PICS?!?!

Yes, one of my mom's dear friends, Laurie, (whom she met through Yahoo groups) is in China right now, picking up her dear daughter, Avery Ya, and sent us pictures! (from just yesterday!) It turns out that Avery Ya and Caelyn Yi are in the same class at the orphanage (we think they are seperated into age groups). Laurie told us that Avery Ya showed her pictures of "Yang Yi" and spent time drawing pictures of herself and Yang Yi together! :) How neat!? Then when they went to the orphanage the director let them see their classroom, bedroom, lunchroom, etc. Avery did not go because she was crying. When her parents asked why she was crying, a little boy passing by said, "Because she does not want to come back to this place." When I read that my heart broke. But it was great to see the early stages of attatchment between Avery and her parents, and really encouraged me since she and Caelyn Yi are such close friends! Anywayanys, Laurie said she got many pictures of Caelyn Yi and a video (which we haven't gotten just yet). Here are some of the pics:

My family had a hard time picking out Caelyn in some of the pics, which is why I edited them (using Picnik.com). It is strange trying to pick out your daughter/sister whom you have never seen before, except in pictures which are obviously posed. It's great to see Caelyn in her normal every-day life and it makes us even more excited to meet her!!!

Thank you for your prayers. We are having a shower in a couple of weeks. :) Thanks everyone who planned/are planning that!

In Him,

Chelsey :)

It's been a long time coming...

It's long process, but let me tell any of you who are considering adoption: It is so worth it.

June 15, 2008- Home from China missions trip
July 27, 2008- Initial paper work finished
August 2, 2008- First official home-study meeting
December 3, 2008- Fingerprints complete
April 6, 2009- Complete Home-study sent to Immigration
June 15, 2009- Immigration Approval
July 27, 2009- DTC/Docier to China
September 16, 2009- Official Referral for Yang Yi
September 17, 2009- LOI/Letter of Intent sent
September 28, 2009- LID/Log In Date
October 12, 2009- PA/Pre-Approval
November 16, 2009- LOA/Letter of Acceptance
November 27, 2009- I-797C (application recieved)
December 16, 2009- Visas recieved from China
December 22, 2009- Article 5 Letter completed and arrived in America

!!!!!!! Article 5 to America !!!!!!!

This morning we recieved a call from Karla saying that our Article 5 Letter was just successfully turned in to the CCAA! We will now begin our wait for the Travel Approval (TA) and we are approximately 3 weeks from it! This is so exciting! Each time something moves along, reality sets in just a little bit more! This is really happening! Its been happening for a year and 5 months, but now we can all see the finish line! :D



We have decided that my parents, my little sister Carli, and I will be going to pick up Caelyn Yi. Carson and Casey are indefinite as of now. My parents have refinanced our house, and we are now financially prepared to travel- thanks be to God! :)



Please pray for my Chinese! :) It's a very tough language, and I can't imagine speaking it as a fist language and trying to learn ESL (English as a Second Language)! I'm learning slowly but surely! We'll see how well I'm doing once we get to China, but I do have to remind myself incessantly that I've only been taking it for one semester. Also, my family wants to learn a little Chinese. :D On the subject of learning, please pray that whenever we do travel, we wont get too far behind in school. When the time finally comes, Carli and I will be missing atleast 2 weeks of school. Just the thought scares me, especially as a Junior in my high school. We would appreciate it if you'd keep us in your prayers as we travel!



Today was a great day! We got the call from Karla, and soon after that a very encouraging call from our beloved relative in an Atlanta treatment facility. He seems to be doing very well, and even creating beautifully artistic Christmas presents for his family since he has no money. It was so neat to hear him sounding so healthy!



Thank you for your prayers! And thanks to anyone who has donated stuff for Caelyn Yi! In case anyone is wondering, we believe she wears a size 4 or 5T, shoe size: 10 (I can't remember exactly... don't write that one down.) Thanks again!



In Him,
Chelsey :)

Via Visa

Earlier this week we got our visas from China! They look the exact same as the ones my dad and I got last year. Its basically a sticker that says you're approved to go into the country, and it has a time-frame. We have approval for a year, which is good. :) It was very fun and exciting to see something move along- and this time have a visual appreciation!

Speaking of visuals, we are hoping to get new pictures of Caelyn Yi soon... we haven't heard from them since we sent our first package. And speaking of packages: we just sent her final (hopefully!) care-package yesterday! In it we sent some more personal items: a Mickey Mouse plush toy, a Mickey Mouse Playhouse puzzle, a kaleidoscope (sp?), a Hello Kitty activity book, a big bag of individually packaged Gummy Bears (to share with the other children), a box of Crayons, some little eyeshadow palettes for the Nannies, and a letter to Caelyn Yi. We stuffed all of this in a box and shipped it off to China. Shipping- $42... whoo... In the last package we sent there was a pre-stamped letter so Caelyn could send us a letter. I'm kind of thinking this won't happen...

Please continue to pray for my family! So much has happened in the past year; we need prayer and support!

