Exciting Days Ahead...

THE WAIT IS OVER!!!!

 We're packing and getting things in order to travel to meet Lilly and Levi and bring them home. This has been a long journey. We first saw Lilly's face in January. We felt God's prompting although we didn't know how it would happen. In time, we felt the call to bring home Levi as well. God has done immeasurable more than we could ask or imagine. He gave us this call and it was not without being in complete control of the outcome. He is faithful. We cannot wait to wrap our arms around Lilly and Levi and show the Father's love to them.

We would love to share what the days after arriving home will look like for our family. We have spent hours studying, taking courses, watching videos and reading to prepare for this (and our previous) adoption. There are some things that are crucial in helping Levi and Lilly adjust. The first is that for a time we will limit contact and interaction with others. It is vital that Lilly and Levi begin to understand that Matt and I are their new parents and caretakers. They have had numerous people taking care of them in and out of their lives.  To help their bonding and attaching, we will be the ones meeting all their basic needs such as feeding, holding them, changing them, etc.  There will be some interaction that will be necessary such as doctor visits, but it will be limited within the first few weeks.  They need to be able to see Mom and/or Dad at all times for the first few months.

We will also spend some time "cocooning". We will take some time and stay at home. This helps them establish that our home is their new home. Everything they will be experiencing is new...new people, new language, new home, new food. We want to keep them from being too overwhelmed and help them feel secure.

We've been trying to help our children understand what this experience could be like. We've been dreaming of meeting Lilly and Levi for months. They, on the other hand, may not know that we're even coming for them. They will be stripped of everything they know and left with people that don't speak their language, don't look like them and that they don't know. That is scary. There is typically a grieving that takes place with children when they're adopted and we're trying to brace for that especially since Lilly and Levi are older. If you see us regularly, we ask that you are gracious to these blessings and what they're walking through. Please be patient with our family as well as we adjust.

We are so thankful to all who have been a part of this story. It has been amazing to watch the body of Christ come together to care for these two orphans who will soon be orphans no more!

*If you'd like to see pictures and updates from our trip to China, make sure and join the "Longing for Lilly and Levi" Facebook page.  There is video of Lilly and Levi too on the FB page!!*

The Countdown is on!

Countdown Clock

We Can See the Finish Line!!

We are closing in on the last few steps of the adoption process.  We are talking dates, making tentative reservations and getting plans in order.  Last week, we got our I-800 approval from the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services).  This approval says that Lilly and Levi will be U.S. citizens upon arriving in the U.S.  It also gives us permission to apply for their visas to enter the U.S. since they will be coming home with a Chinese passport.  We have submitted their visa applications and they will be forwarded to the Consulate in China where we will have an appointment during our stay there.

From October 1-7, China is shut down for a holiday.  There will be no movement the next few days for our case, but once it opens back up, a courier in China will drop off a packet of information for U.S. approval called the Article 5.  It will then be picked up and moved to the China side of things.  From there China will issue us a Travel Approval to come and get Lilly and Levi!  Our agency will immediately request Consulate Appointment date choices.  The Consulate will send back our Consulate Appointment day and we can book our plane tickets!

We will travel for 2 weeks.  The first part of the trip will be in the capital city of our children's province.  It is there, shortly after arriving, we will meet them!  The next day we will sign paperwork.  We will remain in their province to wait for the adoption decree and passports to be issued.  From there, we will fly to Guangzhou, China.  This is where the Embassy and Consulate is.  All adoptive parents have to go through this city before coming home.  It is here, our children will have an Embassy Medical Appointment. We will also have our appointment at the U.S. Consulate.  We'll await their visas and then we can come home!!!!

God has been so faithful through this process and provided every step of the way.  We started with a financial need of $55,000 for 2 adoptions.  We are down to needing $3500 before travel!  Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.  He has made a way that we could not imagine.  We are so grateful for His provision.  We have two more ways for you to be a part.  See the details on our FB page about the American Girl doll give away that ends this week.  Our last and final fundraiser will be a Haircut-a-thon!!!!  Who doesn't need a haircut?  Grow out your hair and mark your calendars for the evening of October 18.  Watch for details next week on our FB pages.  Thank you again to all who have supported us in all of our creative ways as we've raised our funds. Thank you for being willing to be a vessel used by God to provide for His children.  You are making an investment in the lives of two beautiful children forever.  Thank you does not seem adequate.

