MUST READ

Ok...So I am literally typing this blog just as fast as I can...it is like my brain is working so fast that my fingers can't keep up.  I have never felt as strong about anything as I do at this moment so I hope you are all prepared to listen!!!  So I downloaded 2 books this morning, I know that anyone that knows me and is reading this thinks that is pretty funny because I HATE to read.  Anyway, they are both by the author Kay Bratt.  I am already almost finished with the first one and it is a book that every single person on the planet must read!!!!  The title of the book is "Silent Tears" by Kay Bratt.  I won't tell you too much because I honestly feel so serious about everyone reading and not only that but buy the kindle version and get it on your ipad, iphone or any ebook device so that you can start reading it today!!!  Here is just a little bit about the book, Kay moved to China and lived there for approximately 4 years due to her husbands job.  While she was there she was a volunteer at an orphanage there and this book is basically the journal that she kept while she was there.  It is brutally honest and raw and something that anyone from this great country couldn't possibly imagine!!!

I am more serious then ever about my fundraising for the orphans in China!!!  I have been a bit saddened by the fact that everyone isn't jumping at the opportunity to spend $20, get a shirt in return but  be helping such a great cause.  Now I am on fire!!!!  I am going to be planning many more fundraisers in the future.  Please know that we are paying for our own adoption, that is NOT what this fundraising is about.  This is about raising enough to pay the debt that the orphanage tells us that we have to pay for them having our daughter there for how ever long...and then any extra we can raise will be donated in the form of special bottles for babies with Cleft lip/cleft palate, bars of soap, diapers, formula, toys, clothing and anything else that will be used specifically for the children in the orphanage and their care!!!!

I want to say that I seriously hate to read!!!!  If you are sitting there not even considering getting this book to read because you just don't like to read I promise you will be so appalled by what is going on in this book that you won't be able to put it down.  I also challenge you to read it and consider donating in the form of a check, buying a tshirt, or participating in any other fundraiser that we will be doing such as a possible trivia night or something along those lines.  At this point we have raised a minimal amount but I hope to raise enough to make a different to the one orphanage that we will come in contact with.  Please read the book!!!  Get informed with what these poor precious helpless babies are going thru on a daily basis!!!!!  Then if God opens your heart consider a shirt for the people in your family who sleep on a mattress, in the warmth of your house, and eat meals until they are full with snacks in the middle, and take hot showers daily, and run and play with toys or even get to go outside!!!!!  Know that there are children on the other side of the world that use their fingers for entertainment or softly stroke their own arms in order to feel some sort of human loving touch.  I also want to say that not all orphanages are bad....but all orphanages are full of children who can't possibly get the kind of care that a child deserves, even if the nannies there have the best intentions.  So this isn't about bad nannies...it's about orphans!!!!  God doesn't call us all to adopt but He does call us all to help orphans!!!!  Also if you have an idea for a fundraiser please contact me.  I am willing to do what I need to because at this point this is a mission trip that hopefully I will get to go on next year and as any other mission trip that your church plans there has to be funds in order to get the supplies needed to help these sweet, innocent children!!!!!!  Also if you have a church that would want to get involved and help me sell my shirts please let me know!!!  The shirts are an easy way for someone to help and they can have something in return!!!  I would be grateful to put them for sale in a church bulletin or even if I need to make a trip there on a sunday I will be up for that too.....together we can do this!!!

BIG DECISIONS

Ok, well I have been agonizing over this decision for a little while now but it is finally made....let me take you back!!!  A few months ago I was on a walk at the state lake by my house, it wasn't out of the ordinary for me to be walking out there.  At the end of the walk as I was almost to my mail box I noticed a car drive past and I kept walking noticing that they turned around and were headed back.  Well I turned down my road and so did the car and stopped next to me.  It was a guy that had moved to Collinsville but when he lived in Nashville he went to church with us.  Anyway he asked about our adoption and said that he had a relative that was in the process of getting her second child from China and that her experience had been great and he thought she might be a good reference for us.  So I got her name and figured I probably wouldn't talk to her but it might be neat to read her story as lots of people that adopt do blogs as well.  So I did what anyone would do and facebooked her name.  Well eventually her and I began chatting on facebook.  I was immediately shocked by her adoption timeline...it was obvious that God had really designed her story as it was an unheard of timeline.  I immediately started thinking about whether I was with the right agency.  I just couldn't believe that someone could have the experience that she had.  In talking to her though I met another lady that adopted using the same agency and her story was very similar.  Just an amazing experience that you just don't usually hear about.

