What's New?!

I'll tell you what's new!  But first, I would like to share that last Thursday I was having another one of those days!  You know, the kind of day I "seem" to "like" sharing about, you know the kind when I find my face pressed up against the carpet crying out to the Father for some kind of holy and supernatural news, something tangible that I can wrap my mind and heart around.  And just so you know, I don't find myself on the floor crying out to the Lord every day, but when I do, and God always seems to know my breaking point, He provides an answer and always in a MIGHTY WAY.  Before I share further, something i am learning and relearning through this adoption process is that God makes me wait on Him so that I can be totally dependent on Him for everything. 

And He loves me!  And he knows what a train wreck my life would be without Him in it.  I can do nothing good outside of Him, friends - guiding, shielding and encouraging and even sometimes withholding from me what I think I want when i want it because He knows His ways and His time are best.  The Bible reminds me that His ways and His thoughts are not like ours, and i am soooo glad about that because to be perfectly transparent, my thoughts can get pretty dark and desperate at times. :(

So...last Thursday, following my fervent prayer, I received this email from the JSC Foundation:

Dear Randy and Cheryl,


Congratulations! You have received a grant in the amount of $13,530 for your upcoming adoption. The check has been sent to Hand in Hand and should arrive shortly. If there are fees that you have paid so that your balance with your agency is less than $13,530, you can use the excess to use for travel by having your agency reimburse you for travel fees. It has been a pleasure to learn about your heart for adoption. We would love to have a picture of your family after you bring your daughter home. God Bless!



Diane

JSC Foundation
 
I could not get to the phone quick enough to call Randy, and you do know what I said to him, right?  I said, "Are you sitting down?"   It used to be that Randy's four favorite words out of my mouth were, "You are right, honey."  Now it's been replaced with the former.  I can't say that I blame him since every time I say those four special words to him the news is excellent, and I do so like saying his new favorite words so much more than the previous ones if you get my drift.  Like Sonya always likes to say, Ahem...
 
Once I hung up and before calling other friends to share the good news, starting with our church because they really have been so supportive of our adoption, Sonya and I did the Happy Dance together and praised the Lord from Whom All Blessings Flow!
 
Thank you, Lord Jesus!  I am not ashamed to tell the world that You are my Lord and Savior, and that my family belongs to You!  Jesus, before You, I would never have had the courage or fortitude to walk this path of becoming the hands and feet to a real life orphan who has known only institutional living, enduring through this long and arduous process such depths of heart ache and at times PURE JOY!  Thank you for picking me! 
 
Miraculously, had we traveled in September as we initially anticipated, again our plans and not God's (and let me just say this momma knows God will show her His reasons for the delay before eternity), it would have covered all expenses related to paying for her ransom including the two weeks in-country mandatory travel.  But, God has a plan to bring about the rest of the money for as we near the end of 2011, air line and hotel prices will increase and by December even double. 
 
With a concerned look, Sonya said to me tonight as I was tucking her into bed, "But mom, what if the prices for Mei Mei just keep going up and up and up?  What will we do then?"  I said to her with all certainty, "God has it covered, Sonya.  He will provide all that we need, so not to worry.  And the people that are supposed to be at your FUNdraiser this Saturday will be there, and the amount of money He wants you to make you will make.  He has a Plan, Sonya."  And with that, her sweet little face grew soft again.  Thank you, Jesus, that Sonya "gets it".  What a blessed child she is! 
 
So here we are preparing, with the help of a few friends, to help Sonya raise money to cover her sister's airline ticket.  At one time, Cassie's ticket would have cost roughly $1,000.00-$1,200.00.  Now I am anticipating paying $1,800.00 for a one way ticket from China to America.  It is at times like this, when everything about adoption boils down to money, I need to remind myself why we are doing all of this in the first place. It is for this little girl, whom God has placed on our hearts to LOVE, that we are doing ALL OF THIS.  We have a daughter in a foreign country, in other words, who we need to get to, and we have learned to humbly and gratefully ask, "Will you help us to free her?  Please walk along beside us.  More specifically, walk along beside Sonya so she can get to her little sister." 
 
