Sponsorship

We are now in the home stretch of our wait.  Paperwork is completely out of our hands and now rests with the welfare agency in China.  The next hurdle is to receive our travel approval, which then triggers our consulate appointment, and then our whole trip is set up around that.  We still anticipate traveling in mid-May, but much like a biological due date, you don't know until it happens. 

You may remember me writing that our son is in foster care.  I knew that our agency had started an orphan care program, but I sort of wrote it off as another one of those sponsorship programs.  I've actually been a part of an international child sponsorship for a long time- started in college, and my current "child" resides in Chile.  She was assigned to me as a two year old, (still have the picture of a curly headed girl in a Rug Rats sweatshirt) and she is now sixteen.  I receive updates on her yearly, with a few cards thrown in.  It's not that my sponsorship isn't making an impact, I know it is, and I'm glad to do it.  It just hasn't had a personal connection to me as of late.  

So, when I found out that our son was sponsored, I thought, "cool, he probably has clothes purchased just for him or maybe he has a new blanket".   I didn't realize that this was foster care:

CCAI knows that only a small number of orphanage children will ever find their forever family. While not a substitute for adoption, we have worked diligently to expand our network of orphan care families so that as many abandoned children as possible will experience the love of a family. CCAI’s orphan care program supplements the valuable work being done by over 300 state registered government orphanages. Our goals are to create a loving environment and provide the best possible care for these special children in the hope that one day they will be adopted. Donations to CCAI’s orphan care program allow for either one-on-one care from one of our trained orphanage caretakers or placement with a supervised orphan care family we select..  (read more here) 

These sweet babies are loved individually.  And these are the results...

a smiling, happy boy that is about to be added to our family.  He knows what it means to be attached to a caregiver, he knows his cries of distress are answered, and so much of the work that could be facing us has been done already.  I am so profoundly grateful for the sponsors he had prior to being matched with us (we have assumed his sponsorship, thereby allowing his previous sponsor to provide for another orphan).  I've copied the note that I wrote to them in gratitude:

Dear sponsor, 

It is with great joy that I introduce myself to you as An Xiao Ran's adoptive mom.  My family and I could not be more excited about bringing him home to be part of our home.  We have been "planning" to adopt from China for over six years now.  

We pursued China as we were unable to become pregnant on our own and pledged to follow through with the adoption no matter what may come.  Our "yes" meant "yes"!  We officially began our paper chase in the Summer of 2006, and received a log in date in the Spring of 2007.  I had returned to work full time to begin financing the adoption. By May of 2007 we had saved enough to finance the adoption in it's entirety.  By July of 2007, I learned I was pregnant.  March of 2008 brought the first member of our family, Madeline,  safely home. I confirmed with CCAI that our adoption could still go forward, and began the wait at home with our little baby.  

We waited and waited, and the process only became slower.  We wondered if we should move our file elsewhere.  CCAI had started up programs in Haiti and Ethiopia and we contemplated both of these options.  When the Haiti earthquake hit in January 2010, we thought for certain that was our new path.   Attributing our first pregnancy as a "fluke", we were dumbfounded when we discovered we were pregnant again.  We found this out just a week after the earthquake.  God clearly wanted us to stay with China.  Our second, Sara, came home in September of that year.  

At this point, we wondered if we should continue our adoption.  The traditional program was even slower than before, but the Waiting Child program was growing by leaps and bounds.  I don't think I could have considered  this path prior to becoming a parent- it seemed so overwhelming to consider a child with "special needs" but as my husband reminded me, "they just need love".  He is right.  We began our paper chase again last Spring, and filed our checklist in the Fall with our immigration status in order.  

Just over a week ago, we laid eyes on An Xiao Ran.  My heart leapt with joy and melted all at the same time.  I knew that this was our son.  We doubled checked his health status with our pediatrician, but I don't know what she could have said to keep us from bringing him home.  Nothing at all.  Sarah Harmon informed us that he was in a foster home, and sponsored by CCAI!  It was unbelievable.  

