Still Waiting...

The question that everyone asks us these days is, "How much longer?"  The answer is that we still don't know with any definite certainty.  We're still on the projected schedule of sometime between March and May.  The waiting is very difficult and seems to be increasingly so as we approach the Christmas season.  It's hard to explain how you can miss someone that you have yet to meet, but there's an empty place in our hearts as we prepare to celebrate this most joyous time without Faith being here with us.

Yesterday, we happened to run across a family that we had met at our travel meeting.  At the time of the meeting, this family was at the end of their adoption journey and was leaving for China the following week.   We were at the Birmingham Zoo and it was very crowded.  Christy and I both noticed a family with a Chinese daughter.  At first, the daughter was the only person in the family that we were even paying attention to and then we realized that we knew the mother.  The little girl was beautiful and seemed happy with her new family.  We briefly chatted with the mother and learned that she was adjusting well.  I am so glad that another orphan has a forever family, but I must admit that this happenstance meeting made me a little bit sad for myself.  It gave us a beautiful glimpse of future possibilities but a present reminder that we are still here and our daughter is still waiting on us.  We're still waiting...God's timing is perfect.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" -Psalm 27:14 ESV

Providence

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not upon your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your path.” (~ KJV)

We began the adoption process with confidence that we were traveling down the path that God had set before us. While we've never doubted that this was the right choice for our family, we still get so excited each time we see some confirmation that we are truly following His lead. 

Today, Shannon was able to connect with a group of families from all over the country who have adopted, or are looking to adopt, a child with cerebral palsy. We know that before our Faith was listed with Lifeline, she was also listed with other agencies and had been assigned the name "Sasha."  While looking at postings within this group, he came across specific information from March 2012.  

  Here's an excerpt of the posting:

" OH I SOOOO LOVE SASHA!!!!

I also have an the cutest photo EVER of her. She has a big red flower in her hair and is

positively radiant. Brooke sent it to me. Sasha has raven black hair and light skin..a confident little smile

and bit of humor around her mouth.

What a resplendant baby Sasha is, so happy with so much determination!

Poor little Sasha trying to learn to somehow get around with the weekness in her legs.

She can scoot on her tummy but when she is in her walker mysteriously she can't bop up and down.

I can see her confusion on her sweet little face.

This is a smart baby and reminds me of the baby I met in an orphanage in Fujian. The baby who

had no use of her legs and scooted on her little bum somehow to me and looked up at me with half a smile and gypsie beautiful eyes.
I knew somehow that her lights were on and I was right as it turns out.

She's the kid who had so much fight and determination so much sweetness that I was encouraged do everything to adopt her and 3

years to the day she scooted up to me she became my daughter. She walked off the elevator in a yellow tutu and kissed me on both

cheeaks Wu Ai Ni Mommy... This kid has been a dream ever since. Things don't always come easily but she is persistant and will work hard.

Today Nadia was in the first group of 5 in her class to earn a perfect score in her division facts. She's been on

T.V. for her dancing and is the sweetest child I've ever known always kind, always understanding.

When I see sweet Sasha I think of my Nadia and also Leslee's son Lincoln. Sasha needs someone to understand her and a Mommy to fight for her.

Any effort that a loving soul puts forward will be multiplied in the love Sasha can give.

Sasha needs a chance.. Sasha needs a chance...if anyone wants to see the cutest photo of her ever please e-mail me.

I am in touch with her advocate Brooke and Brooke can send you more information too.

   I know Sasha's family is out there somewhere!"

We know that this email is specifically about our daughter because it mentions very specific pictures that were provided to us as part of her adoption file.  The messages were posted only two days before we met with Lifeline and saw her pictures for the first time.  While we were praying and preparing to begin this journey, others were already praying specifically for Faith. They were asking God to provide her with a loving family who would be willing to advocate for her and provide for her needs. 

