What I Am Most Thankful For Today

"Heal my heart and make it clean

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks Yours

Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause

As I walk from earth into eternity"

~"Hosanna" Lyrics (Hillsong)

As I reflect on all that I am thankful for, the one thing that I am most thankful for is: broken hearts. It is our broken hearts that saw the need, heard the call, and are now stepping out in faith, and in obedience, to answer the call to adopt. These are some of the (thousands of) images that broke our hearts.

Orphans spending most of their days in cribs like these with only 1 nanny to care for so many children at a time.

The children often lay on wood, or particle board, so conditions are kept more "sanitary". The children really do not have any toys or belongings to call "their own".

 

 

So why would I be most thankful for broken hearts? Those hearts led us down this path. Without them, we would not be on this journey. We would still be making excuses as to why it "didn't make sense" or why it "wasn't a good time" to adopt. Because of our broken hearts, we are constantly, like in every breath breathed constantly, reminded of our TOTAL reliance on our Heavenly Father. We would not be learning all the lessons we are in patience, and for those that know me, this is so hard!  We are reminded to fully trust in His timing and not ours.  We are reminded that He will provide for us and our daughter. We would not be able to share the good news and minister to others about adoption (We are ALL adopted! Ephesians 1:5, Matthew 18:5, 2 Cor. 6:18- to name a few), and because of our broken hearts, there will be "one less"!  

 

"The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted." ~ Mother Teresa

 

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Although we do not have Lia Grace's referral yet, I am thankful, and hopeful!, that this will be the last Thanksgiving that she will be without her forever family. And, I am thankful for broken hearts.  



 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Psalm 107:1

 

DT....CO! :)

Dossier to....Colorado!

 

 Wonderful News~ I just received the call from our agency that our dossier has officially made it out of critical review. It is on its way to Denver where it will be bound (all documents ordered and lined up and all our photos mounted) in the "red folder" and then translated into Mandarin for the CCCWA. Once the translation is complete, it will be international express mailed to Beijing. So excited!

For Lia Grace....

Lia Grace, you are so loved baby girl. We can't wait to meet you! 

"Paper Pursuit" is over! :)

"There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those." - Author Unknown

I'm happy to update that our dossier was submitted to our agency this morning! Michael delivered it and now it will begin going through the "critical review" process. Our agency will check it to be sure that everything that needs to be there, is there. (As if! I only checked over it a gazillion times before releasing it-ha!) Then, it will be overnighted to the main office in Colorado where all of our photos will be mounted , paperwork translated, and bound into a nice red folder like the CCCWA (Chinese Center for Children Welfares & Adoption- central government organization that manages the international adoption process) prefers. Once our dossier has made it through the "critical review" process it will be international airmailed to Ch!na! 

Here are some pics of our dossier getting checked in:

 

The night before he submitted the dossier:

We made a mad dash to the UPS store to make the last photo copy needed (the authenticated 797 from the Houston consulate).

 I checked, double checked triple checked, well, you get it!, a dozen times all of our paperwork to be certain nothing was missing before wrapping it up in its pink folder....

 

 This is what it looked like! :)

 

 

It is hard to believe that it took 6 months to get all that documentation together. Looking back, it wasn't that hard to do. Yes, it took time. Yes, it required resources and TONS of patience. But, I couldn't imagine NOT doing it for our daughter.  The hard part, for me, was having to rely on other people to do what they needed to do.

 

 I have to remind myself hourly that I am not in control and that this is a  FAITH journey. I have to remind myself hourly that He is the one that equipped us to run the race, and that through Him this journey has been birthed. I have to remind myself hourly that He will continue to provide for Lia Grace until we arrive and that He has a hedge of protection around all of us until we unite. At the end, there is a beautiful beginning. Until then, please keep the prayers coming, and thank you all for your continued encouragement! 

XOXOXOXO.....