I was sitting in church yesterday in the morning service, and suddenly it dawned on me what had taken place in our lives that day just one year prior. On December 5th of 2010, on a Sunday, I sat in a pew next to my husband as the Invitation was called, and God spoke to me. "Ask Randy to take you up to the altar and pray for My Will for adoption, and if it is not My Will, then pray that I relieve your burdened heart."
The day following that prayer, December 6th, I stared at a picture of Zhong Feng Mei and knew that I knew that I knew I was staring at the face of my little girl, our daughter, Randy's and mine!
Only a couple of weeks ago, I had so desperately wanted to be in China right now, having boarded a plane last Friday. When I realized it was not to be, i felt desperate inside. You see, i had wanted to bring Cassie home before her 7th birthday on September 24, 2011. When those initial plans of September travel fell through, and i was able to picture that we would get to meet Cassie on the 5th of December and adopt her on the 6th, it made perfect sense to me that God would bring us together at such a time as this. Suddenly, believing God had a Perfect Plan for our union at a perfectly designated hour infused with significance made my long, arduous and at times gut-wrenching wait for my daughter all worth it. I weaped with JOY at the very thought.
Last Wednesday night, as i waited for Bible Study to begin in our church Sanctuary, my mind searched for an explanation as to why December 2nd travel couldn't be. "Lord, I don't get why you're making us wait and travel on December 9th? It's just that, to me, December 2nd was a perfect plan..." Then as suddenly as I asked the question and began searching for an answer, the Lord answered, "Think back to what you were doing on December 9th of last year. What were you doing on December 10? December 11th? December 12th? What were you doing on December 13th of last year?
My mind immediately went back in time, and searched for an answer. What was I doing on December 9th of last year? Then in front of me I saw a series of events unfold before my eyes. And i saw what i was doing on all of those dates, and i marveled.
Because you see, on Thursday, December 9th of last year, i went to bed with a deeply burdened heart. I had not been able to find a doctor who would look at Feng Mei's medical records for free, the fee quoted to me just the day before by a doctor at an international adoption clinic in the way of $450.00. On December 9th of last year, when I found myself at the end of my day, I also found myself with little hope because not only did we not have $450.00 to pay someone to look at Feng Mei's records but i wouldn't dare ask Randy for permission to spend it due to the fact that he didn't believe we were supposed to adopt her.
"But God. If we are not supposed to adopt this child, then why can't i get her out of my head?"
My simple prayer to Him that night as i lay down to sleep, "Father, if You want me to pursue gathering information about this precious little girl, then send me word in the morning of a doctor who will look at her records for free." The following morning as i was praying, having forgotten all about my prayer request the night before, the name of a doctor did pop into my head, and when I emailed his wife requesting his help she immediately responded with an affirmative. In my mind, that meant I was not to give up.
What was I doing on December 10th of last year? That was the night I sat in front of Randy's chair on the floor and I poured my heart out to him, sobbing. I begged him to consider that what i was feeling for this little girl, what Sonya was feeling for this little girl, was REAL. I told him we didn't have much time to decide as her file would be returned to the orphanage on December 14th. I told him I knew i couldn't force him to see what I was seeing, and I wouldn't want to do that to him or to us, but i asked him to please, please consider that what I was saying was a fact.... That that child, that little girl, was ours and we needed to go get her and bring her home.
With such a strong element of compassion in his eyes, Randy said to me, "I really feel for you and Sonya, and I am really trying to understand, but I don't feel that way, Cheryl." "Then Randy, let's pray." As we clasped each other's hands with heads bowed the night of December 10th, Randy prayed to the Father, "Lord, if it is your will that we adopt this child, then move on my spirit so that I can feel it too." Then a peace overcame me as I was enveloped in calm. After that prayer, I thanked Randy profoundly because I knew that he prayed a perfect prayer. It was the BEST prayer because it was so simple and so honest and so forthright and so searching and so yielding TO THE CALL OF THE LORD. And no matter what, I knew everything was going to be alright after that because my husband knew how to pray...
The following evening, as i headed home from work, I clung to the hope that Randy was now open to the adoption. Having not spoken to him all day, I really didn't know where his head was at with all of it. Almost as soon as I walked through the door, Randy started asking me questions about Feng Mei. Then he asked if i would be alright if he went for a walk alone, and the moment he returned Randy said, "Alright, let's do this."
