Encouragement

I've been a little bummed this week.  We have entered the great unknown as far as the wait for Emily goes.  We are 16 days into our LOA wait.  Sixteen of how many.  Who knows?  Last year for Sarah it was 42.  That is very fast, especially for last summer.  Last year the central authority in China underwent a major database change and it was, in a word, disastrous.  We somehow managed to skirt past that and came out just as things straightened out and started working again.  Things are working fine now but wait times tend to cycle.  I don't really understand why but they definitely do.  You will see several weeks or months of LOA waits in the 40-50 day range and then it will get a little longer and a little longer and then suddenly it corrects itself.  Who knows?!  The fact of the matter is though that right now they are stretching between 70-90 days.  Almost twice as long as last year.  Once you get LOA you travel about 10 weeks later.  The days add up quickly and we are looking at Christmas at least.  I have prayed that somehow our whole family could go.  I have prayed for her heart to be prepared.  The thought of her waiting that much longer hurts my heart but maybe she needs that time.  It's just been a little discouraging this week.

Until…..

One of the most precious things about adoption is the relationships with other adoptive mammas out there.  We just "get" each other.  The best thing this time around is that Emily's orphanage is a long time partner with Lifeline and many people are matched from that orphanage.  I have been able to send several letters to her and that has been so nice.

 This past week a precious Mamma was headed to China to get her sweet son who is from Emily's orphanage.  She was taking a letter and some stickers for her from us.  I knew what day she was going and so I woke that morning wondering if maybe she had messaged me.  Goodness knows she had way more to deal with than my letter but I checked anyway.  All of a sudden a message popped through!  A message with this precious picture.

Not only a picture but a reiteration of what everyone who meets her says.  She is sweet and soft spoken and precious.  And not only that but a letter.  A Letter!!!  From her!  She wrote us back and it is the most precious thing I own right now.  I am holding it close but I can tell you it did my heart good.  I have been doing some reading on teen adoption and it is deep, hard stuff y'all.  We are peaceful and are preparing and we are not under the delusion that because she is sweet that it won't be hard but this little letter just made things ok for today.  I can not wait to love her  in person.  She deserves that.

We are encouraged by her level of care.  The nannies at this orphanage are so good and we here nothing but good things.  She always looks cute and taken care of.  It is just a different experience for sure!  But she needs to come home.  She needs PT and school and her mamma and daddy.

I am so thankful that the Lord hears the cries of a mother's heart and has without fail during both adoption given us just what we needed.  It is such an exercise in trust and faith.  He is stretching us!