Happy New Year 2012 - Our Referral Status

As you can see not much happens during the referral phase just a lot of w...a...i...t....i...n...g and growing older. We have been in the referral process for nearly 2 1/2 years. The newly restructured "CCCWA" was filling referrals from June 2006 at the beginning of 2011and 11 month later later they are now in August 2006 so you can see just how rediculously slow this process is.

It is so rediculous it alsomst feels unreal...like a game. We knew going in that the wait was approximately 3-4 years. Based on the the progress made in the last 11 months we are actually looking at a 6-7 year wait now that we are heading into 2012.  This obviously has changed our prespective immensely. With this comes deep feelings of frustration, disillusionment or hopelessness regarding the adoption.

Meanwhile the financial piece is not gaining any ground either...life continues, financial needs arise, resourses become limited and new expenses crop up. Being blessed with fiull time jobs, ministry obligations and and a marriage, we have very little time for fundraising and during this economic climate it has been extremely difficult to put money into the adoption account.

We continue to pray for Gods will in our lives, which direction to go and for continued confirmation on where we are at with this process and if it is His will that we continue to pour resources into this or foe the Lord to show us another path. We know he has a family planned for us... and it may be different  than what we initially had in mind. His plan is perfect and we continue to seek Him.

I-797c Extension Filing

Our USCIS Notice of Action approval ( I-800a Application for Determination of suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country) expires on March 31, 2011 so to keep it from lapsing we are filing for our first extension. We basically have to re-submit the application along with an updated notarized home study and copies of legal and vital documents...all of which are at the ready with the exception of our updated Home Study which I am calling to inquire about tomorrow.

Its been a year since we've logged in our dossier and this is the first paperwork we've done since then so although this is routine, it is exciting do be doing something! We will most likely have to file at the least two more similar extensions before we complete the referral phase, which is the longest phase of our adoption. This could be anywhere from 2 to 3 1/2 more years.

We pray daily for all the families and the children that wait for their referrals and for  people at the CCAA who have the task of placing children with forever families.  We know the Lord is working during this time of waiting. He is never early and he is never late. His timing is always perfect.

Help spread the word!

I am posting this to ask  for your help in "spreading the word" to friends and family about our ongoing adoption fundraiser Eva's Bags.  Those of you interested in this can do one of two simple things that have the potential to help us tremendously in our fundraising efforts.

1.) Create a chain e-mail to those in your e-mail contact list and provide the link to our Etsy shop. Just ask whoever you send this to keep passing it on to their friends...there are 12 more brand new beautiful bags that just came available.  Here is the direct link to our updated Etsy shop and adoption blog. 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Chinadreams

2.) For those of you with Facebook, a blog or a website..if you are willing to help us increase visibility this way, please add us to your blogs or  Facebook! A simple and potentially effective way to help us in our cause! Include our link above or better yet, create a button for people to click on ! Here is a "badge" you can cut and paste into your blog, Facebook or website that will link your visitors to our shop! 

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers for bringing Eva home!

Best Wishes!

Laura & David Wagner 

Where are we?

The Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs ( CCAA) has completed the matching process for families with dossiers registered through June 2, 2006.  The CCAA has completed the review of dossiers registered through June 30, 2010. The CCAA was closed from February 1-8, 2011 in observance of Chinese New Year. The next referral update should come later this month or in early March.  The next batch of families to receive their referral are at the the top of the list with a log in date June 5, 2006 and they will have experienced a 4.6 year referral timeframe.    We logged in March 2010 ..been almost a year. here is where we are at...scroll down. Please pray for all the children waiting for their forever home, for these families...for peace and perseverance as they wait. Also pray for the dedicated people at the CCAA as they work to match each family with their child and that the pace of referrals will begin to pick up.

Pending Referral:
LID June 5, 2006
LID June 8, 2006
LID June 19, 2006
LID June 23, 2006
LID July 4, 2006
LID July 11, 2006
LID July 14, 2006
LID August 3, 2006
LID August 8, 2006
LID August 10, 2006
LID August 29, 2006
LID September 2006
LID October 2006
LID November 2006
LID December 2006
LID January 2007
LID February 2007
LID March 2007
LID April 2007
LID May 2007
LID June 2007
LID July 2007
LID August 2007
LID September 2007
LID October 2007
LID November 2007
LID December 2007
LID January 2008
LID February 2008
LID March 2008
LID April 2008
LID May 2008
LID June 2008
LID July 2008
LID August 2008
LID September 2008
LID October 2008
LID November 2008
LID December 2008
LID January 2009
LID February 2009
LID March 2009
LID April 2009
LID May 2009
LID June 2009
LID July 2009
LID August 2009
LID September 2009
LID October 2009
LID November 2009
LID December 2009
LID January 2010
LID February 2010
LID March 2010 - Hi! here we are! 
LID April 2010
LID May 2010
LID June 2010

