We've Been Blessed Again!

I just had to tell you how we've been blessed!  We just heard from one of the grant organizations we applied at. It is Kinsman Redeemer, the Missouri based organization from our home state.  They've blessed us with a $2,000 grant!!  We are sooo thankful for their generosity and are feeling ooohhh soooo blessed!!!  Please continue to lift up the other grants that are being decided upon this month and next.  Thanks so much for agreeing with us and seeing us through this amazing adoption journey!!

We Have Dossier To China!!!

We are so excited to tell you that we received an email from our agency this morning saying they'd mailed our dossier to China!!  It will arrive there (here) in 3-4 days and then be hand delivered to CCAA.  We will then get another notice when that happens.  They also said the CCAA usually logs in dossiers within 4 weeks of their receipt and should notify them of our Log-In Date (LID) within the next 8 weeks. We have no idea when we'll "travel" to get this new daughter, but are guessing it will be late summer or early fall.  Sooner, of course, would not hurt our feelings none:)  Thanks for standing with us and seeing us through this adoption journey.  Please continue to lift up finances as we still have about 50% more to raise.  We are hoping some of these grants will come through soon, but regardless of that, know He has a plan and we are trusting him.  In the meantime, we continue to fund-raise and do all we can.  Thanks, you guys are such a blessing to us!  Celebrate this milestone with us, won't you?!!

An Update--Almost There!!

Hi everyone, we just received an email from our agency and we are getting very close to finishing the dossier.  They just informed us it has made it through critical review and they'd just received the last piece, the I-797, back from authentication I guess.  She said it is being translated and in just a FEW DAYS it will be officially sent to China.  As soon as I get that notice, I'll let you know!

In the meantime, we continue to fund-raise.  The t-shirt fund-raiser is ongoing and if you'd like one of those, please email Lindsay at lindsayadams12@me.com..  We'll also be doing an online raffle too very soon so be on the look out for that.  We are currently gathering donations for this, so if you have something you'd like to donate, please do not hesitate to email Lindsay with that item.

We are anxiously also awaiting news on some of the grants we applied for.   A couple of them we have already heard from this month.  One felt we hadn't yet raised enough funds yet and denied our application, BUT graciously put it back in for another review in April!!  The other organization didn't give a reason, BUT has also agreed to review it again next month.  We suspect it is for the same reason.  We have a $2,700 pledge and have been told it has been mailed. As soon as we receive word that it has arrived (which should be any day now), we will update the thermometer.  That will put us to the 50% mark that the first grant organization wanted to see.  I know they are trying to be good stewards of their money, like all of us are required to do.  I just imagine that they are concerned if we don't have that amount to start with, perhaps we cannot complete the adoption due to lack of finances.  Perhaps they've seen it before, I don't know, but I certainly can understand that.  Also, at that time of review, we hadn't yet had dossier to China yet, so that could be a reason why some are yet holding off.  THAT, however, is about to be remedied in the next few days!!! We are sooo pleased and blessed that they have agreed to review it again!

Please keep our situation lifted up as we continue this adoption journey!  We have ABSOLUTE faith that what He has begun in us, He will bring it to completion!!  Though we have no idea how, HE DOES and that is good enough for us!!  Bless you all for your part in seeing us through this amazing journey to get our new daughter!

Wait, Wait, and Wait Some More!!!

Just wanted to give you all a little update. Although we don't know much, I'll tell you what we do know.  I talked with our agency this week after I inquired about how much longer before the sealing process is done.  I believe they said they are waiting on the last document, the I-797, to come back from the Chinese Consulate.They told me another week or two then all our documents would be sealed.  I'm assuming then they'll be sent to China soon thereafter.

It's soooo hard to wait!!  All you who've been through an adoption can readily understand this whole waiting thing.  You wait, wait, and wait some more!!  Anyway, we will have more news soon so hang in there with us!

Also, continue to lift up these grants we've applied to.  There are 6 grant organizations in which we were eligible to apply. Most of them are reviewing our application this month.  Some of them will notify us later this month, others in April.  We are believing they will come through for us and hopefully give us enough to finish out this adoption or at least put us much closer to that goal.  In the meantime, we continue to fund-raise not wanting to or feeling it wise to put all our eggs in that basket--so to speak.

As you know, currently we are doing the t-shirt fundraiser and that is going well.  We have several people and/or small groups helping with this and it is still ongoing.  If you'd like to order for yourself or know of a small group or organization willing to help us sell, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us or Lindsay, who is heading it up there in the states.

Also, if you have an idea for another fund-raiser, please don't hesitate to let us know.  Continue to stand with us and as soon as we know more we'll put up a post!!