Happy Birthday, Jesus!

The last two days have been filled with a birthday celebration for our King and Savior, Jesus.  We are so thankful that God gifted us with His Son, Jesus!  What a glorious gift to receive!

Although we were happy to be home as a family, there was somebody missing.  That would be sweet, Micah!  He is never far from our minds.  We are prayerful that he will be home with us next Christmas.  We look forward to sharing our traditions, and most importantly...JESUS!!!  Jesus is the reason for the season after all.  He is also the God that has placed our family in this call to adoption.  He has given us a great gift with the life of Micah.  We continue to pray for our paperwork to be processed quickly.  We also pray that Micah is protected, healthy and feels loved.  We pray that God wraps His arms around Micah to comfort and love him until we can do the same. 

 

 

 

My friend posted this video.  I wanted to share it with you, too.  We are hoping that Micah will be with us next Christmas. 



We hope that you had a blessed Christmas!  May God's grace, mercy and blessings be with you in 2014.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."   Luke 2:14

P.S.  If you are new to our blog, "Welcome!"

Check..Check...Check!

This past week we were able to check some items off of our to-do list.  On Friday, Matt and I were fingerprinted at USCIS.  We were in and out within 15 minutes!

We also had 6 documents notorized.  We only have one more document to receive and then our dossier is complete!  We will have the documents certified and authenticated, then they are off to our agency and China!


We took advantage of the post-Thanksgiving sales.  Our biggest purchase...bunk beds!  Nathan is SUPER excited!  It was a tight squeeze on the way home, but we made it! 

All in HIS timing...

I have said it before, and I will say it again.  God is SO good!!!  I have been anxious.  I have been excited.  I have been nervous.  I am wanting to be in control.  I have to remind myself that God is control.  I have to remind myself that all things happen in His timing.  Let me tell you, His timing is perfect!

We mailed our immigration papers on October 30th.  We have been waiting to receive our fingerprinting appointment by mail.  I *may* have been running to the mailbox to see if it was in there every day!  Matt and I have been talking about how if we received our paperwork before Thanksgiving, then we would try to do a walk-in appointment while in Chicago for Thanksgiving.  You know what our One, True God orchestrated?!  Our appointment is the Friday after Thanksgiving!  I can't help but sit here and praise Jesus!

If that was not enough, we received interesting information from our agency yesterday.  A woman has contacted them because she has pictures and video of Micah!  A series of events led to this connection, so we are working on building a friendship and getting updates on our little guy. 

Didn't I tell you?!  God is good!

Please be in prayer for all of those affected by the tornados.  May God's peace comfort them and reveal that all things work for good.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 121

Immigration papers that were mailed October 30th



Happy Birthday, Micah!

Our little guy is 5!  It was bittersweet to celebrate his birthday.  We were so excited to make a cake and celebrate.  The reality is that he is in China.  He most likely had no celebration, cake, presents or anything out of the ordinary.  We are hopeful that this birthday is the last one that will be spent in an orphanage.  We are praying that he felt love on his special day. 

In honor of his birthday, we have decided on his name.  His name will be Micah Jichun. 

Here are some pictures of our celebration.  Claire was not feeling well, so she sang and had cake this morning for breakfast.

Decorating the cake

 



November 4th, 2013

Micah is 5!

 



 

 

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.     Micah 6:8

Love!

I am in LOVE!  We had our annual family pictures taken a few weeks ago.  I was determined to include our newest addition, and I think they turned out great!  We had a few hiccups leading up to our session, but God is good!  I will only share a few, because I like to have a few surprises on our Christmas card.  Enjoy!

 

For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100:5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh Happy, Happy, (Birth)Day!

Tuesday, October 1st was the big day!  Matt turned 30!  He ushered in his thirties with the completion of our home study education.  We spent the evening at class and then returned home for a birthday dessert.  The classes were the last step in our home study process.  Now, we are waiting for our home study to be approved by both of our agencies and Illinois DCFS.  We are praying it will take about 2-3 weeks.  After that, we can submit our immigration paper work.  Once we receive our 797, we can submit our dossier to China.  (Let me translate---the paper work continues!)

On Wednesday, October 2nd, we received word that our Letter of Intent was uploaded to the CCCWA.  Our little guy is officially on hold for our family!!  What joy it was to see "Congratulations Marquette Family" in my inbox.  This called for a celebration!  We took the kids out to eat at Applebee's to honor the occasion.

 

The week was capped off by this on our agency's website!

 

 

That's right, sweet boy.  You have a family!  We love you and pray for you.  We are coming! 

 

Dear Lord,

We pray that you protect our sweet boy.  May he be well cared for and have good health.  We pray our paper work will continue to process quickly.  We know that You have Your hand in this whole process, Lord.  We thank you for calling us to China, to Ji Chun.  In your name, Amen.



