Getting close..

We are 23 days away from leaving for China!! Aaaahhh!!! I can hardly believe it!! I have one more curtain to make and Naomi's room will be all ready. It is pretty cute. :)

We are waiting on several other things too. One being our travel documents - the things we present to each official in the different cities to make show that we have done what we were supposed to do. The other is raise some more money. We haven't received our final, exact wire amount just yet, but we have been told to expect it to be between $10,500-11,500. I have added up what we have in each pot and we have just over $7000! Yay!! Our Both Hands project is at the end of the month, but I emailed the book keeper  to see where we are at so far. She is super back logged on her email, so not sure when we will hear back.. Hopefully, our pot will grow as we wait! 

In the meantime, I have been helping my BFF with her yard sale prep and attempting to create some other fun crafty things to sell to for her and other adopting friends. This is the fun stuff. :)

It is crazy how we have had enough to pay each item as we have moved forward. The Lord has truly paid our way in this adoption! We have had money when we needed it and never a moment before. I expect this to happen again - He will provide. Of course, it totally makes me nervous as all get out, but I am choosing to trust in Him. I don't have enough stuff to sell to raise the balance, real quick. 

If you read this, please pray with me for provision, trust and peace!  

Pains..

There are several of my close friends that are at various points in the adoption process alongside eman and me. I am so thankful for each of these women. Let me tell you, this process is HARD - the waiting, the mounds of paperwork, the waiting, the unknowns, the waiting, the fundraising, more paperwork and more waiting. This has been a very different trial than I ever expected and I think I could say the same for these other mamas too. Adoption is not for the faint of heart - it is God's will and, thank goodness, He does the strengthening an binding of battle wounds! Phew!

These past few weeks have been hard for each one of us as it relates to adoption. We have had, to name a few, disappointments, miscommunication, lack of communication, and exhaustion. All of us ready to throw in the towel. 

That, however, is NOT an option. We have been called to a much higher purpose. We need to put our flesh to death and let The Lord guide our hearts and minds. This is not easy though, especially when the pity party and beating feels deserved.

Here is what God's word says in Philippians 1:6 - And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. 

Our God WILL complete this good work in us. He will NOT abandon us midway, just as He will not abandon these kids. He has called each of us to bring home different children, to make them as one of our own. How can we argue or quit that when it gets rough? No one has ever told us life would be easy. Certainly there are not any scripture that would say that either. 

Bottom line: It's a work of God to form families in a new way after hurt and trauma. It's total redemption. THIS is so cool! These children were conceived outside of our bodies, yet God has given us a love and desire for them. Sometimes without knowing their faces, always without knowing what they sound like, and who they are! He gives us a small minuscule taste of how deep His love is for us! 

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1 NIV)

Father, may all of the glory be given to you not only in our adoption process, but also in these other families! Thank you that you already know our needs! Thank you that you already know the outcome of these journeys! Thank you that you love us so much that you adopted us into your family - we are children of the One True King!

Sweet blessings from Above!

Tickets were purchased on Friday! Eman and I will leave on September 6 for China!!!!! I can hardly believe it yet at the same time seems so unreal!

This weekend we sold bags and bags of kettle corn and caramel corn - nearly 250 bags. We also received about $450 in generous donations from strangers at Walmart! I had a group of friends that also donated their time to help me out. I am so crazy grateful for these families! While the financial support is absolutely important, the family support is even more important. These families demonstrate Christ's unconditional love for not just me, Eman and the boys, but for a little girl they have NEVER met! They are welcoming her into their hearts without any question or doubt! Their support has been unwavering. I am so, so thankful for my friends!!!

Thank you Lord for these sweet blessings!

Consulate appointment and airline tickets!!

We received our consulate confirmation Tuesday night and began the search for airline tickets! Today we decided on an itinerary and will be purchasing them in the morning. We will be flying out on Sept 6, arriving in Xian late on the 7th. Sunday, the 8th, will be Gotcha day!! I cannot believe that we will be meeting Naomi, in the flesh! Paperwork and site seeing will happen for the next few days. Then we fly to Guangzhou for more paperwork and site seeing. Our consulate appointment is on Tuesday, the 17th, and we will fly back home on the 19th. We leave Guangzhou early in the morning and will get back to Seattle a bit after 12 noon. Eman and I will fly, with Naomi, into Pasco, arriving 7ish.  Wow. 

Now, while we wait, we celebrate our family of four.

We also finish up our fundraisers and pray that The Lord blesses us with the rest of what we need. :)

Saturday and Sunday I will be selling kettle korn. Eman is finishing his last weekend of night rotation, but will be helping with a shift Sunday morning.

August 17 is Johnathan's 8th birthday. I'm not sure what the plan is yet, but partying will be on the menu!

