The Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) is back to work from their holiday. We should be getting our Article 5 this week! The US Consulate will issue our Article 5, our agency's Guangzhou staff will pick it up and mail it to Beijing so it can be delivered to the CCAA. Article 5 is the preliminary approval of our (Brynn's) immigration file by the US Consulate and is required by the CCAA in order to issue our travel approval.
We were able to get some things crossed off our list this week. Stacking cups made the top 10 of our list. They are a must (so I hear) to take to China when adopting. Everyone takes them, all the kids love them, they are in pictures on every one's blogs... a must. I thought I would be able to run into W*l-M*rt or T*rget to pick these up... not quite. I ended up ordering them from B*bies R Us when I couldn't find them at the other places. They came in the mail this week. I was happy to cross that off the list!
In keeping with Chinese culture, we are required to bring gifts to give to certain people while we are in China. They are to be wrapped or gift bagged in red. Some of these people include: foster care family, Notary Officials x2, Orphanage Caregivers x3, Orphanage Director x2, and Registration Officials x2. We were given a list of appropriate gifts to choose from. We are just a couple of gifts away from being able to cross this off our list.
When we travel we are required to take crisp bills with us to exchange for Yuan. If they are not crisp, they get rejected. We contacted the bank this week to ask how much notice they would need in order to order us new bills. They said just to give them a week or two and they could have them. So, ordering the money has now moved to a new list... things to do when we get TA (Travel Approval).
We have also been planning an eating night fundraiser at a local restaurant. More details coming soon!
We have 7 prescriptions filled and ready (still need to get the 10 over the counter medicines on my list) , a clear (yes, had to be clear) folder with a velcro closure to take all of our important documents with us, a couple of things for Blake to do on the plane, Travel Visas, a book with short Chinese phrases and words, a few thin long sleeved shirts that can dry easily when hand washed in a hotel sink and hung to dry, and a new list of things to do once we get Travel Approval. We still have so many things on our list of things to do and get before we depart. We were thrilled to get these things marked off this past week. We are looking forward to marking off more this coming week... and hopefully celebrating our Article 5 being picked up!
Pray that God will prepare Brynn's heart and mind as the day is quickly approaching that she will be taken from everything she knows and placed in the arms of strangers.
Pray for one of Brynn's foster sisters who is having medical problems. Pray for a miracle for this little girl. Pray for a family for her.
5 comments:
Wow, so much to do, but so many productive things done! I am so excited for you all and can not wait to know THE date! Continuing to pray for all 5 of you in these coming weeks...
I am so ready to see that sweet smile in person!!!! Brynn is almost home!!!! I am praying for that transition time. I just know God has huge blessings in store for everyone.
So much to do and so many lists! You've got to be one of the most organized people right now! Seriously, as overwhelming as it all might be right now, God is helping and bringing you one step closer, day by day, to your daughter!
I'm so glad you finally found those stinkin stacking cups!!!!
I love that picture, her smile just lights up!
wow, would have never dreamed that finding those cups was a hard task....so glad you got them.....James and I just said yesterday that maybe, just maybe Brynn will be home for Christmas.....wouldn't that be the perfect gift~......we are praying for you all and especially that the Lord will intervene and allow Brynn's transition with you guys to be like there never was a transition to ever have been done...He does all things well, and we feel so honored just to be able to say that our cousins are following the Lord's will and is adopting a sweet little girl from China and that she's almost home....We have been sharing that with all our friends here at home.....no better place to be than to be in the Perfect Will of our Lord and to know it when you pillow your head each night, longing for that day you will lay eyes on her for the very first time and to know that the Lord brought you all together....It's something that is so great, can hardly explain it~.....Love you guys and longing with you till the day we can see her face to face~
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