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.