Just When You Think.......

Just when you think.... about this whole process and the wait, the paperwork, the wait, etc..... Today we received our 171H from USCIS!!!!!! This was supposed to take 60-90 days to get. We got ours in 26 days. This is a very important piece of paperwork. We now have the necessary approval (from the US) for our adoption to continue. Now we have to get our notaries approved by the state of Wisconsin, then send off to the Chinese consulant/embassy for their approval, then we send it off to our agency in Colorado, then they translate and and sent off to China for us to be put in the system.
I guess you can say our USCIS office is quick. The other couple from Mayville that is also adopting from China received their approval on the 90 day mark.
I am sure to say this is an answer to (our and your) prayers and most definately-- it is all Gods timing. Remember this Bible verse from Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus.
Just when we were getting ready to start sending off some paperwork to have ready for when we get the 171H to get ahead, we are now alittle behind. It is time to start sending off notary for approvals and for grants. We have to get caught up now. Whan can we say. God is good. Until Next Time.....

And the Wait goes on

Just so you don't think we have fallen off the face of the earth - nothing new to report yet. We are still waiting for our FBI/immigration piece of paper that says our fingerprints have been cleared. We probably won't see that for another 30 to 60 days.
We are just working on things around home. We will be starting the second phase of our remodeling projects in the next couple of weeks. We have a door to replace, a window to put in, and a ceiling to insulate before winter gets here. We still have indoor and outdoor painting to do, but we will get to that when we can.
I just have to say that every day that goes by in this long drawn out process, the more firmly I believe that this is whole thing is covered by God. Everything good that has ever come into my life has been His doing - it is just that it usually takes me quite a while to come around to His way of thinking. I have gotten to the point (after many years of banging my head against the wall) that I can pretty much tell when God wants me to go a certain direction with my life, because I usually do't want anything to do with it. So, defying all logical explinations, I dig in my heals and pitch a fit because God's way is different than mine - even when I know His outcome will be better than mine.
I have to be totally honest - I didn't want to adopt. After Mike got sick and we were told we probably wouldn't be able to have children of our own I decided we would be the exception to that rule. God saw Mike through all of the surgeries and treatments and back to full health. Of course God would provide us with the minor miracle of a child, because I knew was close to God and that we had an understanding. He (God) would save Mike from cancer, Mike and I would dedicate our lives to Him, He would bless our commitment with a baby. Made perfect sense to me.
Have any of you every seen the bungie cord game where you attach yourself to a bungie cord that has a big inflatable air pillow behind it and run full speed ahead as far as you can? Well you know what happens, just when you think you can hold it, the laws of super elastic kick in and wham, splat! Back into the pillow.
I was running full steam ahead with my plan - I never even noticed that as soon as you give your life to Christ you automatically get the bungie cord of the Spirit. I stretched that cord as far as I possibly could this time. I'm still trying to clear my head because I hit that pillow so hard:-)
The first thing I realized when I hit was that even though I didn't understand His plan, I needed to be obedient to what I knew God wanted me to do. And in a moment of reluctant insight I knew he wanted us to adopted a baby. Not just any baby and quite possibly babies plural from China.
I have more to say - but it's getting late and I have to get up very early tomorrow so - to be continued........
Jennifer