On Tuesday, we made final decisions on which flights to purchase and to leave the girls home. My sister also decided to remain home to help care for the girls (bless her heart!). We were leaving on Oct 9 and returning on Oct 24. On Wednesday, I had a meeting with our SW to go over paperwork and she started the meeting by telling me she just got off the phone with the China coordinator in Grand Rapids. They were hoping we purchased adoption fares...
Apparently, Liaoning now requires families to be in province for 10 days rather than the standard 5. That means, in order to make our Consulate Appointment on Oct 22 We need to be in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province, no later than noon on Oct 10. In order to make that, we need to fly out no later than the 8th. However, there is not a flight out on the 8th that guarantees we will be in province when we need to be. Therefore, we are now leaving on Sunday, Oct 7. We will fly to Beijing, arriving about 9:30 p.m. and overnight there. We will catch a flight out the next day, the 9th, around 3:00 p.m. to Shenyang, putting us there in good time to make our deadline. We will not tour Beijing at all.
It is a wonderful thing when God shows you why he asked you to make a difficult decision you did not want to make. He has given us a reason to be thankful we chose not to bring the girls. If we had, we would have bought non-adoption fare tickets (much cheaper) that would have steep penalties for changes. My sister would have paid even more with the penalties for a trip that already was more than she expected, and she would have been gone even longer from work, and she would not have seen the part of China she was probably most looking forward to -- everything in Beijing. The girls would have missed more school.
So, what a difference in our travel plans a day has made. It is too bad that we will miss sightseeing in Beijing and meeting up with our Bethany travel group there. But, as Steve said "that's not why we are going to China." We will still get a chance to be with the group in Guangzhou. But the best part is that we will have Zach on the 10th (most likely) or the 11th (rather than the 14th/15th)! We will have him for 2 weeks while in China!
God is good. God has plans that are perfect.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
We have our TA!
Our Travel Approval arrived yesterday! Our wonderful Social Worker was exactly right with her estimates for travel. We will leave on October 9 and come home on October 24. We will be in province before noon on October 14 so we may receive Zachary that day, or on the 15th. We'll know more about that when we receive the in China travel plans. We can start packing now!
On a sad note, we have decided not to bring the girls. When we received the cost for airfare and an estimate for the in China expenses, it was going to be about $4000/5000 more than we planned on. I cried and had a hard time with the decision, but now that it has been made, I have to say that I recognize the positive aspects of traveling without the girls. It is possible that Zach may need that time alone with just Steve and me without sharing us with his sisters. We don't know how he will respond to us. I also spoke to an acquaintance who traveled to bring home her 11 year old daughter from Ethiopia. They brought along their other daughter hoping that the two would get a good start on their relationship, but it didn't turn out as they had planned, and Rachel didn't enjoy the trip which made it harder on them. I needed to hear that today, as I feel badly about the decision.
I am also looking forward to the time in Beijing with Steve. We don't have that opportunity very often and it's very possible we may not have it again for a while!
We are thrilled to have dates. We are excited to get started on the final leg of the journey to bring home our precious son. Not one part of this adoption has been the way "I" planned, but I am beyond excited at the way it is working out.
On a sad note, we have decided not to bring the girls. When we received the cost for airfare and an estimate for the in China expenses, it was going to be about $4000/5000 more than we planned on. I cried and had a hard time with the decision, but now that it has been made, I have to say that I recognize the positive aspects of traveling without the girls. It is possible that Zach may need that time alone with just Steve and me without sharing us with his sisters. We don't know how he will respond to us. I also spoke to an acquaintance who traveled to bring home her 11 year old daughter from Ethiopia. They brought along their other daughter hoping that the two would get a good start on their relationship, but it didn't turn out as they had planned, and Rachel didn't enjoy the trip which made it harder on them. I needed to hear that today, as I feel badly about the decision.
I am also looking forward to the time in Beijing with Steve. We don't have that opportunity very often and it's very possible we may not have it again for a while!
We are thrilled to have dates. We are excited to get started on the final leg of the journey to bring home our precious son. Not one part of this adoption has been the way "I" planned, but I am beyond excited at the way it is working out.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Still waiting and completing tasks
We are still waiting to hear from China when we can travel for Zach. In the meantime, the bunk bed and loft have been constructed (thanks Nic!) and painted (thanks Bernie!). Katie is now in her lower bunk bed in the same room as her sisters. YEAH! I am currently in the process of painting Zach's bedroom. We have decided on two white walls, a navy wall and a red wall. This will make it perfect for decorating in Twins motif, which is only fitting for Steve's son, after all! I don't know what our family will do if Zach does not turn out to be a baseball fan...
Next Tuesday evening, Patti, Natasha and Megan are hosting a shower in Zachary's honor at our church. It is so wonderful that they are willing to do that for us. We do need a lot in order to add a boy to our household of princesses!
