Travel Approval and Prayer Requests

I have read on many blogs that people call adoption "paper pregnant."  Well, just like being pregnant seems to take a long time and then at the end things quickly progress, thats exactly how this adoption process has been.  Although we really haven't waited that long.  I know some couples who wait years and years to adopt.  We fortunately have waited 13 months.  On June 28th, I received an email from our agency that our TA (Travel Approval) was issued in the CCCWA system.  However, we were advised that our actual TA would not come for maybe a week.  On Monday, June 30th we received the phone call!  The "it's go time" phone call in pregnancy, the "you have travel approval" is the equivalent in adoption.  After receiving TA we had to submit 5 potential dates to the consulate for our appointment, there's no guarantee any of those dates.  They review the dates with their schedule and then they respond.  We were hoping we would hear on Tuesday.  We didn't.  We heard on Wednesday, which was still very exciting!  Our CA (Consulate Appointment) is scheduled for July 23, which means we will pick up his visa on the 24, and fly home and be home on the 25th!  Once we had those dates in tact we started looking at airlines and making an itinerary.  In the end, we fly on July 11 and we will be home the 25th!  We will meet Jaren on Monday the 14th.  My goal is to blog in the evening and try to keep people updated.  We have a long list of prayer requests, so I'm going to bullet them.  We are so thankful for all of the prayers.

• For our kids at home:  Jason, Josie, and Jolie. I have never been away from them for more than a sleepover.  Pray for their hearts to have peace and for them to enjoy all the fun we have planned for them while we're away.  
• Protection:  Please pray for a hedge of protection around our kids, our home, our family.  Pray for safety on our long flight and all the traveling while in China. 
• Process:  Pray that each step of the adoption finalization would go smoothly, the medical exam, the visa pick up, the consulate interview etc.  
• Jaren:  Pray for his heart to be ready to be loved and to be a part of a family.  Pray for that LONG flight home, changing planes, his ears on the flight, our communication and bonding with him!
• Health:  Keep our children and us from illnesses!  Give us the strength we need.  
• Patience:  Traveling is exhausting and being in a foreign country adds a new level of anxiety and stress.  I hope we look back on the time with fond memories and that our kids would have extra patience with all the changes in their schedule.
• Family & friends:  THANK YOU to our families and friends for stepping up in a big way and filling in when we cannot be with our kids.  We are so blessed to have such a support system.  I pray for extra energy, strength, and grace for each of you who are helping with our kids.  

Important Dates:

• July 11-Fly out of Eugene
• July 14-Meet Jaren!!!!
• July 18-Fly to Guangzhou
• July 23-Consulate Appt.
• July 24-Pick up Jaren's Visa
• July 25-Van to Hong Kong and then fly to San Fran and then to Eugene!!!  HOME!!!