I know this seems petty, but we have misplaced our family digital camera (our only camera). Next week is Christmas, and we would love to take pictures, as you can imagine! As simple as it sounds, please pray that we would find that camera! Thanks!

In Him,
Chelsey :)

I-800? Article 5? Letter of what? WHAT?

This past Monday, my mom sent me a text while babysitting. It read: "Our file is in China! Already!" Now honestly, I had no idea what this meant. It was progress, so I sent back a short reply, "yeah!" but then began the endless text-talk discussion with my dad about what exactly that meant, what we had left, and when we get to go. All that to say, I think we decided that this is what's left:

~Article 5 Letter must be prepared and taken to the CCAA or ABAC (I'm not sure which)
~We will begin our wait for TA (Travel Approval)
~We will recieve our appointment with the Chinese consulate (in China)
~We will prepare final paperwork.
~We will plan our trip to China around the consulate appointment
~We will finally go to China to bring home Caelyn Yi!

So as you can see, we are not far away at all! It could very well be anywhere between 1-3 months now! So exciting! I can't believe we're so close!

Once again, I ask you to pray for us! Pray for Kris (he's doing a little better, but has now moved to a different treatment facility), and our visit to see him over Christmas. Please pray that we will be prepared both in heart, mind, and body to bring home Caelyn! Please pray that God will provide financially for the trip to China and any expenses included. Thank you all for your support! We appreciate your prayers!

In Him,

Chelsey :)

P.S. The date for the shower has been set, thanks to the lovely Melanie O'Keefe! :) We love and appreciate you!

Meaty Meeting

Long story short: Life is flying by so quickly that its taking forever. I know that doesn't make any sense, but parts of my life seem to be snail slow (school...) while others seem to be flying high (adoption...)! Needless to say, exams are next week, so it's only gonna get tougher.

Today we went to an "Adoption Travel Meeting". However, it wasn't all about travel as I anticipated. It was almost 3 hours long. I was not excited. After having been there, done that, I am so glad that I went! There was so much information that I am not sure how to sum it up! Basically its a huge super long tedious process, and we're so close (relatively)! We are waiting for a certain form to be cabled from America to China, signed off there, and sent back here (should take a weeks or so, but a family we talked to has been waiting for over 3 weeks...). Then we begin the wait for Travel Approval (TA), which should take about 3 weeks. It's all so exciting, and only just now beginning to feel real! I can't believe this is actually going to happen! :)

We got the gist of the trip when we will finally to China as well as some advice about when we get back. Basically, they encouraged moms to be the ones to care for the needs of the child, the dad to be the assistant, and the children to be the playmates. Our case is very different from all of the other families in that we have 4 older children, and she is 6, not a baby. So, my mom will be following up with a social worker about post-adoption (for our specific case) later.

We also got financial estimates. Excuse me as I go pull my hair out...

...

...

I know God will provide for us, but that's a lot of money. Please pray :)

So as you can see we feel very close, and the anticipation is building, but still have a month or two to go. But I believe in miracles. :)

In Him,
Chelsey :)

It's Never Not Time to be Thankful

Well, I'm not sure what to say. I suppose "Happy Thanksgiving" would be appropriate, but the current aura in our house says something different. It doesn't feel like Thanksgiving, and quite frankly, the Bennett household is not in a particularly celebratory mood. Our family has been on extaordinarily high stress levels all week. One of my close relatives is now in a treatment facility for depression/anxiety/insomnia, etc, which is adding emotional turmoil to the family. I love this individual so much that I share in his suffering. Granted, not nearly as much as my his parents, but the mutual burden remains. If you get the chance, please pray for him. He just went through an emotional break-up, and is now being housed in a treatment facility (unfamiliar to him) away from his family during the holiday. (I don't release all information simply beacause it is not necessary. God hears us when we call, and he knows our hearts. You don't have to know someone's name to pray for them.)

Beyond the constant reminder of this individual's absence, my family is very excited about the adoption. We are incessantly reminded of God's divine plan for us, Yang Yi, and our relative in need. We know it is not our plan, but God's and we know that He fulfills His promise for our own hope, benefit, and future (Jeremiah 29:11). We don't understand everything that's going on right now, and we don't know how treatments will go for our loved one... all we know is that a sovereign, loving, all-powerful, all-knowing God is watching and holding onto us for our dear lives. (And we will always remember to have H.O.P.E.)

It seems that there's never a dull moment in the Bennett household. Theres always some sort of drama, stress, or waiting. Then again- that's life. God promised us that we would suffer. Life is not all "honky-dory". We are sinners in need of the cleansing blood of Christ, and being constantly reminded of this is something to be thankful for. I never want to go a day without being reminded of Christ's steadfast love and abundant mercy.

