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Our Story
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”-Jeremiah 29:11
Our adoption voyage began a few years ago, as we watched friends bring their daughter home from China. As we followed their journey, Chet and I started to think that we could one day see ourselves adopting internationally. We thought that this would be something that we would do after we had biological children—sometime further down the road. It’s funny how God’s plans are different than ours, isn’t it?
When God had not blessed us with biological children after a couple of years, we started to look more seriously at adoption. As I don’t really like to fly, we looked at countries like Korea and Guatemala because they offer an escort option for bringing children home. As we continued in our search for the perfect program, God kept turning us back to China. Soon, I found myself comfortable with the idea of getting on an airplane and flying to the other side of the world. That’s how Chet says he knew for sure that we were supposed to go to China—I mentioned it without batting an eye at the idea of travel.
We settled on an agency, The Open Door, and in January 2005, we began our paperchase. For months, we collected documents, had physicals, got fingerprinted, filled out forms, and had our homestudy completed. The fact that there are several notaries in our church family became a huge blessing. Sometimes the preparation seemed like it would be endless. At the end of May, we were finally able to take our dossier and turn it over to our agency. They then sent it to the Chinese Consulate in Houston, TX for further authentication and then to our facilitator. Next stop—China!
There are two important dates for China adoptive families that come at this point in the process—the DTC date (dossier to China) and LID (log-in date). Our DTC date was June 27, 2005, and our LID was July 5, 2005. Now, we are in the long waiting period between LID and referral, when we will receive pictures and information about our child. Looking at current data, we will probably get our referral around January 2006, although it may be sooner or later. We will continue to update this journal as we receive more information.
Thank you for following our voyage to bring Mary Joyce home!
December Update
As of early December, here is the latest news on the adoption front: Referrals are currently taking much longer than they were when we originally started the adoption process. (Referral is when we will receive a picture of Mary Joyce and information about her. Travel is, on average, two months after referral.) At first we thought we would get our referral around January, which will be 6 months after our LID (log-in date). Currently, the time frame is running closer to 9 months from LID, which gives us an estimated referral date of April. Our referral could come earlier or later than that, however. Right now, we are at the “wait and see” stage of things. The CCAA has received more than the usual number of dossiers from adoptive families in the months with LIDs preceding ours. That has caused this slow-down. Pray for us and all other adoptive families as we await news of our precious children.
Mary Joyce's first Christmas Ornament
April Update
(April 5, 2006)Nine months ago today, our dossier was logged in by the CCAA. We are still waiting for our referral of Mary Joyce. We can’t wait to see her precious little face. Right now, we are full of questions—When will our referral come? What will Mary Joyce look like? Will she have a full head of hair, or will she not have much hair at all? How old will she be? How much will she weigh? Is she in an orphanage or in foster care? What province is she in?
The waiting is tough. Just imagine being pregnant for over 14 months and not knowing your due date. That will give you some idea of where we are right now. One thing that we do know is that our referral is coming. With each batch of new referrals that comes from China, we move a little closer to our turn. We truly covet your prayers as our wait for our little girl continues.
May Update
(May 14, 2006-Mother's Day)Chet greeted me with this when I got up this morning, and I want to share it. (I think he's pretty special.) :-)
Dear Mommy,
I know it's Mother's Day, and that you are sad because you think that you are not a mother yet. I know that you thought that last year would be your last Mother's Day without me. I know that this morning, you are going to have to do a children's sermon on Mother's Day, all the while wishing I was there with you.
Even though I am still in China, and you and Daddy have not come to get me yet, you are still my mother. You don't know what I look like, or what province I live in, but I am still yours. Even though my birth mother gave me up, I know that when the time is right you will come and get me, and we will be a family together.
Meanwhile, I'm somewhere here in China, wondering if I am ever going to have a real family. I wonder if I am ever going to have a brother or a sister. I wonder what it is like to have a father, and I wonder if I am ever going to have a mother. I wonder what you, my mother, are going to look like. I wonder if I am going to take on your sense of practicality, or am I going to take Daddy's impulsiveness, or some of both. I wonder if I am going to take Daddy's strange sense of humor, or will I have one all my own.
There are so many questions for both of us, the most pressing being, "When will we finally be together?" I wish I knew. I only know that, just as you found a husband when everything was ready, so we shall find each other on just the right day.
Until then, know that I love you, and that you are, and always will be, my Mother.
Love,
Mary Joyce
Referral
(August 6, 2006)It's been almost a week since we got our referral. We have long held a picture of Mary Joyce in our hearts; now we know what that picture looks like. Poor thing, everyone says she looks like her father. I hope that changes as soon as possible.
Backing up a week, here is how everything played out: Last week, we heard through the grapevine that referrals were coming, and that our LID was included in this group. We waited, and we waited, and we waited, and nothing. It seems that the Chinese office that handles adoption, which had been rumored for months to be getting ready for a move, was finally moving. Our referral would be delayed by a week or so.
Then there was some confusion with the people that received the information from China, causing another delay. However, at the end of it, we have been given all of the information on our new baby girl. Now, we just have to go and get her.
Looking at her picture, it is starting to sink in that I am going to be a father soon. I think I was wrapped around her little finger as soon as I saw the picture. She is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen.
In a few weeks, we should be getting travel dates, and a little while after that, we should be traveling to go get her. After that, life changes forever. They say that life will never be normal again. Others say that life is normal again, except that "normal" has now changed. I think both are saying the same thing: it's going to be a life-altering event. I can't wait.
Chet
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