Our Little Zheng Lan
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Travel Approval
Travel Approval came yesterday!!! And our Consulate Appointments came in this morning. We are leaving on July 6 and can pick up Lizzie on July 10! Our Consulate Appointment is July 19, so we can fly home on July 20!!! Best news ever!!!!
Monday, June 20, 2011
No News Yet
We still don't have our Travel Approval! I called our agency, CCAI, and they expected it last week (we thought for sure we'd have it by the end of last week). They said they are expecting a large group of them any time. If we don't receive it by tomorrow, we'll be pushed back one more week to July 6. The good news is, that will give me one more week to heal. The bad news is that it will be one week longer before I'll be able to hold my little toddler girl. Through this, the Lord is teaching me patience. I am also able to better help my 3 other children deal with their emotions as they deal with all of these changes in our lives. We are all so anxious! But, I know it is all in the Lord's timing! I am so thankful for a husband and a very sweet mom who are helping me recover and prepare!
The Jon Schmidt concert was on Friday night and I heard it went really well. I was home in bed, trying to get some rest. There were several people who were there that had never heard of him before. And, we were able to earn some good money from it. We are so close! We know the Lord will provide for us in our hour of need, so we move forward in Faith!
Thank you to all who came and supported our concert! I was sad to miss it, but grateful that it was a success. I did have a friend take a photo of our display of China and Adoption. Oh, I love that little girl!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Jon Schmidt Concert-June 17, 2011
Come join us for an evening of fun & entertainment, and pure talent! Jon travels all over the world performing, playing his original songs, and keeping everyone of all ages entertained! To preview some of his songs, please visit www.jonschmidt.com.
Date:
June 17, 2011
Time:
7-8:30 pm
Location:
Tahitian Noni International
5151 N. 300 W.
Provo, UT 84604
Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.
Seating is limited.
To purchase tickets, please click on the link to the right.
June 17, 2011
Time:
7-8:30 pm
Location:
Tahitian Noni International
5151 N. 300 W.
Provo, UT 84604
Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.
Seating is limited.
To purchase tickets, please click on the link to the right.
If you have any questions, please contact Jake at 801-864-0790!All proceeds will go to help bring our Chinese daughter home. To read more about our adoption journey, please feel free to browse through our blog. We appreciate your support in helping us to bring our Chinese daughter home!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Delays
I found out on Tuesday that I had a cyst, and on Wednesday that it was large enough (football size) that it had to be removed before we could go to China. So, instead of a few weeks to prepare to leave, I had only a few days before I spent 3 days in the hospital. I'm home now, but am on bed-rest for 2 weeks, right before we leave. It's been crazy....I've cried, laughed, and then just moved forward.
We have our Jon Schmidt concert tomorrow....where maybe I'll attend in a wheel-chair, but don't know if I can sit that long:( I've had to turn it completely over to Jake!!! He's been a great sport about it all, and his work has been good to let him take some time off to make sure I'm taken care of. Today was the first day home with him at work and the kids at home. My sister-in-law came and helped....what an angel...but it's hard to not be able to get up and take care of everyone. Our church friends are feeding us:) They are so nice!!!
We are still waiting on our official "TA" (Travel Approval) from China. I'm expecting it any day. We hope to leave on the 29th...that is the soonest my Doctor will let me go.
We have our Jon Schmidt concert tomorrow....where maybe I'll attend in a wheel-chair, but don't know if I can sit that long:( I've had to turn it completely over to Jake!!! He's been a great sport about it all, and his work has been good to let him take some time off to make sure I'm taken care of. Today was the first day home with him at work and the kids at home. My sister-in-law came and helped....what an angel...but it's hard to not be able to get up and take care of everyone. Our church friends are feeding us:) They are so nice!!!
We are still waiting on our official "TA" (Travel Approval) from China. I'm expecting it any day. We hope to leave on the 29th...that is the soonest my Doctor will let me go.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
I took this post from a blog, Random Clarity, who is in China right now with their little boy from Henan Province. I've followed this little group who has gone through the same agency and same province as we will, as we've waited for our TA, and it has been so fun. She posted the following before she left for China, and it captured my thoughts and feelings exactly, so I had to re-post it. It is beautiful!
"Me? Without words? Takes a lot to get there for me. Those of you that know me are not shocked, I know. But truly, perfect, even adequate words fail me now to express my ..... see, I don't know what to even call it. Amazement? Joy? Wonder? Gratitude? Awe.
God has provided for us in a beautiful, all-sufficient way. Everything we lacked to bring Joel home has now been provided. We have all the funds we need to travel, get our son, and bring him home. God knows each one of us so well, and he knows who to bring alongside each of us in our journeys. Fundraising is one of the most daunting parts to an adoptive family. It shouldn't be. God has proven himself as a perfect provider over and over - in our lives, our extended families' lives, in our friends' lives as well. One man told me at the beginning of our adoption journey that raising the money would be the easy part.
Excuse me? The Easy Part??
I understand why he said it, and, truth be told, he was right. Compared to walking through the other difficulties that have come up? Compared to preparing to grow our family and prepare for a beautiful child who has many unknown pieces? Compared to the crazy paperwork chase? Compared to WAITING months and months to hold a child we know & so long for? Compared to raising another child for life?