So, on that note, I want everyone to know that amidst the pain and suffering, beyond the yearning and waiting, I AM THANKFUL for Christ's love and mercy, and I am thankful because of it. I am thankful for the beautiful ways that He's touched my heart (and used other's hearts to touch mine). I AM THANKFUL that he made this treatment opprotunity so clear and gave his parents wisdom. I am thankful that Carson, my brother got to come home for Thanksgiving, I AM THANKFUL for IHOP, where we ate Thanksgiving dinner (no one really felt like cooking or cleaning given the circumstances). I am thankful for God's beautiful creation and the people He's used to further our knowledge of it. I AM THANKFUL for so much in my life right now! Yet the cool thing is: I will never be able to appreciate all of what God has done for me. never. and for that: I AM THANKFUL. I am so thankful that I will never be too thankful. I am so thankful that God will always be more than enough for me. I AM THANKFUL.

I want to encourage you all right now, that even if you're not celebrating Thanksgiving in the typical way, it's never not time to be thankful.

In Him,
Chelsey :)

painting, showers, and THANKS-GIVING!

My school has graciously given their students an entire week off for Thanksgiving break! :) I am so Thankful! We've been painting a lot in our house. We're painting Carli and Yi's room, my room, and both of our vanities. Carli chose a brown for their room and a yellow for her bathroom vanity, I chose two different shades of green. Hope they turn out well! Carli finished the brown base yesterday, and will be adding polka dots today. I will be finishing my vanity and starting my room today. So that's what is currently going on in the Bennett house- painting and sore arms!

Of course its exciting to be thinking about Yi while we paint away! We decided to let Carli choose how to decorate because it's her room. And I wont be here much longer (wow!) if they hate rooming together (which i doubt) then maybe Yi can move to my room... or vice-versa... thats a long way away, though...

My mom has been discussing dates with a friend for a possible "baby shower". People can support us by giving things to Yi (whether clothes, toys, books, etc). If you think about it, people usually have a lot of things built up in their house by the time a child is 6 years old. Yi will be 6 1/2 when we get her (hopefully) and at that point will have a backpack filled with belongings. This is more than the typical orphanage supplies. Yi's orphanage (Zhongshan CWI (Child Welfare Institute)) is fantastic and well supported by the government!! (We've just found out that among the many bedrooms, cafeteria, playgrounds, classrooms, there are two "wading-type" pools!)
All that to say: we're very excited, and a shower would be a great way for people to love on us! After it is confirmed and decided, I will announce the date...

Thank you everyone for your prayers and encouraging words of wisdom! I admit at times I feel as though I am typing all these messages for mine and my mom's eyes only. But even if that is the case, I know God has a perfect divine plan for me and this blog. I still find it hard to believe that I actually have a blog, but true it is. :)

In Him,
Chelsey :)

Let's See How Far We've Come

The "new and improved" timeline: So neat to see God's work :)


June 15, 2008- Home from China missions trip


July 27, 2008- Initial paper work finished


August 2, 2008- First official home-study meeting


December 3, 2008- Fingerprints complete


April 6, 2009- Complete Home-study sent to Immigration


June 15, 2009- Immigration Approval


July 27, 2009- DTC/Docier to China


September 16, 2009- Official Referral for Yang Yi


September 17, 2009- LOI/Letter of Intent sent


September 28, 2009- LID/Log In Date


October 12, 2009- PA/Pre-Approval


November 16, 2009- LOA/Letter of Acceptance

(This is a picture of my parents just after they signed the LOA this morning)

December 16, 2009- Visas recieved from China

December 22, 2009- I-800 completed and sent to America

NOW- Completing a few forms, in the process of turning them into the US government, then a few more tedious steps, and we wait for the TA- Travel Approval. That will be the next BIG news... and very possibly the biggest! This feels so surreal... in a good way!

In Him,
Chelsey :)

Nothing Less Than a Miracle

Yesterday we recieved the LOA! It was so exciting! My mom says she couldn't hold back the tears as Karla surprised her with the call. I told you about the detailed Monday I had yesterday, but that was before the rest of the day had begun...

My sister and I got home at about 3:00. We were excited and sat down to chat with my mom at her computer. I updated the blog, then- litterally- the minute I got off of the computer the doorbell rang. A package? My shaking hand signed on the dotted line as the mailman handed me a small package. I immediately noticed the chinese scrawled all over it. The bracelets! I exclaimed as we headed to the living room to open the package.

My mom carefully opened the package and we proudly donned our official Red Thread Bracelets! Now we match Yang Yi! At least we think- there was an extra child's bracelet in the package so our hope is simply that Ann of Red Thread was feeling generous :)

This was exciting in itself! LOA and bracelets in one day! wow! THEN about an hour later my mom recieved an e-mail from China! It was Yang Yi's answers to our questions that we sent her about 2 weeks ago! How wonderful! We were shocked. So much happened in one day! At this point Carli remarked, "At this rate we could get her by Christmas! Heck- tomorrow!"

So as you can see we are very excited. We actually ended up going to Wal-Mart and bought her an outfit and a stuffed animal. :) I love all these beautiful surprises God keeps giving us! This is such a fantastic journey! Hard and long, but good; truly good.

