On the Move!

Things are moving along!  It seems like the final steps leading up to Travel Approval are the most stressful and move the fastest.  There is more paperwork to fill out and time frames between steps are shorter and more precisely predicted (well, kind of!).  Things have moved faster than we ever anticipated to bring Isaiah home.  We honestly didn't expect to be traveling until November or December of this year.  Traveling this fall was not on our radar at all.  So here is where we stand!

August 19 our Chinese visas arrived.  China wants to know when you are arriving and when you are leaving their country and you must have permission to enter.  These visas are our ticket in!

August 25 was marked by the receipt of our Article 5 letter.  This letter deals with Isaiah's visa to enter the United States.  We will receive his visa from the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China before we travel home.  This piece of paper is also what China needs to issue travel approval to adopting families.

August 27 . . . . WE HAVE TRAVEL APPROVAL!   WHAT??!!  Yes, we have travel approval 2 DAYS after our Article 5.  It is supposed to take two to four WEEKS! While we could have chosen to travel in the September 11th travel group, the last travel group to leave in the month of September (due to the Mid-Autumn festival), we have decided to wait until October.  While it was difficult choice to wait a few more weeks, several things factored into this decision and we felt it was best for our family.  God has Isaiah in His mighty hands.

August 28 was ticket day!  Even though our travel dates are weeks away, we wanted to purchase our tickets as far in advance as possible with the hope that prices would be a bit less.  We are now the proud owners of sets of tickets for two adults and two children!

Now we will start pulling things together so when it comes time to pack we will be ready.  And yes, there is already a small stack growing in the corner of our bedroom. So, I suppose I should have written we will CONTINUE pulling things together. :)

Never did I imagine I would travel to China once, let alone twice.  (Randy, on the other hand has always had it on his "bucket list.")  And to be doing so to grow our family?  God is amazing!

Thank you for your continued prayers for our family!