Thursday, April 25, 2013

The LOA Puzzle Piece

One more piece complete
You've heard the acronym LOL, right?  But, what about LOA?  It stands for Letter of Acceptance, and it's pure, sweet music to the ears of all adoptive parents.

We received our LOA for sweet Sophia last week which means we have official approval from China to adopt her, and we can now file her US immigration paperwork.  Just one more piece in this giant jigsaw puzzle, and we are thankful to have it!  Now....come on TA (Travel Approval), and CA (Consulate Appointment), and every other acronym we need to bring home baby sister!

Monday, April 8, 2013

What's in a name?

Did you know.....that until recently, it was common practice in Chinese orphanages to give an abandoned child a surname (last name) that would signify his or her orphan status.  For instance, many children would carry the last name of Guo (meaning "state") signifying that they were under the care of the state or Guang because they were found in the Guangdong province.  With this practice, even after leaving the orphanage, everyone would know these children were orphans and therefore (in the eyes of many) lower class citizens....as if the deck was not already stacked against them.  But recently, the Chinese government passed a new law eliminating this awful practice and encouraging administrators to instead give orphans one of the 100 most common Chinese surnames.  

We chose to name our daughter Sophia Chen.  "Sophia" is the Greek word for wisdom, specifically Godly wisdom.  It's used in Luke 2:40 speaking about Jesus, "And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him."  Not a bad calling card for our beautiful daughter!

"Chen" was given to our daughter in China, and we chose to keep it as a tie to her Chinese heritage.  This name means morning or dawn.  I love this too! I feel it signifies a fresh start for our precious daughter, a life of hope and promise and knowledge of the Bright Morning Star, our savior Jesus Christ (Revelation 22:16).

I, myself, can't think of a better name.  :)

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

IT'S A GIRL!!!

It's official!!  After mounds of paperwork, home studies, and waiting, waiting, and yes, MORE waiting.... we are proud to announce that we have a beautiful daughter in China!  Sophia Chen is nineteen months old living in an orphanage in the Guangdong province of southern China.  And, this mommy cannot wait to hold her in my arms and kiss those precious cheeks!  

When will she be home??? Well....there is now a new mound of paperwork to tackle and various approvals to receive, but we are hoping to travel to China in 4-6 months to receive Baby Sister Sophia.  Until then, we ask that you pray protection over our daughter's  body, mind, and spirit because an overseas orphanage can be a difficult place to grow up. 
  • May The Lord show Sophia favor in the eyes of her caretakers.  
  • May she receive tender touch and loving embraces.
  • May her belly be full at mealtimes, and may her body be free from sickness. 
Sophia is God's precious child whom he loves and adores so we trust Him to provide for her in our absence. 

One more thing....Sophia has some physical limitations (special needs) that will need to be addressed once she is home, but that is a post for another day.  Today, we just want to relish in the faithfulness of our Father and celebrate our beautiful daughter Sophia Chen!