As you all know, we have been waiting a long time to receive LOA, longer than many but not as long as some, and i have been assured this letter is en route to our adoption agency in Albion.  As you may recall, we were asked to wait for LOA before we posted our baby girl's pictures on any public forum due to CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) rules, and we have readily complied, and I am feeling that it's okay now to post Sonya's FUNdraiser Extravaganza flier which also includes a picture of Cassandra Mei.  Actually, I can't get the flier to fit, so i am typing out for you the content of the flier with the essentials- date, times and location.  And then i will include the two pictures I used but scaled down for the flier.  I sure hope to see all of you there!  Even you folks out in Ohio and Michigan! :)  So without further ado:
 

Please Come Out and Support Sonya

In bringing her little sister home from China!

 

At Sonya's FUNdraiser Extravaganza

On Saturday, September 17, 2011

From 2-5 pm

At Calvary Chapel: 4900 Old Maysville Road

(corner of Caribe Blvd. and Old Maysville Rd.)

 

Adult and Kids' Carnival Games

w/Guaranteed Prizes for Kids;

Lemonade Stand; Chinese Auction

and Art Work by Sonya!

(Get an autographed copy while supplies last!)

 

 

My two beautiful girls who don't belong to me but who are on loan to Randy and me from the Lord!  Thank you, everyone, for caring so much!  It means so much to us.  And be sure to check back in a few days when i will share about the events leading up to Cassie being made available for adoption and what God was doing in this momma's and big sister's hearts to prepare the way for her to join our family forever!  I believe this Almighty Powerful God-story could make even an atheist believe, and Glory Halleluiah for that!   











 

 



 

 













Gearing Up for Sonya's Big FUNdraiser Extravaganza!

Hello everyone!

Two weeks from now (Saturday, September 17th  from 2-5 pm at the Calvary Chapel church parking lot next to our addition) Sonya will be hosting a FUNdraiser to raise money to bring her baby sister home from China!  Perhaps you will recall when Sonya's new dentist friend handed her a one hundred dollar bill to cover her remaining China costs, he asked Sonya to still do her lemonade stand (because that was her last great idea for raising money for her airline ticket) and then give the money she made to her church. 

Now at the time, neither the dentist or I knew that as soon as Sonya left his office she would already be planning how to make money to pay for her little sister's trip home from China. 

Initially, when Sonya only needed one hundred dollars more to reach her goal, a lemonade stand seemed like a feasible means to that end.  But once Sonya decided to tackle raising her sister's airline costs too (roughly $1,000.00) I knew we would need to expand Sonya's FUNdraising efforts.

So here is what we came up with: a carnival, a chinese auction, Sonya's art work, and yes, let's not forget her lemonade stand.  In order for Sonya to fulfill her promise she made to her dentist to give her lemonade stand proceeds to her church, (which i just know Sonya will want to give to missions because remember Sonya has a heart for missions) we've concluded that the best way to go about this is to donate the first $100.00 made at the lemonade stand to the church and everything over that amount, including proceeds from everything else going on that day, will go towards Cassie's airline ticket. 

We will have a sign posted at the lemonade stand explaining the what and the why so that we can keep our dealings with our neighbors, friends and the public above-board and completely transparent.

If LOA comes this week (which it should come because I was told it would) I will post Sonya's FUNdraiser flier on the blog which happens to have the cutest picture ever of little Cassie Mei.  Sonya is on the flier too, and i think we all already know how cute Sonya is!  For those of you who have never laid eyes on Cassie yet, trust me when i tell you that she is BEAUTIFUL inside and out!  As one mommy put it who recently saw Cassie in person, she is "so cute and has a precious dolly face".

And, will you please pray for us to receive our long-awaited LOA (letter of approval) this week?  As Cassie's mother, i need LOA so that i can feel one-step closer to holding my daughter in my arms.  Friends, this precious girl does not know what a mommy should feel like or look like because she has never had one of her own ever.  I know she wants a mother, though, because orphans do know it is normal to have one, and i am desperately wanting to start the count down until i can begin to fulfill that wish for her in person...  But without LOA this mommy is stuck in a holding pattern, or so it seems in the natural world. 

