Guest blog post by John Besse

We are nearly ready to go to China to bring home our daughter.  We will call her Rebecca Wen Besse.  All this time we thought her name would be Anna Faith, but when we got her pictures, we decided she does not look like an Anna Faith, so we have decided on Rebecca Wen.  Her Chinese name is Wen Jie, and we want to keep part of that.  
Everyday I pray for her and I think about just how long we have to go after 2 and a half years.  Granted we are just down to a couple of months but I still find myself breaking this time down in my head over and over again every single day.  I am going to write it down so I can stop obsessing over it and just come back here to look at it several times a day.  My best guess for travelling to China is the end of August or first week of September but that is just a guess.  We will be building bunk beds for the Girls in July.  Our Passports are in DC right now along with a 4 page application getting approval from the Embassy to travel.

Historical Dates:

Jan 9th Dossier arrives in Washington, DC - send to China after this step

CCCWA today, 2/14/14  (Log In date)

February 19th - Temporary lock placed on Zheng, Wen Jie

February 21st - Notice sent to China confirming we want Wen Jie Zheng

LOA/LSC Arrival /  - May 12th, 2004

Picked up One Letter - May 14th, 2014

Of the steps that are left we are on Step 2 shown below:

1) i800 approval:  (Complete)
Started on May 22nd   - 
Received i800 Approval (May 30th) 
Received Letter in Mail on June 2nd
Total Time: 12 to 14 days
Copy scanned and sent to SmallWorld. Now wait for NVC Letter.


2)  NVC Letter
National Visa Center (NVC) Process - 2 to 3 weeks (?June 20th?)
Once your I-800 has been approved, USCIS will send your paperwork to the NVC.  After they have processed your case, they will forward your paperwork to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou.  You will receive a confirmation of this in the mail.  Email to SmallWorld. 

3) Contact NVC to get PDF copy of that Approval-Send to SmallWorld Adoption Agency
    National Visa Center

4) Use the NVC to fill out the Online DS 260. (2 Hours)
    Email DS 260 confirmation to SmallWorld

5) US Consulate Process - 2 weeks (?July 7th?)
SmallWorld will send i800, NVC, and DS 260 to their facilitator in Guangzhou.  She will hand deliver your documents to the U.S. Consulate. Drop-off days are Tuesday and Thursday.  It will take the Consulate 2 weeks to process your paperwork.  The facilitator will then pick up your documents and send them to CCCWA.  We will then await your Travel Approval (TA)

6) Waiting on TA (Travel Approval) 2 to 3 weeks (?July 28th?)
After paperwork has been sent to CCCWA, it will take approximately 2-3 weeks to receive TA. This will be sent to SmallWorld. They will call us when it arrives and begin to make travel arrangements.  We will need to let SmallWorld know when we would like to leave for China.  We will then request a Consulate Appointment accordingly. We ask that you do not make any flight arrangements until the Consulate Appointment has been confirmed. After confirmation, it is the family's responsibility to book your international flights to Taiyuan and back home from Ghangzhou. SmallWorld will arrange any in-country travel. After you have booked your flight, please remember to email a copy of your itinerary to SmallWorld.


7) Once TA is approved travel is typically 30 days after (4 Weeks) (?August 25th Travel?)
When you arrive in China, your guide will meet you at the airport. During your 2 week stay in China, your guide will assist you with any adoption related appointments/paperwork. Your guide is also available to accompany you on any tours of interest, orphanage visits, shopping, etc.
The first week will be spent in your child’s province. You will typically receive your child on a Monday at the local provincial office.  You and your child will then return to the hotel to spend some time getting to know each other.  After you have spent 24 hours with the child, you will return to the provincial office to complete your adoption.  The rest of the week will be spent exploring your child’s homeland with him or her while you wait for your child’s passport to be completed
The second week will be spent in Guangzhou, Guangdong.  This is where the US Consulate is located and all adoptive families must travel there to complete the immigration process.  While in Guangzhou, your child will undergo a physical exam including a TB test. Your child will be issued a visa allowing him or her to become a citizen upon entering the US after taking an oath at the US Consulate office.


8) Yay, we're home!  Life begins but the adoption process does not complete for 5 years.  Not worried or concerned about this part.  We have our Daughter home so this part is easy and flies by.
-----6 Months - Readopt through american courts to get a TN Birth Certificate.

