Hoping for January

22 Days

China has matched to Dec. 8, '05
We're counting down 'til Dec. 30, '05

In speaking with our agency (CCAI) this week, we were told to expect matches for our LID to come through in January. Even though last month was only 8 days, they still expect January to be our month. That makes us really excited! With the holidays in full swing, time will go so fast. We just need to make sure we're ready. After waiting so long and putting things off for fear of being disappointed, it's time to make the rest of our travel purchases, finish off our vaccinations, lock up plans to cover our jobs while we're gone, and finalize arrangements with those taking care of our girls. December matches are just around the corner. We'll be sure to post something soon after we hear the latest news.

October Matches

30 Days

China has matched to Nov. 30, '05

We're counting down 'til Dec. 30, '05

We started shopping this month! It's a good way to pass the time and we don't want things to be too crazy between our match day and travel a few weeks later. It's a lot of fun looking at bottles and pacifiers and rattles again. We can't wait to get her in our arms. CCAI was hopeful that we'd be matched by the end of the year, but that is seeming unlikely at this point. We'll let you know when we hear anything else. Please keep prayer for Chloe. God bless.

September Matches

35 Days

China has matched to Nov. 25, '05

We're counting down 'til Dec. 30, '05

We were very disappointed to see that Sept. only brought 4 days of matches. After the initial shock, we took a deep breath and just said, "OK God, what's next?" He seems to let us know just the next thing to do. As difficult as this is, we can rest assured that His timing for our family to be complete is just perfect. We spent some time last weekend shopping for a care package we may be able to send to our baby after our match. It was so fun to look at baby things again! Even though things are slow right now, we can truly say that we will soon have our daughter. It's been fun to watch our friends from Columbus as they travel to China this week (see the link on right). Watching them, reminds us this is actually going to happen! Please pray along with us that our precious little one will have enough to eat, a blanket to stay warm, and someone to love her and respond to her when she cries. God bless!

CCAI Midwest Reunion

Last weekend was a wonderful time for our family as we met in Columbus, Ohio with adoptive families from 12 surrounding states. Nearly 500 people were registered for the CCAI Midwest Reunion held at the Columbus Zoo. We were thrilled to see so many well-adjusted families, some who have been together over 12 years and others less than 4 months. We also had an opportunity to rejoice with 2 families who had just received their information pack and first baby pictures. Our girls made friends with several NE Ohio children during the fun-filled weekend. The highlight for us was an hour long session with CCAI's founders, Josh & Lily. They met with waiting families to encourage us and answer as many questions as they could concerning the long wait. One explanation was that several countries, including Russia and Korea, had closed their doors to international adoptions for a period of time around the last quarter of 2005, just before our paperwork arrived in China. Many families moved their adoption files from these closed countries to China creating a log jam in the system and significantly increasing the wait. Although the wait is still long and we cannot predict with any certainty when we'll be traveling, the weekend was a great encouragement to us, like a "drink of cold water." We know that God has chosen a very special little girl for our family and we look forward to seeing that first picture in the coming months. Thank you for sharing this journey with us.

Chinese Dance Team from Ohio State

Lily & Josh addressing the attendees

Lily, Josh and our Family

August Matches

39 Days

China has matched to Nov. 21, '05

We're counting down 'til Dec. 30, '05

(average matching is 7 days/mon.)

On Aug. 3rd child matches were received for paperwork registered in China from Nov 15-21. We are just waiting until all the other families who had paperwork registered before us have been matched with child. We had a wonderful opportunity to sit down and talk with Josh & Lily, the founders of our agency this past weekend. They were really helped to understand and encouraged us. (I'll post more about the Midwest Reunion and some pictures soon) China is still matching approx. the same number of children each year (around 8000), but the number of families who are waiting to adopt has increased dramatically. Nov. '05 was a particularly large month for people to register paperwork, so hopefully timelines will speed up a little once they reach Dec. At any rate, God is showing us in little bits and pieces, just why the wait has been good for us. He continues to prepare us to be the parents we need to be for this new little girl. Thank goodness, we don't have to be the ones to decide, He is the one who knows all. Ps 50:10,11 says, "For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine." Thank you for patiently waiting through this journey with us.

There is a link to our new friends, the Woolevers, who were just matched with a child on Friday. I thought you might like to follow their journey.

46 days

China has matched to Nov 14, '05

We're counting down 'til Dec 30, '05

(average matching is 7 days/mon.)

