LOA!!!!!

Yesterday, on day 78, our LOA arrived!  This is our official approval from China to adopt Zachary.  Praise The Lord, this is big news!!

FedEx arrived with our original copy to sign and overnight back to our agency.

We had to check the box that we accept Zachary.  Absolutely!

Now it is on its way to the Us Government so that we can officially request to bring Zachary into the US as a citizen.  We're about 10 weeks away from flying to China and meeting our boy!

Thank you for your prayers and support. Please pray that all goes smoothly and the visa system will be fixed.  Pray for our hearts to be patient and peaceful as we prepare for the changes ahead and for all that needs to be done to get ready to travel.

Pray that The Lord would prepare Zachary's heart to meet us and that he would grow us together as a family.

Another big step closer- we can see the light at the end of the tunnel now!

Busy Celebrating

We've had two birthdays in our family this past week- our little Laurel turned 2 and Josh climbed higher into the 30s, so we've been busy celebrating!

Laurel had an ice cream themed birthday party and we had so much fun with family and friends.  Then we were able to spend time with our families over the weekend and Josh got a delicious lunch out, a yummy Mexican feast and cupcakes, and a traditional roast beast dinner with apple pie.  Plus we got a special date night out to celebrate so that was fun!

Josh said he wanted to learn how to make my Grammy's amazing apple pie for his birthday.  So he went over and Grammy (in town from Indiana) taught him how to make the best pie crust ever.  He will be making us a pie soon I hope :). Also, Mom knew he was worried about getting stuff stolen by pickpockets in China, so she got him these special shorts with hidden pockets and zippers that he can carry stuff in.  So cool.

Laurel got a dress up bin from Grandpap and Granleigh, the kids are obsessed with it.  We've been changing outfits a lot and they love it.  Also, it's just been great to be busy to help pass these days waiting for LOA.  It's day 77...Lord please get that precious piece of paper here soon!

Last week the entire computer system that processes Visas for all the US consulates in the world shut down.  Some glitch has made all consulates unable to print visas, so many adoptive families are stuck in China.  Also, this could potentially slow down the next step of our process after LOA, as we will be applying for visas.  Word is that it should be operational soon, so we continue to pray for these families and those in process.

All in all, we are waiting to get to the top of the mountain.  After loa comes we will basically be rushing downhill!  China feels so close and yet so far away.  More to share soon....

Moved

My heart is overflowing with so much information to share.  So much!!!  We've been busy lately, and honestly I just haven't had a desire to share things on this blog.  I'm reminded of when Mary was visited by the Angel Gabriel and scripture says she "treasured these things and pondered them in her heart".

I feel like that is exactly what I've been doing.  What has been happening in our lives in relation to this adoption is so precious. Like life giving water, the Holy Spirit has quenched our thirst and satisfied our souls every step of the way.

This journey is hard.  It is hard now and it will be hard when the rubber meets the road and Zachary is home with us- as we all are adjusting, attaching, grieving, learning to live as a family.

You cannot understand it unless you've done it.  But praise the Lord for people in our lives who have tried to!  The sweet people who ask what day of the LOA wait we are on. Who acknowledge the joy and pain of waiting by actually talking to us about our adoption!  Who try to understand how different it is to know that your child is not safe in your womb, but across the world, sick and lonely and not ok.  Zachary is not ok over there.  He is surviving, but he is not thriving.  And that makes everything about this hard. 

But God carries us every single day, and it is precious to walk with him.  It truly is.  Oh had we not done this how we would have missed so much our Heavenly Father is trying to teach us.  Already, so much growing and stretching and trusting.  

My heart is so full I can't even put into words all that I need to share.  So I'm going to break it up into different posts over the next few days and maybe then I can gather my thoughts.

Please, if you have ever considered adoption...consider it more.  This process will change you.  God will meet you and hold you and shape you in ways you hadn't realized were possible.  He will grow His heart in you- and it makes you crazy and wild and in love with things that don't matter to this world.  He gives your faith a backbone and your life a fearless bravery that can only come supernaturally. 

So many children need families.  Need Jesus.  This life is short.  I dare you to move.

"And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them." - Isaiah 42:16

Crazy

"I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind!" - Gnarls Barkley

A fellow adoptive parent waiting for LOA shared this song recently as an example of how they were feeling.  Now it is stuck in my head and I'm right there feeling craaaazzzzy too.

We are officially going to hit 70+ days waiting for our LOA.  Monday will be day 70 and then we still have to wait to be officially reviewed and then have the hard LOA mailed to us.  That means at least another 2 weeks.  Which means 80+ days waiting for LOA best case scenario.  Ugh.

Never actually thought we would be waiting so long!

The days here are a little bit crazy.  We ride a daily roller coaster of hopeful anticipation and disappointment.  We are just sitting around and waiting, waiting, waiting.  As soon as we get LOA there will be a flurry of activity to get us ready to fly to China.

Until then, pray for us!  We are so ready to go.  We are ready to see our little boy and hold him in our arms.  To see his face and truly know him.  

The longing is overwhelming, but we know God's mercies are new every morning.  Please pray our LOA comes soon!

Day 64

Tick. Tock.

Day 57

Still waiting...come on LOA!