2011 Year of the Rabbit - Chinese Lunar New Year

Year 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit by the Chinese calendar.  A placid year is anticipated and very much welcomed after the ferocious year of the Tiger. The Rabbit, or Hare as he is referred to in Chinese mythology, is the emblem of longevity


Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade. 
The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year. 


New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving.  Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.

Happy New Year 2011

Been a long time since we've posted. I guess part of the reason for that is there isn't much to write. We are getting updates on referrals from Great Wall. The most recent referrals were from Dossiers logged in on May 29, 2006. Those families had a wait of 4.6 years. We have a ways to go yet.

In the mean time David has been making great progress on his book and Eva's Bags has been busy.  When my mom was here this fall we set up a "booth" in a local antique  shop up through thanksgiving and sold several items. Then we were able to have a table at a local craft fair in December...since then, I have been filling requests for custom bags up through the holidays. So we've been fundraising and meeting people and making connections too. Am working on some new inventory now and exploring with appliques using up scraps...we've also been making baby bibs from the bag scraps too. Here is a picture of our table at the craft fair. Fun times. Thank you Tish for all you did to plan this and pull it off....

Seattles China Town

July 16 - 18

Took a little trip to Seattle to visit Tommie and had a great time visiting China Town!

Getting ready to board water taxi from west seattle to the waterfront downtown

Enjoying the water taxi ride!

China Town Martial Arts  Demonstration - VERY crowded

Martial Arts performaces were set to the beat of traditional drum  and cymbal!

Community Prosperity Wall Mural

Amazing art from fruit - smelle and looked delish. It was hot out!

Caligrapher Don Lee painting Eva's n. A friend tells us it really reads - Little Flower - Sweet!

A gift from Tommie!

Refreshments at a Vital Tea - Chinese Tea House  -

This was so fabulous...my favorite! You can just sit and taste different teas, learn about the importance of

tea in the chinese culture, pick up Mandarin and shop thier tea and wares. A fabulous time!

Yak Booties for Eva -  hand made from sheeps wool by women in rural south western China.

I could not pass these up!

Having Fun!

We also visited Uwajimaya...a huge treasure trove Asian market. They had everything under the sun and we loaded up on the goods. Mmmm.... sushi, seaweed and fish ball feast!

 Was awesome!   http://www.uwajimaya.com/

Dossier Status Update

The most recent batch of referrals came through on June 7, 2010...GW received thirteen (13) referrals for families whose dossiers were logged in on April 25, 2006. The China Center of Adoption Affairs has completed the matching for families with dossiers logged in through April 26, 2006. All 13 referrals were girls from the Jiangxi province. Their ages range from 6 months to 17 months.
These families waited approximately 58 months - just over 4 years.

Here is the current status for all dossiers registered with the  through Great Wall China Adoptions:


Dossiers Pending Referral:
Log In Date: May 15, 2006 through Log In Date: April 2009

Dossiers in  Review:
Log In Date: May 2009 through Log In Date: July 2009

Dossiers Pending Review:
Log In Date: August 2009 through Log In Date: March 2010 (We are March, this is us!)

Dossiers In Translation:
Log In Date: April 2010

Dossiers Recently Registered:
Log In Date: May 2010

Yard Sale Success!

I wanted to let you all know our SPRING ADOPTION FUNDRAISER went GREAT! We are in awe at the number of donations we received from our friends, co-workers and family. We began collecting items in January and started dropping items off at the Brimhall's home last Monday. By Friday their garage was so full of boxes, furniture and bags that both cars had to be parked on the street! We even had friends donating tables and props for displays! And added blessing.... Aunt Jean and Uncle Gil drove up from Oregon bearing more yard sale donations and some were from their neighbors whom we've never even met and in the midst of the chaos, they were able to help us set up and price stuff Friday night…and it was a long night! SO AWESOME!

We had so many donations...light fixtures, linens, pet supplies, electronics, furniture, decor, toys, games, clothes, shoes, purses, sports equipment, house wares, you name it, we had it. We were the best yard sale in the entire tract! Eva's Sale launched 8am Saturday and went steady until 3 pm. On top of it being the most beautiful day of the year, we had a tremendous turn out! David and I were able to share about our adoption journey with so many people and it was great to get so much positive feedback and support from the community! Even the neighbors next door donated $50 to Eva's adoption fund!

