Our Girl Grace

We have been talking about the possibility of using cloth diapers for Grace. I have begun doing some reading and research on cloth vs. disposable. Boy,have things changed over the years, no more pins and now they have such fancy covers. It would be better for her skin and for the environment. Has anyone had any recent experience with cloth??

We started our adoption journey back in May of 2005 when we attended our first informational meeting at our agency. We officially began the paperwork process in October of 2005, and as of today our paper work has been logged in for 24 MONTHS or TWO YEARS. Never, in our wildest dreams did we think we would be waiting this long. Two home studies later, now we are going for our third set of fingerprints, and if things don’t speed up we will be doing it all over again in April 2009 when more of our documents expire.

Referrals did come out the end of last week, and the cut off was January 9th. So the CCAA matched from January 5th to January 9th, five days only. The good news is that most of the babies were under 8 months old.

We ask for your continued prayers, for us, for our daughter, for the CCAA to match more days each month and for all the children waiting to come home to their forever families!

Well, the rumors are out there and they are pretty strong that the CCAA has only matched 5 days, January 5th through January 9th, 2006. This month it feels more painful than most. Maybe it has to do with the fact that as of April 7th we have officially been logged into China for 2 YEARS! Never, ever, ever in my wildest dreams did I think this process would take so long, be so difficult, so painful, or be so hard to explain to those who don’t understand the process.
As I am sitting here, discouraged, thinking, calculating, pondering when it will be our turn… into the shop walks a gentle reminder. A precious angel named Sara, waving a piece of paper for me. She begins to read/sing the following to me:

“GRACE”

Grace was born in China, not so very long ago.
She could have been forgotten, lost and so alone.
But Grace was found, accepted, a gift from God above.
Yes Grace, was adopted. Grace has found a home.

Chorus:
Grace could have been born in Africa or right here close to home. For where a heart has learned to love. Grace can find a home.

The outcome was not certain, until the final frame.
Would Grace remain an orphan or receive a brand new name?
Though dangers lurk and threaten when God’s grace intervenes,
Miracles still happen, not only in our dreams.

The road is sometimes rocky, the path not always straight.
And bureaucratic nightmares often bar the gate.
But faith can be our anchor and hope can fill our dreams
and love is still the answer.
It’s love that set Grace free.

We may never know for sure the village of her birth.
But God has intervened with Grace, a gift from heaven to earth.
And sometimes it may help to know there’s a God that intervenes.
And Grace is proof that love exists.
It’s love that set her free.

What a blessing, it was just what I needed today. I must admit I got a bit teary eyed listening to Sara read this and looking at her. What a beauty she is…It just makes me long for my daughter even more. I met Sara and her Mom Pam, when they stopped into the shop shortly after we opened. Sara is adopted from China and is about 8 years old. She is very beautiful, very smart and very in touch with her life story. Each time she visits, she asks me if we have received our picture of Grace. I can’t wait for the day to show my daughter off. Pam actually heard a group at her church years back singing this and had asked for a copy. She was recently going through some papers and found this. She knew she had to bring me a copy. I will have to put this in Grace’s life book and perhaps put a framed copy on her wall.
Thank you Sara and Pam. This is just another red thread to Grace. I feel truly blessed to know them both.