Surgery Day!

Well surgery day is tomorrow, October 5th. We are expected at KU Med Center at 6:30am which means we have to leave the house at 5:00am. Hope is healthy and doing well today. She is in good spirits. However, she has no idea what tomorrow brings. We delayed the surgery by three weeks to have access to the newest cochlear device and implant that was released by FDA on September 8th. The new device and implant is 40% smaller. YAY! We are excited, yet very nervous for this next phase! Please pray to guide the doctor's hands, smooth surgery with no complications, and quick recovery!! We will check in to let everyone know how she is doing!!

Well it has been a great day...our insurance company has approved bilateral cochlear implants for Hope! Surgery is scheduled for September 15th. Paul and I are trying to wrap our brains around all that God has done in our lives but also in Hope's life!! Just to think that 9 weeks ago she was sitting in a remote orphanage in southern China and now she is enrolled in preschool and will be blessed with wonderful medical technology. It is hard to believe that technology is so advanced that the most profoundly deaf child will become a hearing child. Don't get me wrong...she won't be "fixed" like we hear necessarily but she will be able to discriminate sound over time. Also, over time, with much endurance, perseverance, and training, she can potentially learn to talk!!! God has brought us this far....He continues to work miracles in this little girls life. So many people say that she is sssooo lucky to have been adopted but the lucky ones are Paul, Megan, JT, and I. She is such a blessing in our lives.

She is enrolled in the regular preschool class in the morning and then goes to special education preschool in the afternoon. She has shed lots of tears but the great thing is that she sees me come and pick her up and feels secure in that. The great thing about working in her district is that I can see her many times throughout the day. I eat lunch with her everyday and drive her to afternoon preschool in a neighboring district.

I am prepared to take time off work during implantation and then activation. Probably the most difficult time for her will be the time of activation. She will likely struggle with hearing for the first time and will want to take it off but it will have to be mandated much like a seat belt in a car.

I would be lying if I told everyone that I was not scared and nervous about the whole process. It is a major undertaking and we, as a family, are committed to the process.

In the meantime, our whole family is going to take a sign language class at the Kansas School for the Deaf. It will be an intermediate course and is very cheap. We need to continue to learn ASL because Hope is learning so fast that she may pass us up if we are not carefull.

Please continue to pray for the entire process and that God guide and comfort us during this most difficult time!!

Praise God for all He has done...We are just a blessed family and words cannot describe this experience of adoption! I will post pics soon when I can get a chance to download pics!

Off to work I go!!!

Hello everyone!! Sorry for the delay in an update...life with the new little one takes a lot of my time!! I will get new pics posted very soon I promise.

Hope has an ABR test tomorrow at Children's Mercy Hospital. She will be put under to measure the brain waves in relation to sound. The behavioral assessments that were completed by the audiology department were inconsistent so they opted to do this procedure to determine a more accurate level of deafness. This will also be the final step in determining what the insurance will cover as far as cochlear implants. Paul and I are still gathering information and advice regarding this procedure. However, we are definitely leaning towards having them implanted.

She is sssooo smart. She recognizes and understands 70+ signs and is actually signing 30+ signs to us!!! She has only been part of our family since June 29th. That is 6 weeks people!!! I am thrilled with her progress. She has adjusted miraculously. She isn't the same child we brought home 4 weeks ago. Each and every day, I fall more in love with her!! She is darling. Her personality will knock your socks off and you will laugh for hours watching her!!! It is amazing how God orchestrated our family to include a child who fits so perfectly into our lives!! Thank you God for my wonderful family!!!

I start back to work on Friday. I am ready to get life back to normal and to get her started in preschool to see her shine even more. Her BIG IEP meeting is August 21st. It is a rather strange feeling being in the role of the parent as opposed to the Director!!!

Everyone has adjusted very well to the addition to the family...JT and Megan are fabulous with her. I thank God that those two have accepted her from the start and they are a huge help to me in getting her adjusted.

I have posted lots of pics!! Enjoy!!

We're Home!!

Okay...I need to start out by apologizing to all of you who follow for not posting! But I think I may be back in the groove of life with our new addition!