Here's what our timeline over the last few months looks like!  We've crossed off so many steps! 

Sign Commitment to Adopt Paperwork     2/8/15

Letter of Intent to China     2/9/15  

Agency Application     2/13/15 

Pre-Approval from China    2/28/15 

Received Pre-approval for Levi 4/3/2015  

Home Study Complete 4/6/2015

File I-800a with USCIS 4/2/2015 

Receipt Date 4/22/2015 

Fingerprint Appointment  5/11/2015

Receive I800a approval letter 

Documents Authenticated 

Dossier to China 7/15/15 

Logged In Dossier in China 7/27/15 

Receive "soft" Letter Seeking Confirmation or LOA  8/19/15 

Received and sign "hard" LSC/LOA  8/24/15 

File form I-800 to USCIS  9/2/15 

*RFE issued=delay 

I-800 approval from National Visa Center  9/23/15 

Complete DS 260 Forms (Visa applications for L&L) 9/29/15 

Article 5 drop-off (Approval from US)

Aritcle 5 pick-up 

 Travel Approval

Schedule Consulate Appt

Go to CHINA and get Lilly and Levi!!!!! 

God is good. To God be all the glory.

Jehovah-jireh

Jehovah-jireh

the LORD will provide (Genesis 22:14)

As God stirred our hearts for adoption, our biggest fear was not about loving a child that didn't come from our womb or even caring for a child with special needs.  It was the cost of the process. Adoption is crazy expensive.  Both times God has called us to pursue one of His children through adoption, we were certain this was what He wanted us to do; however, we questioned how it would happen. "Uh-hum...excuse me Lord...Creator of the Universe, all knowing God...have you seen our bank account??" As quickly as we questioned the funding of this adoption, God hit us with a perpetual brick upside our heads.  

Have I not already proved my faithfulness?  

You move when I move you and I will make a way. 

BOOM.

 God showed us with Endale and provided every penny needed to bring him home....actually more.  As Matt left Ethiopia with Endale, he had a hand full of cash left that he was able to bless a new friend in Ethiopia from God's abundance in our process. Why would we question it again when He called us to something radical once more?

When we added up agency fees, USCIS fees, travel fees, in country fees, home study fees, and post adoption fees for two children, we had a financial need of $55,000 to bring Lilly and Levi home.  We've sold all sorts of things from our home.  We've had 3 garage sales.  We have our ongoing "Adopt an Envelope" fundraiser.  We had a Pancake Breakfast.  We have applied for adoption grants.  And....God is and always has been faithful.   God has used so many people and avenues as His Provision in this process.  Our hearts could not be more thankful and in awe of all God has done.

  

We are about 8-10 weeks from traveling to China to pick up Levi and Lilly.  We are needing just under $5000 to meet our financial goal to travel.  We are excited to share 3 more ways you can support our journey if you feel led.

1.  Envelope FLASH sale!  

My slightly obsessive mind really needs to see all the envelopes marked off of our board.  So, all envelopes are only $10 each!  But wait...there's more.  We have had a beautiful, brand new with tags, Michael Kors purse/bag (retailed at $358) donated to give away.  For every envelope adopted from now until midnight Friday, September 4, you will be entered in a drawing for the purse.
1 envelope = 1 entry, 3 envelopes = 3 entries, 5 envelopes = 5 entries etc. Drawing will be Saturday, September 5.  *I will ship to friends outside of Albuquerque area if you win!*
(Sidenote: It is super cute!!)

To adopt an envelope, click on the DONATE button under PAYPAL to the right.

2.  T-shirts!

Matt designed some super cute tees.  They read, "Trust without Borders".  This has been our biggest growth as we've adopted.  God has showed us so tangibly what He is willing to do when we trust Him without borders.  You can purchase by using the link below and they will be shipped directly to you. Please share, share, share with your friends. Who doesn't love an awesome shirt? To order your shirt today, click here:

https://www.bonfirefunds.com/longing-for-lilly-and-levi 

3.  Noonday Jewelry Party

My friend Juli is hosting an online Noonday Jewelry party.  All commission will go to our agency to be applied to our adoption costs.  This is a beautiful organization with great products.  You can order anytime now through September 22 using this link:

http://www.noondaycollection.com/pws/SarahKuhn/eventstore10202/AMUS/default.aspx

We are on the home stretch and anxious to reach the prize. Thank you in advance for your prayers, support and encouragement.  God deserves all the glory for the beautiful story He is writing in our family.

