Happy New Year dear friends and family. The last time we posted a blog, we were all anxiously awaiting the holidays. It is hard to believe all that is behind us, and we have embarked on a new year. We certainly hope that you all had a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends. We spent a restful Christmas in Alabama with my parents. Now that the frenzy of all that celebrating is complete, we are looking ahead to the new year as we are planning and praying.
Also, we finally have an update!! Yes, it has taken that long to emerge from the waiting phase I spoke of last time. Our Dossier (paperwork) is finished. This week we sorted, photocopied and finally mailed it to Holt International. They perused all the papers and made sure everything was in order. Then on Friday, it was picked up by Fed Ex and is now on its way to China. It should be logged in within the next two weeks, then the matching process steps up a notch. Up until this point, they have consulted their designated list of children for matching (this is a particular group of children that only Holt International can place.) However, now, as soon as our dossier is logged in with China, they can match us with a child from the "shared list". This is a broader list that is open to all adoption agencies. When I asked our agency the expected time frame after the log in date, they said it was anywhere from 1-6 months. We are all so excited! (At times terrified too!) There will be a brief delay because of the celebration of the Chinese New Year. That starts January 31st and many offices are closed for 3 weeks in honor of that holiday.
With that said, can I just say that the beauty of embarking on a mission that is bigger than you can handle is that you see the way God provides. On the Sunday right before Christmas, we got a $4,800 donation from an anonymous source in our church. It completely took us by surprise and was such a great Christmas gift! Then, of course, He has also used many of you to help, as you have prayed and given to our cause. Thank you so very much. I wish I could hug you all and personally tell you how much it means to me. And I as pray for our little girl, I am overwhelmed that she is already loved by so many. So in total we have raised about $9,000 towards our goal! I can't help but grin as I write that! God has a way of giving just what we need at just the right time! We have a few more ideas for fundraising that will, hopefully, unfold in the next few months. We have also applied for some grants. We have had the answer of "maybe" from one agency so far, and the other one is on hold until we are actually matched. Whew. . .it is hard. But it is worth it. Thanks for reading this and please pray for our little one when you get a chance.
