Waiting For a Home

In the midst of all this adoption work for myself, I find a huge pull to advocate for the orphans of this world. So many that don't have families or homes. Right now, our agency, Associated Services for International Adoption (ASIA), has a huge list of beautiful children that are waiting for homes. If you have considered a special needs adoption, please take a look at this list. If you should happen to be interested in any of them, feel free to contact our social worker, Marci Siegel-Kitrell and you can request more information. Her email address is marcisk@asiadopt.org. Enjoy looking!

Wesley--the little boy with moles
Paige--the 9 year old girl with a heart condition
Grace-- the 3 1/2 year old girl with Cerebral Hypoplasia
Peter--the 1.5 year old boy with optic atrophy
Landen--the 11 year old who is deaf
Jacinda--the 4.5 year old girl with lumbar curvature and myelatrophy
Joli--the 4 year old girl with a vision disorder
Jayne--the 10 year old girl with Thalessemia and possible hep b
Tate--the 4 year old boy with CHD, developmental delays and anemia
Jaylen--the 6 year old boy with dwarfism
Sarah--the 6 year old girl with pedo-cerebral palsy

Be blessed!

Feeling Real

So, we got an email on Friday saying that the CCAA (China's governmental office dealing with adoption) had listed 160 new children on its shared list. There was a brief description of each child including DOB, gender and SN (special need). So, of course, I went through to feel out what a potential child might hold for us. Let me tell you, it is SO HARD choosing between SN's. How do you choose this one over that one? If I had my own biological child with any of these "issues," it's not like I would EVER say no, I can't deal with that. Any of you adoptive families of SN kiddos, did you deal with this? How?
But I digress... I wrote down about 5 that were all girls about a year old and requested the files. Our SW at ASIA further clarified their SN's and it was clear that only one *might* fit our requests. So, we got that file, saw the most beautiful little girl and then decided she was probably not for us. Disappointing? Maybe. But how cool is it that we are looking at real live possibilities??! Any one of these little girls could be OUR LITTLE GIRL!! It is beginning to feel so real! Admittedly, we need to pray some more and keep working on getting our ducks in a row. That way, when it becomes clear that a particular little girl is the one for us, we will be ready.

HUGE congratulations!!!!!

Please go on over and say a very big congratulations to the Mac family, who have been waiting for almost an entire YEAR to go get their little Taiwan Lucy. Obstacle after obstacle was placed in their way, but with love and faith and perseverance, they made it!! They will travel in the beginning of September and Lucy will be theirs forever! Congratulations and be blessed!!

Diaper From Heaven

So, from start to finish, we had a very strange outing last night. What possessed us to do this? I have no idea. Blame it on the rain. Blame it on my stir crazy children or their stir crazy parents. Our local mall just recently had a grand opening for their brand new mega wing, effectively making it the largest mall in NW or something impressive like that. Included in the remodel is a children's play area that sounded pretty cool. So, we thought we'd go check it out. We all hop in the car and start on our way until, two seconds later, we find ourselves trapped in the ditch that runs alongside our driveway. Luckily, after some smooth maneuvers a handful of times in and out of the car, a few hamster-is-turning-the-wheel-in-my-brain looks, and Officer hubby fixed the problem and we were on our way. Finally, we arrive at our destination and it is clear that EVERYBODY else in the Pacific NW has also. There was no parking. We drove and drove around and around and around until we were dizzy. As luck would have it, though, some nice folks decided to leave the crazy place and gave up their spot which we promptly backed up and stole. Turns out, parking here is on the complete opposite side of the this new MEGA mall from where we want to be. Oh well. We walk and walk and walk some more. Poor little Timothy is holding onto my hand for dear life, all the while trying to keep up, dodging through all the people coming at us.
We arrive at the packed play area and DH and I sit down for a moment of peace. However, not only is the play area totally LAME and packed, but five minutes after we arrive, DH says, "Timothy smells funny." So, I check him and sure enough, his diaper is FULL. Tell me, do you think I brought a diaper with me?? No! Why would I do that? He only hasn't pooped all day and we were ONLY going to be there for a little while... dumb. You'd think I'd know better by now.
Well, obviously we know we need to get out of there, so we start walking. Timothy at this point is melting down, of course, completely uncomfortable. The mall is so packed with people that we have to regroup by stopping in various out of the way locations, when suddenly, the ray from heaven shines down and all is still and quiet as angels sing. There it is in all it's glorious splendor-- manna from heaven, sweet nectar of life!!--well, sort of. A diaper for the desperate! A single, unused, size 4 Luvs diaper-- a diaper from heaven right there on the floor. Okay, now Steve thought it was really gross that I reached down and nabbed it before anyone else in a desperate situation like ours did, but we were DESPERATE, I tell you!! Don't you understand??!! It was OBVIOUSLY unused... I even had wipes in my purse. There was EVEN a bag provided in the bathroom to take our cloth diaper home in. So I changed him. And the rest is history. We made it to the car whole, happy and clean people. We will never be the same again. So, tell me, what would you have done in my shoes??

Interview with Steven Curtis Chapman and family

This is one of the first interviews that Steven Curtis Chapman and his family have given since the tragic death of their daughter Maria in May. The Chapmans are a family with the most beautiful hearts for adoption. I heard an interview with SCC on Focus on the Family in November 2006. It was THE most pivotal thing that God used to change my heart toward adoption. I am forever grateful to this amazing family of faith.

This is NOT a line at the grocery store.

So, apparently this week the #1 family on our agency's Taiwan list accepted a referral of an older child. This is wonderful news! A referral of ANY child is a wonderful thing, it's like the birth of a child. But when I heard that, I had to fight the temptation to start thinking, "well, if we were still in the Taiwan program, we would be #4 now and with one more referral our papers would be sent to Taiwan and we would be SO MUCH closer..." The fact of the matter is, this news doesn't change anything. God is NOT trying to torture us. He is not in the business of torture, He is in the business of mercy, grace and love. He hurts when we do. I have to remember that being one step closer doesn't change my uncomfortable feeling about Chung Yi. This was still not an infant referral and they still don't foresee referrals picking up anytime soon.

I'm not a very patient person-- at least, I don't think so. When I am in a hurry, I tend to be one of those annoying people who changes lines in the grocery store, just because it looks like that person has less to buy than that one. I'm not rude about it, but I do tend to be a line switcher. This adoption business is so NOT the same thing!! I am saying this here and now-- CHINA SN IS WHERE GOD HAS CALLED US TO BE. There will be no more switching lines! There. I feel better now. And I will be thrilled to hear of any infant referrals in Taiwan because it will mean I was wrong about the CY program. But we will stay right here to find our little girl in God's timing. I am so grateful!