While we Wait

 "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  Isaiah 40:30-31

Joshua's "Famliy Picther" with Ling Jun

In the adoption process, there is a lot of waiting!  Whenever we're not filling out the next set of paperwork or heading to FedEx to mail it, we're waiting.  The wait is one of the hardest parts of the process but it gets especially difficult once you know who your child is and your heart longs to meet them and bring them home.  The wait is challenging as well for older siblings.  But, while we wait, we are able to prepare in many ways as well.  Nathan, Brooke, and Joshua have each been preparing; praying for their little sister, learning about thalassemia, drawing pictures, journaling, writing notes, researching, and learning, even writing a few words in Mandarin.  Here are a few things Joshua, our 7 year old, has done while he waits.

 "Looking Back on 2017 and 

Looking Ahead to 2018"

 One Happy Moment from 2017..."when I went to Desten Florda"

 Two things I like about myself: "I am... gowin to Cinan and I am from Korea"

For my family, I will... "clen the tolits"

Oh the places I'll go!  In 2018 I want to go to... "Cina"

  For another school project, Joshua was able to choose a country to research.  He couldn't decide between China and South Korea, so he asked to research both!

A note from Joshua to introduce himself...





 





...and the first page of his journal.







I love that the first sentence is "We got ecspdid."  (Expedited!!!)  That's our latest news!  We, and many of you, have joined us in praying that we would be expedited so that we can bring LingJun home sooner in order to get her great medical care.  Our dossier was sent on a Friday, arrived either Tuesday or Wednesday, was logged into their system on Wednesday, went through translation and multiple reviews and was completely approved on Friday.  Three days when it typically takes 6 to 8 weeks!  This was quicker than we knew was possible even with an expedite!

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!"  Ephesians 3:20-21

Ephesians 3:20-21 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture.  Our Lord is able to do more than we can imagine, immeasurably more!  Sometimes it may take much longer than a few days, and it may not always be in the way we think or desire at the time.  But, I am amazed again and again as I watch what God does in my life and the lives of others because of his power at work in us.  To him be the glory in Christ Jesus forever and ever!  We have a few more steps to go through in the paperwork/waiting process.  We are waiting for another step to be completed by USCIS, and we are waiting for passports while working on our visa applications.  We will continue to pray for these steps and the Lord's timing.  But, our bigger prayer is that God would prepare each of our hearts for LingJun to join our family and that He would prepare her for this huge adjustment and time of grieving all that she's known as she becomes a part of our family forever.  We are praying for the Lord's grace and his protection on her little body and spirit, that she would soon feel our love and be able to develop a healthy attachment to us and ultimately learn of God's great love for her that she may follow him and be adopted into his truly forever family!   To God be the glory!