Getting Ready!!!!

We are quickly getting ready to leave in 4 days! We now have Maren's room complete; thanks to a friend, we have a crib (it is in the lower left-hand corner). We have read that we may want a crib and a regular bed in her room: in case we need to sleep in her room with her (she is probably used to sleeping in a room with 20+ children).

We now have childcare lined up; we get homesick for them when we think about leaving them for 2 weeks.  However, we know they are going to have so much fun (they probably will not miss us near as much as we will miss them). A huge thanks to our family and friends: Wynnette (Michelle's twin sister) will keep them Thursday through Sunday, Renee (Michelle's cousin) will keep them Sunday through Thursday, and Grandma Iris/Calesse (Michelle's sister)/Grandma Nancy will keep them Thursday through Thursday. We are so appreciative of all of you who are helping us with this journey in any way: those of you watering flowers, picking us up at the airport, and fervently praying for us as our journey continues.

WE ARE HEADED TO CHINA NEXT WEEK!!!

We received confirmation of our consulate appointment today.  We leave next Thursday, July 28th to go get Maren.  We will return (with her) on Thursday, August 11th.  Will post when we have more info. Thank you for praying this past weekend that we would receive the consulate appointment needed in order to return in time for school. 

TA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We were notified yesterday afternoon that our TA (travel approval) has arrived.  It was an overwhelming relief....it was our very last piece of paper needed to go get Maren. 

Speaking of getting Maren, here is a sweet happening:
We went on a family trip to Branson for 2 nights this past week.  As we were leaving Branson, Mora says, "our next big trip is China...I wish we could just get her now."  Danial and I acknowledged our agreement, to which the children began chanting (as loud as possible): "GET THAT GIRL, GET THAT GIRL, GET THAT GIRL."  It is amazing how much they already love their little sister who is halfway around the world.

We celebrated our arrival of TA with homemade brownie sundaes last night.  We have been calling and emailing our travel agent since we received word of our TA; he is trying to lock in our tickets this morning.  We will not have confirmation of our travel until Monday morning.  The travel coordinator for our adoption agency feels "optimistic" that we will travel on Thursday, July 28th.  Please continue to pray for this time in the journey: ticket prices to be reasonably priced, availability of tickets, China to confirm our travel date (7/28), God to be glorified as we make arrangements for our trip.  Thank you for your continued prayer support!

New Pictures of Maren

It has been awhile since we posted last.  As many of you know, Maren's Aunt Tammie unexpectedly passed away on June 23, 2011. Maren would have been lavished with love and kisses from her Aunt Tammie.

We are getting soooo close to knowing our travel dates.  We should know the exact dates within the next 2-3 weeks.  If we receive TA (travel approval) within the next 2 weeks, we will potentially leave July 28th (assuming we can get flights with that late of notice).  If not, we will probably be leaving for China on August 11th.  We know God's timing is supreme (for instance, a few months ago we thought we might travel in June...and God, in His infinite sovereignty, knew we needed to be in Missouri during Tammie's death); however, we are praying that if it is His will and timing, that the July 28th departure date would happen as this would allow us to return (August 11th) prior to school starting. 

We are enjoying summer activities with Mora, Bryce, and Bennett and are stepping up our travel preparations. We painted Maren's room this past weekend and have begun making packing lists.

Today, we received an email from our agency with current pictures of Maren and some current information.  She now weighs 20 pounds and is 30 inches tall.  She is barely on the chart for both.  We anticipate her being able to be "on the chart" with a loving family who will feed and nuture her well!  We were so glad to see pictures of her, yet at the same time our hearts are breaking as we desire for her to be under our care as soon as God deems it possible.  Please continue to pray for her comfort and loving care and for her nannies to be strenthened and encouraged each day. 

We will let you know when we have travel dates (how exciting to be at this point of this journey to our Maren-dear!).

LOA is here!!!

On Monday we received a phone call saying our LOA was here!  This is a necessary document, so we can proceed to the next step - I800 approval. Our adoption agency overnighted it to us, we signed the document, and turned around and overnighted the paperwork to the next place (immigration).  Also, this week we sent off the necessary paperwork for our (Danial and Michelle's) visas (to enter China).  We should receive the I-800 approval and our visas in the next 3 weeks. Here is a picture of this official-looking (and highly important - to us) document:

We now know to anticipate travel in August! We will not know our exact dates for travel until 2-3 weeks before travel. We are enjoying our preparations for Maren: picking a paint color for her room, journaling about this time, and learning to wait on Him.  It is amazing how our Lord works.  Our small group is reading "Broken-Down House" by Paul Tripp. The chapter last week was on learning how and why God calls us to wait. Here are a few quotes of his, "...waiting will always reveal the true character of your heart" and "Waiting will always reveal where you have placed your hope. Your heart is always exposed by the way that you wait." My favorite: "Waiting, therefore, is not a sign that your world is our of control. Rather, it is a sign that your world is under the wise and infinitely attentive control of a God of fathomless wisdom and boundless love. This means you can rest as you wait, not because you like to wait, but because you trust the One who is calling you to wait." Also, "In calling us to wait, God is rescuing us from our bondage to our own plan, our own wisdom, our own power, our own control."  God has used this chapter to convict, comfort, and encourage us the past few weeks.

Please pray for God to protect Maren's heart and prepare her (and our family) for a big transition, and for us to graciously wait as God molds our hearts. 

Waiting for LOA

Several of you have asked about the paperwork we need and the timeline to go get our sweet girl. Here is a general overview:
1) LOA - we get this document from China; it takes between 1 - 3 months from our referral to get this; we are praying for God to work in a mighty way to get this document to us as soon as possible
2) 1-800 approval - from US immigration; it takes approximately 3 weeks; we cannot get this until we send a copy of the LOA to immigration
3) NVC letter and cable - another US document; it takes several weeks
4) TA (travel approval) - we get this from China once all the paperwork is in their possesion; takes several weeks; once we have TA, we can travel in 2 - 4 weeks.
5) CA (consulate appointment) - this is the date and time which China tells us to be at the consulate to adopt Maren

We should travel in September; however, we are praying for God to make a way to get our Maren even sooner. We know though that He knows the best timing and plans for His purposes. We would appreciate your continued prayers for: Maren's protection, love, and care in China; her nannies - to be strengthened and encouraged; each of us (Mora, Bryce, Bennett, Danial, and Michelle) as we learn to wait on God and as He prepares us for Maren's arrival.

Introducing.....Maren Miao Boatman

We are overjoyed to have heard about our new daughter last night.  Close to 6PM last night, our adoption agency called with the good news.  They immediately sent us her file and pictures. We are praising God for orchestrating her into our lives.  He has wonderfully created her.  She is 17 months and is missing a portion of her left leg and the 3rd, 4th, and 5th digits on both hands.  The name given to her in China is Miao, meaning "wonderful," so we have decided to incorporate her given Chinese name as her middle name.  We now pray for a speedy process to go and get her.  Typically, the wait is 5-6 months.