Final Travel Plans

April 10,2009
Oh my, so much has been happening for the past couple of days. We did receive confirmation of our consulate appt and set out to book our flights. As I was saying we were having difficulty booking a return flight home. Initially it looked like we would have to stay a few extra days just to get a flight home. I was trying to figure out how we would afford 3 extra days of hotel bills and food etc. Then on Wed our friend called and said he could get us a flight home on 4/29 but it was flying through Germany with an overnight layover. I said no I don't think Gideon can go through Germany on a chinese passport. So after checking into this further I was right I could not. He would need an entry visa which would need to be applied for and paid for. After talking directly with the frequent flier provider and trying dates all the way through May, I began to realize we could not use the frequent flier miles. We were going to have to pay for our tickets as well as a ticket for Gideon. This could be $3000 more that we didnt have. After many tears and crying on my friends shoulders both here in Ky and in South Carolina tickets were booked! My friend Cindy was able to get great prices through United and an even more amazing price on Gideon's ticket. They had told us his ticket was $1000 and there was no better price. Cindy begged them to keep looking. While they had her on hold and continued to look Cindy prayed for a better rate and soon the girl came on and said I don't know where this price came from but I grabbed it. Cindy siad it was from God!. The price was $437. This was an amazing price. While the prices were great it was still over $2000 in addition to the $2000 we were already short. How could we come up with an additional $4000? My friend Shari prayed with me that we knew The Lord would not let us down now. We knew and believed He would make it all happen. Then slowly- money would roll in, several friends donated money and we were able to sell our diamon earrings that we had won. My friend Steph at work took them to a jeweler friend to see how much we could get and after looking at Gideon's picture he gave us $750 for them. Stephs dad got us another $200. The money was amazing. So now tonight we are very close to what we need. He is amazing! Our Lord is a mountain mover! All the mountains have been moved and we are sooooo amazed at what the Lord has done. And now in less than 1 week I will be holding my son!We will land in Nanchang at 8:45 pm on 4/18 and holding our son on 4/19 sometime. We are almost there! We have an awesome God!

TRAVEL PLANS

April 7, 2009
We received confirmation today of our consulate appt. It is set for April 27th and then our swearing in is on the 28th in the late afternoon. We could fly home on the 29th. We will leave for China on April 17th. Issues arise...First even though Gideon is only 18 lbs and unable to sit or walk, he is 2 years old and therefore we have to purshase a seat for him. We have been given enough frequent flyer miles for mine and Tim's seats. The problem is that we can't get a return flight until May 2nd. This is 3 days longer than we need to be there. That is 3 days of food and hotel we had not budgeted for. So the ticket for Gideon and the 3 extra days of hotel are fees we don't currently have. Not to mention the increase on all the fees in China that we hadn't counted on. But it all just doesn't matter. I am putting it in the Lord's hands. My friend is calling the airline in the morning to see if anything opened up for a return flight sooner than the 2nd and we'll take it from there. Please be in prayer for a flight home before the 2nd and for us to somehow get the money we need to pay all the extra fees we hadn't counted on not to mention food and essential expenditures that may come up. The Lord can and will provide exactly what we need! He is "the Mover of Mountains!" Tomorrow is a new day! And it is one day closer to getting Gideon!

WE HAVE TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!!!

April 2, 2009, after 5 very long weeks we have our travel approval! Kate is trying to get a consulate appointment for the 27th which would have us leaving on 4/17! Just 2 weeks from tomorrow! Now the panic sets in. I will be posting details as I get them. Right now I am just praising the Lord!!!

Video at Yugan SWI 4/1/09

New Pictures and Visas Arrived!

April 1,2009

Big day today. A family is currently in China picking up their daughter from the same orphanage as Gideon. They visited the orphanage today and had promised to give our boy a kiss and tell him his mama and baba were coming very soon! Well they did this and took pictures and video. They sent me 3 new pictures and some precious videos. I of course cried as I watched the videos as my friend stroked my little guy's face. He appears to love this attention and just leans into her hand as she strokes him. He is just precious.

Then fedex delivered our visas today as well. Now all we need is our Travel Approval (TA). Hoping for tomorrow as Thursdays seem to be the day packages arrive from China. Everyone pray that this is so. We need to book our flights asap in order to get the frequent flyer miles. Ok I am posting the treasured photos. I'll try to figure out how to do the video.

33 Days and No TA!

March 31,2009
Feeling a little blue today since we still do not have our TA. Thursdays are typically big days for packages from China so I don't really expect to hear anything tomorrow either. But that is ok.
On the other hand I am also very excited about a couple of things.
#1 Sunday our dear friends from South Carolina contacted us to tell us that they could now provide us with enough frequent flyer miles for 2 round trip tickets to China not just 1! This is huge-Praising the Lord for this! He is mighty and I have been saying he will continue to move the mountains that are in the way of our bringing Gideon home. I will be having a yard sale on Saturday and I am doing a Parklane Jewelry fundraiser sale if anyone would like anything let me know. God just continues to provide in big ways!
#2 There is a family in China this week picking up their sweet daughter from the same orphanage as Gideon. They will be visiting tomorrow and promised to hug and kiss him for me and to try to get pictures to send me. So very soon I will be seeing more pictures of our boy.
Though a little disappointed today again about TA I am rejoicing about all the amazing things HE continues to do throughout this amazing journey. We have already been so blessed!
Hope to have even more news before the end of the week!

1 MONTH Waiting

March 26th 2009
We have now been waiting 1 month since our LOA for our TA (travel approval). Still praying for tomorrow but have no words of encouragement from our agency. It is in the Lord's hands still and I know he knows best. We are hoping for travel around April 17th. Each day I pray for that phone call and wait anxiously. I have looked at his pictures over and over. I know it will happen at just the right time. In the mean time we are still trying to raise more money. I am continuing to work extra hours at work. I am going to have a yard sale next weekend and I am going to do this jewelry fundraiser if anyone is interested. We are still holding out hope for one last grant. My friend feels we are going to be blessed and amazed in the end-that the Lord has a big plan. I know that he is that mountain moving, awe inspiring, miracle working, gasp causing God, (quoting a blog friend), and I can't wait to see what he has planned. Hope to be posting very soon our news of TA.