We're coming to get you Sasha! Oh my! The past two weeks have been quite a roller coaster ride for us. We left Mikelle a 1000 miles away in Florida at Master's Commission International for the year - we miss her sooooo much! Then Dave and I spent the week together in Seattle. On Thursday while we were there we received a call from our adoption agency to let us know they had received our travel approval from China and would like for us to leave the following Thursday, giving us just 3 days once we returned from Seattle. We needed to be refingerprinted and they needed to set up our appointment at the consulate in Guangzhou China in order for us to travel. We did all that we could do on our end while our agency did their part. The following day we were notified that they were unable to get an appointment for us and our next opportunity to travel would be October 25 since Guangzhou hosts a trade show during October that takes up all of the hotels etc. They had received verbal notification that there were no more appointments available and the chance of an appointment becoming available was equal to the chance of winning the lottery. Obviously we were very disappointed since this meant another month and a half until we brought her home. On the other side of things the extra time meant we could wrap up all the loose ends here and be more prepared when it was time to travel.

Then on Wednesday, the third day we were home, we received an urgent call from our adoption agency saying that they were notified of an appointment available for us and could we leave Friday - in just two days!!! So here we go! We spent the entire day yesterday first of all praying for direction, and then wrapping up all we could here, purchasing the last bit of baby clothing, medicine, prescriptions, making phone calls etc. The picture shows me and my dear dear friend Kathy who spent the entire day with me praying and organizing and shopping and cleaning and packing and running errands. To all our dear friends who prayed with us and are helping by picking up things we'll need when we return and things we need before we leave, and running errands, and making phone calls and everything that I can't even think of we say the most gigantic thank you. And thanks to all of you that are praying and supporting us.

We leave Friday morning September 14 and we will return on September 30. A record number of 4 days home this month! We will finally have Sasha in our arms by early next week!!!!

A PRAYER FOR MY CHILD

May you be safe and sleep soundly through the night,

May you be safe as you wake to the morning light.

May you feel our love from far away,

May it comfort and protect you throughout each day.

We will pray for you, our little one,

Until our time of waiting is done.

We will pray that the Lord keeps you safe from harm,

Until the child of our hearts

becomes the child in our arms.

Anonymous