July swap ( a month later)

As I mentioned in my last post, some gifts have been rolling in for mei mei...

In July the gift swap theme was playtime. Beth, who is waiting to bring home Emily, sent me an awesome box of goodies for our girl(s)...

It was as if she knew Lindy always wears a bow!

Lindy tried it out and approves

So soft and sweet

We will use this to send pictures of our family to our baby girl after referral and while we wait to bring her home

Mei mei will also be a bow wearer even sooner than Lindy was

Thanks for the wonderful gifts, Beth! Can't wait to see you bring home Emily.

June Gift Swap

While we were waiting for Lindy, I got involved with a couple of Yahoo groups for other waiting families. That was kind of before the blog revolution and the onslaught of all the new social networking tools. Through those groups, I made some sweet friends and developed a wonderful support system. We even had secret pals which was so much fun!

Since our switch over to the Taiwan program, I've felt a little bit like a fish out of water. Recently, I got plugged in with a great group and am learning a lot of helpful information about the process of adopting from Taiwan.

Some of the waiting mommies decided to put together a secret pal gift swap and I didn't need anyone to twist my arm to join. I love to give. I love to receive and I figured it might help me remember this WILL happen.

The theme for June was bedtime. Mei mei got a darling footed sleeper and pink sleepsack. Mei mei wasn't the only recipient, though! I got a beautiful red thread bracelet. I wore a red thread bracelet that Don made me until the day I held Lindy for the first time. I haven't worn one this time and I'm not sure why. Now I will, thanks to Michelle's generosity and thoughtfulness.

For those of you new to my blog or unfamiliar with what I'm talking about, here is the legend of the red thread:

"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but never break."

I know that each passing day the "thread" to this baby is getting shorter and my desire for her is getting stronger. One day...

Well, we prayed for a change...

One of our prayers during this period of waiting has been for God to remove the obstacles in China and to significantly speed up the process. There have been times where I've just asked for to see some positive changes. In two days our dossier has been officially logged in with the CCAA for 15 months. As far as we can tell, there is no end in sight--with China, that is.

While the situation in China doesn't appear to be changing, we are changing direction and we believe God is walking before us and preparing our path for this change. We have decided to pursue adopting a baby girl from Taiwan.

I had heard of people adopting from Taiwan but felt like I couldn't get a good grasp on the process. Don and I don't come to decisions easily and once we've decided to pursue something it isn't like us to change course. I pretty much had decided Taiwan wasn't in the cards for us because I couldn't figure out much about it and our agency didn't offer it, anyway--until now.

This summer our agency took over several Taiwan cases for an agency that went under. At that time, my interest was piqued but they weren't actually saying they were going to open a program. I expressed an interest but wasn't sure it would result in anything and guarded my heart from being too optimistic about it. After getting acquainted with the way things work and having a chance to develop some in-country contacts, our agency decided to begin offering a Taiwan program.

After some initial fact gathering and phone calls with the Taiwan caseworker, we took the steps to become pre-approved. On January 6th we received our pre-approval and were given the green light to proceed.

We just got our updated home study today and now have to make some changes with our immigration paperwork to let the U.S. know we'll be going to Taiwan instead of China. Once we have that completed, we will send our paperwork to Taiwan and do what we do best--wait...

Currently, the estimated wait time until referral is 12-18 months (which could increase). After we receive our referral we expect we will travel four to six months later. While it still seems so far away, this wait time feels more manageable and tolerable.

We have also decided to withdraw our dossier from China. We believe this child will be our last child. If for some reason this adoption doesn't work out, we are so blessed with our darling Lindy.

I have some sadness knowing that our next daughter isn't from mainland China but am excited to get to learn about Taiwan. One of my first questions was, "Well, how do they say little sister in Taiwan?" I was excited to learn that the answer is, "mei mei" since the most commonly spoken language is Mandarin. Already, I am trying to process the differences between how things are handled regarding the adoption process.

In the past few weeks we have gone from sorely discouraged, to cautiously optimistic, to hopeful excitement. As is typical of the adoption process, we've experienced quite the rollercoaster of emotions.