Also, we are waiting right now to hear from two different adoption grant agencies, and we are praying fervently that we will be helped in a BIG WAY.  With the Lord's help, to date $17,500.00 has been raised to free Cassie from a life with no family to call her own, and we are anticipating needing  $14,000.00-$15,000.00 more to cover all adoption costs (this amount includes two weeks mandatory in-country travel). 

So... please pray for favor on our family that we receive these grants and in a timely fashion.   Thank you again for your continued prayers over our family, and as a mother of two, thank you so much for loving my girls! 

Tears in a Bottle

...put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? Psalms 56:8

When we first started our journey to Mei Mei, it was not without concerns and questions....
Our second China-born daughter, considered Special Focus, has a heart condition.  Not understanding medical jargon we sought the counsel of a doctor, but before we did that, I went to my Father lamenting, "Father God, I don't understand.  Are you asking us to adopt a child who doesn't have long to live?  Are you asking us to adopt a daughter who will leave Sonya after we promised her a sister and a friend to grow old with?" 
 
Immediately came His response, "She has a broken heart, and your love will heal her.  I will heal her."
 
With those words tucked securely in my heart, I initially sought the help of this aforementioned doctor to look over Mei Mei's medical records so i could have a firm handle on what I might be asking my husband to do.  For those of you have been following our journey, you will remember that Randy was not "on board"  with this idea of a second adoption at this juncture.  I thought that by procuring the help of a doctor to better understand Mei Mei's condition, it would serve to keep me from glossing over with Randy in any way her physical state just so i could get my way in this matter because, friends, let me just say for the record, I knew I was staring at the face of my little girl the minute, no, the second, I laid my eyes on her. That feeling, that knowing, that revelation of who she was and who she is to me has never left me, not ever.   
 
But the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, showed me that we needed to trust Him and in order to follow Him in obedience, we needed to make a decision as a married couple on Mei Mei's behalf without gaining any further medical knowledge of her condition.   On a Friday night, only four days after seeing her sweet baby face for the very first time, I decided to pour out my deep love for this child to my husband.  Randy did not feel the same way as I did, although he had a great deal of compassion for me and for Sonya who said from the very start, "I want her to be my little sister".  
 
Hence, moved by said compassion, Randy called out to the Lord in prayer, our hands interlaced with one another, our heads bowed, and as he spoke came this plea from Randy's lips, "Father, if it be your will, move on my spirit so that I feel it too."  And i thought to myself, "Perfect" because you see, it really doesn't get any better than that.  i knew because Randy was sincerely seeking the Lord's will, then Randy would obey the Lord when called.  You know, it takes a real man to humble himself before the Lord and call out in perfect submission and obedience, seeking not to deny the existence and sovereignty of his Father in Heaven, but rather making known in both word and in deed his allegiance to his Father's good and perfect will for him. 
 
Within twenty four hours of that prayer, Randy was completely on board with bringing this beautiful child home!  Praise the Lord forever and ever.  Praise His Holy Name forever and ever!  It was only after filling out the initial paperwork to adopt this precious one and putting down our application fee that we received an email by the doctor who offered to help translate into common english Mei Mei's records.  In the email, the doctor addressed the various conditions assigned her.  While i read this report to Randy, i kept revisiting in my mind my  Father's promise to me that He would heal our child!   
 
Through the months, choosing not to look at Mei Mei's records again, a battle waged inside of me, threatening to engulf and enslave any evidence of hope or joy.  All i could think about was how far Mei Mei was from us, and how desperate I felt to get her home and get her to a doctor!  Because i didn't know... I couldn't see her.  i couldn't touch her. I couldn't minister to her needs, and this thought was plaguing me, causing me to cry every day for my daughter, filling me with such anguish and fear, thinking the worst because i chose to remain in the dark.  
 
Then one day not so long ago, as i sat at the computer, silent tears streaming down my face for my girl, the Lord encouraged and coaxed me to review her medical records for myself - so that i could arm myself with knowledge about Mei Mei's overall physical condition and state of health.  So i listened.  I obeyed, and it wasn't hard to do.  He waited until I could listen and obey Him, so that it wouldn't take courage to do it. 
 