July Matches/Home Study Update

A new group of matches came through the end of last week, so there are many new families enjoying the first pictures of their new baby girls. China has matched about a week for both June and July. This takes them up to Nov 14, 2005. Our registration date is Dec. 30, 2005. I spoke with our agency today and they are predicting we'll have to wait until at least Dec. and possibly into early 2008. Once we're matched with a child, it will be about 5 weeks before we travel to China. As a family, we've had a great time of making memories already this summer. Even though we're terribly disappointed with the wait, we have managed to make the most of our last summer of 3 girls. Maybe it's time for me to learn to eat with chopsticks? We'll update you again as things change.

Home Study Update
We just found out this week that we're going to have to update our Home Study. It expires in Sept. '07 and since we won't have our baby by then, we will have to do an update. For those of you unfamiliar with the process, there is an extensive paper trail we must once again retrace, not to mention an additional $500 in expenses. Our home will have to be fire and safety inspected and the well water tested. We must be re fingerprinted and medical updates must be submitted for each member of our family. Although inconvenient, this wouldn't be that big a deal, except we're in process of remodeling our 2 bedrooms upstairs. All 3 of our girls are sleeping in the basement and their rooms are completely gutted. Needless to say, it will be a busy couple of weeks to get this all done under the wire. I guess we'll hurry up and then wait again.

Thanks for your prayers,
Elaine

May Update

Thanks for hanging in there with us. China (CCAA) matched 6 log-in days at the beginning of May. It was a great improvement from the 2 day matches of April, but still not back to "normal" numbers in the teens. Our agency has explained that there were an unusually high number of application logged in the end of Oct 2005 (nearly a month worth in the last week), so the CCAA has not really slowed down the matching. It just has to do with the high numbers logged in during that time. They matched through Nov. 1st this last time, so hopefully they will get back to average numbers again for June. At any rate, this puts our wait time out until at least Oct. Now we're just hoping to travel by the end of the year. We love your comments and we'll let you know if we hear anything else.

Time Line Update

It's with a sad hearts that we report another slow down in the China adoption time line. This past month the CCAA only matched 1/5 of normal amount of children to families and there doesn't seem to be any explanation for it. Recent estimates for our match were June or July. Unfortunately, this seems to now be out of the question. We will continue to keep you updated. Please pray for our patience as we wait on God's timing and join us in praying that our baby is safe, warm, well fed, and loved.

We Have Friends in China

Hi everyone! Just thought you may be interested to follow a trip to China with our agency. There are 3 couples from New Phila that just left this week to pick up their new daughters. We've been glued to the computer watching their progress and looking at pictures, so we thought you may want to see also. There are new links on the right to their blogs.

I-171H is Here!

We are so excited! Only 2 weeks after our fingerprinting, we have our I-171H renewal. This form is from US Immigration and allows us to bring a child into the country. Our original application expires in April, so we are very relieved to have our renewal taken care of. Praise the Lord!

Chinese New Year Celebration 2007

Our girls celebrated in their Chinese outfits.

There were little Chinese girls everywhere!

Our local group grew from about 30-90 people

this year.

There were at least 6 new babies adopted just in 2006.

This year everyone decorated piggy banks for the

"Year of the Pig" and will save penny to be donated

to a local group that sends aid to Chinese orphans.

An Invisible Red Thread

"When a child is born, invisible red threads extend from the child's spirit and connect to all the significant people who will be part of the child's life. As the child grows, the threads shorten, drawing closer those who are destined to be together. " - An Ancient Chinese Belief

We know that it is God who forms us and knows us in our mother's womb (Ps. 139) and it is He who will bring our life together with our new little girl in His timing.

Our Fingerprinting is Done!

We're so excited that our refingerprinting is done - what a relief! We waited for almost 2 months for our appointment and we were breathing easier when everything looked good. We had heard they can be very picky if you have cracks or cuts, so we've been babying our hands for a while. Please pray that our I-171H (permission to bring a child into the country) form comes through quickly. This can take a lot of time and our old form expires in April.

Happy Chinese New Year

This is the year of the Golden Boar

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." Jer. 1:5

I read this in my devotions this morning and couldn't help but think of our baby. No matter how unwanted it may appear she is right now, God has known all along the loving family He intended for her.

Referral Countdown

Referrals came through last week and the final match day was:

Oct 13, 2005 - 78 days to our LID

Welcome to Our Blog

Hi everyone,
Thanks for joining us on this journey to China. We have an LID of 12/30/05 and our agency is predicting a June referral (match). That means we hope to be traveling by about August. We're so excited that this is finally going to happen. We started our paperwork trail in April '05. At that time the wait for referral was only 6 months. It looks like it will be about 18 months for us. No matter how long it has been, we can see God's hand in the timing. We dealt with some family medical issues this past 9 months. I can't imagine having a new baby in the midst of all of them. Only God knows what is in store and He has once again proven to us His love and provision for us.