Christmas and Fingerprints

It's amazing how this waiting is flying by, and dragging along at the same time. Last week we received notice that our fingerprints had been scheduled for the first week of January! What a huge blessing. The adoption journey is long, but it's not so bad if you break it down into bite-size pieces. We wait to get our prints done, and then wait until CIS sends us our FDL, then send it to ASIA for translation, then wait for it to be logged-in to the CCAA, then wait for confirmation, then wait for travel dates. Crazy!

In the meantime we celebrate the blessings God has given us--our family, our home, our health. God is so good! Here are some pics of Christmas:

Even with a little snow, the kids were out sliding.

David, our oldest son, gave the kids a Buzz Lightyear rocket tent. This is a view from the top looking into the rocket.

Sam wanted a volcano, or other natural disaster for Christmas--he cracks me up!

A good friend came over to babysit so Mike and I could have a date. She gave them shaving cream to play with--she's the best!

Waiting

I'm so happy to be in this process again. God is good and has blessed us abundantly throughout this process. We are now waiting to receive an appointment for our fingerprinting. After that we wait for our FDL to send to ASIA and then we wait for China to invite us to pick up LilyBeth.

China is very cautious about their children and prohibits us from placing identifyably photos of our children on the internet prior to the adoption being granted. So, I decided to edit our little girl's picture a bit so I could show her off. What do you think?

God's Amazing Provision!

I am amazed at how good God is! Yes, I know God is good--all the time--but to see Him in action when I know I don't deserve His blessing is humbling.

About a month ago Mike and I were struggling to figure out how we would pay for this third/fourth adoption. I know God can provide as much money as we need, but will he do it? If I look at myself and think of how selfish I am, I know that I don't deserve any blessing, but thankfully God doesn't look at whether or not I deserve it--He does what He wants to glorify His name.

So imagine my surprise when we got a letter from Mike's company offering to purchase back stock options that were never exercised because the company didn't go public. The offer was for several thousand dollars--Yup, thousands! We were shocked at God's goodness! That meant that we were more than 2/3 of the way to our goal. So we continued to pray for the money we would need to finish the adoption.

Our kids pray every night for LilyBeth--for her health, safety, and the money to bring her home. On Monday Mike returned to work after his hunting trip. He called in afternoon to ask how much money we needed to finish the adoption--and when I told him he told me that he was getting a bonus from his employer this year. The amount was enough to fully fund our adoption. God truly amazes me.

Paperwork is DONE!

I just got back from mailing our DOSSIER and our I-800A application!!! I'm so happy I could jump up and down--I think I will: Be right back......


OK, I'm back. I can't believe it's in the mail! Wahoo!

Now What?

That's what everyone keeps asking. Now what happens? We have PA, and now the work intensifies. We have six months to get our completed dossier--including immigration approval--to China for a full review. Here's what I have to do for paperwork:

• birth certificates--ordered and waiting on delivery
• marriage certificate--ordered and waiting on delivery
• divorce certificates--ordered and waiting on delivery
• financial worksheet--done, just need notarization
• employment letters--waiting on Mike's
• medical clearances--done, and will be notarizing tomorrow
• criminal history clearances--done
• other state clearances--ordered, waiting on Mike's
• Homestudy--waiting on the final records above and then a final draft will be issued
• CIS--waiting on Homestudy to apply.

It's just a waiting game now. I wait for the documents to arrive, send them to the homestudy agency, and then apply to CIS once the homestudy is finalized. After CIS mails us our approval letter, we load it all up and mail it to ASIA. They translate and authenticate it and send it to China. Once China receives it they review it and issue a confirmation letter and then travel approval. That's the TA you'll be reading about in a few short months.

While China is reviewing our dossier, I will be applying for my travel Visa to China, and getting the house ready for a little girl. God is so good!

PA!!!

PA! PA! PA! I can't believe it! China approved us for LilyBeth! I'm so excited! We are going to be parents again.

LilyBeth's name

Ever since I was 10 or so I have wanted to adopt a little girl from China. In my mind her name was "LilyBeth". I don't know why I chose that name--I certainly didn't know anyone with the name, and still don't. But that was the name I gave her. Now, on our third adoption, we are finally planning for a little girl from China and her name will be "LilyBeth".

Today, I decided to Google the name. I've never looked it up before; sure I've looked up "Lily", "Beth", and "Elizabeth", but never "LilyBeth". To my delight, I learned that the name is a derivation of the Hebrew name "Elisheva", which means "God's Promise." Imagine my delight!

God put this little girl in my heart thirty years ago, and after two previous adoptions, we finally feel like God has called us back to China for a little girl. And if God is willing, we will have her next year....and her name will be "LilyBeth".

Could it be?

Oh my goodness! I saw the most adorable face today. A little 16-month old girl!

I have sent in our request for pre-approval. It's in God's hands now.

Choose to SEE!

