CCAA Progress

Overnight the CCAA updated their website to show they have finished reviewing all of August 2006 applications. These dossiers will now be moved into the Matching Room along with the November 26, 2005 through July 31, 2006 dossiers.

Even though this update doesn't affect us in any way, it's still nice to see progress being made at the CCAA. Hopefully we'll see referrals arriving soon. The CCAA is working through this weekend in preparation for next week's holiday so there's at least a slight possibility.

In the meantime, Rick and I would like to send a HUGE birthday wish to our now teenage son. Happy 13th, Big Guy!

Rumor Update

There's been a big to-do about the rumor I mentioned in my previous post. RQ seems to think it's true that one particular US agency is receiving referrals ahead of other agencies. There are some adoptive people on a few yahoo boards saying the same thing. I'm still not convinced that there isn't some reasonble explanation. And, quite honestly, I'm not in the mood to get mad about it.

As far as rumors on the next batch of referrals, there isn't much at this point. So far RQ has mentioned people with November 28 and 30 LIDs being told they're in this next batch. China will be celebrating a national holiday the first week of October so we're all hoping referrals will be mailed beforehand. I'd say there's a good chance they'll get into December 2005 LIDs. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

A Juicy Rumor

Okay, Michelle, here you go with an update (I don't want Rick getting fired) and for everyone else who has recently reminded me that it's been awhile since I've posted.

RQ came out with some juicy information today. Quite honestly, I'm not sure what to make of it. Basically she's saying that some people with February 2006 LIDs have already gotten their referrals, even though the CCAA has only officially gotten through November 25, 2005 LIDs. Some other people with December LIDs are also saying they've received their referrals already.

You know, with the way rumors roll in the Chinese adoption world I sometimes think people might be feeding RQ some "not-truths" (aka: lies). Anyway, if it is true I just wonder if these were expedited LIDs, which are given to people with Chinese heritage. Regardless, God's timing is what we're continuing to trust in.

Rick and I were able to take a nice long walk yesterday morning and talked some about the adoption. We're both feeling like this winter is going to find us quickly approaching our turn for Malia's referral. As many of us experience, the years seem to pass by quicker and quicker each year and we can't believe Autumn is already upon us (wasn't New Year's just last month?). With the holidays just around the corner, we realize that the next few months will be here and gone before we know it. We're still expecting a referral in the spring and that's now only two seasons away. Anyway, the next batch of referrals should be coming out in the next couple weeks. We're crossing our fingers that they go well into December 2005.

On a very happy note, I was able to go back home yesterday for a wedding (congrats, Kim & Robert!) and the annual Street Fair, and had the chance to catch up with my family and some old friends. It was such a great time, although much too short (okay, for me ... Rick was ready to go home much sooner than myself). The highlight of the day was seeing Stephanie and Mike who were in China last summer adopting their daughter, Raymie. She is just too cute and getting quite grown up. She's been home just over a year now and is doing remarkably well. We can't wait to introduce Raymie to Malia. We should be able to do that before next year's Street Fair!

And this month's cutoff is...

(Insert drumroll here.)

November 25, 2005. A disappointing four days of LIDs. But, another four days we can subtract from our referral countdown spreadsheet. This puts us at 74 days of LIDs before our turn for referral. I know ... pathetic. But I must say that it is very therapeutic to be able to subtract these numbers each month. Allow me to offer a little perspective ... when I first made the spreadsheet back in March 2006 we were at 260 LIDs ahead of us. We're getting there. Slowly but surely, we're getting there!

Lessons on Patience

It goes without saying that there is a lot of waiting that accompanies the adoption journey. Waiting for paperwork to be completed, waiting for appointments to be scheduled, waiting for referral batches to come out each month, and the never ending wait for our referral. Waiting inevitably requires patience, although it's not always done gracefully.

Awhile ago I had a man from church ask me why Rick and I continue to ask the prayer team to pray for patience for our adoption journey. After all, don't we realize what happens when we pray for patience? God gives us plenty of situations to practice! But in all actuality, we must learn patience for many other situations in life ... patience for babies to come into this world (adopted or biological), patience for raising our children in a world with twisted values, patience for vacations and job changes and results from doctor visits. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the idea.

This past week we had an assignment to do for our ABF class (Sunday School class), which happened to be entitled "Waiting on God." Here is a quote from that chapter:

"What God does in us while we wait is as important as what it is we are waiting for ... Waiting is not just something we have to do while we get what we want. It is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be.

It is particularly difficult for us to step out in faith and wait on God. Yet waiting is part of what God wants us to do.

In the story of Jesus and his disciples in the boat (Matthew 14:22-33), some of Jesus' actions were decisive and immediate. For example, he immediately answered the disciples' fearful cries and immediately saved Peter from drowning. At other times, Jesus waited. He waited until "the fourth watch of the night" - after 3:00 in the morning - before coming to the disciples on the stormy sea. Meanwhile, the disciples had been in the boat since before sundown. We can almost hear their thoughts as they fought to stay afloat: Where is Jesus? Has he abandoned us? Doesn't he care about us out here?

Peter also waited for Jesus' permission to step out of the boat.

It's no different with us. If we want to do what God has called us to do, we usually want to do it as quickly and successfully as possible. In contrast, God often wants us to wait on him. By waiting, we learn to depend on him and learn valuable lessons about faith, prayer, obedience, and trust that can change our lives forever." (By John Ortberg from If You Want to Walk on Water You've Got to Get Out of the Boat)

I'm discovering the blessings of waiting and learning patience along the way. Our waiting for Malia is not in vain. We are learning the absolute perfect timing of God. We are learning that God's blessings are richer and sweeter the longer we wait. We are learning that we will miss the gift if we move too soon. I'm so thankful we do not have the power to move this adoption process along in our own timing. If we could, I would have jumped on a plain to China long ago and brought home a little girl. But she wouldn't be our Malia. We're still waiting for her. And God is still - ever so graciously - helping us learn this gift called patience.