Fundraising Homestretch

We have raised...

Provided byFund-Raising-Ideas-Center.com

We have all our program and adoption fees paid...now we just need money to make the two week trip to China.  I not going to hold any more formal fundraisers, however if you considered donating but have not yet, we sure would be blessed if you would consider supporting our efforts to bring this little girl home.  We have a PayPal button to the right on this page, or you can donate directly to us...either way is helpful.

God bless you all and please continue to pray for Ai Lan and our adoption journey!

July Update

I've been very remiss in updating the blog!  So much has happened in the last month, so here's the quick rundown so as not to bore you with the details.

1)  On June 10 our completed dossier was accepted by Holt International.  I can't tell you what a relief it was to have that phase of the adoption process finished!

2)  On June 27, we received a call and email from Holt telling us that our Dossier was logged in with the authorities in China.  Great, we said!  How long from now till we travel to pick up our daughter?  The answer was disappointing...5-8 months away.  Ugh.  We just keep praying that thing move closer to 5 months than 8.

3) That day we also received an email from Holt containing new pictures of Ai Lan and a medical update.  From that update learned some important facts about Ai Lan.  1)  She's still as adorable as ever and we have pictures to prove it, 2)  She has never been seen having a seizure (this is GREAT NEWS!), 3) she has never been tested for glaucoma (not great news since it's a common symptom of SWS), 4) her cognitive and emotional development are right on track with her peers (more GREAT news), however, 4) her motor development on her left side is not normal.

In regards to the motor development, it makes sense that this would be the case since her port wine stain is on the right side of Ai Lan's face.  Basically the wording her caretakers used said, "Her left arm and leg do not cooperate."  When I read that, I would have guessed that I would have had a sinking feeling in my stomach...a feeling of fear, or even though we know it's not her fault at all...disappointment.  But But I didn't panic. In fact, I felt an extreme sense of peace, as if I expected to hear this news all along. He chose Ai Lan to be our daughter and for us to be her parents, and because I know this, I do not fear.   I am reminded of my previous post I titled, "The Beauty of Hope" in which I talked about how refreshing it was to see adoptive families rejoice in the challenges of their adoptive children bring because it was truly a chance for God's power to shine through.  I included this passage from Romans:

"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

 Romans 5:3-5

I'm not going to sit here and pretend that Ai Lan's life is going to be simple, carefree, and rosy.  Whose life is?  I certainly do not want to diminish the likelihood that she and our entire family may struggle due to her health challenges and those challenges stemming from her abandonment, institutionalization, and adoption.  But one thing I know...God is in control, and he never gives us more than we can handle.  Life stinks sometimes.  Suffering happens.  But we can either give in and give up or lean on Jesus.  I trust God's sovereign plan for Ai Lan and our family.

And now...some updated photos!  Try not to gasp in awe too loudly.  :)

And a special thanks to the anonymous Dutch family who took the top three pics of Ai Lan when they visited her orphanage and emailed them to Holt.  God works in mysterious ways, doesn't he?