A Valentine for Selah

(Oh dear me....the cheeeeks!)

Earlier this month we sent a care package to Selah with a couple gifts for her, her foster family and orphanage nannies. We wanted it to be an expression of love for those who are caring for her while we are separated. We were thrilled to find out through my dear friend that our children's orphanage is really receptive to care packages and totally invested in preparing the children for their families.

(Director opening our gifts and reading our letter of thanks!)


It had been a little before Thanksgiving since we had sent our last care package. IT. WAS. TIME .



This morning we were filled with joy to see precious pictures filled with excitement and smiling faces...



(She is listening to our voices for the first time as we read a recorded story.)




Sharing treats!







The face of a little girl who knows she is treasured!

I have studied every detail of these pictures. From her supreme cuteness and how much she has changed over the past 3 months. From the expressions of her foster mom (Which praise JESUS I have pictures of her known foster mom!) To the tender expressions between her and whom I will assume is her foster brother (which my heart longs to know his story...how old is he, does he have a family coming? Is he aged out? What does his future hold?) These are the things that keep me up at night. Once you have been touched by one orphan, the way you view the world never looks the same.

But soon... very soon...there will be one less.

Valentine's Day may have come and gone, but every day is an opportunity to show love, especially to the least of these.

"And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!' Matt 25:40

Thankful

How do I even begin to express our gratitude for the love that is being poured out for our daughter?

With every prayer, call, gift, talent used for His Kingdom, it's like a wave washing over my very soul. Restoring a hope that I did not realize had been so badly damaged along this broken road. Maybe one day I can get to a place of sharing the deep pain of the dark days of this wait, how I let the lies of the enemy shut me down. Then again, maybe none of that matters now...all that matters is there is a new horizon...He is creating new life in me as we prepare new life for our daughter.





Psalm 3

"O LORD, how my adversaries have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
Many are saying of my soul,
“There is no deliverance for him in God.”
Selah.


But You, O LORD, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
I was crying to the LORD with my voice,
And He answered me from His holy mountain.
Selah.

I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me round about.

Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God!
For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek;
You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.
Salvation belongs to the LORD;
Your blessing be upon Your people!
Selah."




Thank you for standing shoulder to shoulder with us on this journey. For continuing to pray, donate and advocate until our daughter is home.

(Beautiful beach portrait taken by my sweet friend Mandy who also waits for her son at the same orphanage.)

L.O.AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Hallelujah, it came!!!!!!! On February 10, 2012 at 2:10pm the sweet ring of a door bell sent thrill to our hearts and our feet running for the door!



Poor Madelynn was already in her nap and missed all the action. Noah however got to see it all go down and was right there with helping hands.



After 2 years ...of praying, waiting, stepping out in faith and waiting some more...



Mountains moved.


"You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides Him there is no other." Due 4:35







Upon receiving our LOA or LSC (letter seeking confirmation) we are asked one very important yet heart breaking question and to check one box.

[] We accept the adoptee mentioned above

[] We cannot accept the adoptee mentioned above



[X] We accept the adoptee mentioned above ..... with all our hearts!

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


If you have not had a chance yet, please check out our Both Hands project page to see how you can be apart of the miracle of bringing Selah home.

"Let the morning bring word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. " Psalm 143:8

On its way

This blog started our different just a couple of hours ago. Let me take you back a bit. Last week we got word that our dossier made it through review and was approved! Let me tell you, there was rejoicing! The kind that draw you to your knees, in deep cries of joy.

We would just need to wait for the CCAA (China) to send us our LOA (Letter of acceptance).

*You cannot proceed with your adoption until China sends the LOA, which is your official approval from the CCAA to adopt your child.

Yesterday, day 69 of our LOA wait... we got word, it was sent...and is now on U.S. soil.





Next stop... Texas! We will finally have it in our hands on day 70!!!!




To be continued...

Both Hands and an UPDATE!

We have been given an amazing opportunity to work with





on a project called



Both Hands Mission Statement:


The Both Hands mission is to bring comfort to widows in the form of home repairs and landscaping, while partnering with Lifesong for Orphans to bring aid to orphans and provide financial assistance to adoptive families.

There are 150 million orphans in the world and while we can’t change the world, we can make a world of difference to some. One of the main reasons people don’t proceed with the adoption process is because of the huge price tag, often times between $15,000-$30,000. Our vision is that there will be Both Hands projects happening every weekend, in every state in this country.


If you would like to know more about our Both Hands project, the wonderful woman we will be serving and how you can help please check out our family fundraising page.

http://bothhandsfoundation.org/nathan-and-alisa-coriell.aspx

They have also set up a facebook page for us so come on over and join:

www.facebook.com/events/299943943391741


ADOPTION UPDATE:

I talked with our agency last night and our dossier just made it out of translation (day 38 of our LOA wait) and now is "in process". Please be praying!

We have LID !!!

We have some great news on the adoption front.... I opened an email this morning from our China coordinator and she said the CCAA just logged in our dossier and we have a log in date of
12/02/11 !!! Thank you Jesus, we finally made it to this step!

Now the clock starts on our wait for our LOA (Letter of Acceptance). The timeline for this is a bit all over the place. The average is about 60-70 days BUT some people have got theirs as early as 30 days and some have waited 90+ days. There is just no rhyme or reason to it. Overall, if I was to go off the averages of LOA-TA (travel approval) we are looking at possibly traveling in April/May.

Below are pictures of the care package we sent, I talked it about a couple of posts ago. It was scheduled to arrive the day before Thanksgiving. It included a snugly blanket, musical toy, pajama, photo album of our family, disposable camera (the orphanage will use these and give them back to families on adoption day) a translated letter from us and candies for the foster parents and nannies.




Each picture is labeled in Chinese.



Sweet little owl Pajama.



We pray that during this time God would be preparing Selah's heart for us. Her foster parents/nannies and life at the orphanage is all that she has ever known. Although her orphanage and it's programs are better than most in China it is still not a forever family. Her world will be turned upside down. So please be praying for our sweet one.

Half the Sky

What is Half the Sky?

Half the Sky foundation seeks to ensure orphaned children receive the early childhood
opportunities they need to thrive by providing infant nurture programs with trained nannies to love and care for the babies, uniquely tailored preschool education for toddlers and beyond, personalized learning opportunities for older children, and loving, permanent family care, medical care and guidance for children with disabilities. HTS offers the care, individual attention and development environment that a loving family would otherwise secure for a child’s
healthy development.

"Changing children’s lives does not require new facilities or expensive playthings or complicated new procedures. Human contact is the most important ingredient, and caretakers can make a huge difference—just by taking an extra moment whenever possible to hold the babies, talk to the children, hug them all, and assure them that someone cares." —For the Children, Half the Sky’s training manual

Selah's orphanage is a Half the Sky orphanage. She lives in a "foster village". Basically a group of foster families that live in apartments next to the orphanage. The foster families typically care for 4-5 kids so that they may grow and develop healthy attachment in a family atmosphere not an institutional setting. During the day they do go to the orphanage for classes/services. The foster village is sponsored by Alliance for Children Foundation. If would like to learn more about the set up of the foster villages click on the link above!


When we were sent Selah's updated pictures we were also sent these PRECIOUS pictures as well! Taken in September.








I noticed this is the same picture she is looking at in her Half the Sky book (which is her record book they have kept of her since she came to the orphanage). This is a very special book! From what I have been told this will be coming home with her. I am currently trying to find out if this is her foster mom or a nanny at the orphanage.

Nathan and I often talk about the sparkle of JOY in her eyes. We are so thankful for the care she is receiving here.

Psalm 68:5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.