We both accepted that we felt an immediate attachment to her because she was meant to be ours. We never considered that there might be people praying specifically for her and us.  We know that God has a plan for all things, but occasionally He gives us that gentle reminder that He is God and He already knows the details of this journey.  He is the Great I Am!  Is it any wonder that Jeremiah 29:11 has become one of our favorite verses? "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Out of our Comfort Zone

We have totally stepped out of our comfort zone during this adoption process. We have become advocates for adoption. We speak out about the international orphan crisis. We have spoken to groups about opportunities to support orphans through groups like World Vision and Compassion International. We have also gotten very creative in our efforts to raise funds. 

I have had a couple of friends ask me for the information for our latest fundraising opportunity. So, I am posting the information here. Basically, you pay $20 and get a $50 gift certificate good at over 18,000 restaurants nationwide.

Hello Family and Friends,

We are excited to share an opportunity with you that will help us to fundraise for our adoption as well as benefit those who make a thoughtful contribution in our support.  As you all know, Christy and I are working  to raise the rest of the money we will need to bring our daughter home from China.

In order to alleviate a portion of the cost, we have partnered with Coupaide to jumpstart a fundraising campaign that will give us the chance to reach out to family, friends, friends of friends, and so on.  Coupaide offers $50 Restaurant.com certificates for only $20!  Half of each sale will go towards our adoption, which has the potential to make a great difference in regard to the overall cost. 

Restaurant.com offers certificates for thousands of restaurants in cities all across the United States.  These certificates make great gifts, never expire, and can be used immediately upon your donation. 

There are two ways you can support our fundraising campaign:

1    1.)    Purchase a Restaurant.com certificate on our personalized Coupaide website.  Visit http://coupaide.com/ginn-adoption-fundraiser

2    2.)    Forward this e-mail on to friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors – help us to share our story and bring Fatih home!

We thank you for your support and we invite you to check out our campaign! You can also visit our blog for pictures, videos, and updated progress reports on our adoption effort. You can find it at www.cginn.blogspot.com

Sincerely,

Shannon and Christy Ginn

Today is Orphan Sunday.  Here's a prayer that was on their website, www.orphansunday.org:

Dear Father,
On this Orphan Sunday, we join with Your people across our country and beyond to
pray for orphans.
We know that love for these precious children begins not with us, but with You.  You
pursued us when we were wayward and alone.  You adopted us as your children.  You
invite us to address you as Daddy and to live as Your sons and daughters.  Truly, we
love because You first loved us.
You tell us also that You are near to the downtrodden and destitute.  Your heart aches
for children that face the world alone.  You champion the cause of those who have no
one else to take their side.  And You call us to do the same.
So we pray that You would rouse us to share your heart.  We ask that You would stir
Your people to passion and vision and action on behalf of children that have no family.
We lift up to You the millions of children in the world who have lost their parents to
disease, to war, to addiction, to poverty, to abandonment.  As You promise to do, place
the lonely in families.  Be their defender, their provider, their hope and peace.  Help us
to do the same.
We pray also for the five hundred thousand children in our foster system in America.
So often, they are bounced from home to home, knowing little love, consistency or true
nurture.  Please be their love, their consistency, their nurture.  Help us to do the
same.
We confess that we have often lived with little regard for these precious lives.  Please
forgive us.  Lead us to take up their cause, not in guilt or obligation, but as a joyful
response to Your great love for us.
As we do, we pray that You would use our humble response to transform.  To
transform the lives of countless orphans both physically and spiritually.  To transform
us as we encounter You in them.  To transform Your Church as we lift our eyes
beyond our own comfort and self-focused religion to live out the painful beauty of the
Gospel.  And finally, to transform a watching world as it catches glimpses of Your love
made visible through the actions of Your people.
We commit all this to You, the One who is both our Father and a Father to the
fatherless, in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

If you are a believer, I encourage you to spend some time today reflecting on your own adoption by our Heavenly Father (Ephesians 1:5, Galatians 4:4-7).

Blessings to all of you!

Great News - Log in Date Received!!!

We have been told over and over again that there are many ups and downs in this journey. Yesterday, we had one of those downs. We have been so excited to know that there is another family in China this week and that we would soon be getting even more pictures of our sweet girl. We were so excited to see that this family had posted pictures. We eagerly began looking for Faith. Just last week, we were looking at pictures and talking about how much her hair had grown out and how pretty it looked. Today, we got new pictures that show her with her head shaved again. While we know that shaved heads are really the least of our concerns, something about that picture had us both in tears.