What I found as i researched the various conditions assigned her in matters of the heart, my ever-present fear vanished and was replaced with hope again.  Because you see, everything i read about is fixable!  It's operable!  And her prognosis is most favorable!  
 
Still, I will tell you, I kept returning to my Father's promise and i started wondering if it would be wise to pray to the Father about our very specific need for our daughter, and that is namely to heal the hole in her heart and restore fully her heart and her health.   I sought the wise counsel of a deacon at our church one Sunday afternoon following service, and he confirmed that even though the Lord knows what we need, He still wants us to come to Him and ask Him specifically for what we need, reminding me further the Lord will then go about answering our prayers in His good and perfect time.  
 
That night following the Invitation as Randy and I stood before the congregation at Waynedale Baptist Church, I explained to everyone Mei Mei's situation and our need as parents for her.  I shared with them the Father's promise to me, and I proceeded to ask them to pray with us to the Father for the hole in Mei Mei's heart to be closed up and for her full recovery.
 
As the deacons surrounded us, laying their hands on us, Randy and I stood in the center of them with our hands firmly clasped in one anothers, with heads bowed as I wept silent tears.  One of the deacons was asked to pray on behalf of Mei Mei and as he began his prayer, I sensed, i felt as though the words leaving his lips floated in the air directly in front of us as the complete prayer formed and took on shape and substance, and i felt God's ministering angels swoop down, collecting the prayer in their wings as they carried it directly to the Throne Room of God Almighty, and within an instant, the Holy Spirit was sent to our little girl and He touched her!   He touched her on her heart!  And i could only stand there and cry silent tears.  

It took me a couple of hours before i finally understood or could even begin to articulate what had actually transpired in the midst of that healing prayer.  I am sure, as sure as i need oxygen to breathe, that the story I just conveyed to you is REAL.  It really happened, and whether our God has just begun a healing in Cassie or completed a healing in her through the power of the Holy Spirit, I can rest in the calm assurance that our God always keeps His promises. 

Since that night, I have had the great privilege of asking another mother whom I'd never before met to please check on my girl while she was visiting Mei Mei's orphanage the week following.  This mother, Caroline, was scheduled for a final goodbye visit with her four year old son whom she and her husband adopted from this very same orphanage only a few days prior.  In an email, beautiful Caroline took the time to share with me at length her impressions of my beautiful girl while visitng that day at the orphanage.  I will be forever grateful to her for the kindness she demonstrated to this momma's waiting heart.  Please allow me to share with you now some of what she penned on Mei Mei's behalf:
 
Hi Cheryl,
 
I feel strongly in my heart that Cassie's heart problem will be mild when you get her. I wanted to tell you this in person, but I do not want to make it difficult to get together, so here it goes.
The night before we went I got your picture of her. Honestly I thought to myself (and bear with me on this) this lady must be crazy. How in the world am I going to recognize her daughter amongst all of the children that must be in the orphanage?

We met Ms. Zhong and sat down for a while in the meeting room and just talked. I was itching to get into the place, but I was patient. She was very gracious and acted like she had all the time the world. We went first into the dining hall. Some children were starting to eat lunch. My Jack ran across the room straight to "his" empty seat and wanted to eat, so they let him. Well, as I walked up Cassie was the very first child I saw!!!!!! I immediately told my guide I had to check on her. I got several pictures. What a cutie. I was drawn to her. I totally left Jack to eat his lunch. He and Cassie are in the same class. They go to school, eat, and sleep (right next to each other) together. So, I moved on and checked on two other girls and took pictures. They were in Jack's class too. If you notice from the picture the table that Cassie is sitting at and the table where Jack is sitting. There are a total of 8 children, 4 at each table. All 8 of them will be adopted. Isn't that awesome.

As we started to leave the dining hall Cassie started silently crying. I went over to comfort her and touched her head. OK, this is the one part that makes me sad. Cheryl, she knew why I was there. I don't care if I don't speak Chinese. I saw in her eyes how much she wanted her family to come for her. I knew she was sad that it was not her day. There was just something about "her". She touched my heart. She had a spark, something special about her. Her eyes to me indicate that she is an old soul. Not sure how to explain it, it seems like she may be older and wiser than her years.