Letter Seeking Confirmation!!!!

We woke up to GREAT news from our adoption agency this morning.  China issued our Letter Seeking Confirmation (LSC) also called Letter of Action (LOA) for both Lilly and Levi!!  This is probably the most important step in the process.  This means that China has translated and reviewed our dossier and has APPROVED us to adopt Lilly and Levi!  As you can imagine, my head has been spinning all day!  I can hardly believe it.  We will most likely travel the first couple weeks of November.  

From here, we have several steps to complete.  China has issued the letter in their system.  A hard copy will be sent to our agency and they will forward it on to us.  We should have it middle of next week.  We will sign the Letter Seeking Confirmation saying that we agree with the decision to adopt our two children (ahhh!) and send it back to our agency who will forward it back to China.

In the meantime, we will fill out the I-800 form for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  This will be to receive approval that Levi and Lilly will become U.S. Citizens once they are on U.S. soil.  Once we get our I-800 approval, we can apply for their visas.

I'll save you all the crazy intermingled details.  Basically, we have some work to do on the U.S. side.  Once it's all done, it is sent over to China.  Then, China will issue our Travel Approval (TA) to enter the country to pick up our babes.

After TA is received, we request a Consulate Appointment which once received will determine our travel dates.  The trip will be structured around that date.

If you're a list maker, here is what our list looks like.  We're ready to check the rest of these off our list!

Receive and sign "hard" LSC/LOA

File form I-800 to USCIS

I-800 approval from National Visa Center

Complete DS 260 Form

Article 5 (Approval from US)

Travel Approval

Schedule Consulate Appt

Go to CHINA and get Lilly and Levi!!!!!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. It looks like we're going to have to set two more places at the table for Thanksgiving this year!!!

Look What LOVE Has Done

Love.  

What comes to mind when you say "love".  I mean, in our house, we love pizza, cookie dough and the Packers but I also love God, my husband and my kids. The word "love" has a broad spectrum in the ways it is used.  But there is a great Love that out measures them all.

I've said before that our adoption of Endale changed our family.  For me personally, it changed me in so many different ways.  The one thing that stands out far above all the blessings and growth from bringing Endale home is my view of love.  Not just any love, but God's love for me.  I grew up as a Pastor's Kid.  My parents tell the story of me being born on a Wednesday and in church the very next Sunday.  So I have known of God's love for me and have loved God from a very early age.  I never really knew any different.  I may never truly understand God's love for me this side of Heaven, but after experiencing adoption I grasp God's love for me better than I ever have before.

It wasn't until our adoption process and then homecoming of Endale that I "got it".  God's love for me.  You see, earthly relationships can skew our perception of what love is supposed to be.   The earthly relationships that we have are imperfect.  Do you have a relationship with someone who has conditions or boundaries?  Do you have a relationship with someone who doesn't show grace and mercy?  Is there a relationship where there is no forgiveness?  Do you have a person in your life that says they love you, but they don't pursue a true relationship with you?

If you're like me, you fall into all or at least one of those in your relationships.  The struggle of trying so hard to have a relationship with someone who doesn't want it.  In the end, you wind up hurt and confused. We spend so much time and energy trying to earn or even keep love.  God's love isn't like that.

Adoption is the perfect earthly picture of God's love for us.  Our adoption story went something like this.  When we started the process of adopting (all three), we studied everything we could find out about them, their birth country, their pictures.  We wanted to know them.  We knew everything we could about Endale before he knew us.  

We started the adoption process.  There were heaps of paperwork and hoops to jump through to get to Endale.  It cost a lot of money that we didn't have.  We pursued him.  We did whatever it took to get to him.  