So on December 11th of 2010, with no money at all to pay for the adoption, Randy and I decided jointly to begin the adoption proceedings for Zhong Feng Mei, and we decided it would all be for the Glory, Honor and Praise of God our Father and Jesus Christ His Son.
On December 12th, we shared our good news with our church. And on Monday, December 13th, Sonya and i headed for Albion, Indiana to pay an application fee and make a request to the CCWAA to adopt Zhong Feng Mei, birth country China.
Last Wednesday night, as i sat in a pew waiting for Bible Study to begin, I saw all of these past events unfold in my mind, and in the same overlapping moment, i saw my family boarding a plane on December 9th of this year, headed for China. I saw us land in Hong Kong on December 10th, one step closer to our beloved Mei Mei. I saw us board a train on December 11th, making our way into the city of Guangzhou, the city our little girl will be brought to at the government building to be united with her forever family on December 12th. I saw us adopting Cassie at that very same government building on December 13th, and I suddenly realized the FULLNESS of God's Plan in relation to mine, and I lowered my head and cried silent tears. I cried tears that felt as if they may never end, tears that cleansed my soul and restored my JOY!
"Thank you, Lord, for answering my prayer and giving me a REASON and a SIGNIFICANCE. You did not have to give me a reason. You did not need to make the time of travel significant, but You did it anyway! Lord, only You in YOur Infinite Wisdom KNEW this mama's heart needed a reason for the long wait to my little girl. Thank you, Lord, for caring the way You do."
Randy and I believe God is using this adoption to build our family's faith in Him alone. On numerous occasions, more than i can number, God has chosen to help us along in our faith- walk to Him through our journey to Mei Mei. His fingerprints are all over every single occurrence with this adoption. Even in the wait, there has been a purpose for it.
December 14th is fast approaching, that date last year when Mei Mei's records would have been returned to her orphanage, but they weren't. God had other plans for this child. On December 14th of this year, she will be with her forever family, and it will be the first full day she will be considered by CCWAA to be fully ours. "Praise the Lord for the details!"
Monday, December 5, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Update on $5,000.00 Matching GGAM Grant
Hi everyone! I just received an update from GGAM regarding how many donations have come in lately, and we have now raised $1,250.00 towards our $2,500.00 goal. Once we raise $2,500.00, GGAM will match us for that amount.
A while ago i was talking with our Preacher and was very concerned about the cost of the adoption, worried that we were not going to be able to raise enough money, worried that we'd have to take out a huge loan to get our daughter home and be saddled with burdensome debt hanging over our heads when we needed to be focused on mending a heart. One thing Preacher shared with me is that in his experience, sometimes God wants to see what we're willing to do for what we want. Are we really committed? Sometimes, even when God calls us to step out in faith (and jump off a cliff into a freefall position, or at least that's how it feels sometimes) we still may have to take out that loan, but then He will help us pay it back.
Not long after that conversation Randy and i received the $13,530.00 grant from the JSC Foundation, and things really started looking up for us. The heavy weight on my chest was lifted, and I felt I could breathe again. Then we soon learned that the additional costs of China, Hand in Hand and travel fees put us in a position to need an additonal $5,000.00 to complete the adoption of Cassie Mei.
Thankfully God provided us an adoption loan for $5,000.00 at 0% for three years, and we took it. Fortunately once we took out this loan, we received word that God's Grace Adoption Ministry would award us a $5,000.00 matching grant (once again, God proving Himself faithful) as long as GGAM receives enough in monetary donations by December 9th to total $2,500.00. So... if we receive the matching grant for $5,000.00 we are in a position to pay off our $5,000.00 adoption loan.
Like i shared before, GGAM has received thus far $1,250.00 on Cassie's behalf, but... We still need $1,250.00 in donations to receive the full grant.
Many years ago when we adopted Sonya we received no help financially from anyone for her adoption, and we never asked for it. We never expected it. Instead we worked, I putting in many 12 hour days in my cleaning business for months on out. And we really didn't know much in the way of adoption grants back then either, much less how to apply for one. We did most of it on our own and at the last still needed to take out a loan for $8,000.00, even with me traveling to China alone to save on money, just so we could get our seven month old baby home where she belonged.
