What is DTC?

What does DTC mean?  It stands for Dossier To China.  The dossier was all the required paperwork to adopt.  It takes 3-4 months to  prepare.  Once done, it is send to Michigan to our global headquarters where it is reviewed by the China team for any potential errors, etc.  Once it is approved by them, it is sent to Washington, DC to be authenticated.  Then it is sent back to global headquarters to wait to be sent to China.  We had a hold up for about 3 weeks, because we didn't have the funds available to sent it.  God provided and we raised most of the money through donations and fundraisers.

It was sent off last Thursday and is due to arrive tomorrow.  Once it is at the China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption (the Central Authority for the People's Republic of China):  CCCWA, it is translated and reviewed.  This usually takes a week or two.  Once that occurs, we will be officially LOGGED IN and waiting for our referral.  This is so exciting to think about.  We could perhaps see our little boy before Christmas.  (:

Please join us in praying throughout.  As exciting of a time this is, it's also a time to really be patient and trust in the process.  Pray for our China team who will be matching us with our child.  They only have SECONDS to match families with children.  It's hard to believe that it happens that way, but with all the other "waiting families" from around the world, it's how this process works.

Thank you for following along and stay tuned.  

Two words

Seems like just 2 simple words, but the appreciation behind them is HUGE.  

About a week ago, I was worried.

We needed our next phase of funding and we didn't have it.  The months of paperwork were done and yet because we didn't have enough money, our papers could not leave the U.S. until we had it.  And the longer we waited, the longer our little boy is waiting too.  

I struggled and still do about asking for help when it comes to raising money but God truly knows the desires of our hearts and He brings people to you in the right timing and that He did.

So, what happened?

We had someone donate $250 on Go Fund Me

Another donated $20, and another donated $25!

Then, I threw together a rummage sale at my business and raised $500 more.

We owed $1800 to start.

After our fundraiser and donations, we owed $1005.00

One of my local artists donated $200 from her sales to help us and we received another $200 from work we had done as a family for someone.  

ALMOST there.  Can you believe it?

It is my hope that our dossier will GO TO CHINA THIS WEEK!   Stay tuned.  

God Bless,

Les, Sara, Ben and Maddie.  

Have a little faith

As I sit here, I am restless today.  My heart aches to see his face for the first time.

Since February, we have been working on paperwork, and now with the dossier done, we just wait for the funding so we can send it to China.  

This waiting period is hard.  I know there will be much more waiting in other parts of our journey, but this one really tugs at my heart.  I know that we are so close to getting our referral, and that makes me a bit restless. 

To see his precious face for the first time is what my heart is longing for.  

Today, I was talking with a friend and I reminded myself that as I am restless with this waiting period, I think of how God has so much patience for us as He waits for us to draw near to Him.  He does not get angry and fired up and impatient, He just waits patiently for us.  I call out for His timing throughout this journey, so I am praying for my faith to pull me through this time of waiting. 

Thanks for your prayers, support and encouragement.  It makes a huge difference.

Check out my IG@theprairiemama

I'll post little snippets along the way as well. 

We still have t-shirts to sell ($20), and our gofundme/rowlandsadopt

Appreciate all the continued support to bring home little baby Gus.  

I needed to hear this truth today. 

I admit, I'm a bit discouraged.

In our journey, everything is on hold because we don't have enough funds raised to send our dossier to China.  We are $1856.00 short.

The sooner our dossier gets to China, the sooner we get our referral (see our son)

As we wait, so does our little boy.  Waiting is hard; yet I know and pray for my heart to calm, because God's timing is perfect! 

My praise for today is that I've had people encourage me, including our social worker who knows my heart and said the right words today that gave me courage to have more patience. 

You can check out my FB site, and also our instagram @theprairiemama

We appreciate that you are following along, it means so, so much.

WAITING TO SEND

Today, I received the email that our dossier (paperwork that goes to China, so we can get our referral), just got AUTHENTICATED in Washington, DC and is back at global headquarters just waiting to go to CHINA.

Our reality:   We are short in our fundraising campaign and do not have the money we need to send our dossier off.

I admit that today was a bit difficult as I struggled through my joy of hearing the news that our dossier is ready to go and yet the reality sunk in that we don't have the money raised to send it to China......

Our immediate need is:  $2556.00

Then, as I was pondering on ways to make money, a friend came into my store and bought two adoption t shirts ($40 raised!)
Then, I had a customer give ($10) to me for our adoption.
GOD is so good.

It's amazing how what people may consider little contributions can actually make a HUGE difference.  We are so very thankful.

This next step is so hard to be patient for, because once our dossier gets to China, we are ready to be logged in for our referral, and that just makes this much harder to wait.   Please pray for these next steps.

I'll be selling items from my home and store this next week (for my local friends), stay tuned.  Lots of great items will be on the rummage sale site.

We still have adoption shirts left, so let me know if you still want one.

Thank you for following along our incredible journey to bring home little Gus.

Praying to see you

For you, our little one:  we pray.

We believe that God has brought you into our hearts because He knows of our desire to welcome you into our family and love you, beyond borders.  

Although we have not yet met you face to face, we pray that God connects our hearts to each other each day that we await the moment we hold you forever.

I find myself dreaming of the day we first see who you are.  It's hard to wait.  Are you a little baby, a toddler, or bigger?  Do you have lots of crazy hair or no hair yet?   Do you like to be held?  (your big sister cannot wait to hold you).

Do you like music and lego's (your big brother can't wait to play with you). 

There are so many anticipations for your arrival, so we keep praying.  

Family & Friends

Please join us in praying for our little one.  

We don't know what his needs are, but pray we are prepared to provide the best care for him.  Pray that God prepares us all for our first meeting.   Pray for the orphanage where he is, and for the caretakers.  I can't imagine the care involved in so many orphans.  Pray for forever families to adopt them quickly.  

We are waiting to send our dossier off to China.  Praying for provisions to come through.  

-Sara and family