It is difficult to express the gratitude we feel ....the love and support is overwhelming. This fundraiser exceeded our expectations and is a total answer to prayer! As we continue to seek guidance and provision from the Lord, He continues to confirm us and provide for this adoption!
Thank you Lord! Thanks to MDH David, my Mom, Paula, Neal, Jessie and John, Aunt Jean and Uncle Gil, Tommie, Lori, Heather, Steve and Jeannie, Lisa and Jake, Kim, Kathy, Brianne. Thanks to everyone who prayed for us, gave of their time and energy and space ;o), for everyone who donated, and for those who stopped by and bought stuff! Thank you so much!

David and Laura Wagner

Prayer for China!

There is nothing new to report on the adoption front but I wanted to post this and ask for your prayers for the people of Jiegu, in the Qinghai province of China. Thier world was rocked by a devastating 6.9 magnitue earthquake on Wednesday, April 14th.  (24 hours ago in China).
Over 500 dead and about 10 thousand inured. China has the resources needed to bring aid and conduct recovery and rescue efforts but getting the necessary supplies and equipment to the area is a challenge...power has been shut down, airport and roads in ruins....please lift them up in prayer!
Read more on CNN.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/14/china.earthquake.survivors/

Qinghai Province

Population: 5 million
People: 44 ethnic groups, including Tibetans and Mongols
Average elevation: More than 3,000 meters (9,842 feet) COLD!!!above sea level
Geography: Qilian Mountains, the Qingnan Plateau and the source of the Yangtze, Mekong and Yellow rivers
GDP: US $3.2 billion; average
GDP per capita US $639
Industries: Agriculture, hydropower, oil and natural gas.

Our Log In Date!

We got our China Center for Adoption Affairs log in date confirmaion today so...we we are IN!
The examination of our Dossier will follow, as will the long wait involving the processing, review and  matching with our child...so we will follow our "groups" progress in a monthly newsletter called Places Everyone which shows the current schedule for each log in date group at the CCAA. 
There is a link to  Places Everyone in the upper right had side of the blog near the top....feel free to check it out too!   Look for the March 12, 2010 LID....thats our group!

Yay Eva....we are one step closer to you!

Here is the letter from Great Wall...they sent us travel info too for review!

Great Wall China Adoption

Dear Great Wall Family,

We are happy to report that your dossier was registered in China on March 12, 2010. The registration date is also known as the Log in Date or LID.

If we receive any additional information we will contact you as quickly as possible. In the meantime, if you need assistance or support, please feel free to give us a call.


Congratulations,

The Referral Education Team

Great Wall China Adoption

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When a child is born, an invisible red thread reaches out from the child’s spirit and connects to all important people who will enter the child’s life. As the child grows, the threads shorten, bringing closer those people who are destined to be together. ~Chinese Proverb~

Grant Status

Hi,

I am writing to update you all on the status of our most recent grant request and to thank you for your prayers.

David and I recevied our response letter today from ShowHope. We were advised that our grant request was declined. Again, the overwhelming requests for financial assistance far outweighs thier ability to give to every family that has a legitimate need. We believe ShowHope's nt process is covered in prayer and that God has another way of providing the means to bring Eva home.

I wanted to share this excerp from their letter..

"Thank you for your heart for adoption and for your faith as you walk according to God's leading. We are greatful that there are times God provides ShowHope the means to assist in the adoption process, but we are equally thankful that He doesn't need ShowHope to accomplish His purposes in the lives of orphans. It is our hope that  you will not be discouraged but rest in the knowledge that " Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass." I Thessalonians 5:24".

So true. While we are at peace with our circumstances, it is very upsetting and emotionally straining to be declined again.  We we will continue to apply for grants and fundraise so please continue to pray wisdom and discernment as we continue to research options.

Laura

Grace Anonymous

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. ~ James 1:17

Thank you to whoever it was that so graciously and generously shared with us on Sunday. Thank you so much for blessing our hearts and our "soon~to~be" family so richly!

Laura

Dossier Received by China Center for Adoption Affairs

Now that our dossier has been received by the CCAA, it will soon be registered and we will be given our Log-in-Date (LID). The LID is the date our dossier was registered with the CCAA.