I say we did it alone because even though we believed in God, we believed in a God who expected us to do it on our own and alone, and we were surrounded by people who held the very same mindset. You see, we did not believe in the God of the Holy Bible who shows mercy and grace to His children, and blesses them in their obedience to His Word. We believed in the God of the Universe who only shows you favor once you've paid your debt, karma in other words. Back then, I had so much "karma" I couldn't possibly go to Him for help or expect anyone else to help me either. What a lie i lived.
"Thank you, Father, for blessing us with the only gift we knew how to receive from you back then and that was the gift of our little Sonya, who melted our hearts and caused us to question the lies we were fed." It was our love for Sonya that eventually lead us into the Throne Room of Grace to experience our heavenly Father's love firsthand, and to believe and know that He really does care about everything we care about, no matter how small the matter.
Approximately two years ago, I received an email announcement that a group of adoptive families was planning a huge garage sale fundrasier to raise money to get their little kiddos home from foreign lands, and they were asking for donations of items that would be garage sale friendly. I kept that email, and I thought about those families often and what they were endeavoring to accomplish. I even collected many items in my home to donate, but in the end, i never made it over to hand in what I had collected which would have helped them to bring their little children home. And do you want to know the reason why? My real reason, the reason only I have known and will share with you now?
Simply put, since we had never received any help from anyone to bring our child home, and because of it I felt forced to go back to work and give my baby girl to other people to raise just so i could pay off the debt, I felt like they should do it on their own as well. So a couple of weeks following the sale, when I ended up taking a box of donations into the Goodwill instead, I felt very uneasy in my spirit. Why did I have to be so callous in my thinking, so hard-hearted? Where was my love? Where was my compassion? And then I felt ashamed. I was guilty, and I knew it.
When we started this journey to Mei Mei and we were faced with raising an incredible amount of money, i thought back to those families whom i could have helped and didn't, and finally understood why they were reaching out to others in their time of need. Because really, in most cases, those babies in those orphanages are going to rot where they sit unless and until we come up with the stinkin' money to get them out!
I didn't know when God called us to the field of international adoption twice now that He calls all Christians to care for the orphans, and man oh man, have a multitude of Christians and other people too who have an innate love for the orphans (personally, I think God is at work in their hearts) stepped up and walked this with us, in prayer, labor and through monetary means. And for all of you everywhere who have purchased even one of Sonya's art prints - THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!
So much is happening this time of year. The holidays and gift-giving are upon us as our heating bills go up. Money is tighter, and needs are greater. Even so, I am asking you now, if you feel an urging in your spirit to help us with this adoption, please do so. Please consider sending in a tax-deductible donation to God's Grace Adoption Ministry before December 9th so that we can receive the full matching grant.
Adoption is expensive. For anyone who knows me and talked with me at any length, i make it no secret that I believe that because satan is the prince of this world, our governments bow to him. Government policies involving the care of the orphan and the exorbitant fees incurred and the hoops set up to jump through to get to these little ones are a reflection of their true allegiance. That is why our Father makes provision in His Word for the least of these. I know Cassie is only one, yet every time you help one, you help them all. So please, if you can, help Cassie now.
Today we received an update on our little girl from a mom visiting Z orphanage. We cannot get our little girl home too soon!
Our visit was today! Cassie was in the playroom with lots of other children. She appears to be the oldest and possibly because of her SN isn't able to go to school with the other children her age. She is ready to come home. She wasn't playing with the others, the toys are too young for her, she stood and was watching TV. I told her you would be there soon and I gave her a hug. She did look good, her color was good and her lips didn't appear blue. Counting the days with you! Jody
A while ago i was talking with our Preacher and was very concerned about the cost of the adoption, worried that we were not going to be able to raise enough money, worried that we'd have to take out a huge loan to get our daughter home and be saddled with burdensome debt hanging over our heads when we needed to be focused on mending a heart. One thing Preacher shared with me is that in his experience, sometimes God wants to see what we're willing to do for what we want. Are we really committed? Sometimes, even when God calls us to step out in faith (and jump off a cliff into a freefall position, or at least that's how it feels sometimes) we still may have to take out that loan, but then He will help us pay it back.