I am almost finished reading Mary Beth Chapman's book, Choosing to See. Of course as an adoptive parent, I am ravenous for true stories of adoption. I remember watching the news in 2008, when I learned that Maria Sue Chapman had been killed in a tragic accident. My heart grieved for this family. I remember praying with our children that God would protect and heal the Chapman family. To be able to read Mary Beth's book is an opportunity to see how God worked through this family. Maria Sue was just one of millions of orphans in this world--but she found something many children never do--a loving home. She only lived for five short years, but brought so much life and hope to her family in that short time.

I think about how many times I get asked, "Why are you adopting again?" by family and friends. The answer is so simple that it amazes me how many people don't get it--because there are children who need a home! Children who are fearfully and wonderfully made in God's image. Children who won't learn about Jesus or His love for their precious little life, unless they are given a family.

We are ALL orphans! God has adopted us into His family. We didn't do anything to deserve this blessing, yet He gives it to us unconditionally.

How can we be so selfish? How can we NOT help these children. If you feel called to adopt--step out in faith and pray about it. If you want to help, but don't feel called to adopt, then help someone who does want to adopt. Donate time, money, prayers, hugs. If you don't know someone who is adopting, Google it! You will find tons of agencies and foundations that will be happy to give you a tax deduction in exchange for a small donation. The money raised goes to help people adopt, to care for orphans waiting for homes, and to help pay for medical care for the children who have no families.

How would you feel if you sat alone in a crib all day with no one to hug you, or smile at you, or tell you that you're special? Some of the children did know love once, but for one reason or another they were abandoned, or relinquised to orphanages. They need to know they are loved and are precious to someone. So if you can find room in your heart, please consider adoption.

Sorry--but I really had to vent! And since no one reads this but me, I figure I can vent anything I want to.

And a picture of our crazy kiddos:

The Old Switcheroo!

Haying rake in the woods of upstate New York

Bo--such a handsome boy

Just a nice picture in New York


So, we had our homestudy just about finished when suddenly....our agency told us we no longer qualified for China! What? I take antidepressants--very low dose, but still--and AGCI said that's a disqualifier. I asked about waivers, after all we are looking for a waiting child, but they said no. I asked about other Asian countries' programs. AGCI said they can't work with us for 3-4 months. We were devastataed to say the least.







So after mourning our loss for a whole 20 hours, I started calling and emailing and researching other agencies and countries. I really believed that China was no longer an option. Then, I learned from three different agencies that we COULD get a waiver for China! Praise God! We had to shuffle things around a bit, but we ended up going back to ASIA--the agency we first spoke with. So far it has been smooth sailing. We have our contracts in, our homestudy is done, and now we are just waiting to have the dossier packet together.







I wondered what God was teaching me in that lesson, that was so painful. Then I realized that I am selfish and impatient, and I should have stuck by my original decision to leave AGCI. They are not a bad agency, just not right for us this time around.

Long Time, No Post!

We've been so busy getting things moving in the adoption world, I haven't had time time to update the blog. Here are a few photos to show what's up in our house.

Here's our recent birthday boy! So cute. he was so happy to have a party for him.




And the birthday cake, decked out in tractor attire! Check out those massive bales of hay!



Here's our handsome boy, Thomas. He is so excited to get a little sister from China, and is saving his pennies to put toward a plane ticket to go with me.



Here's Grace, looking very serious as she demonstrates her newly-acquired cycling skills. She showed me that she knows how to ride with only ONE hand!

And Sam--looking exactly like his Dad here!

And finally the update:

We signed our contracts with AGCI, completed our adoption education classes and are expecting to have our homestudy completed by October 30th! Once it is done and approved, we will be able to accept a child from the shared China list of kiddos with special needs!

Next up is the dossier (ugh!). This means mega amounts of paperwork and money. We know this will all come together, and just pray that each day is productive. God is good and will provide.

Orientation Packet!

After two months of fundraising, as well as wavering between agencies, we received our welcome packet today from All God's Children! I tore open the package and saw this little girl's face; I melted. My heart cried out with joy because I realized LilyBeth is no longer just a figment of my imagination: She's so real! In fact, she's already born and living in an orphanage in China. Oh how great is our God!

Now we need to finish up the homestudy--which should be done in a week or two, send in the orientation paperwork and the fee (ugh!), then we will officially be swamped with work to bring her home. Can you believe it? I'm in awe of God's wonder.

After adopting twice already, I have no fairy-tale images of how this process will go. I know it will be hard, expensive, and emotionally draining. But I also know that God has brought us this far already and whatever His plans are for LilyBeth, we will support it.

Please pray for us to finish raising the funds. Adoption is very expensive, and although you get much of it back in tax credits, you still have to have it to move forward. I welcome any fundraising suggestions.

Fundraising and Update

So our spaghetti supper was a huge hit! God has blessed us with amazing friends! We were hoping to make about $1,000 but ended up making $2,000! God is so good!