"Life is hard, God is good."

In Him,
Chelsey :)

LOA!!!!!!

It is now day 35 from our PA. Today's Monday. Like every other Monday, the morning was hard, long, and that thought flashes through your head, "Oh my gosh this is only the beginning of the week." My friend and I love to make count-downs. One of our countdowns is the number of Mondays left until a certain anticipated event/break.

Anyways, today started out like every other Monday until about 2nd period. Once again, Carli and I were called to the office to talk to our mom on the phone. We eagerly called my mom. As soon as the dial-tone stopped we heard the word: LOA. I could hear my mom grinning as she spilled out the good news: We've recieved our LOA! Out of the blue! Karla, our social worker, was even surprised! God is good! So much for typical Mondays- today was a day to remember! Carli and I emerged from the office bubbling over with pride as we proceeded to tell the whole school that we got LOA! After only 35 days we got LOA! That is very quick! It hasn't felt quick. I feel like we have been waiting a few months atleast, but its really been just over a month! How exciting! Oh God has perfect timing! Just last Friday I had accepted that things were slowing down. Very exciting. We now have rejeuvenated hope and joy! Thank you all for your prayers! We're very excited!

Glory be to God in the highest! And on earth- peace and goodwill towards men.

In Him,
Chelsey :)

The Tortoise and the Hare

The other day we recieved an e-mail from Ann of Red Thread saying this: "Yang Yi and another girl got their packages today. The were very happy to have the gifts." That was it. It was a little disappointing, but it was enough. I've noticed how much things have slowed down. The past 2 months have been pretty fast paced. We got a referral, new information and pics, sent a carepackage, and are waiting for LOA (Letter of Acceptance) and answers from our questions. Now it seems that things have decelerated back to the typical pace. Now- we're waiting and holding on with patient expectation.

In Him,
Chelsey :)

Updates!

We got a pleasant surprise from Ann of "Red Thread" yesterday! She sent us updates of Yang Yi, and 2 new pictures!



Yang Yi is so beatiful! Getting updates and pictures makes the wait seem shorter. I have also noticed that staying busy does as well. Of course, I don't have to try to do that- Junior year in High School is hectic enough! But if you find yourself restless- fill your time. Don't give yourself time to worry and fret. Fill your time with prayer, thoughts of God, reading scripture. Be in constant prayer. My favorite verse is Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Amen :) This verse either pops into my head, or is spoken to me by my mom or best friend when I begin to feel stressed- and God relieves my burden! :)

Anyways! The point of this post was to share Yang Yi's new pictures! Oh- and updates! Here are her new measurements:

Height :104cm (40.9")
weight :17kg (37.4 lbs)
head :50cm (19.7")
chest :52cm (20.5")
feet:16cm (6.3")

The referral measurements are often not very recent (or so I've heard), but it would seem that her last measurements were not too far off. She's grown .9 inches and gained 5 pounds since her last measurements. So she's still little! Which will be intersting because my whole family is tall (tallest- 6'4", shortest (13)- 5'5") ... haha oh well! She'll always be our "little" sister! I have a feeling that will be a joke in the years to come...

Please continue praying! Anything can happen and we still wish for things to move quickly! We have absolutely 0 control over the situation- this is ALL God! Thank you!

In Him,
Chelsey :)

Care Package #1

Today is day 31 from our LID. We ordered our carepackage from Red Thread China on Sunday (?) And recieved pictures yesterday of our carepackage from Ann. We had a good letter, but that seems to be it- haha. This is what the package she will recieve from her family looks like:

Ann said the orphanage should recieve the package Thursday or Friday. However, we realized after we sent it that 1) the photo album looks as though it may be appropriate for a younger age (pray she isn't offended) and 2) its kind of a wimpy care package. I saw pictures of some other families' care packages and they were huge! So we decided to do some shopping (!!!) for Yang Yi and send her an even better, more personal, care-package through Lily later. We got so excited, that as soon as I finished my homework, I created what I call a "virtual carepackage" where I searched things I considered appropriate (or just cute :) and copied and pasted them onto a Word document. Long story short I have a page full of Hello Kitty, Pleasant Goat (apparently a popular tv show over there-on Yang Yi's shirt :), stickers, candy, etc. It was very fun to be able to dream like that! We are just hoping that she likes Hello Kitty... most adopted chinese children do...

In Him,

Chelsey :)

PA!!

So it turns out we were going backwards for some reason, and we got our LID before our PA. However, my mom recieved an email this morning confirming that we have recieved Pre-Approval! So basically- we've got her!!! ;) Karla sent us the care-package information today. How exciting is that?!? I am so thrilled to see God work through this process. I dare say we wouldv'e gotten PA sooner if the agency had not been on vacation the past week. When we got the care-package information my mom couldn't help but choke up. We are so close!! This is day 14 from our LID (log-In Date). To set high hopes in the knowledge that God can work through all things, lets say our goal is 60-90 days... that would be by New Years!! Woah! :) As you can see, I and the rest of my family, are very excited! We have already considered names, and we know it must be a "C" name, because all of the kids in our family have "C" names. We have favorites, but I won't reveal them yet.:) Thanks for your support! Please pray for continual hope and trust in God's ultimate plan! This has been a crazy, challenging process, but it is so very worth it! Can't wait to meet Yang Yi!