Not long after that conversation Randy and i received the $13,530.00 grant from the JSC Foundation, and things really started looking up for us. The heavy weight on my chest was lifted, and I felt I could breathe again. Then we soon learned that the additional costs of China, Hand in Hand and travel fees put us in a position to need an additonal $5,000.00 to complete the adoption of Cassie Mei.
Thankfully God provided us an adoption loan for $5,000.00 at 0% for three years, and we took it. Fortunately once we took out this loan, we received word that God's Grace Adoption Ministry would award us a $5,000.00 matching grant (once again, God proving Himself faithful) as long as GGAM receives enough in monetary donations by December 9th to total $2,500.00. So... if we receive the matching grant for $5,000.00 we are in a position to pay off our $5,000.00 adoption loan.
Like i shared before, GGAM has received thus far $1,250.00 on Cassie's behalf, but... We still need $1,250.00 in donations to receive the full grant.
Many years ago when we adopted Sonya we received no help financially from anyone for her adoption, and we never asked for it. We never expected it. Instead we worked, I putting in many 12 hour days in my cleaning business for months on out. And we really didn't know much in the way of adoption grants back then either, much less how to apply for one. We did most of it on our own and at the last still needed to take out a loan for $8,000.00, even with me traveling to China alone to save on money, just so we could get our seven month old baby home where she belonged.
I say we did it alone because even though we believed in God, we believed in a God who expected us to do it on our own and alone, and we were surrounded by people who held the very same mindset. You see, we did not believe in the God of the Holy Bible who shows mercy and grace to His children, and blesses them in their obedience to His Word. We believed in the God of the Universe who only shows you favor once you've paid your debt, karma in other words. Back then, I had so much "karma" I couldn't possibly go to Him for help or expect anyone else to help me either. What a lie i lived.
"Thank you, Father, for blessing us with the only gift we knew how to receive from you back then and that was the gift of our little Sonya, who melted our hearts and caused us to question the lies we were fed." It was our love for Sonya that eventually lead us into the Throne Room of Grace to experience our heavenly Father's love firsthand, and to believe and know that He really does care about everything we care about, no matter how small the matter.
Approximately two years ago, I received an email announcement that a group of adoptive families was planning a huge garage sale fundrasier to raise money to get their little kiddos home from foreign lands, and they were asking for donations of items that would be garage sale friendly. I kept that email, and I thought about those families often and what they were endeavoring to accomplish. I even collected many items in my home to donate, but in the end, i never made it over to hand in what I had collected which would have helped them to bring their little children home. And do you want to know the reason why? My real reason, the reason only I have known and will share with you now?
Simply put, since we had never received any help from anyone to bring our child home, and because of it I felt forced to go back to work and give my baby girl to other people to raise just so i could pay off the debt, I felt like they should do it on their own as well. So a couple of weeks following the sale, when I ended up taking a box of donations into the Goodwill instead, I felt very uneasy in my spirit. Why did I have to be so callous in my thinking, so hard-hearted? Where was my love? Where was my compassion? And then I felt ashamed. I was guilty, and I knew it.
When we started this journey to Mei Mei and we were faced with raising an incredible amount of money, i thought back to those families whom i could have helped and didn't, and finally understood why they were reaching out to others in their time of need. Because really, in most cases, those babies in those orphanages are going to rot where they sit unless and until we come up with the stinkin' money to get them out!
I didn't know when God called us to the field of international adoption twice now that He calls all Christians to care for the orphans, and man oh man, have a multitude of Christians and other people too who have an innate love for the orphans (personally, I think God is at work in their hearts) stepped up and walked this with us, in prayer, labor and through monetary means. And for all of you everywhere who have purchased even one of Sonya's art prints - THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!
So much is happening this time of year. The holidays and gift-giving are upon us as our heating bills go up. Money is tighter, and needs are greater. Even so, I am asking you now, if you feel an urging in your spirit to help us with this adoption, please do so. Please consider sending in a tax-deductible donation to God's Grace Adoption Ministry before December 9th so that we can receive the full matching grant.
