We Are Almost There FINALLY!!!! Our Article 5 documents were picked up on Tuesday from the US Consulate in Guangzhou and were sent to Beijing to the C3WA. We are waiting for the call that we have Travel Approval (TA) now. TA is when the Ch*nese government signs off on your file and invites you to come pick up your waiting child. It is a formality and this step can range from 3 to 30 days, but recent time lines have families receiving their TA's in 4-7 days. Yes, you read that right, and I am so thankful. :)
(I did receive a call from our agency Wednesday night and will say that travel *should* be soon, but cannot share beyond that at this time.)
This is a "Gotcha Day" video that our agency captured from a group's trip earlier this year, and this is the civil affairs office where we will finally meet our sweet Lia Grace. Hooray!
Friends, please pray for Lia Grace's transition to us. Her heart will likely break a million times because she will be experiencing loss again. For her, it is trauma and she will not understand why we are taking her away from her nannies and the home she has known. We pray she has seen our faces and knows my "scent", but we don't know if she does. We covet your prayers and ask that you keep all of us in your prayers in the days, weeks, and months to come.
Lia Grace, the days in your birth country are numbered my love. Your nights falling asleep in a hard, cold, crib are coming to an end. Soon you will be rocked, sung to and read to before bedtime. You will wear your own clothes and own shoes. Soon you will have meals full of nutrition and snacks to eat when are hungry. You have a doting brother and sister that cannot wait to teach you how to run, jump, and play bare foot with the most adorable Yorkie trailing behind. You have toys and books waiting for your little hands to touch and explore. You are part of a family and loved beyond words. Mommy and daddy often think about your "gotcha day" and what the transition will be like for you. We pray for your heart and understand that this will be a very hard day for you. We love you, and cannot wait to kiss your chunky little cheeks!