Great Wall we will notify us via email the day they receive confirmation of our LID from the CCAA. From that point on, we can chart the movement of our dossier by following our LID month in a special e-mail called "Places Everyone". I will keep you posted.

This can be the most challenging period that we will experience, because after all we have accomplished, we must now simply wait for our referral...and it will likely take a couple years. So we will stay positive and busy...as usual.  To help occupy our time, we are being encouraged to learn about the Chinese culture, language and history. So we got a Chinese language course so we can begin to learn some basic Chinese. We will also focus more on our fundraising efforts to prepare us for the travel expenses ahead.

****Also, someone out there keeps commenting on our blog posts  and I would love to be able to read your comments... but the e-mails and comments through in little boxes but there are also chinese characters??  ;o(    Is there another way to decipher?

Dossier to China!

Praise the Lord...We did it! Our dossier has been approved by Great Wall and was Fed-Ex'ed to China today!  So.... it should arrive at Great Wall  in Beijing on Monday where it will be walked across the street to the China Center for Adoption Affairs. There it will be reviewed, hopefully accepted and logged in!


CCAA may log-in our dossier after receipt, but it may take up to 6 weeks for us to receive the log-in date. As we move into the next phase of the adoption which consists of the waiting time between completions of dossier log in to the referral time, we will be working with our Referral Counselor. Our assigned Referral Counselor will be in touch with us in the near future to introduce herself and to guide us along during the wait.


Our next post will probably be with our Log In Date....

We have not heard back on our grant yet....that woudl be a huge chunk for travel. They said they would let us know either way at the beginning of March. We have some fundraising opportunities coming up.....a couple of craft shows for Eva's Bags and our Spring yard sale!

Update...

Okay...I got the bee out of my bonnet...at least for a while!   I've gotten through 6 orders in the last two weeks and needed a small break. I found this Stonehill fabric at 75% off an few weeks ago and its been a distraction sitting folded on my cuting table so,  I made the dress for Eva and there is enough left for a bag. We already had a cute pair of white sandals and they now have something to go with!

We have our last document at the Chinese Consulate for certification and funds are trickling in toward our goal. I want this part to be over already...

We sold a bag on Etsy! 

Eva's Forever Family Quilt - Sneak Peek

Thanks to our dear friend and professional quilt designer Lori Hein, we have completed Eva's quilt using fabric remants left over from the Eva Bag project.

Its is absolutely amazing .. I love the fringed trim in between the quilt blocks and the back is super soft fannel in amazing colors and prints! Lori, I am amazed how you were able to bring all the different fabrics together so beautifully but then again, that is why your the porfessional. You have blessed our socks right off!

Thank you all for your support and forever memories!

Eva's First homemade outfit with 2nd hand jeans - Welcome to the Wagner Family!

Been feeling kind poopy lately and just felt like it would do me some good to make something for Eva so I sorted through leftover Eva bag fabric and was able to make this little peasant top (size 12 mo)  with enough leftover for an oversized pocket and matching patches on the the jeans. I was short on the patchwork fabric for one side of the top so I modified it a bit with one black and white polka dot panel and coordinating pocket.

Having it hanging on the wall is such an inspiration.

So cute if I do say so myself! 

Not yet...

A friend shared this with me...what a blessing in what has been a challenging time for me in my walk...

"Hope is always about what isn't," I say. And then, weaving its way through my accusations, silently and gently squeezing in, just in time, YET falls from Heaven and slips into place.

This word finds its way through a small space between our tightly clasped hands. The word adds itself, completing and changing the meaning, filling our hearts with truth, and overflowing them with hope. In that instant I say and know the truth: Hope is not about what isn't.   Hope is always about what isn't yet.
We sink to our knees and whisper timid words because of what isn't yet.

In moments where we trudge through life between a weathered cross and a not-yet-empty tomb, it brings us to our knees.  It causes us to lay our quivering and undone hearts on makeshift altars in the night. When did life twist to need these hopeless prayers of crying out and pouring out and wringing out our hearts together in the dark? When did we first notice just how small we are?

When I stumble over disappointments in the dark, and feel swept away in hopelessness, even then it is hope that causes me to cry out to the One who is faithful, despite my chronic faithlessness.

Our situation hasn't changed, but on our altar, we've shifted our grip. No longer holding on for dear life, together we hold fast to the One who gives life. We have put our hope, again, in Him. We send forth heavy sighs of hope for unknowns that are yet to be.
And though we don’t yet see it, our hands and hearts are open to receive this hope that does not disappoint.