Preparation

As we prepare for the social worker to come this week to do our home-study, our family also prepares for another journey. Last week while making all the preparations to get the social worker here, we received some distressing news and were also making preparations for Randy to return to the states. His father has had cancer and a couple of tumors already removed and a round of chemo therapy done only to have it return again. Now the entire bladder must be removed. His father had his 80th birthday in March so having a surgery like this is concerning. Keep this situation lifted up along with the adoption process.

The Home Study Begins

The last few days we've been working with the social worker to get her here to do our home-study. She lives in Shanghai and needs to travel to Beijing to do ours, and another family's home-study. Although we don't know many other details, we have made her plane and hotel reservations to arrive on Tuesday, August 31st. She will be here a couple of days to do the study. Are we nervous? You bet!! I'm not sure why, as we've been through this a couple of times previous when we got our other 2 precious daughters, but there is just something unnerving about having a complete stranger come in and laying out your entire life. You want to make a good impression and also make sure that everything is open and honest without any misunderstandings or hidden areas. Yet, I guess that is the hardest part, it is just hard to do that with a complete stranger. It's something we are only accustomed to doing with people we've come to know over time and became close to. It's something revealed over a much longer process of time and not just a few days or some home-study sessions. Anyway, we will be glad when that part is over and we can move on to more paperwork and yes, the real prize of course--the child!! Oh, how we'd love to give a few hints or be able to reveal this wonderful, special girl!!! But.....we must wait until we get the go ahead from our agency. Oh what a day that'll be!! I know that you'll be rejoicing with us!!

Moving Along Slowly but Surely

I know it's been awhile since we posted anything on our progress. We've been waiting on our agency to send us some paperwork to begin the home-study process. Our adoption process will be a bit different than others as we will be applying for grants and fund-raising. As soon as the home-study is finished, we can then apply for grants and move a bit faster. Anyway, now that we are pre-approved and our agency's social worker has now returned back to China, we can schedule an appointment to begin this process. Of course, none of this can happen soon enough for us!! We are very anxious and just as soon move like the wind on this, but alas, we must be patient!!

The Day We've All Waited For!

Last week was quite a stressful week as twice they came back wanting more specifics and for us to produce extra paperwork!! I have to say, however, it has all paid off as we got up this morning to hear that we officially have pre-approval!!!!! I can't tell you how excited we were! I do have bad news, or not so pleasant news. Although we were told by our agency earlier that once we got pre-approval, we'd be able to name our daughter, they told us this morning that they don't yet want us to. I know it's frustrating!! But, we do want to abide by what they say, so we will not. The best news is we have pre-approval and can proceed with the adoption. As soon as we get the go ahead, we will give as many details as we can on who this new daughter is.

They've already sent us things to begin preparing for the home-study. We hope that will begin in a couple of weeks. We'll keep you posted on the process. Thanks so much for all your prayers and encouraging words while we anxiously waited for our pre-approval. Now, the second request is getting the finances to fund the adoption:) I know that He will provide--all we have to do is trust Him and follow His lead in how to go about it all!

Savoring the Journey

I feel compelled to post today as my heart is anxious from the waiting ... and waiting! 

And just in case you are anxious too, I wanted to share something that keeps coming to mind and covering over my heart like a blanket. I'm not even sure where it comes from ... but I think I have an idea because it comes in a quite hush that is deep.

It's the word. SAVOR.

I'm going to take you back to THIS post and the words to this song by Chris Tomlin. Add in the obvious "G" word in the blank:

Our ___ is greater 
Our___ is stronger
 ___  you are higher than any other ...
Our___ is healer
Awesome in power.
Our ___ ... our ___ .
And if our___ is for us
Then who could ever stop us?
And if our___ is with us
Then who could ever stand against us?

It was what I was singing and dancing to with my 2 yr. old while lifting up good thoughts about a BIGGER plan that is taking shape beyond this one family's journey. I know that my heart has a little bit of trouble at times wondering how long this is going to take. Why is this a marathon and not a 50 yard dash? What could possibly be the purpose of this?? Why? Why? Why? I feel like an antsy 4-yr. old over this!

But have you ever just felt your heart so full of hope? It's a feeling like right before you open a present ... so many good unknowns ... so much potential ... the anticipation, the love, the hope ... is bubbling over from something like that. And I am so filled with that right now ... like the top of the climb on a roller coaster. I hear the slow clink-clink-clink as the track disappears when it reaches the top of the hill and it seems that I can see forever into the distance ... it is then that I realized that I don't want to hurry the appreciation along so fast that I forget to SAVOR it. RELISH it. GRASP it.

Yes, I want to rip the paper off of this "gift" for the Rippee's and find out all the details and celebrate! But I'm reminded to slow down and just SAVOR the moment of anticipation and wonder at all that is being done that we cannot see, the hearts and minds that may be changing through the hoops and challenges this family is going through to make this girl their own. And yes, the journey is part of the gift. (See this post here for a GREAT story that I posted about last year!) It's good to be reminded of that.

So it has been laid on my heart to SAVOR this time, SAVOR all the work that has gone into the process, SAVOR the joy of anticipation that His hope brings. SAVOR that He is good. And through that, SAVOR the idea that the joy will build and the glory to Him will overflow in His time.

Yes, the journey is part of the gift. And my anxious heart will just have to learn to SAVOR these moments.

Blessings,

Valerie