Sunday, May 30, 2010

Travel Visas

The next step in our adoption process is to apply for travel visas into China. After finding out that this is done by submitting our passports and visa applications to the Chinese Consulate office in Houston, I decided to do this in person rather than hiring a courier.

On Monday, May 24th, my friend Suzanne and I made the 3 hour drive to drop off the documents. I have to admit that I was very nervous because I had received conflicting information on how to fill out the applications. I actually ended up filling out the forms two different ways and hoped to ask questions to make sure that I left the correct information. The lady working at the office just kept telling me "they are fine," took one of each of the applications with no rhyme or reason for the ones she chose and told me to return on Thursday for pickup. I left with a prayer that everything was in order.

On Thursday, May 27th, Dawn & I made the trek back to Houston to pick up what we hoped would be our completed travel visas...SUCCESS!! Inside these passports are our visas that approve us to enter China multiple times over the next year with a maximum stay of 60 days. Although all we need is one entry, hopefully sometime within the next 6 weeks for a maximum of 21 days, I am thrilled to have all of our bases covered and another step in the process completed! All we need now is a travel date!!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Signing Day!!

Our Storks!!

Daddy Signs First...

then Mommy...

and Big Brothers look it all over after school!!

Have you ever thought about how much weight a piece of paper could hold? For me, that is all I could think about today. One thin, 8 1/2 x 13, piece of paper held all of our hopes & dreams, fears & frustrations, joy & sorrows that we have felt for the past 4 years. This one, thin piece of paper holds the future for our family and a new life for our little girl. In less than 5 minutes, all the time it took for us to check a box, sign our names and date it, this piece of paper changes our lives forever!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

LOA!!!!

Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a distant land. Proverbs 25:25

After 70 days of waiting...at 6:03 pm tonight our prayers were answered by a phone call from our agency telling us that our Letter of Acceptance (LOA) was received and sent by Federal Express to us! This LOA is from China and officially approves our dossier and child match...Eva is ours and we are so excited!!

We praise God for His faithfulness to us and thank all of you who have been praying for us! We are truly blessed!!