So again (or still), we ask for your prayers. As my dear friend Diana reminded me this week we have a God who deals with details and wants us to be specific with Him, so here are our specific requests:

• Please ask for the necessary changes to our immigration paperwork to go smoothly and quickly so that we can have our paperwork in Taiwan within the next few weeks.
• Please be pray for God to provide financially for this adoption. It is significantly more expensive and during these terrible economic times we specifically ask for Don to remain gainfully employed.
• Please pray for the birth parents. It is possible we will get to meet our daughter's birth mother which is a lot to think about given the contrast to our experience with Lindy. However, we pray that the birth parents are healthy and that the birth mother will make wise choices to take care of this little one before she is born.
• Please pray for us to be patient and to look for ways to enjoy the wait and find the joy in the journey. God has given us a beautiful daughter, already, and I want our last months/years as a family of three to be special.

Thank you for those of you who have been praying already, for those who have expressed concern, and been faithful followers of our journey. We appreciate your love and expressions of encouragement more than you know.

A dozen months down...

Hard as it is for me to believe, today our dossier for the child we affectionately refer to as, "mei mei" has been logged in one year. The other day my friend Diana asked me if the time has gone fast or slow. In all honesty, the time has flown by. It seems like no sooner had I written an update on this blog marking and trying to celebrate a month down, it was time to write another update. (Yep, I missed last month. There are only about two or three readers of this blog, so I figured they'd understand.) Life is whizzing by and I am often reminded of the words of a hymn I sung growing up, "Swiftly we're turning life's daily pages, swiftly the hours are turning to years..." So, it would seem like the fact that time is going by quickly would be cause for celebration. I have to be honest; it isn't. The fact that time is going by so quickly is also what pains me.

Please understand, I don't mean to be morbid, pessimistic, or sound terribly pathetic. I am a realist whose emotions run very deep and often very differently than those around me. The reality is that with each passing day, the face of our family changes as well as the dynamic I had hoped for. For example, Lindy is getting older--in fact she'll be three and a half years old TOMORROW. My hopes for two little girls about three years apart give or take is more realistically going to be much more than that. Another example is that it looks like I could be nearing "the change" and changing my own child's diapers at the same time. Again, not what I envisioned. There are many other examples of why the passage of time affects my thought process, but I don't want to utter them...

I know this probably sounds very whiny and I don't mean to whine. I probably wouldn't say much if I had a glimmer of some good, promising news regarding this process. The fact is, I don't. Our paperwork is beginning to expire and we're now going through the efforts to renew things, such as a home study which will take place next week. This probably won't be the last time we have to go through the update process, either. Season after season, I pack away Lindy's clothes and shoes and wonder when I will see our next daughter wear these well-cared for hand-me-downs. I used to think it would be late 2009 or early 2010. Now I don't even think it will be in 2011. An online referral predictor calculator tells me we won't receive a referral until September 2015.

Why so long? I just don't know. No one does, except God. While I can't explain the process at all, I do know some things about God. I know His hand is in the process and He has a master plan that is much better than my planning abilities. I also know He is faithful and won't desert me. I know He wants me to be patient and longsuffering and trust Him. He is using this period of waiting to stretch me and cause me to be more reliant on Him. I am not the first person He's put through a period of waiting and I won't be the last.

When I started this blog, I had no idea this journey would be as long as it appears it will be. I very simply intended to journal my feelings, share fun and exciting milestones, and document our journey. When I think about continuing to publicly document my feelings and emotions about this process on a routine basis, it seems kind of scary being so honest and vulnerable. I wouldn't want my disappointments, lack of hope or faith, or discouragement to cause anyone to lose faith in their own personal walk or negatively impact someone who might be considering adoption. I have decided to leave this blog dormant, for now, and forego my monthly posts. If a milestone or something newsworthy occurs, I will most certainly post.

If this is the only blog of mine you read, you are welcome to come visit Lindy's blog or our family blog for more regular, happier posts.

Last but definitely NOT least, I ask that you pray. Please pray for all the families who are traveling the road of adoption. If people aren't sure what to do, how to proceed, whether to wait or change course, I ask that you pray for God to give them wisdom and direction for what is best for each particular circumstance. I also ask for you to pray for the children. There are millions of orphans in this world needing forever families.

Thank you for your love, support, and kindess.

You either do or you don't

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

I wasn't sure what to write this month. I have a lot swirling around in my mind but I find it all very difficult to write about. Yesterday this verse popped into my head which I believe was a result of the spirit living in me. I love this verse but on this tenth month of being logged in (with NO end in MY sight), I have to admit I am not trusting in the Lord with ALL my heart. I think if I were trusting with ALL my heart, I wouldn't feel so much angst and uncertainty. So, I guess since I'm just sort of trusting in Him in essence it means I'm NOT trusting Him because you either do or don't.