-----Post-Adoption - 5 Years
The first few years after the placement of an adopted child are very important for the adjustment of the child and family. In order to ensure the smooth integration of adopted children into their families, SmallWorld requires that social workers continue to visit adoptive families for a period of 5 years after the adoption of a child. Six reports will need to be done by your social worker during the five years following the adoption of your child. The reports are due at the following times:
1. One month post-placement
2. Six months post-placement
3. One year post-placement
4. Two years post- placement
5. Three years post- placement
6. Five years post-placement

We have a referral for our daughter!!!

We really have some updates this time!  We have a referral and pictures of our little girl!!  Isn't she precious?

 She is in a foster home in China right now.  We don't know if any other children are in the same home, but we know she was placed in foster care only 2 days after she was found.  Praise the Lord for answering our prayers!  I had prayed and prayed that our little Anna would find her way into foster care at some point, and now we find out she's been in a home for almost 5 years!  There is a very big difference between life in a foster home and life in an orphanage!  

She's almost 5 years old, and will be 5 by the time we bring her home.  We do not know when we will be able to travel to get her yet.  It may be a couple of months, or it may be 6-8 months.  We're pretty much at the mercy of their Social Welfare system, but that's okay.  So far the paperwork took Forever, but we got our log-in date on Friday, Feb 14 (what a great Valentine's gift!), and the following Wed, we already had a referral!  Kazammo!  I can NOT put into words how ecstatic we are! 

Part of her Chinese name is Wen Jie, and we really like both of those names.  All this time, we said we were going to name her Anna Faith, and we do like that together, but now we are considering Anna Wen Jie.  Wen means "quiet, knowledge", and Jie means "clean, pure."  So we are still debating on her name, but we have time to figure that out.  

Anna had a kidney surgery as an infant on her left kidney, and now both kidneys are functioning correctly.  She's had regular 6-month checkups since the surgery, which was almost four years ago, and all is well.  So here is our prayer request for our new daughter: 

1 - For her overall health, including her kidneys and anything associated with them, for the rest of her life.

2 - For the Lord, and hopefully her foster parents, to somehow prepare her heart for her forever family and new home. 

Consider a 5-year-old child being uprooted by two people she's never seen before, who take her away to a country where nothing looks the same, not even the people, and no one even speaks her language.  To say that would be hard is an understatement!  And to top it off, she won't be able to ask us questions and we won't really be able to counsel her through it at first, because we simply won't understand each other's language.  We have translator apps already installed on our ipods and phones, and I'm sure that will help; and we know a couple of Chinese speaking people we can talk to, but we aren't sure if they speak the same Chinese she does. In other words, we will get through it, but I'm not kidding myself into thinking it will be easy.  The transition must happen, and she will mourn the loss of her birth country and her foster family, and I'm sure we will mourn them for her too.  But if anyone in China were going to adopt her, they would have done it by now, and she needs a family forever.  She needs us.  She may not even like us at first, or have any idea what to think about us, but she's going to love us eventually!  We're hoping and praying the Lord will help to ease that transition as much as possible.  And we will love her through it when she's sad.
 

A word on prayers, support, and finances:

This adoption, in total, will cost more than $31,000.  We have paid a whopping $12,000 on it so far.  That, my friends, is amazing!  We are not in the class of people who have $12,000 sitting around in a bank account.  We have worked hard for the past several years to pay off this much!  We've had a few successful fundraisers, and we tried a few that didn't pan out.  We've had friends donate anywhere from $5 to $100 or more.  One of my kids' friends made homemade bracelets and sold them and donated the profits.  I think his donation totalled $6.  Another little friend went to her piggy bank and got out $100 to give to us to help bring her best friend's sister home.  I felt guilty accepting this, but she was decided in what she wanted to do. HOW can we not be good stewards of That?!  Since we began this process, we opened a separate bank account that was used strictly for adoption costs, and nothing else.  God has been good, and has provided so far.

