The good and the bad

First off, I got confirmation from a contact in China about Ashley's formula.....I had emailed her over concern about the "tainted" formula that has thousands of babies sick in China. She wrote me back today and said that the formula Ashley gets is NOT included in the recall and has been deemed safe!! Praise!

Second, several families got their LOA today but we were NOT one of them. It was a hard day to see all the emails coming in with people asking if we got it and celebrating that they had gotten them. At about 5pm we knew ours was not included. I was a mess. Jay came home with a babysitter in the car! He knew I needed to get out of this house for awhile. We spent some time praying and reading and then got something to eat.

God is still good. This morning I told Him, "Lord, I'll praise you even if we do not get it today" So tonight although I am very broken hearted and weepy, I am praising Him. Praising Him for the close to 50 salvation's/baptisms at our church THIS WEEK. Praising Him that Ashley is in foster care with a foster mother that adores her. Praising Him that her formula is safe. Praising Him that she is HEALTHY.

We have so much to be thankful for. We'll get it soon, I pray. Thanks for praying us through this!

She's Home!!

Susanna is HOME! I have been on my knees for this family and it us such a RELIEF that they are home safe and sound. I have never read a more heartbreaking blog post than the one that Leslie posted the day they met Susannah. However, she is now home in TN with her brothers and has an appointment at Vanderbilt today. Keep checking their site for updates!!

Also, this is day.....? I totally stopped counting.

It will come when it comes, and for today, the Lord has given me a peace about that. I admit that I really thought yesterday was the day...for some reason.

Maybe they were mailed from China yesterday? Maybe tomorrow is the day. I'd really like to have it by the 1st for 2 reasons :

1: we have always asked the Lord that we'd have it by the end of September. 2. her 15 month b-day is that day.
September 1st was a HARD day. It was a hard week, actually. If we had our LOA in hand, maybe it would be a little easier!!

PRAY HARD!

PLEASE PRAY

The Irwins need a miracle in China. You can read about it here, please pray for their daughter Susannah. www.roomforatleastonemore.blogspot.com

Families leaving today!

I added a few of the families that are traveling to the side bar. Most of them will get their children on Monday so keep checking in on them....we'll be on the SAME journey before we know it!!

I am OK!!

I guess that some of you who know me well could read a lot in the previous post that simply said "sigh..." Thank you so much to the friends who sent me private emails just to say, "how are you?" You are truly gifts from God and thank you for being sensitive to the Holy Spirit and checking in on me. I really am doing alright! Last week was really hard with it being the 1st of the month, and knowing we didn't have Ashley on her month birthday. Thank the LORD we don't have to miss a "year" birthday...I may not have made it through that one! We really haven't heard anything new. Some of the families that got their referrals in June got their LOA's this week so that means we're getting closer. What WAS supposed to be about a 2 month wait has been stretched into about a 3 month wait. Most families are now waiting 70-90 days for them, not the 40-60 we were originally told. Of course the entire city of Beijing was shut down for a month, (Olympics) so who knows how that effected things. I'm very grateful for the fact that they are coming in for June people because that means we're next with July. Our prayer all along has been that it would come by the end of September and if it came on the last day, that would mean we would've waited 79 days. Ugg.

Our prayer continues to be that we'll get it in September. We are begging the Lord!! That would put us traveling in November or even early December. What we REALLY don't want to do is travel at Christmas. Yes, people are sometimes in China on Christmas Day. I of course, would go get her whenever they said GO! but I think Christmas away in a far away country without my girls would be so so hard. I really don't think we'll travel THAT late, but the thought does cross my mind. Please just pray it comes in September!!!!!!

We've also applied for three more grants this week. We still need several thousand dollars to complete this so we need the Lord to come through in one way or another. All of our money now is for travel.

Thanks so much for those of you that are checking in on us!! I'm going to start posting a "who's in China" link on the right to show you the families with blogs that are traveling with our agency at any given time. There is a large group there now and one leaving on Thursday so i'll get those links up tomorrow. Enjoy seeing these families unite and pray we get to go SOON!!

I'll leave you with this verse that I've been claiming all week...

"The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, "Surely, just has I have intended, so it has happened, and just as I have planned, so it will stand" Isaiah 14:24

I hope that verse will encourage you in whatever you are waiting on God to do in your own life!

Day 58 waiting for our LOA....

Sigh..........

Happy Birthday Baby~!

Happy 14 Month Birthday Ashley Mei!!

Today is a hard day. I think the 1st of every month is going to be from here on out. Today our girl turns 14 months old! The wait is getting to me these days...it's a long and complicated system and everyday we wait is another day longer we wait to go to China. We're still hopeful for November travel, but it may very well be December. December. Yuck. The only thing I cling to is the promise I felt God gave me last Christmas...she'll be home by this time next year. I hear it whispered to my heart as clear as day, driving to a Christmas party for our SS class. So that's what I hold onto and know that she will be with us this Christmas. He said.

We have a big yard sale coming up this weekend so if you live close by and have some junk, bring it over!! (or come shop for that matter!!) We've still got several thousand to raise for travel so this is our first crack at it. Also, I'm mailing off 3 grant applications tomorrow, so please pray that we get awarded at least one. We'll get there!

Happy Birthday, sweet HaoHao...we love you....and we're going to have the BIGGEST birthday celebration when you turn two next summer!!! We have a lot to make up for!!