 



Adoption Article

Last Friday the MOPS group I attend had guests speak about adoption.  Their testimony was nourishment for my soul!  It is amazing to see how God's hand is at work!  I was asked to write an article for the MOPS newsletter.  It has a little bit of our adoption story.  Don't worry, the full story will be coming, so stay tuned!  In the meantime, here is my article.  Enjoy!

When I think of the word “adoption,” a picture comes to mind.  A picture of my son wearing a navy shirt and red shorts.  My Chinese son.  He is waiting.  Waiting to join our family through the miracle of adoption. 

It amazes me how God softened my heart to the cry of the orphan.  It was in March 2012 that I was changed forever.  My life was comfortable.  I had a wonderful husband and two beautiful kids.  A son and a daughter.  I had the “perfect” family according to many I talked to.  I had no idea what God had in store for our family!  Who does?!  He works in unexplainable, amazing ways. 

Some people ask me why we have chosen to adopt.  They do not understand why we need “more kids.”  “Don’t you have two kids?!”  The answer is God.  It is quite simple.  God’s Word, The Holy Bible, commands us to care for the orphan.  James 1:27 says “Religion that is pure and undefiled is this: to visit widows and orphans in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”   I am not saying that everyone is called to adoption.  You can care for the orphan in many ways: adoption, foster care, child sponsorship, supporting other adoptive families, orphan care ministries, or short term mission teams, and through prayer.

Our adoption journey has just begun.  We are up to our knees in paperwork, interviews, and education.  There may be a lot of unknowns with the process, but one thing is true.  God’s hand is in all that we do.  We could never orchestrate this journey ourselves.  We know that He is in control and He will be glorified.

When I reflect on where our family is right now, I am reminded that not too long ago I was adopted.  I was not an orphan in the sense that I have earthly parents.  I was without the one and only Father who gifted me with eternal life.  I am grateful that I was saved and adopted as a child of God. 

“In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1:5-10.

Are you adopted?  Can you be called a child of God?  Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son whom He sent to take the wrath for your sins?  Do you know how to have eternal life?  If not, I encourage you to speak to your DGL, mentor or leadership mom.  You too can be blessed through the miracle of adoption!

China Flare

We are so excited about our adoption!!!!  What a blessing Ji Chun will be to our family!  We have been working real hard to complete our first set of paper work.  All of our work for our home study will be complete next week.  We have all of our dossier paper work done except for our immigration paper work.  We are getting close to a paper work break!  In the mean time, we love sporting our China flare! 

My friend, S, from MOPS is in the process of adopting from Congo!  She has been a great resource during our adoption journey.  She made this super cute cozy for me!  I finally got to use it last week during the cooler temperatures.  Here I am with my MOPS DGL, M.  Love it!  Thanks, S!

We celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary in August.  Our traditional copper gifts didn't arrive in time, so this weekend we had a second date night to celebrate!  I was gifted with this copper, China bracelet.  It even has a Jade bead!  I love my husband! 

The excitement continues as we get closer to bringing home our little guy.  We covet your prayers.  Could you pray for my friend S, too?  She is eagerly awaiting her Congo referral.  Thank you for your love and prayers!


Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:13-14

Always on our minds

Ji Chun is always on our minds.  We are in prayer for him many times a day.  The kids talk about their excitement and all of the new things that they want to share with him daily.  Today was no exception!  Nathan started his day by looking at a book about China.  We are all loving learning about the Chinese culture.  Claire shared Ji Chun's picture at school.  She is such a proud little sister!  It warms my heart to hear her talk about him and her excitement for a new brother.  I had a home study interview today.  We are one step closer to completing our home study!  Then, at dinner we had our first experience with chop sticks.  The kids did quite well!  We are looking forward to incorporating Chinese traditions with our family traditions.  We can't wait for our little guy to join us!
        
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.   James 1:17

Claire sharing Ji Chun's picture at class.

 



Nathan thought he was a pro with chop sticks!

 



Claire practiced the two-handed approach.

 

Matt already had practice when he visited China for business. 

He was appreciative for the cheaters!

LOI

On Sunday, August 25th, we submitted our LOI to our agency.  Our Letter of Intent puts our little guy "on hold."  We were told it would take a few days to be translated and uploaded to the CCCWA (China).  As you can imagine, we have been anxious to hear the news that we are one step closer in the process.  As of today, we had not heard anything.  I contacted our agency and heard some disheartening news.  Our LOI cannot be uploaded until October 2nd.  That is one day after Matt's 30th birthday.  You must be at least 30 years old to adopt from China.  We know this.  We were told we can proceed as long as our dossier (our international paperwork for China) is submitted after he is 30.  We are a bit disappointed.  Our agency has assured us that they have Ji Chun's file secured until the end of October.  As long as our LOI is uploaded by then, our match is not in jeopardy.  What a "happy birthday" it will be for Matt to know that Ji Chun is assigned to our family!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:6-7

Celebrate!

Tonight we celebrated!  We told Nathan and Claire that we know who their brother is.  They are so excited!  It is great to have a face to share with them.  It certainly validates the whole process. 



