Praise THE LORD, We have our LOA!

February 26,2009
After 123 days of waiting we received word of our LOA today. I had heard rumors yesterday that our agency was expecting a package from China on Thursday. So all day today my heart has been racing and my stomach hurting as I anticipated the call. Our agency is in Oregon and we are in Ky so there is a 3 hr time difference so I didn't expect to hear until afternoon. Well I waited and waited and finally at 6:30pm here, 3:30 there I couldn't stand it anymore and I called them. When I called and said who I was Hollen came on the phone and said I must have esp because she was just going to call me. I said does that mean you have something for me and she said yes I am looking right at it. I was so relieved and excited. She is overnighting it to us and we sign and overnight it back. We are 1 of 4 families to receive theirs today but we are the only pre-Hague family. Which means we will get our Travel Approval (TA) sooner. We could be in China in about 6 weeks! I still haven't stopped shaking. I am going to request an update on Gideon and of course tell them his mama is coming very soon! The wait is almost over and one of the verses in Psalms that helped me was this one: " We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." Psalm 33:20-22

Still Waiting Day 122

February 25,2009

Today our great friends left for China to finally bring their little boy home. I am so excited for them to be going for their sweet little 3 year old. Please pray for their safe travel and for the transition for little G to go well. That his little heart is ready and well prepared to accept and love them as his new forever family.

We are still waiting for our LOA but word came today that our agency is expecting a package tomorrow. Please pray that our LOA is in there and we can be on our way to China very soon. Our little guy has been waiting such a long time for us. And we have been waiting for so long for him. Today a fellow adoptive mom on one of my groups emailed me to sympathize with our wait and she gave me this scripture in Habbakuk..." for the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay" I feel like it will be in that package tomorrow after getting this scripture today and I am hanging on to that.

I will post tomorrow with the news. I am adding a picture of little G- our friends little guy ready for gotcha day on Monday morning.

Day 113 and No LOA but An Answered Prayer

February 16,2009
No LOA today but that's ok. It will come when it is time. Though I of course want that time to be now but I am ok. I know that God is in this and that he hears my prayers because he did answer one of my prayers. I told you that we needed a person to come to our house each morning to get the little ones up, fed and dressed and then to school. I didn't know where I was going to find this person. But I knew there had to be someone out there who could come each morning or even live here in exchange for helping with the house and kids. Well, Wednesday night I was writing in my journal and praying and I basically told God that I didn't know how to find this person so I was putting it in his hands. He was going to have to lead me to this person or lead this person to me. And that's how I left it with God. Well Thursday night my 15 year old son, Jordan came home from a friend's church and came running into my room and said, "I found someone!" I said what are you talking about and he proceeded to tell me that he was talking to the church's new youth minister while they were painting and she mentioned that she was a student at Northern Ky Univ and lived at the dorms but was going to need a family to move in with because she could not afford the dorms any longer. Jordan said, " my family is looking for a live-in in eschange for helping with the kids and house." She said no way you are an answered prayer. On Wednesday night she prayed that God would give her a host family to live with and I was here praying for a live in to care for the kids and God led us to each other. She is 19 years old and majors in International Studies. She does mission work in Haiti and recently returned from there. She loves kids and has worked at a daycare and at orphanages. She can start right away helping us in the mornings until I go to China for Gideon. Then I will have 6 weeks off and school will be almost over. She will be gone over the summer but will move in come August. She is very enthusiastic. She came out Sunday night and met us and the kids already like her. God is just so awesome! Sometimes he answers prayer now and sometimes he says wait - I got one now and I am still waiting for the other request. But I know he hears my prayers. His timing will be perfect! Maybe tomorrow. I'll try to get a picture of our new babysitter soon to be live-in. By the way her name is Mallory.

Day 108!

February 11,2008
Well here we are on day 108 and I just feel it is so close! This wait is killing me. I was just listening to the song by Chris Rice called "Smile". This was my song as I waited for Hannah back in 2004 but it speaks my heart again... "I just want to be with you, I want this waiting to be over..." I know the day is coming very soon but I just want it to be today! Do I sound like a spoiled child or what? Ok I got that off my chest. I will wait patiently now. I am praying to be in China before the end of March so we can be home for Easter. But again it is all in God's timing not mine.
Our life is rather crazy right now. Tim took another job which has him leaving the house early in the morning and with both of us out early we need someone to get the 3 little ones ready and off to kindergarten so we are praying for an answer to this problem quickly. I will be working 4-5 days a week until we leave so we have the money we need so it will be hectic for a while. Please pray with me that we can find someone that can come to the house each morning to dress and feed the kids and get them off to school.
Of course continue to pray for our LOA to come this week and as soon as it does I will be posting here. I know the money situation will be fine. We will cut corners everywhere we can to make it work. I know the Lord will provide.
I will leave you with this: " Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. " Lamentations 3:21-26

Followers

February 3, 2009
I have added a way for my followers to register to the right. If you are following my blog please click on the followers to the right and let me know you are following. It's nice to know who is out there following and praying for our journey. Thanks.

Day 100!

February 3, 2009
I have joined the 100 day club unfortunately but hopefully CCAA is working furiously again to get our LOA's out. I look at our Di Di's (little brother) precious face every day and just ache to finally hold him. I know it is all in God's timing and that is what I keep telling myself. It will all happen at just the right moment. I of course am praying to hear this week but I don't really even know if they are back from the Chinese New Year break. My other concern is that if we don't get to travel in March that there is some kind of trade fair in April driving up all the prices. Again I am trusting God. It is all in his hands. Kate had told me prior to the Chinese New year break that they expect our LOA in the "next batch", whenever that may be. I'll be continuing to pray for a week of LOA's for everyone this week and of course I will post as soon as I hear something.
I leave you with this: "Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." Psalms 127:3-5.