Tuesday, January 18, 2011
forgot to add...
I got distracted talking about SCC and forgot to mention the other amazing thing about the grant. It was dated Jan. 4th, the day Rod's mom passed away, unbelievable! It made me cry. Through that God tells me that He sits on His throne and is in control of every detail. One of the hardest things we have to deal with is that she did not get to meet Caleb, and for God to give us this blessing on the day she went to be with Him...I don't know how Caleb will NOT be able to believe in our awesome God.
Humbled and blessed
We did get our I-800 letter on Friday. Now we are waiting for our "visa letter" which is our government saying they will issue Caleb's visa to get into this country. Please pray with us that it comes by this Thursday as I found out our SW will be out of town all next week. So if it comes Friday or later, it will sit for a week. We REALLY want our papers to get to China BEFORE Chinese New Year on Feb. 3rd.
Our SW also had very good news for us today. We have applied for a couple of grants but had not received any yet. One we applied for is through Show Hope. It is an organization close to my heart as I have loved Steven Curtis Chapman since I was in Jr. High. When they adopted their first daughter, it got me thinking about adoption.
We had the pleasure of seeing him in concert with our kids while we lived in KS. He had his 3 youngest daughters come on stage with him. This was in the Fall before his youngest daughter passed away.
Anyway...I applied for a grant through their adoption organization Show Hope. I did not expect to get a grant as I know they are only awarded to people with greatest needs or the child they are adopting has lots of medical needs. So I was totally shocked and humbles when our SW told me we had received a grant from them. Unbelievable! I am so amazed and have been this whole journey at how God has provided for us in steps, each step of the way. We have "sacrificed" and worked hard at some fundraisers, but God has always provided above and beyond our efforts.
Love Chris Tomlin's new cd, got it for Christmas. Really love the song "I Will Follow" especially in regards to our adoption.
"Where you go, I'll go, where you stay, I'll stay, when you move, I'll move, I will follow. All your ways are good, all your ways are pure. I will trust in You alone. Higher than my sight, high above my life, I will trust in You alone...
How You serve, I'll serve, if this life I lose, I will follow You. Light unto the world, light unto my life, I will live for you alone. You're the one I seek, knowing I shall find, all I need in You alone, in You alone."
Our SW also had very good news for us today. We have applied for a couple of grants but had not received any yet. One we applied for is through Show Hope. It is an organization close to my heart as I have loved Steven Curtis Chapman since I was in Jr. High. When they adopted their first daughter, it got me thinking about adoption.
We had the pleasure of seeing him in concert with our kids while we lived in KS. He had his 3 youngest daughters come on stage with him. This was in the Fall before his youngest daughter passed away.
Anyway...I applied for a grant through their adoption organization Show Hope. I did not expect to get a grant as I know they are only awarded to people with greatest needs or the child they are adopting has lots of medical needs. So I was totally shocked and humbles when our SW told me we had received a grant from them. Unbelievable! I am so amazed and have been this whole journey at how God has provided for us in steps, each step of the way. We have "sacrificed" and worked hard at some fundraisers, but God has always provided above and beyond our efforts.
Love Chris Tomlin's new cd, got it for Christmas. Really love the song "I Will Follow" especially in regards to our adoption.
"Where you go, I'll go, where you stay, I'll stay, when you move, I'll move, I will follow. All your ways are good, all your ways are pure. I will trust in You alone. Higher than my sight, high above my life, I will trust in You alone...
How You serve, I'll serve, if this life I lose, I will follow You. Light unto the world, light unto my life, I will live for you alone. You're the one I seek, knowing I shall find, all I need in You alone, in You alone."
Thursday, January 13, 2011
one step forward, two steps back
Just talked to our SW and I guess we found out about our I-800 early because she talked to an officer. So still have to wait for the mail, bummer! It feels like again the Dr. saying, oops its going to be another month longer than I thought.
So still hoping for March, but she said probably April.
But I want to go in March! It was feeling so close, or closer, and now it is feeling long again...
So still hoping for March, but she said probably April.
But I want to go in March! It was feeling so close, or closer, and now it is feeling long again...
Donations
In the midst of everything I forgot to post on here about a way you can make a tax-deductible donation towards our adoption costs. James 1:27 that we are to look after widows and orphans in their distress. It doesn't say if you are "called". Not everyone is "called" to adopt, but everyone is supposed to care for the orphan is some way. Pray about how God wants you to get involved in orphan care. That is my biggest heart's desire is for more orphans to be cared for, not that you give us money, God will provide what we need.