And so many friends, family, and people who've heard the story and who care, have prayed and prayed - for us, for the adoption process, for our daughter, for our family.  We cannot thank you enough.  Sincerely, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you.  Thank you for every kind thought, every single dollar donated, and every prayer for our little girl.  It always means more than we would ever realize when others pitch in to help out, but people, I'm telling you now - it means more than we can put into words for you to help any one of our kids.  And we have not held our little Anna in our arms just yet, but she is every bit our daughter.  And we are thankful to the Lord for everyone who has made a difference in her life. 

So now we owe over $18,000 more.  A few years ago, that would have frozen me into a panic.  I would been so overwhelmed, I would not have been able to move forward.  But while we were working and saving to pay what we have so far, one thing has been pointed out to us over, and over, and over.  God is in control.  Every time we thought we were not going to be able to pay the next bill, we were able to pay it.  We didn't always pay it as soon as we wanted to, but it happened in God's time.  Many times, we saved more than we thought we could, then something strange would happen like a water heater breaking or a car needing work, so it seems like we always only had just enough.  But again, when it got down to the wire and another bill was due, we had the money to pay it too.  When the last bill for several thousand dollars came due, we thought we had finally reached the point where we would not have enough to cover it on time, and the agency would just be waiting on us before we could move forward.  I had put some money back from a few extra private lessons at the Taekwondo school, John had done some extra website work on the side, we had a little Christmas money we had gotten as gifts that we hadn't used, and when we pooled it all together along with what we had built up again in savings, we had exactly $40 more than what we needed.  I could just picture God chuckling and saying "See? I got this!" 

So with some more money we've saved since the last payment, plus a tax refund check we just received, plus a surprise bonus this year from John's job (praise the Lord for these things!), we will be able to cover the next bill of $8,000.  That leaves about $11k left. 

Here's the pinch.  China has to have the rest before we can travel to get our daughter.  So we've gotta pull out all the stops.  We'll be closing our Adoption Bug t-shirt account, so they will send us all profits we have accrued through our t-shirt store since it began.  If you have considered purchasing a t-shirt, but haven't done so yet, please see the link to the right of this post!  The Adoption Bug site was started by another adoptive family who sold shirts to fund their own adoption, then kept their online store up and running to help other families out.  And the shirts are good quality t-shirts.  Check it out!  

A friend of ours has generously given of her time and made an afghan that she is raffling off for $5 per ticket.  Another friend has offered to help put on a yard sale.  If you're local, please let us know if you have anything you'd like to donate to the yard sale, which we'll have when the weather gets a bit warmer.  We'll be happy to come and get it!  Also, let us know if you'd like a raffle ticket for the afghan! 

And lastly, if you feel so led, and would like to make a donation, fyi, they are tax deductible, and can be made directly to the adoption agency.  A check would need to be made to Small World Adoptions in Mt. Juliet, TN, and on the Memo line, it is essential that you write "for the child to be adopted by John and Mary Besse".  Without these words, it would be a donation to the agency, which is still great because they would put it to good use, but it would not go to our specific child.  It is easy to look at big numbers and think that nothing will make a difference.  But $5, or even $1, is infinitely more than $0.  

Obviously, these things will help tremendously, but will not yield $11,000, so we'll be getting a loan for the rest.  We ran into a speed bump in this.  We wanted to apply for a loan a few weeks ago, and found an erroneous claim on our credit report that caused our score to drop 100 points!  Thankfully, we have that resolved and removed now, and our credit score is corrected.  We are hoping for an interest-free loan, if possible, but it is not easy to acquire such a loan, because organizations who loan money to adoptive families only have a limited amount of funds to loan.  But we're saying our prayers, and we know that somehow, we'll get there.  We would appreciate prayers in helping this last big chunk to arrive here before it's time for us to travel.  

The finances are necessary for our adoption, but more than anything else, we ask your prayers.  This year, 2014, has been crazy so far.  We have seen changes in our lives, changes in schools, we've seen illness and sadness, we've met new people and made new friends, and come closer to our old ones.  We've seen death, divorce, heartbreak, all way too close to home!  And we've gotten amazing news, and beautiful pictures, of our next little girl!  It's been an emotional roller coaster!  So we do what we do - we add to our list of prayers to remember each day, and we keep on living.  We remember the joy there is in life, and what a blessing each and every day we have here is.  We remember that none of us are truly orphaned, because God our Father adopted us as His children.  And in the end, we know that no matter how lost we've felt, or how long we've been lost, that our Father will come to collect us and take us home with Him.  Until then, we love, and live each day in the way that would honor Him best.  We ask God's blessings upon Anna, and upon us so we can help her and love her the best we possibly can. 

