They said "yes" to our request!

Our agency contacted us this afternoon to say the orphanage director is allowing us to transport Maeve to her finding province (and thus avoid her having to return to the orphanage which is unfamiliar to her) assuming we are willing to pay for the additional $1,400ish cost for this to occur. We then told our agency we will in order to spare her more trauma (which ultimately impacts her for years to come). How could we not forgo the cost and have her traumatized? How do you put a price tag on not having your child be placed with complete strangers in a strange orphanage (especially prior to a huge loss event taking place when she is placed with us)?

We are so grateful that God worked this out in a manner which preserves further trauma for Maeve. Thank you for praying diligently the past few days for this. Please continue to pray for a quick TA, Maeve to be comforted by Him during this huge change, and our family as we work through details of the trip.

Soooo close, just not close enough

We received our article 5 today and are now officially awaiting the very last piece of paper - TA (travel approval). Our agency said "you need a Christmas miracle" in order to make it into the January 3 or 10th travel groups; if we do not, we have to wait until February 7th (no one can travel to adopt anywhere near Chinese New Year).  TA can take between 7 and 21 days. Ours needs to arrive close to the 7 day timeframe. Will you please pray for an especially quick TA if this is God's timing?

Another prayer request: Maeve is currently in a care center for children with medical needs. Per China's custom: orphans have to be transported back to the orphanage near where they are abandoned. It would be quite traumatic for our 13 month old to leave her familiar surrounding to be transported to an orphanage she is unfamiliar with (just to be placed with us whom she does not know).  We had to wait until today (once our article 5 was issued) to request the orphanage allow her to remain in her current location. We would then travel to her current location and "escort" Maeve and a nanny to the province of her birth. This would mean extra flights/travel for us, but we feel it would be so worth it if we can spare her more trauma. Please pray for her orphanage director to have a softening of heart and favor for this situation.

We now anxiously await for "the call" that our TA has arrived. We want our girl home as soon as possible, yet are attempting to rest in knowing His ways are so much higher than ours.

We appreciate you fervently praying for each request during this adoption journey.

Wonderfully Made

Several have asked about the specifics of Maeve's medical condition. We are not allowed to go into great detail on the blog. We can give you a general overview though:

Our desire and prayer is for both of our girls with physical disabilities (as well as our older children) to understand the depth of God's love for them from the moment He planned their existence.

     "For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16

Maeve has all four limbs affected by her syndrome. Her hands are missing most of the structures; her feet have deformity and missing structures. She will be evaluated this winter/spring by an orthopedic physician. We are anticipating a combination of surgery, orthotics, and possibly prosthetics. We have experienced how a child adapts to missing appendages in an amazing manner. What we have also experienced is the emotional and social impact missing appendages has on a child (we are in the early years). The italicized portion of the verses above is of paramount to Maren and Maeve...that they can cling to this truth and can rest in it on a continual basis...this is our prayer.