It's been a while since my last post..I'm not good at this stuff. We got an approval from immigration about a week after my last post. PM and I drove to Houston and dropped them at the Consulate, spent the night and drove back the next day. It was a good little get away. I was going on and on about how hot, crowded, and crazy my last visit was and I stood in line 2 1/2 hours, blah blah blah. We walked right in and hardly anyone was there. Same thing the next day. He said I was exaggerating about my first visit...I wasn't and it wasn't fair he didn't experience it :( We got all our paperwork overnighted to the agency then to China that Friday the 29th. We were officially logged into China's database on August 1st! That was from a Friday to a Monday. That is unheard of! We were told it would be at least 14 days. I was bummed out after waiting so long for immigration approval that we wouldn't be logged in by first of August...God showed me...it was just His timing and not mine once again ;)
So now we are in the waiting game once again. We are waiting for our LOA or Letter of Acceptance from China. That is China saying "all you told us is true, you aren't crazy, a murderer, and you will treat this child like your own" Those are my words of course :) It can take any where from 30 days up to 100 days. We are in a group that tends to move quickly because we had picked her and were matched with her before we got all our paperwork logged in rather than after. These move faster for some reason. Still, there is no rhyme or reason as to who gets approved before someone else. If we were given a number when we were logged in and we could wait on that number, well that would make sense and make it easier..so I guess that's why they don't do it this way. So we just wait..I am saying I am not looking for anything until September 15th. That will be 45 days and then if it comes before that I will be pleasantly surprised.
After the LOA we are about 8-10 weeks from travel. There are about 4 more steps from LOA to travel I wont bore you with. They just involve more paper work and more waiting. Basically getting her Visa lined up, etc. The only hitch is that October is a big holiday month for China. Kinda like our Thanksgiving through Christmas. Lots of holidays and office closings. So that may hold us up a week or two if her visa app gets put through at that time. So this is yet another wait...
Still through all this God has continually blessed us beyond measure. People are SOOO generous and so excited for us. I mention that we are adopting and everyone wants to hear our story. It's fun and I get to share how God has moved so much for this to happen. Our families are so excited too and that means the world to us. I can' imagine going through this without their support. Our friends have been unbelievable too. The out pouring and sacrificing they have done for us can never be repaid. But they don't ask for repayment. They just want Isabel home too :-)
We sold all our bracelets the awesome Berry-Patch jewelry made for us! That was another great fundraiser for us that blessed us beyond measure. And alot of our family and friends have the bracelets so I will always be reminded of that when I see them! Check out her page on Facebook. She has the cutest jewelry!
I will post again as soon as we have more news..we probably won't get another update on her until we leave :( But it will be here quick! We (meaning me) are starting to gather lists and cold weather clothes. It's exciting but scary..but I know He wouldn't lead us here and leave us!
He promised us in Hebrews
"I will never leave you
Never will I forsake you"
I tend to believe Him
;0)