So I started praying about what all this means for us.  I put it on the back burner and was just going to pray about it.  Well in the mean time I had some things pop up with my social worker, things that she should have known but that I ended up teaching her.  I have never adopted before and she is a social worker in charge of adoption....she should have known this stuff.  That started to make me question the relationship with my agency as I just didn't feel right with them.  Ever since the convo with the social worker at the beginning where she basically said that maybe I should find a new agency...I just haven't felt like they were on my team...I felt more like I was walking on egg shells trying to keep them happy so that they didn't kick me out of their agency.  Well this put me into really praying about whether we were with the right agency.  So...I began asking others to pray with me.  Well I have been doing research and talking to the agency and what I really like is that basically they are a China Special Needs agency...they aren't dipping in the domestic and all of that...their heart is really for the China Special Needs children.  They go to China and have relationships with 3 orphanages where they get all the referrals from those institutes....and they also participate in the shared list.  So.....today clarity came.  I can't tell you what happened.  I can tell you that I haven't slept well in 3 days just seriously stressing over this but today it just became clear!!  I met these ladies all because it was God's plan and I really feel like we have been led to this new agency.  I am just trusting even tho it is really scary!!!  So....I will spend the next couple of weeks getting all the stuff together to change agencies.  For those wondering, we don't start over...we will basically pick up where we are however because this agency is smaller we will get more attention and should get things moving faster.  So please continue to pray for us that this is where God wants us to be.  Also pray that we are one step closer to meeting Mabry.

Waiting isn't that fun

Well there is no real news about the process as we are still waiting for the international team to approve our home study.  Our social worker said today that they must have gotten hit with a bunch at one time...ugh.  After they approve it, we will then submit it to DCFS to be approved but once approved by the international team the DCFS approval is certain, just a step that has to be done.

I tried to order Cardinal tshirts that you can personalize and have Mabry and 47 put on the back but a week later I got an email saying that they couldnt' make those because basically since Mabry is retired they can no longer use his name and number.  I then stopped by the Cardinal Store at the mall where you can buy jerseys and have a players name and number put on the back.  I explained my story to the lady at the desk and she said that even though she wasn't suppose to she would do it for me because of our story.  SO I bought all 4 jerseys before she could change her mind.  It was like Christmas to get those Jerseys!!!!  I do want to get a red cardinals jersey in a toddlers size for her and have it personalized at that same store.  The lady said that they didn't have a red one that small but if I found one she would personalize it for me.  So I will see if I can find it.  How cute would it be for us to all wear it the day she returns off the plane and for her to have one on too!!!!!  I sure hope it all works out!!!

So here we are just waiting but that is something that God is really helping me with.  I am becoming much more aware that this is just the way the process is, I cannot change it, and therefore I just have to go with the flow and things will happen when they are meant to happen!!!  I have been watching youtube videos of "gotcha days" and found a video where they went to the childs orphanage.....I will say that there will be many tears shed in China....both happy and excited tears but also tears of sadness for the ones left behind.  Definitely a very eye opening experience so far and I cannot even imagine the lessons on the horizon.  Remember that ALL the money raised from the tshirts go to the orphanage....Mabry is a lucky one that will get a loving family but there are many that remain and we want to do our part to help them.

Just a quick update!!

So just a quick update!!  I got a message via the portal from our social worker yesterday letting me know that the agency has approved our home study and now it is sent off for the international team to approve.  Once approved by the international team (she said probably about a week), then we will be on to getting our Dossier (packet) together and then we send that to China.  Now the Dossier is simple forms for the most part, much easier then the home study, just busy work because things have to be state sealed (in springfield) and also notarized.  Also you have to get new birth certificates and things because they have to be marked within 6 months.  So all of that will have to be done over.  No worries I can handle busy work!!!  So this is great news and if all goes well then in a couple weeks I will be on a mission to get my Dossier together!!!!  Once we send it to China, we will get confirmation on the day that they receive it which is known as your LID or Log in Date.  Once you have one of these then you are eligible to receive a referral!!  Getting a referral is a lot like trying to get pregnant, they do referrals once a month and if you don't get one then you wait for the next month to try again!!!  So basically it will just be a waiting game.  I will get into more detail about all of that when that time comes but right now just know that things are happening although it doesn't really seem like it!!!  Knowing that we might be a couple weeks away from starting the dossier just seems crazy to me!!!  I checked my records and we got our formal application approved on March 26 and here it is August 9 and we are only a couple weeks away from preparing for our final step before we are just waiting!!!!  God is so good. 

Thanks for following this journey and we are excited about the stuff that is yet to come...and btw...please buy a tshirt!!!!!  It is for a great cause and we would greatly appreciate it!!!!  I have Small, Med, Large, and XL in stock in my car and any other size I will be more than happy to order!!!!!!  Please get a hold of me if you are interested...they are $20