Adoption is expensive. For anyone who knows me and talked with me at any length, i make it no secret that I believe that because satan is the prince of this world, our governments bow to him. Government policies involving the care of the orphan and the exorbitant fees incurred and the hoops set up to jump through to get to these little ones are a reflection of their true allegiance. That is why our Father makes provision in His Word for the least of these. I know Cassie is only one, yet every time you help one, you help them all. So please, if you can, help Cassie now.
Today we received an update on our little girl from a mom visiting Z orphanage. We cannot get our little girl home too soon!
Our visit was today! Cassie was in the playroom with lots of other children. She appears to be the oldest and possibly because of her SN isn't able to go to school with the other children her age. She is ready to come home. She wasn't playing with the others, the toys are too young for her, she stood and was watching TV. I told her you would be there soon and I gave her a hug. She did look good, her color was good and her lips didn't appear blue. Counting the days with you! Jody
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
It's All Starting to Come Together
I had the opportunity to book our flights today. The final cost for air line tickets, including taxes, ended up being $1,100.00 more than my absolutely highest projection. Sonya's was $800.00 more than anticipated and Cassie's $300.00 more.
And I will be booking a hotel tomorrow. Say a prayer for me, will ya? We would really love to stay on Shamian Island at the new Victory Hotel. It's supposed to be very nice yet affordable. I am not booking a room on my own but going through a travel agency (the same one we used for our flights) whom Hand in Hand recommends. It's a little more expensive this way, but if we were to go it alone, we'd also have to make all of our own in-country travel arrangements on our own as well, and having a guide come and pick us up every single day and take us wherever we need to go during our two week stay in China while spending time with our two little girls together and getting to know eachother as a family will be money well spent.
Two things to keep in mind, we are still selling Sonya's art treasures if you are interested and we now actually have until December 9th to raise the rest of the money for the $5,000.00 matching grant through God's Grace Adoption Ministry! Details concerning our matching grant can be found at the top of our side bar underneathe the picture of Cassie Mei holding her panda bear we sent her for her birthday.
I received an email today from a woman whom I've never met. She heard about our blog through a friend, has taken an interest in our journey to Mei Mei and is now donating some money for four of Sonya's art prints, and because she lives in town, we can deliver them to her home directly. Praise the Lord for the angels He sends our way!
So many of you have been a constant source of support throughout this seemingly looong process, and i am grateful to all of you beyond words. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. I thank you! My family thanks you, and some day Cassie will be given an opportunity to thank many of you in person!
One last thing, the latest figures for Sonya's fundraisers are as follows: $500.00 towards her own airline ticket and $740.00 towards her sisters! Initially Sonya's airline ticket was supposed to cost only $500.00, but it actually ended up costing $1,300.00. So the girls' two tickets together ended up at $2,600.00, and Sonya has managed to raise $1,240.00 of it! "Good job, Sonya! You rock!" And of course, we didn't do any of it without Jesus!
And I will be booking a hotel tomorrow. Say a prayer for me, will ya? We would really love to stay on Shamian Island at the new Victory Hotel. It's supposed to be very nice yet affordable. I am not booking a room on my own but going through a travel agency (the same one we used for our flights) whom Hand in Hand recommends. It's a little more expensive this way, but if we were to go it alone, we'd also have to make all of our own in-country travel arrangements on our own as well, and having a guide come and pick us up every single day and take us wherever we need to go during our two week stay in China while spending time with our two little girls together and getting to know eachother as a family will be money well spent.
Two things to keep in mind, we are still selling Sonya's art treasures if you are interested and we now actually have until December 9th to raise the rest of the money for the $5,000.00 matching grant through God's Grace Adoption Ministry! Details concerning our matching grant can be found at the top of our side bar underneathe the picture of Cassie Mei holding her panda bear we sent her for her birthday.
I received an email today from a woman whom I've never met. She heard about our blog through a friend, has taken an interest in our journey to Mei Mei and is now donating some money for four of Sonya's art prints, and because she lives in town, we can deliver them to her home directly. Praise the Lord for the angels He sends our way!
So many of you have been a constant source of support throughout this seemingly looong process, and i am grateful to all of you beyond words. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. I thank you! My family thanks you, and some day Cassie will be given an opportunity to thank many of you in person!