Love In Him,
Chelsey :)

LID!

Yeah! Praise the Lord! Things seem to be moving along so quickly (lets hope I don't speak too soon!). Today, September 28, 2009, we recieved our log in date! Which means our docier has been logged into the system... in China. Any day now we should recieve our Pre Approval (PA) which means she's basically ours. As informed by my mother, apparently we're supposed to have a count down starting now and ending when we get our LOA (Letter of Acceptance), which means- Yang Yi IS ours! At that point we'd like to send her stuff and get all excited and pick out names, and everything! But until then, we're keeping calm. :) My mom has done tons of research (i.e. reading and averaging other adopting families' blogs) and has come to the conclusion that we are looking at about 3 months until the LOA, and Pre-Approval (PA) should be any day now.

Please continue to pray that things would move smoothly. This whole process has been a bumby road with finances, fingerprints, physicals, and simply the necessity of trusting in God's ultimate plan. Thanks for all your prayer and support! Hopefully I'll be back on here soon with some more good news!

In Him,
Chelsey :)

Adoption Timeline

The timeline (up to date). Interesting that we were DTC exactly one year from the day we started our process... So neat to see God's work :)

June 15, 2008- Home from China missions trip

July 27, 2008- Initial paper work finished

August 2, 2008- First official home-study meeting

December 3, 2008- Fingerprints complete

April 6, 2009- Complete Home-study sent to Immigration

June 15, 2009- Immigration Approval

July 27, 2009- DTC/Docier to China

September 16, 2009- Official Referral for Yang Yi

September 17, 2009- LOI/Letter of Intent sent

September 28, 2009- LID/Log In Date

October 12, 2009- PA/Pre-Approval

November 16, 2009- LOA/Letter of Acceptance

now- waiting...

Yang Yi!

Here she is! She's just precious! We're so excited! Just sent the LOI yesterday! Can't wait to bring her home...

In Him,
Chelsey :)

REFERRAL! (for real!)

For the past month my mom has been highly anticipating a call from Karla, hopefully saying that we recieved a referral. At 8:15 this morning, she got it! Karla told my mom about a 6-year old girl that she thought would suit us. My mom was overwhelemed, and she called my dad, who was equally enthused. They spent the morning getting informaton about Yang Yi, a non-special needs (we believe) healthy little girl. My mom said, "It was perfect because Tim had to do all of the calling, which meant he was committed." At about 1:15 in the afternoon, I was in my independent language class, learning Chinese (Rosetta Stone), when my teacher said, "Chelsey, you're wanted down in the office." I shut down the computer, packed up my stuff and headed down casually to the Upper School office. Until- I realized why I was probably being called down: a referral??. At that point I nearly dropped my bag and started running down the hall, and down the stairs. I tried to tell myself not to get my hopes up, but I had a feeling. When I got to the door of the modular (yes, my school has trailers) I saw my sister beckoning me in, with a grin on her face that answered every question in my head. Yes, a referral. I was so excited. Together we darted to end of the hall to the officeto see my mom opening up a file on the computer showing a picture of the most precious little girl. We spent the next few minutes staring in awe, hugged as we hurried back to class, and smiled the rest of the day.

I can't explain how exciting this is for us. I know we still have a ways to, and it could take a while, but it's an answer to prayers to have something like this happen. We needed the push. Now we have rejuvenated hope. Please pray for us, and that the rest of the process would go smoothy! I'll try to put a picture on here as soon as we get a confirmation.

In Him,
Chelsey :)

Words of Wisdom

Just wanted to share with you a tiny piece of the wisdom Jenniffer Chambers has shared with my family with during this process. She and her husband adopted twin girls from China in 2006. In an encouraging e-mail to my mom she said:

"Once you find your child, the weirdness turns to AWE. ....that God could
have, in His omnipotence, have lead you through the wilderness to this
perfect place of family."

In Him,
Chelsey :)

There's Always an Exception

How ironic that I wrote about the referral because we got two today?! However, they are unofficial referrals, meaning the children have not been pulled- ie there is no pressure to accept. This is good. My parents did not have a strong response to the two girls that were sent to us, so at this point I see no need in publicly releasing their information. After talking with my mom, I've realized how difficult it is for her and my dad. My dad struggles to pinpoint what physical abnormalities he is willing to accept, and my mom loves them all. This in mind, my mom is now hesitant to commit to a child because she waits for my dad, and vice versa. In a typical family, these qualifications would not be an issue. You simply love the child you have, no matter what their needs may be. Its just so strange, so weird, when you have a choice. To what extent of special needs are you comfortable? My parents have never had to deal with this decision until now. I know its hard on them. Please keep them in your prayers.

