On Friday our dossier left the United States bound for China. What is a dossier? The dossier is documents that make up our life story. It includes our homestudy, medical forms, background checks, employment letters, letter of introduction, pictures, etc....
Our dossier will arrive in China either Tuesday or Wednesday. The next step is LID (Log in Date). That is when our documents are officially received and we can accept a referral of a child. What is a referral? The person that works for our agency in China will take the list of special needs we are willing to accept and matches a child to us/us to a child. When does that happen? We are praying that we will receive a referral when the list comes out around the 20th of April. A new list of children is released every month. The size of the list is different each month. It all depends on how many children's paperwork are completed by the orphanage directors and submitted. The list that came out in March was very small, so we are praying for a big list in April.
Once we accept a referral we send in a Letter of Intent, that we want to adopt that child. We then wait for Pre-approval, which comes within a few days. Then we wait for our Letter of Approval which is then followed by Travel Approval. Between the time we receive our Letter of Approval and Travel Approval we have various other steps to do (getting immigration approval for our particular child) and apply for Visa's. So, when I said we sit and wait in an earlier post... our sit was for a few minutes, but we will be staying pretty busy.
For those that have read our blog from the start, you will see that we have faced a number of bumps in the road. While some might question why (I can be counted in that), I know that those bumps were all part of God's plan so that we can receive a referral from the very child that God has for us.
So that is the latest and greatest! Our kids continue to pray for their baby sister and sometimes argue on her name! They are reminded that mommy and daddy will be the decision makers on the name she will have.
How can you help? The biggest thing is pray! 1st of all pray for our precious child as she waits for us. We also ask that you pray for the funds that we need to come in. We have and are applying for adoption grants. We are also doing an adoption garage sale and I continue to make and sell hair clips!
That's it for tonight! More updates will come as we get them!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
New Set of Hair Clips!
Bright Pink and White #101-SOLD
Brown and White #102
Brown and Purple #103 SOLD
Red and White #104
White and Red #105
Brown and Pink #106 SOLD
Green and White #107
Green and White #108 SOLD
White, Pink with White Dots #109 SOLD
Bright Pink and White #110 SOLD
Pink with White Dots and White #111 SOLD
White and Red #112
White with Pink and White dots #113 SOLD
White and Bright Pink #114 SOLD
White with Green Center #115 SOLD
Bright Pink with White and Lavender #116 SOLD
White and Magenta #117 SOLD
White and Red with Black/White Center #118Remember that they are $5.00 each or Buy Three and get One FREE!
What is our daughter's name?
Several have asked what our daughter's name is. Well... we all have our own convictions on what our precious baby girls name will be. For years our girls name was Chloe Grace. While I love the name, I am not sure we will use it. Alexander votes for Faith, because we have faith that God is taking care of her while we are waiting to go get her. Zachary puts in his vote for Natalie, because it sounds like Matalie (his good preschool friend from church). Sam has not voiced his choice yet... but I am sure he would agree with mommy. Jeff's vote is for Natalie and my voice is for Sydney. So we are waiting until we see her and hear her given name. We want to use part of her given name in the name we give her.... so what will sound good? Who knows!
Middle names? She might have 2 middle names. An American name (Faith, Hope, Grace (my great grandma's name))-- are at the top of the list. Then her Chinese name or a form of her Chinese name.
So there you have it! All such great options and now we wait to see her, hear her Chinese name and then decide. What are your thoughts? Share them ... but don't be sad if we don't use them!
Blessings to you all!
Middle names? She might have 2 middle names. An American name (Faith, Hope, Grace (my great grandma's name))-- are at the top of the list. Then her Chinese name or a form of her Chinese name.
So there you have it! All such great options and now we wait to see her, hear her Chinese name and then decide. What are your thoughts? Share them ... but don't be sad if we don't use them!
Blessings to you all!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
I am beginning to wonder!
I know that while I was pregnant I often thought about what my kids would look like! How big would they be? Would they have hair? What color of eyes would they have? Would they be laid back or high strung? Would they favor mom or dad? Would they be a good sleeper? Eatter?
My thought for our precious baby girl are somewhat different! I know that she will certainly not have blonde hair like her brothers! Her eyes will likely be dark! The other answers, I will not know. Your see, our precious baby was given up by her parents, maybe because she had a health issue that they didn't feel like they could face. Maybe she was the result of an unplanned pregnancy, and the parents had no other choice but to give her up? Maybe because she was a second child and there is a one child law in China.
I think of her a wonder if she is in an orphanage or a foster home! Does she feel loved? Is she hungry? Is she cold? Too hot? Is she happy or sad? What special physical needs does she have? Is she sick? Does she get to go outside? How many hours each day is she able to play? Does someone hold her when she cries? Does she smile?
