Baby Steps

Today we made progress on the processing of Hannah's adoption!  While we did not get our LOA (letter of approval), we did make a small baby step towards receiving it.  Today our agency was able to tell us that Hannah's file has been translated!!  This is the first step towards LOA followed by review & match.  They seem hopeful that we will receive approval during the month of October.  Of course things can always go wrong (it is international adoption, after all!) but I am really praying they are right.

Overall I've done an okay job at 'resting' in God's timing.  He's given me peace that Hannah is okay and that He will continue to meet her needs.  The Lord has also helped me to realize that I was created for His glory and so was Hannah.  So of course the weaving of my life to hers should glorify Him as well.  I've been trying to look at this period of waiting and uncertainty as an opportunity to bring Him glory and to make His name and His faithfulness famous.

In spite of all this resting and feeling the Lord at work on my heart-- yesterday was a rough day.  The Chinese government worked this past weekend on adoption processing in anticipation of their week-long holiday Oct 1-7 for National Day.  I knew that if we did not receive LOA yesterday we would not hear anything for another week.  The timing of being approved this week vs next is key in determining whether we travel in December or January.  I regressed back to checking my email every 5 minutes (not healthy!) and hoping we would get good news.  When no news came I was disappointed.  I needed a day to be sad for our family and sad for my daughter.

Today I am trying to focus on what has taken place and the good in it.  We know our paperwork is making progress, and I can now stop obsessing over my email.  Perfect timing to take a break from adoption worry since we are headed to Chicago for Bryan's oral boards and a mini-vaca this weekend!

And now to end this post in the best way possible... with a picture of our baby girl.  I estimate she's about 3 months old in this picture :)