Lord, I ask that you cause me to completely TRUST you. Help me to BELIEVE 100% that you are going to smooth and shorten the path to our daughter by removing the current obstacles in China. I know I'm not in control over anything and that you are in complete control. What seems impossible is possible. I know it isn't at all constructive or healthy for me to fret and worry like I have been these past few months, nor does it do a very effective job of acknowledging you and your power. You know the entire story--beginning to end. Help me to trust that it is a beautiful story with a very happy ending. In your son's name I pray, Amen.

Not about to pop...

We've all seen the lady whose belly is so big with a baby (or babies) that she literally looks like she's going to pop. From the little I know, in that ninth month of pregnancy amazing and bizarre things happen to the expectant mother and her unborn child. The wait, which has seemed eternal, is almost over and soon, God-willing, a healthy child will come into this world. For most, it is an exciting time, a scary time, and an emotional time...

Today we have been officially "paper pregnant" for our second child for nine months. Nine months and I am not even close to popping! These are indeed emotional times for me. This month I have felt like I've had the hormones of a full-term pregnant woman. I am scared. I am uncertain. I am worried. I am struggling. I am impatient. I am losing hope. I also know I am not alone.

As often is the case, I seek guidance and comfort from the Psalms...Here is what comforted me today.

"Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord..." Psalm 27:14

Yes, Lord, I will wait...

Eight in '08

Today we've been logged in eight months for our next daughter. It amazes me to think we were logged in about eight and a half months before we got our referral for Lindy. While that wait seemed eternal, it is nothing compared to what we are facing to bring home this child.

There are days when I wish I could hold an object like a Magic 8-ball and ask it to give me an answer as to when we'll receive a referral or peer into a crystal ball to see us holding our daughter for the first time. However, I don't put my faith or trust in Magic 8-balls, crystal balls, or anything else but God. I trust that He knows all the answers that swirl around in my head and know He will reveal them in His perfect timing.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me..." John 14:1

Lucky seven

Make the least of all that goes and the most of all that comes. Don't regret what is past. Cherish what you have. Look forward to all that is to come. And most important of all, rely moment by moment on Jesus Christ.

Gigi Graham Tchividjian

Celebrating seven months down!!!

The six month blues...

Today we have been logged in six months. I have to admit it doesn't seem like a month has passed since I wrote the last post, so that is good news, in some way.

While we waited to bring Lindy home and as we've been waiting so far, the question, "why so long?" often comes up in conversation. The truth is, there are probably many factors. Many people think the massive preparation efforts for the Olympics in Beijing caused the severe slow down. In some ways it makes sense, but lately I am hearing that really isn't the main issue. I kind of wish it was because the Olympics begin in less than 100 days. It'd be nice to think that life in China will return to normal once they are over and wait times will significantly decrease.

It also appears our friend the economy might be impacting things. The dollar isn't as strong in China as it once was. I'll leave it at that and not say more because I don't like to think of bringing our daughter home in terms of profits and losses.

There are many other things I am sure that are impacting the situation. The one thing I need to hold onto is and remember is that God is in control and can impact the situation in a greater way than anything or anybody else.

I ran across the following quote and it reminds me to not be idle and to make the most of the journey...

"This time like all times is a very good one if we but know what to do with it."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's that time of the month...

Cinq, funf, cinco, cinque, wu. Whatever language you speak, the progress is the same--we've been logged in five months today.

Here are just five things I am praying for regarding this situation:

1. I pray God will bless us with a happy, healthy, beautiful daughter.

2. I pray God will MOVE mountains and significantly speed up the process so thousands of children will meet their forever families.

3. I pray God chooses healthy biological parents for our child and that He comforts them during the difficult process of choosing to give up a child.

4. I pray God will help me enjoy the journey.

5. I pray as I bring these requests to God that my faith is strong, evident, and pleasing to Him.

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. " James 5: 13-16

For my friends who are waiting, I am praying for you, too. Thank you to everyone who prays on our behalf. It is a source of comfort.

God knows...

A few people have asked whether Lindy's mei mei has a name. We have not chosen a name for her at this point and, honestly, we haven't even talked about it much. We do have some names on the table but we definitely aren't even close to a final selection and it appears we don't need to have one for quite a while. Every once in a while we'll ask Lindy what her mei mei's name is and she says, "Mei mei."

There is someone who does know her name and that is God. Today I have been thinking about God's omniscience. My dwelling on that really comes from a sad little thing that happened yesterday. In the late afternoon I heard a terrible crash into the window. I looked out to see a mourning dove which had fallen to the ground and within seconds it died. I remembered that the Bible talks about how God even knows when a sparrow falls to the ground...

