Paperwork and Prayers.

Signing our LOA (Letter of Acceptance) from China.  

For me, feeling this almost-linen-like piece of paper with its bright red official stamp brought on a new wave of emotions.  By signing this, I am promising to never abandon our baby.  Promising to fulfill our commitment to adopt.  I am promising to love and cherish a baby that was born to another Momma.  Another Momma that loved her for 9 months while she grew inside her - and another several months outside of her belly - before deciding for whatever reason - medical reasons or otherwise - that she could no longer keep her baby or give her what she needed.  A Momma who made sure to leave her in a place where she would be found and given the medical attention that she needed.  Here I am literally 7,000 miles away - promising to take care of a baby I have never met - but already love. 

Yes, this must be what it feels like to get hit with a tractor trailer of emotions.  Thankfulness for her Momma - and that her Momma chose LIFE.  Overwhelmed-ness because we are going halfway around the world for a child we have only a few papers worth of information on?  Anxiousness - because despite all the what-ifs - I just want to hold her, make her feel safe and show her love and that family is forever - and I want to do it now.  Sadness - because while I am looking forward to meeting her, holding her, and seeing her face - I know in that same moment she will experience fear of a stranger, grief, and loss - as everything she has known for the last two and a half years will be changing in the blink of an eye, quite possibly with no preparation on her end.   Gratitude - because through all of this we have been loved and supported like we never had imagined we would be. 

I ran the complete gamut of emotions all in the amount of time it took me to sign my name. 

So, what now?


We sent our signed LOA and several other documents (as a packet called an I-800) overnight to the USCIS lockbox in Texas.  They arrived on 4/16/2018.  And again we wait for approval. 

We know we need a quick turnaround on these papers if we want to have any chance of traveling with our agency's June group.  The thought of waiting until July makes me sick to my stomach - but I know that God has brought us this far - and he will not leave us now. 

Please pray with us as we continue to wait on approvals and apply for her visa/immigration paperwork!