i800 Approval!!

So very excited! After emailing twice, our officer CALLED me today and let me know our i800 (final US approval) was approved yesterday!! We are getting so close!! 

Next week I work on getting a special number and paper that confirms our papers have been sent to the US Consulate in China and I fill out the visa application for Emilyn. Then, our agency drops off all of the important paperwork for her visa at the Consulate in China. Exactly 2 weeks later they pick it up and send it to Beijing to wait for TRAVEL APPROVAL!! 

After I get the special number and fill out the visa application, I get to rest and wait! Well, get sub plans ready and pack!!! :) Getting close!!!! Praying it all happens quickly, so I can secure a Consulate Appointment in October!! (They will fill up quickly, since a national holiday is closing things down for two weeks!)

Love is Patient

I had the privilege of helping out in the Kindergarten class this morning.  I love helping out in different roles and different capacities.  I learn so much.  This morning the kids’ lesson revolved around 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient, Love is kind”. I have to admit, I struggled with this a bit.  I knew God spoke those words, and I know I am NOT a patient person.  I thought, God is speaking to me about my wait for Emilyn.  But I didn’t get it.  How is being patient, loving her?

Then, on the way home I realized that I was applying it to the wrong situation!!  I was applying it to the easier part of my life.  Sure, I can try and be patient in the wait for Emilyn.  But, as amazing as it is, this isn’t where I struggle the most with patience and where it would manifest itself as love. 

I looked into the eyes of my precious son.  The son that I advocated, prayed, and fought for.  When it looked like there was no way to bring him home, we exhausted every option available.  To be honest, this is our hardest adoption. Just when I think we are getting somewhere and turning a corner, he has a rough day at school or blurts out and disrupts at Children’s Church.  I look into his eyes and feel extremely frustrated.  We have tried everything.  We have transitioned, time ins, time outs, extra time, holding, role playing, and schedules. It begins to feel like we will never truly “get there”.

That’s when it hit me… Love is patient… I have committed to loving this child.  I committed to loving him to the CCCWA in a letter of intent when we petitioned to adopt him and on the official adoption day.  I committed to loving him when taking an oath in the US Consulate.  But most importantly, I committed to God that I would love him when we dedicated him at church.  Love is patient…

I truly don’t believe he acts out due to spite.  He isn’t trying to be difficult.  It is a by-product of spending 7 years in an institution.  When I read about the effects of institutionalism on a person, I am amazed at how well he does.  I do believe he feels remorse, but the brain wires differently when a person is isolated and mistreated for that many years.  Love is patient…

I am so thankful for those of you who interact with our sweet boy. I apologize for the times when he is difficult to love. It is a struggle for those of us who have been educated about the effects of a trauma filled past, so I am sure it is even more so for those trying to understand.  Love is patient…

God taught me a tough lesson today.  I pray that I will remember it when the need arises.  I will no longer skim over this seemingly insignificant way of showing love.  I now know it is perhaps the most important one of all!

Jewelry and Supporting Our Adoption

We have a SUPER EXCITING opportunity to fund our adoption!! Another adoptive mama has offered to help us! This sweet family took a photo album of our family to Emilyn and took many adorable pictures of her for us. She has offered her artistic talents to help us raise money. She has an Etsy shop (online store) and is willing to donate 50% of the purchases made for our adoption to the matching grant! You just need to be sure to note “Please support Anderson’s adoption” when you check out! We are so thrilled and thankful! Here is a link to her amazing merchandise! Have fun shopping and thanks for helping us! https://www.etsy.com/shop/art4justice

Hearts Full of LOVE update

We are so excited to share the progress made in our artwork.  There are now 66 hearts sponsored!  Our amazing sponsors have donated over $1000!  Since that amount is matched, we have $2000 in our Lifesong account.  This money will be sent straight to our adoption agency to help cover in-country expenses.  We are almost 1/4 of the way there!  We still need your help.

Are you able to sponsor a heart for $15?  A donation of $15 will be doubled to $30.  For every $15, we will write your name on the back of a heart and add it to the artwork that will hang in Emilyn's room.  We can't wait to see this frame FILLED with hearts!  Our children love watching the hearts get filled out and added to the artwork.  It is a tangible way for them to see how people are joining us in our journey!

There are two ways to donate:

Online (using a credit card):

1. Go to www.lifesongfororphans.org/donate
2. Direct your donation (from the drop down menu) to “Adoption”
3. FILL IN Family Account Number = 6216 and Family Name = Anderson
4. Click on "Other" under donation amount and enter the desired sponsorship amount.
5. Complete the online form

 Mail in (using a check):

1. Please make checks payable to: Lifesong for Orphans
2. In the MEMO LINE, be sure to write (Preference 6216 Anderson)
3. Mail check to:

Lifesong for Orphans

PO Box 40

Gridley, IL 61744

* BE SURE TO ALWAYS INCLUDE #6216 AND ANDERSON IN ANY DONATION! *

Individual donations $50 or more will receive a tax deductible receipt. Receipts for donations under $50 will gladly be sent upon request. Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization.

Introducing Emilyn!!

We wanted to introduce you to our newest daughter...

We received wonderful news today that we were issued our LOA (Letter of Acceptance)!  If you aren't sure exactly what this means, check out the last post. The process is fairly straight forward at this point.  It should take about 2-2.5 months to travel.  We are praying that I get to travel in October.  So thankful for your prayers!!

 

Current LOA Status - Matched!

This process is taking SUCH A LONG TIME!!  Unfortunately, the timelines lengthened out right when we started this wait.  We have been blessed to have updates at each step.  These have taken longer to reach than I expected, but at least I know that we continue to make progress and aren't stuck on (or behind) someone's desk.

We are in the FINAL STRETCH now!  Our timeline for the other steps:
6/30 = LID - logged in
7/19 = In Review
8/1 = to be matched
8/8 = matched

All that is left is for someone to fill in the blanks on the LOA form and print it!!  LOA is Letter of Acceptance.  It is the formal request from China to make sure that you are committing to this child.  We can't wait to sign YES!!!

After this we will have four more big steps (however, they are more standard in their timing).
i800 = US approving us for our particular child (i800a was a general approval to adopt from China) - approximately 4 weeks
NVC = National Visa Center informs the US Consulate that they will issue a Visa for our daughter (since she is still a Chinese national until she lands in the US) - approximately 2 weeks
Article 5 = US Consulate in China giving their stamp of approval on the visa and documents to show this to CCCWA - 2 weeks
TA = Travel Approval (China invites us to come and get our beautiful daughter) - approximately 1 week