Hope is doing wonderful. She is such a joy to have in our home! She is sleeping at night very well. She is not getting up through the night. She stills kind of needs a nap but does not get one every day. She gets pretty defiant when there is no nap. She is attaching to all of us. We were out the other night at our friend's house and it was late. She signed "drive home" to us and wanted all five of us to get in the vehicle and go!! She is a hoot!

She has no trouble with communicating with us. However, she does have temper tantrums when told no sometimes. When she tantrums, she has ALOT of anger. I think that is when we see the frustration of the communication barrier!

We have had numerous appointments with physicians. The ENT would like her to get cochlear implants asap. We go to a consultation and evaluation this Wednesday at the KU med center. She also has a CAT scan scheduled for tomorrow morning in which she will be put under for the procedure. The ENT needs to make sure the inner ears are properly structured before going any further with cochlear implant consideration. She finishes her audiology testing on the 27th. At this point, she is declared as profoundly deaf which is just what we suspected.

Out sign language tutor comes tonight for our first meeting with Hope! I'm afraid Hope is going to pass us up at some point because she is so smart!! She knows several signs already!

I plan on staying home with her until preschool starts!! Our goal is to provide a full day of preschool services including regular ed and special ed. Hopefully she will be able to do it. If not, we will reevaluate to determine which placement is most effective and appropriate. Otherwise, I have babysitting set up if needed.

We took Hope swimming last week and she loved it. We took her out on the boat yesterday and she tubed with Paul and then with JT. She definitely fits in well with us. She tells it like it is confident. I wouldn't want it any other way for her life here in America!

Please continue to pray for proper attachment and bonding with all of us.

The Awesome Power of Prayer!!!

What a difference a day makes.......prayers for bonding are being answered.....Let's keep it up!!! There has been a breakthrough.  Hope is allowing Lee to cuddle and touch in a nurturing way.  When Lee left the room, Hope got upset.  Paul and Hope had to go looking for her.  Lee sounds so much better.....calmer, happier....peaceful!  There will continue to be some challenges.....but with each challenge comes a giant leap of progress.  

3 Days and Counting!!!

Well, they made it to Guangzhou - the last leg of their trip.  Lee is pretty much done with China!  She wants to come home....and see her kids....and introduce us all to Hope. 

I have a special prayer request tonight.  Lee Ann is really struggling emotionally.  Hope is not bonding with her like she expected.  She is very grateful that she is bonding so well with Paul, but very sad that Hope has not taken to her in the same way.  She has cried quite a bit in the last couple of days.  Rationally, she knows that this is normal, and it has only been 1 week, but emotionally it has taken a toll on her.  Please pray that Lee and Hope will bond.  Pray that Lee has peace and patience in this process.  Additionally, pray that they have safe travels home this week and the transition is as smooth as possible.

As always, thanks for your continued prayers!  It won't be long now!!!!!!

More Answered Prayers

Lee and Paul and Hope are all doing very well.  They have had zero problems with communication.  Hope makes her needs known VERY well.  I Skype in to them every morning and every evening.  I like to just watch her.  She is very theatrical in her expressions.  That is clearly the way she communicates, and she has already started using some signs.  She is so smart.  She will pick up ASL in no time.

She is not napping, which could be one reason she is so hyper.  She just gets so darn tired.  She does sleep well at night. It has rained there the past three days, so they are also cooped up in a small hotel room......Lee Ann said that Hope reminds her of Mowgli in the Jungle Book.  Wild !!!  She is definitely testing her limits.  The bonding process is going very well, especially with Paul.  She adores him.  

She also LOVES bath time and swimming.  Yesterday she had 4 baths!  After watching Lee Ann, she wants her hair up in a towel after bath time!

Specific prayer requests:  Lee Ann has really been missing Jordan and Megan.  She's been a little weepy.  Please pray for her comfort.  Continue to pray for bonding.  There is still one more risk of quarantine, and start praying for that flight home on the 9th....it's going to be a long day for ALL of them.

I have added more photos to the link below....You can click the "Hope Gotcha Day" link to see them.  Thanks for all your prayers!  They are being answered daily.