We wanted Endale.  Our agency told us that another family from Spain had committed to adopt him.  When they found out he had Down Syndrome, they decided not to adopt him.  The agency also went down their waiting family list to if anyone wanted to adopt him.  He had this "label" of Down Syndrome.  That didn't matter to us.  We wanted this child.  He was chosen.

 God's adoption story of us is so similar!

God knows us.  He knows everything about me...my quirks, my personality, the things I really don't like about myself, my struggles, my fears....and HE LOVES ME.

God pursues me.  He wants me.  He is there.  I don't have to go anywhere.  He had to sacrifice for me.  He did whatever it took to get ME.   HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON FOR ME.

God wants me.  I am really good at thinking of all the reasons someone wouldn't want to get to know me or want to spend time with me.  I can feel completely unworthy of love.  Or I think to myself, there is no way someone could love me.  God wanted me.  He wanted me with all my "issues", with all my failures and imperfections, He wanted me.  HE CHOSE ME.

His love is relentless.  His love doesn't give up.  His love doesn't keep records of my faults.  His love doesn't have boundaries.  His love won't give up on me.  His love is unstoppable. His love is for me.  His love can rescue me.  When I feel completely unlovable, His LOVE sets me free.

"There's no limit, no condition,

There's no boundary for His love

Nothing greater, nothing stronger

Nothing like the LOVE of God"

-Love Can-Central Live-

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 8:38-39 

NOTHING can separate us from His Love.

*If you don't know the love God has for you, please message me.  I would love to share with you the greatest love you will ever know.*

Dossier to China

This week our dossier was sent to China.  There were points in the last two months I thought this might never happen.  It is such a relief to know it's on the way!

From this point, we wait for it to be logged in, translated, and reviewed.  Once those steps are complete. China will officially "match" us with Levi and Lilly.  They will then issue a Letter of Approval (LOA).  It will be sent to us.  We will sign on the dotted line saying we want to join Lilly and Levi to our family!  This is a VERY important step.  Once the LOA is signed by us and sent back to China, they consider us Lilly and Levi's parents!

After sending back the LOA, a few more steps to follow.  We have to apply again with our children's names to the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) and wait for their approval to make Lilly and Levi U.S. citizens.  China waits for that approval from USCIS.  Once that is issued, they grant us travel approval (TA) to come to China and pick up our children.  We will request a Consulate Appointment and once we have one, we can book our tickets to our babies!

The adoption process has a lot of steps, but we're getting SO close.

Sign Commitment to Adopt Paperwork     2/8/15
Letter of Intent to China     2/9/15
Agency Application     2/13/15
Pre-Approval from China    2/28/15
Received Pre-approval for Levi 4/3/2015
Home Study Complete 4/6/2015
File I-800a with USCIS 4/2/2015
Receipt Date 4/22/2015
Fingerprint Appointment (Actual 5/18/2015-walked in 5/11/2015)
Receive I800a approval letter
Documents Authenticated
Dossier to China 7/15/15
Logged In Dossier in China
Letter of Action from China
File form I-800 to USCIS
I-800 approval from National Visa Center
Article 5 (Approval from US)
Travel Approval
Schedule Consulate Appt
Go to CHINA and get Lilly and Levi!!!!!

Please continue to pray for the Lilly and Levi as they wait for us to come.  One specific way you can pray is that China will grant our medical expedite.  After reviewing Lilly and Levi's files, our pediatrician was gracious to write a letter to China pleading with them to expedite their cases.  They both have heart issues that are common with Down Syndrome and it would be best if we could get them home as soon as possible to be checked out.  The doctor's letter accompanies our dossier.  It is up to China whether or not they see fit to expedite our adoptions.  If they do, we could travel earlier than anticipated!
 

You can also continue to pray for our funds.  God is so faithful and He has kept us tethered to Him in faith giving us just what we need for each next payment.  We've applied for several adoption grants.  Please pray that we might be granted assistance through some of these organizations.  If you're local, we'd love for you to come to our Pancake Breakfast, August 15.  All the details can be found HERE.

We also still have lots of envelopes to be adopted,  if you're interested in investing in the lives of Lilly and Levi.

God has blessed us over and over again.  He has provided in so many indescribable ways.  It is amazing to see His love for our children that we haven't even met yet.  Thank you each for your prayers and support in our journey.  

Our hearts long for Lilly and Levi.