Seeds, con't

We continued to work on our paperwork for what is called "Application Part II." It is a VERY lengthy process involving bank statements, background checks, home studies, pictures of us, pictures of rooms in our house, biographies of Lyndal and I, health checks, letters of recommendation from friends, etc. Gathering and writing all of that information took a couple of months and we finally hand delivered it to our adoption agency, Dillon International, right here in Tulsa. We had to wait for approval from them before we could proceed with our dossier paperwork. After a little while they approved us! The dossier paper work began, which was similar to the App. II paperwork - a dossier is basically a picture of your family on paper. With the dossier finished we were DTC (dossier to China) with a group of families from our agency, then we waited to hear our LID (log in date - the date your count up begins) which is 12-11-06. Now we wait. Our lives were going along as normal growing three children, school, work, church. We had decided that our adopted daughter would be named Avery, her middle name would have to wait. We needed to see what her orphanage gave her as a name (they usually use the name of the orphanage director or the name of their orphanage as their last name, and their first name is something to describe their looks, hopes for that child, or personality) and whether or not we wanted that as part of her American name. So, she had a name, we called her that when we referred to her in conversation, when we thought of her. She was an actual person with a name who lived in our hearts, she existed, we were already attached . . . Then a wonderful little blessing named Carlie Grace happened to us! We were fearful of what might happen with our paperchase to bring Avery home with the addition of Carlie, but God had a plan, as He always does. Our adoption agency had us pull our dossier out of line until Carlie was a few months old, she was born Oct. 1, 2007. Dillon waited to see how everything was with this new addition then they came and did a home study update. We were now sending another letter to the China Center of Adoption Affairs to request our dossier be put back in line! It took several months to hear back. They could've done so many different things with our paperwork: not let us back in line, put us in line some time in 2008 (we would have been WAY at the bottom of the pack), put us in sometime between 12-11-06 and the current date, or leave us right where we were. THEY LEFT US RIGHT WHERE WE WERE! GOD is so good, He's in charge even in this communist country. We did not lose any ground at all, we are still LID 12-11-06! It is an amazing ride.
I know it's not finished, there's still more to tell, but it will have to wait as it unfolds. The CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) is moving extremely slow, they have matched families with a child up to LID 2-15-06. They send out referrals about every 30 days. Everyone watches to see what the next cut-off date is just holds their breath praying that they will have sent out 3 months worth of referrals rather than 10 days worth. No one knows why it is so slow now. When we first started there was a 6 month wait, now it's about 3+ years.
We KNOW God has a daughter IN CHINA for us. The pieces of this puzzle are just fitting together so perfectly so far. When I think of the possibility of switching countries there is no stirring in my heart for Vietnam or Korea or India, Russia, or Africa. She's in China and when we see her face it will all be so perfect, just like the last piece in this giant puzzle. When you hear people use the phrase "the miracle of adoption" they aren't kidding.
So, here's my plug: If you have a "something" in you that says you have another child our there somewhere, take a step in faith and see where God leads you in adoption.

I'll post more as we are ready . . .

Love,
Lori


June 2008