Gotcha Day

Whew....what a day......Lee and Paul met Hope at 11 AM China time (10 PM last night for us).  Certainly there have been answered prayers.  Hope got very upset when her caretakers left.  She threw a 25 minute tantrum, thrashing about, but when they got her to the hotel room they had all of her new toys, clothes and candy laid out....she calmed down and has been great every since!!!  Praise God! 

Here's what we know about her.  She is very very smart......she imitates easily and smells everything.  If you show her something once, she can do it.  They haven't started signing too much yet.  She is able to sign I love you.  They will start with the flash cards soon.  I have attached a link with some photos.  If you are unable to see them, let me know and I will post them directly to the blog.

Specific prayer requests:  that she will continue to bond, that she will have peace and calm.  The trip home is a prayer need.  She is very active (terms like Tazmanian Devil have been used to describe her!!!)  Please pray that the trip home will go smoothly.

Here is the link for the photos:

Hope Gotcha Day Photos 

36 Hours till HOPE!!!!!

Jill here again.....

Lee and Paul spent the day sightseeing.  They also had their first authentic Chinese meal.  Lee Ann described it as, "dog poop, mixed with cat poop!!!!"  It was actually duck.....but it still had the head attached....blech......She went back to the hotel and ordered a cheeseburger!  They fly to Hunan tomorrow to prepare for her meeting with Hope.

Specific prayer requests:  Safe travels to Hunan, that Hope will have a calmness and peace about her, that she will bond and attach easily.  

Lee is hoping that they will be able to blog when they get to Hunan.  They have been able to Skype with the kids which has helped.  Hopefully Skype will work in Hunan so we can see Hope!!!!

More to come!  Keep praying!!!!!!

No Quarintine!!!!!

This is JIll posting. They are having difficulty accessing the blog while in Beijing. They will try again in Hunan.

Lee and Paul arrived in Beijing this morning (our time) at 2:15 AM......They took the temperatures of every passenger 3 times upon arrival!!!! They were NOT quarantined because of the H1N1 Virus! Praise God!!!!! One hurdle cleared. Today and tomorrow will be sight seeing. Forbidden City, Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square....Then they will fly to the Hunan province to meet Hope on Sunday. They will get Hope on Monday China time....which is late Sunday for us in the states! For those of you keeping track of the time....they are 13 hours ahead of us!

Please continue to pray for bonding for Hope!!!!! Thanks for your continued prayers!!!!!

Almost There!!

Well we are scheduled to fly out at 7:23am Wednesday, June 24th!! What an unbelievable experience the miracle of adoption brings! I have been looking at the pile of "stuff" in the middle of my bedroom floor and wondering how it's all going to fit in the luggage! I have managed to purchase nearly all travel size bottles to help with space...If only I had my sister out here who is known to be the "master packer" of the family! I have been known to over pack a time or two in my life so this will be a challenge.

The kids are doing great! Megan and JT are anxiously awaiting for their sister to arrive! They have been amazing. We have all expanded our ASL to talk with Hope.

I find myself looking at Hope's picture almost hourly during waking hours. I can't describe the emotional feelings that Paul and I are experiencing at this moment. We will have her in our arms June 29th which will be June 28th here. I have posted an itinerary below:

Group Schedule (detailed events are always subject to change)

Date	Itinerary	Hotel
Thurs, June 25	Groups arrive in Beijing	Renaissance Beijing Hotel
Fri, June 26	Free day or optional sightseeing
Sat, June 27	Group Sightseeing: TianAnMen Square & Forbidden City, the Great Wall (Juyongguan), Lunch is included. Orientation
Sun, June 28	Flight to Changsha CA1349 (11:25a-13: 35p)	­­­­Dolton Hotel
Mon, June 29	Meet children
Tues, June 30	Do adoption procedure (registration & notary)
Wed, July 1	Sightseeing: School and YuLu Academy
Thur, July 2	Sightseeing: Hunan Provincial Museum
Fri, July 3	Get paperwork back, Flight to GZ CZ3166 (20:20p-21: 35p)	China Hotel
Sat, July 4	Medical exam for children
Sun, July 5	Free day
Mon, July 6	Free day
Tues, July 7	ACS appointment; Farewell dinner
Wed, July 8	Go to ACS to take oath and get visa late
Thurs, July 9	Departure to US

Hopefully, I will be able to blog each day.....

