|
Our Adoption Journey
Why China?
|
Why Guatemala?
This website is designed for our
family and friends to follow along on our journey across the
world to adopt our daughters. We want you to check on this
website as our journey continues. On December 1, 2006, we
received our referral of Taylor Dodd, born on November 26, 2006.
Taylor arrived home in the U.S. on July 4, 2007! We then
adopted another precious girl from Guatemala, and Tarynn
Isabella arrived home in spring, 2008. We will update this site
with recent happenings and when the day arrives when we get our
photo and referral of Chinese daughter we will happily place her photo here with
all the details.
We are
Lance and Rachel, blessed with a very loving marriage, for quite
awhile now we have thought of having more children. Several
years ago we thought two children was quite enough so we fixed
that problem. Well, after just 4 years we wanted more and wished
we hadn't made it impossible, but years went by and we stayed
busy with our boys that God was so gracious to give us. Our
desire for a daughter or more children for that matter continued
to grow stronger and stronger. We looked
to Russian adoption but it just never fit and things didn't seem
to click. One day Rachel looked on the internet and read about
China adoptions. Overnight we knew it was right. We called the
adoption agency CCAI
and they sent the package right away. The people there were just
amazing and made us feel like part of a growing family. It was
definitely the right fit!
We just couldn't wait almost two more years for a daughter so we
started to think about adoption from a different country. Our
social worker told us she thought Guatemala would be a nice fit
for our family. We knew we wanted two girls (now, three!) so why not just
adopt in the mean time while waiting to pick up our daughter in
China. This way the girls will be closer in age to bond as sisters. Guatemala
adoptions go faster, so we have been able to bring home both
Taylor and Tarynn during the very long wait for our baby in
China.
Rachel found this poem on the
internet
and it fits her thoughts completely:
Dear Daughter in
China,
As a girl I had a common dream, to be a mom someday.
My baby would have eyes of blue and hair the hue of hay.
But now my dreams have been transformed. New visions fill
my head.
Now the Tresses that I long to stroke are raven black
instead.
And in my dreams those eyes are not so big or blue or
round.
Now my dreams they're almond shaped and colored cocoa
brown.
And in my dreams my arms can stretch across enormous seas.
They reach half-way around the world and hold you close to
me.
As you grow in your mothers womb, carefully knit together,
you're also growing in my heart, where you will stay
forever.
And in my dreams the moment that your mother says
good-bye,
I'll be right there to comfort you and hold you as you
cry.
Our features may not look alike: we're different as can
be.
But still I know the Father has created you for me.
And though I've not yet seen your face, or hold your tiny
hands,
and though we're half a world apart in very different
lands,
I'll be right there to get you just as soon as God allows.
But 'till he says the time is right I give to you this
vow.
I'll pray for your protection everyday on bended knee,
For God to hold you in his arms, until you're here with
me.
-Gayle Leubecker |
Prayer Requests:
Family and Friends understanding and support
Our girls' birth families
Our girls' health and well being
Our China daughter's care givers
For our China referral to come quicker than expected
Safety for our journey to China
CHINA
PAPERCHASE
Our paperchase began in March 2006. We started
gathering information for our Dossier (paperwork
required to adopt). It has taken almost 5 months to
gather and seal all this information. The information
this contains is about us as individuals, as a couple,
and as a family. They check our birth certificates,
marriage certificates, doctors saying we are healthy and
so on....
We finally gathered all information for our Dossier and
sent it to CCAI on 8/8/2006. CCAI called on 8/23/2006 we
had our DTC DATE. This is very big in adoption terms, it
means our Dossier (paperwork to adopt) went to CHINA.
We received our LID as of 09-19-06
!!!!! Now we sit back and wait for our referral!!! When
we started, it was a 12 - 18 month wait. This has
grown to 2 - 4 years. Next, we wait to be matched with an angel from China,
called a Referral. The Referral consists of her age, (birth date
if known) her health, her personality, and perhaps her sleep
schedule. After we receive the referral from the People's
Republic of China we will then fly to China about 6 weeks later.
We will be spending 2 weeks in China sight seeing and then we
will have Gotcha Day in which we will lay our hands on our
daughter
for the very first time. After all the paperwork is complete in
Guangzhou we will fly home as a new family of 6. When we land on
USA soil, she will be a US citizen automatically. Please
pray for a quick referral. |
"Traveling at such a slow
pace, Do you think you can ever get there?"
A fast steed asked a lame turtle. "Yes, as long as I keep
going," said the turtle.
-from the chinese saying Bo Bie Quian Li
GUATEMALA PAPERCHASE . . . for Taylor
We started new dossier to Guatemala on October 13, 2006.
We have signed on with IAN. They are great to work with!
Kelly, our adoption coordinator, is wonderful and puts
up with us calling and bugging her. On October 25, 2006
we sent all documents off to get certified. We gathered
this dossier so fast! We are professionals at this now!
Just two days later we sent documents off to get
authenticated, quick I tell ya! On November 23, 2006, we
received our new I-171H for Guatemala!!! Yeah, we are
ready to go officially!
On Nov. 28, 2006, we received word of a baby born Nov.
26, 2006. On December 1, 2006
we accepted baby girl referral. On
July 4th, 2007 we brought
Taylor home! |
GUATEMALA PAPERCHASE . . . for Tarynn
On April 8, 2008 we
brought Tarynn home! |
|
Website by
myadoptionwebsite.com
|