You can go to www.thearcofhope.org which is a non-profit organization that is doing great work in caring for orphans. You can make a check out to Cadman Foundation. Please DO NOT write our names in the memo, but send a little note saying you want your donation to go to our account. The address is ARC of Hope PO Box 71201 Rochester, MI 48307 Your gift is tax-deductible. Thank you for partnering with us!
You can go to www.thearcofhope.org which is a non-profit organization that is doing great work in caring for orphans. You can make a check out to Cadman Foundation. Please DO NOT write our names in the memo, but send a little note saying you want your donation to go to our account. The address is ARC of Hope PO Box 71201 Rochester, MI 48307 Your gift is tax-deductible. Thank you for partnering with us!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
FINALLY, good news!
Ok, so I've been needing to/wanting to blog since before Christmas. But lots was going on and I was trying to work on projects during our break as I am a busy homeschooling mom.
Our I-800 paperwork did not get sent off until Dec. 21st. That was frustrating! Its like going 3 weeks over your due date and then the Dr. telling you, well you have 3 more months to go. It was really hard! We also had to pay more money because Caleb is and would be above 18 mos. when he comes home and our original paperwork said 0-18 mos. After Christmas we got notice that our paperwork was in process, so I prayed we would have I-800 (US gov. immigration approval) approval no later than the end of Jan.
Then life changes. My mother-in-law had been in the hospital in Nov. for a lung infection that she had had for over a year in 2009, and now was back. She was getting antibiotics at home, but wasn't improving really at all. She went back into the hospital on Dec. 23rd. On Christmas Eve she went into ICU. It didn't look real good, but we still thought she would get at least a little better. We never got to talk to her again as she was intubated and sedated. She really got worse on Jan. 2nd/3rd, then went home to be with Jesus on Jan. 4th. It was a very rough week last week. It is still hard, but trying to keep on going with life.
Monday we get this packet in the mail from US immigration, I was only expecting a letter but still hoped it was good news. Nope. Part of our paperwork had been returned because we paid them too much. Why do they have to send the whole thing back? I thought I might have a nervous breakdown at that point. I just needed some good news with everything that had been going on.
The next day our SW had been able to talk to our immigration officer and found out that part of our paperwork ( the more important part) had been approved and would be on its way to China! YAY! FINALLY some good news. Then we wrote another check for the correct amt. and sent the other paperwork back. So now its another 6-8 weeks to get our paperwork processed in China. But the country will be shut down for awhile for Chinese New Year, 1-2 weeks I think. So our payer now is that our paperwork will get really far before Chinese New Year and that we will travel no later than the beginning to middle of March.
In some ways 8 weeks seems like an eternity and on the other hand, oh my, only 8 weeks, I have so much to do!
Thank you for your continued prayers!
Our I-800 paperwork did not get sent off until Dec. 21st. That was frustrating! Its like going 3 weeks over your due date and then the Dr. telling you, well you have 3 more months to go. It was really hard! We also had to pay more money because Caleb is and would be above 18 mos. when he comes home and our original paperwork said 0-18 mos. After Christmas we got notice that our paperwork was in process, so I prayed we would have I-800 (US gov. immigration approval) approval no later than the end of Jan.
Then life changes. My mother-in-law had been in the hospital in Nov. for a lung infection that she had had for over a year in 2009, and now was back. She was getting antibiotics at home, but wasn't improving really at all. She went back into the hospital on Dec. 23rd. On Christmas Eve she went into ICU. It didn't look real good, but we still thought she would get at least a little better. We never got to talk to her again as she was intubated and sedated. She really got worse on Jan. 2nd/3rd, then went home to be with Jesus on Jan. 4th. It was a very rough week last week. It is still hard, but trying to keep on going with life.
Monday we get this packet in the mail from US immigration, I was only expecting a letter but still hoped it was good news. Nope. Part of our paperwork had been returned because we paid them too much. Why do they have to send the whole thing back? I thought I might have a nervous breakdown at that point. I just needed some good news with everything that had been going on.
The next day our SW had been able to talk to our immigration officer and found out that part of our paperwork ( the more important part) had been approved and would be on its way to China! YAY! FINALLY some good news. Then we wrote another check for the correct amt. and sent the other paperwork back. So now its another 6-8 weeks to get our paperwork processed in China. But the country will be shut down for awhile for Chinese New Year, 1-2 weeks I think. So our payer now is that our paperwork will get really far before Chinese New Year and that we will travel no later than the beginning to middle of March.
In some ways 8 weeks seems like an eternity and on the other hand, oh my, only 8 weeks, I have so much to do!
Thank you for your continued prayers!
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