God's timing...

I was fully expecting to update our blog today saying that we had been issued our Article 5, and we're just waiting for our travel approval from China in order to go and get our daughter. BUT, instead I've spent the several hours calling our agency, the National Benefits center, the National Visa center,  USCIS (Homeland Security,) back to the NBC, who is currently, supposedly, calling the NVC again on our behalf. Apparently two imperative pieces of our paperwork did not make it to China. One made it, but was so garbled and blurry it could not be read, the other just plain is not in the file. Without them our article 5 will not be issued. The article 5 is the piece of paperwork that will allow us to adopt Annabella, so without it there is no trip, and no adoption. Now I'm not a doomsday person, I do believe that we will get our Article 5, but it is so hard to see that two weeks have passed now and we thought each day that we would get it, just to find out today that there was never any hope. Each agency says the other agency is responsible, when I honestly don't care. I just want ONE of them to resend these TWO little pieces of paper via email. Sounds easy right?!? Nothing comes easy in adoption paperwork, nothing.

In addition to all of our paperwork issues, we have had very lackluster results from our fundraising, and financially we are struggling so much that I honestly don't know where we will find the money until the next paycheck for the groceries we need. Being able to eat with my parents has helped, and the boys being away for a few days at camp has helped, but we are running on empty around here on things the kids will eat. And being determined not to put ourselves into further debt by using our credit cards, we will continue to push on, asking God to continue providing for us, as He has been faithful in doing thus far.

Since all this "bad" has been getting me down today, I prayed for God to give me some "good" to support me while I wait for His perfect timing. He never fails to deliver and he sent me thoughts of what all I have to be grateful for. I thought I'd share a bit of this grateful with you!
#1. I am grateful for my friend Carrie. She was the very first person to order a t-shirt from our fundraiser, has posted the link several times on her Facebook wall, and has prayed for and encouraged us countless time throughout this entire process. here is a copy of her Facebook profile picture.

How awesome of an advertisement is that?!?

#2. I am grateful for the people who have never even met us, but have purchased shirts to help us out, and those who have shared our links with others and encouraged them to help our cause. Facebook friend Cathy Robinson (who was the second person to purchase a shirt from us,) and fellow NSC member Krystal Riner are just two examples of these people.
#3. I am grateful for being assigned what we've been told is the best caseworker in the USCIS, Gretchen Downey. She has assisted us so tremendously in straightening out several paperwork snafus, and I'm having faith that she will be the person who will be the voice for us in the current issue as well, that will get this one done!
#4. I am grateful for my lifelong best friend, Katie Bouchillon, who listens to me ramble, scream, and cry, every time we have a problem, and rejoices with me every time we advance in our adoption journey, and who has done the same my entire life. Few people are blessed with what we have in friendship.
#5. I am thankful for my friends Amy Tackett and Roxi Phillips who have given us encouragement in ways I don't think that they even realize has meant the world to us.
#6. I am grateful for the myriad of adoptive families who have offer us advice, and support. Without them I believe we would be like a {blind man riding a bike through the New York traffic during rush hour in a rain storm}  in terms of trying to navigate all of the aspects of International adoption! They have been a rock of support, and a wealth of knowledge. Those families we've met who are attempting their first adoption as we are, have been such a blessing to us, in allowing us to share blogs, ideas, and stories, and I hope we've blessed them as much as they've blessed us through this journey.

There are so many other people who have blessed us, and offered support, and encouragement. So many people who really seem to "get" what we are going through. This adoption was not a choice WE made, but one GOD made for us. Trust me, we were a happy family with three kids, and had no plans to have any more, but He had another thing in store for us! This journey is one He set us on, and we have done nothing but followed His commands with faith. There are days I am absolutely terrified of bringing a toddler into our family, days I wonder how a girl will fit in with all these boys. There are days I walk by the toddler toys in the yard we have either been gifted or have gotten second hand for her, and been reduced to tears because they sit, unplayed with. There was even a night I sat in her closet looking at her clothes and diapers and cried myself literally to sleep on the rug in her room, longing for her to be in my arms. But God has reassured me every time, He has sent people into our lives who have supported us, He has given us the strength of an ox to get through the tough times. In this, I will continue to have faith in Him and His timing and I will continue to patiently wait for everything to come together as only He can make it.


"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14 NIV

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27 NIV

***I actually wrote this earlier today, though I added this scripture tonight. Apparently the post didn't go through but I decided to just re post it "as is" tonight with this little update. We later spoke with our USCIS officer, who told us she had personally forwarded the missing and garbled documents to the consulate in China. Hopefully we will be able to get our Article 5 next week. We will be in prayer about what to do next if this doesn't solve our paperwork dilemma, and ask that you will join us in praying for the delivery of all our documents to the Chinese embassy, and a speedy processing of our Article 5 and TA paperwork. Thank you and God bless each of you for your love and support, we see God's hands working through each of you!