Adoption Update

Hi adoption blog readers,

Just typing up a brief update of where we are now in Anna Faith's adoption.

We still don't have pictures, and the Lord only knows specifically who Anna Faith even is.  She is and always will be our child, but we do not know which specific child she is yet.  As of now, she's likely in an orphange in somewhere China, waiting on us.  I'm hoping and praying that she'll find herself in a foster home at some point, if she hasn't already, and that she will be parented for at least a while (rather than only clothed and fed).  

I've got a lot more updates to type up in this blog, and have done a terrible job keeping people informed.  Part of that is because I tend to schedule myself into a whirlwind and don't leave time to do anything extra.  Another part of it is because I've been struggling.  There, I've said it.  I have a very hard time with knowing I have a daughter on the other side of the planet, and she's been waiting for years for me to bring her home.  I have a hard time with the fact that I'm not able to do enough to get her home sooner, and faster.  And I struggle with not being able to spend the time on the paperwork and making money at the same time.  

Last school year I worked soooo much extra, homeschooling my own kids plus teaching several additional homeschool classes, private lessons at Taekwondo, photography work, painting workshops, and anything else I could possibly think of, to earn extra money.  John was busy working his regular job, and also helping me organize and be prepared for my extra classes, as well as pitching in on fundraisers like the barbecue sale.  But we didn't get any paperwork completed because we had NO time left to do it.  All we could do was keep up.  

But the good news is this - including the all the extra work, fundraising, and a few donations we've had since we began this process almost two years ago, we raised and saved almost $10,000!!!  That is HUGE! The glory be to God, because we could not have done it without Him!

This school year we aren't doing as much extra work because we're never going to get this girl home if we don't get busy on the adoption itself!  So we have completed our home study (YAY!!), and have now moved onto the Dossier.  

Here's the catch.  We've paid the initial application fees, paid for the home study to be done, fingerprints, background checks, physical exams, bloodwork, the agency fee, and CIS approval (citizenship and immigration services), etc. etc.  But now the money we saved has run out, and we have about $20,000 left to pay on the adoption.  

Adoption is expensive.  It's kind of ridiculous.  But if the Lord wants us to adopt this little girl, and I know He does, then He will provide a way to do it.  But I'm going to be honest.  Very recently, I began to lose hope.  

We pray for Anna Faith constantly--for her caregivers, and the other kids she spends time with, for her health and emotional well-being, for her sense of hope...  But for the first time since we began this process, I started to wonder if maybe we've failed somehow.  Maybe we've not done enough...and maybe we can't do this.  When I started to feel the most discouraged, of course I talked to John first.  He also realizes we've been moving forward like molasses on the adoption, and while we have progressed this Fall, we both want to kick it into high gear now.  But it's concerning that now that we have more time to put towards it, we quickly ran out of money to fund it.  

So here's the plan.  We continue working on the paperwork as much as possible.  We're on the Dossier now, which is pretty much a huge stack of papers that will give us permission to adopt a child from another country and bring her into this one to be ours forever.  (For my thoughts on inter-country adoption, read here http://www.asisterforsara.blogspot.com/2012/11/domestic-or-international-adoption.html.)  We have gathered many documents for the dossier already, but we still have plenty to go.  Next on our list is passports and a few other dossier requirements.  We sent off the CIS application and fee a few weeks ago, and got notification a few days ago that our application was received, and our check was cashed.  So now we wait for that approval them to come in the mail.  We'll continue to work toward finishing the dossier while awaiting that approval.  Then we'll send all our paperwork at that point to the agency here, and they'll go through each piece and approve and finalize it.  Then we need to pay for the completion of the dossier.  There's the next big bill - $2,800, to pay for the dossier translation and registration.  It will take the agency a month or two to complete their work on it, so we have that long before we need to pay that bill. 

After that, we'll still have thousands more for various steps along the road (I'm trying not to call them hurdles) to our next daughter. But for now, I'm breaking it down into smaller, more reasonable chunks, and taking it one step at a time.  

