Jenna Elizabeth (aka "JennaBeth") Song Lorenz

Waiting For Our Little One To Come Home From China!

Lilypie Waiting to Adopt tickers

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Four Years Since Log-In!

Wow....as of Wednesday, April 13, our Dossier has been Logged-In for four years! It has been a long, extensive and expensive journey but God has faithfully protected and provided for us all along. Of course, no one ever expected that the wait would extend this far but we know God is in control of this journey to our little one/s. He led us to this journey over five years ago and He will continue to see us through to the time we meet our little daughter/s and arrive home as a Forever Family.

We began this journey in March of 2006 when we began talking about it, praying about it and meeting with the adoption agency. In July of 2006, we submitted our official application and began compiling our Dossier. In March of 2007, we sent our paperwork to China and on April 13, 2007, our Dossier was officialy Logged-In. The Log-In date is the "waiting ticket number" for the order of Referral. So our wait has been long but we choose to perceive it as being that much closer to seeing, traveling and holding our baby girl/s for the first time.

We originally prayed that all of our children would live together at home when our little one/s from China arrived. But it just didn't work out that way. We were a bit concerned that our travel time to China might conflict with Rachel's high school graduation, Micah's high school graduation...or Rachel's college graduation. But that didn't happen, either. Our Rachel will graduate from KCU next month and we are so proud of her. Micah will not graduate from UK for another three years so we firmly anticipate having our daughter/s by then! :) We are thankful that although the wait has been long, we didn't miss these important milestones in our children's lives. Again, God has taken great care of the details along the way.

Now we anticipate our oldest daughter's college graduation in a few weeks, the close of our son's freshman year of college in a few weeks...and the continuing journey to our little daughter/s in China. Tim and I will also celebrate our 27th anniversary in May. Yes...life is blessed.

Hold on, precious Jenna Elizabeth (JennaBeth) and possibly Emma Katherine (EmmaKate). We are four years closer to you and the time is much closer now than ever before. Although we long to hold you in our arms and bring you home, we continue to hold you in our hearts, thoughts and prayers each day. You are loved so very much.

Many thanks to all of our dear friends and family members who continue to walk this journey with us. Your prayers for our little girl/s in China, our family here in KY and God's protection and provision as we continue this journey are appreciated immensely. It will soon be update time again for our paperwork...but we know God will see us through the challenges of that season, as well. For now, we celebrate four years of waiting...and loving our little girls! Each moment is definitely worth the wait of this wonderful calling God has placed before us.
Cherishing four years of waiting for our baby girl/s,
Terri & family

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Thinking....and Praying...and Missing our Girl/s...

We're only one week away from being logged in China's adoption system for four years! That's so hard to grasp. Since the wait was eighteen months when we first logged in....and it was much less than eighteen months prior to the beginning of our journey...it's very difficult to imagine that we have already waited almost forty-eight months since our Log-In time. But every day brings thoughts, prayers and dreams of having our little daughter/s home with us soon. And we continue to hold onto that dream with much hope, trust, love, joy and peace.

It's also difficult to believe that in about one month, our daughter, Rachel, will graduate from Kentucky Christian University with majors in Nursing and Bible. Wow! Our son, Micah, will finish his freshman year at the University of Kentucky around the same time. Life is so blessed and moving so quickly. Well...that is in every area except for bringing our little ones/s home from China. :)

It occurred to me tonight that as much as I ask for your prayers on behalf of our little daughter/s in China...and our family as we take each step toward bringing her home, that I have not asked for your consistent prayers on a more specific level. Of course, we realize that God's perfect timing and Master design include each day of this journey already and will also include each day ahead. But I think it would be very meaningful to ask you to pray daily for more specific areas of concern along this journey. Perhaps each month I can post detailed requests as we approach each step toward our little one/s and determine new information. Would you be so kind to do that for our precious daughter/s?

For April of 2011, I ask that you pray for the birthmother of our daughter/s. After giving birth twice to our now adult children, I cannot imagine the heart of our daughter's birthmom knowing that her little girl/s will be placed in the care of another family she has never met. It has to be so very difficult to love her little one/s and realize that someday she will no longer hold her baby girl/s in her arms or see her/them again. My heart aches for this woman who loves her baby girl/s so much that she is willing to choose adoption for their well-being. I thank God for this birthmother and I will always be grateful for her sacrifice. Our little daughter/s will always be aware of their incredible birthmother who shared them with us. May God hold her, comfort her, strengthen her and give her peace now and in the days ahead. While it is challenging for us to wait until we see and hold our baby girl/s in our future...I cannot imagine how heartbreaking it will be for the birthmother to miss seeing and holding her daughter/s in her future. She will always be in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.

Thank you for your prayers for JennaBeth/EmmaKate...for her/their birthmother...and for our family as we continue this long yet very worthwhile journey. We thank God for each of you in this journey of blessings.
Cherishing the gift of our daughter/s' birthmother,
Terri & Family