While we wait to go get her, I can only pray! Pray that she has what she needs and that she is loved! I also truely cling to the following Bible passage.
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,
It is no surprise to God that our baby girl would be orphaned! God knew when she was formed that she would need a new mommy and daddy. He knew that Jeff and I would be her mommy and daddy!
My thoughts then go to her parents! Were their hearts breaking as they left her? Do they think of her and regret the decision they made to give her up? Do they miss her? I am certain I will not know the answers to those questions. While I will likely never know anything about her parents, I know that my heavenly father knows their every thought and feeling! I pray that God gives them an extra measure of love and that somehow, someday they will know the peace that only God can give.
This brings to my heart this great Bible Scripture!
My thought for our precious baby girl are somewhat different! I know that she will certainly not have blonde hair like her brothers! Her eyes will likely be dark! The other answers, I will not know. Your see, our precious baby was given up by her parents, maybe because she had a health issue that they didn't feel like they could face. Maybe she was the result of an unplanned pregnancy, and the parents had no other choice but to give her up? Maybe because she was a second child and there is a one child law in China.
I think of her a wonder if she is in an orphanage or a foster home! Does she feel loved? Is she hungry? Is she cold? Too hot? Is she happy or sad? What special physical needs does she have? Is she sick? Does she get to go outside? How many hours each day is she able to play? Does someone hold her when she cries? Does she smile?
While we wait to go get her, I can only pray! Pray that she has what she needs and that she is loved! I also truely cling to the following Bible passage.
Jeremiah 1:5
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;"
It is no surprise to God that our baby girl would be orphaned! God knew when she was formed that she would need a new mommy and daddy. He knew that Jeff and I would be her mommy and daddy!My thoughts then go to her parents! Were their hearts breaking as they left her? Do they think of her and regret the decision they made to give her up? Do they miss her? I am certain I will not know the answers to those questions. While I will likely never know anything about her parents, I know that my heavenly father knows their every thought and feeling! I pray that God gives them an extra measure of love and that somehow, someday they will know the peace that only God can give.
This brings to my heart this great Bible Scripture!
Ephesians 3:16-20
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.
As we wait to go get our precious baby, I pray for her! I pray for her caregivers, and I pray that I am prepared to love her just as I love my other 3 children! Oh, the sweet sweet love of Jesus! He is my sustainer!Friday, March 18, 2011
We sit back and wait now!
A lot has happened since my last post. On Thursday, March 3rd I received a call from the Chinese Embassy in DC that said that they had denied our documents because the "staples" that the Department of State used were not securely fastened! She had to send them back to us. Keep in mind that our documents were sent to the Dept of State on January 7th. They forwarded them to the Embassy for us. That was nearly 2 months and I didn't want to wait for 2 more months to get our documents back, so I sent them to an adoption courier service to take care of for me. They did great and were fast. Of course that was after spending $155 for the courier service and Fed Ex in two directions.
All of our dossier documents were delivered to our agency on March 15th, we sent to our parent agency on March 17th and will head to China on March 25th!
Now we sit back and wait for a referral. We pray that our daughter will be on the April list of children.
In the mean time, I am busy filling out more grant applications.
People have asked about her name. We have a few favorites but we are waiting to see what her Chinese name is so we can incoorperate her Chinese name her middle name!
That's it for now! Please take 15 seconds to pray for our daughter.
All of our dossier documents were delivered to our agency on March 15th, we sent to our parent agency on March 17th and will head to China on March 25th!
Now we sit back and wait for a referral. We pray that our daughter will be on the April list of children.
In the mean time, I am busy filling out more grant applications.
People have asked about her name. We have a few favorites but we are waiting to see what her Chinese name is so we can incoorperate her Chinese name her middle name!
That's it for now! Please take 15 seconds to pray for our daughter.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Hair Clips!
I have and will be creating more hair clips and lapel pins to sell. These flowers are made from felt. 100% of the proceeds will go to our adoption fund. Each picture is numbered, so please email me at jennifer-stone@sbcglobal.net or tell me in your paypal payment which number you are ordering. You may use the drop down menu to select the number of clips you wish to purchase. They are $5.00 each, but remember that when you Buy 3, you get 1 FREE! If you see a particular style that you like that is sold, please let me know and I will do what I can to make another one for you. Thank you for helping us bring our daughter home!
#1 SOLD
#2 SOLD
#3 SOLD
#4 SOLD
#5 SOLD
#6 SOLD
#7 White with Orange
#8 White with Pink
#9 SOLD
#10 SOLD
#11 SOLD
#12 SOLD
#13 Red and White
#14 SOLD
#15 SOLD
#16 SOLD
#17 SOLD
#18 SOLD
#19 SOLD
#20 SOLD
#21 SOLD
#22 SOLD
#1 SOLD
#2 SOLD
#3 SOLD
#4 SOLD
#5 SOLD
#6 SOLD
#7 White with Orange
#8 White with Pink
#9 SOLD
#10 SOLD
#11 SOLD
#12 SOLD
#13 Red and White
#14 SOLD
#15 SOLD
#16 SOLD
#17 SOLD
#18 SOLD
#19 SOLD
#20 SOLD
#21 SOLD
#22 SOLDWednesday, March 2, 2011
Do you trust me?