One last thing, the latest figures for Sonya's fundraisers are as follows: $500.00 towards her own airline ticket and $740.00 towards her sisters! Initially Sonya's airline ticket was supposed to cost only $500.00, but it actually ended up costing $1,300.00. So the girls' two tickets together ended up at $2,600.00, and Sonya has managed to raise $1,240.00 of it! "Good job, Sonya! You rock!" And of course, we didn't do any of it without Jesus!
CA Set for December 21st!
Which means we will leave on December 9th and make it home just before Christmas! Praise the Lord! thank you for all of your prayers, support, concern and love for our family! Without all of you, this road we've been traveling to get to Mei Mei would have been almost unbearable I think. I know the Lord wants us to rely on Him and believe in Him and count on Him for everything, but He also is a merciful God and He doesn't expect any of us to walk it alone. We are the Body, Christ is the Head, Amen!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Updates on Beautiful Feng Mei (aka Cassandra Mei)!
Well, the orphange was kind enough to send updated photos and measurements of Feng Mei. YAY! And our TA did arrive at the adoption agency today, so at least we now can request a CA (consulate appointment) and our agency is shooting for Friday, December 9th because the CAs which would cause us to leave on December 2nd are all taken. I am praying for no later than December 9th because that would probably put us at getting home Christmas Eve, but at least the girls would be home for Christmas to open their gift and stocking.
Yes, you heard me right - one gift each. Sonya has always received one gift from us at Christmas and a stocking to go with it, and I bet you ten dollars she can tell you exactly what she got every year for the past three at least. And when she opens her gift, she is always very grateful. Sonya still rides her red scooter around the house that we gave her last Christmas!
We tell Sonya that the one gift represents the gift freely given by Jesus Christ when He came to earth, born of a virgin, destined to die on the cross at Calvary for our sins, and through His atoning blood alone shed for us alone, we can experience eternal salvation. Randy and I are now looking forward to sharing this simple yet meaningful tradition with our second child and baby girl.
You see, in my cleaning business, I've seen so many children through the years go from wanting very little in the way of material possessions, rather desiring the simple love and time spent with family, only to grow into constant consumers wanting more and more, seeking new and better ways to have "fun" and fit in, never being satsified with what they've been given. Time and time again, I've seen these same children grow into teenagers who feel it their rightful place to berate their parents for not measuring up to so and so's parents when it comes to gift-giving at Christmas time or any other time of the year for that matter.
You know, if you've ever spent any time with me, you'll see I'm not perfect and I have my many flaws. But hopefully, in this area, Randy and I are doing things right by keeping our children from seeking after the ways of the world when it comes to having everything the world says is important to have in order to be truly happy.
So with no further delay, here are the three pictures we just received this morning of Cassie!
According to their measurements, Cassie is 44.9 inches tall; Sonya is 46.5 inches tall. Cassie weighs 44 pounds; Sonya weighs about that much. And Cassie's feet measure 6.7 inches; Sonya's are 7 inches. That means perhaps Cassie wears a size 10 shoe, while Sonya wears a size 11. If these measurements are accurate, Cassie is the size we imagined her to be. Oh, how I cannot wait to wrap my arms around that little girl and find out for myself!
Oh and how could I forget? This is what the Z orphanage had to say about our little girl!
"She is very smart. She talks well. She gets along well with other kids."
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Sonya's Fundraiser Update
Just a quick note to let you know Sonya has raised $650.00 toward her $1,000.00 goal to pay her sister's air line ticket home! I just this morning received another order via email by a family we have never even met! Friends, this happens quite a bit, and not only do these "strangers" report how much they love Sonya's art work, they share about how much they appreciate her heart as well.
Once Sonya has reached her goal on her sister's behalf, she has big plans to create other various art forms to continue to raise money to help orphans around the world to make it home to their forever families. As Sonya's mother, it is obvious to me that Sonya has a heart for orphans as she goes about her Father's business.
Once Sonya has reached her goal on her sister's behalf, she has big plans to create other various art forms to continue to raise money to help orphans around the world to make it home to their forever families. As Sonya's mother, it is obvious to me that Sonya has a heart for orphans as she goes about her Father's business.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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