In Him,
Chelsey :)

Waiting for Referral

The title basically explains our adoption situation as of now. All we're doing at this point is waiting for our Chinese conact, Lily, to send us a referral when she notices a child who would fit with our family. We spent the first couple of weeks looking through lists of special needs children, but at this point we've backed off and given it to God. We filled out the awareness form, and the special needs qualifications form- now we wait. and wait. and wait.

At this point I feel so much for Lily. I have recently discovered that once a child has been referred to a family, the child is put on hold for 48 hours. When those 48 hours are up, the family must make the decision whether to move forward with adopting this child or not. If the family says no, the child is permenantly off the list for that adoption agency. There is so much pressure on this woman. Sure, there are more people with whom she shares the burden, but that is a huge responsibility! And obviously God is in control of every situation, nonetheless, please keep her and the other social workers in her position in your prayers.
WAIT. Thats the gist of it all. WAIT.

In Him,
Chelsey :)

DTC

We got an E-mail from Karla... I'm not sure when since we just got back, but I'll say a few days ago, saying we are DTC. Docier To China. This is fantastic news! Wonderful! And a week ago I would've been ecstatic beyond compare, but right now I'm confused! We are all set, but we don't have a child to adopt! This is where we look around and wait for God to call us. We have to trust that he will provide everything we need. Like I said, we're not giving up, we just have to wait. Adoption requires Patience, Patience requires Christ, Adoption requires Christ. Finally All those Logic classes apply haha. So here we go: READY. set. TRUST!

In Him,
Chelsey :)

Father's Day

It's Father's day and the same thoughts that I had on Mother's day are cycling through my brain. Once again, I can't help but imagine Xian on the other side of the world without a father. I wish she could have the same hope that we do in that her family and her father are on their way and will be there in God's timing. I do wish to tell my dad that he is truly appreciated. This time last year he and I were listening to an English/Chinese sermon in the local church (only for foreigners, passport required at door). I'll never forget that trip and how much we learned and I'm so thankful that he willingly went with me. THANK YOU DAD!

As far as updates from China- The orphanage tried to submit the girls to the CCAA, but it was "rejected" due to insufficient or inaccurate information. This all goes to show that God's plan is not our plan! Our Chinese contact, Lily, says this has been a recurring theme recently. The orphanage director seems distracted. Honestly, I am willing to bet that he is tired of us contacting him from so many different angles. He must think we have so many connections! (well, I guess we do...) Anyways- no REAL news.

Just a small update about Tigi- for those of you who were praying: We have reason to believe that she is safe, althoug the best way to know for sure is to hear from her, which has not happened. We are pretty sure that she is in Atlanta. However, because she is a legal adult and there was no "foul play" (in otherwords she disappeared of her own will), the police have discontinued their brief search and she is now one of the millions of illegal immigrants in America. I will continue to pray for her fervently until I know for sure that she is safe.

Thank you all for your prayers!

In Him,
Chelsey :)

FINALLY!!

While I was busily babysitting away last Monday, June 15, my mom texted me saying these exact words, "Just got a call from Karla- says we've been approved! We're off to China!" So, there you have it! Homeland Security fnally pulled through on our second attempt and approved us for international adoption... for two girls... (we're still waiting for guidance and wisdom about Meng).
Truthfully, we expected the approval to take longer. So, this is a blessing. My whole family- my mom especially (although her respectful persistance pays off!) was becoming discouraged. The Lord decided to give us even more H.O.P.E.!!! I'm revelling in God's love right now! Glory be to the King! :)
Our next step is an approximate 10-day process including 3 simple steps. Now, not meaning to be doubtful, but when we heard "just three simple steps", my immediate thought was, "Oh, great." In my mind that was equivalent to a mother leavingher child in the car in the parking-lot at Publix and saying, "I'll just be a minute!" However, I know God is in control and He's been more than wonderful so far... I just can't give up now!! HOPE! Oh, back to the steps- our docier (i think) must be sent to 3 different cities (Montgomery was one, and somewhere in TX). After that, we are off to China! Well, not us- NOT YET! Just our DOCIER. Which, I looked up in the dictionary... and couldn't find it. So it seems I will be forever pronouncing it wrong... or right... I have no idea!
So, its a beautiful day and there is joy in the air! (cliche', I know, sorry.) Thanks for your prayers! It's so wonderful knowing that someday soon I will have a new little sister!

In Him,
Chelsey :)

Not much of Nothing

I've been thinking a lot about my future. I have a heart for China, but also for Orphans. I love children, and I love the gospel. I would love to go into full time missions, but I also want to be well educated, hence my presence at a 0.1-A Classical school in B-ham, AL (Westminster School at Oak Mountain- great school by the way!). So I am a little confused as to where I should go after highschool... I've thought about ESL, Seminary, Christian, etc. I don't know, and frankly I don't have to know right now. I'm only a JUNIOR! haha sometimes that seems pretty scary. Ok, so as you can see- this has nothing to do with the adoption, and I have nothing to say about the adoption because nothing has happened. It's slow moving as it has been the whole time. (sigh).