I cannot imagine the logistics of caring for hundreds of children. I can understand the benefits to the staff if they keep everyone's hair as short as possible. However, it still made us sad. It was one more reminder of how far removed from us she really is and that while we love her and are preparing for her arrival, we still have no way to shield her or protect her from anything. We try not to dwell on this because it is very frightening to us. Concerns for her safety, comfort, and emotional well being are frequent sources of conversation these days.

After discussing all of this last night, we again discussed our yearning for a log-in date (LID). We received an email today telling us that our official LID is 10-22-2012. This is HUGE!!! From LID to travel takes no more than six months. We have been told that it should be a bit faster than that because we have already been matched with a child and have completed a few steps that usually take place during this six month period. So, hopefully, we will travel by March 22. This would be an ideal time for us. Arriving home in late March would allow me to take the last few weeks of school off to be with Faith as she adjusts to her new life. She would then have the summer to continue acclimating before she starts to school in August.

We are both absolutely giddy. We have longed for this day! Now we move on to the next steps. Many of you have asked what is left in this process. The steps the we will take from now to "gotcha day"  are listed below.

• Letter of Acceptance received from China (3 months after LID or PA whichever one is received last)
• 800 paperwork submitted to USCIS
• 800 provisional approval received ( approx. 3 weeks)
• information for visa sent by USCIS to National Visa Center (NVC)
• Information for visa cabled to the US Embassy in China by the NVC ( about 2 weeks after the information is sent to the NVC)
• Article 5 letter received (about 2 weeks after cabling info for visa)
• Article 5 letter couriered to the CCCWA (government office is China that processes adoptions)
• Travel Approval received from the CCCWA (approx. 3-4 weeks from paperwork being received by the CCCWA)
• Apply for Consulate Appointment
• Receive Consulate Appointment (approx. 2 business days after application)
• Travel (approximately 2 weeks after receiving travel approval)

We have been told that we will receive the information needed to begin working in these next steps early next week. We cannot wait. Bring on the paperwork!!!!!

We received these pictures from the Healy Family that returned home this week from adopting their sons in Xuzhou, China.  We are so grateful that they were able to take pictures for us.  We are also appreciative of the orphange staff for their dedication to these precious children.

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on His Name; make known among the nations what He has done." 

Psalm 105:1

Jesus was adopted too!

For several weeks, Christy and I have been kicking around various fundraising ideas for our adoption.  We decided that one of the things that we could easily do was a puzzle fundraiser (see the previous post for details).  We wanted to find a puzzle that had some sort of adoption or Asian theme as it would ultimately be framed and have a permanent place hanging in our home.  I had searched the web but just had not found the "right" puzzle.  Saturday, Christy called me at work and said that she had found "the" puzzle.  It simply says, "Jesus was adopted, too."  That statement stopped me in my tracks.  I've spent a lot of time during the last six months thinking about adoption from both a world view and as a bibilical doctrine.  I had never even given any thought to the fact that Jesus was adopted, too.  Have you?  Joseph was Jesus' earthly father---yet they did not have a biological connection.  Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18) and born of a virgin.  According to the law and customs of the times, Joseph could have ended his relationship with Mary after learning that she was with child.

Dr. Russell Moore wrote on this subject:

"With full legal rights to abandon Mary and her unborn child — perhaps to a fate worse than death — Joseph obeyed the Father in becoming a father. When Herod — the Roman Empire’s precursor to “Planned Parenthood” — sought the destruction of the infants, Joseph shielded this child from the murderous rage of infanticide (Matthew 2:13-18). In his obedience, Joseph demonstrated what his other son would later call “pure and undefiled” religion, the kind that cares for the fatherless and the abandoned (James 1:27)."

I am so thankful that Joseph chose to follow God's plan.  As believers, all of us can praise God-our Heavenly Father-for the incredible gift of his Eternal Son and the amazing grace that allows us to be adopted as His children.

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.  And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"  So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, than an heir through God." -Galations 4:4-7 ESV