Paul and I will share an anniversary when we are there on July 8th....14 years!! What a great way to celebrate our marriage with the wonderful miracle of adoption!

Please pray for us specifically in the area of travel and bonding and attachment. Please pray that we arrive in Beijing without any quarantine. Please pray that God prepare her heart and that when she meets us, she knows immediately that we are her mommy and daddy and that she is loved dearly. Please pray that God give her a sense of peace and contentment.....Something only God can give her.

Thank you in advance for all your prayers!!! We feel them each and every day!

June 4, 2009

We finally got the clearance to make travel reservations to go get our girl!! We will be departing on June 24th and coming home on July 9th. We are scheduled to get her June 29th which will be exactly three months from the day we laid eyes on her!! My father has been praying for us to have her in our arms within three months!! Prayers answered! Thanks Dad! I am experiencing a whirlwind of emotion...we feel like we are more than ready to be her mommy and daddy! I need to continue to practice my ASL! This is the first day of summer break and what a wonderful way to start the break with news such as this. Please continue to pray that we go and get her without any issues like being quarantined, etc.

June 3, 2009

Today was an unbelievable day...rather unexpectedly, we received updated information and photos of our daughter!! I can't explain the emotion of seeing her! She is beautiful! About an hour after receiving the photos, we were told that June 25th travel wasn't going to happen with the swine flu, new TB requirements and new I171 requirements! For a moment I was crushed but quickly referred back to her pictures that were taken today!! Nothing could steal my joy today!!!

May 28, 2009

We FINALLY received Travel Approval today! We got a little spoiled with how fast everything was moving up until the final step! The swine flu has impacted our travel dates. We were originally set up to travel June 4th, then it got pushed back to June 25th. Then our government decided to put new stipulations on chinese immigrant children entering our country. Any child ages 2-14 is required to have a negative TB test before leaving China. This throws another monkey wrench into our travel. Now they need to rearrange travel again to give us extra days at the tail end of our trip during the medical exam. This has been an emotional roller coaster!

April 15, 2009

We received our referral today! Much sooner than we expected!! Here we come! The next step is Travel Approval! Could not upload actual referral picture but have two more we received the day we requested more information on her!

The following is an account of our wonderful journey to Hope from October 2005-March 2009

October 2005 – How It All Started

I attended my first “judgment house” at our local church. I knew at that moment that I had a purpose on this Earth and that Jesus did indeed love me. Soon after this life changing experience by God, I was listening to K- Love, which is a local Christian radio station that broadcasts nationwide. It discussed the miracle of adoption. That day, as I entered my classroom, I got on my computer and searched the adoption agency that was advertised on the radio station. I soon confided in Paul the feelings I was having regarding helping a child in need of a home, a mommy, and a daddy. We searched for a local seminar on the topic of international adoption and, ironically, found one that happened to be hosted by our former church.

So it began, after much prayer we were accepted by Children’s Hope International to be prospective adoptive parents to a little girl in China. We began what they call the paper chase process of collecting and putting together our dossier. We worked diligently gathering documents, writing reports, seeking medical appointments, etc to deliver to China. Thus began the wait…..One thing we knew for sure was that her name would be Hope.

July 14, 2006 – LID

We were successfully logged in to China Center for Adoption Affairs with a LID of July 14, 2006. The wait time at that time was 15 months…then 20 months…then 24 months…then 30 months…then 32 months…

During the wait, which I must say we were very patient, two of our church families received their children, and it was sight of true love. It became very apparent that a love was growing in my heart for a child that I didn’t know….or so I thought. Often times during the wait, our family would comment that they thought and believed that Hope was already born and alive. We prayed for her daily and thought of life with her and for some reason God was delaying our meeting. But little did I know that our meeting had already occurred in our heart.

Many times our agency would display “waiting children” on their web site. These were children with special needs. I knew, as a Special Ed Director that there were certain disabilities that I would take on in my personal life. I would look through the children periodically and pray for the Holy Spirit to prompt me if there were any children that we should consider as ours. As the months went by, our agency experienced an issue with Hague compliance, which prevented us from receiving any waiting children to view. So the thought of a waiting child disappeared from my mind for several months.