As I'm talking about nothing, I might as well ask you to pay :) :) :)
1)For Xian- that she would hear and believe the Gospel
2) For Fontana- ditto
3) For patience on my family's part
4) AND HOPE

Prayer is a powerful thing, so I mean it when I ask you to pray. God hears our prayers and he always answers.

In Him,
Chelsey :)

Un-approved

Yesterday was a very hard day for my family. Tigist, our exchange student, went missing from where she was supposed to be in North Carolina, and was reported getting onto a bus to Atlanta on Monday morning. My family and I have felt very sad, confused, and even abandoned by what has happened. All the while, we know that God has everything under control and he knows exactly where she is and what she's doing. He will take care of her; all we can do is pray for safety and wisdom.

At some point during the day, my mom remembered that Tigist had told her on Saturday (over the phone) that she had sent us a letter. My sister ran out to the mailbox and returned with a letter from Homeland Security- our last US step in our adoption. My mom quickly opened the letter of disappointment. It read that we have not been approved due to a list of things, all of which my family has already completed. My mom immediately sent an e-mail to our wonderful social worker, Karla Thrasher, who said 1) she'd be right on it, 2) no news from China, but she'll ask again, and 3) Be thankful that we are being processed, we're not sitting, waiting, wishing. We're Moving Along. We're cimbing up the mountain, almost there... but we keep falling down a few feet.

Have Faith. Have Hope. Have Joy. Have Patience.

~Chelsey :)

P.S. Above is a picture of Tigist. If anyone sees her please let us know!! (205) 437-9973

Good or Not Bad?

Alas! In the sea of vast depression there be a glimpse of good news! ;)
Yes, good news. The fingerprints are done and the appointments were very quick! My mom went in with Carson and Tigi and it took them 5-10 minutes! Then my dad went in with Casey yesterday and it went just as smoothly. Now all we can do is wait for the results to be sent back and that will finish up our docier! Fromthere it will be shipped to China, where we must recieve adoption approval, child referral, and travel approval.
On the other side of the world, the orphanage has done their part in submitting the girls into the CCAA!! However, it has been sent back to the orphanage for updating, but the fact that they are taking us seriously is great! Our specific orphanage, JiangJin Welfare Institute, has never had a special needs child adopted. So this is a new experience for all of us!
We're very excited to see where this is going! Please continue praying!

In Him,
Chelsey :)

P.S. You have heard me refer to the girlS. I have just now reaized that I haven't explained that part. We originally began the adoption process for 2 little girls, Xian and Meng, a 2 year old girl. However, we have since discovered that Meng's issues may be more extreme than we thought. A team of doctors from our church went to JianJin and couldn't give us specifics, so we are awaiting further information before pursuing her. However, we are still listed as adopting 2 girls... so it'll be interesting to see how God works this out...

Destination Unknown

Alright, so last Friday, my brother, Casey, Tigist (our exchange student, who is leaving Friday), and my dad had their appointments to get their biometric fingerprints. However, when they arrived at the FBI department, they read the looming sign on the door: FBI agncy is closed today, May 22nd, due to technical difficulties and power outage. Seriously, how often does that happen? So right now I am resting (or attempting to rest) in the fact that God has predestined all of this, and there is a reason that they were not able to go in last Friday. However, that reason is unknown. Consequently, they will be going in with my mom, and other brother, Carson, this week. Busy Busy Busy Busy Busy...

Needless to say, this has been rather frustrating, and we need your prayers for patience and HOPE. Please continue to pray for our process, and that it would move along swiftly. Also, pray for financial provision. Our dream is to get the girl(s) by 2010, and bring my parents, and Carli and I. I plan on raising my own support, so please pray that the Lord would provide. Also, please pray that He'd provide money for the other 3 as well. This would be an amazing opprotunity, and I can't tell you how much it would mean to me to go back to China. Thank you for your prayers.

In Him,
Chelsey :)

p.s. As of now I do not appreciate fingerprints.

PROGRESS!!!!!!!!!

Ok! So our adoption process has moved along! Not much but it has! We currently have our appointments for the last set of finger prints and then we wait supposedly 2 weeks and the we can send our docier off to CHINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then we wait... for a looong time... please pray for patience and HOPE in that time!

In Him,
Chelsey

p.s. Holding On with Patient Expectation

Mother's Day... no mother...

Last Sunday was mother's day. Our day was busy. We took advantage of my mom and half of the day was lost in travel from Gulf Shores for our Track meet. My mom lovingly took my oldest brother back to UofA that night. They had dinner together, but she of course did not get the appreciation she deserved. Thinking back I have realized just how much I truly appreciate my mom and I can't help but think about the fact that Xian has no concept of a mother. She has never celebrated mother's day. Ever. I can't wait until we can welcome her into my family and she can finally be loved and appreciated by a beautiful and truly caring mother!!