So I type this note to you with my most sincere thanks for his sponsorship.  I want you to know that you have played a part in our adoption story as you have cared for him.  We are so very grateful.  God has used you in our lives, though we have never met, and had all this planned from the very beginning.  

I have found Psalm 34:1-10  particularly dear these past few months:

    I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
    My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad.
    Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

    ^{I sought the Lord, and he answered me}    and delivered me from all my fears.     Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.

    This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
    The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

    ^{Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!}    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
    Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
    The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Truly, we lack no good thing.  

Sincerely, 

Ashley, Jeff, Madeline, and Sara



Have you ever considered sponsorship or do you have money for a one-time gift?  If you have the time, please go to this link and check out the videos on the left.   Read more about our agencies commitment to improving lives in China under the "orphan care" drop down menu.  Thank you so much.  

Five

My oldest turned five yesterday.  I dare not post any baby pictures for fear of my tears short circuiting my keyboard.  With all of the paper shuffling and cost of the adoption, the birthday was a very simple affair.  She and a friend met up at Lilly's Bead Box for a little necklace crafting time. 

 I have to confess that at first I wanted to "control" the crafting time- but I quickly saw the light and let the girls pick the beads in all the colors that there little hearts desired- red, yellow, orange, bright pink, a touch of aqua, and a silver ladybug and butterfly.  The 10 cent bead bowl was an instant friend and all the $5! individual beads were averted.  The sweet owner tried to help the girls along a little bit by adding some dangling bits, but we both concluded that they were happy just creating on their own. 

I think it worked out great.

Two doors down, a cupcake shop gave the little ladies a chance to giggle at a table all to themselves.  

A simple, sweet affair that I would easily do again.  

Her actual birthday fell on a preschool day, and I decided that would be enough of a party with her friends.  

We brought homemade cupcakes that Madeline decorated herself and it was funny watching the kids choose  their cupcakes based on the decorations.  Not to mention the various eating styles.  Some ate all cake- no icing, and some licked the icing off the top only to lay aside the cake.  I caught one of the teachers sneaking an abandoned candy egg from a munchkin's plate.  

 Did you know that Fab 5's sing Happy Birthday interspersed 

with shouts of "Eat more Chicken!" and "Cha Cha Cha!"

If I had one word to describe you right now it would be "fierce".  

Fiercely independent

Fiercely loyal

Fierce in determination

Fiercely opinionated

Nothing holds you back, your curiosity abounds, imagination is limitless, never a dull moment.  

Where to begin?

I've been meaning to put together this post for weeks on end... but wanted it to be just right, the post I have been imagining publishing for years, and here we are almost two months later, sharing our news in blogland for the first time.

WE HAVE A SON!  WE ARE MATCHED!  HE IS ADORABLE! WE ARE COMING!

I was shocked to find out how much paperwork has to be shuttled around upon receiving a match.  A little frustrated too.  I wanted to spend my time buying polos, khakis, and all things blue.  I wanted to start packing. I wanted to flaunt his picture to anyone who would glance my direction.  Instead, I spent time at FedEx, my e-mail screen, multiple notaries, and the copy machine.  I am grateful, do not misunderstand, but I wasn't prepared.  I would move like fire through paperwork, turning it around within a week, take a breath, and find more the day after I sent it off.  One week I went down with strep- yes strep!  And the following week, the rest of my family comes down with the stomach bug, one - two -three!  We are in a bit of a holding pattern right now as we await the next batch of paperwork to come through, so I am busy doing anything else I can- buying gifts for the officials and orphanage workers, and prepping the house for our families to come and care for the girls in our absence. 

But back to little handsome.  Our fella is just over a year old, crazy cute, and in foster care!  In fact, we are now sponsoring him- but more on that in another post.  He has a special need- a left ear that is "closed" as my pragmatic husband calls it- so, no hearing on that side, but perfect hearing on the other.  To me, it looks like a flower that hasn't unfurled it's petals.  We anticipate traveling to get him in May.  I am desperate to scoop him up.  

So, this post is not perfect, not at all what I imagined, but I am at long last finally typing the words that we are going to China!