It really is so hard as a human to fathom that God knows who this little one's birth parents will be, when she'll come into this world, what her Chinese name will be, what we will name her, and when we will meet her for the first time. It gives me peace knowing that someone has the answers, though, even when I don't.

"He counts the number of the stars; he calls them all by name." Psalm 147:4

"For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees everything under the heavens." Job 28:24

There's traffic up ahead, folks...

Last night before I drifted off to sleep one of the big topics on the news was how our city will be undergoing MORE road construction, thus leading to more congestion and traffic headaches...This morning as I was listening to the news, yet another major road was about to be closed and the anchor warned of longer wait times and kindly recommended drivers check for alternate routes.

I breathed a sigh of relief that I no longer have to battle long, hectic, crazy commutes to and from work. I wasn't fond of it at the time and I know I wouldn't be fond of it now. In this instant gratification society, most people don't like to wait. In a lot of ways, we don't even know how to wait. During major traffic inconveniences I felt angst, I didn't look for ways to take the lemon and make it lemonade. It was a hassle plain and simple.

Today our paperwork has been logged in four months. Considering all the traffic ahead of us, we have a very long commute left. We don't like it but that's the situation. We chose the road we are traveling. We heard the warnings of the traffic reporters but got on the road anyway. We will keep plugging away mile marker by mile marker until we reach our destination--our next daughter...

Instead of feeling angst and frustration, I need to look for ways to enjoy the commute. I have some ways in mind but would love to hear your thoughts as well...

As always, thank you for your prayers!

Another month down

Back when we started the process to bring Lindy home, we thought three months would be the halfway point until we received our referral; however, that was not the case.

I can't even begin to speculate how much longer we have to go. All I know is that each day is one day closer until we have another daughter.

Please pray big prayers for us. While you are praying, please pray for the people of China who have been devastated by snow and ice the past few days. Imagine a nor'easter hitting Cancun. Orphanages are operating without electricity, water, and are running out of basic supplies. Having seen a glimpse inside a "premier" orphanage, I cannot imagine the scene inside the orphanages given these severe situations. For us, it is heartwrenching...

If you're checking this blog from time to time, thank you! You are an encouragement to us.

Making it feel real

"All children come from God, for some the journey home just takes a little longer. "

Author Unknown

During the holidays we received a couple of packages for our next little girl. These expressions of generosity made this adoption feel more "real."

Here Lindy is showing off a fun toy for her mei mei.

We also got a fantastic box of some darling next to new clothes from a special friend of mine. It was so much fun unwrapping each piece and dreaming of our next daughter wearing them.

Thank you, friends, for your thoughtfulness!

Two month "LID"versary

We have to take joy in the milestones--no matter how small they are.

Personal pep talk

I think a lot of people take time to think about the past during the holidays. It is natural to think about special memories, remember someone who is no longer living, and consider the many ways life has changed.

Last year I spent time thinking about how our life had changed from 2005 to 2006 with the addition of Lindy. I documented some of my feelings in this post. That post was meant to encourage my friends who were so discouraged and disappointed that they hadn't brought home their special family member. They were struggling and oh how I could empathize. Thankfully, most of the friends I wrote this for have their sweet children and are experiencing joy beyond measure. Congratulations Di, Jill, and Shauna! Also, I couldn't be happier for you Heather and Kim. Even though I didn't know you last year, I know it was a disappointing Christmas for you and your families, as well. This Christmas, though, will be magical for all of you!!!

Now, I must read the words I wrote and BELIEVE them all over again. I do. I know God has a plan and purpose. I hold to that. I see it everyday when I look into Lindy's eyes and hold her close to me. Although I don't think we will have our daughter in 2008 or 2009, I know God knows when it will happen and that gives me peace.

The proverbial clock is now on

Today I was getting antsy. It has been more than a month since we were DTC, so I emailed our social worker to find out if she'd heard anything about a log-in-date (LID). I didn't really want to do that because I have prided myself on being the "calm client" who flies under the radar and shows full faith the agency will let us know when there is something to report. However, I did it anyway. Ironically, I got this email this afternoon:

Dear Families,

Congratulations! We have your log-in date (LID) today and the exact date is 11/7/07. As of now we are seeing the wait time to be about 25 months from LID to referral. You can find more updated information on the CCAA website.

I hope this finds you well and congratulations on accomplishing another milestone in your adoption journey!