We went on and toured the orphanage. We ended up later in the room where our children slept. Cassie was standing in Jack's bed. He did not like that and climbed in. She went back to her bed, right beside his. We looked around a while. Jack got very emotional in his bed and I scooped him up and comforted him. I think he thought that I was going to leave him. He broke down a couple of times. As we were leaving the room, Cassie again started to silently cry. Not crying really, just silent tears ran down her face. It was hard for the guide and I both. We both held back tears. It was like everyone in that room was unaware of what was taking place...but not her. I wish that I could have scooped her up that very second, but of course I had to walk away. She is longing for you. She is waiting patiently. She knows. I feel all of this with total certainty. No one translated this to me, I saw it in her eyes. I know she will have open arms for you.

I was meant to see her, above each and every other child in that place. He put her right in my path, and put her first so I could deliver this message to you. That is why you needed to send me her picture. Crazy lady??? Never! It was just part of His plan. I am reminded to be still and see what he wants me to see.

Even though meeting and spending only a short amount of time with her I now know that she wants a family as much as you want her, who knows maybe even more. I know this too, she is very bright and wise and she has an open heart to love.
I will never forget this story.
Caroline


Oh, how I love my girl in China!  I love both of my girls!!  Before Sonya was ever born, God showed me what she would be like, from her character and demeanor all the way down to her physical features.  Whenever i look back at God's revelation to me about Sonya, I never worry about her future because i know he is holding her future in His Hands.  Well, the same goes for sweet and precious little Cassie Mei.  The Lord had already revealed to this waiting momma her character, demeanor and gentle nature, so when I read what was written about Cassie by this sweet mother, it only served to confirm in me where her future lays, and that is in the loving, gracious and ever-merciful Hands of God her Father!   

A few months back, as i was reading various forum updates, a mother posted a narrative about one of her precious daughters.  and. i. wept.  It was as though she was describing my girl!  Immediately, I contacted her and asked for permission to someday post her narrative on our blog, and she readily agreed.  Well, dear readers, here it is in its entirety.  Please enjoy! 

We have adopted three beautiful girls in the last year - Elli (now 7 yrs) adopted last May (2010) from Anhui; Enya Li(7 yrs) -adopted this April from Heilongjiang; and Xiaoyun (now 14 yrs)- adopted this April from Guizhou. Elli and Xiaoyun were in foster care and Enya was in an orphanage.

This morning I realized I had neglected the plants around the fish pond and set about pulling the weeds. Enya, my early bird, immediately started helping me. She sang, laughed or talked the entire time. As we pulled weeds, she came to a clump of clover and said, "Ooh, beautiful!" She picked the clover, and instead of putting it in the pile with the other weeds, she said "Lili de" meaning they were now hers.

As we continued to pull the weeds, I listened to her humming and thought about what a joyful child she is. Everything is like Christmas to her. She appreciates every little thing given to her, and is always quick to say "Thank you, Mama" even if I'm only washing off her hands or giving her a glass of water. To be blessed with the opportunity to see life through the eyes of someone who has never had anything of her own, who has lived in an orphanage all her life, who has done without so many things we call necessities, is a gift for me.

She has given me an appreciation for things I never stopped to consider before. I remember last year, when we brought Elli home, becoming more aware of what I take for granted, but Enya has deepened that awareness. Every night I say her prayers, and when we come to the end she always says amen with me.

Then she wraps her arms around me and pulls me down and gives me a huge kiss and hug. And every night, as she embraces me, I think what a miracle this is that a little girl who, for years, had neither father nor mother, is now part of a large family who loves her very much.

Today, as we pulled those weeds, I thought of how some consider her (and other orphans) just weeds. The first picture we saw of Enya was shortly after her surgery for cleft lip. Her face was swollen and it made the ptosis of her right eye even more pronounced. Her file had been on the Waiting Children's list for several years and had not been updated. When we looked at her picture we knew she was the one who needed us, the child whose file people kept passing over.

Their loss has been our gain. Some people fail to see the beauty that is waiting there waiting to be picked.  Waiting for someone to pick them up and say, "Ooh, beautiful!" Waiting to blossom before the eyes of those who will shower them with love.

Written by Cindy Willoughby