Seventeen months...and waiting? That's ok!

There's nothing new to tell in our journey of waiting except that we have now been logged into the CCAA (China Center Adoption Affairs) for over seventeen months. Our journey actually began in July of 2006 when we first applied as adoptive parents with the adoption agency. But the "waiting ticket" becomes the Log-in Date (L.I.D.) and that's what we continue to do. We have been "officially updated" in the system with USCIS (Homeland Security) this summer and again, we wait. But that's ok.

All along, we knew that the road would be uncertain in many ways. We knew we would have no control over the timeframe involved. We knew it was totally out of our hands as to when we would hold our baby girl/s in our arms. In fact, when we first began, the wait was around 18 months. Now it's close to 30. But that's ok.

We have recently been informed that the referral rate has increased, which is good news. What this means is that recently, each month would only produce around 3 L.I.D. days of referrals. It has now increased to nine days. And that's very ok! :)

Does this mean that the wait is easy? Absolutely not. Does this mean that we dream any less of the moment the nanny hands us our daughter? No way. Does this mean that we sometimes wonder if we'll be in our 90s when we begin raising our daughter? :) Not really. (Think Abraham and Sarah!) Does this mean we are learning all about faith and trusting that it will all happen at just the right time and in just the right way with just the right baby girl/s? Definitely!

Of course we would love to have our baby girl home with us right now. But it's even more important to follow the plan of the One who initially brought us into this journey. He is in control. We are not. He knows what is best. We do not. He moved our hearts to this blessed opportunity and He will bring His baby girl/s into our family in His very special and selected moment. And that's incredibly ok!

So we wait, pray, love and learn about faith, God, dreams and the journey of blessings we travel. We learn about ourselves and what He has in store each new day. We learn about others, about life, about what's really important...and what's not. We learn about making choices that serve Him and not ourselves. We learn about placing our trust, our lives, our hopes, our dreams, our family and our baby girl/s...in His hands. After all, He's already holding them there!

Sometimes people ask us if we're ready to "start all over again" as parents. There's an easy answer to that question. We never finished! Being a Mom and Dad to our children has been the highest calling in our lives so far and that won't stop...no matter how old they are...or how long it takes to bring the youngest one/s home. So we live, love, laugh and learn today...and leave the tomorrows in His hands. Yes...we're still waiting...and that's ok!

Thank you for your continued prayers for our family, our journey and our baby girl/s!
Cherishing the journey and waiting on Him,
Terri and family