We have a timeline!!!

It is so exciting to share this wonderful story with all of you. We give thanks to the Lord above all Who knows the plans that He has for us. As we have already learned to do, we will continue to trust in Him and lean on Him every step of the way. It is all becoming so real! With each new day, we are reminded that somewhere out there, growing in the womb of her birth mother, is our daughter, Salem.

Until now, we have been in a holding pattern. Due to government regulations in China, both parents must be 30 years of age to be eligible for adoption. I (Amy) will be 30 in April, so now is the time to begin filling out paperwork. Our goal is to have the Dossier (Huge Official State-Sealed Packet) on it's way to China on or as close to May 1st as possible. We met with our two case workers, Peggy and Mary, at Bethany Christian Services about two months ago to discuss the process. They were so wonderful to come up with a timeline for us to follow over the next 5 months. The first on the list is to complete our Self Study and to make appointments for our fingerprints and medical examinations. As we have observed in the past, fingerprint appointments can take a while to be scheduled and processed, so please be in prayer that they will come back promptly. Of course, we will keep you all updated as this process unfolds.

Thank you to everyone who is praying. Here are some specific requests...
1. for Salem's development in the womb
2. for her birth mother in her pregnancy, that she will be healthy and safe in a hostile environment.
3. that the Lord would protect them both in delivery and afterwards.
4. that, even in the womb, the Lord would cause our daughter's heart to beat for Him, and He will instill in her heart a solid peace.
5. that the Lord would in His own way, reveal Himself to her birth mother through her pregnancy and a difficult choice of giving up her child.
6. that the Lord will prepare a place for Salem to be taken care of while she waits to come home.

For more information on adoption from China, we recommend a wonderful book by Karin Evans, The Lost Daughters of China. It gives powerful insight into the growing delimma of child abandonment and how we can help. Although the author does not write from a Christian perspective, it has been evident to us in reading that the Lord is working in the midst of such horrible circumstances.

We love you all and invite you to be a part of this exciting journey!!!

Welcome to Our BlogSpot!

This will be the main place to find out what is going on as we work to find Salem, our daughter who we will bring home from China. This will be a place to read news and prayer requests, or give us encouragement or shared info. We want to share this experience with our family and friends as God gives us faith and courage.