Our agency received their Hague accreditation once again and began displaying the waiting children. Numerous emails went out to all of Children’s Hope families encouraging them to view the children. They encouraged us to complete paperwork so that they could match us with specific children. I printed the application and the instructions to become a part of this “waiting child” list, but never completed it to turn it in. I thought, “Well, maybe I was being impatient.”, but both Paul and I were concerned as the time went by and as our own children grew, that we were becoming too old for diapers, formula, cribs, crawling, and so forth. The age gap between the children was becoming a concern for both of us.

March 22, 2009 – A Week of Prayer

The week of the 22nd, I committed to praying every morning at 5:30am to bring Hope home soon. I prayed that God would speed the process up and we get her quickly. I usually watch Adoption Stories on TLC at 5:30 every morning and decided to leave the TV off that week and pray for Hope. I did this Monday through Friday.

March 29, 2009 – My First Look at Hope

After a week of focused prayer, I accessed the Children’s Hope web site. It was a Sunday afternoon and sort of a lazy day for all of us. I scrolled down the page of children who were defined as the “harder to place children”, again praying for the Holy Spirit to prompt me. And there she was, the very last child on the page. She had pigtails and a cute face. Beside her name it read Deaf. I immediately clicked on her information and read her story. Her caretakers wrote a very touching description of her. If was obvious that she was loved by them. I began reading her information all the while something was fluttering in my heart. Then I read, “Her large eyes are filled with hope”. The description was beautiful and I immediately called Paul down to see her. I couldn’t help myself so I submitted a request for more information. At that point, I thought someone else had already requested her information and there was little chance I would have an opportunity to review her.

A phone call came in shortly after from my friend Kim Wilhelmson. I told her about the little girl and the quote about hope. Chills went up her spine and she screamed “you found her”. “That’s her Lee Ann!!!” I began to get excited but was still very guarded. The rest of the day was a normal Sunday lazy day. I did not get back on to check my emails for the rest of the evening because I knew that Children’s Hope did not work on Sundays. I continued to think about her and looked at her a couple more times that day. I didn’t call my family because a part of me was fearful of their reaction. Although we had family members who were deaf and I was a sped director, I still thought I may have been out of my mind to think we could meet her needs.

March 30, 2009 – She’s Still Available

The next morning at 6:00am I checked my email and much to my surprise, the agency emailed me on Sunday just two hours after my request for review. I had no idea that they monitored the children on the weekends. The email stated that she was still available. I read the paperwork that morning, and again, something was happening in my heart. I couldn’t explain the way I felt when I looked at her picture. She looked like Hope!! As crazy as it sounded. I read through her paperwork and her name which is Guimei means the hope for a happy life! Excitement was filling my heart. So I decided to pick up the phone and tell my sister about this little girl who was labeled as Deaf-Dumb. Much to my surprise, my sister sounded tender and curious about this little girl. She moved to her computer and looked at her immediately. We discussed a few things about children who are deaf. But something was moving in her heart as well. Something we couldn’t explain nor reveal with this phone call.

I asked her to call my mom and let her know that we were reviewing a “waiting child”. I was afraid of the rejection and thought I would be told by someone that I was just being impatient and that I needed to wait on a healthy baby. I was still calm because I thought I had time to review the paperwork since I requested the information and it was my understanding that only one person could review the information at a time. There was a sense of peace that enveloped me during this time. Something only God could give me. My sister called me back shortly after she spoke to Mom with elation and said that I missed out on something very special with my mom. Mom knew immediately that this little girl was ours….WOW…..I am getting a little more anxious about this little girl. God seemed to be working and confirming through members of our family. I called my mom and I requested prayer and her words to me were, “My prayers aren’t whether you adopt her, it’s to get her home quickly”!!! We cried together. But I knew that I could not be overcome by emotion…that I needed to keep a level head and get a game plan as to what the next step would be.

