Ye Shall Receive

Wow, I put up a ChipIn box on all my blogs and posted about it on Facebook asking for donations for our expenses while we're in China, and I'm overwhelmed by the response!  In just five days, we got $985 in donations!  I shouldn't be surprised.  Matthew 21:22 says, "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

I strongly feel that we are going through this right now for God to teach us to rely fully on Him.  To exercise our faith in Him, to remember that He does care about our troubles and does take care of us when we are in need.  He is showing me that He has surrounded us with people who care about us, people who are willing to help us, and that it's ok to ask for help.  I used to shy away from asking for help.  But in this situation, we have no other choice.  God knows this, and He has provided.

Thank you to those of you have helped so far.  We're not to our goal yet, so please help spread the word for us.  Thank you, and God bless you all.

For more information on our Chinese Adoption and our fundraising efforts, please visit our adoption blog: http://www.ourjourneytohannahclaire.blogspot.com/. 
Thank you!

We Need a Little Help

My husband, Chip and I talked it over, and although we didn't want to ask anyone for money related to the adoption, we've decided we need to. We've already saved (and gotten loans for) everything for the adoption itself, but now we just need funds for expenses while in China. These expenses will include food, transportation (taxis), other miscellaneous expenses, and/or emergency or other unforseen expenses. Also, Chip recently got a paycut, and that combined with saving for the adoption will leave us with very little left when we get back home. Chip will get a paycheck about a week after we get back, so we'll need just enought to get us through that week.

We're unable to take out any more loans, so we have no other option than to ask for the money from our friends.

If you can give anything at all, please do. Just click on the "ChipIn!" box, and it will take you to PayPal to make a donation. It will all add up, and EVERY BIT will help. Thank you so much!

Distracted by a China Doll

I hadn't planned on not posting for this long, but I got such wonderful news last week, news that completely distracted me from writing on this blog.  We got our travel date for China, which is May 6th!!!  We also learned this week that our daughter, although she has unilateral microtia, she has no problem hearing!!!  I was preparing myself for the worst case scenario, that we would be using sign language for a while, until we could get some kind of treatmen for her so she could hear, and that would have been fine.  Of course, I was ready to deal with whatever auditory issues she had.  She's my daughter, I love her, and would do anything for her.  Then when I got the news, suddenly the burden of all that was lifted!  I was happy to carry that burden, but it was still such a relief to know we wouldn't have that burden after all.  Now, there are still possibilities of minor hearing issues because I don't think her hearing has ever been tested, but it appears that what hearing she does have is sufficient for her to live a perfectly normal life.  What a blessing to find out your child is so healthy!

We'll have Hannah tested a little while after we get back home and find out the extent, if any, hearing issues she has.  But for now, I've put aside worrying about her hearing us as we attempt to speak to her in Mandarin for those first few weeks, and as she picks up a little English.  I'm now able to completely concentrate on preparing for our trip.  My husband and I have never even been out of the country.  The longest flight I've ever taken lasted only about and hour and 20 minutes, and now I'm about to take one that could take up to 24 hours!

Also last week, we got new photos of our daughter celebrating her 4th birthday with her foster parents.  Just like the last time I got photos, I sort of dropped everything else I was doing and could think of nothing but my gorgeous daughter.  The house is now a wreck while I've been posting the photos on various Yahoo Groups, facebook and forums, and posting on my adoption blog, printing out the photos, calling people about our travel date and Hannah's hearing, cramming all the reading about adoption I can before we leave, making lists for packing, etc. etc. etc.

So I probably won't be posting nearly as much for a while.  Being thousands of miles from the most beautiful China doll in the world, who also happens to be your daughter, can do that to you.

For more details on our adoption, visit my adoption blog at http://ourjourneytohannahclaire.blogspot.com/.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, please subscribe to my blog using the SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG section in the upper right-hand corner. Also, add yourself to my list of Followers.

Thank you!