comes into our home is HIS alone and we should be asking HIM what he wants us to do with each penny. Not an easy task for me when my security has been found in material things for a long time. I am thankful to have a husband who is so different than I am in that regard and he has helped me to have a more balanced approach.


In the end we did put our flights to China for $5,000 on our credit card.However, up until that point we paid every penny in cash, so about $28,000. ($8,000 of was given to us in the form of a matching grant and from friends). That amazes me and I am so thankful for God's provision. We were able to pay off the credit card in February when we got our tax return. Yeah! So that adoption is paid for. That bring us to this adoption where we are desiring to adopt 2 children. The price for 2 concurrent adoptions is about $45,000. I am estimating on the higher end, it could be a few thousand less, but not much. We have paid $4000 already and Jay's work will pay $4000 when we come home from China (many companies have adoption grants). We have about $600 saved this week for the next fee and that is it. I have no idea how we will come up with the rest. I know Jay is working overtime when he is able and that will all add up to help. The thing is, is that I am not worried. I can't say I never think about how it will all come together. I am just learning to praise God for doing it. I know he will. I know he has this covered. I know that I am walking in obedience to adoption and that the little one we have been matched with needs a family today, not later when we have all the money "saved" by our own doing. I know that if we waited for all the money to be saved then God could not show his grace and work. It would end up being our work saving the money. I want to give Him the glory, not me, not Jay.

John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease."

If I stay "increased" in this adoption process, meaning working out the details and finances then God will not get the glory. I know it sounds too simple that way, but I believe it. He wants to show us all how big He is and how much he loves these orphans.  I am learning that God loves to use the weak and show himself. If God brings some to adoption He will see you through it, it is HIS business. We just need to be faithful and yes that often means being good with our money. So I am stepping out in faith, anticipating the way my God will provide for our next adoption.

Adoption, where are we this week?

Today was our last homestudy meeting and the very last one will be just us signing a completed homestudy!! yeah,, it feels so good to be almost done with this step. We are still waiting on background checks. Please pray that they will come in soon. We also need 2 of our boys to get a physical which is scheduled for September 13th. Once those things are finished the homestudy can start to go to all the agencies for approval. It has to go to homestudy agency, then placing agency and then our state. THEN, it goes to immigration for their approval. It is amazing how much bureaucracy is involved in this process of adoption.

I hope this helps some of you to see why adoption is so expensive? And the disappointing thing is that after this year there will no longer be a tax credit for adoption as it has been before, unless something changes. The only tax credit available will be up to $6,000 for those adopting special needs children (which tends to be severe special needs) and only from the USA. However, we easily spend $15,000 alone to US agencies and adoption agencies for adopting internationally, so to me it just doesn't make sense. I am afraid it will lower the amount of families who are able to adopt if something doesn't change. Please consider writing your Senator and Congressman about supporting a bill to make adoption tax credit permanent. What better place can we think of to spend our tax dollars on, then giving orphans a forever home?

Last week we sent a care package to Ellie. We sent a family photo, a snuggly little pink bunny, a soft blanket and a USB stick for the orphanage to put photos and files on for us. It makes me so happy to know she will be getting that any day. I hope she loves her little bunny.

I am going to work on another care package that I will send to her around her Christmas time too. 

We are still working on paperwork and all the many personal questions that our agency wants us to write out. I love that our agency is so proactive. It really makes us as potential adoptive parents  think through some hard questions as to why we are adopting and how we plan to deal with different situations as parents. I just love our agency by the way!! 

I find myself dreaming about bringing little Ellie home. I also think a lot about who our second child will be? We likely will not get matched for a few more months, but I have faith that God has the perfect son or daughter out for us.

Every day I get to know Asher more and I am amazed at how well he fits into our family. He truly is so much a part of me, I can't imagine my life without him. 

So, not a lot of news to share, except things are moving along. I still am hopeful we can travel to China June 2013!! That seems so far away right now, but I know it will come so fast.