Waiting for Referral
Update
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Update 2
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“I suppose that
some people would find it unusual that you and I can so easily
span three thousand miles but in truth it comes very naturally.
Man can’t live with out a heart and you are my heart, by far the
nicest thing about me and so very necessary. There would be no
life without you nor would I want any. I Love You, The Eastern
Half of Us.” - Ronald Reagan |
Our
Promise
“I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.” John
14:18
One of my best friends, Tricia Fuller, gave me a necklace with a
heart charm that has this verse engraved on it. This is God’s
promise to Reagan! This is also our family’s promise to her. I
am wearing this necklace everyday until we bring her home. This
reaffirms God’s promise to her to come to her and ours.
We are still waiting
We did not get our referral in February or March. China matched
the dossiers, adoption paperwork, that were logged into their
database through the date of May 30. Ours was logged in on May
31! We missed it by one day! We should be next! We cannot wait!
It should come sometime in late April or early May!
What we have been / are doing now…
Shanghai Circus
We went to the Shanghai Circus the first week of
March. It was amazing! Those acrobats are so wonderful. There
were twins in the show and they kept waving and blowing kisses
at Ashton and Kieron when they were having their picture taken
together after the show. They couldn’t speak English and wanted
to show the girls that they were also twins. I was blown away by
their talent!
St. Patrick’s Day
Sean’s dad is from the Republic of Ireland and still lives there
today. Because Ashton’s and Kieron’s Irish heritage, we
celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with them. We started the day off
by providing them a green breakfast of green eggs and green
milk, served with green plates, cups, and napkins. We sent to
their school a candy bouquet with a St. Paddy’s bear and a
bracelet with shamrocks for each of them. We also had a party in
their classroom with green Kool-Aid and traditional Irish
chocolates, cookies, and candies. I also read to the children
the meaning behind the day and told them about St. Patrick. We
will also be celebrating Reagan’s heritage with her, and we did
not want to leave the girls out and not celebrate theirs!
Boyd’s Bear Country
We took Ashton and Kieron to Boyd’s Bear Country Store in Pigeon
Forge, TN. Ashton and Kieron built a bear for Reagan for us to
take to her in China. They aren’t going with us to get her and
wanted to make something special for her. We took pictures of
the whole process so that Reagan would be able to see all of the
time and love that they put into it for her. Sean and I also
bought her a panda bear there. Ashton and Kieron dressed them
both. The one they made they dressed in pink Chinese clothes.
The panda they dressed in a lady bug jeans and t-shirt outfit.
After they did this, they went to the Boyd’s Teddy Bear Nursery
to adopt a baby bear. We thought this would help them to
understand the whole process of adoption and to feel more
connected to the process. It was so neat. They went to the
nursery window and picked a baby, and the nurse brought it to
them. When they were sure it was the one they wanted, the nurse
took it to get it ready to go home, and the girls had to fill
out adoption paperwork. Thankfully, this paperchase was not as
long and involved as ours for Reagan! Once the application was
approved, they made bracelets for themselves and their babies.
Then the babies were ready to go to their new home. Ashton’s
baby is named Allysa and Kieron’s is Jassmon. The whole
experience was amazing!
Prayer Quilt for Reagan
While we are waiting for the arrival of our daughter, Reagan,
from China, we are working on a project. We are creating a "100
Good Wishes Quilt" or as we like to call it, a "100 Prayers
Quilt," for Reagan. In northern China, there is a tradition to
make a Bai Jia Bei, or "100 Prayers (Good Wishes) Quilt" to
welcome and celebrate a new life. It is a custom to invite 100
people to contribute a single square patch of cloth. The 100
patches are sewn together into a quilt that contains prayers
from all the family and friends who contributed a piece of
fabric. In China, these quilts were originally made from the
garments of family and friends, surrounding the child with "good
luck" and "good wishes." We would like to wrap our child with
your prayers. This quilt is then passed down from generation to
generation.
