Part 2: The Journey: A Left Turn off the SE coast of China

So, we had begun our adoption journey!! We had heard God's voice loud and clear. He had confirmed His call on us to adopt. He had confirmed that we were to go to China. And, we took the plunge to "go forth" to China with anticipation and excitement. We had no idea we were just taking the first step of what would become a 4-year journey. Perhaps, that was best left a mystery! ;)

We began the homestudy. . . the meetings. . . the cancelled meetings. . . the rescheduled meetings. We did our education requirements. It was truly like we were going to get our Master's degree. Classes, books, online coursework. . . For those of you going through the process. . . you are chuckling right now because "You KNOW" what I'm talking about. ;) Even when we sprinted through all of the educational requirements and paperwork (and MORE paperwork). . . THEN the hard part came. We had to WAIT on fingerprints to come back and child abuse and neglect clearances and medical reports. And, when I say WAIT. . . I mean WAAAAIIIT. It was delay after delay. . . and every bit of it was outside our control. It took 5 months for my husband's fingerprints to come back. And, we couldn't move forward with our homestudy OR adoption until it was back.

While this waiting period was underway. . . we were busy taking our classes, knocking out everything we "HAD" control over. And, that is when we began to learn how long the China "healthy child" adoptions were taking. The wait time was growing from 3 years . . . to 4 or 5 years. Geoff and I were sick to our stomachs thinking that we might all (Anna Grace too) have to wait 4 or 5 years for Anna Grace's sister to come home. AG would be close to 10. . . a HUGE age difference between them. And, HOW MANY times would we have to re-do and update this paperwork in the meantime??? We were frustrated. But, we knew that God had pointed us to China. . . so we continued to move forward.

It was February of 2008 (we had begun our HS first of Oct. 2007), and we were sitting in Dr. Chambers' IA clinic workshop, and we sat down next to the Coueys. We instantly made friends, and we learned that they were adopting from Taiwan. They shared all about their agency, the process, the wait-time. . . and all of a sudden we saw a wonderful opportunity that might allow us to adopt much sooner than 4 to 5 years. And, for heaven's sake, Taiwan is just off the SE coast of China. . . less than 100 miles!!! And, the children are Asian. That was still staying within God's plan, as far as we could see. China even still considers Taiwan to be a part of China. . . although Taiwan begs to differ. It was "just" a suburb of southern China. Right, God???

After some discussion and thought and prayer, Geoff and I decided to change our course (last second. . . because our HS had been completed for China and our SW was ready to write it up and send it off for all of the US clearances). And, we asked her to write it up, instead, for Taiwan. This Taiwan road should take less than a year. People were getting to travel for their child, at that time, in about 6-8 months from the time they went on the wait list. The babies were 6-9 months of age when they came home. It all appeared to be a better choice. We only had to get our HS cleared on the U.S. side; then, we could go on the Taiwan wait list!! We expected to travel in under a year. Things were looking up!

So, we were OFF to Taiwan!!! That is about the time I created this blog. Thus, the URL name. :)

We were about to learn three things:

1. All that glitters is "not" gold.

2. a Left turn off the coast of China, even for less than 100 miles, was not what God had called us and confirmed for us to do.

3. Even in a desert, God can make blessings overflow.

Thanks for following!