Well, we hope to hear this week or next about our travel dates. So, until then, thanks for visiting!
Next Tuesday evening, Patti, Natasha and Megan are hosting a shower in Zachary's honor at our church. It is so wonderful that they are willing to do that for us. We do need a lot in order to add a boy to our household of princesses!
Well, we hope to hear this week or next about our travel dates. So, until then, thanks for visiting!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Steve's mother
We are sad to write that Steve's mother lost her heroic battle with cancer on Wednesday, August 29. We are thankful that the end came quickly and peacefully. Wayne did not have to watch her deteriorate. We are sad that she will not meet her grandson or that Zach will not have a chance to get to know his grandmother.
Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for your prayers.
Friday, August 24, 2007
We have our LOA!
Well, Steve teases me about using acronyms, but we have our LOA! I honestly don't know exactly what LOA stands for. I think it is Letter of Acceptance. But it might be Letter of Approval. I DO know it is our LOA!!!
Our Social Worker told us that we should receive our Travel Approval (TA :-) in about a month. After that, it depends on when we can get a Consulate Appointment (CA). In the second half of October, there is a trade show in Guangzhou. This is where the US Consulate is and where we finish our trip. If they can get a CA before the trade show begins, then we should travel the first two weeks of October. If not, we may not travel until the last week of October, since we start out in Beijing and the province, then go to Guangzhou the first week of November. We will just have to wait and see.
Please pray, too, for Steve's mother. She is not doing well in her fight with cancer. She now has hospice care and is getting much weaker. If it is a possibility that she may pass away during the time we are in China, Steve will stay home to be with his father and brother. I will still bring the girls and my sister as we originally planned. God has a plan for us and I trust that, whether Steve is able to travel with us or if he needs to stay home, that God's plan is perfect and for our good. It will be hard on both of us, but God will give us each the grace to get us through.
On a lighter note, I thought I would post pictures of our trip to our friend's cabin. We relaxed and swam a lot. Baylee never stopped moving until the night before we left. If there was a ball nearby, she wanted it thrown into the water for her to retrieve it. Non-stop!
Our Social Worker told us that we should receive our Travel Approval (TA :-) in about a month. After that, it depends on when we can get a Consulate Appointment (CA). In the second half of October, there is a trade show in Guangzhou. This is where the US Consulate is and where we finish our trip. If they can get a CA before the trade show begins, then we should travel the first two weeks of October. If not, we may not travel until the last week of October, since we start out in Beijing and the province, then go to Guangzhou the first week of November. We will just have to wait and see.
Please pray, too, for Steve's mother. She is not doing well in her fight with cancer. She now has hospice care and is getting much weaker. If it is a possibility that she may pass away during the time we are in China, Steve will stay home to be with his father and brother. I will still bring the girls and my sister as we originally planned. God has a plan for us and I trust that, whether Steve is able to travel with us or if he needs to stay home, that God's plan is perfect and for our good. It will be hard on both of us, but God will give us each the grace to get us through.
On a lighter note, I thought I would post pictures of our trip to our friend's cabin. We relaxed and swam a lot. Baylee never stopped moving until the night before we left. If there was a ball nearby, she wanted it thrown into the water for her to retrieve it. Non-stop!
Monday, August 6, 2007
So much happening!
There is really so much going on lately, I don't even know where to start. I finished painting the girls' bedroom. The girls did help (Madeline had a blue paint roller, Eliza a pink and Katie had a paint brush). I figured it didn't have to be perfect and it is their room! They really did a nice job and I finished much more quickly with their help. It really does look great -- Blue walls, pink walls and fushia/red walls and shelf. Lots of color and lots of fun!
Also, we found out on July 26 and confirmed with our SW on the 27th that the cost for a visa to travel to China was doubling (from $50 to $100) on August 1! I asked if there was any way to apply now to save our travel group $300, and thankfully we were able to. Apparently, they are good for either 3 or 6 months and China will automatically issue a 6 month visa if your trip is planned beyond 3 months. We are confident that we will be back by the end of January, so we are grateful that we were able to find out about in time to save so much. And, it is one more piece of the trip already taken care of.
On a more disappointing note, we found out through a yahoo group established for families of children from the Dalian SWI that Zach's "Liaoning School for the Foundling" is actually a boarding school for about 600 kids located about 7 hours away from the orphanage. It doesn't seem like there is much of a summer break or time to spend back with the foster family either. This really just makes it another orphanage. We are sad to learn this, but are glad that we know. We can pray more specifically for Zach and hope that we can bring him home quickly. It also makes it more difficult to figure out how to send him a package. We don't know where to send it. If he is at the school 7 hours away, it doesn't make sense to send it to the orphanage. I don't know if we can send things directly to the school and, even if we do, will someone there have the time to go over the album with him? I am trying to work all this out. We want to send him something, but if it doesn't get to him it's not worth the time and effort.
