When and Who?

Many people have asked me in the last few days when we are going to China.  The short answer is:

I don't know.

The long answer is:  We are in a process now called Article 5.  It ususally takes 2 weeks to complete this step, but because of a major national holiday it will take 3 for us.  This process will hopefully be complete on October 8.  I am waiting on confirmation from our agency to be sure.  After article 5 we begin our wait for travel approval.  This can take 5-21 days.  We will likely leave about 10 days after that.  We are hopeful for the first few weeks of November.  Don't worry we will let you know!

You know you have been waiting on too many approvals when your heart skips a beat when the credit card machine says "approved!"  All approvals get me excited today even if its for groceries!

Now....  who is going to china?  Oviously me and Shane are both going.  Some famiies send one parent, in some both go and only one stays the whole time.  We are both planning on going and staying the whole two weeks.  But who else is going?

selfie with her brand new passport

Yep!  Jenny is going to China!  That passport now has a shiny new Chinese visa stamp in it!  This sweet baby has been begging to go to China since the day we told them we were adopting.  Our first instict was to say no.  Too much school to miss, too much money, etc.  Then I decided they both needed to go.  Then I got real stressed about it and prayed through it all and this is the reality.

Will just doesn't need to miss 2 weeks of school.  Two weeks of tenth grade is too much.  Homecoming will likely be while we are gone.  He is in show choir and has other committments.  Although going to China is very important, these things are very important to him as well.  He is so excited about his new sister, but has let me know that I seem way more worried about him not going than he is.  He promises not to need therapy later because he is staying home.  I might need therapy though!  

Jenny wants to go so badly.  She understood when we said no, but was very sad.  Then when we said maybe she was ready to go!  Then she had kind of a panic attack about missing two weeeks of school.  She sat in my lap and cried and said she didn't think she could miss that much.  Then I got an email back from the school.  I had emailed about the possibility of her going.  I had heard terrible stories of kids having to withdraw from school and reenroll, etc.  Our precious school said, "YES! What an expierence-GO!"  I felt like she needed to know that.  She called me into her room one night and said she needed to talk.  She had tears in her eyes and she said she had changed her mind and she wanted to go!  It was decided!  There was no way I could say no with the only reason being that Will couldn't.  Jenny is sacricing much for Sarah.  She is the only one loosing her "place" in our family.  She is giving up physical space and is willingly sharing a bathroom.  Pretty big stuff for a 12 year old girl!

More than that though is the fact that for years I have prayed that the Lord would grow compassion in her heart.  That she would have empathy for others.  As we have looked at waiting children lists together and prayed for sweet children to find their families and for their care once they are home I have seen the seeds of compassion begin to take root.  I believe this trip will be a life changer for her in many ways and I am praying now for how God will use it in her life.

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Happy Jenny gets to go.  So sad Will can't.  Knowing the Lord is going before us and ready to GO already!!!!