In Him,
Chelsey :)

Why?

A lot of people have asked "Why would you make a blog?" So in case any of you are wondering, here is my answer:

I am writing this blog, not only to pen (or should I say type) out my thoughts, but to remember them. And if I ever doubt something along the way, I can look back at this, and hopefully be encouraged. Also, I feel like this blog will be used by God. Once here and adopted, Xian may want to see her story, the way she effected us, and maybe even how much we love her, even before we knew her as well as we eventually will. After all, my mom refers to this process as a pregnancy. I have seen pictures of me since the day I was born. She wont have that, but we have memories, and I can record those memories, and she can see those. It's like an online scrapbook, but without pictures. At this point, she's not "born" yet, she's in God's plans. (AND WE CANT WAIT TO SEE HER!) I am hoping and praying daily that God will reveal himself to her. Though she is young, she can be used. Also, my mom wants a blog. She as well, would love to be able to look back on the process, like a journal. In a sense this is my online journal. So, that is why I have started this blog.

In Him,
Chelsey :)

Easter Hope

Today we woke up with fun-filled Easter baskets by our beds. My siblings and I trampled down the stairs to see each other's reactions. We ate a wonderful breakfast complete with Bran muffins and Breakfast bars. We laughed and made jokes. We went to church and celebrated Jesus alive from the dead... and forevermore! We came home from church munching on fruit to hold us down as we prepared for an exquisite lunch. We thanked God for our food and his ultimate sacrifice, ate together, and shared some memories. Then we cleaned up with positive attitudes and danced to Barlow Girl's "Never Alone". Next we relaxed while my mom hid the Easter eggs. We searched high and low and topped off our already full baskets with yet more treats. At night we all went to bed with new memories playing back in our minds, smiling to ourselves as we drifted peacefully off to sleep.

I cant help but wonder what Shan is doing on the other side of the world. Is she celebrating Easter at all? Is she even aware of God's love for her? Does she have hope? We celebrate Easter nonchalantly and take advantage of the unappreciated goodies. I wish I could be over there with her, or better-yet, she here with us. I keep telling myself: wait. trust God. He has a plan even when you don't. It's so easy for me to be sad, but God is merciful and mighty to save, and I fully believe that. Otherwise, what hope would there be?

Hope: Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.'"

In Him,
Chelsey :)

P.S. HE IS RISEN!!

Xian in sight and sound!

This link: http://angelsinchina.blogspot.com/2008/11/xian-xian.html will take you to a sweet video of Xian. It's on the blog of a team of doctors from our church that went to the same orphanage in the fall to do therapy and diagnostics. They said aside from her simple lazy eye, Xian is perfectly normal- not a single sign of CP.
You will hear her say/sound my parents' names: Tim and Laura.
Chelsey :)

God is GOOD!

Hallelujah! If there was ever a doubt in your mind, God answers prayers! I have been praying that even though she is half way around the world, Xian would hear about our Heavenly Father. Now I don't know that this has or will happen, but I have hope! I've just found out that one of the girls at the orphanage, Jing Jing (pictured above- cerebral palsy) has been led to Christ by some of the regular visitors, is a true Christian, and has proclaimed the name of Christ to her deaf friend in the orphanage! I have heard that she is now being taken out into the village! This is wonderful news and it just goes to show that God can reach anyone, anywhere! He can do all things according to His purposes! Please join me in praying that her love for Christ would grow and that she would share this relationship with the other children in the orphanage (including Xian!). She is so close to people who can lead her to Christ, I am hoping and praying that that will happen! Praise God!
In His Name,
Chelsey :)

My Story

Hi! My name is Chelsey. I am 16 years old and I have a heart for orphans and China. This is the story of my transition from America to China in my heart.

Last summer, my dad, Tim, and I went on a short-term mission trip to China. We ministered to orphans and spent time loving them; giving them attention they didn't normally have. My heart was broken, as was to be expected. However, my dad, who came on the trip so I "could have the experience", was changed even more dramatically than I. His heart was broken as well, and we shared an unforgettable experience that would change our lives forever as well as bring us closer together. While we were there, we both fell in love with one of the orphans. Her name is Jing Fu Xian. She is 6 years old and precious. She is mis-diagnosed with CP and because of this label is living in the special needs department of the orphanage. As soon as we got home, we told my family about Xian Xian and almost immediately began the adoption process. Though she is being taken care of to the best of the nannies' abilities, we wish to bring her home to us as soon as possible. The process has been long and slow. We began the process June of 2008. I will eventually try to put together a timeline so our progress will be clear. We have been in constant prayer for Xian and the orphanage. We have also needed much hope, patience, and trust. Please join us in this journey by supporting us with prayer. We have had so much encouragement thus far, and we are very excited to see where God is taking us, especially me. I have seriously considered going full-time into missions, possibly learning Chinese, or teaching English. Whatever God's plan for me is, I trust him and I know he knows what's best. Thanks be to God!

In His name,
Chelsey