Waiting

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Over the past 4 1/2 years of waiting for this adoption to actually come full circle, I have read several adoption blogs. There is not a mom out there who hasn't had to wait for things...papers...decisions...certifications...TA's. The list goes on! I now know where they were and for some of them, presently are!

I too am waiting for my TA! I can't complain about that as I have only been waiting 2 weeks. Many families under the new Hague Treaty are waiting for many, many weeks! I sympathize with them. I am under the pre-Hague Treaty rules and my TA is projected to take only 2-6 weeks. My prayer is that my TA takes it's sweet time! I guess you might ask why?

For me, there are lots of things that still have to get put into place before I can travel to get my daughter. You wanna hear the list? Good...let me share it with you!

1. I am waiting for my Home Study Update to get finished. Today it was finally agreed on that I didn't have to try and get Child Abuse Clearance from Ch*na as they don't have anything like it in place. This was a HUGE challenge for me. I won't even begin to get into it but it wasn't pretty!

2. Once my Home Study Update is finished, it needs to be sent to USCIS (Immigration). A week before I got my RA/LOA, the policy changed. After living in Ch*na a year...I understand how policies change before you have finished taking a breath. Adoptive families used to be able to just bring their updates with them to Guangzhou. Now they have to have Immigration approve it before it is sent to Ch*na.

3. From what I understand, even if my TA came in now, I can't travel until Immigration approves it.

4. Even if my TA arrives, I am still waiting on grants and loans to come through. G*d has been the Great Provider, Jehovah Jireh. He has raised over $7000 in donations. I totally missed the fact that I will need to return to the states within the first 6 months of her adoption to complete my home study visits and to make her a US citizen. This means I have to raise enough money for two of us to travel to the US in the middle of the year.

5. Just to add some more to my plate...I am trying to get my house rented so I can return to Ch*na next year. I also need a home for my two cats again. I could use a little wisdom on whether it is wise to sell my car and van or not. I also have a business that I ran before leaving for Ch*na. If I am not going to do anything with it when I return, then I need to do something with all my stock.

6. Many of the things I have collected for Jade are packed away in boxes/bins in my house. Hmmm, which room is it in? Which box shall I start on? Guess she doesn't need most of that stuff until we are back in the states anyways.

7. Oh yeah...did I tell you I am working full time at summer school too? :)

Lots to deal with...Lots to do. It is all in His hands. He figured it all out last year. When He calls you to do something, He will equip you with all you need...finances...a renter...a foster home for your pets...patience...strength...wisdom... I'm just glad that this is HIS plan so He already has it all figured out. He will fill me in when I need to know...unfortunately it won't be when I WANT it...like soon if not now.

For me, the hardest part is ALL the unknowns. The list is extremely big and people are asking...it's their job. I don't mean to get frustrated with them. I guess the more I can't answer questions, the more I realize how little I have control over. Some days...I am ok with it. Lately...lots of frustration. Please pr*y for me. My heart knows He is in control...my head is somewhere else.