There is also an upcoming $500 fee for document procurement.  We just got a generous donation from some friends for $100, and I just got paid exactly $400 for a bit of extra work I've been doing, so that's in the bank ready to go!  Praise the Lord! 

As for the next $2,800 - two fundraisers coming up, and many grant and loan applications to be filled out.  

As for the fundraisers: 

1 - Last year we sold barbecue for one successful fundraiser.  Because I have some of the most awesome brothers in the south, I am going to have my very own cooker (smoker) that was hand-made and delivered here so I can do another barbecue fundraiser (or two) for the holidays!  (This thing is huge.  I am SO EXCITED about this!)  We can sell Boston butts (whole or by the pound), or whole smoked chickens or turkeys, in time for your holiday get-togethers!  If you haven't tried some of my brother Steve's secret recipe, let me know, and I'll bring you some to try.  I guarantee you'll love it!  Also, great news, Steve is also selling his bbq dip by the quart or gallon, for those of you who want more of your own!  Check it out at www.gumrysbbq.com.   

2 -  Holiday painting classes!  Last year, I did a LOT of these.  I do not have the time to do a lot of them now, but I'll be doing two, hopefully.  More details to come on that!  But for now, if you live near us and you like to paint and party, reserve the morning of Sat., Dec 7 to come and do a fun holiday painting!  They make great gifts!  

While doing extra work, paperwork, and fundraising, I cannot allow myself to lose hope.  Anna Faith needs us.  It's crystal clear to me that God wants us to adopt her.  He wouldn't have led us down this path if He didn't, so we can't give up.  I have to remember why we are naming her Anna Faith.  There are people who've reminded me lately that they are here to help if/when they can, and that means the world to me.  You know who you are.  Thank you!! 

That just about sums things up for now.  I am going to keep this better updated, I promise!  In the meantime, please pray for us to get Anna Faith home ASAP, and pray for her and all of the blessed people in her world right now. 

First Week of Painting Holiday Classes - SCHEDULE

Our first week of painting classes has begun!  In case the schedule on my last post is confusing to read, I'm putting this schedule in chronological order, so you can be sure you know what's available, and when. :)
Homeschool classes are highlighted in red.   
Adult/teen paintings (which are 16x20") are highlighted in green.   

Wed., December 5, WHIMSY SNOWMAN, 11x14  
10:00 - 12ish ($25 for one, $20 each when you bring a friend or family member)
Friday, December 7, SANTA'S BOOTS, 11x14 
10:00 - 12ish ($25 for one, $20 each with a friend or family member)
Friday, December 7, Adult/Teen FAVORITE SNOWMAN, 16X20
5:00 - 7ish ($35 for one, $30 each when you bring a friend or family member)

Whimsy Snowman

Santa's Boots

Favorite Snowman

Saturday, December 8, REINDEER DAY

10:00 - 12ish (Choose your reindeer when you register) 
(Everyone's welcome. $25 for one, $20 each w/ friend or family member)

Reindeer with Gifts

Cute Reindeer

Monday, December 10, WREATH, 12x12 
10:00 - 12ish ($20 for one, or $18 each with a friend or family member)
Monday, December 10, REINDEER WITH GIFTS, 11x14 
6:00 - 8ish (Everyone's welcome. $25 for one, $20 each w/ friend or family member)
Thursday, Dec. 13, Swirly Tree, 12x12
10:00 - 12ish ($20 for one, or $18 each with a friend or family member)

Wreath

Reindeer with Gifts

Swirly Tree

-----

Friday, Dec. 14, Kids of SMAC Painting Night!, 11x14 paintings
6:00 - 8ish ($20 per student, choose painting when you sign up!)
As always, sign up through email at MaryBesse@gmail.com,
talk to me in person, or call or text if you have my number. 
This one class will be held at SMAC instead of my house.
-----
Sat, Dec. 15, TREES OF WHOVILLE, 11x14 
10:00 - 12ish (Everyone's welcome. $25 for one, $20 each w/ friend or family member)
Sat., Dec. 15 Adult/Teen TREES OF WHOVILLE 
OR REINDEER WITH GIFTS, 16x20 
2:00 - 4ish ($35 for one, $30 each when you bring a friend or family member)

Trees of Whoville

Reindeer with Gifts

-----
Mon., Dec. 17, NLA Family Painting Day, 11x14 paintings
1:00 - 3ish ($20 per painter, choose painting when you sign up!)
As always, sign up through email at MaryBesse@gmail.com,
talk to me in person, or call or text if you have my number.

