A child born to another woman calls me mom....

My emotions and feelings of late are much like most expectant mothers a bit all over the place and filled with deep thought and emotion.  One thing I've thought a lot about.....

 "A child born to another woman calls me mom. The depth of the tragedy and the magnitude of the privilege are not lost on me." - Jody Landers

Time to Travel!

  

Travel Approval has been issued and Consulate Date is set!  

Praise God from whom A-L-L blessings flow!!!  We have come to the time in our adoption journey to GO AND GET OUR GIRL!!  On Tuesday, August 20th our adopotion agency received the official Travel Approval document from China.  On Wednesday, August 21st our consulate appointment was scheduled and on Thursday, August 22nd international flights were booked.

 **Keep in mind we will be 12 hours AHEAD of Eastern Standard Time here in the States** (ie:  if it's 7 p.m. on Sunday here it is 7 a.m. on Monday in China)             

For my detail loving friends, here's the scoop(Lord willing): 

We will leave Newark, NJ airport on Wednesday, August 28th after a non-stop 13 hr. and 55 min. flight we will arrive in Beijing Thursday afternoon, Aug. 29.

Saturday evening we will leave Beijing and go to Xi'an in Shaanxi Province and then..................

SUNDAY, September 1st, we will meet Lucy Kim for the very first time and she will stay with us!!!  We will stay in Xi'an until Friday, Sept. 6th (during this time they will be working on Lucy's paperwork and passport)

                      Xi'an (home of the Terracotta warriors)

and then head to the United States Consulate in Guangzhou, China on the 6th.  Saturday the 7th, Lucy will have her physical and tb test.  Monday they will have the results of tb test.  Tuesday, Sept. 10th at 10:00 a.m. our consulate appointment is scheduled.  Wednesday the 11th we will receive Lucy's visa.  Thursday morning, September 12th we will leave Hong Kong on a non-stop flight back to Newark, NJ. where Lucy will touch down in the United States for the first time and be an American citizen with a family!!!

Thank you friends for helping there to be one less orphan and being a "piece of the puzzle" in bringing Lucy home!  We are so grateful to each one of you!

What's Happened Since Your Last Post (Q&A - 2 of 2)

Q:  When are you hoping to travel to China?
A:  We are hoping and praying to be able to travel to China at the very end of August or the first few days of September.  This would allow us to be back home by mid September.  Our consulate appointment will dictate travel dates.  When we have exact dates, I'll be sure to post -- stay tuned!

Q:  Are the producers of the documentary (Find Me) really planning on traveling with you to China?
A:  YEP!  Dave and Kathi Peters are planning on traveling with us and our daughter, Emily to capture on film our first meeting of our newest daughter!

Q:  Where in China will you be?
A:  We will be in Northern, Central and Sourthern China!  Flying into Beijing, then onto Shaanxi where we'll meet our Lucy girl then south to Guangdong where the United States Consulate is located to finalize our girl's adoption.

Q:  Will Lucy have to have a medical exam before leaving China?

A:  Yes,a medical exam as well as a tb test is mandantory before our consulate appointment.

Q:  Will Lucy have to obtain a passport and visa to enter the United States?

A:  YES, Lucy's passport will be issued from her province in China and her visa is issued at the U.S. Consulate.  When she enters the United States she is a United States Citizen with her "CoC" (certificate of citizenship) being mailed to our home approximately 6-8 weeks after our return from China.

Q: How can we continue to support you in your adoption journey?

A:  We are inviting everyone to P-R-A-Y for Lucy, us and our friends/videographers of the documentary as we travel.  (see other post titled "Praying Lucy Home")

Q:  What is the weather in China like right now?

A:  The weather in China seems to be pretty much the same as here in Pennsylvania with similar temps.  However, the weather will vary from the 3 difft. provinces we'll be in.  Like being in Pennsylvania and traveling to Florida (Beijing to Guangdong)

Praying Lucy Home

Lucy hugging her doll Linsey made for her and seeing
her family for the first time!

Our journey to Lucy is quickly approaching!!  We give all praise to our Heavenly Father.

As herMommy, I'm continually thinking about what more I can do to prepare our littlest one for this life changing event that will soon be upon her?    GOD keeps whispering to me, you already know the answer -  P-R-A-Y-E-R!!

Oh the mighty, mighty power of prayer!  Because Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God can do exceedingly more than I can ask or imagine, I'm planning a day of prayer for Lucy Kim.  And everyone is invited to intercede on behalf of this sweet baby girl and also for us, her family.  I'd like to make Wednesday, August 21st Lucy's Day of Prayer.

If you'd like to join us in praying, we would be grateful.  Listed below are some of the things that you could pray with us. (consider printing and carrying with you!)

-GOD WOULD BE GLORIFIED THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS

- Lucy's heart would be supernaturally prepared to trust her new family

- Lucy will be open and receptive to our love

- Pray against a spirit of fear for little Lucy

-A supernatural bonding to us

- Lucy's health

- Lucy's medical exam 

- That we will have the opportunity to learn about some of Lucy's likes and dislikes

as well as her routines (ie:  bedtime routine, bath routine, etc. to make transition easier)

- Lucy's foster parents and her foster siblings

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- Our words and actions would glorify God

-Our family here in the States

- Sensitivity to Lucy's needs

-Wisdom in helping Lucy with this transition

- Pray against homesickness for us or our family

- Safety in travel (planes, trains, and automobiles)

- Sleep - that we can very quickly adjust to the time difference and get 

adequate sleep

- Our health 

- Paperwork in Lucy's province and also at the U.S. Consulate

- Our friends, Dave and Kathi as they document this very special work that God

is doing.

-Sunny weather  -those of you that know me - understand why I write that!) 

Our hearts are overflowing  with thankfulness for each of you that have journeyed with us in prayer, financial giving and encouragement!    We'd love to hear that you're joining us in prayer on the 21st -- drop us a line!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us  Eph. 3:20

What's Happened Since Your Last Post? (Q&A - part 1 of 2)

Q:  Did Lucy Kim receive the care package that you put together for her?

A:  YES!  If you read the post highlighted above, you will remember that a very special messenger was hoping to make this delivery to our little one.  And our great God enabled that all to happen just last week!

Q:  Were you able to get some pictures and/or video of Lucy from your new friend who delivered the care package?

A:  YES - we have been blessed to get another peek at our precious new daughter through pictures and two short video clips.  She is such a beautiful little princess!

Q:  Do you think that Lucy understands that she has a family and is being adopted?

A:  No - we don't believe at Lucy's tender age of 3 years, she can possibly fully understand that she will be soon meeting her Momma and Daddy and moving to the other side of the world!  That's just too big of a concept.

Q:  What has happened in your adoption process since the last post on July 22nd?

A:  If you look at the graphic pictured below, we are now awaiting "TA" (travel approval) from China or step #13 on the graphic

Q:  After you receive Travel Approval what needs to happen before you go to China?

A:  An e-mail will be sent to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China requesting a consulate date (or step #14 on graphic).  Consulate date will be issued within a few days of request.  Figure approximately 2ish weeks earlier then scheduled consulate date and that is approximately when we will leave for China - step #15!!!