Cupcakes in the shape of China

 



The heart is supposed to be Shanghai, China

 



First Family Photo

 



Big Brother and Little Sister insisted on a photo shoot!

No doubt they are in love already...we are, too!

Our son!

Last night we received great news!  We were approved to be matched!  We are thrilled!  We can officially (almost) say he is our son.  This week we will work on our LOI (Letter of Intent).  Our agency will upload our LOI to the CCCWA and he will be on hold for us.  Now the countdown begins...and the paper work continues!  We know that God has His hand in this process and we are thankful He clearly revealed our son.  What a blessing he will be to our family!  It is with great joy we present Ji Chun!  (We are still deciding on his American name, but his middle name will most likely be his Chinese name.)

Home Study

Yesterday we had our first home study interview.  The home study consists of five interviews, medical exams and testing, education classes, background checks and paperwork.  Matt and I are committed to getting our paper work done as quickly as possible.  We received great advice...always be waiting on your agency, not them waiting on you.  Our second interview is in two weeks. 
This weekend will be all about adoption!  Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork!

Update

After letting the agency know that we would like to move forward, they informed us of the next steps.  First, there was another family reviewing the file.  They would have the opportunity to be considered as well. Also, they needed us to complete three questionnaires, watch some webinars and read some books.  Once the questionnaires are complete, we will have a phone interview.

This morning I had an e-mail from one of our case workers.  The other family has withdrawn.  Now we can focus on the questionnaires and phone interview.  God is in control!  I know that He has the exact child He chose for our family.  We are eagerly awaiting His confirmation that this child is our son!  Thank you to all that have prayed for us!

Pursue

According to Google, pursue is defined as "follow (someone or something) to catch or attack them." 

We have decided to pursue the little boy whose file we have reviewed.  Now, so much comes along with that statement.  First of all, that doesn't mean anything until we are given to the go ahead to submit an LOI.  An LOI is a Letter of Intent which is sent to the Chinese Government to put the child "on hold" for our family.  Before we can submit the LOI, any other families that are viewing his file will have the opportunity to pursue him.  We are prayerful that God has His hand in all of this.  He will clearly reveal if this is the child for our family. 

It is a bit overwhelming to process this information.  This is a huge leap of faith!  As soon as an LOI is received, we have 6 months to submit our dossier.  That is not a lot of time.  We still have to start our home study which is required for our immigration paper work.  Although it may seem impossible, there is nothing too big for our God.  He is capable of anything!  We are thankful we can trust in Him.

Praying

Our pediatrician called us on Monday night to review her findings.  She has some concerns about his medical condition as well as a couple of test results.  (On a side note: I love our pediatrician!  She was extremely thorough, informative and knowledgeable.  Thank you Dr. O!)  I have contacted our agency and they were not aware of one of the test results.  The report has since been re-translated.  The translation was correct and the result says it was positive.  Our agency has contacted the orphanage to investigate the concern.

Our deadline to accept or decline this child was yesterday.  We have been given an extension due to the investigation.  We are praying for God to clearly reveal if this child is the one He chose for our family.  On Tuesday when I was processing the information, I turned to my Jesus Calling devotional and God's Word.  I was reminded that I can trust in God alone to give me peace with our decisions.  It says, "My peace is not an elusive goal, hidden at the center of some complicated maze.  Actually, you are always enveloped in Peace, which is inherent in My Presence.  As you look to Me, you gain awareness of this precious Peace."  Thank you Sarah Young.  You always know exactly what I need to hear.  If you do not have Jesus Calling, you should!  Get it here.

We are eager to welcome our new addition.  We are praying for their safety and health. 
We have scheduled our first home study appointment for next Friday.  We would love your prayers for our upcoming decisions, appointments and paperwork.

In other exciting news...These came in the mail today! :) :) :) :)  Can't wait to wear it!

Moving quickly!

God is so good!  He is sovereign!  He is full of grace! 

This has been quite a week.  I expected paper work, appointments and decisions to begin once we started the process.  I did not prepare to have a child’s file to view 24 hours after our application.  It is emotional to say the least.  Here is a child that is 4 ½  years old and is the size of a two year old.  He is extremely small…even below the Chinese growth charts.  But his face, his smile, they are something I will not soon forget.  He needs a family.  He needs love.  He needs to know Jesus.  I have been a mess of emotions since the file arrived in my inbox.  We have been talking to so many people to get advice and lobbying to get his medical file reviewed.  We have been praying to have God reveal His plan for our family.  Lord, we know we can trust in you.

It's official...

We are pregnant...on paper!  We are so excited to announce that we are adopting from China!  We have chosen an agency and our application had been processed.  We will begin the home study process very soon.  We are anxiously waiting for God to reveal the little one that will join our family.  We covet your prayers during this process.  The journey to choosing adoption was just that... a journey!  It will be shared in a future post.  For right now, we invite you to join us as we share joys, concerns, triumphs, trials, and ultimately a Chinese child finding their forever family.  Our family!  Welcome!