I called Paul and told him about her. I read through the paperwork and told him to pray and that I was feeling overwhelming heart felt feelings. The next 36 hours were a blur for me. I decided to call the agency and asked how much time I had to review her paperwork. I thought I had about a week but wasn’t sure so just wanted to double check. In the meantime, my sister was making phone calls in her hospital to get physicians to review her paperwork. Excitement was beginning to consume me. She looked like Hope to me. Could it be? Could it be that she is four years old and waiting on us to find her? Could it be that God had to prepare our hearts to melt when we saw her? Could it be that all this time, she was alive? Could it be that our family experienced one disability in our lifetime and this happens to be the disability that she has? All of these questions but no answers………yet.

Christina answered the phone at the agency and told me that Guimei was actually on a shared list with multiple agencies! UUUHHHOOO. Fear consumed me….She was mine after all at least that is what my heart was feeling. Others could be praying that she be a part of their family. She said that I would have to “lock her in”, which meant I had 48 hours to determine if she was a good fit for us and we were a good fit for her. If we haven’t decided in 48 hours, she would be lost forever. Our agency would never be able to place her. I called Paul immediately and told him that these feelings were strong enough that I think we should put a lock on her and see what happens. So a couple hours later, I called Christina back and told her to lock her in. As I told Christina this, I could hear someone in the background squealing. Christina told this person that the “Laune’s want to lock her in”. After we locked her in, it ultimately meant that she was ours if we chose her. Once we were successfully locked, Christina proceeded to tell me what the squealing was all about. Rebecca, which is who I have always dealt with at the agency, told me that on Friday, March 27, 2009, she saw this child on the CCAA website. The agency was inundated with paperwork for all the families searching for waiting children. Paperwork was piled high and the social workers had no time to scan the CCAA website to upload children to our agency site. However, Rebecca quickly scanned the CCAA website toward the end of the day and found Guimei…she was beautiful and “something” told Rebecca that she just had to get this child uploaded before the weekend for adoptive families to see her. This was the only child she had time to upload right before she left to go home for the day on Friday. Could this be God? Still so much to do and so many questions!!!! Only 48 hours to determine this little girl’s fate.

The 48 Hours That Changed Our Lives Forever

I called my pediatrician and she was able to “work” me in at 3:45 the next day. Okay that’s a start. I was able to get in touch with an interpreting company through several phone calls and they were able to determine that I needed an American to proofread both china and English documents to make sure the interpretation was accurate and there was no missing text. Much to my surprise, she was able to get someone immediately for a fraction of the price. So that was put in motion. Meanwhile, my sister had gotten in touch with a neonatologist, an audiologist, and another pediatrician. She had scheduled to hand deliver the documents to the audiologist and the neonatologist and was able to get their feedback immediately. Life is spinning faster and faster. Could it be…that this is our daughter, the girl that God had planned all along. Has He just been preparing our hearts all along? Monday evening March 30th, I decided to text several people about the happenings and requested prayer from many friends and family. I sent a text out that read, “Please pray for Paul and I. We are looking at adopting a little girl who is four and deaf. I can’t explain it now, but what I do know is that when God speaks, we are called to obey…..pray pray pray.” That began a whirlwind of phone conversations. Soon many people were praying for us to make an informed decision about Guimei.

In the meantime, my mother had an eerie sense of peace and calmness. She knew that this was Hope. The moment my mom and dad laid eyes on her picture and read her information, they began to cry. God was working and confirming through them. My sister was in high gear making sure she connected with doctors and also had people praying. She also had an overwhelming sense of peace and calmness. I called Paul off and on throughout the day. He was overwhelmed by the response delivered from family and just took everything in stride. He knew that I have had intuitions in the past and he trusted those intuitions as being a presence of the Holy Spirit. Monday night came and Paul and I studied her pictures and reviewed her paperwork. We were elated that this might be the moment we met her. She looked like Hope.

Paul decided to call his parents on Monday night about this little girl. We were both frightened at the response just like we were from my mom and dad. Much to our surprise, they were calm and peaceful as well. WOW! God is using our family to confirm something I had already confirmed in my heart. They were very supportive and they prayed for us. Paul Sr. told us she looked like a little Laune. He also shared a story with me that touched my heart and we both got very emotional on the phone together. He told me a story about an old friend who once told him he shouldn’t marry Sue because she has all those health issues…he told him that she was going to cost him lots of money and heart ache. She may not live and if she does, they’d be broke because of medical expenses. Now 40 years later, there they are two happily married people! That was an analogy to my Hope! I couldn’t miss out on a lifetime of love for my daughter.