Honestly, I had hoped our LID would be in October but it really matches our experience with Lindy--DTC 4/15/05 and LID 5/9/05. Our LID with Lindy was around her birthday (unbeknownst to us at the time) but, sadly, we're pretty sure our next daughter wasn't born in 2007 and have doubts she'll even be born in 2008.

Nonetheless, this is not a time to be melancholy and ultra-reflective. It is a happy post for now we know the "clock" is on and we are "officially" waiting and the date on the calendar tells me we're one month down.

Please pray big prayers for us and all the other waiting families. We sure could use them!

Phew...that was close

Yesterday we got an email from our agency with the subject line "Good News." Here is an excerpt:

"...I am very happy to tell you that you are officially a DTC (dossier to China) family…congratulations! Your dossier was sent to China on October 30, 2007."

Yikes! I thought the good news was going to be our LID. Well, I immediately sent a note back to ensure our dossier had been mailed on October 16th and not the 30th. It was. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal but EVERY single day counts in this process.

So we wait...

The good news and the bad news

Good afternoon~

We just got an email from our social worker letting us know we are officially DTC today. DTC is an acronym for dossier to China. In essence, it means our dossier is leaving our adoption agency and being forwarded to the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) in China. We are thrilled of this news.

So, what now? Oh how we wish the news was good. Quite frankly, it is beyond discouraging. Once the CCAA receives our dossier, they will log it in. That log-in-date (LID) is what starts the clock for us. Right now the wait between LID and referral is approximately 24 months. That timeframe could increase or decrease but the wait has been increasing for quite a while now.

Here's a little background to give you an idea of how slow things have gotten. On April 15, 2005 (2.5 years ago and one day) our dossier was sent to China for Lindy. Our LID was May 9, 2005, our referral date was January 25, 2006, and we met her on April 3, 2006. We waited 8.5 months for a referral. Believe it or not, the CCAA is still processing dossiers from 2005. They are FINALLY into December 2005 LIDs. In the 18 months we've had Lindy, a little over 6 months of paperwork has been processed.

Why so long? That is the question often posed to us. That remains a great mystery and we don't think we'll ever know the answer during this lifetime. There are probably several reasons that the wait has increased so significantly.

As crass and awful as it sounds, a lot of it boils down to basic economic principles of supply and demand. In other words, there are more people waiting to adopt than there are available children. Now that doesn't mean there are only a few children in the orphanages--there are thousands. However, so many (NOT ALL) of prospective adoptive parents are requesting non-special needs children who are as young as possible and these days there just aren't as many. That could mean more biological parents are keeping their children--no matter the gender, it could mean they are opting to pay the steep fines to have more than one child, it could mean there are more special needs children, and, sadly, abortion could be on the rise. There are some other reasons such as many of the orphanages don't participate in international adoption and children are being given away to family members rather than being abandoned.

We're torn about how to feel about this. In our hearts, we hate the fact that there are children in any country who are orphans. We don't "wish" for a big surge of healthy abandoned babies in China so that we can finally have our daughter. We know God led us to adopting Lindy and He has led us to China again. So, we will wait...

We believe God can do anything. We believe in his power and might. While we don't have the answers or know the reason behind the delays, we know He does. Our prayer is that God will affect some change in China and allow for this process to speed up by leaps and bounds. We know He can do it if it His will. We pray for all the children and for all the waiting families that it is His will. We ask you to join us in that prayer, as well.

We also petition your prayers for our patience and for us to remain faithful and optimistic about this long journey. There will be discouraging and disappointing days and days where we will question our decision. We know this. Please pray those days will be few and far between and for us to diligently pray for our daughter's birth parents, caretakers, and her overall health and safety.

Thank you with love~

Don & Lisa

We're tickled pink!

Woohoo!!!
Our dossier is complete and is en route to our agency in New York City. We didn't waste ANY time, yet it still took nearly six months. We are thrilled to have this part of the process behind us. Our social worker will review our documents for accuracy and to ensure everything is complete. Then we hope it won't be too much longer before they forward our dossier to China.

Sadly, because the wait is terribly long right now, many of our documents will expire and we will have to renew them along the way. However, we'll cross those bridges when we get to them. For now, the paperchase is over.


I tied it with a pretty pink bow to remind us we will one day have another daughter.

Don is really the master "paperchaser." He is all about the organizational aspect of it. He takes his profession as a project manager VERY seriously.

The final handoff and last trip to Kinko's for a while. PLEASE be so careful with this package!!! It is our labor of love...

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this chase!