We received a second email from our FC this morning regarding China's concurrent adoption policy. Obviously, there has been some conflicting info circulating. AWAA still approves concurrent adoption, but the CCAA appears to be changing their mind.



We're not too alarmed by the news though; over the past several weeks Vince & I both have experienced peace about the wait time. Initially, we began to research our options for pursuing another adoption, but were not convinced that Was God's plan for us.

I don't know whether to count down...or up???

Technically, we should be down to 20 months of waiting, but...Vince spoke with our family coordinator last week, and she's losing her optimism. This very well could turn into a three year wait if the CCAA's pace remains static.

On another note, the CCAA has announced they will permit concurrent adoptions. This means we could pursue another adoption while waiting for Mayah. Initially, we were thrilled, but there are several problems. Most agencies and countries will not allow concurrent adoptions, regardless of what China permits. And, there must be at least 12 months between adoptions for families seeking to adopt children concurrently.

Another possibility is to pursue a special needs child from China. Although if we do this, after the SN adoption we'd have to start from scratch to adopt our daughter. We could have a SN boy in probably less than a year.

Who knows?
Please pray with us as we seek God's wisdom to stay the course or pursue another avenue.

Official "Log In" Date

We received our confirmation email from AWAA yesterday stating that our official "log in date" (LID) was July 31st. So we were in fact logged in while we were in China!
Shortly after 7/31/07, China began translating our paperwork. The translation process takes an average of 5-8 weeks (so, we're currently in the middle of translation).
Along with our LID, we were notified of the current wait time: 22 months. AWAA seems optimistic that we should expect the wait to decrease sometime around May 2008. This will be exactly one year after China received the huge influx of applicants trying to beat the new adoption regulations.

I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you- Jesus

Support Needed

the following is an excerpt from the American Center for Law & Justice:

Support Human Rights and Religious Freedom
There are troubling reports out of the Gaza Strip, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern nations. Islamic terrorists are targeting Christian residents and forcing them to convert to Islam under threat of death. This coerced conversion to Islam violates international law and is simply unacceptable. We must stand up and speak out on behalf of freedom for these Christians. Please read the form carefully and declare your membership with the ACLJ by signing our online Petition to Protect Religious and Human Rights.

Petition to Protect Religious and Human Rights
Ms. Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
We proclaim to Christians of the Middle East that we support their religious freedom and the protection of their human rights. We cannot sit idly by while terror reigns in the Middle East and the persecution of Christians and forced conversion to Islam continues in Gaza, Egypt, and other Islamic nations.
We, the undersigned, in solidarity with the persecuted Christians in the Middle East, pledge our unwavering support and strongly urge you to provide a full investigation to protect these citizens and work to safeguard their religious and human rights.

You can sign this petition electronically by clicking the link below:

http://www.aclj.org/

enter you zip, then select 'sign a petition'

Ni Hao

We're home from China...what an amazing trip! Thank you for your prayers!! Flights were on time (with luggage), no one got sick (even though we ate some crazy food), and most importantly many opened their hearts!

Our team spent the afternoon with a student SBC sponsored. Her family cooked lunch for us...actually, a feast. It was the equivalent of a Thanksgiving meal in the US. We were honored and humbled by their generosity!

Vince is helping some middle school students practice English. Most all students in China are exposed to English; it is considered a lucrative language.

This is a student who had received a scholarship. Her eyes filled with tears as she thanked us for paying her tuition. Chinese culture is typically unemotional, so it was a special moment to see her soul so deeply moved.

Two of our days in the villages were spent with students (and their families) that receive scholarships from our church. There is no public education in China, therefore these students would otherwise not be able to continue their schooling. They are truly grateful and work very hard. Meeting a crucial physical need opens the door for us to share with them.

It was surreal to be in China at this point in our adoption...now, fully comprehending China is the birth country of our daughter. Many times I wondered if we had crossed paths with Mayah's birth mother (yes, I realize China is a big country, BUT, God is bigger). It was a blessing for our team to be able to pray for our adoption while physically in China! Are hearts are more ready than ever to bring her home!

Ironically enough...

I spoke with our family coordinator this morning, and it looks like all is well with our dossier. It's expected to be Fed-Ex'd to China this Friday. Upon arrival, we'll receive our log-in-date (LID).

Right now the estimated wait for a referral from the LID is 22 months. However, our fc seemed very optimistic about a possible decrease in the wait time after the first of the year. That would be wonderful! Several factors affect the wait time: stricter criteria enforced in May which disqualifies families (this one makes me sad), and families pulling-out b/c the wait is too long.

Ironically enough, this Friday Vince & I are headed to China with a missions team from church. What are the odds of that!! I'm not sure if we'll be chasing our paperwork, or, if it'll be chasing us.

We appreciate your prayers while we're in China: safe travel, safety from unclean food/water, invisible to the authorites and divine appointments.

Saying Good-Bye

Happy 4th! Vince and I celebrated the 4th of July a little unconventionally this year, although we did celebrate. Several months ago you may remember I began painting Mayah's room. Well, I never finished it. Overwhelmed by the frustration of waiting on INS and the possibility that we may not even live in this house by the time Mayah comes home (does anyone stay in a home more than 5 years these days?), I moved the paint cans to the garage.

This Wednesday Vince & I decided to finish the task. We had previously been undecided about continuing to paint the walls 2 colors...would it make the house less marketable should we sell?? We finally came to the conclusion that we didn't care. This is where we live, so this is where we're preparing for our daughter. 'If' we sell, we'll deal with that later...one day at a time.

So we celebrated a very special freedom: living in a country that protects, and makes possible, the opportunity to grow our family the way God has directed us to -- by international adoption! Mayah, your walls are dry!!

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

On another note, it's never easy to say good-bye...as a matter of fact, I prefer not to say it at all! (Suppose that could be traced back to one of my personality flaws) But this past Tuesday I couldn't escape it. I had to hug a neck, and say good-bye. Some very close friends of ours here in Springfield, MO moved to Texas. Might I mention one of the most southern cities in Texas, Corpus Christie. We will miss Scott and Lori and their children, Caleb & Anna. Like Vince, Scott is a minister ( and, might I add an excellent Bible teacher). It's always a blessing to connect with 'spiritual' soul-mates, and the McDonald's are definitely that!! We'll miss you!!