100% Assurances for God

The nighttime fell on March 30th. We prayed with our kids, who were amazingly supportive also. I woke up at 11:30pm in a panic and woke Paul up and told him that we can’t adopt her and that we shouldn’t be adopting period. I wanted out of the adoption process. I was so fearful and scared and terribly anxious. I decided to get up and go to the windows in the living room and stared up at the sky and prayed with all my heart that God give me comfort and peace to get a good night’s sleep because I knew I needed to be clear headed the next 24 hours to make an informed decision. I told God that I couldn’t do this with 90% assurance…I asked for 100% assurance that this was His will and this was the child He planted in my heart in 2005. I went back to sleep and awoke refreshed. For some reason I focused on her education the morning of the 31st. In my mind I was thinking we lived too far out to give her the resources she would need. I was sad. I felt that we weren’t the right fit for her. Then my pastor called at 7:30 in the morning. Pastor Jeff asked if he could pray for me as I obviously was experiencing a demonic attack. The moment after he called and we prayed, the doubts disappeared. I experienced that 100% assurance that I had asked for earlier! Then, some time in the morning before I went to work, it hit me that this decision has very little to do with education. This was a heartfelt decision that required a lifetime and commitment of love for an orphan who I began to call my own. It also occurred to me that I have always pushed for inclusion for children with special needs so why did I feel that I couldn’t serve her needs in my district? She needed her regular hearing peers more than ever. That was a revelation!! It put my mind at ease and I was able to separate the education piece from what I was feeling about a girl I would soon call my daughter!!!

March 31, 2009

Tuesday, March 31st was a wonderful day. I contacted several people including one who has already adopted a child who is deaf from China, another China adoptive parent, and many friends and family who were very supportive and understanding. My sister feverishly drove to doctors’ offices confirming that the paperwork medically looked okay other than the red blood count, which showed anemia. I went to my pediatrician who spent time with us and discussed the course of action that we would take with Hope as soon as she arrived in America. All of the other doctors gave words of encouragement and felt the desire to follow this case which obviously meant that Hope was touching the lives of everyone involved in this process. Paul and I were getting more and more excited. Paul focused on her pictures and just kept saying that this was Hope. In the meantime, I received information from the interpreter and fortunately, there were no discrepancies between the China and English text. The interpreter then shared a story about herself being an adoptive mother and she thanked me for allowing her to be a small part in this miraculous process. Our good friends, Scott and Cindy were wonderfully supportive as they know the experience of adoption, and they also know that when God speaks, He speaks loudly and clearly. They reminded me of the scripture in Philippians 4, 6-8, which says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of god, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”

This verse will be my verse for the wait!!! So many amazing people all feeling the call that God has bestowed upon us!! Could it be? Was God giving us Hope? Was the timing perfect for Him to introduce us in our hearts? That evening, the evening of the China meeting, we introduced her to the China mission team. It was an emotional meeting. We cried and prayed together! I knew at that moment, she was ours. The hours were winding down and it was closing in on the time I needed to make the call to the agency with my decision.

April 1, 2009 – We Want Her!

The first thing Wednesday morning, I called Children’s Hope International and told them we would be honored to be her parents if China would allow us. We were so excited. The kids were ready to take the bull by the horns and learn sign language! They were proud to call her their sister! God called and we obeyed! God is an awesome God and takes care of the orphans. He has brought hearts from miles and miles away together to form a bond long before He has introduced us to each other. That is the miraculous process of adoption. A biological baby grows in your womb, thus creating that loving bond right away. An adopted baby grows in your heart, thus creating that loving bond right away. I can now say that God has blessed us with a beautiful child who longs to be loved and nurtured by a mommy and daddy just like He had intended. God is taking us clear around the world to bring a little girl home to a family who will give her the world and share with her the good news of Jesus!!! The adventure has only begun!!