I am mailing off the next big batch of cookbooks today and am so happy to see the pile dwindling down. If you ordered one and haven't gotten it yet, it's going out today. If you haven't ordered one yet, please click on the donate button to your left.

An update on our girls: Ruby and Asia are now in a new foster home. We tried to help the girls, but with so many kids needing our attention, we felt the girls needed to be in a place where they didn't have to share my attention and could get the therapy the needed. We love them and can't wait to see them again!

Now I'm trying to come up with some more fundraising ideas. Any suggestions?

Detour, But it's all good

So while we are raising funds, through cookbook sales and a:

Spaghetti Dinner & Silent Auction

Saturday, September 18th, 2010

5pm - 7pm

Messiah Christian Church

2700 Post Road

Wells, ME 04090

We are blessed to have two little girls with us temporarily. They are foster children ages 3 and 5 and are as cute as can be. I wish I could show you, but I can't--laws and all. Well, I guess I can give you a peek: Just don't tell anyone!

Delivery!

I am happy to report that the cookbooks are ready for delivery. If you ordered one, they will be delivered next week.

There are still lots left, so please tell a friend! Our third fundraiser is coming up on September 18th, 2010. We will be hosting a spaghetti supper with a raffle, desserts, and lots of great food! Our donations are coming in and we are so thrilled to see God working through this process. He is so good!

On a bittersweet note, our foster daughter, T, will be moving out on Monday. She will be starting college in two weeks and has found a house to share nearby. We are happy that she is moving forward into adult hood, but worried that she will face many struggles. We will playing musical rooms so everyone will be ready for our newest addition.

Until then, here's a picture I painted for our cookbook sales:

Cookbooks

They are finally done! Cookbooks are ready to be delivered this week. I am a binding fool right now, but so happy to be working on a fundraiser to bring our second daughter home.

If you would like to order a small cookbook for $5, or a large cookbook for $10, just click on the "donate" link to the left. Let me know how many and your address. I will be thrilled to get one in the mail to you. All proceeds go directly to LilyBeth's adoption fund. We can't do this without your help. Thank you!

Also, we are happy to report that we have chosen to go with All God's Children International for our third adoption. They are family by now and I absolutely love the staff.

So far we have raised over $200 in cookbook sales! God is so good.

I'm So Excited!!!

Our Cookbook is ready for the printer!! I picked up the binding machine today and should be ready to start shipping next week!!

So far, we've sold about 100 of them. I'm hoping to get out into a few local book stores, markets, and other arenas.

We also have a spaghetti dinner planned for September 18th at church. And, our first homestudy visit is this weekend.

Lots going on while waitinf for LilyBeth.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Wow, it's been a while since I posted but that is because I have been so busy!

Fundraising is such a time consuming project, but it must be done in order to bring LilyBeth home. So, I'm happy to report that my second fundraising effort is almost ready. It's a cookbook; not just any cookbook though. This is a cookbook of Mike's cooking and some of our favorite recipes from friends and family. It's called:

She Married Me for My Cooking!

They are printed on heavy paper and bound with a spiral spine for easy use. We are asking for donations starting at $5 for each copy. All proceeds go toward bringing home LilyBeth Ward. As you all know international adoption is expensive! The fees are necessary for paperwork processing, orphan care, flights, hotel, more fees for the child's paperwork, homestudy expenses, and meals in country. Please help bring this little girl home! I will keep a fundraising meter on the blog to show everyone how we are doing towards our goal.

Thanks.
Sharon and Mike

Family Photo time

While running around to get paperwork together for our pre-approval application, I tried finding a photo of our family. We ended up taking one as Mike was getting ready to go to work this morning. He's the only one who looks decent, but we got a photo to send to our agency. Here it is!

Getting down to business

Today I get my adoption physical and get to work on the pre-approval letter to the CCAA. Our Agency is working fast to get us up to speed. Once the pre-approval paperwork is in we have only three months to complete our homestudy and submit it to the agency.

There's so much to do up front and then so much waiting after. Oh well.

Fundraising

This is where the hard part begins. We have our application in, and have our homestudy application almost completed. Now we have to come up with the nearly $20K needed to bring LilyBeth home. So today I will begin asking businesses to donate goods or services for a fundraising auction.

We hit a small snag when Mike's car was totalled in an accident last week--he's fine, but the car isn't. Of course it was paid for, which translates to: "you're not getting enough from the insurance company to buy a new car." So we had to finance the replacement car. That takes away from our adoption fund and means more work for us, but God is so faithful and always provides for our needs!

God is awesome and never fails! Let's see what happens this week...

And so it begins.....

Well, we finally did it. We have officially decided to adopt again. This makes our third international adoption. Mike and I are blessed with the children we have and are so excited to be adding another child to our family.

We sent in our application on Saturday to the agency and have started the homestudy process. Now I just need ideas for fundraising! If you've got any, please let me know.