Hong Kong - Day 2

We're so grateful for our time here to recover a bit from jet lag. Yesterday was especially rough. We can't decide if it's due to our schedule (flying in late to Beijing then needing to leave by 7:30the next morning) or if it's due to us being older. I vote the former. Our thoughts are mostly consumed with the twins and our time at the foster home yesterday. We CANNOT wait to get them Monday but we're also in much prayer for their little hearts facing this huge transition as well as the foster family. It's been such a mix of emotions while here. We're rejoicing that God is blessing us with these specific children but also aware there is so much loss associated with adoption. Nathan has mentioned the birth mom and how we are so sad she can't enjoy the girls. We so wish there were some way she could know the girls are going to be loved unconditionally. We also love the Chinese people and culture and are sad that the girls will miss out on growing up here. However, in the midst of this we're reminded of God's Sovereign and Good plan to put them in our home. We know this will bring Him the most Glory and consequently us and the girls the most joy! Thanks for your prayers! We're dependent on them. Could you pray for the girls to feel safe and loved as they leave the foster family Sunday morning? (10:00 pm Saturday EST) They will travel to Taiyuan by train with two nannies from the foster home then stay overnight in a hotel and be picked up by strangers from their original orphanage to be brought to us, another set of strangers, only we're white, can't speak their language and have big noses. :)

Beijing - Day One

(Note: post written yesterday but unable to publish due to connection. Hong Kong is wonderful so far)

Due to jet lag we were up early. Tossing and turning after 4:30 and out of bed around 5:30. It will be miracle if this post makes any sense at this point in the day. The visit to the foster home this morning could not have gone better. Praise the Lord!!! Our prayer had been 1. That we could clearly communicate our gratitude to the foster family and foster home, 2. The foster family would feel comforted by meeting us in sending the girls to our home and 3. That we could soak up the sights, sounds, and people to pass along to the girls as they get older and gather information to help with the transition. God completely answered our (thats a collective our, thanks so much for praying) prayers! We were able to connect with the foster mom and even hear some of her heart as she gets ready to send the girls off. We had  4 pages (double spaced at least) of questions for her and she graciously answered them all.  We could tell she genuinely loves the girls. She is such a joyful lady and was truly an encouragement to us.  The foster home staff were so generous with their time in giving us a tour of the foster home, taking us to the foster family's home (the foster dad had the girls at the park:), and going through the twins' medical and developmental records with us. We are blown away by God's goodness to us and the girls in allowing them to be cared for by this foster home. We're now on our way to Hong Kong to spend a couple of nights until we can get the girls on Monday. We so appreciate your prayers. God is answering them.  "Great is Thy faithfulness, morning by morning new mercies I see, all I hath needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me (us)." 

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We've arrived...

We survived the long flight (one segment was 14.5 hrs!) as well as could be expected, and we're now in Beijing! I took this photo out our hotel window this morning...thankful for the nice, sunny day. Now we're off to meet Abbie and Evie's foster parents and the foster home staff, although we won't have an opportunity to see the girls. We're a bit nervous...want to be able to express our gratitude and respect for them, while also absorbing all the info and wisdom that we can. Thanks for your prayers!

We're off to get our Daughters!!!!!!

We can't believe the day is finally here to leave to get the twins!! Our flight to South Korea leaves at 1:15 pm then we'll connect to Beijing and arrive Wednesday evening. Thank you so much for your prayers. We're depending on them. 

We'll lose one of these bags in Beijing. 

TA IS HERE!!!!!

Praise the Lord!! Our Travel Approval arrived on Tuesday, May 14th!!! I'll be honest, my faith was weak and I certainly struggled with much anxiety in this leg of the wait. God met me there and reminded me of Truth in His Word and through sweet friends! THEN, WE GOT THE CALL!!! Hallelujah!!

Both sets of twins at the girls' foster home...double the cuteness. Evie doesn't seem to like babies. :) They said she was all smiles again when they took him from her lap. :) Actually, everyone looks pretty uncomfortable in this photo. :)

Due to a mysterious "white powder" being found in a package, the US Consulate was closed Tuesday- Thursday afternoon. That means we're still waiting on our consulate appointment, but once that is confirmed, we can book our flights! We're hoping to travel May 30th and get the girls forever on June 3rd!!!! It's really hard to believe we'll be boarding a plan two weeks from today to meet our daughters!

"He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted."  - Job 5:9

Article 5 - Day 7 TA Wait

 Last Tuesday, April 23rd, our paperwork was picked up from the Consulate's office in Guangzhou and sent to the CCCWA for them to issue us our travel approval!! Whoo Hoo! Travel Approvals have been coming pretty quickly (2 weeks or so) lately. We know the Lord has ordained the perfect day so we're eagerly waiting for Him to reveal that day to us!!

Precious friends threw us a shower yesterday in Booneville! I'll post pictures when I get them on my computer. We're blown away and humbled by the generosity and love shown to us by them! I just want to cry when I think about how richly God has blessed us with sweet friends and family who support and love us so well. Grateful is such an understatement!

Shower and One More Week

Our dear friends threw us the most amazing shower on Saturday! I only have one picture at the moment but hope to post more on here when I get them. Our sweet friend Elizabeth took on the job of photographer for the evening! :) The night was such an encouragement as so many of our dearest friends were all in the same room at the same time. I said all week that this was going to feel like our wedding all over again but without all the planning. :) Words cannot express how humbled we've been by God's love shown to us by the community God has put around us. The best were the prayers said for us and the girls. Our friends are concerned for the immediate condition of our girls but ultimately for the hope of their eternity with Christ! What a blessing to have wise friends that love us that much! The morning of the shower I sat in our "slowly coming together" nursery and thanked God that He's given us the gift of parenthood and the honor of a baby shower. It was a sweet moment of seeing His faithfulness and Goodness in the hard times and in the times of joy!

Cassie and her husband Trace are in the process of adopting from China too!

On another note, who knew two weeks could feel so long?! We're one week into our wait for our Article 5 pick-up. I'm so thankful God is allowing us to be in this part of the process so early. We could very easily still be waiting on our Letter Seeking Confirmation if He hadn't chose to work a miracle! One week from today our wait for Travel Approval will begin. Whoo Hoo!