Friday, March 30, 2007

We have our travel plans!

We were very surprised this morning to have an email from our agency saying that they had a confirmation of our consulate appointment. We weren't expecting that until early next week. Our CA (consulate appointment) is April 23rd. Which US time will be the evening of the 22nd, Jamey's birthday! What a birthday present.

We will be leaving on April 12th and back on April 25th.

The agency is still working on our hotel and in China travel arrangements.

13 days and counting until we leave for China!

Things to pray for:
1. That we can get everything packed and ready, not only for us, but for Brandon who will be staying with Grandma and Papa.
2. That Brandon will have a good time at Grandma and Papa's and not wear them out too much. ;o)
3. That Ethan will be healthy and safe until we get there.
4. That we we will get our hotel and other travel arrangements soon.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

It's here, it's finally here!

We found out today that we have TA (travel approval)! It's been a long road and it feels so good to know that China says come.

We should have a confirmed CA(consulate appointment) next week and we'll be able to post our travel plans.

Please pray:
1. That we get our requested consulate appointment.
2. That our agency will be able to get us the hotels and flights that we need.
3. That Ethan will be prepared for us and the huge transition that he will be making from orphanage to family.
4. That Brandon will be prepared and ready for us to be gone for two weeks and for the huge transition of adding a brother to the family.
5. That God will grant safety in our travel.
6. That Ethan will be safe and healthy until we can come and bring him home.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Isn't package tracking wonderful

Our LOA arrived back at our agency on Wednesday March 7th, they sent it on to China that afternoon. It made it's way from Tennessee to Ohio then to Beijing China, arriving at the DHL facility on the 10th at 2:13 am China time. They tried to deliver it on Saturday, our Friday night, but CCAA was closed. I checked the tracking this evening to see that it was delivered to CCAA on Monday morning at 9:04 am, which is Sunday night at 8:04 pm here.

Now we wait for CCAA to issue our TA.

Things to pray for:
1. That our TA is processed quickly.
2. That we will be able to travel before the trade fair that is during the last two weeks of April.
3. That Ethan will be healthy and safe until we can bring him home.
4. That all of us will be prepared for the transition, especially Brandon and Ethan.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

This is what we have been waiting for!


This is it, this is the LOA that we have been waiting for. At the bottom there are boxes to check if you accept this referral or if you do not accept this referral, then a place for each parent to sign. We obviously are ACCEPTING the referral!!!! We will sign the letter this afternoon and send it back to our agency who then in turn will send it on to CCAA in China so they can process our TA (travel approval)




Monday, March 05, 2007

LOA!!!

We received the email this morning, our LOA, or letter of acceptance, has arrived at our agency!!!!

God helped me to be forgetful this morning, otherwise I would've been out running errands, instead of coming home to pick up something I forgot and I wouldn't have gotten the email until afternoon.

It has been a long wait, 144 days, much longer than the average which is around 100 days but God is so good!

The agency is overnighting the letter to us, we will sign it, then overnight it back to the agency. When they receive it, they will send it on to China then we will wait for our TA (Travel Approval) to arrive, and that is taking around 2-3 weeks right now.

We are one huge step closer to bringing Ethan home.

Things to pray for:
1. Our LOA will arrive here to be signed and get back to China quickly and safely.
2. CCAA will process our TA quickly.
3. That we will receive our TA and be able to travel in early April before the Trade Fair that is during the last two weeks of April, that will make travel almost impossible.
4. That Ethan will be safe and healthy until we can bring him home.