Destination China - Full Speed Ahead!

More apologies are in order for keeping you waiting for the past 4 1/2 months. When last we updated, we were in the process of deciding what to do about the adoption program we were participating in. For the past 2 1/2 years we have been awaiting a referral from Albania. About a year ago we were informed that our sources in Albania were doubtful that a referral woudl come through within the next year or two. With the uncertainty surrounding the program, we have prayerfully made the decision to switch our focus to China's Waiting Child Program.

God has been pressing on our hearts and asking us the question "who are you doing this for . . . Me or for yourself?" We wanted to evaluate where the most need was and allow God to work through us to give Sunshine a new hope (no connection to Star Wars, episode 4). China has so many children with minor, correctable special needs. These are children that would receive immediate care in the US, but in China they sit in institutions and await an uncertain future. We believe that God is focusing our efforts on these children.

So, where are we in the process? This feels like deja vu . . . We have updated our Home Study and re-applied to the INS for approval. Once we recieve confirmation from the INS, we can formally apply to China. Since we will be applying to a waiting child program, we could be matched at any time after approval. Imagine . . . Sunshine could be home by the end of summer . . . how awesome would that be!

On a side note . . . I went to the Steven Curtis Chapman concert this weekend and what a story he and his family have. They are the picture of what adoption is and should be. It was great to hear more about his adoption ministry - Show Hope. If you have interest in supporting ministries that help the orphans and widows of this world, Show Hope is a great one to support.

We are still raising money for the Sunshine fund via coffee sales. Feel free to buy some great coffee at www.justlovecoffee.com/sunshinefund. You can expect another post when we hear back from the INS and are ready to submit our official home study. Cheers!

July, 2010 - Where to turn?

In the grand scheme of things, what is a couple of years? How long is long enough to wait? When is it time to "fish or cut bait"? More to the point . . . is it time to look in a different direction for Sunshine?

Now . . . we don't take this lightly, we never have, but if she's not in Albania or if God is moving in a different direction, who are we to keep Him in one spot. The doors to Albania for International Adoptions have been closing for the past year. We knew that. That was the subject of our blog back in September of 2009. By no means do we regret the decision to stick with the Albania Program. I don’t pretend to know the timing of God or even the reasons that He leads us in certain directions. The only thing I do know is that He is in control . . . and wherever He is leading, that’s the direction that I want to be going too.

The long and short of it is this . . . Albania referrals to the US have declined steadily over the past 3 years (from 13 in 2008, 5 in 2009 and 0 in 2010). The likelihood of receiving a referral now is very slim. Even though we are #2 on the list, this doesn’t help us if they decide to not refer any children. There are currently no other US agencies working in Albania and Bethany is not accepting new families, while encouraging existing families to consider other programs.

What’s up with those Albanians, you may ask. Well, from what we understand, it is actually good news. It seems the Albanians are doing a very good job in the development of their Foster Care System and referring children for adoption both in country and regionally (Greece, Italy, etc). For lack of a better term, they are becoming “healthy” and need less and less US help with their children. We continue to pray for the well being of the Albanian orphans and hope that God will see this through to every child finding a home in that wonderful country. Unless things change and by some miracle we receive a referral from Albania, I will regret not having the opportunity to visit and learn the culture.

So the question remains . . . where to turn? There are so many places that children need homes. Fortunately or unfortunately, we are in a relationship with a great Agency that has programs with some countries that hold our interest. Right now, the two at the top of the list are China and Russia. Both have major pros and major cons, but at the end of the day, we just need to go with what feels right and fits best with our family setup. What I mean by this is that there are restrictions that both countries have for adoptive parents (mostly medical). If we pass those, there is a decision to make, if not, it may be a bit clearer. More on that later . . .

So, we’re heading off on vacation next week and we’ve given ourselves a deadline. We will be praying and talking and praying some more about where. By the end of the month, we will have a direction.

Prayer Request: direction, direction, direction. Please pray that God will grant us a vision for where we should go. Pray that we would have favor with both the new country as well as the agency. Bethany has been great to deal with, but the process for all of this is expensive and gets more expensive with a switch in programs. If we go with Russia, there could be significantly more expense. Please pray that God would still provide for us financially through all of this.

Thank you for continuing to be interested in our posts and for your continued support.

February 2010 update

As of March we will have been waiting on our adoption referral for 2 years. The time has slipped by and we have found ourselves busy and trying to be patient. It has been two years that has seen growth in both Justin and Alex. Both are excited about being a brother to Sunshine, but Alex has gotten really jazzed about it. He spent the first 5 years of his life being the youngest and always being excluded from the bigger kids play. I've been watching him with younger kids and babies and he is going to be a great big brother.

So we wait . . . we are patient . . . we wait on God's timing. It may take us another full year (I hope not), but we will wait.

If you have been wanting to support our efforts to bring Sunshine home, we have a new fundraiser that we have started. A wonderful small business out of Tennessee has provided adoptive families with the ability to sell coffee and recieve a portion of the selling price as a donation. For every bag of coffee or t-shirt bought at www.justlovecoffee.com/sunshinefund they will send $5 to our adoption account. We will then be able to use the funds to offset our travel and agency expenses. This company has a great heart for providing for orphans and adoptive families. I plan to continue supporting their work well after our initial journey is complete.

Prayer Requests: Please pray that we continue to remain patient and waiting on God. Please pray for financial provision and direction in our careers. Please pray for our family (brothers and sisters) as we all look to be support for Sunshine. Mostly, please pray for Sunshine. That she will be well cared for, loved and looking forward to meeting her new family.