New Photos and An Update

A fellow adoptive momma got some precious pictures of Zoey when she was in China last week.  Nothing takes longer than waiting for the photos to load on your smartphone so you can lay eyes on your little one.  She is so adorable I can't even stand it!  I've posted a couple of the pictures below.

As far as the process goes...we are getting SO close...and yet it still feels so far away.  We have are waiting for our Article 5 (2 weeks) and then we will await travel approval (TA) (2-4 weeks) which is the...are you ready for it?...LAST STEP!!!!!!!  Once we receive travel approval we will secure a consulate appointment within 48 hours which will determine our exact travel dates.  When the appointment is confirmed, we call the travel agent to book flights!!!!!

So, to sum up, we should have our travel dates in approximately 5 weeks.  Now that doesn't mean we'll travel then...in fact, I suspect we will be going in early November b/c of some travel difficulties in the month of Oct. in China.  There is a national holiday and an international trade fair which causes the rates to triple.  We are resting in the Lord's sovereignty and just know that one day soon, in His perfect time, a frightened, traumatized, precious little preschooler will enter our family forever.  She will be entrusted into our care...and that is not something that can be taken lightly, or entered into without much heart-searching, prayer, and contemplation.

It is so easy in this end stage of waiting to grow frustrated and just waste the days counting down, worrying, complaining, etc.  When the sweet mom that got the photos for me visited with Zoey in the orphanage, her caregiver was with her.  Julie told me that, "She seemed to adore her and they had a very sweet relationship."  I SO needed to hear that.  It reminded me to get outside of myself and focus on Zoey.  On Gotcha Day she will experience one of the worst days of her life from her perspective.  At 3 1/2 she will be ripped away from the only "momma" she has ever known.  She will leave all familiarity, security, comforts, and relationships.  And she will have no way of understanding that it is for her good, and for God's glory.  My heart is burdened with compassion for her...and the compassion I feel for her outweighs the impatience I feel to get on that plane.

I am so ready to meet her...but I am so humbled by what I know lies in store for her on that day.  So instead of praying for paperwork to come (I trust God's got that), I am going to spend my energy praying for her and for the 3 of us as we prepare to become a family of four.  I know that God will supply an abundance of grace to us all...but prayer changes my heart.

So, here are a couple of sweet photos of our future daughter.  When you think of us...please lift her up to the Father....and it's ok to mention that paperwork, too :0)