Mon, Dec. 17, Parents of NLA  Painting Night! 16x20
6:00 - 8ish ($30 per painter, choose your painting when you sign up)
As always, sign up through email at MaryBesse@gmail.com,
talk to me in person, or call or text if you have my number.

Painting Classes for Christmas!

Hello, blog readers!  

I have an exciting announcement to make.  We are holding painting workshops at our home in Lebanon during the month of December to raise money for our adoption!  There are some workshops for adults, some for kids, and some for both.  I will sketch the picture onto the canvas before the painters arrive, and we go through it step by step together as a class.  No painting experience or art expertise required!  

Upon arrival, your canvas will look something like this:

When you leave, it will look more like this:

You don't need to know how to paint - we'll go over a few helpful tips together before we get started, then paint your painting as a group!  I'll be happy to help with some finishing touches, such as a bit of outlining and some snowflakes added to the background.  

The price of each painting class depends on the size of the painting.  Times and prices are listed below.  Reservations are a must!  We have limited seats available for each class, and I'll need to make sure we have your picture sketched and waiting for you when you arrive. You are welcome to stay and help your child or watch your child paint, or you may like to paint along with them!  You may, instead, want to use those two hours to go get some errands done and pick your child up after class. 

Homeschool dates:
(All homeschool classes are held from 10am - 12ish.)
Wed., Dec. 5 - Whimsy Snowman (11x14")
Fri., Dec. 7 - Santa's Boots (11x14")
Mon.,  Dec. 10 - Wreath (12x12")
Thurs., Dec. 13 - Swirly Tree (12x12")
Students are welcome to bring a snack to have during a short break.  We will watch part of a Christmas show on TV during the break.
Prices are listed below.


**NEW Addition: Monday, Dec. 17, 10am - 12ish is 
NLA Family Day.  Take the kids, take yourselves, or bring the whole family!  
Choose your painting when you register, pay when you get here. Paintings are $20 per guest for an 11x14", or $18 per guest for a 12x12" painting.  Only the Wreath and Swirly Tree can be painted at 12x12".

Whimsy Snowman

Santa's Boots

Wreath

Swirly Tree

 
Weeknight and weekend classes (everyone's invited):
Sat., Dec. 8, 10:00 - 12:ish - Reindeer Day! 
*Choose the Cute Reindeer OR Reindeer with gifts (both 11x14")
(Please let us know your choice when you register.)
Mon., Dec. 10, 6pm - 8:ish - Reindeer with gifts (11x14")
Sat., Dec. 15, 10:00 - 12ish -  Trees of Whoville (11x14")

**NEW Addition: Friday, Dec. 14, 6pm - 8ish, 
 Kids of SMAC Painting Night! 
Choose your painting when you register, pay when you get here. Paintings are 11x14", $20 per guest, or 12x12", $18 per guest.

Cute Reindeer

Reindeer with Gifts

Trees of Whoville

Larger paintings for adults, teens, and older kids:
Fri., Dec. 7, 5pm - 7:ish -  Favorite Snowman (16x20")
Sat., Dec. 15, 2pm - 4:ish - Reindeer with Gifts OR Trees of Whoville (both 16x20")
*Please be sure to choose your painting when you register, so we can sketch your picture onto the canvas before you arrive for class.
**NEW Addition: Monday, Dec. 17, 6pm - 8ish, 
NLA Parents' Night!

*Choose your painting when you register.  Pay when you get here. $30 per person, 16x20" paintings.

Favorite Snowman

Reindeer with Gifts

12x12" paintings are $20, or $18 each if you bring a friend or sibling
11x14" paintings are $25, or $20 each with a friend or sibling
16x20" paintings are $35 each, or $30 each with friend or sibling

We can bring a holiday painting party to you if you have at least 8 painters and the tables and chairs for the paintings.  
Email me at MaryBesse@gmail.com or call me (if you have my number) for questions or reservations.  I look forward to painting with you!
Please consider sharing this link through e-mail or Facebook with your friends, and encourage them to come for your discount!