No, raising the money on the front end of adoption is much easier than that. Well, it's all relative. Fundraising is hard; humbling oneself to ask for help is hard; saving and pinching pennies and working extra and selling stuff can be hard. But it is so worth it. We HAD to have help; we HAD to invite others into our story. We are not alone. God raised up a community around us. More people than just US are invested in our son. That's very cool.
And now, we can focus on getting everything ready to travel and ready here to have a toddler living among us again.
So, there, I guess I found some words. We are praising God for his provision. We thank YOU for listening to the prompting of God's heart to help us in this way. We are overwhelmed with joy and peace and amazement at how God loves and cares for His kids and how He allows us to be part of each others' stories."
-Random Clarity
"Me? Without words? Takes a lot to get there for me. Those of you that know me are not shocked, I know. But truly, perfect, even adequate words fail me now to express my ..... see, I don't know what to even call it. Amazement? Joy? Wonder? Gratitude? Awe.
God has provided for us in a beautiful, all-sufficient way. Everything we lacked to bring Joel home has now been provided. We have all the funds we need to travel, get our son, and bring him home. God knows each one of us so well, and he knows who to bring alongside each of us in our journeys. Fundraising is one of the most daunting parts to an adoptive family. It shouldn't be. God has proven himself as a perfect provider over and over - in our lives, our extended families' lives, in our friends' lives as well. One man told me at the beginning of our adoption journey that raising the money would be the easy part.
Excuse me? The Easy Part??
I understand why he said it, and, truth be told, he was right. Compared to walking through the other difficulties that have come up? Compared to preparing to grow our family and prepare for a beautiful child who has many unknown pieces? Compared to the crazy paperwork chase? Compared to WAITING months and months to hold a child we know & so long for? Compared to raising another child for life?
No, raising the money on the front end of adoption is much easier than that. Well, it's all relative. Fundraising is hard; humbling oneself to ask for help is hard; saving and pinching pennies and working extra and selling stuff can be hard. But it is so worth it. We HAD to have help; we HAD to invite others into our story. We are not alone. God raised up a community around us. More people than just US are invested in our son. That's very cool.
And now, we can focus on getting everything ready to travel and ready here to have a toddler living among us again.
So, there, I guess I found some words. We are praising God for his provision. We thank YOU for listening to the prompting of God's heart to help us in this way. We are overwhelmed with joy and peace and amazement at how God loves and cares for His kids and how He allows us to be part of each others' stories."
-Random Clarity
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Article 5!!!
Dear Jacob & Julie Anderegg
We just received an update from our Guangzhou staff stating that they have picked up your family’s Article 5 (signed 2nd acceptance letter) from the Consulate and now it is off to the CCCWA. The Article 5 typically takes about 2-3 days to be delivered to the CCCWA. Once the CCCWA receives this document, they will have all that they need to issue your family’s travel approval. The CCCWA typically takes about 2-4 weeks to issue a travel approval. We see this update as great news for your family as you are one step closer to getting you to your little one in China!
***Attention Henan families: The Henan orphanages are in need of baby clothing. If you are able to bring along donations please contact our Charity Director, Xia, for more details at charity@chinesechildren.org. We know the babies and orphanage staff will be appreciative! Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Sheri Kabeya, Betsy Harper & Sarah Suitter
Saturday, May 7, 2011
NVC Letter
We received our NVC letter yesterday! I immediately sent it to CCAI, they forwarded it onto their representative in Guangzhou, and it will be delivered to the US Consulate on Monday or Tuesday, along with our Visa Application for Zheng Lan.
I've been listening to tapes on How to Speak Chinese. I get the tonal aspect of it and can hear it, but I've only learned a few things...like counting to 3, saying good-morning, hello, thank you, and good-bye. I hope if I can at least get a few of them down, it will help. I also learned NO and YES, which will be important as a parent. The ones I still need to really work on are "Are you hungry" or "tired" or "thirsty", etc. The rest will come, I am sure. I'm not trying to become fluent, but I would like to communicate a little with a 20 month old little girl whom I love with all my heart!!!
We've also found a place for the Jon Schmidt concert, we think:) Now, we just need to find a date that works for the Tahitian Noni Concert Hall AND Jon. It will be a week-day, but we'll let everyone know as soon as we have it arranged.
We should receive our Travel Approval (TA) in about 5-6 weeks, and then travel 10-14 days after that!!! Can't believe we're getting so close!!! I need to finish the girls room!!!
I've been listening to tapes on How to Speak Chinese. I get the tonal aspect of it and can hear it, but I've only learned a few things...like counting to 3, saying good-morning, hello, thank you, and good-bye. I hope if I can at least get a few of them down, it will help. I also learned NO and YES, which will be important as a parent. The ones I still need to really work on are "Are you hungry" or "tired" or "thirsty", etc. The rest will come, I am sure. I'm not trying to become fluent, but I would like to communicate a little with a 20 month old little girl whom I love with all my heart!!!
We've also found a place for the Jon Schmidt concert, we think:) Now, we just need to find a date that works for the Tahitian Noni Concert Hall AND Jon. It will be a week-day, but we'll let everyone know as soon as we have it arranged.
We should receive our Travel Approval (TA) in about 5-6 weeks, and then travel 10-14 days after that!!! Can't believe we're getting so close!!! I need to finish the girls room!!!
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