If you would like to participate, here
is what you would need to do:
1. Choose a fabric. It can be from a piece of clothing or a
fabric store. It just needs to have a design and color that you
like. This piece of fabric will represent you.
2. Cut one 7" or 8" square.
3. On a 3 X 5 card, include your "prayer" for Reagan. Attach a
small piece of the same fabric to the prayer. The fabric will be
used to make the quilt, and the notes will be placed in a file
box or scrapbook, which will be given to Reagan when she is
older.
Ideas for selecting fabric squares:
1. Select fabric that is meaningful to you.
2. Choose a fabric, like 100% cotton, that wears and washes
well.
3. If there are several members in your family, please feel free
to send more than one prayer note and piece of fabric.
We would like to have any prayers and squares by May, 20 so the
quilt can be completed before Reagan comes home. We consider you
special people in our lives, and you will also be special in our
newest little angel's life. Thank you for taking the time to do
this. This will be a very special keepsake for Reagan and will
be very meaningful to us as well. This adoption has already been
bathed in your prayers and so blessed by God. We are so thankful
for you.
You can send any prayers and quilt squares to our address below:
Reagan’s Prayer Quilt
505 Kinser Park Lane
Greeneville, TN 37743
Aluminum Can Drive
We are collecting aluminum cans to help fund our adoption, and
need your help. If you don’t already save your cans for
yourself, could you save them for us? Just let us know, and we
will pick them up from you. Thank you for helping us get closer
to our angel, Reagan!
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Shanghai Circus Acrobats
Ashton and Kieron on St. Patrick's Day at school
with their
Candy Bouquets
Ashton and Kieron with the bear they made Reagan
and the panda
that Sean and I got her
Ashton and Kieron looking through the Boyd's Bear Nursery
window, choosing the baby bear they will adopt
Ashton and Kieron with their Boyd's Baby Bear adoption
applications
Reagan's Prayer Quilt squares and prayers
that we have received
so far
Prayer Requests
Reagan - for her health (physical and emotional)
Reagan’s birth family
Her caregiver(s) at the orphanage or foster home
Children in orphanages who continue to wait on forever
families
Everyone working on our behalf (social and agency workers)
For the financial resources to pay for the remainder of
the adoption costs
For our referral, consulate appointment, travel
arrangements
Ashton and Kieron - they will not be going to China with
us
Safety as we travel
Our family (preparation, God’s guidance)
Completion of the room in our basement (resources)
Completion of Reagan’s room
Angela’s back problems - possible surgery
Extended family and friends - understanding and support |
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Reagan,
You are a gift sent from the Lord,
More precious than gold or treasures explored.
Your small dark eyes and obvious charms,
We’ve never seen or held with our arms.
Still, this one fact remains very clear,
That you, our daughter, have always been here.
You are in the laughter that fills our heart,
The sweet little thought that never departs.
And as we now consider our case,
Of how much we love you without seeing your face.
It takes us back to a love greater still,
Of a savior that died on a wind-swept hill.
For Jesus did not come to die in vain,
But for the purpose of adoption, if I might explain.
The love that placed you into our family,
Is but a small picture of the love that has adopted me.
For adoption has always been in the heart of our Lord,
More precious than gold, or treasures explored.
And through your days should you stumble or fall,
Remember dear daughter, you are loved through it all.
Altered version/Written by Steven Cornish
And somewhere while you’re sleeping
Someone else is dreaming too
Counting down the days until
They hold you close and say I love you
And like the rain that falls into the sea
In a moment what has been is lost in what will be
When love takes you in everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
And this love will never let you go
There is nothing that could ever
cause this love to lose its hold
When love takes you in everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
When love takes you home and says you belong here
The loneliness ends and a new life begins
When love takes you in it takes you in for good
When love takes you in
-From the song “When Love Takes You In” by Steven Curtis Chapman |
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In love He
predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with His pleasure and will. -Ephesians 1:5 |
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myadoptionwebsite.com
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