Fundraiser Opportunity for Travel

My dear friend Jennifer Padgett, an adoptive parent herself twice from China, has decided to make "adoption Angels" in order to help us offset our travel expenses. So far, we are anticipating travel costing $7,000-9,000 and this isn't doing a lot of touring and such. We are required to travel over to pick Jesiah up and will be there approximately 15 days. Here is the description and picture from Jennifer:

I am taking orders for these angels again this year. The tag on the angel will read: "This Christmas gift was purchased so that an orphan would get his forever family." Inside the tag reads, "Lord, let this one angel remind us to pray for all of the orphans in this world. May each one find a Peaceful home full of Love and Joy." All proceeds will be going to Nathan and Michelle Sherer who need to raise funds to travel in December. Frankly, they need a Christmas miracle! Our entire family is making these;the boys are learning how to set up a business (I have to squeeze some good old homeschooling learning in-LOL!)

We are asking for a donation of $10.00 and 100% of the money will go to help us offset our travel. We are so close and are very thankful for any and all help! Please email me: michellesherer@yahoo.com if you'd like to order one or contact me on facebook. I will be very happy to ship them! 

Things are moving along!

We received our LOA (after 125 days!) on September 9th and that was a HUGE blessing! Since you last heard from me, we have gotten our I-800 provisional approval which is our immigration approval for Jesiah specifically. Our paperwork was "cabled" through the National Visa Center and will all be sent by Holt to the embassy in China for further processing. Lots and lots of processing! We should receive our "Article 5" in three weeks and then we will be waiting for our travel approval, travel dates and consulate dates. We are essentially 8-11 weeks out for travel which is incredibly close!! We are anticipating travel dates to be sometime the beginning of December. We are getting Jesiah's room together as he and Eli will be sharing a room.

I CANNOT WAIT TO GO!!!!!! Jesiah, we will be there shortly!!

We still have a need financially for travel. Please stay tuned to my next post about our fundraiser to finish things up! If you are in the area, tomorrow, October 1 from 5-8 PM we will be holding a joint fundraiser (freewill donation) Taco Salad dinner with the Sanders family (friends of ours that are adopting their son from China) at Independence Branch: 707 N. Allen Rd (off of 24 Hwy behind Tastee Freeze).

While I'm Waiting

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in awhile. I've been too frustrated, honestly. We are blessed and I know that. Our home situation, although far from resolved, has been very blessed and I know God has it in His hands. Our journey to bring Jesiah home has blessed and I know it is continuing to be. We've just been waiting so long for our LOA (letter of acceptance/approval) from China. We have far surpassed "normal" wait times. I stopped counting after day 120 so I'm not sure where we are :). China had given us, three weeks ago, the answer that it would be in the "review" department another one to three weeks. I only loosely expected to get something in the time frame quoted.  I hate to be a downer but I have struggled lately. I know God's timing is perfect and there's something brewing. I just don't know what yet. If anything has been taught to me over the past two years, it is God's perfect timing IS just that.. perfect. If I can't rest in that then I have a long, worrisome life ahead of me. God's teaching me patience so if you could pray that I learn that lesson quickly and we can move on, that'd be great :). (Just joking... but prayers would be fantastic!)

If you would, please pray for Jesiah. More than anything, we just yearn to have him home. Please pray for his physical well being and safely, his foster family and foster brothers and sisters, his upcoming transition back to the orphanage before we arrive, his transition into our family and our preparation here as well. It's hard to have a family of five with one child that is so far away.

I read a devotional the other day from Proverbs 31 Ministries and it discussed the story of Abraham and his son Isaac. He was asked by God to make the sacrifice of his only son Isaac on an alter. As he climbed the mountain and made preparations, I believe he did so in obedience but maybe not in joy (in my opinion). I have to believe his heart was troubled, yet he chose to follow those things that God asked him to do, regardless of the cost. At that same time, God was sending a ram up the mountain, out of sight of Abraham and Isaac. God was providing even when they didn't see it. So, today and in the future, I'm going to remember that as I trust the Lord and obey His call, He will send a ram. How? I don't know. I suppose that's not up to me to decide. God knows better.

Thank you for your continued prayers!