Nearing the End

I love to write almost more than anything. I'm able to express my thoughts much more clearly than I am through word of mouth. It's where my heart is revealed. It's where I feel comfortable exposing myself. I'm saying all this to simply say I miss it. This season of life is unbelievably busy, no matter how much we commit to keeping it simple. And busy is good! We are blessed beyond measure to be given a multitude of responsibilities for the furthering of His kingdom. But things like writing go by the wayside when you are flying through life at mach speed. Anyway, I'm glad to be here.

Our adoption journey is plugging along quite nicely. We received our LOA (letter of approval) from China, which basically states we have been granted full permission to adopt Samuel. The next step involved was submitting an application (i800) to US Immigration requesting citizenship for Samuel. We are currently waiting for this approval. Our travel estimate still seems to be on target for mid-August.

I will be traveling to China alone this time. It was a hard decision to make but we believe the best one for our family. After we adopted Emily, we said that if we do it again, either we're all going or just one parent goes. The price tag for 6 of us to travel to China is more than we could stomach. Don't get me wrong, if money wasn't an issue, we'd all be on that plane headed for "didi" (little brother in Chinese). God has prepared me well for this journey around the globe. It's possible that a special friend, who works at an orphanage in China, will be able to meet me and help throughout my travels. We'll know for sure after our travel dates are confirmed. And if not, we have an amazing agency who will pair me with an English speaking guide. These guides work directly for Lifeline and are trusted and well-known throughout our adoption community. I am very comfortable traveling to China alone. My tenacity and skepticism should serve me well. ;)

God has been so faithful in providing the finances for this adoption. We are only about $5,000 away from being fully funded! We don't plan on having anymore fundraisers before travel. We are certainly grateful for any future donations to help bring Samuel home but we have no doubt that God will provide the funds another way if donations are not in His plan. We saved quite a bit over the past few months and will continue to tighten our belts where needed. I am certain it will happen!

The next few weeks will involve more paperwork and lots of stalking the mailbox and email. We'll be sure to keep you posted on our progress (feel free to like our FB page at www.facebook.com/LomanAdoption for more frequent updates). I'm also beginning to plan and pack for the trip. It's hard to believe we're almost at the end... the beginning of a new journey, really. If you would, please pray for our Samuel. We are asking God to protect him and keep him healthy until I can get there. As always, your prayers are coveted and appreciated!