We also received answers to some questions we asked about Zach to help prepare for his homecoming. We wanted to know things like "What are his favorite toys or activities" and "What are his favorite foods." The answers we received were "he's not a picky eater" (can any child in an orphanage be?), and "he likes typical boy toys, like balls." I am sure no one asked Zach the questions, they just answered for him, which wasn't really the point. Oh well, we will just have to wait until we have him to ask him ourselves!
We had a great time at our friend's cabin last week, Baylee especially! For her, it was non-stop ball chasing in the water, on shore, chasing chipmunks, visiting friends, etc. We humans had a relaxing time!
Also, we found out on July 26 and confirmed with our SW on the 27th that the cost for a visa to travel to China was doubling (from $50 to $100) on August 1! I asked if there was any way to apply now to save our travel group $300, and thankfully we were able to. Apparently, they are good for either 3 or 6 months and China will automatically issue a 6 month visa if your trip is planned beyond 3 months. We are confident that we will be back by the end of January, so we are grateful that we were able to find out about in time to save so much. And, it is one more piece of the trip already taken care of.
On a more disappointing note, we found out through a yahoo group established for families of children from the Dalian SWI that Zach's "Liaoning School for the Foundling" is actually a boarding school for about 600 kids located about 7 hours away from the orphanage. It doesn't seem like there is much of a summer break or time to spend back with the foster family either. This really just makes it another orphanage. We are sad to learn this, but are glad that we know. We can pray more specifically for Zach and hope that we can bring him home quickly. It also makes it more difficult to figure out how to send him a package. We don't know where to send it. If he is at the school 7 hours away, it doesn't make sense to send it to the orphanage. I don't know if we can send things directly to the school and, even if we do, will someone there have the time to go over the album with him? I am trying to work all this out. We want to send him something, but if it doesn't get to him it's not worth the time and effort.
We also received answers to some questions we asked about Zach to help prepare for his homecoming. We wanted to know things like "What are his favorite toys or activities" and "What are his favorite foods." The answers we received were "he's not a picky eater" (can any child in an orphanage be?), and "he likes typical boy toys, like balls." I am sure no one asked Zach the questions, they just answered for him, which wasn't really the point. Oh well, we will just have to wait until we have him to ask him ourselves!
We had a great time at our friend's cabin last week, Baylee especially! For her, it was non-stop ball chasing in the water, on shore, chasing chipmunks, visiting friends, etc. We humans had a relaxing time!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
God is Good!
As I think about our journey to Zachary, I am amazed at how we arrived at this point. We had requested an older girl and toddler aged boys. We were almost expecting to receive a referral for an infant. But, God had His plan for our family so beautifully mapped out and used those disappointments to get us to Zachary. Through the different stages of our journey, we had prepared ourselves for an older child and a boy. Now we know who he is!
We recognize the challenges of adopting an older child. We know that we have some difficult times ahead. But we also know that we have some incredibly wonderful times ahead! God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. And we love Him! Therefore, He made these plans for us and Zach for our good! We know that Zachary has been planned by God to be the perfect addition to our family, regardless of the inability to communicate, at first. Regardless of the struggles he may have because of his institutionalization. We know that we are the family Zach was supposed to be in, regardless of where he was born. He was meant to be here, with us, as our son and brother. We joyfully look forward to his homecoming.
We are thankful for family and friends who are rejoicing with us as we look forward to this new chapter in our lives. We are thankful for the fact that our local elementary school has an ESL teacher that speaks Mandarin Chinese (whose husband said of his wife and Zach "they are going to get along famously!"). We are thankful for the existence of a Bible based church in Edina that holds services in Mandarin each Sunday, where Zach can hopefully keep his Chinese language skills fine tuned, as well as learn about our precious Savior in a language he understands.
We are praising God for being with us on this next step of the journey He called us on two years ago.
We recognize the challenges of adopting an older child. We know that we have some difficult times ahead. But we also know that we have some incredibly wonderful times ahead! God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. And we love Him! Therefore, He made these plans for us and Zach for our good! We know that Zachary has been planned by God to be the perfect addition to our family, regardless of the inability to communicate, at first. Regardless of the struggles he may have because of his institutionalization. We know that we are the family Zach was supposed to be in, regardless of where he was born. He was meant to be here, with us, as our son and brother. We joyfully look forward to his homecoming.
We are thankful for family and friends who are rejoicing with us as we look forward to this new chapter in our lives. We are thankful for the fact that our local elementary school has an ESL teacher that speaks Mandarin Chinese (whose husband said of his wife and Zach "they are going to get along famously!"). We are thankful for the existence of a Bible based church in Edina that holds services in Mandarin each Sunday, where Zach can hopefully keep his Chinese language skills fine tuned, as well as learn about our precious Savior in a language he understands.
We are praising God for being with us on this next step of the journey He called us on two years ago.
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