Our China Adoption

This page is a record of our journey to our son in China, for those who are beginning their own adoption process, looking at options, or just curious.  My hope is that our story will encourage you to step out in faith, and risk more to love God and others more deeply.  

Gotcha Day Jan 27, 2013


Our entire process took 11 months from start to finish, which is pretty amazing for an international adoption. It was one big, manic, roller coaster, whirl wind of a process. We chose to go through the China special needs adoption program.  We said "yes" to begin the process back in Feb. 2012.  Those early days were scary, and sometimes discouraging.  It was a huge leap of faith, especially financially.  I learned to trust and pray like never before.  As the year went on there were a few times in the process that we thought we were dead in the water, I don't go into too much specific detail on this blog, but the fact that our son is home proves just how incredibly faithful our Father is.  What he calls us to, he will accomplish...even when we struggle with constant fears and doubts.  Our biggest excuse keeping us from doing international adoption  had always been the finances involved.  We were blown away by the Lord's provision and the generosity of so many people who love us, and who wanted to be a part Elijah's story.  The end of August was a spectacular time, walls came crashing down, our son became un"stuck", and we began the sprint to the finish (well, more like a crawl...but it all started to come together).  As we bought our plane tickets, packed our bags, and trusted that the final document would show up, fear was the constant threatening enemy.  As we travelled we were overwhelmed once again at how God went with us, and went before us (even clearing the record breaking smog the night before we arrived). For some reason he saw fit to give us a trip free of glitches.   Gotcha day was a dream come true.  Our week spent in Guiyang was a wonderful bonding time, and a great cultural experience.  We had a lot of fun visiting the Zoo, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace during our stay in Beijing.  It was hard to say good bye to China but we couldn't wait for our family to be together again.  The journey to make Elijah our son is now over, but a whole new adventure begins as we learn to be a family of seven, to parent a child with cerebral palsy, and to parent a child from hard places.  Some moments have been incredibly sweet, and some have been incredibly hard...but we know that the story God is writing in this little boy's life is one filled with redemption and purpose, and we are so blessed to be a part of it.  We are so very blessed that this little boy born across the ocean calls us Mommy and Daddy.






{gotcha day, brave boy getting a kiss from Daddy}







{"baby wearing", not just for babies, but good for 'big' boys having a hard day}



{sweetness with little sister}


{Baking with Mom}





{farm boy}


{playing with Daddy in the water is so fun}


{check out the new ride!}


{beach snuggles}


{"big and strong!"






Timeline:   "Then Job replied to the Lord:  I know that you can do all things, no plan of yours can be thwarted" Job 42:1-2

March 5 2012- "Let's do this" day.  Called the provincial office to request an adoption application.
March 6 - Talked to our agency on the phone for about 2 hours.  Mailed in Provincial application.
March 13  - Received agency  information packet.
March 20 - Sent registration to agency.  Mailed CIC form for Canadian immigration.
March 21 - Mailed away for birth and marriage certificates.
March 23  - In person meeting at our province's adoption office.
March 28 - Finger prints sent to Ottawa. (finger prints returned a month later unprocessed)
March 31 - #1 home study visit
April 14 -  #2 home study visit
April 29 -  #3 home study visit
May 7 -  Part 1 Canadian citizenship (CIC) approval letter arrived.
May 8 - Last two documents needed for our Dossier arrived!
May  13 - 4th and final home study visit.  Dossier complete!
May 14 - Dossier to our Province- wait for approval.
May 17 - Provincial approval!
May 18 - Dossier sent to our agency.
June 5 -  Need to re-do some of our Dossier documents.  Back to collecting paperwork.
June 19 - Dossier documents sent to our agency.
Aug 2  - Dossier mailed to our provincial office, ready to be sent to China.
Aug 21 - DTC!  (Dossier to China)
Aug 28 - Child proposal sent from agency
Aug 29 - Received Child's file
Aug 29-  LOI (letter of intent) sent by us
Aug 29 - LID (Dossier logged in with Ch. adoption authorities)
Sept 5  -  PA  (Preliminary approval - Ch. agreeing to process our adoption of a specific child)
Oct. 16 - Final approval from the Ch. adoption authorities!...but the document was lost and didn't arrive.
Dec 8 - search begins for our Letter Seeking Confirmation document.
Dec 17 - Signed Letter Seeking Confirmation  (LOA)
Jan 18 2013 -  Notice of Travel (TA)
Jan 18 - Travel Visas
Jan 25 - leave for China
   
Gotcha Day!  Jan 27 2013
Forever ours Jan 28 
Home February 7 th. 




"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming "Wow! What a ride!" - unknown

After 4 months at home!





5 comments:

Marcy Payne said...

He will provide!

Marcy Payne said...

Can you email me which agency you are going through? We are going to go through a Waiting Child program or the HIV+ program. Just waiting to hear back from people is driving me nuts. LOL!

Anonymous said...

What a cutie! I am also very interested in knowing which agency you used. We have a child in mind that we would love to adopt. It would be a special needs adoption from China and he is turning 7 in December.

Carla said...

Kristen, I'd be happy to chat about adoption via email. Feel free to contact me at pentamom77@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Thanks Carla,
I e-mailed you a couple days ago. I look forward to talking to you about adoption from China.