Do you trust me? That is what I felt in my heart that God was saying to me yesterday. Do you trust me? I know that an earlier post has a similar title, and subject, but I guess I just don't have it down yet... so God brings it before me once again!
We got word on Friday afternoon that we had been given immigration approval! OH HAPPY DAY! Our officier told me that we would receive our letter in the mail on Monday or Tuesday. That worked for me and the timing was just perfect to get all our documents to the Courier service that is taking them to the Consulate to be authenticated. You see, on Tuesday of next week our Official copy of our marriage certificate will be 6 months old. They won't take them if they are 6 months old. Of course we could have gotten a new copy of our marriage license, but that costs more money. MY plan was to get everything to the courier for her to take them on Thursday (tomorrow) and have a few days to spare (She only goes to the Consulate on Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays). I am a planner... and I like to be ahead of schedule. As you can tell from my previous posts MY plan has not worked all that great and EVERYTHING has worked out in God's timing!!!!
Jesus says, Do you trust me? Well, sometimes! Do you trust me? When it works on my time table! Do you trust me? I am trying!!! So, as part of my plan I stopped delivery of our mail (which never comes at the same time) so that I could pick it up at the post office in the morning. Monday... junk mail! Tuesday.... bills and more junk mail... and no approval letter STILL! MY plan was not working! Our documents could not get to the courier for her to take them on Thursday, like I planned!
Today (Wednesday) rolls around, I went to the post office and our approval letter was there! Glory!!! I was so excited to see that piece of paper that we had waited 2 months to receive! Just in the nick of time to get it notorized, certified and sent to the courier for her to take to the consulate on Monday... the DAY BEFORE our marriage certificate would not be accepted! God came through, just as He always does.
Dear friends, this journey of adoption is far more then our efforts to go across the world to get a daughter. This journey is of God teaching me to trust Him!
Proverbs 28:26 says: "He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walked in wisdom is kept safe."
Wow, pretty powerful! How foolish am I to trust in my plan. When I walk daily believing that God is going to walk before me, I am wise! I need to work on that one! But that brings me to one of my favorite passages of the Bible.
I know that I have posted it before, but I need a reminder of it time and time again!
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight!"
God's ways are far better then mine! I pray that soon I can say yes Lord, when he says to me DO YOU TRUST ME?
We got word on Friday afternoon that we had been given immigration approval! OH HAPPY DAY! Our officier told me that we would receive our letter in the mail on Monday or Tuesday. That worked for me and the timing was just perfect to get all our documents to the Courier service that is taking them to the Consulate to be authenticated. You see, on Tuesday of next week our Official copy of our marriage certificate will be 6 months old. They won't take them if they are 6 months old. Of course we could have gotten a new copy of our marriage license, but that costs more money. MY plan was to get everything to the courier for her to take them on Thursday (tomorrow) and have a few days to spare (She only goes to the Consulate on Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays). I am a planner... and I like to be ahead of schedule. As you can tell from my previous posts MY plan has not worked all that great and EVERYTHING has worked out in God's timing!!!!
Jesus says, Do you trust me? Well, sometimes! Do you trust me? When it works on my time table! Do you trust me? I am trying!!! So, as part of my plan I stopped delivery of our mail (which never comes at the same time) so that I could pick it up at the post office in the morning. Monday... junk mail! Tuesday.... bills and more junk mail... and no approval letter STILL! MY plan was not working! Our documents could not get to the courier for her to take them on Thursday, like I planned!
Today (Wednesday) rolls around, I went to the post office and our approval letter was there! Glory!!! I was so excited to see that piece of paper that we had waited 2 months to receive! Just in the nick of time to get it notorized, certified and sent to the courier for her to take to the consulate on Monday... the DAY BEFORE our marriage certificate would not be accepted! God came through, just as He always does.
Dear friends, this journey of adoption is far more then our efforts to go across the world to get a daughter. This journey is of God teaching me to trust Him!
Proverbs 28:26 says: "He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walked in wisdom is kept safe."
Wow, pretty powerful! How foolish am I to trust in my plan. When I walk daily believing that God is going to walk before me, I am wise! I need to work on that one! But that brings me to one of my favorite passages of the Bible.
I know that I have posted it before, but I need a reminder of it time and time again!
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight!"
God's ways are far better then mine! I pray that soon I can say yes Lord, when he says to me DO YOU TRUST ME?
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