August 24 we will be hosting a backyard movie night. We will be selling popcorn, treats and drinks all to help with our expenses.

August 31 we will be doing our Both Hands project. I am super excited for this!! We will be blessing a widow from church, Marjorie. She is a very sweet lady who lives with constant pain left over from her double mastectomy. We are planning on doing gravel in her small front and side yard, so they are no longer cheat grass. In the backyard, we want to build a small patio cover. It is too uncomfortable for Marjorie to sit out in the sunshine. So, we have recruited a builder friend of ours to help design and construct. I know Marjorie is very excited too.

Before we know it, September will be here and it will be time to go! 

Lord Jesus,

Thank you for what you have provided so far!! Thank you that you are faithful to bring us to completion! Help us not to labor in vain - let this bring glory to YOU!!

T to the A!!

Our travel approval has been received by our agency, Lifeline!! This means we have permission from China to cross their borders to collect our child!  Tomorrow the consulate reopens and Karla will ask for our appointment. Eman has decided to ask for a later appointment. First off, we are not fully funded. Second off, we have three fundraisers in the works, one being our Both Hands project. We will be doing this on Aug 31, so asking for a later appointment date allows us to not rush in organizing and completing this project.
I have asked that our appointment be on Monday, September 16. If we are given this date, we would leave for China on September 7! We should hear back by the end of this week what day our appointment will be on for sure and then we can make flight arrangements!
I have been gathering supplies  for the past few weeks and I *think* I have most of what I need. I still need to finish purchasing the gifts for dignitaries, nannies and guides. I also need to purchase a few more essential snacks and supplies. I am sure I will over pack, but am going to do my absolute best not to. :)
In the meantime, we will be having as much fun as a family as possible. John's 8th birthday is in a couple weeks, too.
Here is one of the most recent (and last) pictures I got:

Independence Day

Today is the 4th of July! We have big plans - this afternoon, we will be heading over to our friends house to set up a hotdog BBQ fundraiser.  Each dollar will bring us closer to bringing Naomi home. Each dollar will bring us closer to an independence day for Naomi setting her free of a life of being alone, without a family. I am so excited for this day! I have a patriotic outfit picked out for our daughter to wear. I know that is a bit cheesey, but it has proper symbolism in my mind.

In just a few short weeks we will be getting our approval to travel and about 2 weeks later, we could be boarding a plane to meet our little miss. Not just meet, pick her up and finalize paperwork to make her ours - FOREVER!  Crazy. We still need a chunk of money yet.. I am trusting the Lord to continue to provide, though. He has gotten us this far and will not leave us short.

His love never runs out..

My little Delight,

It has been a long time since I have written here - much has happened!  We are so close to the end of our paper chase and actually coming to get you!  All of our paper work is now in China and we are waiting for the last piece of approval to be dropped off and picked back up at the US consulate before we receive our travel approval.  I can hardly believe it!  These last few weeks have been a whirlwind! 

I have to admit, Little Sister, that while you are always in the back of my mind, you have not been heavy on my heart.  I have allowed the paperwork to consume and numb my heart.  I have turned my focus to the daily tasks of summertime.  I have not been consistently talking to the Lord, seeking His favor for you.  You haven't seemed real to me - more of a pipe dream, a some day.

However, lately, He has been bringing other things related to you to my attention, preparing me for when you really are here.  He has been giving me a compassion for you and how difficult your transition may be.  I know your little world is going to change drastically.  I pray that I am prepared to love you through it, regardless of how you feel towards me.  I pray that I will choose to love you, even when I don't feel it.  I pray for strength and perseverance to hold and rock you when you cry and push me away.  I pray that you will love the love, the touches and the interaction!  I pray that you crave it!

Today, while your Baba was getting ready for work, he turned on Pandora to one of our favorite stations so we could sing to Jesus together.  My sweet Jesus knows how to squeeze my heart and turn my focus onto Him.  He brought you to mind and reminded me of my hope, of my desire to sing to you, to share these songs of love with  you!  I cannot wait to sing to Jesus over you and with you.  I know that you wont know the words and will not actually sing along, but I pray that these songs will bring you peace and joy.  I pray that they comfort you in your distress.

My Heavenly Father is your Heavenly Father too and I cannot wait for you to learn about Him!  I think that you already know who He is - I believe He visits the orphans in their distress.  Soon, my sweet daughter, you will have the chance to hear about Him and learn to know Him.  I pray that He does a mighty work in your life and through your life.  I pray that He uses you to turn hearts back to Him.

I love you, Naomi Xin Yu!  Soon you will know what it feels like to be held and rocked by a mama and baba that love you and desire the best for your life!  Soon, my sweet delight, soon!